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Thursday, April 16, 2020

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Indiana Daily Student | idsnews.com

Professor dies after getting COVID-19

By Shelby Anderson anderssk@iu.edu | @ShelbyA04288075

TY VINSON | IDS

Debbie Corcoran and her daughter Sydney Reed sit in their living room Feb. 16 in Martinsville, Indiana. Sydney was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, in 2015, and her doctors told her it was caused by environmental factors.

On tainted soil Her childhood ended when she was diagnosed with cancer at 14. Her mom has been battling the system she thinks caused it.

By Ty Vinson vinsonjo@iu.edu | @ty_vinson_

MARTINSVILLE, Ind. On Thanksgiving of 2015, Debbie Corcoran watched her daughter pull the hair off her scalp in clumps and pile it next to her plate of turkey and mashed potatoes. Debbie got her a trash can.

It had only been a few weeks since Debbie’s daughter, Sydney, was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer in her spine, at age 14.

“I think it’s time to shave my head,” Sydney said.

Before that Thanksgiving, Sydney’s hair was her everything. It had grown past her shoulders for the first time, stretching down her back in a blonde curtain. It was the hair she inherited from her mom.

Debbie told her daughter she’d shave her head with her when it was time.

Sydney said it felt like pity, a cancer cliche she finds annoying instead of supportive. When people get cancer, everyone around them shaves their heads.

She wanted her mom to keep her hair so she could curl it, braid it, play with it.

It seemed unfair to Sydney, having to give up more to the house that may have given her cancer.

After dinner, Sydney’s father held the razor over her head in the kitchen. At first, Sydney laughed. She told her dad she wasn’t sure if she was ready.

“It’s coming out one way or the other,” he said.

He started to shave, and her face contorted. She

didn’t have a mirror, so she had to guess what it looked like.

After half of her hair was gone, she reached to touch her head. She screamed. * * * Doctors told Sydney the cancer’s cause was environmental, from issues the city of Martinsville neglected to tell residents about as, for decades, toxic chemicals spread under the earth.

Dry cleaners and manufacturing companies in the 1980s improperly disposed of chemicals downtown in landfills and in poorly stored metal drums. The toxic chemical tetrachloroethylene, or PCE, seeped into the groundwater and soil.

Martinsville’s water runs from three wells. All wells were tested in the early 2000s, but only the third came back with high levels of PCE. That contamination site, the Pike and Mulberry Street Superfund Site, is the only one currently being remediated by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The cleanup is funded by Masterwear Corporations, one of the companies responsible.

PCE is widely known as the dry cleaning liquid. If disposed of properly, there is no issue. However, according to the EPA, both short- and long-term exposure to the chemical can cause dangerous side effects in humans and animals, including several types of cancers.

As time passed, the PCE under the city evaporated

into the atmosphere, creating a chemical plume contaminating homes, schools and businesses above the earth.

Sydney has lived most of her life above the contamination. Her house, as well as the elementary and middle school she attended, sit on a chemical plume site.

The city contains four or five sites, meaning many homes could be in the same position, according to information Debbie found independently and with researchers from Purdue University. But no one is sure how many sites there are because they’re hard to map.

Sydney’s treatment has cost around $3 million so far. Debbie struggles to cover the 20% they’re responsible for.

They can’t afford to move out of the house they believe is poisoning them, or out of the city that once said there were no issues with the water.

Debbie said nobody else in the city is taking the contamination as seriously as they should. Despite efforts to rally her neighbors, most have been skeptical.

“You gotta die from something,” one told her. * * * Sydney’s symptoms started in eighth grade as extreme pain in her back and knees. A childhood playing softball conditioned her to small aches and pains, but this was different.

One night, after a motorcycle ride made the

COURTESY PHOTO

Sydney Reed, 18, poses with a sign stating she's cancer free Sept.

1, 2016. Sydney was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in her spine when she was 14 and was told it was environmentally caused.

pain worse, she woke up screaming. Debbie took her to the emergency room at IU Health Bloomington, where a doctor told her the joints connecting her spine to her hips were inflamed.

She was sent home without a test or blood work and told to take Motrin.

She’d go through a bottle of Motrin a month.

In class, she would ask her teachers to be excused so she could pop open the bottle she kept in her locker.

Two months later, Sydney had an MRI at an Indianapolis clinic. Lying on a hard surface for the MRI was excruciating. She wailed the whole hourlong drive home, feeling every bump in the road cut into her spine.

She didn’t lay completely flat for

two months, even to sleep.

She’d sit up on the L of the couch at her mom’s, surrounded by pillows, watching “The Walking Dead.”

After doctors noticed a mass on her spine, Sydney went back for another MRI. This time, the technicians put pillows in the machine to make her more comfortable. When her doctor lifted her off the table, she bit into his shoulder from the pain.

Sydney’s dog, Mikey, had arthritis. She made quesadillas to share with him on Halloween 2015.

It felt right — they were in pain together, so might as well share a meal. When she bent down to feed him, her back got tense. She went to lay down on the SEE SYDNEY, PAGE 3

City accelerates infrastructure projects

By Joey Bowling jobowl@iu.edu | @joeybowling8

Various road-improvement and infrastructure projects in Bloomington have started during Gov. Eric Holcomb’s stay-athome order, which is scheduled to last until April 20. The city's goal is to have the projects finished by the time IU and Monroe County Community School Corporation return to their regular academic schedules, according to a city press release.

City of Bloomington spokesperson Yaël Ksander said the city is accelerating these projects during the pandemic so they are as nondisruptive as possible to residents. The contractors and construction crews are following Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention protocols, such as spacing out construction workers and providing masks.

“When business resumes as normal and students come back to Bloomington, we can enjoy these enhancements and not have had to suffer through all these closures during a really busy time,” Ksander said.

The Kirkwood Avenue Maintenance Project began around April 1, replacing deteriorating brick sidewalks at each intersection and installing removable barriers for use during street fairs and festivals. During the project, vehicles can’t drive through areas of the road under construction, such as the intersections of Dunn, Lincoln and Walnut, according to the press

CARL COTE | IDS

A crosswalk construction sign is pictured April 8 at Kirkwood and Indiana avenues. Various roadimprovement and infrastructure projects in Bloomington have started during Gov. Eric Holcomb’s stay-at-home order, which is scheduled to last until April 20.

release. Construction is expected to be fully completed by the end of July.

The School Zone Enhancements Project is the second project aimed to be completed quicker than planned, installing signs

IU chemistry professor Dennis Peters died Tuesday from complications of COVID-19, according to the chemistry graduate program’s Facebook page.

IU spokesperson Chuck Carney confirmed Peters' death.

Peters contracted the virus while in the hospital recovering from a fall he took over spring break, according to the graduate program's Facebook page. He was 82.

The chemistry graduate program posted on Facebook and Twitter about Peters' importance to the department and how appreciated he was. Many people left comments saying how much they will miss him.

“His passion for his students was contagious,” one of Peters' former teaching assistants, Jonathan Meyers, wrote in a Facebook comment.

Peters was born in Los Angeles, according to his research group website.

He earned his bachelor’s degree at the California Institute of Technology in 1958. He began working as an instructor for IU in 1962 after receiving his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Harvard University.

He has filled various roles in IU’s chemistry department, including associate chair, graduate adviser, director of General Chemistry, coordinator of Undergraduate Studies and advisor for graduate students in the Master of Arts for Teachers Program. He has won 11 IU teaching awards and is coauthor of five textbooks on analytical chemistry.

In 2006, Peters was recognized for 50 years of membership to the American Chemical Society. In 2007, he was elected as a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society.

and flashing beacons in school zones throughout the city. The signs and beacons will alert drivers to slow their speed.

The beacons will go off for a short time before and after school near ar-

eas where students have to cross the street. The project is expected to be completed before the start of the 2020-21 school year, according to the press release.

COURTESY OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY

Chemistry professor Dennis Peters poses for a headshot. Peters died Tuesday.

IU senior advances to ‘Jeopardy!’ finals

By Claudia Gonzalez-Diaz clabgonz@iu.edu | @clabgonz

IU senior Tyler Combs won $32,800 in the first semifinal round of the "Jeopardy!" 2020 College Championship on Monday and will advance to the final rounds Thursday and Friday.

Combs will compete against the winners of the two semifinal rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. The three finalists will start with $0 for each day of the final round, and the scores accumulated from both days will determine the winner.

Combs competed against University of Florida sophomore Kayla Kalhor and Northwestern University freshman Beni Keown in the semifinal round.

Before Final Jeopardy!, Combs had $16,400. The clue for the round was: “This word for a concept in Eastern religions comes from Latin roots for ‘made in flesh’ and ‘again.’”

Combs, who wagered all of his money on the question, correctly answered: “What is reincarnation?!”

