The letter threatened to withhold funds from all schools receiving federal funding
By Deshna Venkatachalam devankat@iu.edu
IU did not respond to multiple requests for comment on how it will respond to the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights letter, sent to schools on Feb. 14, that demanded schools eliminate any race-based programming within two weeks.
It is the latest move in a series of actions aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives after just over a month into Donald Trump’s presidency, many of which have directly impacted IU. The ED order has other universities scrambling to comply.
“Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible,” the opening of the letter read, written by Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. “Accordingly, I write to clarify and reaffirm the nondiscrimination obligations of schools and other entities that receive federal financial assistance from the United States Department of Education.”
Similar to Indiana governor Mike Braun’s executive order, this letter backs a Supreme Court ruling in 2023 from Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows Harvard College. This case ruled that race-conscious admissions programs could not be based on stereotyped assumptions about minority applicants.
The ED letter alleges school DEI programs stigmatize students who belong to certain racial groups based on racial stereotypes and limit their full participation in school.
Additionally, it advises preschool, elementary, secondary, postsecondary educational institution and other state educational agencies to ensure their policies and actions comply with existing civil rights laws and cease all efforts on navigating around the use of race-based programming.
The four-page document concludes with a warning that institutions failing to comply with federal civil rights laws may face the loss of federal funding.
However, Steve Sanders, associate dean for academic affairs, explained that a letter sent addressed with “dear colleague” does not have any force of law.
“In this case the Department of Education sends it to people to signal what they think is necessary for something to be in compliance with the law,” Sanders said. “They’re not a binding law, but they could be backed up by some kind of regulation or executive order that could be binding.” Sanders said that the consistent use of political slogans and
Whitten reappointed
By Chloe Oden chloden@iu.edu | @chloeoden0
The IU Board of Trustees voted 8-1 Feb. 20 to extend President Pamela Whitten’s contract five more years. Additionally, they gave her a 20% raise.
Whitten’s contract was slated to expire in June 2026. Now, she’ll serve as the 19th president of IU for five more years.
The trustees voted to extend Whitten’s contract to 2031 and raise her base salary to $900,000, according to Indiana Public Media. IU Executive Director of Media Relations Mark Bode confirmed those numbers and
By Maddie Hensley henslemm@iu.edu
The Ukrainian national anthem rung through the Cox Arboretum in the early afternoon Feb. 24, marking three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Around 15 local Ukrainians and friends gathered around the Arthur Metz Bicentennial Grand Carillon — the bell tower — to hear traditional Ukrainian music and commemorate the anniversary.
By invitation from the National Bell Festival, carillonists across the globe echoed similar melodies as an expression of support for Ukraine and to highlight how Ukrainians continue to fight against the invasion.
Amy Hamburg, a carillon associate at the Jacobs School of Music, opened by performing the Ukrainian national anthem. Immediately after, she played a selection of folk songs and pieces by Ukrainian composers.
Since the war began Feb. 24, 2022, Hamburg said she has made an effort to incorporate Ukrainian pieces into her repertoire — it seemed
that the single vote against Whitten’s reappointment came from Vivian Winston. Since Whitten began her presidency at IU in 2021, her actions have earned both votes of no confidence from faculty and praise for funding science and technology research.
According to Indiana Public Media, during the September 2024 Board of Trustees meeting, where the board approved Whitten’s $175,000 bonus, Trustee Cathy Langham recommended raising Whitten’s pay, citing the “key benchmarks” Whitten met, referencing the IU Innovates program, funding for the IU
Foundation and improve ments on the IU 2030 plan.
In April 2024, 93.1% of over 900 faculty members voted no confidence in Whitten.
This vote came along side a slew of criticism about Whitten and the current IU administration’s handling of free speech and its response to pro-Palestinian encamp ments in Dunn Meadow on campus.
More recently, an inde pendent law firm investi gated Whitten for plagiarism due to copied language in her 1996 doctoral disserta tion. The university said it found last August the “asser tions” were meritless.
fitting for her to also perform on the war’s three-year anniversary.
“I wanted to do something,” Hamburg said. “I’m just a musician, but at least I can do this.”
As Hamburg began playing the national anthem, some members in the audience held Ukrainian flags, others held their friends tightly. Students walking by on a warmer day than usual stopped to listen.
Laikin Dantchenko, a Ukrainian music librarian on campus, and Anastasia
Batisko, a Ukrainian freshman at IU, sat close together throughout the performance.
“I was just thinking about the strength of these people that have given up their lives for freedom,” Dantchenko said through tears, “and the fact that we’re still in a world where we have to fight for freedom.”
Batisko said Hamburg’s program was particularly hard-hitting; such musical expressions of Ukrainian identity have been banned or suppressed at different
By Jack Forrest
| @byjackforrest
jhforres@iu.edu
Construction on the new Monroe County justice complex may not be completed until well into 2029.
Scott Carnegie, a project manager at DLZ, the architect firm working on the project, presented a timeline update to the Monroe County Council on Feb. 25.
Carnegie said they anticipate receiving contractors’ bids in May next year. Construction would start afterward in July and the building is projected to be “substantially complete” in March 2029.
Carnegie will formally present the project predesign phase at the council and Board of Commissioners’ joint session Feb. 27. There, he said the board
will move to approve the formal design phase. The next two phases will be up for approval on April 30 and Sept. 25.
The county council approved the $11.375 million purchase of the 52-acre North Park justice complex property between Ellettsville and Bloomington in November. The commissioners approved the purchase in October. The complex will include a new jail and court space. Carnegie said it will include a new sheriff’s office as well. That came after over two years of delays and more than a decade of concerns about the conditions of the current jail.
Hard construction costs are expected to be just under $81 million. In all, the new jail will cost taxpay-
ers between around $91.5 million and $106 million, according to a study by the RQAW Corporation. Other expenses include shared costs for a roadway and the expansion of the wastewater treatment plant to support the jail.
Not everyone has been supportive of the project. Some Ellettsville leaders worry the site could affect the town’s economic development. Anti-incarceration advocacy group Care not Cages members told the Indiana Daily Student in September they’d prefer the county invest in community and mental health resources. The council-commission joint meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Monroe County Courthouse.
points in time. The fourth piece Hamburg performed, “The Mighty Dnieper Roars and Bellows" by Danilo Kryzhanivsky, is one example.
The three verses in the song were taken from the famous Ukrainian poem “Prychyna” by Taras Shevchenko, who was a poet and political figure in the 19th century.
Advocating for Ukrainian identity, authorities of the Russian Empire eventually arrested and exiled Shevchenko for his politically charged poems.
“The fact that we can still have this music today, and that we're still using it as a message to bring awareness to the war and the strength of the Ukrainian people is really meaningful,” Batisko said.
Svitlana Melnyk, a local Ukrainian and senior lecturer in the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures, said the recital brought a piece of her homeland to the IU campus.
SEE UKRAINE, PAGE 4
By Chloe Oden chloden@iu.edu | @chloeoden0
Patrick E. Hopkins will begin serving as dean of the IU Kelley School of Business on March 17, according to a press release Tuesday.
Hopkins was appointed Vice Dean of Kelley in May 2023 and has worked as a member of the Kelley faculty since 1995.
Hopkins’ responsibilities will include overseeing Kelley’s academic and administrative operations in Bloomington and at the Indianapolis campus. According to the school’s website, in the fall 2024 semester, 12,712 students were enrolled at Kelley in Bloomington and 1,457 in Indianapolis. Additionally, Kelley boasts more than 133,000 alumni. He will follow current dean Ash Soni, whose twoyear tenure is ending. The release said Soni will return as a faculty member after he takes a sabbatical leave.
According to the release, as dean, Hopkins will aim to help deepen Kelley’s global impact, develop stronger integration between both campuses and advance relationships with alumni and corporate partners “to offer unparalleled learning experiences for students.”
“I look forward to collaborating with our exceptional faculty, staff and students to further strengthen
Kelley’s academic rigor, expand our research contributions and continue to enhance our impact both in the classroom and beyond,” Hopkins said in the release. In the release, IU President Pamela Whitten said she is “confident” Hopkins will use his new position to “raise Kelley to new heights.” In 2022, Hopkins received the Trustees Teaching Award from IU. This award honors faculty for “outstanding teaching” and their impact on student learning. Hopkins also received this award in 2004, 2006 and 2008. Before joining the IU staff, Hopkins obtained his doctorate degree in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and received his bachelor’s and master's degrees from the Warrington College of Business at the University of Florida.
Patrick E. Hopkins
MADDIE HENSLEY | IDS
Natasha Rubanova and Tatiana Gabriichuk hold a Ukrainian flag during a recital Feb. 24, 2025, at Cox Arboretum on IU Bloomington's campus. Monday marked the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
PHOTO | IDS
Charlotte Zietlow Justice Center is pictured at 301 N. College Ave. in Bloomington. Scott Carnegie, a project manager at DLZ, presented a timeline update for the new Monroe County justice complex to the Monroe County Council on Feb. 25.
ICAN at IU: Changing lives at both ends of the leash
By Gentry Keener eremijan@iu.edu
Petra, the black lab, is naked. She doesn’t like to be naked.
Her “ICAN service dog in training” vest is dangling in front of her eyes, and she wants it on. It’s a badge of honor after all.
Indiana Canine Assistance Network began in 2001 to service Indiana residents who live with a disability, according to its website. ICAN at IU is a student-led organization, founded in 2017, that gives students the opportunity to fundraise, educate and volunteer with the organization.
ICAN has monthly meetings for the furlough volunteer program — which allows more experienced, certified volunteers to train and take care of the dogs.
These dogs are training to be service dogs for either mobility, facility, in-home or veteran assistance.
According to ICAN, mobility assistance dogs are trained to perform helpful tasks for children and adults who use wheelchairs or have light mobility challenges.
Facility dogs are trained to work with professionals who incorporate the dog into the care of their clients, patients or students. For example, the dogs may work in a school or physical therapy office.
An in-home skilled companion dog is trained to assist inside the home with whatever a client may need. Whether it is pushing a medical alert button to contact emergency personnel or picking up and retriev-
ing named objects, the dogs ensure their clients aren’t home alone and have help.
A military veteran assistance dog is trained to provide relief for Indiana veterans who may experience post-traumatic stress disorder and other service-related trauma that transforms their quality of life for years.
Sami Lawrence, the cofurlough coordinator for ICAN at IU, said ICAN’s mission is to change lives at both ends of the leash.
At an ICAN at IU meeting Feb. 22, the puppies in training practice their new skills they are learning. Currently, they are practicing dressing.
Petra tries to move before her cue. She’s just so excited. The vest is pulled away before she can slip it on. Her handler tries again. The vest is lowered to Petra’s eyesight. Her nose inches forward but she stays put.
“Dress,” her handler says. She shimmies her way in, and it plops onto her back.
Finally, she is in uniform.
Now it’s Carrie’s turn, a one-year-old golden lab.
Her handler asks if any of the public access volunteers — volunteers who watch a dog for a couple of hours while the primary furlougher attends labs or exams — want to practice before their upcoming exams.
One of the PAV’s in the back of the room bravely volunteers. He is going to try to dress Carrie.
The transfer goes perfectly, and Carrie puts her attention on her new handler. She sits. She stands. She follows every command with ease.
“She’s a happy worker,”
Alex Kotarski, a senior at IU and returning member of the club, said. With ease, Carrie undresses and dresses again upon command. She is given a treat to reward the movement.
The dogs that come to ICAN at IU are part of the prison program, where an incarcerated person helps train the service dogs in training.
Kotarski said the dogs spend the first two years of their life training. The cycle usually consists of six weeks in the prison with their handler and three weeks in furlough with ICAN at IU or other furlough volunteers in other parts of Indiana. Then
they return to prison with their original handler.
In prison, she said, the dogs are working on cues and learning all of the important training they need.
“The recidivism rate is very low after (the handlers in prison) are released,” Kotarski said. “Some of them even become volunteers and staff after they are released.”
General members are always welcome to join ICAN at IU and help spread awareness and raise money for ICAN, Lawrence said. General members, although not furloughs, are crucial to the organization and help run educational events put on by ICAN. They can join
the executive board and help teach service dog etiquette to others.
General members also still get to be around the dogs at events and pet them, often to help train them to ignore outside influence, Kotarski said.
Petra and Carrie are only two of the puppies currently training through the prison and ICAN. There are around 40-60 incarcerated trainers working to help train dogs at three-Indiana based correctional facilities. These puppies are usually golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers or a mix of the two. However, the veteran division recently expanded to allow other breeds, spe-
cifically if a veteran wants ICAN to train their personal dog, Kotarski said. A Yorkie graduated last year along with multiple mutts. ICAN at IU gets to see these dogs graduate and go off to help people every year, Kotarski said. Lawrence got involved in ICAN after her mom got a service dog from ICAN when she was younger. “I got to see the other side where I saw my mom’s life change so dramatically because of a dog,” Lawrence said. “Being able to contribute to that with their training and knowing that they have the chance to go help someone with their training is really special.”
Bloomington annexation effort hits new legal hurdle
By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | @byjackforrest
The City of Bloomington’s yearslong effort to expand its boundaries has, yet again, met a legal obstacle.
An Indiana appeals court ruled Tuesday that Bloomington does not have grounds to challenge a 2019 state law it claims thwarts its annexation attempt, and even if the city could, the law does not impair its contracts with landowners under state or federal law.
A special judge previously ruled against the city’s annexation attempts twice last year. Bloomington last expanded its limits in 2004.
The city began its most recent annexation efforts in 2017, a move former Mayor John Hamilton said would “right-size the city.” Mayor Kerry Thomson continued Hamilton’s efforts and has said it will aid economic development. In an email, City Communications Director Desiree DeMolina said the city and its legal team are evaluating its next steps but have made no determination yet.
But annexation has faced staunch pushback from residents concerned about taxes, local laws and further developments, among other reasons. Margaret Clements, president of County Residents
Against Annexation, wrote in an email the group is thankful for the court’s decision.
“We should never forget that a super majority of property owners have demonstrated that they are opposed to their involuntary annexation,” she wrote.
“We encourage the City to accept this decision.” Clements also said the CRAA encourages the city to drop its “ill-advised” challenge against a ruling on areas 1A and 1B, two territories the special judge separately held that the city couldn’t annex.
“It is time to allow the rifts to begin to heal,” she wrote.
Legal history of annexation efforts
The city’s legal woes are based on remonstration waivers — agreements signed by landowners saying they won’t challenge future annexation attempts by the city. Historically, Bloomington has provided sewer or water service to landowners outside city limits in exchange for these waivers.
