IDS
Most county councilors were appointed
By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | @byjackforrest
Of the seven Monroe County councilors, four, all Democrats, began their tenure by being appointed to the council through a party vacancy caucus.
One retired IU political science professor told the Indiana Daily Student that the caucuses reduce political competition, a “vitally important” piece of the democratic system.
Trent Deckard won reelection to the county council in November. In January, he posted on Facebook that he changed his campaign committee to an exploratory one for Monroe County commissioner District 1. If he were to run and win election in 2026, this would trigger another vacancy caucus under state law since it would end his council term early.
Since Deckard was one of the councilors to join the council via vacancy, the number would stay at four.
He was first caucused to the council via vacancy in 2019. He won a contested general reelection in 2020. Last year, three Democrats appeared on the ballot to fill three at-large seats. No Republicans ran, but inde-
pendent Joe Davis ran as a write-in candidate. Deckard’s two primary elections were contested.
He filled an at-large vacancy left by Lee Jones — who won election to the board of commissioners' District 1 seat, the same one Deckard is now considering a run for.
Deckard running for and winning the commissioner seat in 2026 would prompt yet another vacancy caucus following a slew in recent council history. Monroe County Democratic Party Central Committee precinct representatives filled the most recent vacancy when they chose Liz Feitl in January after councilor Cheryl Munson’s death. Munson had just been reelected in November.
Jennifer Crossley was picked in 2021 for the District 4 seat after Eric Spoon-
more resigned. In the 2022 primary, she faced no Democratic competition. In that year’s general election, she faced no Republican challenger.
The party picked — by a one-vote margin — Peter Iversen to serve as the District 1 councilor in 2019 after Shelli Yoder resigned, later winning Indiana Senate seat 40 the next year. Iversen won reelection in 2022 in a contested general election race but saw no Democratic pri-
mary contest.
The other three councilors, Kate Wiltz, Marty Hawk and David Henry, started their council tenure after being elected in a general election. Though according to Bloomingpedia, Hawk, the board’s lone Republican, was first appointed to the council in 1988 as a replacement for another councilor. She later lost an election in 1992 but successfully ran and won again in 1998.
The Bloomington City
Council saw a similar situation play out last year. Shruti Rana, who was elected in 2023, announced she’d be relocating her family out of state less than a month after she was sworn in during January last year. After a vacancy caucus, Courtney Daily won the district 5 seat. Henry, who is also the current Monroe County Democratic Party Chair, broke a tie to select her.
SEE COUNCILORS, PAGE 5
MCC president to Braun on property tax bill: Let’s meet
By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | @byjackforrest
In early February, In-
diana Gov. Mike Braun asked local governments to “prove” they need tax revenue that’d be impacted by a property tax bill he backed.
Now, Monroe County Council President Jennifer Crossley has an answer.
“We welcome anybody from his office, his lieutenant governor or anybody to come and speak to us so we can also prove to you what this will look like if those cuts were to go into place,”
Crossley said to the Indiana Daily Student. The Monroe County Council unanimously tabled discussions of a resolution opposing the Braun-backed Senate Bill 1 on Feb. 11 after a state Senate committee amended it extensively that morning. Councilor Marty Hawk was not present for the vote but later joined the meeting virtually.
Councilor David Henry said Feb. 11 the council may need to consider a “strategic pause” in local decision-making as the bill
Dunn Meadow costs higher than estimate
By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | @byjackforrest
The cost to repair Dunn Meadow was $265,599.15, according to a costs summary obtained by the Indiana Daily Student on Feb. 6. That’s over $165,000 more than IU’s initial August estimate for the restoration costs. Among the costs were $4,040.95 for “Tent Clean up,”
$3,302.12 for “Signage” and $5,525.75 for “Graffiti Clean up.”
Another $781.28 went to “Item Sorting,” and $712.30
went to “Tree removal.”
It cost $18,344 to install cameras in Dunn Meadow, which the IDS has observed on at least two lamp posts. Sidewalk and stage area concrete work totaled $38,127.02. Part of the sidewalk which featured graffiti was replaced entirely during the restoration.
The cost for “Sod Repair” was $99,616.17, which is about $13,000 higher than the contract for the turf, installation, delivery and other charges the IDS obtained in October.
is being deliberated and the county faces inflation. Henry told the IDS on Feb. 12 that many of the decisions the council has weighed so far this year started before the current legislative and gubernatorial terms.
“Anything that’s really being proposed since the beginning of my new term, or the beginning of the year, should get an extra set of eyes on it in terms of whether or not this is an urgent appropriation or something that can really wait until we understand
what our funding picture will look like once SB 1 and other legislation is signed into law,” Henry said. That includes the funding for the new jail, he said. The county has tried to address conditions in the current jail for over three years, ultimately deciding to build a new facility. After years of delays, the county council approved the purchase of a jail site in November. Hard construction costs for the 400-bed facility are estimated to be $80.9 million.
The council should start
working with departments to determine what’s essential, Henry said. Carmel Mayor Sue Finkam, a Republican, told the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee last week the proposed changes could dramatically cut the city’s services. Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun, Association of Indiana Counties Board President Sue Ann Mitchell and Indiana County Councils Association President Anton Neff also testified.
SEE TAX BILL, PAGE 5
By Adelyn Rabbitt adrabb@iu.edu
A cannabis compound called delta-8 is currently legal in Indiana. Both medical and recreational cannabis are prohibited, but hemp, cannabis with a delta-9 THC content of 0.3% or less on a dry weight basis, is fully legal. The phrasing “dry weight basis” is used as a loophole, as sellers can still include high amounts of delta-9 in their products.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and some state prosecutors have spoken up against the legality of delta-8, sparking a debate but a lack of recent action in the state.
Delta-8 is similar to but less potent than the predominant chemical in cannabis called delta-9,
which is the most abundant form of THC. The compounds are nearly identical on a molecular level, but delta-8 is less psychoactive.
Jody Madeira, IU law professor, said delta-9 strongly latches on to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, while delta-8 binds onto them less firmly.
“It’s like super glue versus Elmer’s glue,” she said.
This is why delta-9 gives more of the effect of a high while delta-8 does not.
Bailey Jackson, a 30-year-old employee of local smoke shop 420 Bloomington, estimated that 10-15% of their products contain delta-8. The shop also sells tobacco and other nicotine products, as well as devices used to smoke weed. However, she estimat-
ed, closer to 45% of their total sales revolve around delta-8 products including edibles, vapes, tinctures and “flower.”
“It’s become such a huge part of our business and if it went away, I think we would still get business and I think we would still be okay, but it would be a big hit,” Jackson said. Under federal law, cannabis is considered a Schedule I controlled substance and is illegal, but this does not include hemp. Cannabis is state regulated despite its illegal status federally. The federal Farm Bill of 2018 expanded U.S. hemp legality further. This means Indiana’s current cannabis laws are congruent with federal law.
SEE MARIJUANA, PAGE 4
Woodson is in the midst of his fourth and final season with the Hoosiers
By Daniel Flick danflick@iu.edu | @ByDanielFlick
Indiana men’s basketball head coach Mike Woodson will retire after this season, Indiana Athletics announced in a press release Feb. 7.
The Indiana Daily Student reported that morning Woodson will finish the season but leave the program once the Hoosiers’ 2024-25 campaign ends.
“During a meeting with Coach Woodson on Wednesday, he informed me he wanted to step down as our program’s head coach at the end of the current season,” Indiana Athletic Director Scott Dolson said in the release. “He said it had been weighing on his mind for a while, and that it was an emotional and difficult decision.”
Dolson said he and Woodson have engaged in “thoughtful conversations” about Woodson’s decision and his desire to put the program in the best position moving forward. Woodson’s top priority, Dolson said, is to take the attention off him and unite the Hoosier faithful in support of the student athletes.
“He said it had been weighing on his mind for a while, and that it was an emotional and difficult decision.”
Scott Dolson Indiana Athletic Director
Indiana’s coaching staff informed the team of Woodson’s looming departure during a team meeting Feb. 6, multiple sources close to the team told the Indiana Daily Student.
Dolson said he and Woodson hope Indiana fans rally around and support the program over the final eight games of the regular season before turning the page on Woodson’s tenure. “Coach Woodson is a class act,” Dolson said. “During the last four years, he has led
What is Safe Streets for All?
By Chloe Oden chloden@iu.edu | @chloeoden0
The City of Bloomington’s Safe Streets for All plan seeks to achieve an ambitious goal: zero deaths or serious injuries on the roads by 2039.
According to the plan, there were 10,291 crashes in Bloomington between 2019 and 2023, with 443 of these ending in a “life-changing” injury or a fatality.
“As a community, we do not accept these crashes as status quo,” the plan stated.
“We are ready to commit to being a better and safer community. We are ready to change.”
The 136-page plan is a “roadmap” toward creating safer streets in Bloomington using the Safe Systems Approach, road safety and transportation equity.
The Safe Systems Approach is “redundant” to ensure that even if one of five main elements fails, the others are there to maintain safety. These elements include safe roads, safe speeds, safe vehicles, safe road users and post-crash care.
This approach is also based on six key principles:
» Death and serious injury are unacceptable.
» Humans make mistakes
» Humans are vulnerable
» Responsibility is shared
Safety is proactive
» Redundancy is crucial
Though zero deaths is an impressive goal, Hoboken, a city in New Jersey, achieved its zero traffic deaths goal for over eight years.
Another platform of the plan is to focus on transportation equity.
“Policies and practices surrounding these systems can create inequitable transportation access for BIPOC communities, those who are low income, and other marginalized groups, often due to a lack of representation and institutional power,” the plan stated.
The plan ensures that the city is intentional in encouraging feedback from underrepresented communities.
The “Road Safety & Equity” section of the plan noted that these groups disproportionately face a higher exposure to “burdens” such as pollution exposure, traffic crashes and service gaps.
Project manager Ryan Robling said the Safe Streets for All plan is different from other transportation plans because of how much emphasis it places on safety.
“Every single step in the action plan is an incremental step towards that goal,” Robling said. “Everything from updating the transportation plan to make sure that it’s safety focused to yearly reporting to implementation of infrastructure projects, all of it is working towards that goal.”
One of the potential additions to Bloomington is converting roads from four lanes to three lanes. This method has an expected crash reduction of 47%. Some other changes could be roundabouts, chicanes, curb extensions and leading pedestrian intervals at crosswalks. Chicanes are curb
extensions or islands that create an “s” curve along the roadway to slow speeds.
Greg Alexander served on Bloomington’s traffic commission for almost four years, ending Jan. 31 of this year. To him, the plan is both bold and fragile.
“It represents an actual change, and the centerpiece of the plan is that we’re prioritizing safety over capacity,” Alexander said. “Drivers just get so angry when they hear that because they’ve invested a lot in their car.”
Robling echoed this, saying he often hears through public engagement efforts that people think prioritizing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists means they will “take away the rights of drivers.”
“The goal of this plan is to make it safer for everyone,” Robling said. “More than 50% of all fatal and serious injury crashes happen to someone who’s in the vehicle, so we want to make sure they’re safe.”
For Alexander, the proposed changes need to happen for the sake of pedestrians and bicyclists in the community.
“As a teenager growing up in Ellettsville, I never had good transportation autonomy,” Alexander said. “It’s always been this struggle as part of my life of, ‘How do I get there?’ As I was a young adult being independent, I was on a bike, and the whole world is not built for that.”
According to the plan, “only 4% of total crashes involve somebody walking, biking, or rolling, but over
38.5% of fatal crashes and 24% of serious injury crashes involve people using these modes.”
Craig Medlyn, a member of the board of directors and safety coordinator for the Bloomington Bicycle Club, said the group has a “really good” relationship with the city and county.
Medlyn said that the bicycle club helps identify hazards on the roads and gives recommendations like adding a separate bike lane on shoulders.
Even though the bicycle club encourages its riders to wear bright clothing, have lights on the front and back of their bikes, be courteous and obey the laws of the road, Medlyn said distracted drivers are still the biggest issue.
“The highest item of concern is drivers who drive and text at the same time,” Medlyn said. “If they’ve taken their eyes off the road even for a very short moment of time it could be just disastrous for cyclists and other motorists and pedestrians.”
Medlyn also said that having bikers in a separate lane that doesn’t meet traffic reduces the chances of a crash with a car.
“Cyclists are people, are real people, and we want to be good citizens with drivers by having everybody share the road,” Medlyn said. “And, please put your cell phones away when you’re driving and drive while recognizing that there’s cyclists that could be around the next corner.”
Hours-long standoff at Homewood
Suites Feb. 7 ends in arrest
By Brenna Polovina bpolovin@iu.edu
Bill to ensure dogs and cats used in research can be adopted moves to Indiana Senate
By Madelyn Hanes mrhanes@iu.edu
Dogs and cats used in research settings would be given another chance at adoption under House Bill 1458, which moved to the Indiana Senate on Feb. 5. State Representative Dave Hall authored the bill, which aims to ensure that dogs and cats used in research labs can get a second chance at a home. Hall, a Republican, represents House District 62, which includes all of Brown County and portions of Monroe and Jackson counties. The bill is nicknamed the “Sunny’s Bill” after a pet beagle belonging to Samantha Chapman, the Indiana state director for the U.S.
July, Envigo paid $35 million after pleading guilty to violating the federal welfare act by neglecting thousands of dogs.
“Sunny is a testament of an adopted dog from a research facility that blossomed into a loving pet,” she said. “Even after being a dog who was abused and comes from a rough past.” Chapman said if House Bill 1458 passes, Indiana will be the 17th state to pass similar legislation. She said individuals can contact state senators to move this bill toward the finish line.
By Maddie Hensley henslemm@iu.edu
» Disorderly conduct, a class B misdemeanor Monroe County Sheriff Deputies learned Baumgart-
ner resided at Homewood Suites where they attempted to serve the active warrants at 12:30 p.m. Because they were unable to fully open Baumgartner’s door, but saw Baumgartner with a rifle, deputies retreated and requested the Critical Incident Response Team’s help. The sheriff’s office, Indiana State Police and the Bloomington Police Department then evacuated the hotel and remained on scene for several hours.