Combs and Kalhor answered correctly, boosting them to first and second place. Keown, leading most of the show, ended in third place.

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Cook Medical employees to see at least 20% pay cut

By Kyra Miller kymill@iu.edu | @kyra_ky94

Cook Medical Group announced Monday it will cut the hours of salaried workers for the next three months due to changes in demand for medical products, according to an email from

communications manager Marsha Lovejoy.

Salaried employees at Cook Medical who make more than $50,000 per year will be switching to a fourday work week for the next three months, according to the email. This cut in hours comes out to a 20% pay cut.

Executives will be taking a larger pay reduction, ranging from 25% to 100%.

“We have never done something like this before, but this is how we have to manage through this crisis,” Lovejoy said in the email.

“This will allow us to weather this storm, while still provid-

ing patients the products they need right now.”

There’s an increase in demand for products used in intensive care units, such as catheters and airway devices, but a decrease in elective procedures such as biopsies and kidney stone removal, according to the email.

CARL COTE | IDS

A near-empty Kirkwood Avenue is pictured. IU experts said COVID-19 has been difficult on the economy and predict that it will be especially hard on small businesses and the hospitality industry.

Experts say effects of COVID-19 will hit small businesses, restaurants hardest

By Shelby Anderson anderssk@iu.edu | @ShelbyA04288075

Economic difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will be especially hard on small businesses and the hospitality industry, IU experts said.

Timothy Slaper, research director at the Kelley School of Business’ Research Center, said the unexpected nature of the crisis could dampen the economy’s rebound. He said because people weren’t prepared for the crisis, people may be scared to start spending money again when businesses reopen.

“The economy didn’t go sideways, it went off a cliff,” Slaper said.

He said that younger restaurants may be at a higher risk of being bought out by larger companies, even if they are normally popular places to eat. A young restaurant may have more debt to pay off than more established ones, which can create

problems for them during the pandemic.

Slaper also predicts that small businesses owned by baby boomers could be targets for larger corporations to buy out because the owners may be considering retirement. The owners may not have a turnover plan for their business. Now that nonessential corporations are closing temporarily, it may be easier for them to sell their business to a franchise.

Since it is difficult to predict when the pandemic will end, Slaper said it is hard to predict how long the recovery will take, though he said he is optimistic that we will get back to life as it was before surprisingly quickly once the pandemic subsides.

“At the end of the period the lights will go back on,” Slaper said.

Kelley School of Business assistant professor Andrew Butters said one of the reasons there is so much uncertainty about the economy at

this time is because the pandemic began as a biological problem, not an economic problem.

“There’s a real fear right now and a real sense of trying to keep yourself safe,” Butters said.

The economy is in a recession, but until late February it was doing well in terms of unemployment and personal savings rates, which Butters said may help make the economy’s rebound easier.

He thinks one of the things people can do to help during this time is to try to make the pandemic as shortlived as possible by following guidelines from health officials.

Businesses in the hospitality industry will be at the greatest risk because even when stay-at-home orders are lifted, people may continue to fear catching the coronavirus and choose not to take the risk of going out to spend money, Butters said.

This could cause the eco-

nomic results to stretch on for these businesses.

He said businesses are using creative methods to help their employees while still serving their customers. He referenced Allstate insurance offering refunds for driving insurance because fewer people are getting into car accidents as an example.

“We need everyone to feel safe reentering the economy,” Butters said.

Pat Bryan who works at The Tap, a local restaurant and brewery, said that their sales have dropped, but one of the strategies he thinks has been helping them is offering take-out beer.

Bryan said their revenue has dropped from roughly $3,000 a day to about $1,500 a day.

Bryan said that their brand is recognizable, so people continue to get food and beer from them even though they can only offer pick-up and delivery options right now.

IU provides isolation housing

By Cate Charron catcharr@iu.edu | @catecharron

IU senior Kyle Edwards spent 11 days in an IUowned house while he was being tested for the coronavirus. One of those days was his 22nd birthday, and IU Dining employees sent him snacks, cards and a cake.

Edwards was tested in March after he became very ill with symptoms such as coughing, body aches and a fever of more than 101 degrees. He said he tested negative for the flu, strep throat and mono twice.

“I was really, really ill,” Edwards said. “I had all the symptoms.”

Edwards tested negative for the coronavirus and was released from isolation April 4.

“I’m doing better, and I’m glad to be home,” Edwards said.

IU spokesperson Chuck Carney said that IU Public Safety and Institutional Assurance is using eight offcampus houses with a total of 23 beds to house students who need to be isolated while being tested for COVID-19. The isolation houses are only for students living on campus. Four students, including Edwards, have used the houses for selfisolation so far. Carney said those students’ test results all came back negative.

“This is precautionary,”

JOY BURTON | IDS

IUSG candidates debate responses to COVID-19

By Luzane Draughon luzdraug@iu.edu | @luzdraughon

Presidential and vice presidential candidates for the upcoming IU Student Government elections went head to head Tuesday night in a heated debate.

The debate included discussion between the candidates about how their campaigns will respond to COVID-19, diversity and inclusion on campus, sustainability, mental health and advocating for sexual assault survivors and indigenous communities.

Sophomores Madeline Garcia and Arianna Hoye are running for student body president and vice president, respectively, for the Defy campaign. Presidential candidate Rachel Aranyi and vice president candidate Ruhan Syed, both sophomores, are running the Inspire campaign.

The IUSG Election Commission livestreamed the debate at 7 p.m. Tuesday on Facebook. The livestream had about 480 views as of Tuesday night. Senior and IUSG election commission chair Quinn Gordon moderated the event and asked the candidates questions submitted by students.

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic The candidates debated how their campaigns will respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, touching on topics of financial security, academics and access to basic necessities such as food and housing.

Garcia of the Defy campaign said her first priority is to advocate for COVID-19 relief by ensuring students are financially secure during this crisis and academically prepared with technology and other resources.

Aranyi of the Inspire campaign said one of the differences between her campaign and Defy is that Inspire is not seeking a fee refund because she said some mandatory student fees are allocated to pay student workers.

“We are requesting a partial tuition refund in order to make sure that students are made whole and that the student workers are protected,” Aranyi said.

The Inspire campaign sent out a petition April 2 calling for a 25% tuition refund. As of Saturday, it had more than 10,000 signatures. The campaign plans to send the petition to the Board of Trustees, but IU officials have said they have no plans to refund any part of tuition or mandatory fees.

Garcia said petitions lack concrete policy implementation. She said her campaign is trying to make sure students who are not receiving a paycheck can still get access to food and housing in Bloomington.

Advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion on campus Garcia said the Defy campaign wants to have conversations with First Nations programs and do formal land acknowledgements. These acknowledgements would recognize that IU was built on land that previously belonged to indigenous people and would be made at public ceremonies, such as the graduation ceremony.

“Diversity, equity and inclusion conversations are not the only things that diverse groups belong at,” Garcia said. “Diverse populations should impact every one of our decisions.”

Hoye also said she wants to implement diversity training for faculty, staff and students. According to the campaign’s website, training would include conflict resolution related to discriminatory acts based on race, sex, ability, religion and sexual orientation.

Aranyi said the Inspire campaign is creating a diversity, equity and inclusion council to make sure the necessary voices are heard.

Syed said the Inspire campaign also believes indigenous people should have their voices heard. He said they want to increase collaboration with indigenous people to address ignorance about the lack of indigenous recognition and representation.

Prioritizing mental health initiatives Garcia said she hopes to increase funding for Counseling and Psychological Services and destigmatize mental health issues.

Syed said the Inspire campaign wants to extend the hours of operation for the IU Health Center to make it available to students on weekends and outside of standard business hours.

The candidates also discussed how they will advocate for sexual assault survivors on campus.

Garcia said the Defy campaign has four policies addressing this, including implementing trigger warnings, reporting assaults, preventing online sexual assault harassment and clarifying IU’s definition of consent.

Syed said there is a lack of transparency about sexual assault on campus and his campaign hopes to work with IU’s Sexual Assault Crisis Service to make students aware of the resources they have access to.

Combating food security on and off campus Aranyi said IU’s meal plans are confusing and need to be made simpler and more transparent. Syed said his campaign wants to ensure a $15 minimum wage for student workers.

Hoye said the Defy campaign wants to advocate for students who don’t have meal plans.

“There’s a lot of students who don’t have a meal plan that attend a university,” Hoye said. “And that’s where the students fall through the cracks.”

Garcia said her campaign want to ensure the basic needs of all students on campus are met by educating students about resources available to them.

Making campus more sustainable Syed said divestment from fossil fuels is a core policy for the Inspire campaign. Garcia said the Defy campaign is committed to investing in solar energy.