In 2017, the city began its current annexation effort, but the state legislature passed a law that year prohibiting Bloomington’s attempt. The city challenged, and the Indiana Supreme Court overturned the law in 2020, arguing the state’s
concerns weren’t unique to Bloomington and thus didn’t justify a special law.
But before that ruling, the state passed another law in 2019 — the one the appeals court ruled Bloomington couldn’t challenge Tuesday — which invalidated over 80% of the existing remonstration waivers, according to the city.
In September 2021, the Bloomington City Council adopted annexation ordinances for seven territories, increasing city limits by around 10,000 acres and 15,000 people. The city mailed a notice of the ordinances to landowners in these areas, triggering the remonstration process.
If 65% or more of landowners in one of these territories signed a remonstration petition, the annexation would be void. If 51% or more of a territory signed, it would be subject to judicial review.
In five of the seven territories, enough landowners filed petitions for the annexation to be void. In the other two, it was left up to judicial review. The city agreed to let a judge rule on the two territories, 1A and 1B, while it challenged the 2019 law regarding the other areas.
Last August, Special Monroe Circuit Court Judge Nathan Nikirk ruled the 1A and 1B annexations could not proceed because
it was not in the “best interests of owners of land.” The city appealed that decision. The city has argued that prior to the 2019 law, five territories would’ve been valid to annex, and only two would be subject to review. As a result, Bloomington argued the 2019 law violates the contract clauses of the U.S. and Indiana Constitutions. These clauses both declare states cannot pass laws impairing
the obligations of contracts.
In June last year, Nikirk ruled against the city for the remaining five territories, saying political subdivisions of Indiana, like Bloomington, can’t bring federal constitutional challenges against the state. He also ruled the contract clauses are designed to protect private contracts, not those with local governments.
Bloomington appealed,
which led to the appeals court upholding Nikirk’s ruling Tuesday. Judge Elizabeth Tavitas issued the opinion, and Judges Melissa May and Mary DeBoer concurred, after hearing arguments in December. The appeals court further ruled that the 2019 law does not impair the city’s contracts with landowners outside its limits, as the contracts are for municipal service, not annexation.
CHLOE LAVELLE | IDS
Carrie, a service dog in training, shakes Ellie Backer’s hand after the “shake”
in Ballantine Hall in Bloomington. During the second half of the meeting, members of ICAN worked with the service dogs in training on
By Tory Basile vlbasile@iu.edu | @torybasilee
The annual LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference, hosted by the IU School of Medicine, was canceled Jan. 29 because of “challenging” timing given state legislation, executive associate dean Mary Dankoski said during a University Faculty Council meeting Feb. 18. “In considering the conference, we thought the timing could be challenging given that there is legislation currently under consideration at the State House that could have a direct impact on this specific work,” Dankoski said. “So, the decision was made collectively by the School of Medicine leadership.”
A wave of anti-diversity,
‘We wanted to let the dust settle’
equity and inclusion legislation is making its way out of the White House and Indiana Governor Mike Braun’s office. On a state level, the Indiana House of Representatives is considering Senate Bill 289, which would restrict DEI initiatives in state agencies, state educational institutions and health professional licensing boards — and has the potential to impact life at IU if passed.
During a Q&A portion of the meeting, IU President Pamela Whitten read a question submitted by an IU professor regarding why the conference was canceled, which the university has not yet provided a specific reason for. The professor wrote that if the conference was canceled because of legislation surrounding
LGBTQ+ individuals, she would be concerned about the School of Medicine’s ability to properly train its students.
Dankoski responded by saying the School of Medicine is committed to improving health equity for all people in Indiana.
“We’ve not walked back our commitment to advancing health care for all, we’ve not changed our curriculum regarding LGBTQ+ individuals, so all of that curriculum remains,” she said. “At the same time, we can’t ignore the context within which we fulfill our mission and our vision.”
While Senate Bill 289 has not yet taken effect, state universities are already feeling pressure to limit DEI initiatives. Earlier this month, Ball State
University canceled its “LGBTQ+ 101” staff training session, directly citing concerns about “Indiana’s current legislative session.”
IU announced the conference’s cancelation to its planning committee members and keynote speakers via email only two days after the committee invited speakers to attend, a source close to the conference told the Indiana Daily Student. Chris Geidner, who was invited to be a keynote speaker, criticized the university’s response.
Dankoski said the School of Medicine acknowledged that “communication could have been better.”
“We wanted to let the dust settle from this legislative session and then revisit the content and the deliv-
ery of that content so that we could assess the best way to move forward in the future and do this work,” she said. “We do realize that the communication about the cancelation could have and should have been better, and so we own that, and we know that it triggered a lot of questions. It certainly triggered questions about academic freedom.”
Later in the meeting, Vice President of University Relations Michael Huber said he couldn’t draw a “direct relationship” between the cancelation of IU’s LGBTQ+ conference and Senate Bill 289 because the language of the bill and its applications are still so broad. As the bill makes its way to the State House, Huber said IU would have to press legislators about parts that are
“vaguely worded.” Angela Smith Jones, associate vice president for state relations, also said IU will continue to work with members of the Senate and the House to ensure the university’s interests are reflected in the bill. For now, it’s unclear how pending legislation, both federally and statewide, will impact the university.
“I can’t emphasize this enough, we’re less than one month into the president’s administration, and so we’re just watching like a hawk these developments as we better understand how the federal agencies are going to implement some of these policies,” Huber said. “I wish I had more answers than that, but that’s where we are now.”
IU professor Brondízio shapes environmental policy
By Eva Remijan-Toba gkeener@iu.edu
IU anthropology professor Eduardo Brondízio, 61, has dedicated more than half his life studying human-environmental interactions and socialenvironmental change in the Amazon. His work has shaped global environmental policy and shed light on the vital conservation efforts of Indigenous and local groups.
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brondízio’s fascination with the Amazon began in 1989 while researching rural and fishing communities along Brazil’s southern coast. He saw firsthand the rapid development and transformation of these communities and wanted to learn more.
According to the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, the resident population in Brazil’s Legal Amazon in 1970 was approximately 8.2 million people. By 2010, this number had increased to over 24 million.
“We documented the main drivers of change affecting biodiversity globally.”
Eduardo Brondízio, Indiana University Anthropology professor and researcher
Brondízio said the Amazon has been one of the fastest-growing regions in the world since the 1970s, driven by the development of the food production market, changes in Indigenous rights and environmental transformation. His research has taken him across the globe, from
the bustling metropolis of São Paulo — the largest city in the Western Hemisphere — to the remote communities of the Amazon to his academic home in Bloomington. Brondízio’s international work includes visiting professorships and research positions at the L’Institut des Ameriques, Paris, France and at the Research Institute for Humanities and Nature in Kyoto, Japan.
“The prize itself, I think, is a recognition of the importance of collaborative research.”
Eduardo Brondízio, Indiana University Anthropology professor and researcher
A pivotal moment in Brondízio’s career came in 2019 when he co-chaired the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global Assessment, alongside Argentine ecologist Sandra Díaz and German scientist Josef Settele. Leading a team of over 450 authors, they created a comprehensive analysis of biodiversity loss and environmental change.
The study found that between 500,000 and one million species are at risk of extinction within this century.
“It had a huge impact,” he said. “We documented the main drivers of change affecting biodiversity globally.”
The report acted as the foundation for the 2030 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, an international agree-
ment aimed at reversing biodiversity decline. Brondízio said seeing the scope of extinction risk was a sobering moment, pushing him to further explore the role of local communities in sustainability efforts.
“Behind all the problems we tend to see every day — deforestation, fires — there are lots of people on the ground fighting against it, trying to change the reality and future of the region,” he said.
Now, his career-long dedication to understanding and addressing environmental challenges has been recognized with the 2025 Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, which includes a $250,000 cash prize. Often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for the Environment,” the Tyler Prize honors individuals or organizations who have made significant contributions to environmental conservation and understanding of biodiversity loss.
Brondízio and his corecipient, Díaz, are the first individuals from South America to receive the accolade.
“The prize itself, I think, is a recognition of the importance of collaborative research,” he said. “My work is totally collaborative and this prize highlights that collective efforts have a bigger impact than individual work.”
Brondízio has published more than 200 research articles, many of which explore local environmental preservation initiatives. For example, in “Locally Based, Regionally Manifested, and Globally Relevant,” he emphasizes
Indigenous communities’ unique environmental knowledge and sustainable practices, arguing that supporting these efforts is crucial for global sustainability. His study, “Community-based fisheries management exert a vast value-added effective protection footprint in Amazonian forests,” demonstrates how communitymanaged fisheries protect both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Beyond research, Brondízio has worked with
the United Nations and served as co-editor-inchief of “Global Environmental Change.”
As an IU professor, he has also mentored students in environmental anthropology. Many of his doctoral students now lead projects on sustainability, biodiversity conservation and climate resilience worldwide.
Despite the daunting environmental challenges facing the Amazon, Brondízio remains optimistic. His research
continues to document local initiatives, such as the expansion of agroforestry and community-led governance of land and biodiversity, that offer innovative solutions. These studies also shed light on the importance of social equity in environmental protection efforts.
“We need to remember that we have confronted environmental problems in the past and succeeded,” he said. “That gives us the power to face today’s challenges.”
Mahjong Mondays: a connection to heritage and community
By Eva Remijan-Toba
eremijan@iu.edu
Every Monday night, a small group of IU students gather at the Asian Culture Center to participate in the classic Chinese tile game of mahjong. Players of all backgrounds come together to celebrate their culture, remind them of home or simply try something new.
“We get a good mix of people who have played and people who are complete newbies,” sophomore Jason Tang said.
“It’s nice to have an event where we’re branching out Asian culture to people who wouldn’t traditionally encounter it.” Tang runs the game nights for the center and encourages anyone interested in learning to join. He learned to play last semester when he attended one of the weekly events.
For Tang, mahjong is more than just a game — it’s a way to embrace his heritage.
As a first-generation Chinese American, he said he often struggles with understanding his cultural identity. Playing mahjong allows him to strengthen ties to his roots.
“Children of immi-
grants in the U.S. is like living in that weird grey area of not being able to fully connect to American culture but also their own,” he said. “Something as simple as learning mahjong is like another step closer, reconnecting to that side.”
Although mahjong originated in China, there are several variations of the game that exist worldwide. At the ACC, players use Japanese rules, also known as Riichi mahjong.
On Monday, four students, including Tang, sat around the culture center’s new mahjong table greeting one another. As they socialized, the players assembled their tiles and started the game.
To win in Riichi mahjong, players must create a hand with four sets — each consisting of either three identical tiles or a sequence — and one pair. Master’s student Sang Teng Chhim won the first game.
Chhim, an international student from Cambodia, is in his first semester at IU studying public affairs. He grew up in a Cambodian Chinese household but didn’t learn to play mahjong until he was an undergraduate student at
Monash University in Australia. After he graduated, he temporarily forgot how to play but quickly regained his skills at the ACC.
“Just because someone doesn’t have Asian roots or isn’t familiar with aspects of Asian culture, they shouldn’t shy away from expanding their horizons and trying new things.”
Reanne Grooms, Indiana University student and member of Asian Culture Center
“I find it fascinating how the game came to be and how it’s played,” he said.
“Engaging with the game I guess also feels integral to my identity.”
He has attended every Mahjong Monday this semester and plans to continue for the rest of the school year.
Freshman Zoe Huels, a Mahjong beginner, won the second round.
“It’s simple,” she said.
“I’ve played a lot of card games recently, so it felt different, but the way Jason
EVA REMIJAN-TOBA | IDS A group of students plays a round of mahjong Feb. 24, 2025, at the Asian Culture Center on IU Bloomington’s campus. Sophomore Jason Tang learned to play last semester and now runs the games.
(Tang) explained it with the suits made is pretty relatable.”
She said the bamboo, numbers and directions on the tiles are similar to the hearts, spades and diamonds on a deck of cards. Huels’ friend, Reanne Grooms, another freshman and beginner, won the third round.
Though neither Huels nor Grooms are of Asian descent, both said they are
eager to attend more events at the ACC.
This was the pair’s second time at Mahjong Mondays, and like Chhim, they’ve made it a tradition to come for the rest of the year. For newcomers, Tang said to expect a welcoming environment and a chance to find a judgment-free community.
“There’s no pressure, whether you’ve played be-
fore or not. Every single person has started from ground zero,” he said. “Just because someone doesn’t have Asian roots or isn’t familiar with aspects of Asian culture, they shouldn’t shy away from expanding their horizons and trying new things.”
Mahjong Mondays will continue from 5:30-7 p.m. throughout the semester at the ACC, located at 807 E. 10th St.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TORE MARKUND
Eduardo Brondízio is seen. The IU anthropology professor received the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement this year.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“This is an administration that thrives on confusion, and I think part of the goal is to use creation to instill fear,” Sanders said.
Administration at other universities, such as University of Michigan, have released public statements acknowledging the letter and understanding its contents while prioritizing the needs of the students, faculty and staff.
IU has not yet issued any official statement regarding whether the institution is among the many schools across the nation that received the letter. The university has remained vague in its responses on how the administration plans to move forward with recent DEI orders. That includes Senate Bill 289, a bill that could prohibit state agencies from promoting policies, procedures, training and other programming designed with reference to race, sex, color or ethnicity.
FROM PAGE 1
The event comes at a time when the future of Ukraine is especially uncertain. On Feb. 12, President Trump spoke with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin over the phone without coordinating with Ukraine, reversing the Biden administration’s policy of discussing “nothing anything Ukraine without Ukraine.” Following the phone call, Trump said that “it’s unlikely” Ukraine will return to its pre-2014 borders. He also said that NATO membership for Ukraine is unlikely. On Monday, the United States opposed a UN resolution that would call for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.
Although estimates are questionable, 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers and 150,000 Russian soldiers have been killed thus far in the war, according to the most publicly available data. The fighting has led to over
Mon. - Fri.: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
815 W. Second St. 812-336-6008 vascularcenterandveinclinic.com
Ricardo Vasquez MD
Baron D Hall, DDS, MSD
Jake Willhite, DDS, MSD Orthodentists
Erica Hall, Hannah Elliott, Kaitlyn Jacobs, Marilyn Lee, Adrian Price
With modern techniques and a fun style, B-town Orthodontics is the most up-and-coming orthodontics office in the Bloomington area! We offer the latest technologies including invisalign, gold brackets, laser treatments, and even mini implants that can help restore missing teeth and even eliminate the need for surgery. B-town Orthodontics offers FREE consultations and don’t forget to download The Braces App, the hottest free app designed by B-town Orthodontics’ Dr. Baron Hall.
