Indiana Daily Student - Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025

IDS

MEET AN ARTIST WHO SCULPTS IU LEGENDS

‘That’s bad’

By Tory Basile vlbasile@iu.edu | @torybasilee

The IU School of Medicine canceled its LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference, according to a note posted on the event's page.

The move comes after a flurry of government action against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the state and federal levels.

"The statement from the school is that the IU School of Medicine LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference has been canceled," Katie Duffey, a spokesperson for the IU School of Medicine, said in an email.

The annual conference is intended for health care professionals, patients and community groups to improve health care and identify unique health risks for

By Adelyn Rabbitt adrabb@iu.edu

To meet Indiana’s future nursing demand, it is estimated the state will need an additional 5,000 nurses by 2031, according to the Indiana Hospital Association. To reach that number, about an additional 1,300 nurses will need to graduate each year up until 2030. A state senate bill aims to loosen requirements to enter the field, as a start to fix the “cyclical” issue.

Sen. Shelli Yoder’s Senate Bill 176 would allow high school students to begin training for and earning credits toward becoming licensed practical nurses before graduation.

“Not one person was against this bill, whether it was young people who wanted to work towards an LPN or an RN license, our health care providers, our state-approved programs."

State Sen. Shelli Yoder

Indiana Senate’s Health and Provider Services Committee passed the bill unanimously last month, and it will now move to the Indiana House of Representatives for further consideration and approval.

The state currently requires students to graduate high school before earning credit toward a nursing license, an obstacle SB 176 would remove. Individuals would still be required to provide proof of their high school degree or equivalent when applying for a practical nursing license.

However, SB 176 would make it possible for prospective nurses to begin their path toward licensure earlier, and in turn, enter the workforce sooner. Currently, Indiana has less than 10 nurses per every 1,000 people. Though the number of nurses in Indiana has increased in recent years, it is not enough to account for the growing and aging population of Hoosiers. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, enrollment in nursing bachelor's degree programs declined 1.4% from 2021 to 2022, a small but relevant decrease.

Yoder, who represents much of Monroe County, said the concept for the bill came about as she visited long-term nursing facilities in Monroe County. An administrator told her about the current language written in

By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | @byjackforrest

Indiana University is now a defendant in a civil suit seeking $2 billion in compensatory and punitive damages over confidential plans for a Puerto Rico golf resort that were allegedly stolen.

Two Indiana residents, Tim and Doris Anne Sadler, filed the suit in December against a Kelley School of Business professor, five former master’s students and real estate developer Discovery Land.

The complaint alleges

By Deshna Venkatachalam devankat@iu.edu

Black History Month began Feb. 1, and the city of Bloomington is ready to celebrate. Here are some events Bloomington residents can attend during the month of February.

Indiana University events

A cultural performance by students in the IU Voice Department will take place Feb. 11. This will be a celebration of African American and African Diasporic Song and will kick off at 5 p.m. at Auer Hall in the Jacobs School of Music.

LGBTQ+ individuals.

The Indianapolis Business Journal first reported the cancelation. The conference, which began in 2017, was set to take place virtually in April.

Chris Geidner, a journalist and legal expert, posted on his blog that he’d been asked Jan. 27 to be a keynote speaker at the conference, only to be told Wednesday that it had been canceled.

Geidner told the Indiana Daily Student on Feb. 2 he sees the move as connected to the snowball of executive orders rolling out of President Donald Trump’s administration in recent days, leaving state institutions unsure of what’s permitted. The tsunami of legislation, Geidner said, can lead to self-censoring even before

the Sadlers allowed IU to use their confidential business plan for the resort, developed by their company World Trade Center San Juan, for a class in fall 2021. The class created groups which analyzed and provided feedback on the project.

The class determined the revenue for the plaintiffs’ business plan could be between $1-2 billion, according to a press release.

The complaint claims the former students violated a non-disclosure agreement by sharing that plan with a competitor, Discovery Land. Two of the students had a

The NMBCC will also host a Black Faculty and Staff Appreciation lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 12 at the NMBCC Grand Hall. Free food and gifts will be provided. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the NMBCC is teaming up with the Eskenazi School of Art Architecture and Design, as well as the Eskenazi Museum of Art, for a culture crawl highlighting Black creativity from the visual to performing arts. For the Love of Black Art will begin with a guided tour at 4 p.m. Feb. 13 and end with a performance and reception at 6 p.m. the same day.

a government entity steps in.

“Their patients aren’t going away just because the Trump administration says certain words aren’t allowed."

Chris Geidner, journalist and legal expert

“Everybody is in an awkward position right now, and nobody is quite sure what they’re supposed to say, what they can say,” he said. “Which is, I would argue, kind of the point, and how they want people to be feeling.”

Gov. Mike Braun has pushed to dismantle DEI initiatives throughout Indiana. On the day after his

personal connection to Discovery Land, including access to its CEO, and another had ties to the professional golf community, the complaint said.

The plaintiffs allege the professor, and IU by extension, had an obligation to convey the confidentiality of the project to the class and to identify potential conflicts of interest. They also claim the professor and IU breached the terms of the NDA.

IU Executive Director of Media Relations Mark Bode wrote in an email that IU does not comment on litigation.

To end the month, the IU School of Education will host a public concert by the African American Choral Ensemble. The concert will take place from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 26 at the School of Education. All of these events are free, require no RSVP and are open to everyone. Other events can be found throughout the month of February on the IU Bloomington Events Calendar.

City of Bloomington events

The City of Bloomington hosted its own Black History Month kick-off

Keynote speaker criticizes IU School of Medicine after canceled LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference

inauguration, Braun signed an executive order eliminating DEI programs in state government agencies.

And with a simple, “vaguely worded” email, Geidner said, an eightyear-old conference was canceled seemingly without notice to the IU community. The statement provided to IDS by the School of Medicine, Geidner said, was lacking.

“That’s bad,” Geidner said in response to Duffey’s statement. “I think that if something exists, has existed for several years and is canceled, that had benefited both your academic community and a broader community, that there absolutely should be a specific reason given.”

Geidner said it's unfortunate that medical provid-

ers will not be able to attend the accessible, virtual conference to best learn how to care for LGBTQ+ patients.

“Their patients aren’t going away just because the Trump administration says certain words aren’t allowed,” he said. “They’re still going to have to deal with those patients.”

He said the School of Medicine has a responsibility to its students to provide a more detailed statement about its decision to cancel.

“It sets a really poor example to current medical students about how they are able to best do their jobs, by literally tying a hand behind their back,” Geidner said. The IU School of Medicine hosts a list of LGBTQ+ health care resources at medicine.iu.edu/expertise/ lgbtq-health/resources.

“The simple truth is that we trusted Indiana University, who touts the Kelley School of Business as one of the best business schools in the country,” Tim Sadler said in a press release. “And yet, IU did not take even the most nominal actions required by our NDA’s, nor did it have any policies for protecting its business associates that even the smallest companies have in place.” Discovery Land used the partnerships World Trade Center Puerto Rico developed, the complaint says, to steal its business model. It said Discovery Land did not contact the plaintiffs to purchase the idea or partner with them. A Discovery Land representative reached by the IDS did not provide a comment following the suit’s initial filing in December. Tim Sadler graduated from IU in 1992, and he and Doris Anne are Presidents Circle donors, according to Murphy.

Feb. 1 at City Hall. The theme of the kickoff event was “African Americans and Labor: From Slave Ships to the White House,” according to a press release.

There will also be a market for Black-owned businesses, creators and organizations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 15 at City Hall. The market will honor the legacy of Bloomington’s original Black Market that was destroyed by a firebomb in 1968.

Editor’s note: The IDS is choosing not to name the professor and former student defendants in this case because it could not reach them for comment.

A week later, there will be an event at 6 p.m. Feb. 21 to reveal and award the winners of the 2025 Black History Month essay contest. This will take place at City Hall. Lastly, a Black History Month Gala will take place March 1 at the Monroe Convention Center. There will be dining, dancing and recognition of both the 2025 Living Legend recipients and Commission on the Status of Black Males’ Outstanding Black Leaders of Tomorrow award winners. This event will begin with a reception and silent auction at 6 p.m. March 1, followed by the program at 7 p.m. Individual tickets are $62 and can be purchased at bctboxoffice.org or by calling 812-323-3020.

Trump’s suspension of refugee resettlement program

By Maddie Hensley henslemm@iu.edu

Within hours of taking office, the Trump administration announced the suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which seeks to offer security-vetted refugees a chance to start a life in the United States.

Exodus Refugee, a resettlement agency in Indiana that provides services to refugees from the point of arrival to self-sufficiency, has closely experienced the impact of the executive order.

According to Cassandra Sanborn, director of development at Exodus, refugees are the most vetted group to come to the United States. Consequently, it can take years before a refugee steps foot on U.S. soil. Families can become separated in this process.

“We’re seeing reports thoughout the country, that even people who do have status are being stopped and detained by federal officials.”

Cassandra Sanborn director of development at Exodus

In January, Exodus resettled an elderly woman from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sanborn said. Not unusually, her case was separate from her children and grandchildren’s.

“The plan was that in February, her children and grandchildren were going to come,” Sanborn said.

“The plan was it was going to be a whole family unit. Grandma was going to live with the family, help provide childcare. Mom and Dad were going to work.”

However, with the suspension of the refugee resettlement program, it’s unclear when the family will be reunited.

“She’s alone now,” San-

born said. “And certainly, never expected to be living as an elderly woman in a brand-new country, completely on her own.”

Her story is one of hundreds. Sanborn said Exodus had 118 people scheduled to arrive in Indiana before the suspension of the refugee resettlement program. Exodus had to call the families who had plans to reunite, some of which have waited years to see their loved ones.“Imagine you’re setting up this spare bedroom in your house to welcome them,” Sanborn said. “You are thrilled. You’re so excited that you’re going to be able to wrap your arms around them again that first day in the airport. And then you get a call from Exodus saying, ‘Hey, actually, they’re not coming.’”

The suspension of the resettlement program impacts more than just incoming refugees.

Pete Lenzen, director of the Bloomington Refugee Support Network, said that American leaders’ rhetoric on immigration has created fear in our communities. He said that too often, President Donald Trump and Gov. Mike Braun use the term “illegal alien” without a clear definition.

Just last week, Gov. Braun signed an executive order directing Indiana law enforcement agencies to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Over the last four years, the increase in illegal aliens flooding our country has created a significant threat to public safety for Hoosiers,” Gov. Braun said in a Jan. 28 press release.

Lenzen explained the severity of such comments.

“Many people that aren’t deep into the details of immigration think, ‘Well, illegal alien must mean everyone that’s not a green card or a citizen,” Lenzen said. “That’s absolutely not the case.” Such misinterpreta-

tions can have serious consequences, even for those with legal status.

“We’re seeing reports throughout the country, that even people who do have status are being stopped and detained by federal officials,” Sanborn said.

Lenzen said one of his asylee friends was pulled over outside of Bloomington for a minor traffic violation. When the friend presented his foreign license to the policeman, which he is legally allowed to use in Indiana, the officer said he would have to go to court.

Often, refugees flee their home countries because of abuse by their government, including the police. Lenzen explained that when refugees and asylees arrive, they are taught that the police are fair, that they are their

friends.

“Well, now they say, ‘Wait, this is the same as our country. We can’t trust the police anymore.’” Lenzen said.

In the past week, five people with legal standing have asked Lenzen to drive them to doctor’s appointments, simply because they are afraid.

According to Sanborn, similar fears drove Exodus to transfer their Bloomington office operations to a virtual setting until further notice.

The executive order outlining the “realignment” of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program says the U.S. “lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants, and in particular refugees, into its communities in a manner that does not compromise the availability of resources for Americans, that protects

their safety and security.”

This statement suggests that refugees compromise the American economy and Americans’ safety. Sanborn said such claims are short sighted.

“They don’t really have any other options. You can’t go home if home doesn’t exist anymore, if home is a war-torn, ravaged country, right?”

Cassandra Sanborn, director of development at Exodus

In 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a study which estimated the net fiscal impact of refugees and asylees to the U.S. government from 2005 to 2019.

“This study found that

refugees and asylees contributed $123.8 billion more to our country than they cost in expenditures to federal, state and local governments and that’s because refugees pay taxes like you and I,” Sanborn said. She added that refugees tend to thrive after arriving in the US.

“They don’t really have any other options,” she said. “You can’t go home if home doesn’t exist anymore, if home is a war-torn, ravaged country, right?”

Beyond economic benefits, Lenzen and Sanborn both said that refugees make significant contributions to our communities. Sanborn hopes that while the resettlement program is paused indefinitely, the community doesn’t lose sight of the ways in which refugees make Bloomington more diverse and beautiful.

IU College Republicans

By Andrew Miller ami3@iu.edu |@

andrew_mmiller

College Republicans at Indiana University are back after more than a year-long dissipation.

At a meeting Wednesday night, the group of about 20 of students, faculty and local Republicans reorganized and elected — after checking voters’ IDs first — a new president and several other leadership positions.

The revitalized Republicans are coming off quite a bit of political momentum more than a week into the Trump presidency and over two weeks into Mike Braun’s governorship. And the new leaders hope to build off that, pushing IU more toward Republicans.

Jack Henning, the orga-

nization’s new president, said in a speech after certifying his election that he’s hoping to bring in more prominent speakers and engage further with students.

“We will grow our presence, sharpen our message and stand proudly for what we believe in,” he said.

Henning wants to see more Republicans standing proud. He also hopes to see a shift toward more freedom of speech in the classroom — where many Republicans say they felt maligned by professors.

“You saw right after the election, there’s these speeches in class saying that they think that the sky is falling,” Henning said.

“We’re entering a golden age of America, just like the

1980s when Ronald Reagan won.”

Daniel Liu, the organization’s new secretary, said several of his friends who are Republican were concerned about coming to their meeting or running for positions.

“It’s almost a taboo issue,” Liu said.