Voting for the IUSG election started at 10 a.m.

Wednesday and will end at 10 p.m. Thursday, according to IUSG’s website. All students can vote and should receive a link to vote in their IU emails through BeInvolved.

An IU Health Center sign hangs on a pole along North Jordan Avenue. Students living on campus can selfisolate in IU-owned off-campus houses while being tested for the coronavirus.

Carney said.

The process of getting a test from the Health Center starts with an evaluation by phone or video call, Health Center medical director Dr. Beth Rupp said. A medical professional will determine if the person needs to come for an in-person visit for further evaluation. During an inperson visit, another medical professional will decide if a test is needed, if their symptoms are severe enough.

If a student needs to be tested, Health Center staff tells them to self-isolate.

Health Center nurses will

call each day to check on them and make sure their symptoms don’t get worse.

Isolation continues until the a patient tests negative. Rupp said the new test is supposed to come back in 48 to 72 hours. If the test is positive, it is passed on to the Monroe County Health Department, which notifies the state.

Previously, it took about seven to 10 days to get results, so the Health Center was not testing very many people, Rupp said. But the Health Center began using a new laboratory for coronavirus testing beginning

Monday, which can get results more quickly.

Like health centers across the country, though, Rupp said the Health Center has a shortage of “viral transport medium,” or the packaging the doctor puts a swab in for the tests.

Rupp said the center has changed labs in hopes of getting results more quickly beginning Monday. The price of the test is $80, but Anthem insurance covers the cost.

With most other providers, a patient will have to pay the $80 out-of-pocket and later submit a claim.

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» SYDNEY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 couch, and she started to scream.

Sydney had a surgery scheduled to take out the mass on Nov. 3. That day, her doctors found out the mass was a tumor, and it had burst. She was diagnosed with cancer a week later.

After they told Debbie, she walked outside, stood in front of Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis and began to pray. She prayed that God would take her away instead of her daughter, that he would let Sydney heal.

She calmed herself down before going to Sydney’s hospital room.

Sydney asked if it was cancer. Her mom nodded.

Sydney’s mind went straight to death. She didn’t want to go through chemotherapy because she had seen what it did to children in the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital commercials. Once while she was getting blood work done at Riley, a little girl walked by. The girl was skinny, pale and bald. Sydney looked at her mom.

“That’s what you want me to look like,” she said. “That’s what you’re wanting to do to me.”

Sydney hated chemo. The type of chemo she had to receive could only be taken one way: directly to the heart. Whenever the chemo was injected through a central line in her chest into her every other week, she called it the red devil.

On the day of her first treatment, Sydney posted on her Instagram.

“I really don’t want anyone feeling sorry for me,” the post read.

Every three months, Sydney had to get an MRI. She would have panic attacks inside the small and loud machine, so she watched a movie during the procedure. She picked the Pixar movie “Up” and watched it every time she went to get an MRI, one constant she could keep for herself now that everything had changed.

She quickly lost friends. Her mom said they probably just didn’t know how to handle the situation. After all, they were just kids.

Now, Sydney feels like everyone her age is too immature for her.

“There’s no way to be a kid again,” she said. “I just hate everything.” * * * Sydney is 18 and a senior in high school. She’s had to make up 13 months of school.

School has been hard. She would lie on the floor because of the pain.

Regular chairs are too hard on her spine, so she uses a cushioned one.

COURTESY PHOTO

Sydney Reed kneels next to Roselynn Turi, 1, in the Riley Hospital for Children's cancer ward in the summer of 2016. Roselynn died of leukemia at the end of 2016.

Sydney wasn’t able to finish her eighth grade year. She was passed onto ninth grade anyway. “’No child left behind’ my ass,” Debbie said.

Debbie has been fighting local and state governments to change regulations on chemical disposal.

She met with state legislators, pleading for them to change laws on selling property on contaminated soil.

She goes door to door asking people if they would allow their house to be tested. She’s had the door slammed in her face, been called crazy. But she believes her daughter’s cancer is evidence enough.

Sometimes, she feels like her daughter hates her for making her stay alive.

When Sydney refused treatment, her mom told her the state could take her away. She’d be forced to live with foster parents, who would make her do treatment. Parents have lost custody of their children in similar situations.

“Forcing your daughter to do something that could kill her was not easy,” Debbie said.

Sydney struggled to eat and developed an eating disorder. At one point, she tried to commit suicide.

On one particularly bad night, she went into Debbie’s room at 3 a.m.

She asked her mom: “Why does God hate me?”

Debbie told her daughter that God doesn’t hate her, he’s testing her.

Debbie stepped outside, smoked about 20 cigarettes and came back in. She told Sydney she needed to stay alive to help her learn about what was killing her and try to stop it from killing other people. Sydney thought she was full of it.

Debbie said she frequently gets calls and notifications from someone telling her they or someone they know has cancer or some other lifethreatening illness.

“I feel like I’m uncovering bodies

every day,” she said. * * * Debbie manned the front door of a town meeting she helped organize Feb. 5, signing in residents and giving them packets of information.

Gary Oakes, the director of planning and engineering, said the city began prioritizing the contamination issue immediately after city administration changed in January.

Officials are working with the EPA to come up with quicker solutions to the contamination. The current proposals may take anywhere from nine to 34 years, much slower than the city wants.

Oakes said Debbie going door to door and helping get houses tested is probably the best thing anyone could be doing. People trust another resident coming into their house more than some EPA official.

“Everyone wants a resolution to the problem,” he said.

Carbon filters were installed in the water system in 2005. But tests run last year by Purdue School of Health Science researcher Sa Liu showed a second issue lies in the ground itself.

Liu recorded high PCE levels in the air inside of homes and in breath samples of 39 residents.

Liu’s study was a pilot. She plans to apply for more funding to continue with tests. She asked participants to spread the word in order to get more volunteers.

“It’s a big public health problem that requires all hands on deck,” Liu said.

Jeremy Kinman, associate technical director at Wilcox Environmental Engineering, Inc., talked at the meeting about a potential solution to the chemical issue.

Kinman’s company has been privately working to clean up one of the chemical plumes in Martinsville,

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called the O’Neal plume. The remediation is funded by the insurance company of the business to blame, O’Neal’s Clothes Depot Cleaners.

The company placed what it calls a permeable reactive barrier into the ground, and within days, levels of PCE were almost nonexistent, he said. The system puts carbon into the water, and the carbon attaches to PCE. Underground bacteria break down the carbon-attached PCE into harmless ethylene, allowing clean water to pass through.

“You’ll see a massive drop in PCE concentrations in hours,” Kinman said. “It’s that immediate.”

The barriers could be implemented within the next couple months for the rest of the chemical plumes in the city and can work for years. Kinman said if the EPA proceeded with testing, it would work with the companies responsible for the contamination. The city and state wouldn’t have to pay a cent.

Oakes said the city is on board with Kinman’s plan.

Several hands shot up in the crowd at the end of the meeting.

What neighborhoods are you looking at? Who’s going to pay for all this?

Are my children safe?

“This just sounds too good to be true,” one woman said. * * * For the first two years after she was diagnosed, Sydney couldn’t stand to hear the word cancer. She’s still mad at the city, its people and the companies who made her question whether she’d live to see her senior year. She’s joined her mom in speaking out against those responsible for the chemical plumes.

Sydney has been in remission since Sept. 1, 2016. She still has to see doctors often and go to physical therapy. But she’s started to talk more about cancer and what she went through. The high school has a dance marathon to raise money for Riley children, and Sydney has spoken at it every year.

She has a boyfriend, and makes more of an effort to make friends at school despite how distant she feels from her peers. For the longest time, Sydney didn’t want to talk to other people with cancer. There were other kids at school who had cancers, but she didn’t want to know them. She worried she’d become close to them, and they’d die.

That’s what happened to Roselynn. Sydney met Roselynn during treatments at Riley Hospital when Roselynn was a year old. Sydney said she was the calmest baby on the floor. She never cried, unless she was

in pain. She liked to dance for people and would do it up and down the halls.

She’d come into Sydney’s hospital room and open the blinds to see if Sydney was sleeping. If she was, she’d come to Sydney’s bedside and wake her up. She was always smiling.

After a girl in her class, Bridget, was diagnosed a second time with stage 2A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma last year, they started talking. Her doctors told her it was environmentally caused, like Sydney’s.

Sydney sent her chocolate-covered strawberries and talked to her through her treatment. She wants to help those around her cope with something she’s gone through.

She doesn’t hate her mom, and Debbie doesn’t hate her. She’s a teenager, and teenagers sometimes don’t get along with their parents.

Some things annoy her, like when her mom meets someone new and she tells them right away that her daughter had cancer. Sydney said she just gets too involved sometimes.