1320 W. Bloomfield Rd., Suite B 812-287-8851 btownorthodontics.com
40,000 civilian casualties.
"We are kind of losing hope, especially at this time.” Batisko said. “A little bit of support is all we need to know that Americans stand with Ukraine and that hopefully it will get better.”
Though some Ukrainians feel their hope dwindling, others are finding strength from the three-year mark.
“You know, they said that they would take Kyiv in three days,” Dantchenko said. “It’s been three years.”
Back in Ukraine, over 400,000 Russians are facing around 250,000 Ukrainian soldiers on the front line, and the disparity in numbers only continues to grow. Still, Russia has made incremental gains, occupying around 20 percent of Ukraine after gaining 4000km of territory in 2024.
"I just hope that Americans can kind of see that it's not weapons and it's not money that wins a war,” Dantchenko said. “It's the heart of people and it's their spirit.”
Bloomington Police: person with rifle outside City Hall didn’t violate any laws
The person distributed flyers calling the Bloomington City Council “the people’s enemies”
By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | @byjackforrest
A person carrying a rifle and distributing flyers calling the city council the “people’s enemies” Feb. 25 violated no laws, according to the Bloomington Police Department.
BPD Captain Ryan Pedigo said in an email BPD received several calls around 5:20 p.m. Feb. 25 about the individual walking with what was believed to be a rifle near Seventh and Walnut Streets. The person eventually walked to City Hall, located on North Morton Street.
Officers stayed in the area monitoring the person, Pedigo wrote, but did not witness any crime. In
Ryan D. Tschetter, DDS
Lauren R. Hoye, DDS
Jackson Creek Dental is conveniently located on South College Mall Road. Most insurances accepted, including the Indiana University Cigna Insurance plans as well as the IU Fellowship Anthem.
Dr. Tschetter and Dr. Hoye offer state of the art dental technology such as Zoom whitening, same day crown appointments, and Invisalign. We also provide restorative, cosmetic and emergency care. We pride ourselves in giving the best care to our patients while offering a pleasant yet professional atmosphere.
A Way of Wellness Chiropractic specializes in comprehensive spinal care. We offer treatment for many different spinal conditions and problems, while also addressing the body as a whole. We provide effective chiropractic care helping patients reduce stress, improve mobility and spinal health. The quality treatment we provide is always fit to your individual needs and goals. Let us help you achieve and maintain good spinal health. We look forward to meeting you!
Mon. - Thu.: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. 1121 W. Second St. 812-336-2225 bloomingtonchiropractor.com
Eating Disorder
Indiana, it is legal to openly carry a handgun, shotgun or rifle without a permit in public.
According to former BSquare Bulletin journalist Dave Askins, who was on the scene and sent photos to the Indiana Daily Student, the person handed out political flyers calling the Bloomington City Council the “people’s enemies” with a red X through a photo of its members.
A QR code on the flyer goes to a website for the “Rainbow Panther Party,” described on the site as “a Communist Party pursuing a socialist revolution” in the United States.
“All lost fingers, limbs, and lives in winter is on city council’s hands!” the flyer
Physicians
Ricardo Vasquez MD
Mon. - Fri.: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 815 W. Second St. 812-336-6008 vascularcenterandveinclinic.com
Optometry
Dr. Andrew Jones, Dr. Marzia Zamani, Cheyenne Brown, Megan Sipes, Milli Nally, Kenzy Hawkins, Christina Thompson
Dr. Tavel Family Eyecare is your partner in your personal eyecare journey. Since 1940, the company has believed that every Hoosier deserves quality eyecare and vision solutions at an affordable price. Dr. Tavel offers comprehensive eye exams, special testing, management of eye diseases, glasses, contact lenses and much more, all backed by an insurance acceptance guarantee. The company is committed to advancing eye health by investing in the latest technology and providing treatments that are right for every patient’s unique needs.
2552 E. Third St. 812-233-2343 drtavel.com/locations/bloomington
read. In response to whether BPD plans to increase patrols near City Hall or has been in contact with City Council members, Pedigo wrote BPD does not provide information on operations or operational readiness. The City Council was not in session on Feb. 25, but the Board of Public Works was meeting at 5:30 p.m. inside City Hall. The Monroe County Council meeting at the Monroe County Courthouse took a recess in response to the incident. Council President Jennifer Crossley at the end of the meeting thanked a Monroe County sheriff’s deputy for paying attention to the situation.
Our eye care clinics serve patients in Bloomington-Atwater Eye Care Center and Indianapolis Eye Care Center, with faculty doctors and student interns who work together to provide the most comprehensive eye care available. Our many services include primary care, pediatrics, low vision, dry eye, disease, laser and surgical care, contact lenses including specialty lenses, myopia management, aniseikonia, and eye wear center. Open to the
744 E. Third St. 812-855-8436
Mezger, FNP-C Alyssa Van Duzer, PA-C Our board certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide primary care, acute care, physicals, vaccines, weight management and more to patients 12 months and older. Appointments and walk ins welcome. We accept most commercial insurance, Medicare and several Medicaid plans. We offer transparent pricing for the uninsured. Mon. - Fri.: 8:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
practice. Dr. Josh Chapman attended IU Bloomington for undergraduate and received his Doctor in Dental Surgery (DDS) and Masters (MSD) in Orthodontics at IU school of Dentistry in Indy. Go Hoosiers!
Mon. - Thu.: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
3925 E. Hagan St., Suite 201 812-822-2489 bloomingtonbraces.com
Dr. Starr is an Indiana University Football Alum who provides pain-free experiences for all Hoosiers with IV sedation. He performs specialized oral surgery services including Wisdom Teeth Extractions, Dental Implants, Bone Grafting, and Plasma Therapy. Equipped with modern 3-D technology, he has the most up-todate surgical skills and techniques to accomplish beautiful results with his patients. He looks forward to accomplishing beautiful results with his patients, enhancing confidence and satisfaction for all he serves. Go Hoosiers! We look forward to taking care of you!
3925 Hagan St., Suite 203 812-334-0001 JanTaylorSchultz.com
Dr. Zachary Short, O.D.
Dr. Madison Witthoft, O.D.
Welcome to Insights Optical, where quality eye care is our number one priority. Our dedicated team is ready to learn all about you and your vision needs while using innovative technology and a comprehensive care approach to take care of your eye health.
1175 S. College Mall Rd. 812-323-4301 kroger.com/health/clinic General Health
Dr. Philip Clark Brittain Jenna Kelly, RN
Vibrant Life specializes in hormone replacement therapy and medical aesthetics. Vibrant Life is pleased to offer personalized care, employing the latest medical technology. Services include: hormone therapy, neuromodulators (botox, dysport), dermafillers, microneedling, laser hair removal, age spot reduction, blue light acne treatment,
Health Spotlight
Funding freeze strands local anti-poverty orgs
By Ella Curlin elcurlin@iu.edu
Weeks after the Trump administration rescinded a memo that temporarily froze funding to nonprofits across the nation, Bloomington-based anti-poverty organization Beacon is still in a state of uncertainty.
“It’s a super unpredictable time,” Executive Director Forrest Gilmore said. “There’s not a huge window for dealing with these kinds of consequences or challenges. So, things can happen fast.”
The funding freeze, announced Jan. 27, ordered a total halt on federal grants, loans and other financial forms of assistance. The stated intention was to grant officials time to review programs for compliance with Trump’s policies and to prevent “the use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies.”
The memo caused widespread disruption to nonprofits and federally funded programs, and officials rescinded the directive two days later amid multiple legal challenges.
During those two days, Beacon lost access to the federal funding that sustains its Rapid Re-housing program, which provides short-term financial assistance and case management to house individuals experiencing homelessness. It also couldn’t access those funds for its Housing First initiative, which provides similar support to individuals experiencing prolonged homelessness due to a disability.
In 2023, Beacon received a total of $2,085,460 in government grants.
“No one knew whether we’d ever be funded again,” Gilmore said. “It happened without notice, and there was no timeline for returning.” Beacon provides rent for hundreds of clients
each month, which federal reimbursement through its funding portal almost entirely funds. The freeze caused that funding portal to suddenly shut down.
“The fear of arbitrarily being cut off from funding is something that we have to worry about daily now.”
Eddy Riou, SCCAP Executive Director
“We heard about it on the news,” Gilmore said. “And then the next day when we were in work, we checked the funding portal, and the funding portal had been closed, actually many hours ahead of the deadline to close.”
The pause was intended to set in at 5 p.m. Jan. 28. Gilmore said it was unclear if expenditures, including
money spent on supportive services and rental assistance would be repaid.
That uncertainty disrupted Beacon’s plans to provide housing for an individual with multiple amputations who had been left homeless after leaving a nursing home.
“We suddenly had to pause that housing opportunity, because we didn’t know if we could house him without potentially, you know, failing to pay the rent,” Gilmore said.
Beacon’s funding returned several days later, Gilmore said, allowing the program to continue housing that person.
Other nonprofits across the country have remained unable to access federal funding. Some organizations have had to rapidly adapt, often by pausing programs or cutting staff.
Multiple nonprofits in Monroe County are concerned about future dis-
ruptions, according to Marcus Whited, program director for the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County.
The South Central Community Action Program, an anti-poverty nonprofit that operates in south central Indiana, runs its Head Start program with funding from the Administration for Children and Families within the Department of Health and Human Services .
Shortly after the freeze, officials instructed the SCCAP and other grant recipients to strip ACF and HHS logos from their websites and add a disclaimer to “clarify the nature of the content and its alignment.”
Those instructions came as nonprofits faced increased scrutiny for initiatives that don’t align with the Trump administration’s stances on diversity.
“These are people that will probably be homeless for the rest of their short lives if they are kicked off this program.”
Danielle Sorden, Director of Beacon’s Housing First Programs
SCCAP Executive Director Eddy Riou said organizers have lost trust in the stability of federal assistance.
“The fear of arbitrarily being cut off from funding is something that we have to worry about daily now,” Riou said.
Gilmore said he’s concerned Beacon could see continued funding disruptions. A permanent funding freeze could shut down the Rapid Rehousing and Housing First programs.
“Losing those federal grants would basically eliminate almost all of our
housing work,” Gilmore said. The consequences of disrupted funding would fall on Beacon’s clients.
“Just a couple of months can prevent us from, say, being able to pay somebody’s rent,” Gilmore said. “A lot of damage can be done, even with a delay, because you can’t really undo an eviction.”
Danielle Sorden, director of Beacon’s Housing First Programs, said she’s never experienced anything like these disruptions in the 12 years she’s worked in her position.
“If they stop our funding, all those people are out of a home, and we’re all out of jobs,” she said. “There’s nothing else we can do.”
Beacon’s Housing First programs provide housing for individuals whose physical or mental health prevents them from maintaining housing without continued financial support and case management. That includes clients with disabilities, chronic health problems or highrisk conditions.
Sorden said Beacon has housed people who had nowhere to go after they were released from the hospital for open heart surgery. She has other clients who use wheelchairs or require ongoing medical treatments like dialysis.
“These are people that will probably be homeless for the rest of their short lives if they are kicked off this program.”
For more vulnerable individuals, Sorden said uncertainty around Beacon’s future is a matter of life or death.
“A lot of times, the only reason people have stayed alive is because of the housing that we’ve given them and the case management that we’ve given them,” Sorden said. “So this is like a death sentence for our clients.”
Hoosiers concerned about education, health care bills
By Jack Forrest and Natalia Nelson news@idsnews.com
As public school parent and advocate Keri Miksza watched her daughter, a junior at Bloomington High School South, and the rest of the girls swim and dive team compete in sectionals, she couldn’t help but think: “We could lose this.”
But it was not a relay she worried about losing. It was everything around her — the pool, the extracurriculars, the traditions — that shape the public-school experience. She feared such extraordinary cuts because of proposed legislation that would decrease funding for public schools.
“I mean you could apply that to any sport,” Miksza told the Indiana Daily Student. “Football. Marching band. Parents should be outraged.”
Miksza was part of a panel of local advocates and lawmakers who spoke out against proposed Indiana legislation on health care, public education and voting at the “People Powered Democracy Town Hall” on Feb. 22 at Unitarian Universalist Church. Event moderator Doug Davis said he believed close to 300 people attended the town hall.
The event was sponsored by advocacy groups like Indiana Coalition for Public Education, Reverse Citizens United, Medicare for All Indiana and Indivisible South Central Indiana. Organizers said they invited state senators and representatives with local constituents and U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, whose district includes Monroe, Brown and other counties in southeastern Indiana.
Democrats Sen. Shelli Yoder and Rep. Matt Pierce of Monroe County were the only two to attend.
Davis said Republican Reps. Bob Heaton and Dave Hall, who both represent parts of Monroe County, did not respond. The others, also all Republicans, said they were unavailable.
Health care
Rob Stone, associate director of IU Health Bloomington Hospice, and Tracey Hutchings-Goetz, communications and policy director for advocacy group Hoosier Action, spoke about health care. Hutchings-Goetz said her group has been organizing against Senate Bill 2, which creates new reporting requirements and standards for Medicaid and prohibits state agencies and other groups from advertising the Medicaid program.
She said after public pressure, legislators removed language that would’ve capped the Healthy Indiana Plan at three years of coverage, but SB 2 “is still bad news for Hoosiers.”
Hutchings-Goetz said the requirements that still remain would subject Medicaid users to more frequent eligibility checks, drive up costs and cover fewer people.
“I have had medical billing fights, and what this would do is, like, ramp that up to 11 for people who are already struggling to make ends meet, and people who are most likely, you know, experiencing some pretty serious health issues because we know that those diagnoses, things like cancer, coincide with poverty,” she said.
“This can break up communities because there’s only so many dollars.”
Keri Miksza, Chair of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education
The bill also caps HIP enrollment at 500,000, which means tens of thousands of people would be removed. Hutchings-Goetz said the legislation doesn’t outline how they would be selected.
Yoder spoke about a bipartisan bill she coauthored, Senate Bill 317, which pertained to health care costs and debt. It
would’ve required hospitals to offer patients the chance to pay expenses through a payment plan and include financial assistance information on billing statements, among other things.
The bill was narrowly defeated in the Senate, 2326. Yoder said SB 317 did not pass because Republicans told Senate Democrats they took too long at the microphone during debates with other bills.
