Aug. 24, 2022 | The Reflector

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THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS • FOUNDED 1922

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AUGUST 24, 2022

Phil Terry becomes Interim President

By Kassandra Darnell

And shared governance is the process by which we work together to create EDITOR-IN-CHIEF the best environment for the students, the learners who come here,” Terry said.

Following the departure of former “I'm still getting the hang of that because University of Indianapolis President I come from kind of the corporate back Robert Manuel this summer, Phil Terry world, and it's very hierarchical.You work has taken over the mantle as the Interim together, but there's a definite hierarchy President. Terry previously served as of who is responsible, ultimately, for a member of the Board of Trustees, everything.” beginning in 2012, and acted as the Chair Manuel’s presidency at DePaul began this past year. He has also been involved at the start of August and he said so far he is with the university as the ProEdge inspired by the people and the aspirations Center’s Executive in Residence. they have, as well as the possibilities Terry began his new position at the ahead of him. Manuel said when he beginning of July, became president and although he of UIndy, he found said that although a community and We want to keep sure the Board of environment that Trustees was sorry that we're advancing and cared about students to see Manuel leave and making the progressing." to become the new university’s mission President of DePaul present to students, University, Terry and he feels grateful views it as a great opportunity to continue to have been a part of it. the growth UIndy has seen throughout “We did amazing things in the the past decade. classroom and out of the classroom to live “It's a great opportunity for him up to our potential, and actually probably [Manuel]. But we on the board believed, beyond. And I was so fortunate to have and I believe, that we need to continue been a part of that community for 10 that good work, continue the good years,” Manuel said. “I realized through stewardship Robert had over the this process that everything I'm able to university, and help it continue to grow do at DePaul, or that I've been given and prosper,” Terry said. the chance to do at DePaul, was because While Terry’s presidency is just UIndy gave me the opportunity to do it beginning, he described the job as being first. And I'll be forever grateful to the the mayor of a small city because he has UIndy community for that.” to manage everything on campus, beyond Based on Manuel’s experience with just the education of the students at Terry during his time on the Board of UIndy. As he settles into the job, Terry Trustees, Manuel said UIndy is in capable said one thing he is still trying to learn is hands. While most of Terry’s experience shared governance, which is an important has been in the business and legal world, part of higher education.

Manuel thinks he has been a student of “Faculty have a very important and higher education for his full 10 years on significant role in the management of the board. the university, and so do the admin.

“He's inquisitive, he's always asking

Photo by Kassandra Darnell

Interim President Phil Terry sits at a conference table in his office while doing some of his daily work. Terry served as a member of the Board of Trustees for a decade before rising into his new position. He is determined to make sure his year of presidency isn't a hiatus.

for information to read, he's showing up at events, he's understanding of the ethos of UIndy and he connects with its mission,” Manuel said. “[His] granddaughters and his wife have all gone through UIndy, so he knows the value that it has and the impact that it has. He cares about people's lives and their quality of life. And for an interim person, to have all of that in one place is remarkable.”

In regards to the active search for a permanent university president, Terry said one goal is to make sure everybody in the community is involved, not just the

official search committee. There will be opportunities set up for the community to engage with the higher education search firm the university has hired, Isaacson, Miller, and give their opinions on what the university needs in a future leader.

An email from the Presidential Search Committee on Aug. 17 stated that students are invited to provide feedback at public forums with Isaacson, Miller as the search continues.The first two forums will be held on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1.

“We've got faculty involved. We've got a student on the search committee.

We have a dean on the search committee,

we have a member of the administration on the search committee, not including me,”Terry said.“We've tried to make sure we've got a voice of every stakeholder in the community at the table for that search.”

As the fall semester approaches,Terry said he is most excited to see campus come to life. His biggest goal is to continue the momentum that was created during Manuel’s presidency.

“I don't want this year to be a hiatus,” Terry said. “I don't want this year to be running in place. We want to keep sure that we're advancing and progressing.”

Books and Brews closing Frequent campus collaborator forced to close after COVID-19 and construction affect business

By Hallie Gallinat FEATURE EDITOR

After four years of service, Books & Brews, located on Shelby Street, closed its doors on Aug. 12, according to an email sent out by the Books & Brews team. Owner of Books & Brews Keith Fechtman said the reason for the closure was a mixture between road closures and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There's this thing going around, it's got a couple variants, that's called COVID[-19]… So that and the closure of Madison Street, the bridge that they took six months to reconstruct. At the same time, they also were repairing U.S. 31 and Thompson Road,” Fechtman said. “So those two in conjunction kept almost all of our southside customers

south. They didn't wanna travel north and fight through either a bridge closure or a construction site.”

Business had been slow at the location since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. This is not the first Books & Brews in Indiana to close, as the Noblesville location closed its doors last year in December, according to You Are Current, and the Carmel location closed in September of last year, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal. Fechtman said that the Zionsville location will also be closing at the end of August.