Sometimes, kids will still make fun of her. One girl wouldn’t stop staring at her, then called her ugly and asked if her cancer was back yet.

Sydney pushed her desk over and told the girl to stand up and fight.

Then the teacher came in.

She hasn’t had a sleepover since middle school because outside germs are bad for her immune system. But she had a friend over for the first time since then in February.

She plans to get a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from IUPurdue University Indianapolis to become a crime scene investigator. She’s unsure what’s going on with graduation right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Classes are online. She isn’t able to go anywhere because she’s immunocompromised. She hasn’t seen her boyfriend, Joey, in weeks.

Last October, she got a shoulder blade tattoo of the old couple from the movie “Up,” which she’s now seen more than a dozen times. She tries to stay hopeful.

Debbie is still partnering with researchers to get houses tested, going door to door and hoping someone will want to listen.

She tries to be there for her daughter, even though she’s practically an adult now.

Sydney understands her cancer could come back, or a different secondary cancer could start growing at any point.

“I‘m gonna live my life to the fullest because I know I could die next week,” she said. “If I get diagnosed again, I’ll know I really lived part of my life at least.”

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Indiana Daily Student

4

Thursday, April 16, 2020 idsnews.com

SPORTS

Editors D.J. Fezler, Phillip Steinmetz and Grace Ybarra sports@idsnews.com

Mystearica doesn’t let transphobia

hold her back

May “Mystearica” Peterson, 20, is the No. 1 ranked Super Smash Ultimate player in Indiana. After coming out as transgender on twitter in January, she strives to be a model of what’s possible in the gaming community.

By Declan McLaughlin dsmclaug@iu.edu | @DickyMcLaughlin

Multiple cameras capture two virtual fighters facing off in-game while both players are illuminated in cold blue light as they stare at their respective screens. The light matched May “Mystearica” Peterson’s long blue hair. The match was streamed on Twitch.tv, at Frostbite, a major Super Smash Ultimate tournament, in February.

Indiana native Mystearica , who is unranked nationally, faced off against Takuma “Tea” Hirooka, the No. 12 player in the world and No. 5 in Japan. Mystearica fought as the character Palutena, a goddess of light with a magic staff from the Kid Icarus franchise, while Tea used PacMan, the titular yellow circle from the Pac-Man video games. The two faced off in a flurry of magic fireballs, fruit, fire hydrants and kicks.

In tandem with the stream showing the battle on stage is a chat that displays messages written by viewers watching online. The messages in this chat were heavily delayed. The moderators slowed down the displayed comments to catch and block any transphobic or hurtful comments made toward Mystearica.

This is nothing new for her. Mystearica is transgender and often faces this kind of prejudice when she appears on stream during a tournament.

“Whenever any trans player plays on stream, the chat is always bad,” Mystearica said.

Mystearica is a 20-year-old Super Smash Bros. competitor from Pittsboro, Indiana. She has been playing the Super Smash Bros. series since she was 5 years old and first showed up near the top of the Indiana rankings in 2016. She is currently ranked No. 1 in Indiana and No. 5 in the Midwest.

Her first Super Smash Bros. game was Super Smash Bros. Melee.

She played as her favorite character Zelda, from the Legend of Zelda franchise, because she thought the character was pretty. She didn’t learn about competitive Super Smash Bros.

tournaments until 2016 after people on the Super Smash Bros. matchmaking website, Anther’s Ladder, told her she should go to local tournaments.

Mystearica said that she was always drawn to multiplayer games growing up, but that she was limited in her options. She only had Nintendo consoles as a kid, so that led her to the Super Smash Bros. games.

Mystearica is a personality in the Midwest region of the Super Smash Bros. community.

She doesn’t have a job, and goes to up to five local tournaments a week across the state. She regularly places first and uses the money she earns to fund her trips to major Smash tournaments across the country. Sometimes she can be loud and talkative during her matches.

“People know her and remember her,” Matt “MaDShadow” Davis, Mystearica’s coach, said.

For all her results and accolades, Mystearica’s gender is usually the top Google result when typing in “what is Mystearica…”

MaDShadow said people sometimes ask what her pronouns are when he is at events with her.

“All the fixation is on her gender, or her sexuality, or how she looks, and it’s unfortunate because they don’t focus on the gameplay,” said MaDShadow.

Mystearica came out to her family and the world via Twitter in January.

She turned off notifications on the tweet and did not look at her phone after she initially sent it out.

She eventually showed the tweet to her mom, too scared to actually say the words out loud.

Her mom gave her an indifferent response, which was then followed by a positive one online.

“Everyone has been very supportive of me and it’s been very good,” Mystearica said. “It’s been a weight off my chest to be honest because when I did it I was really scared.”

Since coming out, Mystearica said she has received many more positive messages online than negative ones.

The negative comments usually come from Twitch or Youtube. Her own bubble on Twitter is usually a safer

space.

MaDShadow said it is hard to watch videos of her matches online.

“I have to turn off chat because people are just nasty and mean,” MaDShadow said. “I can’t look at the comments, I just get mad.”

Mystearica said Smash players don’t bother her in person, since they’re too afraid to say anything transphobic to her face.

Mystearica is no stranger to being tormented. She was heavily picked on in high school in Lizton, Indiana, for being gay, which was one of the reasons she left and got her General Education Diploma in 2016.

“There weren’t very many people in that school like me,” Mystearica said. “And by very many I mean there was nobody.”

In the Smash community, she is not without allies. Besides her friends, she has Rasheen “Dark Wizzy” Rose.

The New York-based player is ranked No. 22 in the world and played through the top eight section of one of the biggest Smash tournaments, Genesis 7, this year with a trans flag draped across his back.

Mystearica said it makes her and a lot of other trans people in the community feel more comfortable in the Smash scene.

“He doesn’t have any reason to do it besides the fact that he wants to be supportive,” Mystearica said. “I don’t think people realize how much he puts himself out there by doing that.”

In that same tournament, Mystearica finished 65th and played her last serious game as Zelda, switching permanently to Palutena. The character is considered one of the best characters in the game because of its strong and fast attacks.

Mystearica played against the No. 4 ranked player Nairoby “Nairo” Quezada in the second round of pool play at Genesis 7 . Nairo is considered the best Palutena player in the world. To avoid going against a topfive player with a character he knows intimately, she opted to play as Zelda in the first game of the best-of-three match.

Mystearica barely did any damage

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFF MAHIEU

May “Mystearica” sits Feb. 23 at Frostbite, a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament, in Detroit. May is the No. 1 ranked Super Smash Bros. Ultimate player in Indiana.

to Nario in the first game, not even taking one of his three lives. In the second game, as Palutena, she did much better.

She took Nario’s first life in about 30 seconds, using one of Palutena’s taunts after she knocked Nairo off the screen.

“Little things help her like taunting, and that really gets her going,” MaDShadow said.

She lost the set but made a deep run in the losers bracket of the double-elimination tournament.

Mystearica has wins against top players during her Smash Ultimate career.

Her most notable win was against Tea in 2019, followed by wins against Luis “Lui$” Oceguera and Spencer “BestNess” Garner this year.

Lui$ is ranked No. 39 and BestNess is ranked No. 43 in the world.

Mystearica does not have a sponsor, an organization or company that can help pay for food, travel and a hotel at major tournaments. Even with these wins, she doesn’t think she deserves one.

“I’ve always had very high expectations for myself,” Mystearica said.

“So when I can start getting like 13th and top eights at S-tier tournaments, then I can be like ‘alright, now I’ll look for a sponsor.’”

She used to be hard on herself in the past. After losses or poor performances, she would often get in her own head and ask why she kept playing the game.

But, she said she now uses these feelings as motivation, fueling her desire to improve.

“Even though I got 25th at Frostbite, which is supposed to be a pretty good placement, I was very upset about it because I wanted to do better because I feel like I can do better.

So I’ll never be satisfied,” Mystearica said. “But I didn’t let it demotivate me. I tried to let it motivate me instead.”

Indiana Daily Student

SPORTS

Thursday, April 16, 2020 idsnews.com

Editors D.J. Fezler and Grace Ybarra news@idsnews.com

5

MEN’S SOCCER

IU finds opportunity for growth amid uncertainty

By Jared Kelly jaakelly@iu.edu | @Jared_Kelly7

For the IU men’s soccer program, it’s business as usual, and IU head coach Todd Yeagley won’t have it any other way. Whether the team is on the field together in Bloomington, or on a fullteam video chat hundreds of miles apart, Yeagley sees the current climate as an opportunity, not a detriment.

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing its stranglehold on all facets of the world, coaches across college soccer have turned to unorthodox coaching methods to keep players in shape while still building toward an uncertain 2020 season.

“I’m not as worried about what our guys are doing with the guidance that we can provide because they’re disciplined, they’re motivated, and they want to win,” Yeagley said in a teleconference on Friday afternoon.