CIRT negotiators safely removed Baumgartner’s mother and dog from the
hotel room at 7:19 p.m. and Baumgartner an hour later. No shots were fired. The scene at Homewood Suites was busy during the operation — numerous police vehicles filled the hotel’s parking lot and the neighboring Valvoline Instant Oil Change parking lot as dozens of officers responded. Several snipers watched the second-floor room from the adjacent Honda Service Center.
A hotel manager said she had never seen something like it in her eight years working there.
CHLOE LAVELLE | IDS
Cars drive by Jan. 26, 2025, at the intersection of Third Street and College Mall Road in Bloomington. The city aimed to enhance
COURTESY PHOTO
Samantha Chapman, Indiana Rep. Dave Hall and Chapman’s beagle, Sunny, are seen Jan. 30, 2025, in Indianapolis. Chapman said Sunny was one of 4,000 dogs rescued from a breeding facility in 2022.
JACOB SPUDICH | IDS
Vietnam vet awarded Congressional Gold Medal 55 years later
By Natalia Nelson nelsonnb@iu.edu
John Seebeth made countless missions to rescue the wounded, often from active battle zones, throughout his nine months as a Dustoff medic during the Vietnam War.
Dustoff crews were medical evacuation units that flew unarmed helicopters to pick up wounded soldiers and Vietnamese civilians from battlefields and transport them to American hospitals.
The decision whether or not to fly the more dangerous missions, where the helicopter would have to land without a gunship escort, was up to the crew. John was 19 during his time in Vietnam, and the pilot of his helicopter was only 21. It didn’t matter how dangerous the missions were.
“They always said yes,”
Linda Seebeth, John’s wife, said. “They would go in.”
The bill awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Dustoff crews became law in September 2024, though John said the process of designing the medal was still ongoing.
The Congressional Gold Medal, which can be awarded via Congressional legislation, is the highest civilian award in the United States. The effort to award the medal to the Dustoff crews began over nine years ago but was slow to move through Congress. According to Linda, about 3,600 people flew Dustoff, but only 800 are still living. Throughout the war, the crews managed to save over 900,000 people.
“There’s nothing like, you know your patient, you see the life go out of them,” John said. “And because of your actions, you see life come back. When you go to bed at night, and you think about that.”
John nearly lost his life while serving in Vietnam when he was shot at by enemy fire. The bullet ricocheted off the top of his body armor and pierced the front of his neck. The injury stopped his heart and left him unable to speak.
“And boy, I had a lot to say,” John said.
When he returned home from the war, a doctor was eventually able to take a skin graft from John’s thigh and reconstruct his larynx. While he was able to speak again, the horrors of the war stayed with him.
“When U.S.-returning ‘Nam vets came back to the civilian world, we brought all those experiences back with us,” John said. “And of course, me being a medic and picking up the wounded in a helicopter, the medevac, you know, I’m a lovable guy, but I’m just, the images.”
John said he didn’t know it at the time, but he was dealing with PTSD. But after over a year of being inpatient and then outpatient, he was finally able to attend Ocean County College in New Jersey in 1971.
“I was wondering if the girls would like me,” John said. “The way I talked — I had this tube hanging out in front of my neck.”
He started a veteran’s club at the college and was elected student government president. He left with a twoyear degree in police science before applying to Indiana University, where he majored in criminal justice. He wanted to be a Pennsylvania State Police Officer.
While attending IU, John’s friendships with a
How will bird flu affect Monroe County consumers?
By Samantha Camire scamire@iu.edu | @CamireSamantha
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, across the country have caused the price of eggs to surge and are raising alarm bells for consumers.
Bird flu has now hit close to home; late last month, birds at Rose Acre Farms in Seymour, Indiana, 40 miles east of Bloomington, tested positive for the bird flu. According to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, 2.8 million birds, which are raised for eggs, were impacted.
fellow student and wounded Vietnam War veteran changed his outlook on his experiences during the war.
“John came to an understanding of what the Vietnam War was really about,” Linda said. “He went from being pro-war, like he was at OCC, to becoming anti-war. He couldn’t accept that the death and suffering that he witnessed and experienced was all based on lies.”
Linda said it had been a difficult time for John, as he was also coping with losing his dream of becoming a state trooper. The doctors told him that the hole in his neck would never close.
John had to redirect. A paper he wrote about the then-unsolved murder of a black woman named Carol Jenkins in Martinsville helped steer him towards eventually studying race relations at The Ohio State University.
“I was the only white person in class,” John said. “A lot of times discussion, classroom discussion, they would talk about the blueeyed devil. And of course, there I have dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and I talked out of my neck.”
He left the program, hesitant to intrude on the rest of the class’s chance to use race relations to process their own experiences, and eventually got into social work during his time volunteering at a children’s hospital. From there, he pivoted to environmental activism, becoming involved with the idea of climate change as it was developing.
“He’s looking at the world and saying, ‘I flew Dustoff and I did rescue missions. What can I do to rescue humanity from the course I see them on?’” Linda said.
John moved out west to Washington State in the late 1980s and found a job helping disabled veterans find employment opportunities. Even though he loved his work, he felt like there was more he could be doing.
“With my disability pension, if I lived a simple life, you know, I could be an activist,” John said. “That’s what I was going to become, an environmental, social justice activist.”
He now lives with his wife in Issaquah, Washington, a 30-minute drive to Seattle. They met while they were protesting the development of a road that would clearcut forest. Linda is a former educator, mother and also had a long history of environmental and social activism. They live on a forested, seven-acre plot of land with their dog, Shepherd.
In 2008, Linda wrote a book based on John’s time in Dustoff, conducting interviews and retrieving documents and correspondence from the war.
“It was healing for John,” Linda said. “Vietnam remains in the blood and bones of many veterans — veterans who have experienced combat and witnessed the horrors of war like John did.”
John and Linda now run a website that informs about Dustoff and serves as a landing point for veteran, local and climate news. It details Linda’s books and John’s fight to get Congressional recognition for the Dustoff crews.
“It means a lot that the medal is given to Vietnam[’s] Dustoff [crews] as a whole, because we were a team,” John said. “We flew the missions so others may live.”
“We are working with the Indiana State Board of Animal Health and the state veterinarian on best practices to combat the risk of spreading avian influenza to other birds,” Amanda Gee, a Rose Acre corporate representative, said in a statement to the Indiana Daily Student.
Bird flu is a contagious viral disease found in both domestic and wild birds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Highly pathogenic avian influenza, which the current strain of bird flu is, typically kills 95100% of a flock. It is deadly for birds but presents a low risk to humans. The CDC reports that there have been 68 total human cases in the United States and one human death. Of these cases, 64 occurred in dairy and poultry workers, and no cases have been linked back to eating eggs or poultry.
Outbreaks in bird flu at farms across the country have caused egg prices to skyrocket. Prices are nearly 50% higher than they were one year ago, peaking at $5.29 for just a dozen eggs on the week of Jan. 18. Waffle House even announced a surcharge on eggs last week to cope with the rising costs.
Prices for eggs from local farms have largely remained the same. Andrea Jackson of The Back Forty Farm in Spencer, Indiana, says local vendors in Bloomington don’t typically adjust prices unless feed prices change.
“It probably would make sense for us as egg vendors locally to sell and change
prices with supply, but we just don’t. So, I haven’t changed my prices because of bird flu,” she said. Despite the outbreaks, experts say eggs are still safe to eat.
“Avian influenza does not present a food safety risk,” Denise Derrer Spears, public information director at the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, said. “Cooked poultry and eggs and pasteurized dairy products are safe to eat.”
All commercial farms are conducting regular testing for bird flu before shipping out their products, Spears said.
“If there is a detection of the avian influenza, all of the products and poultry on that farm are diverted and completely disposed of,” she said. Spears said she cannot guarantee safety if consumers get their eggs from noncommercial farms such as a neighbor, farm stand or farmers market. However, she reminded consumers that cooking will kill the virus if it is present.
Additionally, commercial farms are engaging in stringent biosecurity tactics to stop the virus from infecting their chickens, Spears said.
These measures include requiring workers to change shoes or wash their hands before entering barns, limiting passage of people or vehicles in and out of barns and minimizing contact with
wild birds who could be infected with the virus. Many farms also require trucks to be washed before entering their facilities and require outside workers to stay in the truck while products are loaded.
“Commercial poultry producers are really working very hard to prevent this virus from entering their farms,” Spears said. “They have a lot at stake.”
A similar outbreak of bird flu in 2022 killed more than 180,000 birds in Indiana, according to The Indianapolis Star. That outbreak caused similar spikes in egg prices and is the same strain of bird flu, H5N1, as the current outbreak.
Cassandra Greenya, an egg category manager for national egg provider Dutch Farms, headquartered in Chicago, said bird flu can be devastating to farms. Detection of a single infection in a farm can impact millions of birds. Once bird flu is detected, a farm must kill all their birds, clean the facilities and start fresh again with new baby birds.
“It can take up to six months before a farm is ready to produce again,” Greenya said.
Local non-commercial farms are following many of the same biosecurity guidelines as commercial farms.
Jackson says she wants to be proactive to ensure the health of her hens and cus-
tomers.
“We can’t control what flies over our property, but I do have livestock guardian dogs that already guard my chickens from air predators,” she said.
According to the CDC, bird flu has infected more than 100 species of wild birds around the world. The USDA reports infections in several species of mammals, including dairy cattle. However, Spears said consumers should not be concerned when eating dairy or beef.
“Pasteurization does its job and kills off any flu virus that may be present and proper cooking ensures you’re not going to have exposure through meat,” Spears said.
The only time she urged caution is when feeding pets raw or undercooked meat as well as raw dairy products. The Indiana State Board of Animal Health is tracking all current cases and is asking that all sick or dead poultry be reported in an online reporting form.
Greenya reiterated that bird flu should not stop consumers from eating their favorite breakfast food.
“Keep eating eggs!” Greenya said. “And hope the price goes down.”
Editor’s note: Cassandra Greenya is related to a writer currently on staff at the IDS. That writer was not involved in the writing or editing of this story.
Relato says it can’t fill workforce housing, will pay over $1 million to city
By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | byjackforrest
Relato Bloomington apartment complex will pay $1,040,000 to the city Housing Development Fund after the developer and city officials said they can’t fill workforce housing they agreed to set aside before its construction.
The Bloomington City Council narrowly approved, 5-4, the payment in lieu after a third reading Feb. 5.
“I’m really, really frustrated about developers promising one thing and delivering another,” Council President Hopi Stosberg said at the meeting.
Under the original terms of the planned unit development adopted by the council in 2020, the developer agreed to set aside 15% of their units — 52 total — as workforce housing.
Workforce housing is available to households between 80-120% of the area median income. Those are people whose income falls above eligibility for affordable housing but below market-rate housing, according to Bloomington Housing Resources.
In 2024-25, a single person household at 80% AMI would earn $50,600 per year, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A single person at 120% AMI would earn $75,960 annually.
Housing and Neighborhood Development Director Anna Killion-Hanson said at the meeting other requirements include working at least 35 hours per week and not being on a parent’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
In 2023, when Relato was completed, it only leased 17 workforce housing units, Tom Jasin, representative from property owner Bloom-
ington SPCW JV, said. Relato signed eight more in 2024, for a total of 25. Jasin said they worked with HAND to also qualify 17 of those renters under 80% AMI, as well. Jasin said at the ordinance’s second reading Jan. 22 that the rest of the complex, which has around 180 market rate units, was about 95% occupied.
Under the terms of the agreement, Relato will allow the 25 tenants to renew their leases if they remain eligible for workforce housing.
The council made the inlieu payment option more viable for development incentive agreements in June 2022, after the Relato’s agreement, Development Services Manager Jackie Scanlan said.
The in-lieu payment, totaling $20,000 per unit, will go to the Bloomington Housing Development Fund. Killion-Hanson said the fund currently has around $4 million and in 2025 will be used for pilot programs like tenant-based rental assistance and eviction prevention.
“We have a housing problem,” Killion-Hanson said. “I’m trying to get people housed now, not in two years. With that payment inlieu, we can take it, we can house those that are most at need.”
She said though workforce housing has been successful in smaller batches, larger complexes that may be furnished and give off the perception of student housing have struggled. Another complex, The Standard, has 140 vacancies.
According to its zoning commitment, she said, The Standard only needs to market its workforce housing for six months before turning them to the market rate.
Killion-Hanson said the AMI target would need to come down to reach the
Bloomington workforce.
“Our wages are not in line with our housing prices currently,” she said.
Relato’s original affordable housing commitment was for 99 years. Councilmember Matt Flaherty, who voted against the ordinance, questioned whether the inlieu payment would bring as much value to addressing housing affordability as keeping the workforce housing.
Several councilmembers emphasized a need for more mixed-income housing in Bloomington. Kate Rosenbarger, who voted against the ordinance, said she worried about signaling that developers can rework already established plans.
Councilmember Isak Asare said he doesn’t think the rules in the Unified Development Ordinance are designed correctly but does not want to start a precedent of renegotiating what’s in paper at the council. Relato at first marketed itself to young professionals, like those at IU Health’s Regional Academic Health Center, according to a 2021 Herald-Times article. In the 2020 PUD approval, developers said the property would be “multi-family resi-
dential use.” Jasin said Feb. 5 the Relato has a wide range of tenants but doesn’t “shy away” from the fact that some are students.
Stosberg, who voted against the ordinance at the planning commission meeting in December and again Feb. 5, criticized the developer for seemingly going back on how Relato was promoted to the council and community by becoming a student-centric complex.
“And so, I feel like a yes vote on this is also just a capitulation to developers that you can come in and you can sell us whatever you want to sell us, and they’re going to build something different,” Stosberg said. “And that just is really, really frustrating and infuriating.”
Sydney Zulich, who voted for the ordinance, said students are not a monolith and can be in financial situations that require workforce housing.
Asare said the $1 million provides some immediate benefits, but the ordinance is also a call to action for the council to make changes to the UDO relating to workforce housing going forward.