“The defeat of 317 was to teach us a lesson, but ultimately harm Hoosiers,” she said. “And that is really anti-democratic.”
Education
Keri Miksza, the chair of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education, outlined bills moving through the General Assembly that would affect schools.
She said she was concerned about Senate Bill 518, which would require public schools to share property tax revenue with charter schools. The bill passed its third reading in the Senate and was referred to the House.
“This can break up communities because there’s
only so many dollars,” Miksza said.
The lack of government oversight of how tax dollars were being used once they reached private schools, and a lack of knowledge about their curriculums, concerned her.
Miksza also discussed Senate Bill 1, a controversial property tax relief bill that would also impact local governments. Though it has been amended, in its current form the bill would decrease Monroe County’s tax revenue by around $7.6 million in 2026, according to a fiscal analysis. Monroe County Community School Corporation would lose around $1.5 million. That bill has now moved to the House. Yoder warned the House and Gov. Mike Braun want to take it back to its original form.
Yoder said it would tie the hands of public schools that would be unable to make ends meet with lost revenue. She mentioned the push to make private school vouchers, which help to subsidize the cost of private schools, universal under HB 1001. Currently, for a family of four, those making up to
$230,880 would be eligible for a voucher, but HB 1001 would remove the income cap.
“What is the end goal here?” Yoder said. “Is the end goal privatization? I think we are seeing every sign pointing to yes.”
Rep. Matt Pierce said the millions of dollars it would cost to expand the private school voucher program would accomplish absolutely nothing when given to the wealthiest Hoosiers to subsidize their children’s private education.
He said the bill wouldn’t “improve the quality of education for a single child in the state,” but instead maintain the status quo.
Voting
George Hegeman, a board member of Monroe County’s League of Women Voters, spoke on bills he said would suppress voters.
Senate Bill 10 specifically, he said, would invalidate state-issued student IDs as a valid form of voter identification. Under the bill, the county voter registration office would have to conduct “list maintenance” on the computerized list of voters at least twice a year
to remove individuals who are deceased, reside in a different county than that they are registered in or failure to respond to a notice that the voter has not provided proof of citizenship. “The issue is that students from out of state who may want to register and vote in Indiana, or Indiana residents who are from elsewhere, not locally, will be in big trouble,” Hegeman said.
SB 10 passed the Senate and was referred to the House’s Committee on Elections and Appointment. Debbie Asberry, also with the League of Women Voters, spoke on House Bill 1680. The bill would prohibit, with some exceptions, individuals from completing or printing information on voter registration forms on behalf of another individual. Asberry said the bill could make it more difficult for people to help elderly and disabled voters register. “It’s red mapping, it’s voter suppression,” Asberry said. “It is just continuing death by a thousand cuts.”
FILE PHOTO | IDS
Beacon’s Shalom Center is pictured March 3, 2023, in Bloomington. The Trump administration rescinded a memo temporarily freezing funding to nonprofits across the nation, leaving the anti-poverty organization Beacon in a state of uncertainty.
Eric Cannon (he/him)
is a freshman studying philosophy and political science and currently serves as a member of IU Student Government.
Recently, the Indiana Daily Student published a column that said making a playlist is an easy way to romanticize everyday life. Another way to romanticize everyday life is to love life every day. Like curating a playlist, curating your week with experiences worth replaying is essential. And there’s no better place for that than college. In many ways, campus life is more natural than socalled “real life.” It hearkens back to another time when people walked, ate and lived together, before the isolation of cars, delivery apps and apartments and suburbs with nameless neighbors. While college campuses aren’t untouched by modern developments, they form strange environments where third places — places between home and work where people come together — persist alongside them. Greater society has largely lost these places, but colleges remain home to clubs and student organizations, sporting events and downtown hangouts.
Eivin Sandstrom (he/him)
is a senior studying political science and Spanish
Following a resounding defeat in the 2024 election, the Democratic Party has entered a period of soulsearching. Seeing voters reject the Harris Campaign and her “opportunity agenda,” they find themselves without a coherent message or recognizable leader. Given the opportunity to regroup and redefine the party’s brand, leadership is showing no signs of correction.
The most alarming dynamic of the 2024 election for Democrats was their loss of support among their core constituency: working-class voters. While the Republican policies have been seen as beneficial to wealthy people and corporations, the Republicans won voters making under $50,000 a year. At the same time, Democrats led with wealthier voters making over $100,000, marking a reversal of decadeslong voting dynamics.
The Democrats have long been perceived to be the party of the working class. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s creation of the New Deal policies like social security, support for unions, and implementation of the
The
ERRANT ERIC
To love your week, fill your calendar
Most of my week is laid out with at least one thing outside of class pulling me in a different direction: student government claimed my Monday night, Coach Cignetti’s talk at the IU auditorium my Tuesday night and a club meeting my Wednesday night. While breaks, like winter break, make compelling cases for doing nothing all seven days — and breaks may offer time for that — life takes on its shape through particular activities and the immediacy of doing. Without these experiences, life becomes abstract, a vague thing to be grasped at, not something with tangible parts that can be known and cherished. The more things — or more quality things — that make demands on you throughout your week, the better.
Burnout and overcommitment are concerns. However, sluggishness and wasting away are causes for as much, if not more, concern. In finding the middle road, it’s safer to err on the side of exhaustion from taking on too much than regret from the hindsight of possibilities lost in time. As it happens, discomfort
about the hour-by-hour loss of possibility is called boredom. It serves as a reminder when life feels out of our hands. Then, the anxiety that comes from our awareness of lost possibility pushes us toward a particular kind of life, a life that we can say we know and own.
“Doing” makes our life our unique way of being in the world. And as they say, variety is the spice of life; varied activities will reveal the countless possibilities hidden within each of us.
Adding more to your calendar is a life-affirming decision. It also affirms the beauty of humanity we find in diversity. Although what you do with your time won’t be the same as what I do with mine, this makes for a tapestry of diverse interests that strengthens the IU community.
So, fill your week beyond the basic obligations.
In summary, I propose three additional (and practical) benefits to this:
First, a busy schedule frees you from procrastination’s shackles. It allows no time for delay. You just have to go, and you have to do. I discovered this early in college and began doing some-
thing I never considered in high school (no matter how many agenda books they gave us): making a to-do list.
Second, a rich schedule enriches your social circle. Seeing and being seen by other people is the real value behind doing more. We find new parts of ourselves in what other people see.
Finally, hitting the pillow at night feels all the better
when your feet have been hitting the ground all day.
Sleep becomes a reward, not just a necessity and enjoyment, and it ceases to feel like overindulgence or wasted time.
Since the new year, the Indiana Daily Student has published another column that critiqued New Year’s resolutions. The writer said, “Instead of choosing a specific occasion to commit to resolutions we should be able to work on ourselves at any point of the year.” While the new year is a perfect time for resolutions, so is a new week. And as you make playlists for your life and weeks, find the dances and movements — the activities — to go with.
ericcann@iu.edu
The Democrats must stand for something
minimum wage established this perception. President Lyndon B. Johnson’s creation of Medicare, Medicaid and his support for the Civil and Voting Rights Act carried this perception of Democrats into the modern era. They have been rewarded for that history with consistent support from working-class people. Their waning support should act as a fire alarm for the party, pushing them to reflect on their mistakes and restore the trust of their most needed supporters. A series of post-election blunders has kept my expectations low.
Rather than retire the people and policies that lost them the election, the party continues to double-down on their mistakes. After blowing millions of dollars on corporate consultants for focus-grouped, poll-tested, out-of-touch talking points, prominent party voices shared little public ridicule for this financial malpractice.
Instead of using his public profile to lambast the corrupting influence of wealthy Wall Street and Silicon Valley donors in the Donald Trump White House, the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, decided to privately grovel for their support, ren-
dering any potential populist and anti-corporate rebrand of the party as hypocritical and insincere.
The party is also not doing itself any favors in deciding who to elevate to leadership positions. When electing the next ranking-member of the House Oversight Committee, an important position in rallying support for the party not holding the majority in Congress, former speaker Nancy Pelosi tilted the race in favor of ailing 74-yearold Gerry Connolly over the young and popular firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This leadership election could have signaled a changing of the guard, in which the
dated strategies and ideas of old are replaced by their dynamic, attention- commanding counterparts. Instead, the old guard sidelined Ocasio-Cortez, picking seniority over merit.
Just like their counterparts in the House of Representatives, the Democratic National Committee is continuing the behavior that landed the party out of power. Party elites elected Minnesota Party chair Ken Martin to chair the DNC for the next four years. Rather than win over party delegates by sharing a compelling theory of change, he secured victory by leveraging his connections and relationships with
THE THOUGHTFUL TAKE
party insiders. He pledged to continue relying on funds from “good billionaires,” the very habit that has estranged them from working-people.
The Democrats used to be associated with labor unions and strong social-safety net programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social-Security; these are the policies that made “working people” and “Democrat” synonymous. The party dominated Congress for decades in the mid-20th century because they convinced people from all races & regions of the country that Democrats represented workers. After decades of deindustrialization, declining union rates and stagnant wages, workingpeople have lost faith that the Democrats are fighting for them.
People remember that it was Democrat Bill Clinton who signed the North American Free Trade Agreement that fast-tracked the outsourcing of industrial jobs to Mexico and Canada. People remember that Obama bailed out Wall-Street and the automotive industry after the 2008 crash, while normal people lost their livelihoods.
People remember that Hillary Clinton wrote half of Republicans off as a “basket of
deplorables.” Now, Democrats are associated, fairly or not, with “wokeness,” elitism and fecklessness. To flip this reputation, they must make it clear that they are on the side of the 99%, and not their billionaire donors. They should make themselves unignorable to the public in calling out the corrupting influence of money in politics, perhaps by denouncing Trump’s plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza after receiving $100 million from pro Israel donors like Miriam Adelson. They can’t do this because they’ve tied their own hands and won’t jeopardize the millions in donations they too receive from AIPAIC and other proIsrael lobbying groups. To regain the American people’s trust, and to pass the bold, transformative policies that benefit the everyday lives of Americans, they must shake their addiction to bigmoney donors. By appealing to a multi-racial, workingclass coalition like they did in the New Deal era, the Democrats can once again be the beloved champions of the average American. They cannot do this while also pleasing billionaires like Reid Hoffman, Mark Cuban and George Soros.
streaming wars persist — what comes next for entertainment?
Meghana Rachamadugu (she/her)
is a senior studying marketing and business analytics and pursuing a minor in French.
Picture this: You just got home after an exhausting day of classes, bundled up in winter gear and trudging through snowy sidewalks. You’re mentally juggling dinner plans, unfinished assignments and the looming 8 a.m. class tomorrow. But as soon as you open the door, all those plans go out the window — you need to unwind.
You settle in to watch Netflix, maybe “American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson: Season 1,” hoping for a mix of distraction and intrigue. Within minutes, you’re hooked — until an obnoxiously loud, irrelevant advertisement shatters the mood. Sound familiar? Ads are permeating streaming platforms, disrupting the once-ad-free sanctuaries we relied on for an escape. What’s worse, switching services feels futile — every platform’s doing it. There’s no escaping this new reality.
But this got me thinking streaming services aren’t
just adding ads. They’re expanding into new content genres, gamification features and untapped markets in a relentless battle for subscriptions. The streaming wars are reshaping how we consume entertainment, with profound implications for consumer behavior, advertising and the future of digital media. Here’s what I found: According to a digitaltrends article updated this January, the three most popular streaming services (based on subscriber count) are Netflix at 282.7 million, Amazon Prime Video with more than 200 million and Disney+ at 153.6 million members.
A Marketing Dive article said Netflix executives are prioritizing new in-house ad tech in 2025. This is a result of the company surpassing its ad revenue targets for the end-year period, Gregory Peters, co-CEO of Netflix, said in the article. In its Q4 report, Netflix said it got 19 million new subscribers during the quarter. The article attributes live sports content, such as the Mike Tyson versus Jake Paul boxing match in November 2024 and NFL
games on Christmas, as enticing content encouraging new memberships.
Mike Seiman, CEO and founder of Digital Remedy, said in the article the emphasis on live sports programming is a valuable opportunity to interact with specific audiences and will help position Netflix in the digital ad space in 2025.
Amazon Prime Video is also making a similar executive strategy. In 2024, Prime started displaying ads for all users. According to a Hollywood Reporter article published last October, the company made over $1.8 billion in upfront commitments last year and is bound to grow this year.
An Amazon spokesperson said in the article that Prime plans to evaluate advertising volume to satisfy customers while keeping up with the competition. The article said the ability of “Thursday Night Football” to garner a crowd — 15 million viewers per game — and how Amazon now has over 50 new brands for “Thursday Night Football” sponsors including Verizon, Subway and State Farm.
But on top of that, Prime Video is poised to add NBA
content and interactive ads to connect users to its retail space as well.
Disney+ is a similar adinclusive story: According to an Adweek article, the new terms rolled into place for new subscribers Jan. 27. Existing subscribers will see the advertisements starting March 24.
Again, we’re seeing a push for live content, specifically ESPN+, which has over 30,000 annual live sports events including the MLB and WNBA. Since the programming is happening in real-time, Adweek said previously “ad-free” services will put breaks in content to match the show timing.
So, what does this all mean? What’s to become of our binge-watching and comfort shows?
Streaming wars aren’t slowing down anytime soon, and the future might get even more chaotic. Platforms will likely embrace interactive features — think gamified shows or chooseyour-own-story formats — to keep us watching longer. Meanwhile, as ad fatigue and subscription overload set in, we might see smaller streaming services pop up, catering to niche interests
and promising less interruption for those willing to pay extra. On the flip side, some platforms might double down on entertainment with shopping, like Amazon Prime Video’s plans to link ads directly to its retail empire. It all points to a future where streaming isn’t just about watching — it’s about keeping you engaged at all costs. It’s safe to say that streaming wars will continue. For ordinary users, this shift feels eerily like cable TV with extra steps: ads interrupting critical moments, too many options
evoking decision paralysis or excessive subscriptions and dissatisfaction in paying more for less noise. As we go back to doomscrolling and living between the ad breaks, it’s clear: regardless of the updates, all platforms win to a certain degree. Consumers are losing autonomy in their content experience while streaming services and their sponsors continue to create new brand associations and revenue streams through ad campaigns and gamification.
megracha@iu.edu
ILLUSTRATION BY MADHUMITHA MANIMARAN
EIVIN’S INSIGHT
ILLUSTRATION BY EVELYN STRAUSS
Fabuloso Comedy pulls from friendships in performances
By Ursula Stickelmaier ustickel@iu.edu
While many IU students may think of university groups like Full Frontal Comedy or Boy in the Bubble when discussing Bloomington’s comedy scene, there are so many other outlets for comedy in town. One of these outlets is Fabuloso Comedy, an improv comedy group made up of current and former Bloomington residents. Nile Arena, one of Fabuloso Comedy’s performers, said the comedy group has had quite a bit of experience when it comes to Bloomington venues. The improv comedy group had its first official practice Nov. 13, 2016. The group held its rehearsal at Rhino’s All Ages Club, a performance venue and youth center in Bloomington. This venue would become the “home
base” of sorts for the group’s practices until it closed in 2019 to become what is now Stageyard Apartments. Fabuloso Comedy’s first performance was in February 2017 at a Bloomington venue called The Void. In October
that same year The Void announced it would officially close the space by the end of the year. The time on its lease had run out and the building was being demolished, according to the group’s Facebook page.