What was once a structured, rigorous practice schedule headed by one of the most decorated soccer coaches in Division I history has since become unfeasible.

In its place are now weekly Kahoot! quizzes, personal at-home workouts and daily video chats.

But IU’s coaching staff knows there’s only so much they can do virtually, which shifts an extreme amount of

MATT BEGALA | IDS

IU men’s soccer head coach Todd Yeagley talks to his team after IU defeated the University of Connecticut in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 18, 2018, at Bill Armstrong Stadium. Yeagley has adopted personal at-home workouts, daily video chats and Kahoot! quizzes as part of his athletes’ new training program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

accountability squarely on the shoulders of each player.

Yeagley said he isn’t concerned about his team staying on track. ”I don’t feel physically that they are not going to be prepared,” he said. “It’s really that challenge of, now how do you do that with the physical demand of competing against someone? I don’t think we

need a heck of a lot of time to get that back.”

Even as the Hoosiers look to replace three key starters from last season’s Big Ten title team in defenders Jack Maher and Simon Waever and midfielder Aidan Morris, it’s that high-level accountability that has kept the program among the nation’s best.

To maintain its elite sta-

tus, IU has had to preserve its powerhouse presence throughout the recruiting landscape.

This season, as Yeagley welcomes the No. 1-ranked recruiting class for the second-straight year according to Top Drawer Soccer, the expectations of discipline and a winning culture remain the same.

“No one’s given anything, and they know that,” he said.

“But we feel some of these players can give us some minutes.”

Incoming junior transfers Callum Stretch, a former Denver University defender, and Nyk Sessock, a former University of Pittsburgh defender, should provide an immediate boost to IU’s back line

defense. They both bring two years of collegiate experience and accolades.

However, with six freshmen signed to IU’s 2020 recruiting class, the time away from campus due to the coronavirus could be costly. Topranked recruits Kyle Folds and Emerson Nieto were expected to compete for playing time in the midfield, but the loss of crucial training in the summer could hinder their readiness for the fall season.

“Last year, we had to get those freshmen on to the team, we just had to,” Yeagley said. “It’s now on who can fill some gaps, and a lot of it will be not necessarily having them ready, but it’s a bonus if they are.”

There’s no telling how much development and instruction will be needed for IU’s newest recruits once teams are allowed back on campus. Some could remain largely unaffected, others might find their development significantly hampered.

As coaches continue to find ways to lead their programs from afar and mitigate any potential issues, spurts of doubt and worry might enter the subconscious of many.

But for Yeagley, the uncertainty begins and ends with a single, concise question.

“How much discipline does your group have to be ready?” he said.

TAKE IT LIKE A FAN

Which NBA team best describes your quarantine style?

Bradley Hohulin is a freshman in marketing.

Weeks have passed since your lungs felt fresh air. You no longer recognize human voices if they aren’t crackling through a grainy Zoom call.

At this point, it’s difficult to discern where flesh ends and sweatpants begin.

Staying inside is the hottest trend of 2020. But with so many options for keeping busy, none of which involve sports, how does one choose an ideal method for staving off the suffocating panic?

Fortunately, the remnants of the NBA season offer a foolproof guide for any fan to quarantine exactly how his or her squad of choice would.

After all, if you’re going to undergo a metamorphosis from man to glorified sofa cushion, you should at least do it like the pros.

Hoarding First up are the hoarders, those who gather Charmin like a squirrel amasses acorns.

If you are lucky enough to support the league’s top contenders, this is your area of

expertise. The Lakers, Bucks and Clippers have stockpiled a wealth of talent sufficient to withstand any crisis and emerge victorious.

Look no further than the Clippers’ elite duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to see the value of a sturdy twoply defense.

Pretending everything is OK Of course, maybe you aren’t all that concerned about a little pandemic and still want to rub elbows with friends. This mentality is perfect for loyalists of the Heat and the Nuggets, who insist they are perfectly capable of contending with the toughest threats.

The countless pathogens you collect defiantly shaking hands probably won’t get eliminated, unlike the Nuggets and Heat late in the postseason.

Amateur cookery Cooking is an excellent hobby but poses certain challenges when your fridge is reduced to primarily condiments. Your cupboards may seem bare, yet the Raptors, Celtics and Thunder have

is the year it finally happens, you tell yourself. All it took was a hint of shame and a very convincing Peloton commercial.

But simply owning the best assets does not always guarantee success. Riding a stationary bike must feel a lot like managing the Rockets, 76ers or Nets — a whole lot of monetary investment and painstaking effort despite not actually moving forward.

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum passes the basketball Jan. 9 while being defended by Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons and center Al Horford.

written cookbooks about making do without big brand names.

Raptors head coach Nick Nurse managed to whip up a title contender out of Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, so you’d be amazed what can be accomplished using Sriracha and leftover saltines from Wendy’s.

viduals display the same sort of unwavering consistency that lets the Jazz and Pacers annually finish as the fifth seed.

There isn’t much glory in bagging groceries or getting trounced in the second round of the playoffs, but these are the pillars upon which our society stands tall.

Essential work Not to be forgotten are those away from home, our essential workers. These indi-

Getting in shape Maybe you view this period as a golden opportunity to improve physically. This

Parenting If you happen to be a new parent, I don’t need to tell you how you’ll be spending each waking, unblinking moment of the coming months. I pray your experience mirrors that of the Pelicans, Mavericks or Grizzlies, frustrating though promising young groups rapidly maturing before our eyes.

Then there’s the troublemaker, the Atlanta Hawks.

Plenty of joy can be found in Trae Young’s thrilling 3-pointers, but the Hawks’ performance at large tends to resemble the terrible twos.

Revisiting classic films Bulls, Knicks and Spurs faithfuls are undoubtedly binge-watching beloved old movies from better days.

No matter how terrible the present situation, you can always turn to the classics as a means of reliving the past.

Going under lockdown Lastly, we honor those simply waiting for the bad times to pass. Not everyone can be the Warriors, who relax in a fortified doomsday bunker knowing it won’t be long before resuming their regularly scheduled dominance.

Unfortunately, far more of us align with clubs that resemble train wrecks on hardwood. One can identify partisans of the Suns, Timberwolves or Cavaliers by a grim face that has known neither sunlight nor joy.

Each of these poor recluses, stained from tears and Cheeto dust alike, share a true kinship with their favorite team. At least for the near future, they are both living in the basement. bhohulin@iu.edu

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Indiana Daily Student

6

OPINION

Thursday, April 16, 2020 idsnews.com

Editors Abby Malala and Tom Sweeney opinion@idsnews.com

CRAFTED COMMENTARY

It’s time for progressives to form a separate political party Molly Hayes (she/her) is a sophomore in English.

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, suspended April 8, was never just about winning the nomination. It was also about bringing awareness to the deep inequalities that exist within our country.

The time has come for the formation of a third political party, based on ideals that people like the Vermont senator have advocated for.

Many IU students would benefit from a number of policies that progressive politicians advocate for, such as student loan forgiveness. I call on students to reject both the Democrat and Republican parties and join a movement that works toward true economic and social justice.

Some in Bloomington are already embracing this idea. The Green Party of Monroe County is reportedly preparing to support candidates for the 2020 election cycle, and students are welcome to join the movement. Strengthening the Green Party, an organization that already has roots but is uncorrupted by corporate influence, could be the way to move progressive ideas forward. The party’s values include respect for the environment and grassroots organizing, and it advocates for policies such as the Green New Deal.

On the federal level, however, confronting corruption within both parties has been more challenging. “Medicare for All,” the Green New Deal — these are hallmark policies of what Sanders calls a political revolution.

But while Sanders doesn’t hesitate to criticize figures within Republican leadership such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, he has been much more sporadic and lukewarm when it comes to calling out Democrats, such as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who have expressed negative attitudes toward progressive ideas.

It is likely that Sanders’ reluctance to attack Democrats on their hypocrisy and corruption stemmed, at least in part, from the fact that he was seeking the party’s nomination. He had to play nice in order to win.

It didn’t work. The Democratic establishment joined forces to help former Vice President Joe Biden win the

nomination when potential moderate spoilers Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg both withdrew from the race and endorsed the former vice president March 2, right before Super Tuesday.

The failure of Sanders’ campaign isn’t an indictment of his ideas, which remain quite popular with Democratic voters. Rather, it is an indictment of how Sanders chose to run his campaign. Among the mistakes he made was the choice to run within the confines of the Democratic Party in the first place. I suspect a third-party run with a strong anti-establishment message would have courted the nonvoters he was hoping to sway to his side, while also drawing Democratic voters who largely agree with his policy positions.