HALEIGH BARRY | IDS
An empty egg shelf is pictured Feb. 3, 2025, at the Jackson Creek Kroger in Bloomington. Outbreaks of bird flu across the country have caused the price of eggs to surge.
COURTESY PHOTO John Seebeth is pictured in Issaquah, Washington. Seebeth, an IU alumnus, received the Congressional Gold Medal for his service as a Dustoff medic during the Vietnam War.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Jennifer Oliva, a law professor at IU with a focus on health law and policy, said there is an abundance of delta-9 within the cannabis plant, but there is only trace amounts delta-8.
Why is there no federal or local limit on delta-8 specifically? Oliva said it is extremely hard to obtain large amounts of delta-8 from cannabis and hemp plants, so much so that it would take growing many more of the plants to generate the same levels of delta-8 as delta-9.
Rokita issued an opinion against delta-8 in January 2023, claiming the compound is an illegal Schedule I controlled substance because it is derived from the cannabis plant. Following the complaint, law enforcement in certain areas began to take action, threatening to charge Hoosiers who continued to sell
delta-8 products with dealing a controlled substance. Some businesses were even raided and products were confiscated.
Oliva said this move likely harmed the economy and sellers.
“You’ve bought these storefronts, you’re paying for this process to be done that isn’t easy and is time consuming, it takes a lot of cannabis plants and you’re getting booted out of business all of a sudden,” Oliva said. “That’s a really tough position to be in.”
Some delta-8 sellers came together to file a lawsuit against Rokita’s opinion and law enforcement’s response. The lawsuit said Rokita’s opinion is in violation with the Farm Bill of 2018 and Indiana Senate Enrolled Act 52, as states cannot modify the federal definition of hemp.
In 2024, Indiana State Police executed an investigation that revealed many delta-8 products sold
across Indiana contained levels of delta-9 THC that exceeds Indiana’s legal limit. This triggered another round of orders from many law enforcement agencies for retailers to remove all delta-8, 9 and 10 products from their sale selection.
“It’s become such a huge part of our business and if it went away, I think we would still get business and I think we would still be okay, but it would be a big hit."
Bailey Jackson 420 Bloomington employee
Monroe County has not yet been affected by Rokita’s opinion and local businesses have not been forced to close or stop selling delta-8, 9 and 10 products.
The reason sellers in Indiana have gotten away
with including illegal amounts of delta-9 in cannabis products, Oliva said, is there is very little regulation of these products. This lack of regulation has persisted, she said, because the Indiana government cannot come to an agreement between those who want to completely ban hemp and those who want to set legal regulations for the production of delta-8 products.
Cannabis legalization is becoming more and more of a trend around the U.S., but Oliva says Indiana is a straggler. Indiana is surrounded on three sides by states that have fully legalized cannabis.
“The attorney general is really way off the legal trends here, the policy trends here, the dependence across states and popularity numbers in the United States,” she said.
Banning delta-8 in Indiana, Oliva added, would be harmful to the economy be-
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cause it has generated hundreds of millions in sales revenue. The industry has made an $1.78 billion impact on Indiana’s economy, as of October 2023.
The topic of delta-8 has remained a gray area in Indiana. Lawmakers see the issue unlikely to be heard in the House, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
Madeira said it would likely be extremely difficult for Indiana to ban delta-8 because due to the farm bill, people have a solid argument for it.
“That (the farm bill) makes delta-8 THC totally legal because we could already cultivate hemp, so why can’t we derive this from a crop that we already legally grew?” she said.
Oliva added that the Indiana legislature’s previous attempts to regulate and make clarifications about delta-8 have not succeeded, referencing House Bill 1079 from 2024 and Senate Bill 209 from 2022. HB 1079
was referred to the State Senate in February 2024 but has been at a standstill since then and SB 209 was dissented from the chamber.
“We’ll see what they do, but the winds are sort of against them and they don’t seem to have any agreement that they’re going to do this,” Oliva said. Offering an opinion differing from Rokita’s, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun entertained the idea of legalizing medical marijuana on the gubernatorial campaign trail in 2024. If medical marijuana is legalized, Madeira said, delta-8 would become even more relevant because people prefer it for treating pain over the more highinducing delta-9. Oliva said there would be more pressure on the Indiana government to legalize medical marijuana by veterans and people with PTSD and anxiety if delta-8 was banned.
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Health Spotlight
SOURCE: WISERTRADE | CREATED WITH DATAWRAPPER
2024 IMPORTS TO INDIANA
2024 EXPORTS FROM INDIANA
SOURCE: WISERTRADE | CREATED WITH DATAWRAPPER SOURCE:
Total: $59,867,697,549
Indiana imports and exports amid trade conflicts
By Andrew Miller ami3@iu.edu | @andrew_mmiller
News regarding President Donald Trump’s tariffs and potential trade wars updates nearly every day. The 25% levies threatened on Canadian and Mexican imports are held off for under a month now. On Feb. 10, unilateral 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum went in effect for the foreseeable future.
Like many states and America as a whole, Indiana has a trade deficit. Many tariffs are intended to reduce that deficit in the
» COUNCILORS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Henry said the precinct representatives at vacancy caucuses approach the vote differently: some see themselves as a “conduit to their neighborhoods,” while others vote as a superdelegate of the party. But there’s no guidance or code to determine how they should vote. Otherwise, it’s up to the candidate elected at a vacancy caucus to reflect the views of who they’re replacing — or not. At the vacancy caucus to fill Munson’s seat in January, several candidates promoted their connection to Munson or positions they shared. Feitl told the IDS she plans to continue to review Munson’s positions since she was who Monroe County voters elected.
» TAX BILL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The original bill, subtitled “Property tax relief,” would have put a cap on property tax bill increases and increased the homestead standard deduction for property owners. It lined up with a proposal by Gov. Mike Braun during his campaign last year.
According to a fiscal analysis by Legislative Services Agency, the first iteration of SB 1 would’ve decreased taxes by $1.15 billion in 2026. County governments and school districts would see some of the largest decreases in revenue: $211 million and $536
long run, and increase domestic production. However, critics say the tariffs Trump is proposing will ultimately increase costs for consumers. Despite the near-weekly paradigm shifts, this article can be used as a guide to help understand the impacts of Trump’s trade policies on Indiana as they continue.
Unless the United States enters a trade war with Ireland any time soon, more than a fifth of Indiana’s imports are safe, as of 2024 federal data recently aggregated by WISERTrade. The vast ma-
Henry called the vacancy caucus requirement an antiquated system. Indiana Code does not allow for a special election in the case of a vacancy, which would allow voters to elect a new official directly.
Indiana’s vacancy caucus procedure goes like this: when a local office vacancy opens, the chair of the party that person was affiliated with must call a caucus. The precinct committee people from that party who represent voters from the precincts served by the vacant office are eligible to cast a ballot. A candidate needs a majority of those votes to win; in the case of a tie, the party chair or someone they designate can break it.
The caucus, though, establishes its rules of procedure.
million, respectively.
Monroe County would’ve lost over $25 million in revenue in 2026, with $10,240,500 in revenue removed from the Monroe County Community School Corporation.
However, the Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee passed an amended bill Feb. 11 which walks back much of SB 1, including the cap on yearly property tax bill increases. It now includes new restrictions on school referendums. Under the amended bill, these referendums would be limited to even numbered general election years. Schools also wouldn’t be able to intro-
jority of imports from the Emerald Isle are organic chemicals and pharmaceutical products, which makes sense considering Eli Lilly’s numerous facilities over there. However, levies would impact much of Indiana’s other trade. Canada is the state’s second-largest importer, though it brings in under a third of Ireland’s total dollar value of goods. Mexico is in seventh place. China, which the Trump administration has already targeted with a 10% tariff, is Indiana’s third largest importer.
Each of the three coun-
“I think that we can all agree in the 21st century that caucuses, while representative of voters, are not the same as actual voters voting at the ballot box” to fill a vacancy, Henry said.
Marjorie Hershey, the retired IU political science professor, compared the caucus process to “putting a thumb on the scale” of an election. The appointees gain an incumbency advantage in subsequent elections, Hershey said, because voters tend to pick names they’re familiar with.
That increases the chances of creating oneparty control in local government, which Hershey said is increasingly common across the United States.
"I think that it’s a bad idea for people to with-
duce funding referendums in back-to-back years, with some exceptions. MCCSC passed such a referendum in 2023, which funded early childcare education.
The updated bill also freezes the maximum levy growth quotient in 2026 and caps it the next two years.
The latest fiscal analysis estimates the total net revenue change under the updated legislation will be around $238 million in 2026. That’s around $7.6 million less tax revenue for Monroe County and around $1.5 million less for MCCSC.
Braun’s office responded to the amendments with a statement saying the com-
tries’ largest exports to Indiana in 2024 by category are: Canada: Pharmaceutical products, iron and steel and industrial machinery (including computers) China: Toys, games and sport equipment (including parts and accessories), electric machinery and industrial machinery (including computers) Mexico: Industrial machinery (including computers), electric machinery and vehicles (except railway or tramway but including parts) Among economists’ chief concerns amid po-
draw before the end of their terms and therefore permit appointments to be made,” Hershey said.
One-party status can also lead to increased polarization, Hershey said. She said historically, political parties have been less tied to identities than they seem to be now.
“Now, what we’ve got is that there is a very strong stacking of party identification on top of other identifications, including not necessarily denomination, but religiosity, just how fervent you are about your religious beliefs,” she said. “We’ve certainly seen it stacked on top of race.”
William Ellis, current chair of the Monroe County Republican Party, described the county as a “blue incubator” for higher office in a red state.
mittee “has taken steps in the right direction.” Still, it said homeowners need broad and immediate reduction in taxes.
"The Governor will carefully review the changes to his plan and looks forward to working with the House and Senate to strengthen the amended bill to include broad based and immediate property tax cuts for Hoosier homeowners who have been hit the hardest by skyrocketing home value inflation,” the statement read.
The Monroe County Council first read a version of the resolution opposing SB 1 in January, which received ardent support from
tential trade conflict is retaliation, which has already started to happen in some instances. Canadian retaliation could hit Indiana especially hard, given its proximity. If Canada chose to raise prices on or cut off oil supply, that would disproportionately impact the Midwest. And even implementing tariffs on Canadian oil would impact consumers hard. According to the Institute on Energy Research, Midwestern refineries are set up to process about 70% of heavy crude coming from Canada. Retaliatory levies would
“Democrats don’t really hold a majority of positions in the state of Indiana,” Ellis said, “so when you’re looking for your bench, you look at them from Bloomington and Monroe County.”
Current Bloomington Controller and former Monroe County Treasurer Jessica McClellan, for example, ran for state treasurer in 2022, losing to Republican Daniel Elliott.
Similarly, Ellis said a lot of the Monroe County Republicans’ candidates come from Ellettsville because it’s a redder area. The Republicans have had their own share of vacancies, he said. But he called the Democrats’ vacancy caucus process transparent; they invited him to sit in and ask any questions he had.
"I don't agree necessarily with their policies and
several councilors, including Trent Deckard. “Senators, house members, you could cut it in half, and then cut that into quarters, and you’re still going to be killing us,” Deckard said Jan. 28 about the unamended bill. “That’s how bad it is.”
On Feb. 11, Councilor Kate Wiltz said she hadn’t had a chance to familiarize herself with the amendments from that morning, which other councilors agreed with.
Deckard said property tax relief is important, but the government still needs to be able to fund its operations.
Councilor David Henry
also impact Indiana’s exports, causing less to be sold overseas. That number’s been on the rise over the past few years, too — from $45.5 billion in 2022 to just under $60 billion in 2024. Canada is by far Indiana’s largest partner for exports, followed by Mexico. China comes in fourth, just behind Italy. According to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, exports accounted for more than 11% of Indiana’s GDP in 2023. In 2021, the latest data available, they supported around 173,000 jobs.
positions, but I do think it’s the best, most effective way when someone steps down to reflect what the voters want of the majority party here,” Ellis said. He said because they’re reelected, it’s a sign that voters agree. Ellis also blamed pay for high turnover in local government. He said one former Ellettsville town councilor who also worked for FedEx resigned from his government position because it wasn’t worth the trouble to travel for it. Ellis said, though, candidates considering runs for other jobs should be clear the public is voting for the party, not the person.
“I think if they know, they need to communicate that, that they’re not going to be able to finish the full term,” Ellis said.
said the “long session” at the statehouse will hopefully allow amendments to the bill to improve it. Crossley said the council will continue to watch how the legislature’s bills develop. Hawk, the board’s sole Republican, said at the end of the council meeting she attended the Senate tax and fiscal policy committee meeting virtually Feb. 11. She said Holdman recognized the committee and governor’s need to both work with local governments and provide tax relief, particularly for seniors and disabled veterans. The committee added specific tax relief for those groups Feb. 11.
Farewell FEMA?
is that it isn’t just one for the two coasts. The West and the Southeast may make the most news, but disasters don’t read the Sunday paper.
President Donald Trump is eyeing the Federal Emergency Management Agency for his chopping block (at least, his slimming block) as California continues to recover from wildfires and North Carolina from Hurricane Helene. Since Trump visited both states in week one of his presidency, his comments on FEMA have teetered between cut-down reforms and complete elimination.
Heaped upon these comments, his recent executive order to review FEMA leaves a big question concerning the federal government’s role in responding to future disasters: Where do we go from here? And what’s important about this question
Ainsley Foster (she/her) is a junior studying elementary education.
When I first heard that Beyoncé was releasing a country album, I was skeptical. I hadn’t listened to much of her music beyond her older hits, knew very little about her and certainly didn’t consider her a country artist. It doesn’t take a very long look at this album, though, to find that Beyoncé’s country debut has some stunning endorsements. “Cowboy Carter” features some of the biggest names in-country music — icons like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson. In “Smoke Hour II”, Willie opens his feature by saying, “Sometimes you don’t know what you like until someone you trust turns you on to some real good shit.” That’s precisely how “Cowboy Carter” entered my life.
One of my best friends is about as close to a professional Beyoncé fan as you can get. After several car rides with him on aux, I gradually began to understand the hype. To my own surprise, I absolutely loved the album from start to finish.