The past years have been especially frustrating for the college Republicans, who have felt their organization hasn’t been operating at capacity. Henning said they’re essentially rebuilding the club from scratch.

But that rebuilding effort excited others at the meeting. They hope to see the organization of 20 on Wednesday grow to fill more of the nearly 50,000-student-sized tank

at IU Bloomington. Two IU College Democrats were present as well and verified the election results. The Monroe County Republican Party Chair William Ellis spoke, hoping to help crack the sapphire-blue county that last voted for a Republican presidential candidate in 2000. “You can be the crucial difference that we need,” he told the group.

Many members had worked for U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, who Henning said endorsed his candidacy via text. Banks himself was a president of IU College Republicans at one point. Hamza Sahli, who Henning nominated to become the clubs’ political director, is a field representative for Banks’s senate office.

“You’re gonna see greater membership and engagement with the community,” Sahli said. “I don’t think

you’re gonna see us antagonizing anyone. We want to be vocal, but we don’t want to be a disturbance.”

COURTESY PHOTO

A yard sign sold by Exodus Refugee Bloomington to

Bloomington kicks off Black History Month

By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | @ byjackforrest

Around 75 people stood in the City Hall Council Chambers, singing the lyrics of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the 1900 hymn by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson commonly called the Black national anthem. IU students Donavan Miller, Khloe Williams and Marlexis Wilson led them in song.

No instruments played; other than the group’s voices, the room was silent.

“We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,” part of the song goes. “Out from the gloomy past, ‘til now we stand at last where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.”

The hymn helped lead off the City of Bloomington’s Black History Month Kickoff Celebration on Saturday in City Hall — the start of events celebrating Black history throughout February.

This year’s theme is “African Americans and Labor: From Slave Ships to the White House.”

Andrew Shannon, Black History Month Planning Committee member and safe and civil city director, said the theme comes from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the national association that says it founded Black History Month. But the committee added the subtitle, “From Slave Ships to the White House,” following community feedback.

Shannon said African American history is American history, and it’s important to celebrate their contribution across fields beyond just February.

“We use the term, ‘from astronauts to presidents,’ and that encompasses everyone,” Shannon said.

The celebration Saturday featured a discussion with four local Black business owners and managers moderated by Jessica McClain, a visiting research

scientist at the IU School of Education.

The panelists spoke about their journeys in their fields, the obstacles they’ve faced as Black professionals and what influenced their career choices.

Maurice Johns, electromagnetic warfare, science and technology division manager at Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, said growing up in the South, racism looks different than in the Midwest. In the South, he described it as blatant and unapologetic. In the Midwest, he said it’s a “glass ceiling.”

“There’s roadblocks, there’s biases, there’s hurdles that you have to pass that you don’t know that they exist until you hit that glass,” Johns said.

Don Griffin Jr., owner of Griffin Realty and former deputy mayor and mayoral candidate, described his journey from borrow-

ing $250 from his grandmother to pay for a course to get his real estate license to owning what he said is one of the largest African American-owned real estate companies in the Midwest.

Even now though, Griffin said he and other Black people have to prove themselves to others. He said it keeps Black people innovative, from creating jazz to influencing speech.

“I love being Black. I love it — I’m good at it,” Griffin said, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd.

Mayor Kerry Thomson spoke prior to the panel discussion, saying the world may seem “unsettled.”

“In this moment, I want to recognize that many people are feeling scared, perhaps defeated and certainly weary,” Thomson said. “And I want to tell you

By By Mike Badrov mbadrov@iu.edu

During winter, cars can suffer from various damages such as corrosion, dead batteries, tire damage and mechanical failures. Here is a brief list of positively reviewed Bloomington autobody shops and the services they offer, along with how they might benefit drivers.

Tire Barn Warehouse — 3450 W. Third St. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Key winter services: Tire replacement and installation: As its name might suggest, Tire Barn has tires. Salt, rough roads and potholes can strip tire safety, resulting in needed replacements. Free auto assessment: According to Tire Barn’s website, it does a free multipoint inspection on vehicles by reviewing vehicle manufacturer’s maintenance schedules, pointing out any items of concern, and providing customers with a written copy of the inspection form Wheel alignment: A wheel alignment corrects the angle of wheels to the vehicle as intended, which can save fuel efficiency, tire life and a driver’s life.

“We specialize in anything tire: nail in the tire, ro-

Babysitter pleads guilty to child molesting

By Brenna Polovina bpolovin@iu.edu

Editor’s note: This story includes mention of sexual violence or assault. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, resources are available here.

Naomi Floren faced an 18-year sentence after pleading guilty Friday to child molesting, as a level four felony, and promotion of child sexual trafficking, a level three felony, for drugging and molesting a child she was babysitting.

Floren, 21 at the time, was babysitting the 12-yearold victim and their four younger siblings in July last year. According to court documents, Floren drugged and molested the victim, then organized sexual interaction between four different men and the victim for payment over the course of three days

tations, balancing,” service advisor Skylar Allen said.

Mission Auto Care - 1306 S. Monon Drive Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Key winter services : Tune-up: Oil changes, air filters and tire alignment are included in this service. Like an annual physical, checking to see that your mode of transportation is doing well every year never hurts.

Transmission overhauls: Long-term freezing temperatures like Bloomington has experienced in recent weeks can freeze transmission fluid and damage the gearbox systems. Getting the car’s gearbox serviced could save thousands of dollars.

Brake service: With slick roads, drivers can tend to slam on the brakes and wear out the system. If the car has had trouble stopping on time, that could be an indication to bring it in before an accident occurs.

“We specialize in everything mechanical, such as A/C work, suspension and breaks,” office manager Tricia Stevenson said.

Midas - 2619 E. Third St.

Hours: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday Key winter services:

Full diagnostic: This service is helpful for getting to the root of a car’s problems

if something seems amiss.

Battery replacement: Over winter, batteries can lose their life, especially if the car is an older model. Replacing the battery could save a call for a jumpstart in the future.

Belt replacement: Winter temperature changes can cause car belts to shift and break. Getting a belt replaced would restore wasted power to the rest of the car.

World Wide Automotive2661 W. Schmalz Blvd.

Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday Key winter services:

Damaged wheels and tires: Debris hidden under snow along with harsh roads may lead to tire/ wheel damage, and getting it checked out could be essential to stay safe. Splash pans/splash shields/fender liners: These can become brittle and crack due to extremely cold temperatures, eliminating the protection to a car’s finish.

Heat output repairs: Blowing out a car’s heat during the winter is a common occurrence, and with the inconsistent Midwest weather, it is a recommended fix.

“We only specialize in Japanese and German cars along with MINI Coopers, but we are proficient in hybrid models too,” service advisor Zach Vogler said.

our community is stronger than any single one of us.”

In his first weeks in office, President Donald Trump issued executive orders aimed at dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in federal government. This led the Defense Intelligence Agency to pause all events related to Black History Month, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, Pride Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day and other “special observances.”

Other federal agencies have taken similar steps to comply with the orders, and a number of nationwide businesses have rolled back their DEI programs voluntarily. Although Trump issued a proclamation Jan. 31 declaring February as National Black History Month.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun issued a similar executive order, which di-

rects the state to replace DEI with so-called “merit, excellence and intelligence” initiatives. Braun’s proposed budget also doesn’t include funding for Martin University, the state’s only predominately Black university. It received $5 million in funding from the 2023-25 state budget.

The moves led Black faith leaders, community members and lawmakers to protest outside Braun’s office Jan. 29.

Shannon, from the Bloomington Black History Month Planning Committee, said the Black community, particularly with its contributions to American labor throughout history, embodies merit, excellence and integrity.

“You can use whatever acronym you want,” Shannon said. “It still comes back to the African American community.”

The victim reported these sexual assaults to the Bloomington Police Department on July 12, which led to Floren’s arrest July 18. Police reported photo evidence of these interactions from the victim’s cellphone, and an investigation followed. Floren was arrested on 10 charges, including child molesting, promotion of child sexual trafficking, vicarious sexual gratification and neglect of a dependent.

She was sentenced to eight years for count one and 10 years for count four, which will be served consecutively in the Indiana Department of Corrections with two years suspended for probation. During sentencing, Floren had 263 days of jail credit.

The men who allegedly engaged sexually with the child victim were not charged as they assisted in the investigation.

Dance floors to charcuterie boards

By Tyler Spence spencejt@iu.edu | @tspencenews

Kilroy’s Sports Bar is usually home to bright lights and packed dance floors, but Monday nights present a new game at Sports — the game of love.

Around 50 viewers on Monday visited Sports to relax on sofas with glasses of wine and watch ABC’s “The Bachelor”, where this season’s bachelor, Grant Ellis, seeks to find the love of his life among 25 women through weeks of extravagant dates and trips worldwide. The show premiered the second episode of its 29th season Monday The sense of drama seen on “The Bachelor” and other dating shows is best felt among a crowd. Mundane moments quickly crescendo into gasps when the show’s “villain” reappears. When hearts are poured out or arguments erupt, one of Bloomington’s loudest bars falls silent.

For one night a week, ESPN is turned off, and “The Bachelor” is turned on. Bars that usually serve vodka sodas and Long Island Iced Teas instead serve wine, champagne and charcuterie boards. It’s a welcome change of pace for visitors and bartenders alike.

Lauren Miranda, an IU junior from Naperville, Illinois, is cautiously optimistic about Ellis’s performance as The Bachelor but is much more enthusiastic about Sports as the home for Monday night parties.

“The finale will be so much fun here,” Miranda said.

Miranda, with fellow IU students Grace Sifferlen and Kate Johannes, said they planned to return to Sports the following Monday and would invite their friends.

“Who is here for the right reasons?” is the common refrain any Bachelor fan knows all too well. The audience works, just like Ellis, to separate the good

from the bad of the contestants — with some help from the producers.

The crowd at Sports quickly determined Zoe McGrady, a 27 year old tech engineer and model as a front-runner for this season’s villain. However, Johannes is not entirely convinced that Ellis himself is not a villain.

“Everyone thinks they are so special because they kissed him, but they all kissed him,” Johannes said.

Ellis did, in fact, kiss more than a handful of women during the second episode, including McGrady, much to the crowd’s displeasure. A single “boo” came from the crowd, with one viewer less than politely encouraging Ellis to stand up to McGrady’s consistent interruptions.

McGrady violated one of the show’s unspoken rules by stealing away Ellis

multiple times during the group date. The move is a surefire way to receive the ire of fellow contestants and longtime viewers. Ellis ultimately chose someone else rather than McGrady to be the “winner” of the date and safe from elimination, which received cheers from the Bloomington crowd.

Joel Flores, a Sports staff member and IU junior, had never watched “The Bachelor” until Monday night but may have just been converted to a fan. He is a fan of Sports hosting the watch party too.

“It’s something different,” Flores said.

Kilroy’s Sports will continue to host watch parties for “The Bachelor” on Monday nights throughout the semester. Doors open at 7 p.m., and episodes premiere at 8 p.m. The event is free to enter for guests over the age of 21 with no tickets required.

JACK FORREST | IDS

A crowd watches IU School of Education visiting research scientist Jessica McClain speak with a panel of local Black business owners and managers during the city’s Black History Month Kickoff Celebration on Feb. 1, 2025, in City Hall. Around 75 people attended the event.

BRIANA PACE| IDS Customers watch “The Bachelor” on Feb. 3, 2025, at Kilroy’s Sports Bar in Bloomington. This season of the show started Jan. 27.

HALEIGH BARRY | IDS

Parked cars are seen at the East parking garage Feb. 3, 2025, in Bloomington. For winter car repairs in Bloomington, these four auto shops offer various options.

Winter car repairs in Bloomington

Under the proposed bill, Yoder said, students could take all but one class toward licensure before graduation. As soon as the summer after graduation, prospective nurses will be able to take a final eight-week capstone course to finalize their license, allowing them to enter the workforce soon after graduating.

“As someone who worked full-time through college, I really appreciated that,” Yoder said. “I really appreciated this opportunity for both students but also to address nursing shortage in Indiana, so it was a winwin.”

She noted the overwhelming and unanimous support for this bill shows its importance, especially among licensed practical nurses and registered nurses.

“Not one person was against this bill, whether

it was young people who wanted to work towards an LPN or an RN license, our health care providers, our state-approved programs,” she said.

Gregory Carter, associate professor and assistant dean of research at the IU School of Nursing, began his first job in health care in 1993. In that time, he has witnessed firsthand major changes within the healthcare system. He said the nursing shortage issue is “cyclical.”

“This isn’t something that’s new, we’re just experiencing it, I feel, in a more intense way than we did before,” Carter said. The issue on the education side, Carter said, is not the number of students looking to become nurses or the schools not admitting them, but limits on how many students can be in the clinical space at a time. He added that there is a nursing faculty shortage, working hand in hand with the

limited clinic size to worsen the nurse shortage.

Additionally, Carter cited the aging population as another contributor.

Estimates show that 1 in 4 Hoosiers will be of retirement age or beyond by 2030, making the population older than in the past. Older people tend to have increased health issues and require more complicated treatment, and Indiana does not have enough nurses to supplement this rising demand. Carter added that due to the aging population, the need for extended care staff is growing.

He said the aging population includes nurses who are soon to retire and will be leaving the workforce, furthering the shortage.

Mary Drewes is the vice president and associate chief nurse executive for system nursing operations at IU Health. She said she saw the workforce shortage peak during the COVID-19 pandemic — specifically

when its spread lessened in 2021 and more nurses took on traveling positions. She said there had been forewarnings of an impending nursing shortage even before the pandemic, noting the aging workforce, high burnout rates and the competitive job market.

“The aging population, the aging workforce, it’s just creating almost this perfect storm where the needs are outpacing the supply,” Drewes said.

The effects of the shortage hurt current working nurses, too. Carter said burnout is at the top of the list of issues nurses are facing. He added burnout, driven by nurses having to work more and more to alleviate the effects of the shortage, causes some nurses to reduce their hours or quit, worsening the issue.