There is no longer a people’s party in the U.S., if there ever was. Both Democrats and Republicans have been courted by big donors, and their policy positions have shifted in kind. Faith in Congress is getting weaker by the day, with the national approval rating at a low 22%.

Only 58.1% of eligible voters participated in the 2016 presidential election.

Comparatively, the voter turnout in 2008 was 61.6%.

According to the Atlantic/ Aspen Institute, approximately 71% of Americans are rightfully convinced that most politicians are in the business of representing the wealthy. These are signs of an American working class that has grown weary and disillusioned with politics.

If progressives were to create a party completely

separate from both Democrats and Republicans, funded by working people, it would be more trustworthy. There is no denying the energy that has come from those who align themselves with the progressive movement specifically, such as Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez, D-N.Y. Over the past four years in particular, numerous progressives, many of whom support leftist ideas such as Medicare for All and overturning Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission, have run for office.

Most of these progressives are running as Democrats, but this is a mistake. If such progressives truly want to follow in Sanders’ footsteps, they ought to forgo the Democratic Party altogether, as Sanders did in 1981, the year he won his mayoral seat in Burlington, Vermont, as an independent.

Such a movement cannot be formed if only scattered groups of people participate.

Those who believe in progressive ideals must be organized. If a third party is to be formed, students — and young people in general — must be willing to step up and form a coalition.

Although it’s unlikely a third party will be a major player this election cycle, I encourage students to vote however they’d like in November. In the meantime, we can start organizing a movement that will bring something new to the political sphere in the future. We are intelligent, open-minded and fierce, and I have no doubt we have what it takes to help change our country. morhayes@iu.edu

ALEX DERYN | IDS

A Bloomington citizen sifts through a meeting itinerary Nov. 19, 2019, during a Monroe County Green Party gathering in the Monroe County Public Library.

ALEX DERYN | IDS

U.S. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, R-9th District, speaks Feb. 18, 2019, in Alumni Hall.

THE ELECTIVE PERSPECTIVE

Dear Rep. Hollingsworth, death is not a lesser evil than a GDP decrease Maximilian Sandefer (he/ him) is a sophomore in political science and Spanish.

Tennessee Trey, it’s been a while since we last heard from you. I think the last time I saw you in the news was when you voted against Hurricane Harvey relief.

You should be having an easy time in Congress.

After moving from Clinton, Tennessee, to Indiana’s 9th congressional district just a year before your election, all it took was $3 million of your business wealth and $1.5 million of your dad’s to secure your seat — and your reputation as a carpetbagger and backbencher who has been known to literally run away from his constituents.

But then you had to speak about a pandemic.

COVID-19 has drastically altered our way of life.

That’s indisputable. We’re grappling with the social and economic effects of self-isolation and social distancing.

But instead of advocating for safety and social responsibility during this pandemic, or even just saying nothing like you usually do, you decided to spew nonsense.

You told radio station WIBC-FM that elected officials need to “put on our big boy and big girl pants” to reopen public spaces and end stay-at-home orders. You described increased deaths from the virus as the “lesser of these two evils” compared to an economic downturn.

You even used the GDP

as the catch-all economic indicator in your interview.

What about people’s lost income? What about homelessness and eviction increases due to not being able to afford rent? What about food insecurity?

This mentality, coming from a congressman who represents the people of my university, infuriates me to my core. The fact that you spout it off so matter-of-factly as a viable opinion is irresponsible and dangerous.

“We’ve got to get Americans back to work, back to their schools and back to their churches,” you said.

Letting people return to these activities is dangerous. Getting Americans “back to work” causes mass infections and will lead pandemic to spread even more rapidly.

Just look at South Dakota. It is one of five states left to not issue a stay-at-home order. Now it’s facing one of the largest single coronavirus clusters anywhere in the United States, with more than 300 workers at a giant pork-processing plant catching the virus.

What you’re trying to do with this interview is use buzzwords to undermine the advice of scientists and doctors.

Epidemiologists’ models projecting COVID-19 infections and deaths assume that we will continue social distancing and isolation measures for at least another month. To do anything else would lead to disastrous consequences.

People are struggling

without work, school and church. Heck, I’m struggling to continue my education online right now. But by inciting public outrage and not taking seriously the pleaded advice of medical and scientific professionals, you have dug into a deeply unsettling line of thinking.

To you, the great number of innocent lives that would be lost by doing away with the shelter-in-place orders across the country are just collateral damage to sustaining an economy that greatly benefits you.

We’re seeing this greed play out before our very eyes.

Another multi-millionaire businessperson turned congressperson, Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., is embroiled in scandal because she sold more than $20 million in stock after a congressional briefing before the stock market crash caused by the coronavirus.

You sound as if you don’t care how many people get killed. It’s all about maintaining the economic status quo from before the coronavirus. After all, Rep. Joseph “Trey” Hollingsworth III, you have a business to worry about, don’t you?

The road ahead is going to be a long and uncertain one. To prematurely call for a return to how things were while a pandemic rages on is dangerous and selfish. You may benefit from it financially, Rep. Hollingsworth, but the rest of America and the world would be in grave danger. maxsande@iu.edu

HORSESHOES & HAND GRENADES

The pandemic is changing how we joke online Liam O’Sullivan (he/him) is a senior in film.

This pandemic’s been a real bummer.

That’s the kind of understatement I hope to upstage by the end of the decade. My fellow columnists have explained at length all the ways this whole kerfuffle has ruined their college experiences. I agree with them, but this Kafkaesque isolation nightmare has at least made for some solid humor online.

Notable satirical publication and last fading beacon of hope The Onion published some biting commentary Thursday: “Black Man Shot By Police After Matching Description For COVID-19.” But the Onion has almost always been funny, even before this mess.

During widespread social distancing, a lot of people are bored and left with nowhere to direct their attention outside of social media.

Many have been that way for more than a month. As a consequence, the pandemic seems to be causing a cultural shift in what we find funny.

This new wave of humor is much more introspective and has a fixation on being physically isolated.

That fixation is intensified by the wide access to huge groups of people at any given time through social media.

I have no source for this, but getting bangs is the human equivalent to a fox chewing off its leg to escape a trap. A traumatizing physical change

that will nonetheless prove futile to relieve the danger of current circumstances. I invite you to search “bangs” on Twitter and look in despair at the sheer number of people cutting their own hair.

In the Netflix adaptation of the “Castlevania” video game series, one of the immortal protagonists is shown having made dolls of his friends and conducting whole conversations with them. He swears his mind is gone and wonders aloud how many years he’s been alone. But he’s been alone for only a month. Meanwhile, his friends have spent that time going on adventures throughout Europe.

No wonder some viewers have found this part of the show painfully relatable.

If the literal viral disease ravaging the planet right now wasn’t enough, we’re seeing a notable uptick in engagement with day-of-the-weekthemed hashtags on Twitter, according to BuzzFeed. My personal #MondayMotivation? Surviving the deluge of vacuous, corporate-vetted social media posts.

It’s also funny that, given how much we’re warned not to spend too much time on social media, Twitter has become such a critical social venue. I dare you to try and go a day without engaging with social media.

Look up from your phone and live in the moment! Stare at the wall while your roommate stares at the ceiling!

There’s a frustratingly finite world within a single apartment.

My days have mostly been filled with moving my attention from a podcast to a YouTube video and then to Twitter. It only makes sense that me and thousands of other Twitter users have found inspiration in a meme of a girl musing about how video games are better than a boyfriend. Video games are important.

The coincidence of “Animal Crossing New Horizons” being released during this pandemic is ex-

tremely fortunate for those of us who support predatory loans and doing chores — both central parts of the video game. It’s a game designed to be a massive time suck. You bet there’s an avalanche of “Animal Crossing” content on virtually every social network.

Humans are social animals, and finding a satisfying replacement for that experience is difficult, especially for extroverts. Introverts, on the

other hand, get to relish these weeks in confined quarters as the beautiful world outdoors might as well be the river Pripyat in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster.

If left alone too long, both extroverts and introverts can have weird experiences. It can be upsetting, or it can be kind of funny. Let’s just be glad we’re trending toward funny. liamosul@indiana.edu

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH ZYGMUNTOWSKI | IDS

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Traditional: 8 a.m.

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church

Contemporary: 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Being in Bloomington, we love our college students, and think they are a great addition to the Sherwood Oaks Family. Whether an undergraduate or graduate student... from in-state, out of state, to our international community... Come join us as we strive to love God and love others better.

Ben Geiger, College Minister

Redeemer Community Church

100 N. State Rd. 46 Bypass 812-332-5788

Redeemer is a gospelcentered community on mission. Our vision is to see the gospel of Jesus Christ transform everything: our lives, our church, our city, and our world. We want to be instruments of gospel change in Bloomington and beyond.

smumc.church Sunday Morning Schedule 9:00: Breakfast 9:15: Adult Sunday School Classes 10:30: Sanctuary Worship 10:30: Children & Youth Sunday School Classes An inclusive community bringing Christ-like love, healing and hope to all.