At the Grammys on Feb. 2, Beyoncé won three categories: Best Country Album, Best Country Duo/ Group Performance and, of course, Album of the Year.
Consider Bloomington, where, when it rains, it pours (and it doesn’t drain). I don’t know about you, but personally, I’ve trudged through inches of sitting water on campus after downpours this year — but it could be worse. And it is throughout Indiana, a state that was once more than a quarter wetland. Drainage and flooding are problems that cities across this state have had to look in the eyes, including Indianapolis, South Bend and Gary. All face heightened risks of substantial flooding. Each has had one, two, three, four and many more water disasters in recent memory. As a result, FEMA has
doled out $281 million in insurance payments to Hoosier homeowners since 1980 — a miniature amount compared to California or North Carolina , but gargantuan in its impact on the lives of those who receive it. What those lives would have looked like in a FEMA-less world is at the core of the question posed earlier. Vice President and could-have-been-President Hubert Humphrey offered this wisdom in 1977: “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life...the twilight of life...the shadows of life.”
While eliminating FEMA would require Congressional cooperation, so would eliminating the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — and there, Trump has been working to side step Congress as Elon
Musk foretells a fate for the agency “in the wood chipper” on X. What FEMA needs is reform, not elimination, as Vermont Sen. Peter Welch recently argued in a guest essay for The New York Times, “Don’t Kill FEMA. Fix It.” Welch critiques the agency for its failures after flooding in his state, but he concludes that it was better to have FEMA than not. Trump has not said in certain terms he will kill FEMA, but doing so would follow from the logic of the Department of Government Efficiency, where “efficiency” can serve as a code word for deregulation and dismantling. Thus, the Department of Education, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and USAID all now sit with FEMA in four precarious seats beneath the gallows’ shadow, awaiting
AINSLEY’S ANECDOTES
their fates. What Trump suggests is shifting FEMA’s responsibilities onto states, and the local-looking core of this idea isn’t a bad one. The nearer you are to a situation, the less red tape spans the distance between you and it, the faster you can respond and the better you know the people you’re responding to. However, a lot of states just lack the money and resources necessary to respond to disasters when they happen. In 2005, for instance, Hurricane Katrina resulted in $125 billion worth of losses for Louisiana, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. Now, 20 years later, the state’s annual budget is only $49 billion. Sharing the burden of common welfare is part of the genius of our federalist system. Some di-
Yes, ‘Cowboy Carter’ deserved those Grammys!
I understand that music tastes are subjective, but the sheer amount of internet vitriol surrounding these wins has me wondering if we all even listened to the same album. For me, what separates good music from exceptional music is the story behind it — and that’s exactly what makes “Cowboy Carter” so unique. First, the album is a brilliantly crafted exhibition of Black history. One of the first songs that caught my attention was Blackbird, a cover of the Beatles’ classic. At first, its inclusion seemed unexpected. What I didn’t realize was that Paul McCartney originally wrote “Blackbird” in response to the U.S. civil rights movement, specifically inspired by the Little Rock Nine — the first Black students to desegregate Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957 following the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling.
saster events, like certain toxic waste spills, are rare enough that maintaining a 24/7, expert response team for them would prove burdensome even for large states like New York. In 1978, that’s why President Jimmy Carter established FEMA to clean up waste from a nuclear generator spill in New York. State and local governments like New York’s can then focus on the public planning and infrastructure that exacerbate disasters — or not. Human creations face the inevitability of age. Of course, FEMA needs reform. Like a ship, anything accrues barnacles in the wind and water of time, including FEMA. And sometimes, these things really need to be scraped, but not scuttled.
ericcann@iu.edu
that her music would be released under a label with a deeply troubling name: Plantation Records. Though uncomfortable, she felt she had little choice but to proceed. On the road, she endured severe discrimination and racial taunts from white audiences. When she later left Plantation Records due to its refusal to promote her music, she was effectively blackballed by the industry, ending her career far too soon.
While “Cowboy Carter” honors country music’s past and Beyoncé’s southern roots, it also looks toward the genre’s future. She collaborates with up-andcoming Black country artists like Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy and Reyna Roberts on “Blackbird,” as well as Shaboozey on “Spaghetti” and “Sweet Honey Buckin’.” Her commitment to inclusion and uplifting Black country artists in a genre that has historically excluded them is a powerful statement — one that defines the album’s very purpose.
“Cowboy Carter” is more than just an album — it’s a reclamation, a tribute and a bold step forward. Beyoncé challenges the genre’s boundaries, redefines what it means to be country and amplifies the voices of those long overlooked. With its rich storytelling, historical depth and commitment to uplifting other artists, “Cowboy Carter” isn’t just a country album — it’s a cultural phenomenon.
So yes, she deserves those Grammys!
After signing a record deal, Martell discovered
With this context, Beyoncé’s rendition takes this song to a whole new level, especially with her striking lyric changes and production. What I find most compelling about “Cowboy Carter” isn’t just the names we do recognize but the ones we might not. “The Linda Martell Show” pays tribute to one of country music’s most significant yet under-appreciated pioneers. Martell, who also appears on the track “Spaghetti,” made history in 1969 as the first Black female solo artist to perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Her promising career, however, was tragically cut short.
Eric Cannon (he/him)
is a freshman studying philosophy and political science and currently serves as a member of IU Student Government.
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
President Donald Trump speaks while visiting a neighborhood affected by Hurricane Helene on Jan. 24, 2025, in Swannanoa, North Carolina. Trump said he’s considering the Federal Emergency Management Agency for his chopping block, while California recovers from wildfires and North Carolina from Hurricane Helene.
TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE
Did you know IU is a cultural powerhouse?
Eduardo Merecci Machado (he/him) is a sophomore studying neuroscience.
There are few places in the world where you can attend class in the morning, visit a museum with your friends at noon to see Picassos and a 4,000-yearold Egyptian mummy and take your girlfriend to the premiere of “The Nutcracker” at one of the nation’s prominent musical venues by night. This is Indiana University. Indiana University offers the quintessential big university experience — strong academics, a thriving football program and world-class artistic talent.
Most people have heard the phrase, “College is meant to be hard.” You have to keep up with fast-paced classes, maintain your health, nurture your social life and, on top of that, avoid disappointing your family. But I see it differently; college is meant to push you out of your comfort zone, and that is what truly makes it challenging. IU has a diverse student body, but one thing that unites everyone at this school, nestled in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, is learning. College is valuable not only for the degree it grants but also because it provides a unique opportunity to truly discover who
you are. People step out of their comfort zones in many ways, taking unusual classes, partying or making friends from different “cliques.” These experiences offer valuable perspectives, but wouldn’t you agree that broadening your cultural horizons is one of the most meaningful ways to find yourself?
Indiana University is a cultural powerhouse, home to immensely talented filmmakers, poets and musicians.
Step out of your comfort zone and visit the Musical Arts Center to hear our world-class orchestra’s breathtaking performances.
Step out again and attend Slam Night, hosted
by IU student Luke Foster, to experience the power of poetry.
Or you can immerse yourself in the Montage Film Festival, which showcases studentproduced films that tell stories made by fellow IU students.
IU offers cultural opportunities at every corner. Take advantage of the pianos located across campus and try them at least once. Go with your friends to IU Late Nite events. The whole point is to step out of your comfort zone and experience different things that will make you a different person.
College life is busy; we
THE THOUGHTFUL TAKE
all have a limited amount of time outside of class to do the things we love. But why not unite and commit some of our time to support our campus’ creative and artistic events?
This fall we saw a recordbreaking number of fans supporting our football team, contributing to the best performance in the football program’s history. This enthusiasm prompted the administration to commit additional funding to the program, a testament to the power of student unity.
Whether you prefer staying in on Fridays or socializing, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are in your
college career — make the effort to step out of your comfort zone. Learn about new things, discover what you enjoy, meet new people and find out who you truly are.
Attend a slam night, support the student film festival or cheer for your classmates at a concert. Every small effort you make helps strengthen IU’s student community. Take action today — explore, discover and grow. Attend a poetry night, go to a concert, support campus publications and participate as much as you can. Your involvement makes a difference.
edmemach@iu.edu
Studying a foreign language enhances global thinking and fosters better relationships
Meghana Rachamadugu (she/her) is a senior studying marketing and business analytics as well as pursuing a minor in French.
It’s that time of year again when French professors and former students visit our classes to discuss study abroad programs we can apply for and have the time of our lives. Other departments do this too: everyone is prepping for a new learning experience. It’s certainly a change of pace, but the chance to wake up in an idyllic city like Aixen-Provence, study French within your major and live independently abroad — all at a cost comparable to IU — feels almost too good to be true.
But it’s not. According to IU, more than 3,000 IU Bloomington students study abroad yearly, and 1/3 of students will study abroad during their time here. Although my short-term study abroad experience was outside the French department, I’ve heard countless stories from students who cherished their time abroad — and I believe them.
When I traveled to Paris as a part of the Kelley School of Business’ Global Business Immersion program, I had a wonderful time studying luxury brands in various seminars and then finishing off the day with sightseeing and walks along the Seine with friends. Beyond learning about a new industry and networking,
I had the opportunity to practice French outside the classroom, observe local traditions and cultures and be part of a global community.
Of course, this isn’t an advertisement for any departments or their study abroad programs. I also understand that spending at least one semester internationally isn’t an easy decision: we must consider costs, balancing course loads, being away from loved ones and so many more factors.
But I also know my experience as a French minor deeply enriched my life. It allowed me to continue learning a language I’ve enjoyed
since middle school and work towards becoming a polyglot.
Learning French didn’t just expand my linguistic abilities: It also deepened my relationship with my best friend, Alice, whom I met in middle school. She is French and helped spark my interest in her language and culture. She taught me vernacular phrases and lessons in etiquette and introduced me to her favorite places. Beyond that, learning French in school helped me appreciate the nuances of her beliefs and values, which often stemmed from her French upbringing. For instance, I learned about her schooling system and
how it shaped perspectives that sometimes differed from mine as an American with Indian parents. These differences weren’t barriers but opportunities to celebrate and better understand each other. Studying French brought us closer and made our friendship even more meaningful.
Due to our conversations and my classes, I realized I have a better sense of the working culture in France and applied for international jobs hoping to use that knowledge. I can speak to different industries about the differences between French and American practices and have been
ILLUSTRATION BY EVELYN STRAUSS
told in interviews that my background appears multi-faceted and interesting. According to a Lingomelo article, “bilingual employees earn, on average, 5-20% more than their monolingual counterparts” — a statistic that motivates me as I pursue international opportunities. Over four years, I’m grateful to have met kind, motivating professors and fellow students. While some students may take language classes to fulfill a requirement, there’s something uniquely inspiring about being in a classroom where everyone is striving to master something that
doesn’t yet feel intuitive. Granted, this motivation isn’t specific to world languages, but I find the sensation more satisfying because languages aren’t as heavily enforced in schools. It’s become more of a choice than an obligation whether we pursue learning further. For those who do make that choice, I hope you love it and the ability to immerse yourself in another culture. By seeing the world from a different perspective, you can cultivate empathy and understanding for other communities. Likewise, you can adapt to crosscultural situations you would have been less likely to process, let alone recognize before.
Studying French has broadened my horizons and fostered deeper connections, like my friendship with Alice and my understanding of global cultures. It’s a journey that has exposed me to the beauty of diversity and the power of empathy. As Dan Jurafsky, a professor of linguistics at Stanford University, aptly said in an article, “discovering what’s universal about languages can help us understand the core of our humanity.” Whether or not you choose to pursue a foreign language, I hope you remain open to the opportunities it offers — opportunities to grow, connect and see the world through a new lens.
megracha@iu.edu
ILLUSTRATION BY EVELYN STRAUSS
COLUMN: ‘Heart Eyes’
isn’t
quite the deconstructive slasher it wants to be
By Joey Sills
sillsj@iu.edu
I’ve never really loved slasher films. I don’t necessarily dislike them in any way, but out of all the horror subgenres it’s just never been my favorite. That’s not to say there are no exceptions to this — I really dig “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and “Black Christmas” — but, for the most part, I’ve rarely found them particularly effective.
Maybe this is why I wasn’t initially excited for “Heart Eyes,” a slasher film that distinguishes itself by taking place on Valentine’s Day. It’s hardly the first slasher film to ever base itself on that holiday — “My Bloody Valentine” did the same thing in 1981 — but
it’s maybe the first to also be a romantic comedy. And it’s with this concept that I actually became a bit intrigued: it’s really a very cool idea. I love it when filmmakers traverse genre lines and experiment with something genuinely unique. But unfortunately, what we have here is disjointed and never quite knows exactly what it wants to be.
The plot of the film is fairly simple: a serial killer, known as Heart Eyes, moves from city to city every Valentine’s Day and murders couples. This year, he’s in Seattle and, for one reason or another, he’s specifically targeting Ally (Olivia Holt), an advertising pitch designer, and her new friend — coworker? maybe lover?
— Jay (Mason Gooding).
Like any slasher film, there’s nothing more to it than that, or at least nothing worth recounting.
The core of the film is this relationship between Ally and Jay, a real willthey-won’t-they? story that, conventional as it is, hits all the expected beats. It’s here where “Heart Eyes” first begins to stumble. It seems to want to be both a parody of the rom-com and a bona fide addition to its canon. The clichés never feel knowing, they just feel like clichés. It’s true that the rom-com has never been a genre known for any sort of intense experimentation, but for a film that attempts to genuinely do something different I would’ve appreciated a more novel
approach.
At the same time, it seems to want to be a parody of the slasher film too but, again, never quite succeeds. A movie like “Scream” works because it understands the genre it’s satirizing and deconstructs it in a legitimately unique way. “Heart Eyes” pretends it understands the slasher film but only ends up reiterating all the stereotypes in a way that’s predictable and dull. It’s very easy to check off a list of tropes and perform them semi-ironically, but it means little when the project has little-to-nothing to actually say about it.