Similarly, Drewes said the well-being of all healthcare workers has surfaced as a priority within IU Health.

Jan Taylor-Schultz

Mon. - Fri.: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Carter said SB 176 could help the issue. He noted that vocational programs for high school students could also help with nurse retention by providing real-world experience and letting them know what they are getting into before they officially enter the workforce.

Drewes also mentioned the importance of ongoing scholarship and nursing expansion programs for student nursing implemented specifically by Ivy Tech and the IU School of Nursing that help with enrollment and retention of nursing students.

Carter said hospitals provided childcare for nurses when he began working in 1993, but that has become less common since then. In Indiana, there is currently a shortage of affordable childcare.

Reimplementing these systems for nurses and other healthcare providers could change the game,

Physicians

3925 Hagan St., Suite 203 812-334-0001 jantaylorschultz.com

I have been an eating disorder specialist since 1995, treating people with Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge eating. I understand the difficulty of dealing with an eating disorder because I have been through the recovery process myself. I see clients with all types of emotional issues, as other issues can underly eating disorder behavior. I work with clients in a safe space that is needed for healing and support, while building on client strengths and solutions. I also work with local physicians and dietitians.

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.

Tue. - Thu.: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Lunch 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Mon. & Fri.: Appointments Only 1320 W. Bloomfield Rd., Suite B 812-287-8851 btownorthodontics.com

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.

Austin C. Starr, D.D.S

HOOSIER ORAL SURGEON?

A Way of ChiropracticWellness

Dr. Andrew Pitcher, D.C.

Dr. Crystal Gray, D.C.

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

Carter said, calling childcare “another epidemic” in America.

“When you have a highstress job where it’s really hard to find care and you have a place that says, ‘Here’s a place where you can drop your child off,’ that changes things,” Carter said. “That led to, I think, a more secure work environment and caused a lot of turmoil and emotional pain when they ended that.” To facilitate nurses’ wellbeing, Drewes said making sure their schedules are flexible and having wellness programs in place is important. She added that she has been focused on helping improve nurses’ work-life balance and creating an environment where everyone feels supported. “It takes a village,” Carter said. “If you want people to be mentally there at work, you’ve got to take care of these larger things so the smaller things take care of themselves.”

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.

Mon.: 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tue.: Closed Wed.: 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thu.: 9 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Fri.: 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sat.: 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Sun.: Closed

Dr. Josh Chapman At Chapman Orthodontics, we know what you look for in an orthodontist: someone who is professional, experienced, outgoing and dedicated to helping you achieve your very best smile! We offer free consultations for children, teens and adults. Let us give you a smile you can be proud of using state of the art technology and cutting edge treatment options. We offer clear braces and Invisalign. Chapman Orthodontics is a privately owned orthodontic 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!

Mon. - Thu.: 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Fri.: 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. 1124 S. College Mall Rd. 812-336-5520 jcdsmiles.com For membership in the Indiana Daily Student Health Directory, please

Jan Taylor-Schultz

I have been an eating disorder specialist since 1995, treating people with Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge eating. I understand the difficulty of dealing with an eating disorder because I have been through the recovery process myself. I see clients with all types of emotional issues, as other issues can underly eating disorder behavior. I work with clients in a safe space that is needed for healing and support, while building on client strengths and solutions. I also work with local physicians and dietitians.

Mon. - Fri.: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 3925 Hagan St., Suite 203 812-334-0001 JanTaylorSchultz.com

2552 E. Third St. 812-233-2343 drtavel.com/locations/bloomington

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.

Mon.: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Wed.: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tue., Thu., Fri.: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 415 S. Clarizz Blvd. 812-333-1911 insightsoptical.com

Mon. - Thu.: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Fri.: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. 473 S. Landmark Ave. 812-318-1023 starroralsurgery.com Ricardo Vasquez MD Mon. - Fri.: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 815 W. Second St. 812-336-6008 vascularcenterandveinclinic.com

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 public and accepting most insurances.

Mon., Tue., Thu., Fri.: 8 a.m.

744 E. Third St. 812-855-8436 optometry.iu.edu

General Health

Brent 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.

for

1175 S. College Mall Rd. 812-323-4301 kroger.com/health/clinic

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, treatment for urinary incontinence and much more. Come visit us and start living a more

How Friends of Lake Monroe work to protect Bloomington’s watershed

pictured April 17, 2022. Friends of Lake Monroe has been focusing on reducing and preventing contamination of

By Nadia Suben nadsuben@iu.edu

A 15-minute drive away from IU’s campus lies Lake Monroe, Indiana’s largest man-made body of water and a major source of drinking water for over 120,000 people. Lake Monroe’s watershed extends through five counties, making its protection essential for the humans and animals that use it for drinking, recreation, tourism and habitats.

However, the lake is plagued by water quality issues that threaten those who rely on its use. In 2016, after observing these issues and deciding to take them into her own hands, Sherry Mitchell-Bruker founded Friends of Lake Monroe, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to conserving the watershed.

“A key moment for me was when I was kayaking on the lake, seeing that the

water quality was very poor and that there was trash all over the shoreline,” MitchellBruker said. “There was no watershed group, which was amazing to me.”

To fill this gap, MitchellBruker started a Facebook page to advocate for the watershed’s conservation, which blossomed into a robust organization. Nine years later, Friends of Lake Monroe has published an extensive Water Management Plan to outline their mission. Additionally, the group carries out regular water quality surveys and shoreline cleanups, and leads outreach and education programs across the watershed about water quality protection.

Currently, Friends of Lake Monroe’s focus is on reducing and preventing contamination of the lake.

The group is working toward its long-term goal of minimizing the lake’s pollution

Federal grant freeze confusion

By Natalia Nelson nelsonnb@iu.edu

Gabriel Filippelli’s research was thrown for a loop when IU’s Office of Research Administration told him to stop his work Jan. 27 after President Donald Trump’s order to freeze federal grants.

Trump’s budget office rescinded the order Jan. 29 after a federal judge blocked it Jan. 28, but not before causing confusion and stress for researchers whose projects were funded by federal grants.

Filippelli is a professor at IU Indianapolis’s School of Science and serves as the executive director of the Environmental Resilience Institute in Bloomington. His research covers topics including the environment, human health and climate change.

The State Department awarded him a grant in October of last year to conduct research in Pakistan in conjunction with the embassies there to provide communities with air quality monitors.

On Jan. 27, Filippelli and all his international partners received a stop work order from IU, reflecting what the State Department had told them.

“The language of the wording of it made me assume that it was not going to be allowable in the future,” Filippelli said. “Basically, that it was canceled.”

Filippelli said the letter claimed the grant he received no longer effectuated the priorities of the State Department, which made him believe it was a done deal.

On Jan. 31, the State Department reached back out.

“I woke up to an email saying, ‘Well, actually, we reviewed your award, and it does not violate any of the executive orders,’” Filippelli said. “’Other than, we want you to revise a section on that we included on inclusivity and gender diversity’.”

Filippelli said while he was passionate about inclusivity, the section about diversity, equity, and inclusion was not a dominant aspect of his grant proposal — the environmental issues were. However, until he revises the section and the funding is restored, he won’t be able to continue his work.

After his inauguration Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order terminating DEI programs in the federal government.

Filippelli said his partners in Pakistan had not been told

by the State Department if the proposal could move forward again.

“Until a stop work order is officially removed, the only work we can work on is the award itself,” Filippelli said. “There’s so many moving parts still, and there’s so much unknown.”

He said he fully expected the State Department to lift the suspension and that the U.S. embassy in Pakistan was working to try and reinstate the award.

“They’re just trying to do the right thing and do their job, but they also can’t violate a presidential order,” Filippelli said. “I think that like the confusion of the freeze and then the White House withdrawing the freeze is just par for the course of what’s going on.”

Workshops and visits for the research that he had planned to take place in a couple of months had to be canceled, Filippelli said, but now they’re back on. He said he and his partners were regrouping and working on the proposal amendment to align with the priorities of the State Department.

“Many of these current grants have diversity, you know, objectives in them,” Filippelli said. “So, I’m wondering if the federal government is now going to go through program by program and examine all of their funded awards and then ask for revision to awards.”

Filippelli’s award wasn’t the only one to be suspended. The ORA said in an announcement on Jan. 28 that IU had “received notifications to cease grant activities on a small number of awards related to executive order freezing foreign financial assistance and funded Department of State and USAID.”

It also said agencies had until Feb. 10 to see if grant proposals were complying with the new executive orders.

On Jan. 29, the ORA issued an update on the freezing of federal grants after Trump’s memo was rescinded.

“Federal agencies will still be reviewing existing grants for compliance with other EOs,” the announcement read. “This rescission also does not change any existing stop work orders received on specific awards.”

The Indiana Daily Student is looking into the Trump Administration’s impact on IU researchers. Have a tip? Reach out to news@idsnews.com.

every day.

“We work to regularly update people on what the issues are, what they should be working on and generally how to protect water quality,” Maggie Sullivan, the Friends of Lake Monroe watershed coordinator, said.

The group is mostly concerned about fertilizer and manure runoff from farms, septic system runoff from private homes, improper leaf disposal and polluting boating practices. Sullivan leads education programs for citizens hoping to reduce their impact. In one of their programs, Sullivan has been identifying farmers interested in implementing new soil and water conservation practices and meets with them to conceptualize, design and potentially financially support projects compatible with their farms.

While protecting local watersheds is an evergreen

concern, domestic crises of water scarcity – particularly in the West – are becoming more and more common in the face of poor water management practices, droughts and climate change.

To Andrew Guenther, who has chaired the Bloomington and Monroe County Environmental Commissions and now serves as vice chair of the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability, these phenomena should serve as cautionary tales for Lake Monroe’s future.

“A community without water is very difficult to sustain,” Guenther said. “I want to make sure that we don’t have to go through painful cuts or rationing if something terrible happens.”

Lake Monroe’s problems already permeate the everyday lives of the thousands who rely on it. Every summer, algal blooms caused by sediment and pollutant

runoff cover the lake. Compounded with long periods without rain caused by climate change, which limit water turnover, drinking water from the lake takes on a musty taste and odor.

“There’s plenty that we can do,” Guenther said about Friends of Lake Monroe’s work to educate the public on minimizing runoff. “It’s best to address these issues at the beginning to ensure that they don’t happen at all.”

Although the steps necessary to protect Lake Monroe are vast and varied, Friends of Lake Monroe leadership is encouraged by the forward strides it has already taken, and the valuable community ties they have formed.

“There are so many different government organizations that are in the watershed: the Corps of Engineers, the Department of Natural Resources, the

City of Bloomington, Brown County, Jackson County. It takes a group like ours to pull all of these people together,” Mitchell-Bruker said. “We are the people working with the people.”

For Sullivan, the broader Bloomington community has been a crucial support in the work that Friends of Lake Monroe has already done and will help them with the goals they still hope to achieve.

“One of the blessings of living in this community is that there are a lot of good people doing good work,” Sullivan said. “There are a lot of ways for people to get involved, and a lot of ways people can help make a difference locally. It’s just a question of jumping in.”

More information about Friends of Lake Monroe, and the organization’s monthly e-newsletter, is available online.

Todd Young backs Tulsi Gabbard

By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | @byjackforrest

Indiana Sen. Todd Young has emerged as a key figure in confirmation hearings for President Donald Trump’s cabinet positions.

Young said Tuesday he’d support nominee for Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, POLITICO first reported. Young is a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, which held a confirmation hearing Jan. 30 for Gabbard. The 17-member committee has a one Republican majority.

Young, who in the U.S. House previously represented Indiana’s 9th district, which includes Monroe County, is seen as a more moderate Republican. His decision came after fellow key Senate Intelligence Committee Republicans Susan Collins and James Lankford said Monday they’d back Gabbard.

Young’s move comes after political pressure from Republicans flanking his right, including billionaire Elon Musk and Meghan McCain, daughter of late Republican senator and Presidential candidate John McCain. Vice President JD Vance also spoke to Young about the senator’s hesitations with Gabbard prior to the vote, according to POLITICO.

Young did not endorse Trump in the 2024 presiden-

tial election. Last week, he pressed Gabbard on her past apparent support of whistleblower Edward Snowden. In 2020, as a U.S. Representative, Gabbard co-sponsored a bill calling on the government to drop charges against Snowden. Snowden is a former CIA contractor who leaked American surveillance of phone and internet data of citizens. He faced charges including unauthorized communication of national defense information.

The Senate must approve the president’s cabinet nominees with majority votes. In the case of a tie, the vice president, who is also president of the Senate, casts the deciding vote.

Before that, nominees go through hearings with a Senate committee relevant to

their position. The committee then decides whether or not to recommend the nominee to the rest of the Senate.

Young and fellow Indiana Republican Sen. Jim Banks have voted in favor of all nine of the cabinet members confirmed so far. This includes Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who was narrowly confirmed after three Republicans voted no and Vance cast a tie-breaking vote. Both Young and Banks have signaled they’ll back Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for secretary of health and human services and one of Trump’s controversial choices among Republicans.

Former Indiana Governor and Vice President during Trump’s first term Mike Pence has voiced opposi-

tion to Kennedy’s nomination due to his past support of abortion. During his confirmation hearing last week, Kennedy said “every abortion is a tragedy” and vowed to implement Trump’s policies on it.

Kash Patel, Trump’s pick for FBI director, has faced backlash from Democrats for ties to Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol rioters and past promises to investigate government officials and members of the media.

The FBI director isn’t a member of the cabinet but is confirmed by the Senate. They are appointed by presidents to 10-year terms to theoretically prevent politicization.

Trump appointed Christopher Wray to the position in his last term. Trump has since blamed him for past FBI investigations into the president and Jan. 6 rioters and what he’s called a “weaponization” of the bureau. Trump said in November he would fire Wray. Before that could happen, Wray resigned. Young hasn’t yet said if he’ll vote to confirm Patel. He posted on Facebook in January he met with Patel to discuss the FBI and restoring trust in its “apolitical mission” but stopped short of an endorsement.