This constant shift in locations, however, has made Fabuloso Comedy more grateful for the space it currently has to perform at, Blockhouse Bar in downtown Bloomington. “We’ve been very lucky
COURTESY PHOTO
to have the Blockhouse be kind of our primary, although we’ve done shows elsewhere,” Arena said. “We’ve been so lucky, and we hope that we don’t go threefor-three where, you know, the Blockhouse gets filled in
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
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.:
9 a.m. - 10 p.m. The LCMS home of campus ministry at
our mission is to serve all college students with the
of Jesus Christ, located across from
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.
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
for some, you know, asphalt terrain.” Fabuloso Comedy is comprised of four members including Arena. Lewis Rogers, Addison Rogers and Laura Stockwell make up the rest of the group of Bloomington residents. David Britton and Walker Ray are no longer part of the group, though Ray, who has since relocated to Chicago, does occasionally perform with them. But for some Fabuloso Comedy members, the improv group isn’t the first time they’ve performed together. Before starting Fabuloso Comedy, Arena, Ray, Lewis and Addison were all part of another comedy group called the Trickle Down Effect, which performed in the Frangipani Room at the Indiana Memorial Union and primarily specialized in improv comedy.
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
allsaintsbloomington.org
Christian Science Church
2425 E. Third St. 812-332-0536 bloomingtonchristianscience.com facebook.com/e3rdStreet
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 Christian Science
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
Instagram: @bloomingtonbahai
Sunday: 10:40
Karen Pollock Dan Enslow Bahá'í Faith
the Peace and Harmony of the Planet through advancing the "security, prosperity, wealth and tranquility of all peoples."
Addison Rogers (left) and Nile Arena (right) perform
Blockhouse Bar
Bloomington. Roger’s and Arena’s comedy group, “Fabuloso,” first performed in 2017.
‘Celebrate EveryBODY Week’ kicks off with cold plunge
By Lily Saylor saylorl@iu.edu
“Five minutes are up!” the timekeeper said. The participants sprung up out of the icy cold water, gasping in shock as they adjusted to the warmer air. Shaking off the droplets, they rushed to grab towels with smiles on their faces.
“That was actually awesome,” a student said, still shivering from the cold.
To kick off “Celebrate EveryBODY Week,” nearly a dozen attendees participated in an icy cold plunge at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center in the Student Recreational Sports Center. The cold plunge was hosted by IU Outdoor Adventures and IU Athletic Training Faculty and was the start of the week-long celebration organized by IU Recreational Sports dedicated to promoting healthy body image.
Before the plunge, Bradley Sage from the Athletic
Trainers Master’s Program at IU discussed the benefits of cold-water therapy and said cold plunges can boost serotonin and promote muscle recovery. However, he also noted the potential risks involved and said cold plunges may exacerbate conditions such as heart problems and can lead to hypothermia.
The cold plunge took place by the diving pool in a blue bucket filled with ice water and set at 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Participants took turns in groups of three, sinking into the water and staying submerged from the neck down for five minutes.
Students Brock Berry and Caleb Diegnan were among those who participated in the cold plunge.
“I would describe it as freezing in the first minute, as brutal, but then after that, it’s actually a lot of fun,” Berry said. “You just feel the adrenaline afterwards definitely, like, I can’t stop smiling a little bit, and then
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
having people next to you was a lot of fun.”
While Diegan was new to cold plunging, IU senior Laura Schuman used to participate in them after swim practice in high school. She called cold plunges “euphoric.”
“Your mind just kind of shuts off when you’re in it, because your body’s just focusing on trying to keep it warm,” she said. “Once your body becomes numb, your mind is super calm, and you can just feel the stress leaving.”
Aside from the cold plunge, other events throughout the week included a “Glow Flow Yoga” class Monday at the Bill Garrett Fieldhouse, a “Rock What You Got” dance party Tuesday at the SRSC, a Backpacking for Beginners class Wednesday at Eigenmann Hall and other activities.
Assistant Director for Group Exercise, Katie Landrum, coordinated the
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.
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
annual week-long event, which falls during National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
“We wanted to recognize and raise awareness about the fact that our physical activity habits are healthy habits of supporting us, fueling us, nourishing us, don’t have to necessarily have to change how we feel about ourselves or how we look,” she said. “They can
be truly to help support us mentally and our wellbeing.”
Landrum said it was important for college students to practice healthy habits because they are going through a transition period, being on their own for the first time, which can be very formative.
For many students, college provides their first opportunity to experience freedom and make their own decisions. “This is really the time when we can start building a strong foundation of habits that support us and help build us up,” Landrum said. “What you build now can help build the foundation for your future life. If you build those habits now and instill that positive aspect, it can really truly help support you for your future.”
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
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. @ St. Thomas Lutheran Church 3800 E. Third St. Tuesday: 6:30 p.m. Dinner & Devotions @ Rose House LuMin 314 S. Rose Ave.
Rose House LuMin and St. Thomas Lutheran Church invite you to experience life together 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.
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
KATHERINE MANERS | IDS
An athletic trainer at the “Celebrate EveryBODY Week” cold plunge event explains cold plunging Feb. 23, 2025, at the IU Student Recreational Sports Center in Bloomington. The trainer discussed the potential benefits and risks of cold plunging.
IU Auditorium marches to the beat of Kodo’s drums
By Arnaav Anand arnanand@iu.edu
Kodo, a Japanese professional taiko drumming troupe, performed its latest repertoire “Warabe” at the IU Auditorium on Feb. 21.
In the Japanese language, the word “ Kodo” has two meanings. It can mean “heartbeat” — the fundamental source of all rhythm. However, the characters used for the group’s name have a different meaning, combining the words for “drum” and “child.”
This choice reflects Kodo’s aspiration to approach drumming with the pure heart of a child.
For its 40th anniversary in 2021, Kodo created two works inspired by its name.
“Tsuzumi” draws from the character for “drum,” while “Warabe” is rooted in the meaning of “child.” The ensemble toured North America for “Tsuzumi” in 2023 and is set to bring “Warabe” to North America this year through March 29. “Warabe” revisits the
ensemble’s classic repertoire and aesthetics from its early years, incorporating simple yet powerful forms of taiko expression. The production highlights the distinct sound, resonance and physicality that define Kodo — remaining, at heart, eternal children of the drum.
Yui Kamiya, Kodo’s production manager, responded to the Indiana Daily Student’s questions over email.
He said many of the current performers of Kodo started to play taiko in their childhood with a local group in their hometowns. He said Kodo’s precedent group was formed in 1971 with the intent of creating a university to study traditional performing art forms and crafts.
Since 1971, Sado Island in Japan served as Kodo’s home and creative foundation, deeply influencing its artistic philosophy. The island inspired Kodo’s pursuit of harmony between people and nature. As the group traveled across the world,
members encountered diverse cultures, learning from both their similarities and differences, effectively shaping their artistic identity.
Since debuting at the Berlin Festival in 1981, the group performed over 7,000 times across five continents, spending a third of each year touring internationally, another third touring in Japan and the remainder rehearsing new material on Sado Island.
The Kodo Cultural Foundation, established in 1997, expanded the group’s capacity for outreach projects on Sado Island. As a nonprofit, it focuses on social education and community engagement while preserving local traditions.
The foundation leads initiatives such as habitat conservation, revitalization of rare crafts and cultural research. It also organizes workshops, manages the Sado Island Taiko Centre and plans events like the annual Earth Celebration music festival, furthering
Kodo’s mission of sustaining and evolving traditional arts.
The Kodo Apprentice Centre, housed in a former school in Kakinoura on Sado Island, trains the next generation of Kodo performers irrespective of their background. Apprentices live communally for two years, learning taiko drumming, dance, song and physical discipline. Each January, select apprentices became probationary junior members, and after an additional year of training, the most dedicated individuals joined Kodo as full members.
Kamiya said the Kodo members also work on themselves individually in preparing for long tours, both physically and mentally. While Kodo’s music is deeply rooted in Japanese tradition and the taiko drum, Kamiya said the ensemble travels all around the world and the members get inspired by everything they see and feel, thrilled to seek the limitless possibilities of the instrument.
“For our North America tours, performing at a university venue is becoming common,” Kamiya said. “We love that we get to share our music and performance with scholars and younger generations, as well as the surrounding supportive community.”
Kamiya said taiko is a non-verbal instrument, where performers and the audience can connect with just the sound of the drums. The sound of the taiko drum is said to be similar to the sound of a mother’s heartbeat when heard in the womb.
“The sound resonates with your heart and soul, whoever you may be, or where you come from,” he said. “It’s a common vibration and sound that we all share as human beings.”
Ethan Krieger, an IU student, said he had never seen a production of this quality.
“(It was) so cool,” Krieger said. “Sometimes I couldn’t believe the things they were doing were humanly possible.”
John Walker, another audience member, said he previously saw Kodo perform about two decades ago.
“The aesthetic, the attention to detail and the rigor they put into it was flat-out outstanding,” Walker said. “They’re all young people but they’ve spent many years under training and practice to bring this alive and give it the quality that draws in an international audience.”
Kamiya said while the taiko drum is easy to strike and produce sound, mastering it requires years of training and experience. He also noted that taiko is unique in its highly physical nature, demanding precision and attention to detail to perform at a professional level. The “Warabe” repertoire at the IU Auditorium featured 11 performances and lasted 2 hours, with the audience clapping along during the encore towards the finale.
COURTESY PHOTO
Members of the Japanese drumming ensemble Kodo perform “Warabe” on stage in 2023. The sound of the taiko drum is said to be similar to the sound of a mother’s heartbeat when heard in the womb.
Spring sports schedule
Saturday, March 8
vs. Penn State University Park, Pa. / B1G+
Hoosier Classic vs. Western Michigan Bloomington, Ind.
Sunday, March 9
vs. Penn State University Park, Pa. / B1G+
Hoosier Classic vs. Bowling Green Bloomington, Ind.
vs. USC (M) Los Angeles,
Monday, March 10
Clover Cup (W) Phoenix, Ariz.
Tuesday, March 11
vs. Indiana State Terre Haute, Ind. / ESPN+
vs. Butler Bloomington, Ind. 5:30 p.m.
Clover Cup (W) Phoenix, Ariz.
Wednesday, March 12
vs. Southern Indiana 4 p.m.
Clover Cup (W) Phoenix, Ariz.
Friday, March 14
vs. Maryland (W) Bloomington, Ind. 3 p.m.
vs. Ohio State Bloomington, Ind. / B1G+ 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 15
Princeton San Diego, Calif.
Iowa Bloomington, Ind.
Fullerton San Diego, Calif.
Friday, April 11
vs. Oregon (M) Bloomington, Ind.
Minnesota (W) Minneapolis, Minn.
Illinois Champaigne, Ill. / B1G+
April 12 vs. Illinois Champaigne, Ill. / B1G+ 4 p.m.
Sunday, April 13
vs. Washington (M) Bloomington, Ind.
vs. Wisconsin Madison, Wis.
vs. Wisconsin (W) Madison, Wis.
Tuesday, April 29
Friday, March 28 vs. USC Bloomington, Ind. / B1G+ 6 p.m. vs. Wisconsin (M) Madison, Wis. 5 p.m. vs. Oregon (W) Eugene, Ore.
Sunday, May 4 vs. Abilene Christian Abilene, Texas / ESPN+ 2:05 p.m. vs. Purdue West Lafayette, Ind. 1 p.m.
NCAA
NCAA
Monday, March 31 vs. Ohio State Columbus, Ohio
Spring Invitational (M) Indianapolis, Ind.
vs. Maryland Bloomington, Ind. / B1G+ 2 p.m. vs. Nebraska Lincoln, Neb. 2 p.m.
Big Ten Championships (W) Havre De Grace, Md.
Friday, May 9
Tuesday, April 1 vs. Louisville Bloomington, Ind. / BTN
Spring Invitational (M) Indianapolis, Ind.
Friday, April 4
Boilermaker Intercollegiate (M) West Lafayette, Ind.
vs. Penn State (M) University Park, Pa.
vs. Northwestern (W) Bloomington, Ind.
Saturday, May 10
Sunday, May 11
Sunday, March 16 vs. Ohio State Bloomington, Ind. /
Iowa Bloomington, Ind.
vs. Illinois (M)
Harvard San Diego, Calif.
Tuesday, March 18
Friday, March 21
vs. Penn State Bloomington, Ind.
vs. UCLA Los Angeles, Calif. / B1G+
Florida State Match-Up (W) Tallahassee, Fla.
The Schenkel Invitational (M) Statesboro, Ga.
Michigan (W) Bloomington, Ind.
vs. SJSU Bloomington, Ind.
Saturday, April 5 vs. Michigan State Bloomington, Ind. / B1G+
Purdue (M) West Lafayette, Ind.
Maryland Bloomington, Ind.
Hoosier Collegiate (M) Bloomington, Ind.
Sunday, April 6
vs. Michigan State (W) Bloomington, Ind.
vs. Michigan State Bloomington, Ind. / B1G+ 1
vs. Maryland Bloomington, Ind.
Hoosier Collegiate (M) Bloomington, Ind.
Tuesday, April 8
Sunday, April 20 vs. Maryland Bloomington, Ind. / B1G+
Big Ten Championships (W) Havre De Grace, Md.
Boilermaker Intercollegiate (M) West Lafayette, Ind.
Wednesday, April 23
Thursday, April 24
Friday, April 25
Big Ten Championships (M)
Thursday, May 15
Indiana water polo aims to take next steps
By Max Schneider maxschn@iu.edu
The 2024 season for Indiana water polo was a roaring success.