Connexion / Evangelical Community Church

Jimmy Moore, Pastor Mary Beth Morgan, Pastor

503 S. High St. 812-332-0502

First Methodist

eccbloomington.org • cnxn.life Facebook: Connexion ECC Instagram: cnxn.life Sunday Service: 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Connexion: Sundays, 6 p.m.

Connexion is the university ministry of ECC. We’re all about connecting students to the church in order to grow together in our faith. We meet weekly for worship, teaching, and fellowship as well as periodically for service projects, social events and more. College is hard, don't do it alone!

Bob Whitaker, Senior Pastor Adam deWeber, Worship Pastor Dan Waugh, Pastor of Adult Ministries

High Rock Church 3124 Canterbury Ct. 812-323-3333

highrock-church.com Facebook: highrockchurch Instagram: highrockbtown

219 E. Fourth St. 812-332-6396

Fall Hours: 8:45 a.m. & 10 a.m. @ Fourth St. Sanctuary (Classic), 11:15 a.m. The Open Door @ Buskirk (Contemporary) Summer Hours: 9:30 a.m. @ Fourth St. Sanctuary (Classic), 11:15 The Open Door @ Buskirk (Contemporary) Wednesday: 7:30 p.m., Jubilee @ First Methodist Jubilee is a supportive and accepting community for college students and young adults from all backgrounds looking to grow in their faith and do life together.

Meet every Wednesday night and also have small groups, hangouts, mission trips, events, service projects and more. Many attend the contemporary Open Door service on Sunday mornings.

Lisa Schubert Nowling, Lead Pastor Markus Dickinson, Campus Director

Cooperative Baptist University Baptist Church ubcbloomington.org facebook.com/ubc.bloomington #ITSYOURCHURCHTOO 3740 E. Third St. 812-339-1404

Scott Joseph, Lead Pastor

Sunday Worship: 10:45 a.m.

Meals & Other Activities: see our social media

Episcopal (Anglican) Canterbury House Episcopal (Anglican) Campus Ministry at IU 719 E. Seventh St. 812-334-7971 • 812-361-7954

Come visit the most refreshing church in town.

We love all students but especially reach out to LGBTQ+ students and allies longing for a college church where you are loved, welcomed and affirmed without fear of judgment or discrimination. You love the Lord already — now come love us too. Free coffee and wifi.

Rev. Annette Hill Briggs, Pastor Rob Drummond, Music Minister

indiana.edu/~canterby canterby@indiana.edu • facebook.com/ecmatiu 812-361-7954

Sacramental Schedule: Weekly services Sundays: 4 p.m. Holy Eucharist with hymns followed by dinner at Canterbury House

Inter-Denominational Redeemer Community Church 111 S. Kimble Dr. 812-269-8975

Tuesdays: 6 p.m. Bible Study at Canterbury House 1st & 3rd Wednesdays: 7 p.m. Music & Prayers at Canterbury House Episcopal (Anglican) Campus Ministry is a safe and welcoming home for all people. We are a blend of young and old, women and men, gay and straight, ethnicities from different cultures and countries, students, faculty, staff and friends.

The worshipping congregation is the Canterbury Fellowship. The mission of the Fellowship is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ. We pray, worship and proclaim the Gospel. We also promote justice, equality, inclusion, peace, love critical thinking and acting as agents of change in our world.

Mother Linda C. Johnson+, University Chaplain Josefina Carcamo, Program Coordinator Ricardo Bello Gomez, Communications Coordinator Corrine Miller, Ben Kelly, Student Interns Rex Hinkle, Luiz Lopes, Nathan Stang, Music Ministers Jody Hays, Senior Sacristan Crystal DeCell, Webmaster

Mennonite Mennonite Fellowship of Bloomington 2420 E. Third St. 812-646-2441 bloomingtonmenno.org • Facebook

Sunday: 5 p.m.

A welcoming, inclusive congregation providing a place of healing and hope as we journey together in the Spirit of Christ. Gathering for worship Sundays 5 p.m. in the Roger Williams room, First United Church. As people of God's peace, we seek to embody the Kingdom of God. John Sauder mfbjohn@gmail.com

Chris Jones, Lead Pastor Sunday: 9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

fumcb.org jubileebloomington.org Instagram: jubileebloomington

Sunday: 11 a.m.

We are a Bible-based, non-denominational Christian church. We are multi-ethnic and multi-generational, made up of students and professionals, singles, married couples, and families. Our Sunday service is casual and friendly with meaningful worship music, applicable teaching from the Bible, and a fun kids program.

111 S. Kimble Dr. 812-269-8975 redeemerbloomington.org facebook.com/RedeemerBtown @RedeemerBtown on Instagram

redeemerbloomington.org facebook.com/RedeemerBtown @RedeemerBtown on Instagram Sunday: 9 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Redeemer is a gospel-centered community on mission. Our vision is to see the gospel of Jesus Christ transform everything: our lives, our church, our city, and our world. We want to be instruments of gospel change in Bloomington and beyond.

Chris Jones, Lead Pastor

Nazarene First Church of the Nazarene 700 W. Howe St. (across from the Building Trades Park) 812-332-2461 • www.b1naz.org

Email: bloomingtonfirst@icloud.com Sunday Worship: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday Small Groups : 9:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. & 6 p.m.

Disciples of Christ First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 205 E. Kirkwood Ave. (corner of Kirkwood and Washington) 812-332-4459 • fccbloomington.org

Sunday Worship: 10 a.m.

Jazz Vespers: 6:30 p.m. on first Friday of each month As God has welcomed us, we welcome you.

With all our differences – in age, ability and physical condition, in race, cultural background and economic status, in sexual orientation, gender identity and family structure – God has received each one with loving kindness, patience and joy. All that we are together and all that we hope to be is made more perfect as the richness of varied lives meets the mystery of God’s unifying Spirit, and we become the Body of Christ.

Helen Hempfling, Pastor

Wesleyan (Nazarene, Free Methodist) Central Wesleyan Church 518 W. Fourth St. 812-336-4041

4thstwesleyanchurch.org Facebook: Central Wesleyan Church of Bloomington, Indiana Sunday School: 10 a.m.

Sunday Worship: 11 a.m.

Evening Worship: 6 p.m.

Wednesday Worship: 6 p.m.

First Friday: 6 p.m. (Celebrate Knowing Jesus, open mic service) You've ended your search for a friendly and loving church. We are a bible believing holiness group similar to Nazarene and Free Methodist, and welcome all races and cultures. We would love for you to share your talents and abilities with us. Come fellowship and worship with us.

Michael Magruder, Pastor Joe Shelton, Church Secretary

Quaker Bloomington Religious Society of Friends 3820 Moores Pike (West of Smith Rd.) 812-336-4581

bloomingtonfriendsmeeting.org Facebook: Bloomington Friends Meeting Sunday Worship: 10:30 a.m.

Hymn Singing: 9:50 to 10:20 a.m.

Our unprogrammed religious services consist of silent, centering worship interspersed with spoken messages that arise from deeply felt inspiration. We are an inclusive community, a result of avoiding creeds, so we enjoy a rich diversity of belief. We are actively involved in peace action, social justice causes, and environmental concerns. *Child Care and First Day School provided

We are Wesleyan in our beliefs, and welcome all to worship with us. We are dedicated to training others through discipleship as well as ministering through small groups. We welcome all races and cultures and would love to get to know you.

Dr James Hicks, Lead Pastor

Independent Baptist Lifeway Baptist Church 7821 W. State Road 46 812-876-6072 • lifewaybaptistchurch.org Facebook • LifewayEllettsville

Christine Carver, Meeting Clerk

Lutheran (LCMS)

607 E. Seventh St. (Corner of 7th & Fess) 812-336-5387 • indianalutheran.com

facebook.com/ULutheranIU @uluindiana on Instagram

Sunday

Sunday Worship: 10 a.m. & 6 p.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study: 7 p.m.

Tuesday & Friday: Service of Morning Prayer, 8 a.m.

Lifeway Baptist Church exists to bring glory to God by making disciples, maturing believers and multiplying ministry. Matthew 28:19-20

Wednesday: Second Best Meal, 6 p.m.

Midweek Service, 7 p.m.

LCMS U Student Fellowship, 7:30 p.m.

Barnabas Christian Ministry Small Groups: Cedar Hall 2nd Floor Common Area, 7 - 8 p.m., meetings start Thursday, Sept. 5.

We will meet every other Thursday during the school year.