Banks wrote on Instagram in January Patel has his support to “clean up the FBI.”

Lake Monroe is

the lake.

FILE PHOTO | IDS

U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, speaks to the America’s Role in the World Conference audience Nov. 8, 2022, in the Global and International Studies in Bloomington. Young announced Tuesday he would support Tulsi Gabbard for the director of national intelligence.

TULSI GABBARD

Meghana Rachamadugu (she/her) is a senior studying marketing and business analytics and pursuing a minor in French.

Oracle, Mr. Beast, Donald Trump and TikTok: an unlikely combination of names central to the ongoing debate over TikTok’s future in the U.S.

Of course, they all relate to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a ban on Americans’ access to TikTok. So how are the rest of those words involved? Well, within the first few weeks of his second-term, President Trump declared he would delay the ban and restore TikTok access. In true Trump fashion, this goes against what he previously said during his first presidency when he advocated for a TikTok ban. However, the need for power and tension with China is still onbrand. The real surprise is that Oracle and Mr. Beast, among other businesses, are investigating what it means to purchase TikTok. Mr. Beast is a popular YouTuber with 352 million subscribers. Given his fanbase, I suppose looking into other social media platforms isn’t a real stretch; but Oracle is a huge business-to-business software company that hasn’t invested in social media before.

How did this even come about? When SCOTUS ruled that the federal government could legally shut down TikTok in the U.S., it broke the internet. According to another NPR article, former

Eric Cannon (he/him) is a freshman studying philosophy and political science and currently serves as a member of IU Student Government.

In 2024, Bob Dylan topped my Spotify Wrapped again. Naturally, as a selfproclaimed Dylanite, I watched “A Complete Unknown” when it hit theaters over break, partly because Dylan had hailed Timothée Chalamet for his performance.

“He will be completely believable as me. Or a younger me. Or some other me,” Dylan said on X.

Now that I’ve seen the film, it wasn’t Chalamet’s voice coach, guitar lessons, practiced mannerisms, hours in the make-up department or some other exercise of pure acting prowess on his part that fully and finally transformed him into Dylan, though it all helped. No, it was one ill-conceived or, at any rate, ill-received skit on “Saturday Night Live” last weekend.

Many viewers lambasted Chalamet across social media for one joke about

TikTok ban

THE THOUGHTFUL TAKE

sparks chaos, but adaptation is key

President Biden signed a bill requiring TikTok to deviate from ByteDance, its parent company based in China, or get shut down in the U.S. Even during the Supreme Court hearing Jan. 10, when TikTok argued the ban violates free speech for users, the justices brought up concerns about TikTok’s ties to China and implications for national security and Chinese government access. The court also found the app’s user data and collection methods questionable. And so, it was decided: Apple and Google removed TikTok from their U.S. app stores Jan. 19, restricting downloads and national access. So really, this is a political and rights-based case. But

when you add Trump’s involvement in postponing the ban, several companies rallying to purchase TikTok and consumer responses to a world without TikTok, it’s so much bigger.

What started as a security concern has become a cultural reset and business proposal.

Right before U.S. users lost temporary access to TikTok, I started seeing influencers reach out to their followers saying they would continue creating content but post it on other platforms and blogs. I’ve also had friends complain about the brief isolation, and they fear TikTok will go away in a few months. As someone who doesn’t use TikTok, I can afford a

wait-and-see approach, but I recognize for millions of users and businesses, this ban represents a significant disruption.

If the ban goes through, many small businesses and brands will lose another channel to engage with customers, which would be costly. And still, conversations about national security will persist, and it’s unclear whether it will have a meaningful impact on the strained U.S.-China relationship.

Competing social media apps like RedNote are likely to gain traction, but the ban sets a concerning precedent for restricting foreign platforms, which could stifle crosscultural exchanges further.

Paul Palmer Jr. II, a senior lecturer in marketing at the Kelley School of Business, approached the news about TikTok differently.

He found the ban very interesting because it impacts around 180 million people in the United States, and he thinks people will react one of two ways: They might feel a sense of loss for communication and connection with our world or realize they have been too reliant on TikTok in general.

He said Gen-Zers and Gen-Xers will have to get used to the channel and content loss, but it will probably be harder for Gen-Zers.

“I think for older people, it’s kind of like, well, there was life before TikTok and there

Timothée Chalamet and the bad joke

President Jimmy Carter’s death. Some included the moment in their “reasons why Timothée Chalamet should not win an Oscar this year” lists. All of it reminded me of the many occasions when Dylan stepped on audiences’ toes and received the same sort of backlash. Most of the time, it was because people thought they knew Dylan better than he did. From day one, he was called “the voice of a generation.” Not infrequently, that generation developed parasocial expectations of him.

“Their minds are filled with big ideas, images and distorted facts,” Dylan sang in his 1975 song “Idiot Wind.” In the skit on “Saturday Night Live,” Chalamet played a fitness instructor leading his class in “the Jimmy Carter,” a move where they hung limp on bungee cords as if dead. The joke came less than a month after the former president died, and it must have landed on the in-studio audience hard because on the air you could

hear the wind knocked out of — or into — them in one big collective gasp.

“A Complete Unknown” traces these sorts of incidents in Dylan’s life from the moment he stepped foot in New York (and onto New Yorkers’ toes) to one July night, five years later, when he decided to go electric at a folk festival. The crowd booed. The festival organizers looked for an axe to cut off the sound system. Dylan told his band, “Play it louder!” — with choicer words.

The movie ends there, but the story doesn’t. The next year, Dylan took his electric act abroad. In England, one member of the crowd cried out “Judas!” when he took the stage (a call I personally heard resurrected at one concert in 2023), as this article from Minnesota Public Radio relates. On the tour’s Scottish leg, a waiter pulled a knife on Dylan and called him a traitor to folk music. He whom others “knew” to be the protesting voice of their generation, these fans “knew” to be the

folk messiah, who would bring their genre to the mainstream. One way or another, poor reactions to Dylan often began in parasocial knowledge.

Chalamet’s presidential faux pas recalls an even more on-the-nose mirrormoment with Dylan. Less than a month after President Kennedy was assassinated, Dylan received an award from the Emergency Civil Liberties Committee. The culture magazine Far Out notes in his acceptance speech, he said he “saw some of himself in Lee Harvey Oswald.” The crowd gasped and booed as he dug in his heels on stage.

Dylan explained what he meant, though he never apologized. Like Dylan, Chalamet has offered no apology. This isn’t to say that neither has ever apologized — or to argue whether, when, and for what either should. In different instances, both have. This is to appreciate that at any point they are willing to struggle with their audiences. Back-and-forth between an entertainer

and their crowd reveals the entertainer as a complete unknown to us, whose mind exists somewhere beyond ours in that Who are you? I’ve never met you before. Please get away fog. Throughout his career, this dynamic has shown that Dylan has his own eyes and ears with which he sees and hears the world, just like we do. Pure people-pleasing is an easy trap for someone under as much public scrutiny, but it comes with the risk of objectification and creation by the audience.

Dylan has spent a career avoiding these things. Born Robert Zimmerman, he made himself into Bob Dylan. At concerts, he has refused to play his most wellknown songs, opting instead for those that speak to him at that particular moment. Over his life, he has defined himself against crowds who thought they knew him, for better or worse. Last weekend, Chalamet did the same.

In a parasocial age, this struggle between artist and audience strikes me

is life after TikTok,” Palmer said. “For your generation, social media and the various platforms are indigenous to how you live your life and interact with the world.”

He noted that many people, particularly socialmedia influencers, will feel silenced by the ban.

“There is always another platform,” Palmer said. “I guess the fundamental question for me is how many of these platforms can you really have and actively manage?”

He conceded that in losing TikTok, marketers would lose some creativity, which would hurt brands and businesses because app algorithms are “hyper-local” and intentionally designed. This means businesses would reach less people.

“But marketers are storytellers, brand builders, connectors and communicators,” he said.

Professor Palmer believes these teams will have to change, but it’s not as grave a situation as anticipated.

All things considered, while I don’t know if TikTok is here to stay, we shouldn’t be wary of a world without it. We lived happy and informed lives before it entered the market, and we can continue to do so afterwards. Regardless of what side you’re on, the TikTok ban highlights the need to adapt — not just in how we consume media, but how businesses, creators and governments navigate the ever-changing digital landscape.

megracha@iu.edu

as increasingly important for both parties. While writing this article, I was curious about the results that Google would turn up for “parasocial.” First, the definition. Then, an example sentence that read, “A lot of parasocial relationships tend to give fans the feeling of ownership over the creator.” That feeling of ownership is rooted in the idea that one has intimate knowledge of another person they don’t actually know. Bob Dylan’s logic of “complete unknowns” spoils this illusion and protects us from undue claims over people we’ve never met, a benefit to us and them. And this benefit doesn’t have to be limited to celebrities. We can apply it to anyone in our lives because, ultimately, life will be more exciting when we accept that our minds aren’t so large as to fit a whole other person within the width of our skull. Accepting this will open us up to the thrill of the unexpected, both good and bad, but always real.

ericcann@iu.edu

A solo traveler’s reflections on history and identity in Uzbekistan

Upon arriving in the freezing capital of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, my priorities were to get a local SIM card and book a cab to my hotel — tasks I assumed would be straightforward. Little did I know that braving the cold in a country where no one spoke my language would become a recurring challenge throughout the trip. Booking a cab through Yandex Go (an Uber equivalent) was just the start. Upon leaving the arrival terminal, I was approached by several taxi drivers as I walked toward the pickup spot. Most of them requested I employ their services at an exorbitant markup of at least five times the price of Yandex. However, my frugal sensibilities took over, I willed to forego the inconvenience and high cost. After 30 minutes of booking and rebooking, my cab arrived, and I boarded at a rather busy intersection in front of the airport terminal. So far, the experience felt super

chaotic — from hawking taxi drivers to busy traffic-laden intersections — it made me feel right at home. My chaotic introduction came to a much-awaited end when we finally left the terminal premises. Order set in as we drove past the busy intersection, and 15 minutes later, I checked into my hotel. The next morning, I set off to explore the beautiful city of Tashkent. The first monument that I came across was the statue of Amir Timur in the Amir Timur square. Visually, Timur stood tall on his horse, ready to conquer. He stood in a place where a statue of a little someone had once stood before him. Amir Timur Square, previously called Revolution Square, had hosted a statue of Karl Marx, which was replaced post-independence. That is not just the only historically significant part of this structure in the heart of Tashkent. When observing Amir Timur’s statue, one can see the Soviet modernist architecture in the periphery.

This came in the form of the Soviet luxury hotel — Hotel Uzbekistan. Such symbolic

contradictions wouldn’t leave me throughout my travels from Tashkent to Bukhara, as I saw Soviet-built mass housing apartments on one side and the statue of a 14th-century Islamic scholar on the other. To me, this juxtaposition was evidence of a country in transition. The transition from the U.S.S.R to a postindependence reality. One championed communism and the Soviet national identity, and the other championed the “greatest” time of the Uzbek people’s territorial history — the Timurid dynasty. As a student of sociology, my instinct was to examine what the people of Uzbekistan felt about this. So, I set out on my mini project. Armed with the mighty Google Translate, I spoke to cab drivers and random folk at the supermarket (Korzinka) and restaurants. A cab driver I spoke to made a rather moving remark: “During Soviet times, the common people lived well.” He expressed nostalgia for life back then, talking about people enjoying Disco music and living fulfilled

lives for their nation, which reformed my former view of the U.S.S.R. as just being a bigger and hungrier North Korea. Perhaps a more nuanced perspective was needed to fully capture the essence of the Soviet Union — one that goes beyond the contemporized image of disgruntled, malnourished people waiting in long bread queues.

After meeting people born in independent Uzbekistan, I realized they saw the Soviet Union as colonizers. As oppressors who suppressed the Islamic identity of the Uzbek people. They see today as history being rewritten, rightly so, to celebrate the great Uzbek leaders and scholars in history.

Thirty-odd years are in no way enough to transform a nation’s identity. One may assume that after the fall of the Soviet Union, it was imperative to take a path that rejected the Soviet identity — it happened in post-independence India when Indians reclaimed their country from the Brits through systemic changes like adopting a

more socialized economy to symbolic ones like renaming train stations and streets. So, Uzbekistan adopting such a policy was not much of a surprise to me. What sparked my curiosity was whether this change had any public support. I say this because Uzbekistan is a de facto dictatorship; it has been since its inception. Building a national identity after the collapse of the previous one naturally favors the concentration of political power. Why would they allow such a system to continue and such an identity to pervade every life in Uzbekistan? Here, I am not attempting to portray the Uzbek people as a uniformly fatalistic population, nor am I suggesting that their desires and views are insignificant. Rather, I am curious about the role of fatalism in their collective consciousness. This is merely a point of inquiry, not a definitive assertion about Uzbek culture or attitudes.

During my conversations with the Uzbek people, I was surprised by their love for Bollywood. As soon as

they learned I was Indian, they would break into songs like “Jimmi Jimmi” from the Indian movie “Disco Dancer.” Their admiration drove my attention back to India. I realized that the Uzbek story was a tale of caution to what is happening in India. There is an attempt to create a Nationalist identity in India, glorifying the past and rejecting the institutions set post-independence. The same question echoed in my mind of whether the people want it or not. After this experience, that question has no answer. I have come to understand that identity is a complex issue. It can be mended and twisted to favor political ambition, but I am confident that there is an essence of identity that allows communism and Timurid to exist on the same land. There is an essence that lets Hindu nationalism and secularism exist on the same plane. What that essence or a lack thereof is, I may never know but I am glad that I got to explore this wonderful jewel of Central Asia — Uzbekistan.

ausave@iu.edu

Advait Save (he/they) is a sophomore studying economics and sociology.