There’s a reason why slashers aren’t as prolific as they were in the 1970s and 80, it’s a genre that had a very specific heyday and can’t —
or, at least, can’t easily — be recreated in earnest today without some amount of effective deconstruction.
For example, let’s take Ti West’s “X,” which, in my mind, does successfully analyze the slasher film. It plays with the (vital) psychosexual undertones of the genre and manages to be both compellingly creepy and actually worth critical discussion.
I’m guessing, for most people, “Heart Eyes” is a perfectly fun film. As of my writing this column, it’s sitting at a 79% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, along with an 80% critics’ score. I’m willing to acknowledge that it just might not be my jam. But to be honest, I just found the film difficult to sit through.
There just wasn’t much that interested me: at best, it was middling; at worst, I thought it was boring. Maybe the humor just isn’t my style either — other than one or two jokes here and there, I was really just annoyed by it. Josh Ruben, the film’s director, is a former writer at CollegeHumor, a sketch comedy production house. And this makes a lot of sense: “Heart Eyes” is the exact sort of middle-of-the-road, justperfectly-fine-enough-tobe-entertaining parody the audience can laugh and nod in knowing agreement at. Unfortunately, for a formula that’s been done to death, that style just isn’t enough. There are certainly worse ways to spend 97 minutes. I just wish that time would’ve been more engaging.
MOVIE STILLS DATABASE | IDS
Actors Olivia Holt (left) and Mason Gooding (left) portray the characters Ally and Jay, respectively, in the movie “Heart Eyes.” The film was released Feb. 7, 2025.
Brunching for a better community with CK non-profit
Monroe County Community Kitchen hosted a three-course brunch Feb. 9 to fundraise for hunger-relief programs
By Sydney Weber syaweber@iu.edu
The dining room of the Community Kitchen of Monroe County was populated with members of the Bloomington community Feb. 9, a common-enough sight. Unlike anyone who walks in the door during the rest of the year, though, the patrons of this brunch had to pay for their meals.
The proceeds from this brunch will support various programs run by the CK, a Bloomington nonprofit dedicated to eliminating hunger in the local area. Diners paid $65 for the three-course brunch.
The CK serves dinner to anyone who needs it at their 1515 S. Rogers St. and 1100 W. 11th St. locations, and via their food truck, every Monday through Saturday. Furthermore, it hosts fundraising brunches quarterly. The next one will be in May.
Vicki Pierce, executive director of the CK, said that the benefits of the fundraising brunches aren’t just monetary, though she didn’t downplay the approximately $6500 that this one will raise.
“We always leave this event with at least a couple of folks who decided to be a regular monthly donor or who have decided to volunteer or whatever,” Pierce said.
“So, it sort of strengthens our connection to the community in a variety of ways.”
Pierce said volunteers help to prepare, serve and clean up dinner, as well as pack food for carryout programs. She said anyone interested in helping out can contact June Taylor, the kitchen’s volunteer coordinator.
Hosting people who otherwise may never come in-
side the CK is another goal of the brunches, Kyla Cox Deckard, president of the CK board of directors, said.
“It’s a great way for us to show people what the kitchen looks like, (for them) to experience, you know, eating a meal within the kitchen and get to see the way that the whole operation functions on a day-to-day basis,” Cox Deckard said.
Cox Deckard pointed out the CK is for all members of the Bloomington community who need it, including IU students.
“Anyone, for any reason, can always get a meal from the community kitchen,” Cox Deckard said. “We don’t ask any questions. You’re not required to fill out any kind of application. If you just find yourself in need of a meal for any reason, you can stop by here.”
The building where the brunch took place was itself partly the result of a brunch.
Cox Deckard said that the recurring brunches have their roots in a fundraising drive to raise money to build the Rogers Street location.
“We had a brunch for some prospective capital campaign donors to invite them in to hear more about the capital campaign project,” Cox Deckard said. “And then we just continued to host these brunches, and especially once we had this building built, we had the space to be able to invite people in.”
Pierce said using the CK building to host a meal that will help raise money for programs to feed community members made sense.
“The fact that we could feed people in our space and raise money for our programs for the other people who eat in our space sort of
Backdoor Comedy combines improv and
sketches for ‘absurd’ performance
The troupe is ready to perform Feb. 15
By Ursula Stickelmaier
ustickel@iu.edu
Room 015 of the Fine Arts Building will be full of laughter as IU’s Backdoor Comedy performs its second show of the semester the night of Feb. 15.
Though IU is home to many comedy groups, Backdoor Comedy sets itself apart with its blend of both improv and sketch comedy. While many campus comedy groups will primarily feature one or the other, Backdoor Comedy tries to make both an integral part of its performance. But like any comedy group, Backdoor Comedy also has its own comedic style that makes it different.
“Backdoor, I’d say, there’s a little bit of absurd twists, a little bit of referencing things going on, and then just a whole lot of trying to have as much fun as possible,” Logan Vaught, senior member of Backdoor Comedy, said. Part of this absurdist humor that fans of the group love are the sketches that members of Backdoor Comedy write and then vote on together. Over the course of his four years with Backdoor Comedy, Vaught has had around 38 of his sketches make it into performances. Vaught’s inspiration for coming up with his sketches is his life and the world around him.
“I have a Notes app on my phone called sketch ideas, and whenever inspiration strikes me, whether I’m having a funny conversation with a friend, or I see a meme or I’m in the shower and I’m just thinking about what would be a funny sketch, I write it down,” Vaught said. “And then once I complete it, I’ll read through it myself, make some edits and then put it into the pitch document for Backdoor so we can pitch it on that Wednesday.”
Improv will also be a big part of the upcoming performance. Backdoor Comedy always dedicates a
was a natural fit,” Pierce said.
Volunteers — many current or former chefs — prepare food for weekly meals and for the fundraising brunches. Bloomington’s food service workers have used their talents since the start of the quarterly brunches in 2015.
Seth Elgar, one of the volunteer chefs behind the Feb. 9 brunch, was the executive chef of Upland Brewing Company when he became a CK board member in October 2012. He helped come up with the idea of the fundraising brunches.
“It was just a brainchild
of myself and Dan Williamson, who’s a former chef that now has his own insurance company,” Elgar said. “It was our idea of how to use the building when it’s not in use to feed clients, to raise money and improve our community.”
Elgan said the money from the quarterly brunches is enough to feed around 2,500 people.
Guests at the Feb. 9 brunch dined on three courses: an appetizer, a main and a dessert, with gluten-free and vegan options available for each dish.
A potential meal in-
cluded a roasted beet salad to start, cheddar-paprika biscuits with chorizo gravy as the entree and chocolate cake with raspberry compote to finish up. They also imbibed in cocktails created by Cardinal Spirits, a Bloomington distillery. The “Red Queen” cocktail contained Cardinal Spirits gin, Cardinal Spirits flora liqueur and cranberry juice. Cardinal Spirits has been part of the fundraising brunches from the beginning, Pierce said.
Chasity Butler, the events director for Cardinal Spirits,
described the cocktail-creating process as taking stock of what drinks will complement the food and the theme. The Feb. 9 brunch featured red and pink libations in honor of the upcoming Valentine’s Day. “I think we’re just passionate about giving back to the community and helping in any way that we can,” Butler said. The next brunch will take place in May. When the Community Kitchen releases details, they’ll do so on the Monroe Community Kitchen website’s events page.
‘Miss Indiana University’ 2025 crowned
Eight IU students competed for a share of $4,000 in scholarships Feb. 9
By Hayden Kay haykay@iu.edu
portion of its performance to playing improv games, which typically allows the crowd to get more involved in the show.
“We’re experimenting with new improv because I think we went a little stagnant with it the past semester or two, so we’re going to try and, like, amp that up a little bit,” Leo Pasquinelli, a sophomore member of Backdoor Comedy, said. Improv is typically a very team-dependent style of comedy. Backdoor Comedy is dedicated to strengthening team dynamic while working on the improv segment of its show.
“That’s something that I think we’ve been trying to work on getting better on as a group,” junior member Ellie Brennan said. “It’s just always fun to feel like you’re kind of working and progressing on something, even if it’s something that’s like, you know, on the surface as silly as improv. Everything is a skill that you can hone.”
But typical sketches and improv games are not the only things that will be included in Backdoor Comedy’s show. The upcoming performance will also include a dance number in one of the sketches, written by Brennan.
“I’m very excited for the dancing sketch because I feel like this is the first time in a while that I’ve written something that I feel like I’m proud of,” Brennan said. “So, I’m excited to do that, and hopefully it’ll go well.”
The dancing sketch and more can be seen at Backdoor Comedy’s performance at 9 p.m. Saturday in the Fine Arts Building 015. Open to both students and the public, the show is free to attend, and the group said it is always happy to see new faces in the audience.
“I think, personally, that there’s just a very good energy in there,” Brennan said. “It’s a very welcoming place. We would love to have anyone and meet people. I think it’ll be a fun Saturday night.”
IU senior Alexxys Standish was crowned Miss Indiana University 2025 on the evening of Feb. 9 in Wilkie Auditorium. The winner of Miss IU receives a $1,500 scholarship from the IU Foundation and goes on to compete at Miss Indiana.
Members of the student organization Pageantry at IU act as an advisory board to produce the annual Miss IU Scholarship Competition, as well as two to three service events each semester. This year’s pageant opened with all eight contestants performing choreography to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” alongside Miss IU 2024 Kat Nagler. Everyone was dressed in black cocktail attire and took turns introducing themselves at the end of the dance.
The next phase of the competition was the onstage interview. Each contestant answered a question related to their chosen community service initiative which they would advocate for if they won the Miss IU title. Judges scored the contestants on the intricacy of their responses and not if they agreed or disagreed.
“I’m just kind of having fun with it.”
IU senior Alexxys Standish
Before the competition, contestants went through a lengthy preparation process where Standish said she learned new things about herself while discovering new skills.
“I’m just kind of having fun with it I haven’t really seen any big challenges, except maybe learning the choreography and getting it down,” Standish said. “I can actually remember and memorize a speech a lot faster than I think I can. So, all will be well, I actually have it under control and I don’t need to overthink it.”
The judges this year were IU alumni Bianca Davis, Cathi Jackson, Julie Oelschlager, Daniel Schlegel Jr. and visiting faculty member Ramir Williams, senior space planner Tony White and local Miss America director Evan Elliot were this year’s auditors, who manu-
ally tabulate the scores. Judges scored each delegate on a scale of 1-10 for each competition phase.
IU freshman and contestant Alana Trissel was given the idea to compete when her family friend Kalyn Melham, Miss Indiana 2024, told her about it. Trissel said she went out of her comfort zone to compete but quickly realized how supportive everyone was throughout the competition process.
“I think that as a woman, it’s important to put yourself out there, to find self-confidence and just attacking the world, which is something that I’d like to continue into my womanhood,” Trissel said. “The most fun part was being able to have lunch with our sponsors and the people that contribute to this event. I have learned just how accepting and helpful everyone can be through this whole process.”
After the interview portion, contestants took part in the talent phase which featured a mix of two vocal performances, two instrumental performances, a lyrical dance routine, a poetry performance, a memoir recitation and what is known by Miss America as a HERStory. This was IU freshman Jyllian Knolinski’s second local pageant. She is involved with the Singing Hoosiers on campus and has been dancing since she was three, which led her to choreograph a dance in honor of her sister.
“It’s always been some-
thing that I’ve loved. My talent is a dance that is dedicated to my sister as a reminder to come back up from the hard times in life,” Knolinski said.
Pageantry at IU asked attendees bring donations for Crimson Cupboard, a food pantry that provides free food for Bloomington students, staff and faculty. This year, Pageantry at IU collected 160 donations and approximately $170. Every item brought for the food drive or every $1 donation equaled one raffle ticket. Members from the audience won various prizes like a giant container of cheeseballs and gift cards to Bucceto’s Pizza & Pasta. After the intermission, the student-run performance group, the Crimsonettes Dance Team performed a hip-hop routine to “Partition” and “Yoncé” by Beyoncé. After the performance, the final two phases of Miss IU began: fitness and evening gown.
“I think that as a woman, it’s important to put yourself out there.”
IU freshman Alana Trissel
While the auditors worked on finalizing the judges’ scores, faculty advisor for Pageantry at IU Teresa White was thanked for all that she has done for the organization since joining in 2011. Nagler then gave her farewell speech.
“You’re surrounded by women who make you grow as a person.”
IU freshman Elizabeth Axsom
Standish won Miss IU as well as $250 for the People’s Choice Award and $250 for being the interview phase winner. Other contestants received scholarship awards, including $1,000 for the first runner-up Meg Dimmett who also received the Forever Miss IU Legacy Award with an additional $250 and another $250 for winning the talent phase. Trissel was second runner-up, winning $500 and Miasa Pratt won the Community Service Award of $250. The contestants voted IU freshman Elizabeth Axsom for Miss Congeniality, who they said had an upbeat attitude and was helpful to other contests throughout the competition. Axsom has been competing in Miss Indiana pageants since her sophomore year of high school and said she was particularly drawn to Miss IU ever since she’d planned on attending IU. She said the experience had been a great one, highlighting all that White had done to prepare and inspire her during her preparation for the competition. “I think it’s refreshing, but also, I think there’s so many more opportunities,” Axsom said. “You’re surrounded by women who make you grow as a person.”
SYDNEY WEBER
Patrons are pictured dining at a brunch fundraiser Feb. 9, 2025, at the Community Kitchen of Monroe County in Bloomington. Funds raised from the brunch supported various hunger-relief programs.
HAYDEN KAY | IDS
Competitors in the Miss IU pageant pose for a picture Feb. 9, 2025, at the Wilkie Auditorium in Bloomington. Pageantry at IU started hosting the Miss IU competition in 2011 to provide scholarships for students who compete.
Performers serenade the Constellation Playhouse
By Arnaav Anand arnanand@iu.edu
Off Night Productions premiered their cabaret, “Love Songs, Reimagined,” on Feb. 9 at the Constellation Playhouse. The mellifluous hour-long show featured six singers and a band performing 18 genderbending love songs traditionally sung by the opposite sex.