Coming off their first 20win season since 2018, the Hoosiers collected an impressive cabinet of ranked wins last season. Indiana defeated nine ranked opponents in total, with wins over No. 8 Princeton University and No.13 Michigan –– a water polo specific rivalry that favors the Wolverines –– capping off a surprisingly good season for the Hoosiers.
Indiana started the 2024 season off with 12 straight victories, which included victories over No. 22 Long Island University, No. 18 Harvard University and two victories over No. 25 Marist University. They ended the season finishing sixth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championships, ending a restorative season that left Indiana head coach Taylor McInerney and her
roster hungry for more. For the 2025 season, Indiana had most of its roster return, losing only five total seniors and graduate students. With seven seniors, five juniors and a coach entering her sixth season, inside and outside expectations had never been higher.
Indiana, ranked No. 11 to start the season, played its first games of 2025 with a home tournament in the Indiana Classic, which was held at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center on Jan. 25-26. Facing off against No. 16 California State University-Northridge, Salem University, No. 18 University of California-Santa Barbara and McKendree University, the Hoosiers won all four matches to start the season exactly how McInerney intended.
Indiana played its next tournament only a few days later. The Hoosiers traveled to Providence, Rhode Island, to play in the Bruno Classic, facing off against five opponents in three days. Its oppo-
nents included Marist University, La Salle University, No. 22 Brown University, No. 19 Harvard and No. 19 Wagner College. Indiana continued to roll on with its early season form, winning all five matchups, including a thrilling 1615 win over Brown. After two tournaments, McInerney’s Hoosiers had started the season with nine-straight victories.
The following week, newly ranked No. 12 Indiana hosted its second home tournament of the season with the Midwest Invite. Games this time around featured Marist as the opener for the second consecutive tournament, alongside games against rival No. 16 Michigan and a second clash versus No. 20 Wagner. After winning the first game against Marist 14-12 to extend their season-opening winning streak to 10 games, the Hoosiers collected their first loss of the season in a heartbreaking defeat to the Wolverines, losing 15-14. In-
diana then lost against Wagner, falling 14-9 in what was a disappointing end to the home tournament with two straight losses.
The Hoosiers record against ranked teams so far was a healthy 5-2, with only one truly off performance in the second game against Wagner.
No. 17 Indiana was truly tested in its next tournament slate, attending the Barbara Kalbus Invitational in Irvine, California. All four of its games were against ranked opponents, facing off against No. 5 University of Hawai’i at Manoa, No. 18 UCSB, No. 10 Arizona State University and No. 8 University of California, Davis.
Indiana got off to a rough start against its highestranked opponent as the Hoosiers fell soundly against Hawaii, losing 10-6. The following three games were much closer, however, as every subsequent match went into overtime.
Indiana first squeezed past UCSB 11-10 in over-
time, but wasn’t as fortunate against Arizona State, losing in overtime 14-12. The final match against UC Davis proved to be a thrilling finish, with Indiana scoring the winning goal with three seconds left to escape with a 15-14 overtime victory.
Sitting at 12-4, Indiana’s next matches will take place in Los Angeles, facing USC and UCLA on back-to-back days March 8-9. Leading the line for Indiana this season has been senior attacker Skylar Kidd. Having already racked up 40 goals and 29 assists in 16 games this season, she is on pace to surpass her previous season total of 51 goals and 42 assists. Another Hoosier having an impressive season is junior attacker Louisa Downes, having scored 33 goals and provided 24 assists so far.
Senior utility player Portia Sasser has been the main distributor for Indiana, dishing out a team-high 37 assists this season. Senior center Sophia Sollie, on the oth-
er hand, is a pure goal scorer, having scored 27 goals compared to just two assists. Indiana is currently heading into the back half of its schedule with everything to play for. Last season, after starting 12-0, the Hoosiers lost 10 of their last 19 games. This season, the Hoosiers started 10-0 and have subsequently gone 2-4 since. Currently, the Hoosiers are on pace to ride the same rollercoaster as last season, starting the season red hot before ultimately fizzling out. McInerney is tasked with finding a way to navigate the back half of the schedule, especially considering the MPSF championships are only two months away, starting April 25. This is likely Indiana’s best chance to make a title charge, with seven of its best players currently seniors. A team stacked with talent at the top must not let its insides cave in. The following stretch of games will determine whether Indiana water polo can take the next step.
ZUZANNA KUKAWSKA | IDS
An Indiana water polo player swims toward the ball against the University of Southern California on March 30, 2024, at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington. Last year, the team ended with a 20-win season.
MEN’S TENNIS
Indiana men’s tennis pushes new expectations
By Elakai Anela eanela@iu.edu @elakai_anela
Amidst an offseason where Indiana men’s tennis brought in Boise State University transfer junior Jip van Assendelft, the Hoosiers felt good about where they stood as a group. Last year at Boise State, van Assendelft posted a season-high ITA ranking of No. 79 in singles and No. 31 in doubles. He was also named to the All-Mountain West Team in singles play.
The dynamic duo of redshirt sophomore Facundo Yunis and new addition van Assendelft was ranked No. 11 in doubles play by the Big Ten Network. Yunis was also one of 14 players named to the Big
Ten’s Players to Watch List before the season started — he was also an All-Academic Big Ten selection. Despite van Assendleft’s transfer, they certainly had to answer several questions. One of them was whether the new, younger group would have chemistry, which was answered quickly once the season started.
The new additions for the Hoosiers raised optimism. Along with van Assendelft, Indiana brought in freshmen Matteo Antonescu, Braeden Gelletich, Aidan Atwood and Karan Raghavendra. Indiana wrapped up the offseason by adding sophomore Ben Pomeranets and junior Sam Scherer out of the transfer portal. The
revamped group played an integral role in the team’s success at the beginning of the year.
“I strongly believe we can play better overall, but we need to show that fight out on the court.”
Mike Murray, Indiana men’s tennis head coach
In preseason play, the Hoosiers showed the new roster could compete at a high level. Van Assendelft, Gelletich, Raghavendra and Scherer all showed immense promise in the three preseason games they played by winning in every doubles match and defeating all but one opponent in
invitational play.
As the calendar flipped to 2025, the regular season rapidly approached. With the preseason behind them, the Hoosiers had the opportunity to showcase their recently acquired talent.
In its season opener, Indiana swept Cleveland State University 7-0 and squeaked out a 4-3 victory over Ball State University 4-3. After the match, Indiana’s No. 1 player Yunis said it was “awesome to see the young guys perform,” showing the team had already come together despite the offseason changes.
The Hoosiers extended their win streak to nine straight games heading into the third week of Feb-
WOMEN’S TENNIS
ruary. However, the last two matches haven’t gone Indiana’s way, as the team fell to Boise State University 4-3 on the road and the University of Memphis 4-2 at home.
Indiana associate head coach Mike Murray said Indiana “has to come out of the gates faster” in singles play. He also noted that the success in doubles play was “encouraging” to see for the Hoosiers.
While the hot start to the year was a massive boost for the Hoosiers, their current two-game losing streak could be a cause of concern before they begin the hardest part of their schedule.
One silver lining is that Indiana has two weeks off to rest before it begins Big
Ten play — the most important stretch of the year.
“After we played five matches in nine days, it will be nice to have a break,” Murray said Feb. 23. “I strongly believe we can play better overall, but we need to show that fight out on the court.” It’s hard to know how the season will play out, but with such a young team, the Hoosiers fighting adversity could be a blessing in disguise. The next month and a half will determine Indiana’s season outlook, especially with the numerous elite-caliber teams the Hoosiers will face. Indiana will face teams USC, Illinois and No. 3 Ohio State, which all have a record above .500.
Under 1st-year head coach, Indiana women’s tennis sets new standard
By Noah Gerkey ngerkey@iu.edu | @Noah_Gerk
New coach. New culture. New results. Indiana women’s tennis is coming off a disappointing 2023-24 season — a season during which the Hoosiers won just six matches and did not win a conference match.
In May 2024, Indiana athletic director Scott Dolson announced there would be a change of leadership within the women’s tennis program. Standing head coach Ramiro Azcui would not return to Indiana for the 2024-25 season.
Historically, the Indiana women’s tennis program has been full of success. It has been to 28 NCAA Tournaments, won the Big Ten 16 times and won a national championship in 1982.
The expectations and results the program was known for essentially left the program during Azcui’s seven-year tenure. Indiana totaled just one winning season from 2021-24. Dolson, aware of the program’s past success, wanted to see a change for the future of Indiana women’s tennis.
“Our women’s tennis program has a long and rich history of success on both the Big Ten and national level,” Dolson said in an Indiana Athletics release May 9, 2024. “Following an evaluation of the trajectory of our women’s tennis program at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, I concluded a change in leadership is necessary.”
The national search for the next Indiana head coach resulted in Gabrielle Moore’s hiring. She approached Indiana Athletics officials shortly after the opening was announced to express her interest.
Moore played tennis at Southern University and A&M College, where she
was all-conference in each of her four seasons. Moore’s coaching career began at Lake Forest College, where she spent one season before heading to Jackson State University, where she coached for six seasons. After her stint at Jackson State, Moore took the job at McNeese State University. Moore’s teams at McNeese State went for a combined 35-10 record during her two seasons, including a program-record 20 wins in 2023.
“I wanted to be at a school with a tradition that shares the values I have as a coach. That’s what attracted me to Indiana.”
Gabrielle Moore, Indiana women’s tennis head coach
Moore was not content, though.
Moore’s dream was always coaching in the Big Ten. She was looking for the next level to coach at. The tradition and success that the Hoosiers program previously had drew the attention of the soon-to-be head coach.
“I wanted to be at a school with a tradition that shares the values I have as a coach. That’s what attracted me to Indiana,” Moore said to Indiana Athletics on June 14, 2024. “I knew if I really wanted this position, because it’s something I’ve dreamt about my whole career, I needed to let them know who I am.”
Moore has done exactly that. She has shown that she is a firm believer in culture. She stresses that her players need to buy into their teammates, coaches and themselves. The focus is on being player led, team first and putting the program above any individual success.
“I’ve inherited a program that was very result oriented, and I’m getting them to understand that it’s about trusting the process and each other more than looking at results,” Moore said.
Some players needed time to adjust to this new culture. Graduate student Lara Schneider described the struggle of adjusting to Moore’s vision after the season the Hoosiers had last year.
“We were a little hesitant, just from what we have had in the past, but we are all buying in, and it’s paying off,” Schneider said. Moore came into the season with the Hoosiers returning all but two players from last season’s squad
while also adding a pair of freshmen in five-star Marina Fuduric and Nicole Sifuentes.
“I’ve inherited a program that was very result oriented, and I’m getting them to understand that it’s about trusting the process and each other more than looking at results.”
Gabrielle Moore, Indiana women’s tennis head coach
Indiana found success almost instantly under Moore. The Hoosiers’ five
wins thus far have nearly matched last season’s six wins. Schneider and junior Nicole Teodosescu have led the Hoosiers this season. Teodosescu was named to the Preseason Big Ten Players to Watch List and plays the No. 1 singles spot. The Hoosiers sit at 5-5 on the season in what has been an up-and-down year. Indiana started the season 3-0 with a win over the University of Cincinnati on Jan. 19, and a doubleheader sweep of Butler University and Southern Indiana University on Jan 26. The Hoosiers then dropped four in a row at the hands of some tough competition, including Mar-
shall University and Xavier University. The last match of that losing streak was a back-and-forth, down-tothe-wire thriller against the University of Louisville in which the Hoosiers fell 4-3. Indiana then defeated both Western Michigan University and Chicago State University to move its record to 5-4. Fuduric, Sifuentes and sophomore Magdalena Swierczynska led the Hoosiers during those matches. Indiana fell to 5-5 with its loss to rival Purdue on Feb. 23. Indiana only has one senior this season and will welcome the No. 23 ranked recruiting class for next season.
LAUREN MCKINNEY | IDS
Sophomore Sarah L’Allier awaits the serve during a doubleheader against Western Michigan University and Chicago State University on Feb. 21, 2025, at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington. The Hoosiers fell to the Boilermakers on Feb. 23.
LAUREN MCKINNEY | IDS
Freshman Braeden Gelletich runs toward the net against Dartmouth College on Feb. 1, 2025, at the IU Tennis Center in Bloomington. The Hoosiers fell to Boise State on Feb. 19 .
WOMEN’S GOLF
Indiana looks to defend Big Ten Title from 2024
The Hoosiers won their eighth conference championship in April 2024 since earning their first in 1998
By Savannah Slone srslone@iu.edu | @savrivers06
Last April, Indiana women’s golf claimed the title of Big Ten Champions. The Hoosiers’ final round of 5-under-par put them just one stroke ahead of Michigan State as Indiana won its eighth Big Ten Title — its first since 1998.
And third-year head coach Brian May’s expectations for his squad remain the same.
“I think our goals are very much the same,” Brian May said in an interview Jan. 21. “And it’s to make sure this team is doing everything it can to peak when it comes to the championship part of our season, which is in April and May.”
But just less than a year later, the Hoosiers are a much different team.
Of the six players who competed at the Big Ten Championship, just two remain on Indiana’s roster for its spring schedule — redshirt senior Caroline Smith and redshirt junior Maddie May. Smith and Maddie May competed in the championship alongside Caroline Craig, Dominka Burdova and juniors Faith and Chloe Johnson. Both Craig and Burdova graduated after last season, while the Johnson twins left the program after the 2024 fall season. Even without turnover from last season, matching
their 2024 campaign is a difficult task for the Hoosiers, whose roster now consists of just five players after Johnson’s departure.
of
MEN’S GOLF
five players con-
May,
“We’ve got a long way to go to do that,” Brian May said about his team’s pursuit of another conference title. Brian May said each
player knows what areas of their game they need to improve for them to make another run during the Big Ten Championship and the rest of the Hoosiers’ championship tournaments. The Hoosiers struggled to find consistency throughout their fall schedule. Even when they shot a programrecord 12-under-par 276 in the second round of the Illini Invitational on Oct. 7-8, Indiana backed up the performance with a score of 3-overpar. The inconsistency bled into the Hoosiers’ first official spring tournament from Feb. 2-4 at the PDI Intercollegiate, where they scored 1-over-par in the first round and 1-under-par in the third round. A second round of 11-over-par prevented the Hoosiers from making a run toward the top of the leaderboard during the final day.