ERRANT ERIC

ADVAIT WRITES

ILLUSTRATION BY MANSI KADAM

Meet the artist who sculpted Mellencamp

By Abby Turner abbturne@iu.edu

Michael McAuley is a sculptor, an immortalizer.

He insists he must take his time sculpting people or else they may end up mangled, like so many realistic bronze figurative sculptures.

The Bloomington native McAuley said the goal of figurative sculpture is to honor a person for what they’ve given to society. That is precisely why he decided to raise money to sculpt a Hoagy Carmichael statue on IU’s campus as a passion project, which took permanent residence outside the IU Auditorium in 2008.

McAuley was then commissioned by IU for an Elinor Ostrom sculpture in 2020, the first statue of a woman on the IU campus. Ostrom was a former IU professor and was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2009.

McAuley’s third gift to IU was finished four years later: a bronze John Mellencamp and his guitar.

As McAuley puts it, everyone’s brother is a painter. But no one knows a sculptor. Sculpting requires more tools, a live model to pay out of pocket and the patience to fail and try again. Not many people can do what he does, especially when only given a photograph to work from.

There is pressure when the person you are hoping to bring to life is still living and will personally evaluate it.

In total, John Mellencamp took McAuley five months to complete from his studio in Indianapolis. The sculpture was unveiled on Bloomington’s campus Oct. 18 last year. Mellencamp himself made an appearance for the occasion, smiling for photos and singing a few songs for those who gathered.

Mellencamp’s bronze figure now stands forever outside the IU Auditorium next to Hoagy Carmichael. His left arm holds the neck of his acoustic guitar and his right arm is held up, ready to strum.

When McAuley sculpted Carmichael, he had complete artistic freedom, choosing the age in which he would appear and the pose he deemed most Hoagy-like.

The Mellencamp commission was much stricter. The singer’s agent gave McAuley a recent photograph and said this is how he wanted to be depicted. This was after McAuley had already prepared a presentation where he explained the public might find it more iconic to see a young Mellencamp as he was creating his hit songs.

McAuley saw Mellencamp in concert once or twice, he can’t remember. They are only three years apart in age, with McAuley turning 70 this year and both have been residents of Bloomington. The sculpture tethered them together.

“I respect Mellencamp as an artist, as a songwriter, because you know me, I use clay,” McAuley said. “And he uses words like I use clay.”

His mother an artist and his dad a mathematician, the values of art and perfection were instilled in McAuley when he was born.

“With my father, everything was black and white,” McAuley said. “There are no gray areas. When he would shovel the snow off the driveway, it had to be a perfectly straight line. No snow on the pavement, always on the grass.”

McAuley knows no life without art. His mother and grandmother were always painting and crafting. He drew a lot in high school and worked with clay when he could. During those years, he bought motorcycle parts from his friend for $25 and put it together himself.

“The motorcycle was a machine, 3D,” McAuley said. “And clay, I could make anything I wanted out of that clay.” For years, he rode on the wooded trails behind his home in Bloomington, occasionally venturing onto the road.

holding his guitar. McAuley said he is relieved to be done with the project, proud of what he produced. He is now working on a piece for an art show, a circular clay sculpture he calls “Madonna and Child” based on Michelangelo’s “The Virgin and Child with Infant Saint John.” McAuley takes inspiration from Michelangelo. He is a Christian, like him. He prays for the good of the world and the safety of his mother. He prays for himself and his nation, for the good that he wants to see in everything. He sculpts with a photograph of Michelangelo’s original “Virgin and Child” sitting on the table beneath him.

Michelangelo’s piece depicts a young Jesus laid in the arms of Mary with a young John the Baptist holding out a baptismal bowl to her. McAuley’s takes the same circular shape but instead is set on a beach with Mary wearing a swimsuit and baby Jesus snug inside an inner tube with goggles on his head. John the Baptist is awaiting to take full shape, but when he is finished, he will bear a mischievous grin and tease Mary with a locust.

McAuley’s hair is gray. His tools are tiny, silver and sharp. The table they rest on is covered in a blue tarp, stained in clay. He works slowly, sometimes listening to the radio to avoid the starkness of silence. His choice of rhythm is light, classical or jazz or 1970s music.

He was listening to the radio on the day he feared most for his reputation. It was the morning broadcast of his favorite Indianapolis station, WICR 88.7, and the two hosts were talking about the new John Mellencamp statue down in Bloomington. They said the statue didn’t look like him. For McAuley, that is the worst thing he could hear as a figurative sculptor.

McAuley emailed them immediately.

“I said, ‘I listen to you every morning, I love your commentary on life and politics, but I really think you missed the boat on this one,’” McAuley said. “‘I was given a photograph to work from, and here is a picture of him right beside the head. People are influenced by you and what you say. I wish you had done more research before you made a comment on something you are aesthetically ill-prepared to comment on.’”

He kept listening to the station in the following mornings in hopes they would retract their statement, but if they did, he didn’t hear it. He has seen similar remarks in the comment sections of news articles.

McAuley said he wishes people had studied the aged version of Mellencamp’s face as he had. He knows he followed the photograph exactly. He knows the statue is one he should be proud of because Mellencamp himself thanked him.

The letter from Mellencamp was short, but it was all he wanted. It read: “Michael, thank you for your work, and your eye, to the sculptor.” As he worked on Mellencamp, he viewed his anatomy references time and time again, walking back and forth between the door and the studio where John stood atop his platform. In the hallway between them, sculptures of his past line the walls.

He sold his motorcycle to go to college for art and hasn’t ridden one since. In college at IU, his pottery classes were his favorite because he enjoyed working with his hands and making mistakes, changing and adding things to the clay as he worked.

The beginnings of a bronze sculpture are in clay. McAuley sculpted Mellencamp with it, then sent it to a foundry to be cast in bronze.

McAuley said setting a sculpture cast in bronze is difficult, especially in the Midwest, because it is essentially a desert for foundries. One must find a foundry they trust, where bronze is melted and

McAuley said the motorcycle gave him the same freedom he found in art, which brought him “great exhilaration.”

poured into a cast after the wax is removed from an intermediary plaster form. Once finished, few adjustments can be made; the bronze statue will remain as it is forever. This is McAuley’s reputation. This is his livelihood.

The pressure to make his sculptures perfect wakes him up at night.

***

To maintain his reputation as an artist of high integrity and to ensure accuracy, McAuley hung up posters outside his bathroom door showing the anatomy of a human ear and the muscle groups of the face. No two ears are the same, but he said they all share a certain unity.

McAuley said the ears and the face are the hardest to get right. If you get the face wrong, you get the person wrong.

Sculpting the body of a person is easy enough if you have a model to stand still for you. The model must have the same body type as your subject and be willing to wear whatever clothes they are given. Finding Mellencamp’s body, however, proved to be a great challenge.

McAuley stood across the street from the nearest Starbucks in Indianapolis for hours to scout out someone willing to do the job. He was turned down by every man he found whose body could resemble the famous singer. Eventually, someone

responded to his Facebook notice. He didn’t mind that the model’s body didn’t match — McAuley was able to sculpt his legs and cut them down from there. The sculptor used his knowledge of anatomy to change the body type to fit Mellencamp.

*** Down the hall from the bathroom in his studio, a room with glass windows and a sliding door sits cluttered with art, some finished and some awaiting his delicate hand. The room smells of paint with no visible source. An empty black platform sits near the back of the room, where the bronze Mellencamp once stood

During his bathroom breaks, he could reach for the aged book above the toilet bowl, which detailed the lives and artworks of famous sculptors like Michelangelo and Raphael. When he washed his hands, he could read the Bible verse he taped to the mirror: “He who humbles himself will be exalted — and he who exalts himself will be humbled.”

With the Mellencamp profits, part of his compensation went into savings and the other part was reserved for non-essentials. He never married, never had children. He is free to do as he pleases with the funds and his free time. He thinks he will buy a motorcycle.

COURTESY PHOTO

The finished sculpture of John Mellencamp sits outside the IU Auditorium on Oct. 22, 2024. At the unveiling, Mellencamp sang songs for those in attendance.

COURTESY PHOTO

The Hoagy Carmichael sculpture sits outside the IU Auditorium in August 2022. Michael McAuley sculpted Carmichael in 2008.

COURTESY PHOTO

Sculptor Michael McAuley is pictured. McAuley sculpted the Elinor Ostrom, Hoagy Carmichael and John Mellencamp statues on IU’s campus.

COURTESY PHOTO

The plaque honoring John Mellencamp with lyrics from his hit song “Small Town” is embedded in stone by his statue at the IU Auditorium. Mellencamp received an honorary doctorate from the university in 2000.

COURTESY PHOTO

The sculpted head of John Mellencamp in clay sits next to a photo of him Aug. 14, 2024, at Livingston Designs Sculpture Studio. The finished sculpture of Mellencamp was unveiled on IU’s campus in October of last year.

RICHIE LY | IDS

The statue of Elinor Ostrom is seen outside Woodburn Hall on Feb. 5, 2025, on IU’s campus in Bloomington. The sculpture was unveiled Nov. 12, 2020.

Departures leave Indiana backline rebuilding

By Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer matfuent@iu.edu | @mateo_frohwer

Indiana men’s soccer has dealt with defensive turnover before.

In 2019, fresh off a College Cup appearance and an undefeated Big Ten regular season record, the Hoosiers lost four of their five members in the backline — the reigning Hermann Trophy winner Andrew Gutman, 2018 Goalkeeper of the Year Trey Muse and Second Team All-Big Ten members Rece Buckmaster and Timmy Mehl. The 2018 Freshman of the Year and center back Jack Maher marked Indiana’s sole returner. Even with such drastic turnover, the Hoosiers failed to see devastating consequences as they reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

Five years later, Indiana is in nearly the same situation.

Center back Jansen Miller, full back Quinton Elliot and goalkeeper JT Harms all departed the program in the offseason. However, this time around, the Hoosiers retained three of their key defenders from last season — sophomore Alex Barger, redshirt sophomore Breckin Minzey and freshman Josh Maher.

Dealt nearly an identical

situation to Jack’s five years ago, Maher will be the only consistent starter returning from the backline. And just like in 2019, head coach Todd Yeagley has no doubts his team will fare just fine.

“I feel good about where we are in general,” Yeagley said in a press conference Jan. 23. “Our depth, I think, is very good. It’s just who can kind of punch through and be at (an) All-Big Ten level.”

Miller was that player in 2024.

Originally transferring from Xavier University, the Ballwin, Missouri, native notched only three starts and 11 appearances in 2022 — his first season in Bloomington. Miller broke into the starting lineup in 2023, securing 17 starts in 19 games during his senior season. But in 2024, the thenfifth-year senior Miller truly broke through. He started every game except against Division III side Trine University, and his game-winner against the University of Akron on Nov. 24 secured Indiana’s 10th straight Sweet 16 appearance. Miller’s efforts resulted in an appearance on the Second Team All-Big Ten and a selection as the No. 9 overall pick to Sporting Kansas City in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft. Now the backline is un-

der Maher’s command, even with just one year of collegiate experience under his belt. As for the spot next to him, the competition is “wide open.”

“It’s a very important

position that we’re pursuing,” Yeagley said. “We need to make sure we have a very high-end starting level center back. And that’s not going to exclude any internal options, but you have to

have three for two (spots) there. You can’t just have two capable starters.”

One of those internal options is Minzey, who shifted around the back line depending on what Indiana needed. Yeagley and his staff feel confident in his ability to play both right back and center back, and the 15-year Hoosier head coach noted the importance of that flexibility.

Regardless of those decisions, the Hoosiers will add more pieces to the backline this offseason.

“We’re definitely bringing in a player that we think can be an instant impact,” Yeagley said. “We just haven’t announced that player yet but to be determined on when we’ll let you know.”

***

For the first time in three seasons, Indiana’s goalkeeper position will feature a new face on day one. Harms departed the program after exhausting his collegiate eligibility, spending three seasons with the Hoosiers. Now the Cream and Crimson will likely turn to graduate student Holden Brown.

Brown spent four seasons with the University of Virginia before transferring to

the Hoosiers in April 2024.

The Zionsville, Indiana, native missed all of last season while recovering from knee surgery, and he now enters his last year of eligibility.

After an extended period on the sideline, Indiana is still taking cautious measures with Brown. Yeagley noted he is “limited” in his actions, only participating in some handling, footwork and technical work with assistant coach Christian Lomeli. Still, Yeagley already has a solid understanding of the player Brown is — and what type of player Indiana will need him to be to succeed.

“He’s a really positive, energetic, good leader, and he did a great job in his role this year on the sideline,” Yeagley said. “But we need him not only in goal ready to compete, but we also need his voice and his leadership. It’s a big void losing some personalities that we did this past fall.”

In total, Indiana’s three departures leave with 205 combined appearances, a number that will be nearly impossible to replicate through the portal. But if history is representative of Indiana’s success with a rebuilt defense in 2025, it appears Yeagley and the Hoosiers will be just fine.

Former Indiana player Hood-Schifino traded to Utah Jazz

By Mateo Fuentes-Rohwer

Former Indiana men’s basketball standout guard Jalen Hood-Schifino was traded to the Utah Jazz on Feb. 2. The trade was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN and later confirmed by The Dallas Morning News and the Los Angeles Times. Hood-Schifino spent the 2022-23 season at Indiana, averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. His season culminated with Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in a season where the Hoosiers reached the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Hood-Schifino with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, but the Pittsburgh native only played 23 games across two seasons for the organization before being traded to the Jazz. In the 2024-25 NBA season, the former Hoosier has averaged 2 points per game in only two games played.

Beyond Hood-Schifino, the three-team trade headlined the departures of point guard Luka Doncic and power forward Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks and the Lakers, respectively. Doncic had spent his entire career with the Mavericks, earning five All-NBA

First Team selections as well as Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 and an NBA Finals appearance in 2024. Similarly, Davis spent the last five seasons with the Lakers, winning the NBA championship in 2020. Other members of the trade include power forwards Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris heading to Los Angeles while guard Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first round pick joined Davis in Dallas. Hood-Schifino was the only player to join the Jazz, along with two second round picks — a 2025 from the Mavericks and a 2025 from the Los Angeles Clippers.