The Monroe Countybased production company, a women-led nonprofit, produces contemporary theatre and music on the off nights of the traditional performance week — Sunday, Monday and Tuesday — with the aim of tackling the limitations of the theater industry.
Cassie Hakken, associate artistic director of Off Night Productions, directed the cabaret, while IU alumna and Off Night debutant Deborah Jenkins directed the music.
The main vocalists were James Dalfonso, Andrew Keeler, Shannon O’Connor Starks, Mia Stewart, Claire Summers and Cora Winstead. The band consisted of pianist Eric Nichols, bassist Aisling Fowler, guitarist Leo Messier and drummer Matt Swolsky.
All six singers joined the band on stage for the first song on the setlist, “The Origin of Love” from the film “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” and subsequently performed the remaining
songs with varying groupings of singers. Hakken said the cabaret was Off Night’s first musical endeavor. She said the show follows an emotional arc, taking the audience through different stages of love — from infatuation to deep commitment, to uncertainty and even heartbreak.
“Because we’re genderbending, a lot of it means that women are singing about loving other women and vice versa,” Hakken said. “It
just emphasizes queer love stories in a really nice way that I think is particularly important right now.”
Hakken said they held open auditions, with vocal ability and stage presence being the primary considerations rather than appearance or traditional casting norms. Jenkins said once the singers were selected, they adjusted the song choices to best fit the performers’ voices and styles. She said rehearsals for
the show started Jan. 19.
Jenkins said while adapting the music for the show, many of the arrangements diverged from traditional Broadway styles.
“We have songs that you wouldn’t realize would make a fantastic rock ballad,” she said. “And things that became a lot folkier, a little less big Broadway musical style.”
Hakken said the genderbending aspect of the production added different
layers to the songs. She said, for example, “If I Can’t Love Her” from “Beauty and the Beast” is traditionally a song the Beast croons about his loneliness and reclusion from the world, but Mia Stewart makes it feel like a coming out song about her repressed feelings toward other women.
Jenkins said they initially adjusted the keys of all the songs to better suit the singer, ensuring the final keys were
set during both individual and group rehearsals.
“There are songs now that I don’t think I could go back to and listen to the original,” Jenkins said. “Because the story is so much more compelling this way and I think we so often are interested in telling our own story that we don’t listen to someone else’s from a perspective that we’ve never had.”
Hakken said the lighting on stage emphasized certain parts of songs. The performers added theatrical flairs to their singing, often performing choreographed dances while sometimes interacting with the audience. To close out the performance, the six performers reunited for the last song “I Believe In Love” by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.
“The power of love and spending time together with the connections in our community that really matter most is really important right now,” Hakken said. “I think it’s really important that we’re showcasing queer love stories, especially right now and in Indiana.”
Eric Starks, husband of performer Shannon O’Connor Starks, said he was fascinated by the show’s concept.
“It’s nice to see the community members being able to come out and perform and be able to hear the band together,” he said.
‘My Weather Diary’ exhibition opens at FAR Center
By Lily Saylor saylorl@iu.edu
“The world is wondering where Malaysian Airline Flight 370 disappeared.”
“The girls saved a snail from the edge of the road to a nearby grass.”
“Jetlagged and I am looking for a nice cafe. A 450 kg bomb exploded in a Baghdad hotel.” Since 2001, Finnish artist Jari Silomäki has taken a daily landscape photograph with a short caption of text attached. The photos range from a man standing by a river to a cow in the middle of a cemetery, and each photo is completely unstaged. Over the years, he has amassed thousands of photos which unfolded in his exhibition, “My Weather Diary”.
The exhibition opened Feb. 7 at the FAR Center for Contemporary Arts at 202 S. Rogers St. in Bloomington. The gallery is open for viewing 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday until March 29.
Lisa Woodward, cocurator of the FAR Center, met Silomäki in France.
“We were just really taken with this project. Yari had,
like, 500 images for us to look through, and that was edited down,” Woodward said. “We really got to dig in and sort through all these pictures to see which ones we felt would really speak to people right now from the past 20 years.”
At the exhibition Feb. 7, attendees slowly trickled in, taking in each photograph that lined the white gallery walls. David Ondrik, a photography lecturer at IU, was one of the first people to visit the exhibition.
“I think this is diarylike work, and sometimes I don’t like that as much, but they all seem very well done,” Ondrik said. “I think they’re curious and engaging enough that it works pretty well.”
Visitors paused between each photo, leaning in to read the white cursive lettering at the base of the pictures. Some captions directly related to the photo, while others were seemingly random. The only discernible connection between all the captions and the photos was that the events inspiring both occurred on the same day. Oftentimes, a beautiful photo was paired with a
more serious caption, like Silomäki’s first photo for the project taken in 2001.
The photo was of a lakeside landscape from his parents’ summer cottage. In an email to the IDS, Silomäki recounted the moment that “My Weather Diary” began. A day after, he heard that a relative and neighbor of the cottage had passed away.
“When I developed the film and printed the photograph of the lakeside
landscape, I noticed that it appeared dark and tense,” he said in the email. “I wrote on the image: ‘our summer cabin the day that Jouko died.’”
Over two decades later, Silomäki still carries a camera with him everywhere, snapping shots of his everyday life. He said a core principle of “My Weather Diary” was that he never sought out subjects or assigned value to what he captured.
“I have taken pictures on my way to the store, to visit friends, to work, or wherever I happened to be,” Silomäki said. “I named the work ‘My Weather Diary’ because I knew that all the elements in it would change and repeat like the weather, including personal events that repeat themselves, as well as politics and social events that cycle like the weather.”
For Silomäki, the project represents pure, classical
documentary photography. The photos are simple and authentic, only capturing what Silomäki sees in his everyday life.
“Time is what, in my view, has made these images interesting to me,” Silomäki said. “I have looked out of the same window for more than twenty years, observing the same landscape, yet seeing it differently as the world has changed—and as I have changed.”
Former students gather to honor memory of McCalla School building
By Gabby Rogers rogersgm@iu.edu
Slamming his foot into the renovated hardwood flooring of the historic McCalla School building, Andy Ruff, 62, mimicked the thunderous boom in his memory of his teacher’s deafening presence.
“We called her ‘Earthquake’ because she’d stomp her foot when she got mad to get the class disciplined,” Ruff, now a Bloomington City councilmember, said.
He spoke to Jim Lammey, another McCalla former student, age 73, who smiled in recognition of the teacher’s old antics. The men’s voices rose in volume as they found common memories — a ping-pong of peers’ and teachers’ names, of “Do you remembers?” Ruff and Lammey, along with others, gathered at the McCalla School on Feb. 4 morning to begin building a memory archive. Other names come up as well: Mrs. Spangler turned Mrs. Strangler and a Mr. Long nicknamed Lurch, a clever moniker coined by the students due to his uncanny resemblance to the character from “The Addams Family.”
The McCalla School
has been a building of reinvention since its opening in 1907, functioning as an alternative high school for a brief stint in the 1970s, a wood and metal production shop for the IU School of Art, Architecture and Design and its current role as home of University Collections. But its longest, and perhaps most memorable, iteration was its first: an elementary school.
Emily Zarse, events and engagement coordinator for the University Collections, is driven by ensuring the building’s abundant history is celebrated by all who pass through its historic halls.
Her current project is gathering past students of the elementary school, which served Bloomington for 66 years, and preserving their artifacts and memories.
“We’d like to piece together and have almost an installation,” Zarse said. “Really set the stage so that when people come in, they have that sense of the past and the present all at once.”
Feb. 4 marked the first of several meetups Zarse is putting together to gather artifacts and stories that will lead up to a larger celebration the weekend of June 13. The first session served as a generative event to begin gathering oral histories.
“We’re working towards having a full on reunion, a big celebration,” Zarse said. “But these first events are really important. We would like to have the people whose stories we’re telling from the very beginning and get their contribution.”
Black and white photos, meant to spark visitors’ memories, were scattered across large tables pushed into a square in the middle of the room.
A couple, Mike Mobley and Sharol Branam Mobley, aged 77 and 76 respectively, sat in matching evergreen turtlenecks on one side of the table talking to Zarse about their time at McCalla. Married in 1983, Mike was a grade older than Sharol in school. Generations of the couple’s family have attended the school; Mike’s mother and grandmother and Sharol’s father were students throughout the 1900s.
“I know my grandmother went here,” Mike said. “She was 7 when she started school in 1912, and her diploma is dated 1920.”
Sharol carried a gallon Ziploc bag and pulled out a yellowing report card and several photographs, which Zarse gently asked
if she could touch and take pictures of to begin documenting the attendees’ histories.
“This will develop over the next couple months,” Zarse said. “I’m going to do at least two or three more of these sessions, we’re aiming to do proper oral histories, to more formally document the stories. Whether
PHOTO COURTESY OF EMELIE FLOWER
From left to right: James Dalfonso, Shannon O’Connor Starks, Claire Summers, Mia Stewart, Cora Winstead and Andrew Keeler perform the last song in the cabaret Feb. 9, 2025, at Constellation Playhouse in Bloomington. The show featured 18 gender-swapping performances of traditional love songs.
KATHERINE MANERS | IDS
Visitors attend the Gallery Walk Exhibition opening for Jari Silomäki’s “My Weather Diary 2001 - 2051” on Feb. 7, 2025, at the FAR Center for Contemporary Arts and Pictura
GABBY ROGERS | IDS
From left to right: Mike Mobley, Sharol Branam Mobley, Andy Ruff, LuAnne Hollday and Jim Lammey look at photos Feb. 4, 2025, at the McCalla School in Bloomington. The event was part of an ongoing effort to preserve the history of the McCalla School.
Indiana upsets No. 11 Michigan State, 71-67
By Quinn Richards qmrichar@iu.edu | @quinn_richa
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo stood at midcourt with a finger to his lips, quieting the same crowd that was roaring moments earlier. For the first time since Jan. 17, Indiana men’s basketball won a game — this time, against No. 11 Michigan State on Tuesday inside the Breslin Center.
The Hoosiers’ 71-67 victory is their first over a ranked opponent since Feb. 25, 2023, when they defeated then-No. 5 Purdue. Indiana’s big men dominated the stat sheet. Despite scoring just 3 points on 1 for 8 shooting in the first half, junior forward Malik Reneau finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Ballo added 14 points and 10 rebounds of his own. Both the Hoosiers and
Spartans are among the worst 3-point shooting teams in the Big Ten and it showed throughout the first half. The two sides opened the game a combined 1 for 15 from beyond the arc. Still, physical play on the glass and inside the paint gave Michigan State an early 20-8 lead, forcing Woodson to make a defensive adjustment. After initially coming out in its standard man-
to-man coverage, Indiana switched to a zone defense midway through the first half. The Hoosiers outscored the Spartans 24-9 after the change and took a 32-29 lead into halftime as a result. Indiana opened the second half with a 6-0 run, which grew its advantage to 9 points. Michigan State’s offense eventually regained its earlier footing, slowly chipping away at the Hoosiers’ lead. With just over five min-
utes remaining, Indiana led 52-50. Once more, the Hoosiers’ lead nearly grew to double digits as they jumped to a 6152 advantage with just over three minutes left, sending some eager Spartans fans toward the Breslin Center’s exits. Again, Michigan State rallied back, cutting its deficit to 2 with 23 seconds remaining. Reneau missed a late free throw, giving the Spartans
the ball down by one possession, but Woodson’s decision to send them to the free throw line with Indiana up 3 points proved effective. With four seconds remaining, fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal sank a pair of free throws to seal the Hoo-
Former Indiana center traded to NBA Houston Rockets
By Dalton James jamesdm@iu.edu | @daltonmjames
Former Indiana men’s basketball superstar forward Cody Zeller was traded to the Houston Rockets Feb. 6, according to ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania. The Atlanta Hawks also sent a 2028 second-round pick to the Rockets in the deal. Zeller spent two seasons at Indiana from 2011-13 under former head coach Tom Crean. He averaged 15.6 and 16.5 points per game across the two campaigns, respectively. Dubbed “The Big Handsome,” Zeller earned Second-Team AllAmerican honors during his sophomore season.
The Washington, Indiana, native declared for the draft following the Hoosiers’ loss to Syracuse University in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. Just two picks after former Indiana guard Victor Oladipo was selected by the Orlando Magic, the then-Charlotte Bobcats chose Zeller with the No. 4 overall pick in the
2013 NBA Draft. Zeller spent his first eight seasons in the NBA with the Charlotte franchise, who transitioned to the Hornets after the 201314 season. Then, over the past three seasons, Zeller has spent time with three different franchises. In 2021-22, he played for the Portland
Trail Blazers before suiting up for the Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans in 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively.
So far this season, the 6-foot-11 Zeller has yet to play due to “personal reasons.”
Zeller became the second former Indiana men’s basketball player to be traded ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline. Guard Jalen Hood-Schifino was traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Utah Jazz in a shocking deal that sent former Dallas Mavericks AllNBA guard Luka Don č i ć to the Lakers. The traded deadline, which was 3 p.m. Feb. 6, has now passed.
GISELLE MARSTELLER | IDS
Senior forward Luke Goode shoots a 3-pointer against Michigan
at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. The Hoosiers defeated the Spartans by 4 points.
Inside Dusty May’s return to Assembly Hall
By Quinn Richards qmrichar@iu.edu | @quinn_richa
In the winter of 1996, Dusty May quit playing basketball. He swapped a ball for a clipboard, basketball shoes for sneakers and his jersey for a pullover.
After just one semester, May left then-Division II Oakland City University in Oakland City, Indiana, and enrolled at Indiana to become a student manager under Bob Knight. Over the next four years in Bloomington, he learned the ins and outs of coaching from one of college basketball’s legendary coaches.
“What’s your competitive advantage as a student manager that transferred in as a marginal Division II player?” May said. “You think back, all I did was show up with great passion and energy for this game and helping people everyday. Because of that, I think people always saw something or believed in me.”
Since then, May’s career has skyrocketed.