Dabagia and Smith led Indiana in scoring throughout its fall schedule and PDI Intercollegiate with scoring averages of 72.73 strokes and 73.87 strokes, respectively. Indiana has just four tournaments during which it faces top-ranked opponents before it attempts to defend its conference title April 18-20 at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Harve de Grace, Maryland.
Hoosiers set sights on strong upcoming spring season
Building on a strong fall, Indiana aims to rise to the top of the Conference after a promising start
By Will Kwiatkowski wdkwaitk@iu.edu | @wkwiatkowski_15
Despite the snow blanketing the grounds of the Pfau Course in Bloomington and temperatures dipping below freezing, Indiana men’s golf kicked off its anticipated 2025 spring season Feb. 9.
The Hoosiers enjoyed a strong fall season, finding their greatest success in their home state with a first-place finish at the Purdue Fall Invitational in September. Indiana looks to build on the season, moving forward into the spring with high expectations.
The season began with a solid performance at the Palmas del Mar Collegiate in Palmas del Mar, Puerto Rico, finishing fifth with a 54-hole score of 860 (-4). The Hoosiers showcased resilience in battling tough conditions and a competitive 14-team field, including top-ranked teams like Texas Christian University, Kennesaw State University and Michigan. Indiana head coach Mike
Mayer highlighted the importance of Indiana’s continuous improvement and constantly taking steps in the right direction throughout the season. The focus of the first match was solely on early improvements.
“I think we’re a pretty resilient team,” Mayer said Feb. 14. “We’re not afraid of anything, whether it’s a bad round, a bad shot or a tough situation. I wish we could have played another round because I believe we would have kept improving.”
Sophomores Alex Cesare and Cole Starnes and redshirt junior Clay Merchent delivered standout performances in Puerto Rico, with Merchent tying for fourth place and Starnes securing a tie for 15th.
Sophomore Nick Piesen and freshman Bradley Chill Jr. each struggled early but recovered, keeping the Hoosiers competitive late in the tournament.
“Bradley Chill is much better than that,” Mayer said. “Our expectations for
him, especially after his last event of the fall in Hawaii, are pretty high. He has a lot of skill and talent, but he’s just a freshman. He needs to learn, grow and mature a bit.”
The Hoosiers’ group of golfers will compete throughout the season as they work through early-season kinks, aiming to refine their play into the Big Ten Conference’s best.
Mayer has high expectations for his team, particularly for his team captain, Merchent, who has consistently demonstrated his skill and leadership.
“Merchent is the leader of this team, both on and off the golf course,” Mayer said. “Despite missing some short putts in the first round, he showed incredible resilience and fought back to finish strong. He’s quite a player and continues to impress.”
With their work cut out for them, Mayer shared his confidence in the team’s readiness for the season.
“We’re the defending champions of the Hoosier
Collegiate, and we are heading back to Purdue to play at Ackerman...Our aim is to win it,” Mayer said. “We have a lot to look forward to and a lot of work to do, but we’re all willing to get it done.”
The Hoosiers’ next trip takes them to Bluffton, South Carolina, where they will compete in the Colleton River Collegiate on March 2-3. They will then compete in the Schenkel Invitational on March 21-23 in Statesboro, Georgia, followed by the Butler Spring Invitational on March 31 through April 1 in Indianapolis.
The team will host the Hoosier Collegiate on April 5-6 in Bloomington before heading to the Boilermaker Intercollegiate on April 19-20 in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Hoosiers then finish their season with the Big Ten Championships on April 2527 in Baltimore.
“We have to stay with the process we have,” Mayer said. “And if we do that, I really believe we’ll be successful.”
LITTLE 500
COLUMN: Behind the scenes of Little 500: Rookie Week
falls.
By Samantha Camire
scamire@iu.edu | @camiresamantha
On a cold and drizzly February afternoon, bikers gathered at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington to train. But these were not experienced Little 500 riders. These were rookies, many of them taking part in competitive biking for the very first time. The men lined up on the track, leaning against their bikes and chatting as they waited to do a four-lap time trial. The light curtain of rain left them undeterred.
“Getting power out of the gate is tough,” one rookie said.
“But if you go too fast,” the rookie next to him added, “you’re for sure eating it.”
All the riders were wearing helmets and gloves — both to protect from the cold but especially to protect their hands and heads from the hard cinder track. A fall on the track can be painful and it’s not uncommon, especially during Rookie Week.
“Honestly, most challenging for me was learning to jump on the bike in the right way, because there’s just so many things that could go wrong,” freshman Michael Shertz, a rookie on the Collins team, said. “I saw many people fall off.”
A red tent sat in the infield; three paramedics ready to step in after one of those
As more rookies arrived, they stashed their bags under red metal barrels to keep them dry. The chain link fence was dotted with multi-colored bikes hanging off the fence by the handlebars. Many of the bikes had the signature stripes of bikes from past Little 500 races (each year, there is a new bike designed specifically for the race).
This was not my first time at the track for Rookie Week. In the fall, I attended as a rookie rider. I loved watching the race in the spring but spent all summer wondering what it would be like to actually be on the track. So, I decided to do Rookie Week. Fall Rookie Week is a lot different than spring — it takes place over more than a month and includes time spent on the track and out on the streets of Bloomington on “road rides.” But the comradery and challenge is the same.
Although I ultimately decided not to join a Little 500 team, I still look back fondly on the few weeks when I could call myself a part of the Little 500 community. I was excited to have a peek back into that world on this dreary day.
Rookie Week is a crucial part of Little 500 and every biker in the Little 500 community has taken part. It is the two weeks where firsttime riders learn the ropes
of the track. They ride special “Little 500” bicycles for the first time and learn all the skills needed to be successful and safe on the track.
“It’s basically like a twoweek boot camp for riders,” Chloe Eades, a biker for Alpha Chi Omega and vice president of Rider’s Council, said. Riders Council is the committee of upperclassmen bikers that puts on the event.
To successfully complete Rookie Week, rookies must spend 10 total hours at the track over the two weeks and learn five new skills: mounting, dismounting, singlebike exchange, bike to bike exchange and pace lining. The men and women come to the track at separate times to simulate the schedule when the track opens for full teams in the spring.
“I remember watching the race my freshman year and watching people jump on the bike and get off, I was just like ‘that is so scary,” Eades said. “So, I think getting over that mental block can be really hard.”
For Phi Psi rookie Charlie Fisher, the single-bike exchange was the most difficult to learn.
“It’s just kind of sketchy and people crash all the time,” he said.
Crashes are just part of the process of learning to bike for the Little 500. My very first time attempting to
mount a bike at the track, I swung my leg enthusiastically over the bike — so enthusiastically that I overshot it and slammed onto the cinders. I jumped right up, my shoulder throbbing but only more determined to master the skill.
And that’s what Rookie Week is for. Teaching bikers the essential skills during these clinics makes the track safer when it opens for spring training.
“Rookie Week ultimately is how we bring more riders into the mix and how we bring more safe riders into the mix,” Eades said.
And it’s a lot of fun too. Comradery was a common theme when I asked riders about the week. Everyone was eager to help the rookies and encouraging when they stumbled or struggled.
“I know none of these people, I know nothing about the teams,” Schertz said. “But I can talk to them and they’re nice and welcoming.”
Eades remembered her Rookie Week as a bonding experience. She recounted doing a practice race as hail rained down.
“But it was like, ‘At least, we’re all in this together,’” she laughed.
Rookie Week — Rider’s Council members emphasized — is for everyone. Over the course of this year, Rider’s Council member and
Delta Tau Delta rider Jack Lloyd estimates over 300 students will take part in either fall or spring rookie events.
“You should just try it, if you have the time,” he said.
“I’ve even met several seniors who are going through Rookie Week. I think even if you don’t want to race, but you’re interested, just trying Rookie Week is a really cool opportunity.”
Riders don’t need previous experience to take part, he said, just a willingness to learn and put themselves out of their comfort zone.
“I would say Rookie Week is most successful, this is so cheesy, but if they’re having fun,” Eades said. “We want this to be enjoyable.
Regardless of the weather, regardless of making them do a four-lap ITT (Individual Time Trial) to the point where they can’t breathe. It’s still supposed to be fun.”
As I left the track, music started blasting from the speakers — “Kill the Lights,” sung by Alex Newell of “Glee” fame. It was still grey and dismal, not ideal weather for a bike ride, but the rookies pushed through. I have to admit, I was even a little jealous, itching to have the chance to try a single bike exchange or race for myself.
“I go to bed sore; I wake up sore,” Schertz said. “But I get better, and that’s the fun in it.”
FILE PHOTO | IDS
An IU men’s golfer putts the ball April 7, 2024, at The Pfau Course in Bloomington. The Hoosiers compete next at the Collection River Collegiate in Bluffton, South Carolina.
Those
sist
Smith, Maddie
senior Beatriz Junqueira, junior Madison Dabagia and freshman Cara Heisterkamp.
JACOB SPUDICH | IDS Kappa Alpha Theta senior rider Audrey La Valle leads the front of the pack during the women’s Little 500 Race on April 19, 2024, at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. Months before the 2025 Little 500, many riders participated in Rookie Week, a crucial part of the annual race.
Indiana seeks third-straight NCAA Tournament
By Jhett Garrett
jhgarr@iu.edu | @jhettgarrett
Indiana baseball firmly began its season with a 3-4 record through two weekends of play. After going winless during opening weekend from Feb. 14-17, the Hoosiers went undefeated in the USA Round Robin on Feb. 22-24, outscoring opponents 33-9.
The Hoosiers’ big name to watch out for is projected first-round draft pick Devin Taylor. The junior left fielder from Cincinnati made history a season ago when he became the first player in program history to be named to the All-Big Ten First Team in his first two seasons. Taylor is coming off a big weekend where he slugged his first home run of the season on Feb. 23 against Harvard University — a game where he finished with four RBIs and a single shy of the cycle.
To Taylor’s right in the outfield is center fielder Korbyn Dickerson, a redshirt sophomore transfer from the University of Louisville. After not seeing much playing time in his first two seasons with the Cardinals, Dickerson set his sights on Bloomington and has shined early. Through seven games,
Dickerson has hit three home runs, collected 13 RBIs while hitting .433. He has five multi-hit games already this season including each his last four games. Indiana will turn toward two transfer pitchers this season. Redshirt seniors Gavin Seebold and Cole Gilley, who both transferred in from University of Southern Indiana and Indiana State University, respectively, have been at the forefront of the Hoosiers’ pitching staff.
Seebold was the Hoosiers’ first starter on the mound during their first two weekends of play, pitching 10 total innings and giving up five earned runs while striking out 10 batters. Outside of the first inning, Seebold has been great, giving up no earned runs and two hits in eight innings.
Gilley has been solid for Indiana early on in his 10 1/3 innings of work, striking out a team-leading 18 batters and allowing just seven total hits. During his start against Xavier University on Feb. 15, Gilley struck out 11 batters in 5 1/3 innings — the most for a Hoosier on opening weekend since at least 2005. Out of the bullpen, the Hoosiers have turned to players such as sophomore
Jackson Yarberry, who is a transfer from Saint Louis University, and graduate student Ben Grable, who missed all of 2024 with an injury.
Yarberry has made two appearances on the young season going four total, innings and striking out 11 while giving up just one earned run. In that time, he also walked one batter on the season and three hits.
Grable is settling in early in his first innings of work for Indiana after transferring from Northwestern prior to the 2024 season. After working out some kinks against Xavier, when he gave up two earned runs with two walks and a base hit in 2/3 innings, Grable has been a trustworthy arm, giving up no earned runs or walks since in just 1 1/3 inning. The sample size is small, but Indiana could have its bullpen issues resolved during the 2025 season.
The Hoosiers were selected to finish third in the Big Ten behind Oregon and Nebraska in the preseason, according to the Big Ten Preseason Poll released Feb. 12. With a stellar top four in the batting order and two bonified studs in the starting rotation, the sky is the limit for the Hoosiers.
Indiana has lofty goals ahead of the 2025 season
By Kasey Watkins kaslwatk@iu.edu
Back-to-back 40-win seasons. Back-to-back post season appearances. Indiana softball’s last two seasons have been nothing short of impressive. Despite that, Indiana’s 2025 team is still hungry and ready to achieve more in the postseason.
With eight new freshmen additions, a First Team AllBig Ten transfer from Ohio State and the return of seven of its nine starters from last season, the Hoosiers have the pieces to put together yet another successful season.
“We have the talent,” Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton said Feb. 5. “We’ve got one of the most potent offenses that you’re going to find around.” Indiana is not short on talent, as many of the players on the roster have accumulated multiple pre-season accolades.
On Feb. 4, junior catcher Avery Parker, senior outfielder Taylor Minnick and senior pitcher/utility player Brianna Copeland were added to the Big Ten 2025 Players to Watch list.
In January alone, Copeland was named to USA’s Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 53 Watchlist. Minnick, Parker and sophomore utility player Aly VanBrandt were all ranked in the top 25 of their respective positions by D1Softball rankings.
Out of the eight freshmen, half were named to the Softball America Freshman list. This list includes infielders Sydni Burko and Madalyn Strader, who were both ranked top 25 overall prospects by Extra Inning Softball, as well as two pitchers in Jenae Berry and Jasmine Reyes.
All freshmen on the squad have received playing time on the field so far this season. However, the Hoosiers have a lot of returning experience and leadership that creates a battle for playing time on the field.
“We got a veteran squad, and these young kids just have to be ready when their time is called,” Stanton said.
As for the returning seniors, they appear to have unfinished business they wish to accomplish this season.
“For me personally, I think just getting back to
postseason again and then not just getting there but going past Regionals, going to supers, and on from there,” Minnick said Oct. 5, 2024, following a pre-season game against Indiana State. “So, I think for all of us seniors, we’re looking for Regionals and then Super Regionals.”
A third consecutive year of making it to the NCAA Tournament would make history for the program.
“This group has lofty goals, lofty ambitions, both personally and individually, but also collectively as a team and we have the opportunity to do something that’s never been done here,” Stanton said Feb. 5. “And that’s going back-toback-to-back postseasons. So, we’re chasing history. It’s a good, talented group, and so we’re excited to get playing.”
The lofty goals and ambitions build pressure and create expectations surrounding the program. However, these high pressures don’t seem to create worry for Stanton or her team.