BRIANA PACE | IDS

Freshman center back Josh Maher controls the ball in a game against the University of Akron on Nov. 24, 2024, at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington. Maher started in all 20 of his appearances in 2024.

Indiana Athletics reports $3 million deficit

By Dalton James jamesdm@iu.edu | @daltonmjames

A year after reporting a $5.6 million surplus, Indiana Athletics submitted its 2024 fiscal year financial report to the NCAA, and according to information originally published by the Herald-Times, the athletic department reported a $3.1 million deficit. The department produced a total revenue of $173.5 million, which is $28.8 million more than the previous fiscal year. The greatest increase in revenue came from the $31.4 million in direct institutional support as that figure was previously just $5 million. On the contrary, the de-

partment reported $176.6 million in operating expenses — $37.6 million more than in 2023. The steep increase can be largely attributed to coaching salaries and severance payments.

Indiana Athletics paid its coaches $6.6 million more in the 2024 fiscal year than the previous year. Former

Indiana football head coach Tom Allen’s $15.5 million buyout is included in severance payments, which total $22.1 million.

Indiana made its first College Football Playoff appearance in head coach Curt Cignetti’s first season in Bloomington. With the Big Ten earning $46 million in the CFP, each of the 18 schools in the conference will receive nearly $2.6 million.

That figure, however, is not included in the 2024 fiscal year report, which runs from July 2023 to June 2024.

In preparation for the new revenue-sharing model that will allow schools to pay its players a projected total of $22 million, which may largely replace the Name, Image and Likeness collectives like Hoosiers Connect, the athletic department made internal changes.

According to the Indianapolis Star’s report Jan. 17, Indiana Athletics eliminated 25 positions within the department, leaving 12 unfilled positions vacant while laying off 13 employees.

Indiana lands offensive lineman from Notre Dame

By Dalton James jamesdm@iu.edu | @daltonmjames

Indiana football landed

its 19th transfer portal recruit and third reinforcement on the offensive line

Jan. 31 in Pat Coogan as he committed to the Hoosiers, according to his post on X.

He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Coogan, who spent four seasons at the University of Notre Dame, started 13 of the Fighting Irish’s 16 games en route to a College Football Playoff National Championship appearance. Although he was originally a left guard, he spent the 2024 season at center.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Coogan was at the forefront of Notre Dame’s potent rushing attack, which finished 19th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards per game (200.9) and eighth in yards per carry (5.7). In the Fighting Irish’s 10-point victory over the Hoosiers in the CFP First Round on Dec. 20, the team ran for 193 yards on 35 rushing attempts.

The Palos Heights, Illinois, native earned a 72.1 overall grade — the 45thbest at his position — by Pro Football Focus.

Coogan will presumptively slot into the starting center position, which Mike Katic occupied in the Hoosiers’ historic 2024 season.

Coogan joins Khalil Benson, who transferred away from Indiana after spending 2020-23 in Bloomington before returning this offseason, and Zen Michalski as Indiana’s offensive linemen acquisitions. Michalski played from 2021-24 at Ohio State and originally hails from Floyds Knobs, Indiana.

Although the Hoosiers’ spring practice official details have yet to be announced, they’ll play their spring game at noon April 19.

When Indiana opens the regular season Aug. 30 against Old Dominion University at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, all three transfer offensive linemen will begin their final collegiate football season.

Grace Berger waived by Indiana Fever

By Dalton James jamesdm@iu.edu

Former head coach hired as assistant at FSU

By Dalton James jamesdm@iu.edu | @daltonmjames

PHOTO | IDS Then-graduate student guard Grace Berger shoots a jumper Mar. 3, 2023, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Berger was waived by the Fever Feb. 2

The WNBA’s Indiana Fever waived guard Grace Berger Feb. 2. Berger was selected as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft after spending five seasons with Indiana women’s basketball. During her two-year tenure in Indianapolis, Berger played 47 games and averaged 13.3 minutes per game. Over her five-year career with Indiana from 2018-23, Berger scored 1,841 total points and earned First Team All-Big Ten honors in each of her last four seasons. In her rookie season, the Louisville, Kentucky, native played 36 games and scored 4.2 points per game. But during her second season, Berger saw action in just 11 contests and notched 2.8 points per game. After the 2024 season, the Fever fired head coach Christie Sides and subsequently hired Stephanie White, who previously served as the Connecticut Sun’s head coach. White played for the Fever from 2000-04 before serving as their head coach from 2015-16. Berger, who is currently playing for OGM Orman Genclik Ankara in the Turkish KBSL, will now look to land on another WNBA’s squad’s roster ahead of training camp, which begins April 27. The regular season is slated to start on May 16.

Former Indiana women’s soccer head coach Erwin van Bennekom, who resigned to “pursue a different opportunity” Jan. 13, has found his landing spot. Van Bennekom was hired as an assistant coach at Florida State University women’s soccer Jan. 29, according to as FSU Athletics release. He previously spent six seasons at the helm of the Hoosiers in Bloomington. “I want to thank Brian Pensky for this opportunity. I’m excited to join the FSU soccer staff and work alongside Brian (Pensky), Bobby (Shuttleworth) and Micah (Bledsoe),” van Bennekom said in the release. “Over the last decade, FSU soccer has established itself as the top program in the country and the destination for the best players to develop. I’m thrilled to be part of that legacy and help create the best training and playing environment in college soccer.”

BRIANA PACE | IDS

Fifth-year senior Justice Ellison runs through Notre Dame’s defensive line during the first round of the College Football Playoffs against Notre

Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Offensive lineman Pat Coogan transferred to the Hoosiers on Jan. 31.

Penksy enters

fourth season

While van Bennekom has found his next job, the Hoosiers are still conducting their national search

the program’s fifth head coach.

COURTESY PHOTO

Former Indiana women’s soccer head coach Erwin van Bennekom is pictured. Van Bennekom resigned from his position Jan. 13.

PHOTO

The front of Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall is pictured at sunset May 9, 2024, in Bloomington. Indiana Athletics reported a $3.1 million deficit in the 2024 fiscal year.

Indiana falls in final minutes to rival Purdue

Meet Cole Gilley, Indiana’s ‘role model’ pitcher

By Matt Press mtpress@iu.edu | @mattpress23

Behind the south end zone at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Cole Gilley could gaze out and see his future.

No more than 15 yards behind the goalpost, a miniature turf field was barricaded by a small white fence. It’s where Gilley, a Columbus, Indiana, native frequently spent Saturdays during his childhood.

“There’s probably multiple times I was down there tackling somebody playing two-hand touch football,” Gilley said, placing air quotes around “two-hand touch.” Gilley dreamt of playing football for Indiana. He starred as the quarterback for Columbus East High School, leading the Olympians to a 2019-20 IHSAA 6A State Championship appearance. In a 62-21 win over Bedford North Lawrence that season, Gilley went 8-for-8 passing with 199 yards and five touchdowns.

He earned a spot on both the 2018 and 2019 Indiana Associated Press All-State teams. But it wasn’t just on the gridiron where Gilley’s right arm was a weapon, and it ultimately wouldn’t be at Memorial Stadium where Indiana baseball’s redshirt senior pitcher would hone it in for college.

As a pitcher for the Olympians’ baseball team, Gilley was a bonafide ace. He posted a 12-2 record with a career 1.63 ERA. Gilley garnered considerable college interest early in high school, and on Nov. 28, 2017, he announced his verbal commitment to Indiana.

At the time, the Hoosiers were led by head coach Chris Lemonis. Kyle Bunn manned the pitching staff, and Kyle Cheesebrough and Zach Lucas were key assistants. But roughly seven months later, everything changed.

Lemonis was hired by Mississippi State University to become its next head coach. Cheesebrough and Lucas followed. Bunn, who Gilley expected to develop under, jumped to Middle Tennessee State University.

On July 2, 2018, Jeff Mercer was hired from Wright State University to coach at Indiana. He didn’t know Gilley well. Though Gilley was a longstanding recruit for the class of 2020 — and ranked as the No. 23 overall pros-

pect in the state — Mercer brought in a handful of other pitchers to compete.

He told Gilley during one of their first conversations that it would be a “little bit different” than he anticipated.

“You want to be honest with guys when you come in and get the job,” Mercer said.

Less than two weeks later, Gilley withdrew his commitment.

“He decided to go a different direction,” Mercer said. “It was mutual and very respectful.”

The following summer, Gilley landed on Indiana State University and head coach Mitch Hannahs, a friend of Mercer’s. In his freshman season, Gilley faced just one batter — he struck him out.

Then, in January 2022, with Gilley expected to be more involved in the rotation, he tore his UCL, a ligament on the inner side of the elbow. Gilley needed Tommy John surgery. His sophomore season was over before it began.

As a junior in 2023, Gilley only compiled 8 2/3 innings of work out of the bullpen. He tossed a scoreless frame with three strikeouts against the Hoosiers but never managed more than two innings in an appearance.

The Sycamores edged Wright State and Iowa in the NCAA Tournament Terre Haute Regional before falling in the Fort Worth Super Regional. Gilley never took the mound during the postseason run.

By his senior year, both of Gilley’s sisters, Cadence and Chloe, were playing volleyball at Indiana State. Gilley had no intentions of transferring, and he was rewarded with his most productive season to date.

“It’s been a dream come true. Growing up, I always wanted to go to IU and play here. ”

Senior pitcher Cole Gilley

In 15 appearances, including three starts, Gilley hurled 32 2/3 innings. He pitched against Indiana twice more and toed the slab in an NCAA Tournament matchup with the University of Kentucky. Gilley’s numbers weren’t ideal — he pitched to a 6.61 ERA and gave up four or more runs on four separate occasions.

But more importantly, Gilley gained much-needed experience with another year of eligibility remaining.

When Hannahs left Indiana State shortly after the season to coach at the University of South Florida, Gilley sought a different direction, one that seemed inevitable since his childhood.

He entered the transfer portal, and Mercer was immediately interested.

“I really thought he was a few adjustments away, maybe a cutter or a sweeper or a slider, just another layer or wrinkle, from being really good,” Mercer said.

He worried, though, if the high school recruitment experience had left a sour taste in Gilley’s mouth.

“I was like, ‘do you think Cole Gilley will hang up on me if I call him?’” Mercer asked one of Gilley’s summer ball coaches.

The coach said no, insisting Gilley was everything Mercer wanted in a player. Tough. Blue collar mentality. Strong work ethic and character. During their initial conversation, Mercer first told Gilley how appreciative he was for taking the phone call.

Gilley said there were no hard feelings, and on June 14 last summer, he committed to Indiana. Now, as part of a revamped pitching staff composed of veteran transfers and promising underclassmen, Gilley’s finally seeing his dream realized.

“It’s been a dream come true,” Gilley said. “Growing up, I always wanted to go to IU and play here. Just being here and representing Indiana across your chest — I love it.”

***

One difference Gilley noted between Indiana and Indiana State is the depth of pitching data. He said Hannahs was “a little more old school.” But now, Gilley’s pitch shapes and metrics are being tracked extensively.

With his cutter being a hopeful method of inducing weak contact and going deeper into games, Gilley’s worked frequently with pitching coach Dustin Glant. Mercer said Glant is an adept “pitch design developer” and there’s optimism for Gilley to deliver, either as a starter or in long relief.

Even with the influx of data and attentiveness to every pitch, every minute movement, Gilley’s mentality remains the same.

“Attack hitters and get after them and find any way to get (them) out,” Gilley said.

“You’re not going to have your best stuff every day, but whatever you’re work-

ing with that day, you got to get guys out ... Some people can get caught up too much in the data and forget to just compete.”

As one of 11 pitching transfers this offseason, eight of which being upperclassmen, Indiana’s gained plenty of experience, something direly needed for a staff trying to recoup considerable pitching production.

Flamethrowing ace Connor Foley was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Brayden Risedorph, who transitioned from a starting role to the back end of the bullpen last year, was taken in the 20th round by the Chicago Cubs. Indiana’s bullpen workhorse Ty Bothwell graduated, and reliever Julian Tonghini transferred to the University of Arizona.

The Hoosiers needed options on the mound, and needed ones who have seen their share of college hitters.

“What’s nice is a couple of those transfers have come in and given us a little bit more of a veteran feel to that group,” Mercer said. “They can go out and win a bunch of ball games and also give those young guys time to grow up, as well.”

Mercer said the starting rotation isn’t yet determined but noted there are a lot of ways Indiana could

approach the weekends. He mentioned redshirt senior Gavin Seebold — a transfer from the University of Southern Indiana — as a choice, in addition to senior southpaw Ryan Kraft and junior righty Aydan Decker-Petty.

Graduate student Ben Grable is another arm Mercer has expressed excitement about. Grable was expected to be a front-line starter in 2024 but missed the entire season with an injury. While Mercer said he’ll likely pitch the beginning of the season in a closer or setup role, he lauded Grable’s “premium stuff.” ***

The Hoosiers have a motto for their pitching staff: “we’re gonna be aggressive, we’re gonna be tough, we’re gonna be mean,” graduate student Drew Buhr said.

If anyone embodies that, Buhr said, it’s Gilley.

“Through and through one of the best guys I’ve ever met,” Buhr said. “On the pitching side, he’s an absolute beast. He’s super competitive, really aggressive.”

It’s a bit ironic given his quiet nature. He isn’t the most vocal in group settings, but freshman pitcher Brayton Thomas said Gilley has helped him tremendously in one-on-one conversations.

There’s his work ethic and

ability to take “no days off,” as Thomas says. Then there’s his hyper-attentiveness to the game, whether he’s on the mound or analyzing it from the bench.

“The way that his mind is so locked in, day in and day out,” Thomas said. But most importantly, Gilley’s imparted wisdom relating to the mental side of the game. He’s talked to Thomas about staying level-headed through the ebbs and flows of an outing, through mowing down batters or failing to find the strike zone.