Five years after earning his first head coaching gig at Florida Atlantic University, he led the program to a 35-4 record and its first ever trip to the Final Four in 2023. After leading the Owls back to the NCAA Tournament the following year, May was hired to replace Juwan Howard as the head coach of Michigan ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Ahead of their matchup against Indiana, they were 18-5 (10-2 Big Ten) and second in conference stand-
Horoscope
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Today is a 9 — The excellent work you’ve been doing reflects well on you. Maintain discipline with your practices and routines. Draw upon hidden resources.
Strengthen basic foundations.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 7 — Relax and enjoy the company. Spend time with people, activities and places that you love. Focus on the present moment rather than the past or future.
ings. On Feb. 8, Michigan survived a second half surge to secure a 70-67 win against Indiana in May’s return to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.
The Hoosiers trailed 4327 at halftime, before nearly mounting a comeback that was helped in part by the Wolverine’s shooting struggles. Ultimately, May led his Wolverines to their fourthstraight win by 4 or fewer points.
“I thought our guys played with great physicality and determination,” May said postgame. “To go 0 for 9 from 3 in the second half and still find a way is a testament of a team that just has a belief that they’re going to figure it out”
It’s also the testament of a head coach. One who, before the game, received a warm welcome from his alma mater.
Minutes after Michigan took the floor to a barrage of boos from the Hoosier faithful, a much different reaction faced its coach. When his name was announced to close out the Wolverines’ starting lineup, May received an audible cheer from the nearly soldout home crowd.
“I heard the ovation, and I appreciated it,” May said. “I didn’t score a basket here, and to be shown gratitude like that, yes, it does feel good.”
The reception he received likely had underlying intentions.
On Feb. 7, the Indiana Daily Student reported
head coach Mike Woodson would step down at the end of the season. Indiana Athletics confirmed the news later that same day via press release. With Woodson leaving, conversations surrounding viable successors quickly sprang up. It didn’t take long for May’s name to enter the pool of potential candidates.
In the aftermath of the Wolverines’ win, he was asked about the rumors circling his future.
“That stuff’s crazy,” May said. “I love being at Michigan. I love our team. We’re fighting like crazy. (Indiana) is my foundation, but I’m very, very happy to be at the University of Michigan.”
In the buildup to Feb. 8, May continuously discussed treating the game like any other — it showed. Throughout the win, his routines, mannerisms and emotions were consistent with his comments.
During play, he paced back and forth in front of the Wolverines’ bench, actively directing players to their defensive assignments or urging them to push the floor in transition. He occasionally crouched in front of the scorers’ table, pondering substitutions or analyzing the game.
His spot on Michigan’s sideline — three seats in from midcourt — was generally left vacant; spare the occasional trip for water. During timeouts, May followed his standard protocol of discussing adjustments with his coaching staff before relaying them to his
circle of players. Following the Wolverines’ win, he promptly approached Woodson, shook his hand and led his team into the visiting locker room.
Still, college basketball is unpredictable and everchanging. Even if May put aside his Cream and Crimson roots during the 40 minutes on the floor, they still exist.
“Look, I enjoy watching
patience and sense of humor. Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 7 — Your creative muses serenade you. You may need to get quiet to hear them. Strengthen the foundations of your project before elaborating. Handle basics first.
all Indiana Athletics,” May said. “If I turn on the TV on the Big Ten Network and IU soccer is playing in the Final Four, I’m cheering. Because I went to school here.”
Although he followed up the remark by again emphasizing his focus on his current job in Ann Arbor, Michigan, it’s clear Indiana Athletics still holds a place in May’s mind. The question becomes whether that con-
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is an 8 — Profitable ventures and opportunities abound. Avoid risky business. Weigh your options and choose carefully. Reinforce basic structural elements. Manage practical details and don’t over-extend.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is an 8 — Travel or education can fulfill a personal dream. What do you want to learn? You have a natural advantage. Keep your agreements. Schedule
nection looms large enough for him to leave a surging Michigan team chasing a Big Ten title for an Indiana team in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. May’s coaching journey began at Indiana. With Woodson stepping down, he could feasibly be on the call list for the coveted position. May said Indiana was his foundation — it may be his future.
BEN FITZSIMONS
Indiana doesn’t ‘show up’ in loss to Minnesota
By Savannah Slone srslone@iu.edu | @savrivers06
After Indiana women’s basketball’s 21-point victory over Rutgers on Feb. 6 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, the Hoosiers seemed to be finding their form to make a run toward the postseason.
Indiana was on a threegame win streak — with wins over Washington, Nebraska and Rutgers — which came on the back of a three-game losing streak.
But even after its dominant win over the Scarlet Knights, Indiana head coach Teri Moren knew her team needed to learn from their mistakes that occurred over its three straight losses at the end of January.
Moren pointed out Indiana’s 7-point loss at Oregon on Jan. 24, when it led for nearly 34 minutes of the contest but faltered in the fourth quarter due to seven
turnovers.
She held hope those hard lessons would help Indiana when it went on a two-game road stretch at Minnesota and Michigan on Wednesday. And while it seemed the Hoosiers had improved when they took the floor in the first quarter against Minnesota, the Feb. 9 matchup showed Indiana did not do as Moren had wanted.
Indiana got out to an early lead in the first quarter after an 11-2 run to give it a 6-point lead headed into the second quarter. It held Minnesota to 13 points, had just one turnover and shot 43.3% from the field.
But after the opening minutes, momentum started to shift to the Golden Gophers, who began to dominate in the second quarter and didn’t let up. Indiana’s defense showed signs of life in the fourth
Bloomington.
quarter by not allowing Minnesota to score a field goal for just over five and a half minutes. However, it was too late for Indiana to make a comeback, and it fell to the Golden Gophers 56-66.
So, while Moren wanted the losses to turn into lessons, the Hoosiers’ collapse on the road proved they still have more to learn, even as a team comprised primarily of veterans.
Second Baptist Church
321 N. Rogers St. 812-327-1467 sbcbloomington.org facebook.com/2ndbaptistbloomington youtube.com/@secondbaptistchurchbloomington
Sunday Service: 10 a.m., In house and on Facebook/YouTube
Sunday School: 8:45 - 9:45 a.m. Bible Study: Available In House and on Zoom Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., Thursdays, Noon
Please come and worship with us. We are in training for reigning with Christ! Need a ride? Call our Church bus at 812-327-1467 before 8 a.m. on Sunday
Rev. Dr. Bruce R. Rose - Pastor Tallie Schroeder - Secretary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Bloomington Young Single Adult Branch
2411 E. Second St.
To Contact: Send message from website maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/ wards/237973
Sunday: 12:30 p.m.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has four congregations in Bloomington—Three family wards and our young single adult branch for college students. This info is for the YSA Branch. Weekday religious classes at 333 S. Highland Ave, Bloomington IN 47401, next to campus.
More info at churchofjesuschrist.org.
Lutheran - Missouri Synod
University Lutheran Church and LCMS U Student Center 607 E. Seventh St. 812-336-5387 indianalutheran.com facebook.com/ULutheranIU instagram.com/uluindiana
Sunday: 9:15 a.m.: Sunday Bible Class
10:30 a.m.: Sunday Divine Service
Wednesday: 7 p.m.: Wednesday Evening Service
Student Center open daily:
9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
The LCMS home of campus ministry at IU, our mission is to serve all college students with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, located across from Dunn Meadow and the IMU. The Student Center is open daily for study, recreation, and prayer. For full schedule, visit our website.
Rev. Timothy Winterstein - Campus Pastor
United Methodist
Jubilee
219 E. Fourth St. 812-332-6396 jubileebloomington.org
Facebook: First United Methodist Church of Bloomington, IN Instagram: @jubileebloomington
Sunday: 9:30 a.m., Classic Worship 11:45 a.m., Contemporary Worship Wednesday: 7:30 p.m., College & Young Adult Dinner
Jubilee is a Christ-centered community open and affirming to all. We gather on Wednesdays at First United Methodist (219 E. 4th St.) for free food, honest discussion, worship, and hanging out. Small groups, service projects, social events (bonfires, game nights, book clubs, etc.), outreach retreats, and leadership opportunities all play a significant role in our rhythm of doing life together.
Markus Dickinson - jubilee@fumcb.org
Inter-Denominational
Redeemer Community Church
111 S. Kimble Dr. 812-269-8975
redeemerbloomington.org facebook.com/RedeemerBtown
Instagram & Twitter: @RedeemerBtown
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
“You have to be super special and do special things on the road that sometimes show up on the stat sheet and sometimes don’t, but you can’t do into an environment like this where they’re coming off of a losing their last three games,” Moren said. “I mean they’re desperate, they want to win in, and so not that my team didn’t want to win, but you have to you have to be extra special when you come on the road in tracking those down.”
And although there are just six games remaining on Indiana’s schedule, it needs to learn how to create its own energy on the road if it wants to make a case for a postseason berth. But the Hoosiers will need to rely on one of their strengths: experience. Their starting lineup consisting of all upperclassmen will need to pull from their prior experiences on the road in con-
ference games.
“You just can’t show up on the nights that we play in the hall with all of our fans there,” Moren said. “It has to show up on every stinking night especially when you’re on the road and you don’t have the energy.”
Three of the Hoosiers’ last five games take place on the road, starting with Michigan on Feb. 12 at the Crisler Center. They will then have to take on No. 22 Michigan State on Feb. 23 and Purdue on March 2 on the road.
“We got to bottle up all that energy that we have when we’re at home and we got to bring it with us,” Moren said. “And I don’t know how to do that, but here’s what I do know: Good teams win at home, great teams win on the road. And we got to figure out how we can flip the script here down the stretch and try to steal some of these on the road.”
American Restoration Movement
North Central Church of Christ 2121 N. Dunn St. 812-332-2248 nc3family.org Facebook.com/nc3family
Sunday: 10 a.m., Worship 11 a.m., College Class
Come learn about historic Christian teaching on theology, ethics, and culture. We offer an alternative to the post-modern ideologies and teachings you often see in your lives today.
Shane Himes, PHD - Senior Minister
Science
We welcome you to our church to explore how you can address issues spiritually and experience healing. Knowing God loves, guides and cares for each one gives a sense of peace and joy. We appreciate the Christian Science Monitor news magazine for its integrity, fairness and compassion.
(Christian Science Monitor) csmonitor.com
Orthodox All Saints Orthodox Christian Church
6004 S. Fairfax Rd. 812-824-3600 allsaintsbloomington.org webbrk1@gmail.com
- Pastoral Assistant
Bloomington Bahá'í Community and Bahá’í IU Association
424 S. College Mall Rd. 812-331-1863
bloomingtoninbahais.org facebook.com/Baháí-Community-ofBloomington-Indiana-146343332130574
LAUREN MCKINNEY | IDS
Sophomore guard Julianna LaMendola boxes out during a free throw against Nebraska on Feb. 2, 2025, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in
The Hoosiers fell to Minnesota by 10 points Feb. 9.
Indiana comes from behind, stays undefeated
By Elakai Anela eanela@iu.edu | @elakai_anela
Indiana men’s tennis won its first road game of the season in comeback fashion to beat Middle Tennessee State University on Feb. 7 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Hoosiers improved to 6-0 with their first road victory of the season.
To start off doubles play, Indiana won on court No. 3 led by redshirt sophomore Facundo Yunis and freshman Braeden Gelletich. Yunis and Gelletich won 6-2 over Middle Tennesse State junior Shu Matsuoka and sophomore Jakub Kroslak to give Indiana the lead in doubles competition. The Hoosiers won the double point on court No. 1 led by junior Sam Sherer and freshman Matteo Antonescu. Sherer and Antonescu defeated Middle Tennessee State freshman Kacper Szym-
kowiak and senior Rostislav Halfinger. Indiana took the 1-0 lead over Middle Tennessee State at the end of doubles play. As the match advanced to singles play, Indiana fell behind quickly.
On court No. 2, junior Jip van Assendelft lost in straight sets to Szymkowiak. At the end of the match, Indiana and Middle Tennessee State were tied 1-1.
Middle Tennessee State took the lead on court No. 1, as Yunis fell short against Raider junior Karim Al-Amin in two out of three sets. By the end of the game on court No. 1, Indiana found itself trailing 2-1.
With the team in desperate need of a response, Gelletich came up big for the Hoosiers. On court No. 7, Gelletich beat Middle Tennessee State sophomore Igor Mandou Berranger. Indiana and Middle Tennessee State
Society of Friends (Quaker)
Bloomington Friends Meeting
3820 E. Moores Pike
812-336-4581
bloomingtonfriendsmeeting.org
Facebook: Bloomington Friends Meeting
Sunday (in person & Zoom) :
9:45 a.m., Hymn singing
10:30 a.m., Meeting for Worship
10:45 a.m., Sunday School
(Children join worship 10:30-10:45)
11:30 a.m., Refreshments and Fellowship
12:30 p.m., Events (see website)
Wednesday (Zoom Only) :
7 p.m., Meeting for worship for Peace
Friday (Zoom Only) :
9 a.m., Meeting for worship
We practice traditional Quaker worship, gathering in silence with occasional Spirit-led vocal ministry by fellow worshipers. We are an inclusive community with a rich variety of belief and no prescribed creed. We are actively involved in peace action, social justice causes, and environmental concerns.
Peter Burkholder - Clerk burkhold@indiana.edu
Non-Denominational
Christ Community Church
503 S. High St. 812-332-0502 cccbloomington.org
facebook.com/christcommunitybtown
Instagram: @christcommunitybtown
Sunday: 9:15 a.m., Educational Hour
10:30 a.m., Worship Service
We are a diverse community of Christ-followers, including many IU students, faculty and staff. Together we are committed to sharing the redeeming grace and transforming truth of Jesus Christ in this college town.
Bob Whitaker - Senior Pastor Adam deWeber - Worship Pastor Dan Waugh - Adult Ministry Pastor
Christian Student Fellowship
1968 N. David Baker Ave. 812-332-8972 csfindiana.org
Instagram: @csfindiana
Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) exists as a Christ-centered community focused on helping students truly know Jesus Christ. Our ministry operates from an on-campus house where students can live. Reach out to schedule a tour of the house or a visit to our Thursday night worship service!