“That pressure is a privilege for them,” Stanton said. “I don’t feel that they are
overmatched in terms of pressure. We
The
off to a 10-3 start before the start of Big Ten play. As of Feb. 27 Indiana’s
SOFTBALL
Melina Wilkison looks to make impact in 2025
By Conor Banks conbanks@iu.edu
Nearly one year after suffering a season-ending injury while a member of Ohio State, Greensburg, Indiana, native and outfielder Melina Wilkison is looking forward to continuing her college career with Indiana softball.
At Indiana, Wilkison has the opportunity to be closer to her family while playing in front of all her homestate friends. IU was the first school she visited after entering the transfer portal. Originally, she planned to go on more visits afterward.
“But after this one, I just realized it was home,” Wilkison said Feb. 5. “And my sister’s a senior in high school, so I was able to watch all her senior activities. It’s just awesome being home and being able to have girls from my hometown and everybody just come out and represent me.”
Prior to entering the transfer portal, the outfielder experienced plenty of success and racked up numerous Big Ten awards throughout her two full seasons with the Buckeyes.
As a true freshman in 2022, the Buckeye appeared in 49 games and started 45 of them. Wilkison exhibited
signs of dominance at the plate throughout her showings, posting the third highest batting average on the team with .342 and adding four home runs.
Following a weekend series with Michigan where she hit .583, Wilkison was presented with the Big Ten Freshman of the Weekaward. She rounded out the season on the Big Ten AllFreshman Team and led the Buckeyes to the 2022 Knoxville Regional tournament.
After a successful freshman season, Wilkison was handed more opportunity as a sophomore, when she started all 53 games in right field. In year two, the righthanded batter led the Buckeyes in almost all major hitting stats. She hit .373, with 11 home runs and tallied 44 RBIs. In conference play, Wilkison had a .311 batting average, which placed her seventh among Big Ten players and ranked first in triples. In a dominant win against Charleston Southern University, Wilkison became just the second player in Buckeye history to record five hits in a single game. Wilkison’s sophomore play earned her First Team AllBig Ten honors in 2023 and a quarterfinal appearance in the Big Ten Tournament for Ohio State.
Coming off back-to-back seasons where she helped power the Buckeyes’ offense, Wilkison looked to build upon her resume in her third year. However, her junior season abruptly ended in mid-February due to injury after playing in only five games for the Buckeyes. Because of her injury, Wilkison earned a medical redshirt in 2024, which left the door open for two more years of eligibility.
“Being on the other side of the sidelines, I think I just got more of a coaching perspective,” Wilkison said. “More like being able to pick signs or help look out for stuff for my teammates. So, I think that was a perk of me being hurt.”
In June 2024, Indiana head coach Shonda Stanton announced Wilkison had joined the team from the transfer portal. Softball America ranked her in the top 50 available portal players for the 2024 cycle.
Since joining the team, the transfer has been impressed with the roster around her and said she looks forward to competing with her new group of teammates.
“I think especially just with our sticks, we have some really good hitters who are going to come together really nicely in the
lineup together,” Wilkison said. “So, I think I’m just excited to be a part of that. On the other hand, we have one of the best pitchers in the conference, so I think being able to play behind that is really exciting and something I’m looking forward to.”
While the Hoosiers’ roster was appealing, the biggest factor in Wilkison’s decision to come to Indiana was her homegrown roots. Wilkison was a high school standout at Greensburg Community High School, where she led the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference in batting average as a freshman and sophomore and set a program record in triples. Wilkison was named the Most Valuable Player of the EIAC as a senior in 2021.
The outfielder’s high school play also earned her an all-district selection during her senior year and multiple all-conference selections. She signed her national letter of intent to attend Ohio State in 2020. Heading into her first year with Indiana, Wilkison is eager to compete for her home state.
“We’ve been practicing hard for about a month and a half now and I just think it’s time to see another opponent out there,” Wilkison said. “We’re more than ready.” The Hoosiers added Wilkison to an
BRIANA PACE | IDS
Indiana baseball players celebrate a home run against Indiana State University on April 2, 2024, at Bart
Kaufman Field in Bloomington. The Hoosiers were selected third in the Big Ten Preseason Poll.
welcome it.”
Hoosiers got
record is in
the top five of the Big Ten standings. Minnick has second best batting average on the team with a .459, right behind Strader. Parker and Wilkison lead the team in
total number of home runs, tied at three. The Hoosiers look to extend this early season success into the remainder of the season and conference play.
BRIANA PACE | IDS
Indiana softball players celebrate then-junior outfielder Taylor Minnick’s home run against Valparaiso University on March 2, 2024, at Andy Mohr Field in Bloomington. This is the third consecutive year the Hoosiers made it into the tournament.
already highpowered team that made it to the Big Ten Tournament title game and the NCAA Tournament Columbia Regional in 2024, where their season ended in double elimination.
After falling short of a Big Ten title in 2024, the Hoosiers began their 2025 season Feb. 6 in Miami, where they competed in the Felsberg Invitational. Over the opening weekend, Wilkison compiled eight hits across 17 at-bats, while adding six RBIs and a home run.
COURTESY PHOTO
Then-junior outfielder Melina Wilkison bats in a game against Stony Brook University on Feb. 9, 2024, at Felsberg Field in Miami, Florida. Wilkison joined Indiana in the offseason with two years of eligibility remaining.
IU upsets rival Purdue 73-58 at Assembly Hall
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Indiana falls to Michigan State on the road
Turnovers leave Moren ‘perplexed’ in loss to
By Savannah Slone
srslone@iu.edu | savrivers06
EAST LANSING, Mich. —
As the fourth quarter opened during Indiana women’s basketball’s matchup with No. 22 Michigan State, it was down by 10 points. Just a minute into the final quarter, it was down 15. But the Hoosiers hadn’t given up just yet.
Michigan State senior guard Jocelyn Tate committed a foul as Shay Ciezki drove toward the basket, which sent her to the freethrow line with seven and a half minutes to go in the game. The junior guard made both of her attempts and sparked energy in Indiana.
After the free throws, the Hoosiers went on a 10-0 run, which was capped off by graduate student guard Sydney Parrish’s 3-pointer. Indiana then faced a 4-point deficit with just under four minutes remaining.
The Hoosiers had an opportunity to make a fourthquarter comeback. They needed to play soundly on both ends of the floor, just like they had for the previous three minutes and 45 seconds.
But for Indiana, dire mistakes have been a reoccurring issue all season long — especially in late game scenarios — and that didn’t change against Michigan State on Feb. 23 And once the Hoosiers pulled within 4 points, they began to falter.
The Hoosiers had two crucial turnovers within the final two minutes of the con-
test, committed uncharacteristic fouls — which Indiana head coach Teri Moren was visibly upset with — and allowed Michigan State to snag offensive rebounds, which turned into second chance points. The lapses amounted to the Spartans pulling further ahead of the Hoosiers as Indiana fell 65-73 to Michigan State at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. And while each late-game
collapse differs, one thing remains a constant — turnovers.
“We knew they’d press,” graduate student guard Chloe Moore-McNeil said postgame. “We knew they were a great pressure team, and I think a lot of the turnovers we had were careless mistakes and a lot of them were caused by nobody but ourselves.”
Indiana racked up 18 turnovers to “Feb. 23, which
Michigan State took advantage of as it scored 24 points off Hoosier turnovers. The Spartans entered the contest as one of the best teams in the Big Ten in forcing turnovers and looked the part as they intercepted passes and caused disruption for the Hoosiers throughout the contest.
“We’ve showed them, we’ve told them, we’ve showed them, showed them more film,” Moren said about
her team and the turnovers.
“They’ve gotten plenty of film and plenty of conversations, whether it’s together, whether it’s with their guard coach or post coach, collectively, all of it. They’ve heard it.”
Moren said at this point in the season her harping on the importance of protecting the ball could be put on a recorder and played over and over again for her team, yet the Hoosiers still continue to
struggle.
While the Hoosiers defeated No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 20 by 10 points, they still struggled with keeping the ball in their own hands. They tallied 21 turnovers, but other areas of their game stepped up — like playing strong defensively and draining shots — as Indiana found ways to work around its turnovers and limited shot attempts those entailed.
But, as the loss Feb. 23 showed, Indiana Indiana can’t always rely on its shots falling and its opponents not if it’s going to keep the giving the ball away.
And even as the season nears its end, Moren is still searching for the answers as to why her squad continually turns the ball over, even though she said they understand the importance.
“Trust me, the questions that you guys ask, if I had the answers for all of it, I’d try to fix it,” Moren said. “I really would because I want them to have success because they’re great kids and they work hard and some things I’m still a little bit perplexed by.”
However, Moore-McNeil said it’s not too late to fix the turnover issues for Indiana. But if Moren and the Hoosiers want to find a solution, they’re going to have to do so quickly. Indiana has just two games remaining on its schedule before the Big Ten Tournament and a potential berth to the NCAA Tournament starting with No. 19 Maryland on Thursday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Today is a 9 — Pursue personal dreams. Expand talents, capacities and skills over two weeks, with the New Moon in your sign. Grow and develop. Shine your light.
Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is a 6 — Dreams seem within reach. Insights, breakthroughs and revelations sparkle under tonight’s New Moon. Enjoy a twoweek creative, imaginative and organizational phase.
— This New Moon illuminates career opportunities. Develop interesting projects over the next two weeks. Pursue exciting possibilities. Your professional status and influence rise.
EMERSON ELLEDGE | IDS
Indiana women’s
COLUMN: Mike Woodson is responsible for improved season outlook
By Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer matfuent@iu.edu
The ball floated through the air as Luke Goode slowly backed away from the 3-point line. His confident demeanor contrasted with the anticipatory hush that fell over most of the crowd inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
But as the senior forward’s shot nestled in the basket, the Hoosier faithful could not contain their excitement, unleashing a roar as Indiana men’s basketball trimmed No. 13 Purdue’s lead to 2 points. This was not an uncommon situation for the Hoosiers this season.
In its last game Feb. 14, Indiana had been within 2 points frequently with UCLA. Even with just seconds remaining, sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako had a chance to win the contest with a 3-pointer, but his effort did not fall.
A similar story played out against then-No. 24 Michigan and the reverse fixture with Purdue, but in neither instance could Indiana close out the victory.
That all changed Feb. 23 afternoon. Goode’s triple wasn’t the end of a second half comeback — it was the start of a second half domination.
Just under a minute and a half later, Goode scored again, earning an and-one and gifting Indiana a lead it would never relinquish. As the buzzer sounded inside the Hall, the Hoosiers walked away with a 7358 victory over Purdue in Bloomington.
“We’ve been in a lot of close games over the last month and a half, and I just haven’t been able to get over the hump,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “Tonight, they refused to lose.”
In Woodson’s last iteration of the rivalry, both as a player and a head coach, it was the nearly perfect sendoff for the program legend.
A sendoff Woodson can thank himself for.
Beginning the contest, the fourth-year Hoosiers head coach decided not to start Mgbako and sixth-year senior center Oumar Ballo. For Mgbako, it was his first appearance off the bench in an Indiana uniform, while it was only the second for Ballo.
In their stead, Woodson opted for redshirt sophomore guard Myles Rice and junior forward Malik Reneau, both original starters from early in the season that had recently been moved to the bench. Almost immediately, Indiana saw success from the change.
The Hoosiers jumped out to an early lead, and with just over six minutes played, up 13-8, they looked like a completely different team.
Fielding Ballo on the court for Reneau, fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway found the Koulikoro, Mali, native for a thunderous alley-oop dunk, sending the Indiana fans into a frenzy.
But only a minute later, most of the starting lineup was on the bench. Rice, Goode and fifth-year senior guard Anthony Leal left the game, and while Indiana continued to lead for nearly the next six minutes, the team’s momentum had clearly faltered.
After a 21-4 Purdue run in the final eight minutes and 39 seconds, the Hoosiers entered the half down 12, staring a blowout defeat in the face. Boos filtered through the crowd, a not so uncommon occurrence from the home fans inside Assembly Hall.
But the boos would never return, and for one simple reason: Indiana gave the fans nothing to boo in the second half.
And Mike Woodson is largely to credit for that.
Opting for his starting lineup, Woodson once again saw an instant impact. In just under a minute and a half, Rice drained a triple,
Leal dished Galloway for a dunk and Galloway assisted Leal for a layup, forcing a Purdue timeout.
Only four minutes and 47 seconds later, the Boilermakers called another timeout, now down 6. By the under-12 media timeout, Indiana had executed a 28-3 run from the start of the half, cruising to a 13-point lead.
Rather than switch up the rotation, bring some guys from the bench such as Mgbako or freshman forward Bryson Tucker, Woodson stuck with his core six. And when the final buzzer sounded, four of them — Rice, Galloway, Leal and Goode — had played the entirety of the second half.
What that group succeeded in most was slowing down a potent Purdue offense. Junior guard Braden Smith, a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate, logged 8 points, two rebounds and five assists. On the season, the Westfield, Indiana, native averages 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 8.8 assists.
Similarly, Indiana’s hounding defense, particularly Leal and Rice, forced 11 second-half turnovers. Smith, who averaged 2.9 entering Sunday, accounted for five of them.
“You can’t just play that young man with one guy — he’s really that good,” Woodson said about Smith. “I mean, when things break down, the ball gets back up into his hand and he’s able to make plays with the basketball. I thought we did a good job with him tonight.”
Ultimately, Woodson found the six players he needed to secure the victory, and he unflinchingly stuck with them. Moving forward, he acknowledged this won’t be the default game plan.
“In the long run, you know, we can’t play those guys those many minutes,” Woodson said. “The rest of the way, (I’m) still going to need guys to contribute off the bench. So, you know, I’m not throwing in the towel on any of our players.”
Every game won’t require four players staying on the court for over 30 minutes. Every game also won’t be a rivalry matchup in an electric environment. And for Woodson and Indiana, this was the necessary game plan.
As of now, the Hoosiers are still not a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but ac-
As for Woodson, he proved retirement isn’t on his mind just yet — the wins are still his top priority.
cording to the ESPN Analytics forecast, Indiana improved its chances of reaching March Madness from 24% to 36%. Beyond the fact it moved their Quad 1 record to 4-11, Sunday’s win provides crucial momentum for a squad that appeared lost. That momentum won’t guarantee wins — Indiana’s win at then-No. 11 Michigan State was followed by a defeat to UCLA. But with only four games left in the regular season, what better time than now to defeat a hated rival in what has been an otherwise disappointing season.
BRIANA PACE | IDS
Indiana head coach Mike Woodson walks off the court after a game against USC on Jan. 8, 2025, inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington. Woodson played only six players in the second half against Purdue.