“Gilley’s been an outstanding role model,” Thomas said. “He’s been in the game for a really long time. I’m thankful for Gilley because this whole pitching staff can look up to him.” Wherever Gilley finds himself in the mix this season, be it as a starter or out of the bullpen, he’s emphasizing aggressiveness. Getting ahead in counts. Attacking hitters and pounding the strike zone.

The first time he takes the mound in an Indiana uniform at Bart Kaufman Field, less than half a mile from where he used to fantasize about throwing touchdowns, that won’t change. And five years later than he expected, Gilley’s Indiana dreams will finally come full circle.

COURTESY PHOTO

Then-Indiana State University pitcher Cole Gilley delivers a pitch. Gilley transferred to Indiana in the offseason.

7.

8.

Showdown’

1 2

Coffee, community and competition

By Sydney Weber syaweber@iu.edu

Over the course of two hours the night of Jan. 29, more than 30 shots of espresso and numerous pitchers of milk were pulled and steamed during the Soma Showdown. In this Battle of the Baristas, 16 competitors faced off, two-by-two, vying to be recognized as the best latte artist in town.

The competition was the brainchild of Mallory Chapman, manager of the Soma Coffeehouse and Juice Bar on Kirkwood Avenue.

She said she’d always wanted to participate in a latte art competition but had never done it herself.

There have been latte art competitions in Bloomington before. Morgenstern Books and Cafe hosted one in April 2024.

“I know a couple of the baristas at Kirkwood have competed in the competitions at Morgenstern’s before,” Chapman said. “We have a lot of baristas who practice their art every day, and they’re always wanting to learn more and show off their skills. So, I was just like, ‘Why not do one here then and invite all the other stores?’”

The contestants Participants came from seven coffee enterprises: various Soma locations, Hopscotch Coffee, Inkwell

Horoscope

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is a 9 — The

work you’ve been doing reflects well on you. Maintain discipline with your practices and routines. Draw upon hidden resources.

Strengthen basic foundations.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Today is a 7 — Relax and enjoy the company. Spend time with people, activities and places that you love. Focus on the present moment rather than the past or future.

Bakery and Cafe, Crumble Coffee and Bakery and Specialty Dose, a coffee distributor. There was also one free agent, who, under “store you are representing” on the sign-up sheet, wrote “none lol.”

Like Chapman, this was the first latte art competition for Crumble Coffee’s Marco Fiorini.

“Some of my old coworkers from Soma approached me and were like, ‘You gotta do this,’ Fiorini said. “So, I thought, ‘Why not? It’ll be fun.’”

Fiorini brought his own steaming pitchers to the competition. He said he felt very comfortable with them, having used them at Crumble, where he’s an assistant manager and sometimes referred to as “the coffee wizard.”

“I think that using the same kind of things every time can help with consistency,” Fiorini said.

Malea Floyd from the Soma on Kirkwood signed up at the last minute. Floyd said she felt nervous as it was her first latte art competition.

“I’m kind of just curious to see, like, if it’s as easy here as it is at work or, like, how it translates, you know,” Floyd said.

Another competitor, Brooke Sturgeon of the Kirkwood Soma, said it’s not as easy to make latte art in a showdown as it is while working.

“It’s very different when you’re behind the bar, under

To get the advantage, check

time crunch, than when you just are doing it day to day, just for customers, and you have like a moment to calmly do things,” Sturgeon said. “The nerves can kind of get to you.”

Sturgeon has participated in latte art competitions before at Morgenstern Books and Cafe. She said the experience helped ease the tension of working under pressure.

“It’s not as nervewracking to have somebody watching you do it anymore,” Sturgeon said. “It’s more like you don’t understand time when you’re back there. We have two minutes to make art and try again a second time if we want to, but we can’t see a timer. We don’t have time to even look up to see a timer. You just don’t really understand how long two minutes is until you’re back there.”

The competition During the competition, contestants had two minutes and two tries to create latte art that would score highly in the categories of symmetry, quality of the foam, clarity of the design, level of difficulty and overall impression.

Two baristas competed against each other and the one with the highest score moved on to the next round.

The judges didn’t know which latte came from which contestant.

The front room of Soma on Kirkwood Avenue was full as community members came to cheer on the competitors and judges. Bella Inman and Kai Miller, IU students, came bearing signs reading “#1 Soma Fan!” and “Go Natalie!” in support of the coffee shop and one of the judges of the competition, Natalie Haffner.

In front of the crowd were announcers Ryan Wainscott

and Jackson Moore, wearing identical Jägermeister flight suits and black bow ties. They cracked jokes during the introductions and while contestants prepared their lattes.

The contestants had different strategies as they ground, steamed and poured the elements to create their latte art.

“My strategy right now is to do a safe one and then try to experiment and go the extra mile in another one,” Fiorini said before the competition started. “So, if the first one doesn’t turn out well, I’m just gonna have to try to do the first one again even better.”

Designs also varied by participant. Sturgeon preferred hearts or tulips, which she described as a three-layered heart.

“The more complicated ones, like a rosette or something, require a little bit more of a precise hand I haven’t quite mastered yet,” Sturgeon said. “I’ve attempted things like a swan. I think I’ve gotten as close as a duck before is the best I can say.”

Sturgeon’s design got her through the first round, but she fell to Andrew Good of Kirkwood Soma in the second. Good lost to Matthew Myer, also of Kirkwood Soma, in the quarterfinals. Myer went on to face Franklin Hou of Hopscotch in the final round. In the quarterfinals, Hou defeated

Moore, who acted as emcee and contestant.

Before Myer and Hou battled it out for the trophy — an upcycled baseball trophy from 2006 featuring a steaming pitcher circled by espresso beans — Good and Moore competed one more time to determine who would take third and fourth place. Good finished in fourth place, Moore in third. In the final Battle of the Baristas, Hou triumphed with a swan, going with the design because of its familiarity.

“It’s the pattern that I know the best at this point, is the one I practiced the most,” Hou said. “It’s such an honor. It feels so good.”

Hou received a gift basket full of shirts, coffee and merchandise from coffee shops around Bloomington. Lexi Price, the events coordinator and social media manager for Soma, also wanted Hou to sign the trophy.

“The hope is that every year we’ll come back and add another year on top,” Price said. “And the winner can sign the steaming pitcher.” Price was the one who upcycled the baseball trophy and sculpted the espresso beans around the steaming pitcher. Next to the pitcher is an upright 2025 sign, made with hot glue and painted gold. Now, because of Hou, Hopscotch Coffee can say it has the best latte artist in town.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Today is a 7 — Share what you’re learning. Enjoy gatherings, meetings and parties. Friends can help you make an important connection. Join together for an educational experience.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Today is an 8 — Profitable ventures and opportunities abound. Avoid risky business. Weigh your options and choose carefully. Reinforce basic structural elements. Manage practical details and don’t over-extend.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Today is an 8 — Travel or education can fulfill a personal dream. What do you want to learn? You have a natural advantage. Keep your agreements. Schedule carefully.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is a 9 — Wheel and deal. Negotiate and bargain. Unexpected expenses could mess with your plans. Carefully monitor cash flow. Collaborate with your team for ease and savings.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Today is an 8 — Your partner is a big help. Barriers may block your path. Slow to resolve alternative options. Assumptions get challenged. Learn from someone who thinks differently. ©2024 Nancy Black. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. Answer to previous puzzle

Art Remains breathes new life into old creations

By Arnaav Anand arnanand@iu.edu

Art Remains Creative ReUse Center, located at 115 N. College Ave., is a non-profit establishment that aims to foster creativity, expand access to affordable resources, promote sustainability and redistribute materials as low-cost supplies for art and other creative endeavors.

The team behind Art Remains comprises four board members with a network of volunteers helping around at the store.

Sue McCracken, a lifelong crafter and upcycler and founder of Art Remains, channels her expertise into transforming thrifted materials into new creations.

Jean Haley, a fiber artist and educator, specializes in zero-waste techniques and natural dyeing. Julie Herwitt, an accountant turned

The non-profit store aspires to make art sustainable through upcycling.

designer, crafts unique bags and garments from repurposed fabrics. Stacy Allsop, a writer, researcher and artist, blends her love for sustainability, mixed media and community engagement.

“Our goal is to, first of all, keep things out of the waste stream,” McCracken said. “We take donations of art supplies that people might otherwise throw away, and we resell them at very affordable prices so that art is affordable for lots of people.”

The store had its grand opening May 3, 2024, at 405 W. Sixth St. before eventually moving to its College Avenue location on Nov. 30. McCracken said as an artist who uses and shops for upcycled materials, she wanted to have a place to do just that in Bloomington. Having retired to the city a decade ago, she said she chose Bloomington for

Art Remains because of its vibrant community of artists and crafters. “Creative reuse centers are not a new idea,” she said. “They’ve been growing across the country rapidly. We are very small right now.”

McCracken said in addition to walk-in donations, the store has a separate storage garage where they take donations in large amounts. They also encourage visitors to engage with these donations through various workshops and events.

These events have become a staple of Art Remains, encouraging visitors to engage with recycled materials creatively. The activities range from making upcycled Valentine’s crafts to decorating ugly Christmas sweaters with secondhand materials. The goal of these workshops is to demonstrate how

Second Baptist Church

321 N. Rogers St. 812-327-1467 sbcbloomington.org facebook.com/2ndbaptistbloomington youtube.com/@secondbaptistchurchbloomington

Sunday Service: 10 a.m., In house and on Facebook/YouTube

Sunday School: 8:45 - 9:45 a.m.

Bible Study: Available In House and on Zoom Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m., Thursdays, Noon

Please come and worship with us. We are in training for reigning with Christ! Need a ride? Call our Church bus at 812-327-1467 before 8 a.m. on Sunday

Rev. Dr. Bruce R. Rose - Pastor Tallie Schroeder - Secretary

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Bloomington Young Single Adult Branch

2411 E. Second St.

To Contact: Send message from website maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/ wards/237973

Sunday: 12:30 p.m.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has four congregations in Bloomington—Three family wards and our young single adult branch for college students. This info is for the YSA Branch. Weekday religious classes at 333 S. Highland Ave, Bloomington IN 47401, next to campus.

More info at churchofjesuschrist.org.

Lutheran - Missouri Synod

University Lutheran Church and LCMS U Student Center

607 E. Seventh St. 812-336-5387 indianalutheran.com facebook.com/ULutheranIU instagram.com/uluindiana

Sunday:

9:15 a.m.: Sunday Bible Class

10:30 a.m.: Sunday Divine Service

Wednesday:

7 p.m.: Wednesday Evening Service

Student Center open daily: 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.

The LCMS home of campus ministry at IU, our mission is to serve all college students with the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, located across from Dunn Meadow and the IMU. The Student Center is open daily for study, recreation, and prayer. For full schedule, visit our website.

Rev. Timothy Winterstein - Campus Pastor

discarded materials can be transformed into something new.

McCracken said Art Remains carries supplies for nearly any craft, and all projects use materials sourced from donations. She said nothing is purchased new — even the T-shirts are made from upcycled secondhand shirts.

Art Remains can be found at the First Fridays Gallery Walk, an art exhibition that takes place from 5-8 p.m. the first Friday of every month. During this event, 10 distinct galleries stay open late to host special exhibits and refreshments. McCracken said she is looking for artists to work with recycled and upcycled materials from Art Remains and feature their work at the exhibition.

Volunteers at Art Remains play a crucial role in maintaining operations, from organizing materials

and pricing to assisting customers and managing social media.

Lila Streiff, an IU student studying art education, has lived in Bloomington her whole life and volunteers at the store.

“It’s very important to me to make art but it’s also very important to make art sustainable,” she said. “There’s a lot of waste that comes with consumerist art creation, and I’m really glad that we can put a stop to that as much as we can.”

Katryn Devereaux is a fond customer of the store. She is part of the Persisterhood Workshop, an organization that engages in craftivism, a form of activism that involves making handmade items to reduce social and economic inequalities in South-Central Indiana.

“I dabble in a lot of artsy things, and I love that it’s all

reuse,” Devereaux said. “It helps me knowing that if I start crafting in an area and, a year or two from now, I think I’ve done enough of that, I have a great place that I can bring my things to and they’ll be used by someone else in another way, and that makes me happy.”

Art Remains is open from 3-6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. McCracken said she aims to expand the store in the next couple of years by training more volunteers to work the store so they can be open for more hours and potentially on Sundays as well.

“I hate to see all the stuff that people are buying that ends up here because they bought too much,” she said. “So, start here. You may not find it but start here and you’ll probably find things you didn’t even think about for your projects.”

United Methodist

Jubilee

219 E. Fourth St. 812-332-6396 jubileebloomington.org

Facebook: First United Methodist Church of Bloomington, IN Instagram: @jubileebloomington

Sunday: 9:30 a.m., Classic Worship 11:45 a.m., Contemporary Worship Wednesday: 7:30 p.m., College & Young Adult Dinner

Jubilee is a Christ-centered community open and affirming to all. We gather on Wednesdays at First United Methodist (219 E. 4th St.) for free food, honest discussion, worship, and hanging out. Small groups, service projects, social events (bonfires, game nights, book clubs, etc.), outreach retreats, and leadership opportunities all play a significant role in our rhythm of doing life together.

Markus Dickinson - jubilee@fumcb.org

Inter-Denominational

Redeemer Community Church

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

Instagram & Twitter: @RedeemerBtown

Sunday: 9 a.m., 11 a.m.

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

Chris Jones - Lead Pastor

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

Christian Science

Christian Science Church 2425 E. Third St. 812-332-0536 bloomingtonchristianscience.com facebook.com/e3rdStreet

Interested in spirituality and healing? We welcome you to our church to explore how you can address issues spiritually and experience healing. Knowing God loves, guides and cares for each one gives a sense of peace and joy. We appreciate the Christian Science Monitor news magazine for its integrity, fairness and compassion.