Steven VonBokern, Senior Pastor Rosh Dhanawade, IU Coordinator 302-561-0108, barnabas@indiana.edu barnabas.so.indiana.edu * Free transportation provided. Please call if you need a ride to church.

St. Paul Catholic Center 1413 E. 17th St. 812-339-5561 • hoosiercatholic.org

Facebook: Hoosiercatholic Twitter: @hoosiercatholic Weekend Mass Times Saturday Vigil: 4:30 p.m.

Sunday: 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. (Spanish), 5:30 p.m., 9 p.m. (During Academic Year) Korean Mass 1st & 3rd Saturdays, 6 p.m.

Weekday Mass Times Monday - Saturday: 12:15 p.m.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday: 9 p.m.

St. Paul Catholic Center is a diverse community rooted in the saving compassion of Jesus Christ, energized by His Sacraments, and nourished by the liturgical life of His Church.

Rev. Patrick Hyde, O.P., Administrator and Director of Campus Ministry Rev. Dennis Woerter, O.P. Associate Pastor Rev. Reginald Wolford, O.P., Associate Pastor

Unitarian Universalist Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington 2120 N. Fee Lane 812-332-3695

www.uublomington.org www.facebook.com/uubloomington Sundays: 9:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.

We are a dynamic congregation working towards a more just world through social justice. We draw inspiration from world religions and diverse spiritual traditions.

Our vision is "Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World."

A LGBTQA+ Welcoming Congregation and a certified Green Sanctuary.

Reverend Mary Ann Macklin, Senior Minister

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Latter-day Saint Student Association (L.D.S.S.A) 333 S. Highland Ave. 812-334-3432

studentview.Ids.org/Home. aspx/Home/60431 Facebook: Bloomington Institute and YSA Society lds.org Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

We have an Institute of Religion adjacent to campus at 333 S. Highland Ave. (behind T.I.S. bookstore). We offer a variety of religious classes and activities. We strive to create an atmosphere where college students and local young single adults can come to play games, relax, study, and associate with others who value spirituality. Sunday worship services for young single students are held at 2411 E. Second St. a 11:30 a.m. We invite all to discover more about Jesus Christ from both ancient scripture and from modern prophets of God. During the week join us at the institute, and on Sunday at the Young Single Adult Church.

Robert Tibbs, Institute Director

University Lutheran Church & Student Center

Sunday: Bible Class, 9:15 a.m.

Divine Service, 10:30 a.m.

The Best Meal You'll Have All Week, 6 p.m.

College & Career Sunday Meeting: 9 a.m.

Catholic

Thursday: Graduate/Career Study & Fellowship, 7 p.m.

University Lutheran Church is the home of LCMS U at Indiana. Students, on-campus location, and our Student Center create a hub for genuine Christ-centered community that receives God's gifts of life, salvation and the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ.

Sola Cafe is open 9-5 every weekday for coffee and a place to study. "We Witness, We Serve, We Love."

Rev. Richard Woelmer, Campus Pastor

Southern Baptist Bloomington Korean Baptist Church 5019 N. Lakeview Dr. 812-327-7428

mybkbc.org facebook.com/mybkbc/ Sunday: 10:30 a.m.

Friday: 7 p.m.

Saturday: 6 a.m.

Praise the Lord! Do you need a True Friend?

Come and worship the almighty God together with us on Sunday, Fellowship included. We are a Korean community seeking God and serving people. Students and newcomers are especially welcome.

Jason Pak

Indiana Daily Student

8

ARTS

Thursday, April 16, 2020 idsnews.com

Editors Kevin Chrisco and Madi Smalstig arts@idsnews.com

Nonprofits create wish lists amid supply shortages

By Skye McLaughlin sdmclaug@iu.edu

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomington nonprofits are running low on supplies and volunteers.

They need to continue to help people while trying to keep staff and visitors healthy.

Some Bloomington organizations are creating Amazon Wish Lists. An Amazon Wish List is a list of items created by an organization that lets the public know what products the organization needs to continue to help the people they serve. Then, people can purchase the items through Amazon and have them shipped to the organization, thus limiting contact with other people.

One of these nonprofit organizations is the Shalom Community Center.

Shalom Community Center’s Amazon Wish List includes items such as diapers, sleeping bags, toiletries, humidifiers, plasticware, styrofoam carryout containers and bottled water.

Shalom Community Center is a resource center in Bloomington for people experiencing poverty, hunger, homelessness or a lack of access to necessities. The center’s emergency shelter houses 40 people, Dorothy Granger, development director for Shalom Community Center, said.

“Our concern there is that people are sleeping in bunk beds, and they’re head to toe,” Granger said. “We don’t have

COURTEST PHOTO

Amanda Shifriss, the outreach communications coordinator for Middle Way House, right, poses for a photo. The Middle Way House is asking for coloring books, board games and hand sanitizer in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

that kind of luxury to have six feet between people.”

People not living in the center can come in if they’ve signed up to do laundry, take a shower or have an appointment with a caseworker, but they must leave when they’re done and not linger. Nonresidents can still come in to use the restroom facilities.

“We’ve changed everything that we do pretty much in an attempt to keep our guests and staff healthy,” Granger said.

Shalom Community Cen-

ter had to hire additional staff and ask part-time staff to work longer hours because most volunteers chose not to come in to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We have lost quite a few volunteers because of this pandemic,” Granger said.

“We’ve only got staff.”

Another organization that has a wish list is Middle Way House, an organization that provides support, transitional housing, permanent housing and emergency help for survivors of domestic vio-

lence, sexual assault and human trafficking.

Middle Way House’s Amazon Wish List includes items such as coloring books, board games, card games, bedding, hand sanitizer, diapers, towels and undergarments.

Middle Way House has an emergency shelter with 30 beds for survivors and their children and transitional housing with 28 two- and three-bedroom apartments for survivors and their children. Housing has not been

limited during the pandemic, said Amalia Shifriss, outreach communications coordinator for Middle Way House.

Many employees have chosen to work from home, and Middle Way House is trying to keep staff inside the facilities minimal to prevent the spread of the virus. They sanitize the building every two hours. They have also turned a couple of offices into isolation rooms should anyone display symptoms, which hasn’t happened yet, Shifriss said.

Middle Way House is expecting many new clients after stay-at-home orders are lifted because there will be an increase in domestic violence cases due to people being home more, Shifriss said.

“We’re just doing the best we can, like everyone else, trying to make sure that all of our services are still available,” Shifriss said. “We’re definitely an essential service.”

Other Amazon Wish Lists can be found at the Bloomington Volunteer Network website.

Local News. Global Reach.

Find the IDS on the SpotlightNews app and receive Coronavirus coverage straight to your phone.

Download and search for idsnews

BLISS

HARRY BLISS

Horoscope

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is an 8 — Connect with friends in new ways. A barrier or obstacle intervenes. Communicate and network to support shared resources to flow. Pull together for common gain.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is an 8 — Love feeds your spirit, especially as you navigate an unforeseen challenge.

Distractions abound. Listen to another’s views.

Charm your way around a barrier.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is an 8 — Prepare for professional inspection. Get expert support when needed.

Challenging circumstances reach resolution quicker without wasting time being upset. Stay cool. Smile for the camera.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 7 — Family matters need attention.

Things may not go as planned. Show respect and keep your promises. Tend your garden.

Clean a mess. Share treats with helpers.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Today is a 7 — Investigate and explore. You may need to change course around obstacles.

Avoid controversy or traffic. Stay thrifty despite new plans. Research before setting off.

BREWSTER ROCKIT: SPACE GUY!

TIM RICKARD

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Today is an 8 — Focus on practical priorities.

Revise budgets for unexpected expenses. Collaborate to grow shared accounts. Disciplined action gets results. Look for hidden opportunity and find it.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is an 8 — Step carefully around a collaborative obstacle. Wait for better conditions. Apologize sooner rather than later with mistakes. Otherwise, keep your bargains and sit tight.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is a 7 — Don’t force physical limitations. There’s no arguing with a brick wall. Find innovative ways around. Prioritize health and wellness as you discover new ideas.

Sudoku & Crosswords www.isbooth.com/sudoku/en www.isbooth.com/crosswords

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is an 8 — Use creativity and cleverness to surmount a communication breakdown. Work behind the scenes pays off. Listen to concerns privately. Find a compromise that works.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is an 8 — Review income sources as budgets shift. Get terms in writing. Stay respectful. Bargain and trade for services and products. Use your valuable skills.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 9 — Get intimately involved in a personal project. Get support when you get stuck.

Determination and perseverance can advance you around a tricky corner.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 7 — Peaceful settings can soothe your spirit. Dig into a difficult puzzle. Review and revise your plans. Recharge and reconsider your upcoming moves. Explore options.

© 2020 By Nancy Black Distributed by Tribune Media Services, INC. All Rights Reserved

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