Ben Geiger - Lead Campus Minister
Stephanie Michael - Campus Minister
Joe Durnil - Associate Campus Minister
Hailee Lutz - Office Manager
were tied 2-2 with only three matches remaining.
On court No. 5, Indiana’s Sherer lost to junior Ondrej Horak. Sherer lost two out of three sets, and the Hoosiers found themselves down 3-2 with the game hanging in the balance.
With their undefeated start to the year on the line, Hoosier junior Deacon Thomas defeated Kroslak 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4. Then all eyes turned to court No. 4, where the score was tied 3-3.
On court No. 4, a battle was taking place between Indiana sophomore Ben Pomeranets and Matsouka. After a three-set dogfight between both players, Pomeranets won. He defeated Matsouka in the third set of a best-of-three to seal the 6-0 start for Indiana.
Indiana will be back in action against Drake University at 5 p.m. Feb. 14 in the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington.
City Church
1200 N. Russell Rd.
812-336-5958
citychurchbloomington.org
tiktok: @citychurchbtown
Instagram: @citychurchbtown
Sunday Service: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:45 a.m.
City Church is a multicultural church on the east side of Bloomington. We provide transportation from campus. Our college and young adult ministry meets on Tuesday nights.
David Norris - Pastor
Sacred Heart Church
615 N. Fairview St. 812-345-5239 sacredheartbloomington.org facebook.com/sacredheartbloomington
Sunday: 10:30 a.m.: Refreshments and Fellowship 10:45 a.m.: Worship Service Tue., Wed., Thu.: Midweek Meals (Check Facebook)
Sacred Heart is a nondenominational church that seeks to follow Jesus by acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with God. We strive to be a safe, inclusive community where you can bring your doubts, questions, struggles, and joys before a loving God and find true belonging. All are welcome! Dan Caldwell
Episcopal (Anglican)
Canterbury Mission
719 E. Seventh St. 812-822-1335 IUCanterbury.org facebook.com/ECMatIU
Instagram & Twitter: @ECMatIU
Youtube: @canterburyhouseatiu9094
Sunday: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Mon., Wed., Thu.: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday: Noon - 8 p.m. Fri., Sat.: By Appointment
Canterbury: Assertively open & affirming; unapologetically Christian, we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ by promoting justice, equality, peace, love and striving to be the change God wants to see in our world.
Ed Bird - Chaplain/Priest
Independent Baptist
Lifeway Baptist Church
7821 W. State Road 46 812-876-6072 lifewaybaptistchurch.org facebook.com/lifewayellettsville
Sunday: 9 a.m., Bible Study Classes 10 a.m., Morning Service
5 p.m., Evening Service
*Free transportation provided. Please call if you need a ride to church.
Student Ministry: Meeting for Bible study throughout the month. Contact Rosh Dhanawade at bluhenrosh@gmail.com for more information.
Steven VonBokern - Senior Pastor Rosh Dhanawade - IU Coordinator 302-561-0108 bluhenrosh@gmail.com
United Church of Christ and American Baptist Churches-USA First United Church
2420 E. Third St. 812-332-4439 firstuc.org facebook.com/firstuc
Sunday: 10:30 a.m., Worship
Monday: 10 a.m. via Zoom, Bible Study
We are an Open, Welcoming, and Affirming community of love and acceptance dedicated to welcoming the diversity of God’s beloved. We exist to empower, challenge, and encourage one another to live out Jesus’ ways (compassion, truth, and justice) authentically as human beings in community to create a better world.
Rev. Jessica Petersen-Mutai Senior Minister
Baptist Emmanuel Church
1503 W. That Rd. 812-824-2768 Emmanuelbloom.com
Instagram & Facebook: @EmmanuelBloomington
Sunday: 9:15 a.m., Fellowship
Sunday: 10 a.m., Worship Groups: Various times
Emmanuel is a multigenerational church of all types of people. Whether you are questioning faith or have followed Jesus for years, we exist to help fuel a passion for following Jesus as we gather together, grow in community, and go make disciples.
John Winders - Lead Pastor
Second Baptist Church
321 N. Rogers St. 812-327-1467 sbcbloomington.org facebook.com/2ndbaptistbloomington youtube.com/@secondbaptist churchbloomington
Sunday Service: 10 a.m., In house and on Facebook/YouTube Sunday School: 8:45 - 9:45 a.m. Bible Study: Available In House and on Zoom Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., Thursdays, Noon
Please come and worship with us. We are in training for reigning with Christ! Need a ride? Call our Church bus at 812-3271467 before 8 a.m. on Sunday
Rev. Dr. Bruce R. Rose - Pastor Tallie Schroeder - Secretary
Unitarian Universalist
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington 2120 N. Fee Ln. 812-332-3695 uubloomington.org facebook.com/uubloomington
Sunday: 10:15 a.m., via in person or livestream We’re a multi dynamic congregation actively working towards a more just and loving world. We draw inspiration from world religions and diverse spiritual traditions. Our vision is “Seeking the Spirit, Building Community, Changing the World.” A LGBTQA+, Dementia Friendly, Welcoming Congregation to all ages and groups and a Certified Green Sanctuary.
Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Rose House LuMin & St. Thomas Lutheran Church
3800 E. Third St. 812-332-5252 Stlconline.org lcmiu.net
Instagram: @hoosierlumin facebook.com/LCMIU facebook.com/StThomasBloomington
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. @ St. Thomas Lutheran Church
3800 E.
LuMin and
Lutheran Church invite you to
with us. We are an inclusive Christian community who values the faith, gifts, and ministry of all God’s people. We seek justice, serve our neighbors, and love boldly. Rev. Adrianne Meier Rev. Lecia Beck Rev. Amanda Ghaffarian - Campus Pastor
Unity Worldwide
Unity of Bloomington A Center for Spiritual Growth
4001 S. Rogers St. text/call: 812-333-2484 unityofbloomington.org IG: @unityofbloomington facebook@UnityofBloomington
Sunday Celebration: 10:30 a.m.
Discover a vibrant, welcoming community at Unity of Bloomington – “a positive path for spiritual living”. Our center offers a space for spiritual growth; embracing all with open arms. We proudly affirm and welcome the LGBTQ+ community, fostering love, acceptance, and inclusion. Join our loving congregation, where everyone is valued and encouraged to explore their spiritual journey. At Unity of Bloomington, all are welcome and together we thrive!
Minnassa Gabon - Spiritual Leader Phyllis Wickliff - Music Director Reformed Protestant
Trinity Reformed Church
2401 S. Endwright Rd. 812-825-2684 trinityreformed.org lucas@trinityreformed.org facebook.com/trinitychurchbloom
Sunday: 10:30 a.m., Sunday Morning Services 7 p.m., Bible Study at the IMU
We are a Reformed Protestant church on the west side of Bloomington with lively worship on Sunday mornings and regular lunches for students after church. We love God and His Word. Please get in touch if you’d like a ride!
Jody Killingsworth - Senior Pastor Lucas Weeks - College Pastor
LAUREN MCKINNEY | IDS
An Indiana men’s tennis player hits the ball during a match against Dartmouth College on Feb. 1, 2025, at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington. The Hoosiers improved to 6-0 with their victory over Middle Tennessee State University.
Indiana drops pair of weekend matches at home
By Noah Gerkey ngerkey@iu.edu | @noah_gerk
Indiana women’s tennis
looked to bounce back af-
ter its first loss of the season
Feb. 1, hosting Marshall University Feb. 7 at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington.
In a back-and-forth match, the Thundering Herd stole a 4-3 win over the Hoosiers.
Marshall came into the match undefeated, sitting at 5-0 on the season. Indiana was 3-1 prior to the meeting. The two schools had only met twice coming into the Feb. 7 match, with the Hoosiers 2-0 in the all-time series.
Indiana had to play from behind as Marshall jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when it took the doubles point. Marshall’s pairing of senior Emma Vanderheyden and freshman Alina Mokrynskaya defeated redshirt senior Lara Schneider and junior Nicole Teodosescu 6-3 on the No. 1 doubles court.
On doubles court No. 2, Marshall seniors Sophia Hurrion and Aisling McGrane prevailed 6-4 over freshman Marina Fuduric and sophomore Li Hsin Lin. The win sealed the doubles point for the road squad.
Teodosescu picked up In-
diana’s first point on the No. 1 singles court with her win over junior Johanna Strom 6-3, 6-1. Marshall shortly responded on the No. 4 singles court when Hurrion, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Week, took her match in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 over Hoosier freshman Nicole Sifuentes.
Schneider evened up the match for Indiana on the No. 3 singles court with her win over Mokrynskaya 6-0, 6-3. Schneider improved her singles record this season to 4-0 as she continues to play dominant tennis.
The Thundering Herd regained the lead with Vanderheyden’s straight set 7-6, 6-4 victory over Fuduric on the No. 2 singles court. The win pushed Marshall’s lead to 3-2, only needing one more match to secure the victory. Yet again, Indiana responded. This time, on the No. 6 singles court, sophomore Elisabeth Dunac defeated freshman Nel Van Hout in an epic 6-2, 7-6 battle. Dunac trailed 6-5 late in the second set before taking the next game and the tiebreaker to even up the contest.
All eyes turned to the deciding match on the No. 5
singles court where Lin and McGrane were in an intense back-and-forth matchup. The lead fluctuated throughout the second set in a match that both teams needed. Eventually, it was McGrane who pulled away and won 7-6, 7-6 to give Marshall the victory.
Despite the loss, Indiana head coach Gabrielle Moore was proud of the improvement and signs of growth within her squad.
“I think the areas we’ve been struggling most with, we showed up most in today,” Moore said post-match Feb. 7. “I think this makes us better, to get through these learning lessons and now feel that pressure now because we’re going to feel it in a couple of weeks.”
With the loss, the Hoosiers’ record dropped to 3-2 on the season.
Looking ahead to fiercer competition on the horizon, Moore views consistency as the most important key to success.
“I think we just have to stay consistent, continue to do the things that we can control,” Moore said. “If we continue to bring this kind of energy and effort, I think it’s all going to click very soon.”
Feb. 9 vs. Xavier
Indiana had a chance to respond to the Feb. 7 loss when it hosted Xavier University on Sunday morning at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington. The Hoosiers and Musketeers were tight all throughout the match, tallying 4 three-set matches. The competitive match resulted in a 6-1 win for the Musketeers.
Each of the doubles matches were back-andforth and provided very close outcomes. The Xavier pairing of senior Elizabeth Pendergast and junior Emily Flowers came back late to beat Schneider and Teodosescu 6-4 on the No. 1 doubles court. Fuduric and Lin evened up the doubles scores at 1-1 after knocking off junior Abigail Siminski and freshman Clara Owen 6-4 on doubles court No. 2. On the No. 3 doubles court, Dunac and Sifuentes lost hold of a 5-3 lead and dropped their match 7-5 to a pair of Musketeers freshmen, Madeline Rexroat and Natalie Smitek. The come from behind win sealed the doubles point for Xavier.
The first singles match to conclude was on the No. 4 singles court. Siminski de-
feated Sifuentes in a wireto-wire win 6-4, 6-3. The win extended Xavier’s lead to 2-0. Schneider helped the Hoosiers respond with her 6-2, 6-1 victory over Flowers. Schnei der still has yet to lose and im proved her personal record to 5-0 in the young season. Rexroat then helped Xavier extend the lead by de feating Fuduric 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 on the No. 2 singles court. Her win left Xavier needing just one point to secure the victory. Moments later, Xavi er clinched the match. Pen dergast sealed the deal with her 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win over Teodosescu on the No. 1 sin gles court. The No. 6 singles court concluded shortly af ter, resulting in Smitek pre vailing over Dunac 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. The final match of the afternoon went the Muske teers’ way as well. Owen de feated Indiana sophomore Magdalena Swierczynska in a lengthy three-set match 4-6, 7-6, 6-4. With the loss, the Hoosiers’ record falls to .500, sitting at 3-3. Indiana returns at noon Feb. 15 at the IU Tennis Center when it hosts the University of Louisville.
Kopp named to Men’s FIBA AmeriCup Qualifying Team
By Savannah Slone
USA Basketball an-
nounced former Indiana men’s basketball forward Miller Kopp as a member of the February 2025 Men’s FIBA AmeriCup Qualifying Team on Feb. 10.
Kopp is slated to make his USA Basketball debut as a member of the qualifying team against Puerto Rico Basketball at 8:10 p.m. Feb. 20 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The team will then take on Baha-
mas Basketball at 7:10 p.m. Feb. 23 in Nassau, Bahamas. Kopp is currently a member of the NBA G-League’s Oklahoma City Blue. The Houston native has averaged 11.5 points per game for the Blue through 18 games this season.
Before transferring to Indiana, Kopp played at Northwestern for three seasons from 2018-21. He averaged 9.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for the Wildcats. In his two seasons with Indiana, Kopp averaged 6.3
points per game. The Hoosiers made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances as Kopp started all 70 games during his career in Bloomington. Kopp and the rest of the USA Basketball roster will attend a training camp Feb. 1418 in Miami before their competitions Feb. 20 and 23.
Former NBA head coach Stephen Silas will lead Team USA as its head coach alongside assistant coaches Patrick Ewing, who was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of
Fame in 2008, and USA Basketball veteran coach Ty Ellis. Team USA currently leads its group with a 3-1 record. With a win over Puerto Rico or Bahamas, it could win its group and qualify for the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup on Aug. 2331 in Managua, Nicaragua.
USA Basketball has claimed the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup seven times since the competition began in 1980, most recently in 2017. FIBA AmeriCup qualifying games can be streamed on Courtside 1891.
LAUREN MCKINNEY | IDS Sophomore Li Hsin Lin hits the ball in a match against Marshall University on Feb. 7, 2025, inside IU Tennis Center in Bloomington. The Hoosiers lost both matchups over the weekend.
FILE PHOTO | IDS
Then-graduate student forward Miller Kopp attempts a 3-pointer Dec. 10, 2022, at the Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. Kopp was selected to USA Basketball’s February 2025 Men’s FIBA AmeriCup Qualifying Team on Feb. 10.
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