(Christian Science Monitor) csmonitor.com

Orthodox

All Saints Orthodox Christian Church

6004 S. Fairfax Rd. 812-824-3600 allsaintsbloomington.org webbrk1@gmail.com Youtube video of services on website

Sunday: 9 a.m.: Sunday Matins 10 a.m.: Sunday Divine Liturgy Monday:

Father Peter Jon Gillquist Thomas Przybyla - Pastoral Assistant

Bahá'í Faith

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

and

of the Founder, Bahá'u'lláh, that promote the "Oneness of Mankind" and the Peace and Harmony of the Planet through advancing the "security, prosperity, wealth and tranquility of all peoples."

Karen Pollock Dan Enslow

By Joey Sills sillsj@iu.edu

COLUMN: ‘Companion’ just can’t seem to

In her influential 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp’,”

Susan Sontag defined the camp style in terms of “its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.”

It’s a particular aesthetic sensibility, not rooted in any one specific genre or medium. It’s difficult to describe in words, it’s really the sort of phenomenon where you know it when you see it. It might be most useful, then, to simply list films that carry a camp sensibility: think films like “Barbarella,” “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls,” “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Pink Flamingos.”

Sontag then draws a clear — and important — line between what she called “naïve,” or “pure,” camp and “deliberate” camp. Naïve camp, she said, is never aware of its own campiness; on the other hand, that

camp which is aware of the fact it’s camp is usually less satisfying because of it.

“The pure examples of Camp are unintentional; they are dead serious,” she wrote.

With this in mind, “Companion,” directed by Drew Hancock and starring Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, becomes a modern take on the exploitation film that is entirely aware of its own campiness. This doesn’t necessarily make it bad, per se, but it is a much less satisfying result than if it had taken itself a bit more seriously. As much as it wants to be, “Companion” can never be a cult-classic B-horror because it’s never earnest enough to be one. Really more a comedy at times than a horror, the film is ironic, tongue-in-cheek, it elbows the audience and winks and says, “We know you know this is ridiculous.” And it’s true, the concept is ridiculous — which is okay! We follow a couple,

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

Iris and Josh (Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, respectively), on a weekend getaway to a lake house in the woods with their friends. However, things go awry, and they end up turning on each other.

Now, if you’ll permit me a brief aside, I’d like to say that, if you’re particularly intent on avoiding anything that might be construed as a spoiler, the above synopsis is all you need to know about “Companion.” Don’t watch the trailers or engage with any further discourse, it’s a film where a twist acts as the main premise. It’s a lot like “Fresh,” the 2022 film from Mimi Cave, in that regard.

Nevertheless, for the sake of writing a coherent and legible column about the film, I will be engaging with that twist. And thus, my plot summary continues. It’s revealed, early in the film, that Iris is a “companion robot.” That is, she’s a robot specifically created to act as a loving girlfriend to

City Church

1200 N. Russell Rd.

812-336-5958

citychurchbloomington.org

tiktok: @citychurchbtown

Instagram: @citychurchbtown

Sunday Service: 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11:45 a.m.

City Church is a multicultural church on the east side of Bloomington. We provide transportation from campus. Our college and young adult ministry meets on Tuesday nights.

David Norris - Pastor

Sacred Heart Church

615 N. Fairview St. 812-345-5239 sacredheartbloomington.org facebook.com/sacredheartbloomington

Sunday: 10:30 a.m.: Refreshments and Fellowship

10:45 a.m.: Worship Service Tue., Wed., Thu.: Midweek Meals (Check Facebook)

Sacred Heart is a nondenominational church that seeks to follow Jesus by acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with God. We strive to be a safe, inclusive community where you can bring your doubts, questions, struggles, and joys before a loving God and find true belonging. All are welcome!

Dan Caldwell

Episcopal (Anglican)

Canterbury Mission

719 E. Seventh St. 812-822-1335 IUCanterbury.org facebook.com/ECMatIU

Instagram & Twitter: @ECMatIU

Youtube: @canterburyhouseatiu9094

Sunday: 3 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Mon., Wed., Thu.: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Tuesday: Noon - 8 p.m. Fri., Sat.: By Appointment

Canterbury: Assertively open & affirming; unapologetically Christian, we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ by promoting justice, equality, peace, love and striving to be the change God wants to see in our world.

Ed Bird - Chaplain/Priest

Independent Baptist

Lifeway Baptist Church

7821 W. State Road 46 812-876-6072 lifewaybaptistchurch.org facebook.com/lifewayellettsville

Sunday: 9 a.m., Bible Study Classes

10 a.m., Morning Service

5 p.m., Evening Service

*Free transportation provided. Please call if you need a ride to church.

Student Ministry: Meeting for Bible study throughout the month. Contact Rosh Dhanawade at bluhenrosh@gmail.com for more information.

Steven VonBokern - Senior Pastor Rosh Dhanawade - IU Coordinator 302-561-0108 bluhenrosh@gmail.com

Josh, who ordered her in the mail and tailored her to his specific liking. He’s able to control her and modify her whenever he wants, everything from her eye color to her intelligence level. In other words, Iris is not an autonomous being: she has no self-control or free will in the slightest.

The turning-point in “Companion,” and the moment it’s revealed that Iris is a robot, comes when Sergey (Rupert Friend), a wealthy Russian who owns the lake house our team of characters are residing in, attempts to rape her. From this moment on, it essentially cements itself within a sub-genre of the revenge film, a wellestablished exploitation genre that includes such projects as “I Spit on Your Grave” and “Ms. 45.” Unfortunately, the film’s total inability to take itself seriously detracts from these very serious themes. That isn’t to say a film

take itself seriously

like this can’t be enjoyable to watch, it absolutely can be. One of the hallmarks of the exploitation genre is its entertainment value or its campiness while still dealing with serious themes and often extreme violence.

The problem, then, with “Companion” isn’t the fact it’s a fun film but the fact it’s an ironic film. It becomes almost self-deprecating, it lacks any semblance of confidence in its own inherent absurdity. Drew Hancock seems like a perfectly competent director and somebody with genuinely good intentions.

The fact he directed a film that even attempts to impart the messages this one attempts to is admirable. But it’s easy to wonder what “Companion” would’ve been like had the director been a woman.

I’m thinking now specifically of “Love Lies Bleeding,” another recent take on the feminist exploitation genre directed

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

by Rose Glass. Though a fun, and even funny, film in its own right, it’s totally sincere in its approach. Importantly too, “Love Lies Bleeding” is a film entirely free of the male gaze, something that “Companion” can’t also say. There are many shots of Iris in the shower, close-ups of her lips and her body and, at one point, even her feet. While these shots aren’t necessarily sexual within the context of the film, the fact of the film’s male director, who also wrote the script, means they can’t be divorced from a wider social and historical patriarchal context. The male gaze is an inherent part of the picture precisely because of it having a male director.

“Companion” is a flawed film that I wanted to love a lot more than I did. It’s fun, I had a good time watching it. But, all things considered, I just can’t find it in me to praise it much because I know it could’ve been so much more.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Rose House LuMin & St. Thomas Lutheran Church

3800 E. Third St. 812-332-5252 Stlconline.org lcmiu.net

Instagram: @hoosierlumin facebook.com/LCMIU facebook.com/StThomasBloomington

Sunday: 8:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. @ St. Thomas Lutheran

and

Church invite

with

to

We are an

Christian community who values the faith, gifts, and ministry of all God’s people. We seek justice, serve our neighbors, and love boldly. Rev. Adrianne Meier Rev. Lecia Beck Rev. Amanda Ghaffarian - Campus Pastor

Unity Worldwide

Unity of Bloomington A Center for Spiritual Growth

4001 S. Rogers St. text/call: 812-333-2484 unityofbloomington.org

IG: @unityofbloomington facebook@UnityofBloomington

Sunday Celebration: 10:30 a.m.

Discover a vibrant, welcoming community at Unity of Bloomington – “a positive path for spiritual living”. Our center offers a space for spiritual growth; embracing all with open arms. We proudly affirm and welcome the LGBTQ+ community, fostering love, acceptance, and inclusion. Join our loving congregation, where everyone is valued and encouraged to explore their spiritual journey. At Unity of Bloomington, all are welcome and together we thrive!

Minnassa Gabon - Spiritual Leader

Phyllis Wickliff - Music Director Reformed Protestant

Trinity Reformed Church

2401 S. Endwright Rd. 812-825-2684 trinityreformed.org lucas@trinityreformed.org facebook.com/trinitychurchbloom

Sunday: 10:30 a.m., Sunday Morning Services 7 p.m., Bible Study at the IMU

We are a Reformed Protestant church on the west side of Bloomington with lively worship on Sunday mornings and regular lunches for students after church. We love God and His Word. Please get in touch if you’d like a ride!

Jody Killingsworth - Senior Pastor Lucas Weeks - College Pastor

Local band talks creative process behind new album

By Lilly Luse liluse@iu.edu

Natalie Ingalls and Wesley Davis of Bloomington indie rock band Prairie Scout sat down with the Indiana Daily Student to discuss their debut album, “What’s Ahead is Behind Me,” released Jan. 31. The pair shared the band’s creative process and inspirations. Prairie Scout is led by songwriter and vocalist Ingalls, with drummer Davis, bassist Julia Fegelman and guitarist John Hasey. Ingalls started writing songs on her own back in October 2022 and kept writing songs months before the band formed about a year later. Album production began in April 2024, with the band working on preliminary tracking in a Jacobs School of Music production studio before spending two full days in May with Max DiFrisco, Ingall’s partner and producer of the album.

IDS: How did the album, in terms of production, come together and what was that process like?

Ingalls: I started writing a lot of the songs on my own, starting in October 2022. That was when I wrote “Undergrowth,” and then for probably the next nine months I wrote a lot of the other songs on the album before the band formed. But the band became a thing August 2023, and then I started bringing in the songs that I had been writing, and we started. So, there was a good amount of songs that were written or partially written, and then over the next additional nine months, we started fleshing them out as a band.

IDS: When I was listening to the album, I noticed there were a lot of themes of the natural world, through production and with your lyricism. I was wondering if you could touch on where that stems from.

Ingalls: Lyrically I feel

like I’m often inspired walking around at night, always provides me a lot of inspiration. But a big theme for the album for me is about how life is cyclical, and things repeat and in nature just there’s so many patterns. A big inspiration for me is this book called “The Ghost of Heaven” by Marcus Sedwick. That was where I really got into this fascination with spirals and just how they appear in the natural world. And so just thinking about that symbol applying to my life and how these things just keep repeating. Lyrically, we talk about the revolution of the earth around the sun, we talk about spirals, we talk about “Cyclical” as a song.

Davis: The landscape feeling is something Julia (Fegelman) and I wanted to bring in, of rain sounds and providing atmospheric feel to the songs. Definitely inspired by modern indie bands and just that folk feel of grit and found sounds. So, we just went out with our phones and ran around in the rain.

Ingalls: It was our second night of recording, and there was just this massive storm. So there’s a lot of rain sounds that kind of fade in and out throughout the album, and that was me standing outside on the covered porch getting rain, hearing that we have like a reversed siren effect at the start of “Better to Lose,” so that was that. And, then Wesley and Julia, like, just running up and down the street giggling. I think we’re really excited about the idea of having an album of having a body of work that flows together, so having those sounds serve as transitions between the songs ended up being one of the coolest parts about the entire project.

IDS: It feels like such a confident album, you guys have such a vision that comes together really well, are there any particular influences for your sound or this album?

Ingalls: Individually, we have such different

influences. I would say starting to write the songs, I found a lot of inspiration with Linda Perhacs and Vashti Bunyan. These were, like, folk singers from the ‘60s and ‘70s where the lyrics really shine, and the albums are super cohesive. And a lot of the songs didn’t end up staying folk songs. But I think when I was writing a vast majority of them, I was thinking of them as folk songs. For me, lyrically, that’s an inspiration.

Davis: The inspiration of the whole album is a thunderstorm. Like the whole album is a storm, that exciting feeling of like, “Oh, something’s about to come.” And then you have that big storm in the middle with “Ivy,” and you’re in the center of the storm. Then afterwards it’s the light shining through with “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing,” the new

version of “Undergrowth” and then “Moments.” I think in this situation we had to really look at ourselves and what we had instead of looking out.

IDS: I feel like you all seemed to emerge fully formed and have had such a huge rise, what’s it been like to form as a band and have so much come out since last year?

Ingalls: The four of us have all been in different bands and have all had the kind of confidence, having experiences of working in the past with people and knowing in future bands what we wanted to get out of it. I think we came in just the four of us very confident in being able to vocalize what it is that we want and what we want to get out of this band, and I think four of us all

having that confidence has certainly made it easy to get things going quickly. I think we spent a long time working on our sound and making sure we had something good to present before we debuted.

Davis: We’ve all been in bands where you throw something together and it doesn’t work out and you go “That didn’t go well, I guess that’s it.” But we’re all very talented people. So, we’re like “No, we’re going to work at this to make it happen.” I remember when we first got together and started talking about it. None of us knew how long we were going to be in Bloomington for. Our backof-the-head goal has been make sure we can help Nat get these songs out and really just to support and make this band a part of each of us, but really get Nat’s songs out.

IDS: What were some of your biggest

now having made your first album?

Ingalls: Sometimes it’s more important to capture a moment of time than it is to create something perfect, in the end, those are the things that are the most special.

Davis: To all be in the room. It’s just a reminder that music is about collaboration and yes, collaboration can look like sending a track to somebody over the computer and they put their touch on it. But true music from the heart comes from people getting together and having that community and communion in the sound, definitely us being together creates the best product.

Editor’s note:

takeaways

Natalie Ingalls previously worked at the IDS.”

COURTESY PHOTO

From left to right: John Hasey, Julia Fegelman, Wesley Davis and Natalie Ingalls are pictured. The local indie rock band Prairie Scout formed in 2024.