“Before the pandemic, there were [eleven] Books & Brews. In total, not including us yet, they had lost six locations,” Fechtman said. “We'll be the seventh location… So the Zionsville one closes on Aug. 26. We close on Aug. 12

and the only ones left will be Brownsburg and Fishers.”

Fechtman said that Books & Brews was home to many University of Indianapolis events, such as book clubs, department meetings and student lunches. One of his favorite moments with the university was streaming a football game in the fall of 2019, right after they had opened.

“It was great. We had 175 plus students,” Fechtman said. “...It was just great to see the campus have somewhere they could celebrate and have a variety of different food options and watch the game via stream, all those fun things.”

Dean of Students Kory Vitangeli said she had known about Books & Brews closing for a few weeks before the closure.

She was sad to see a business near UIndy’s

campus close down.

“We've done a lot of business with Books & Brews for programming and events and catering,” Vitangeli said.

“I've gotten to know the person that was running it, Keith Fechtman. I was certainly sad to hear that they just weren't able to continue to make it go, but at the same time understand that COVID[-19] and road construction, as he stated in his release about closing, has taken a toll on a lot of businesses.”

In regards to university events that were held at the location, Vitangeli said they will find another location to host these events. She said that the Murvin S. Enders Jr. Student Engagement Space in the Schwitzer Student Center can be used as a replacement space for larger events.

Fechtman said that as a business owner, he was sad to see something he put time and energy into shut down.

He is sad for the students, faculty and community as well. However, he enjoyed the partnership Books & Brews had with UIndy.

“We just hope that whatever new business comes in here, that UIndy students and faculty still support it,” Fechtman said. “Because even though it won't be a Books & Brews, the community really needs some small local businesses around here, especially for the students that need somewhere to either work or be entertained or some kind of activities off campus, something that they can enjoy. We hope that they help support whoever is coming in here next.

We just couldn't weather the storm of road closures after a pandemic.”

Photo by Arrianna Gupton

Photo by MaKenna Maschino

A Books & Brews employee stands behind the bar and takes a drink between fulfilling orders. Since it opened, the local business has been a frequent collaborator with the university and has hosted several student events.

Books & Brews is located on Shelby Street across from campus and features a mural painted by UIndy alumna Leah Diekhoff. The location closed on Aug. 12 and is one of several in the state forced to close permanently.

2 THE REFLECTOR

WELCOME WEEK SPECIAL

Live Mascot Conference

UIndy, Butler co-host conference about live mascots, UIndy's Grady attends

By Lindsey Wormuth

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER From Yale University to the University of Southern California, live mascots and their handlers all joined together to attend the 2022 Collegiate Live Mascot Conference.

The University of Indianapolis was able to co-host the event with Butler University on Aug. 3 and 4, according to WTHR. According to Marketing Manager of Butler and Butler Blue’s handler Evan Krauss, this event allowed 15 schools across the country who have live animals as their mascots to attend.

The last conference, which was also the first, was held in 2018 at the University of Colorado.

Krauss said the conference only applied to schools who have live mascots and their handlers, as well as anyone who had a part in the live mascots branding program at their school.

However, not all 58 programs nationwide who have live mascots were able to attend. “... About half the schools who attended this year also attended the last one, so we were able to see a lot of new faces which was really cool. It was an opportunity for us,” Krauss said.

With the live mascot program being re-introduced recently at the University of Indianapolis, this conference was a good opportunity to learn new things, according to Marketing and Communication manager and Grady’s handler Coran Sigman. There are about five schools who have mascots who are Greyhounds, but Grady is the only live mascot that exists so far.

Photo Contributed by Coran Sigman

Grady the Greyhound and Butler Blue, along with their handlers, participate at the 2022 Collegiate Live Mascot Conference as part of their live mascot branding programs.

“[Butler] offered to host it in Indianapolis when it was time for it to come up again and then COVID[-19] hit, so they haven’t been able to have it in the last three years,” Sigman said. “So at that point, the university didn’t have Grady yet, and so when we developed a program, I reached out to the Butler Blue’s program and said, ‘We would love to co-host this if the conference is coming to Indy.’”

The conference had five different sessions, ranging from merchandising to working with other parts of the campus. Furthermore, the Indianapolis Colts mascot Blue was also there to talk through how live mascots and costume mascots can work together to help one another, Sigman said. “... Blue [came] and talk[ed] about how our live animals can work with a costume counterpart and how we can bring personality and branding and all of these things to animals that can’t talk; they don’t

really have a physical voice but we can apply emotions and personality and branding to them,” Sigman said.

During the two-day event, the handlers gained information that will help them learn to build an audience on social media and translate that to inperson events as well, Krauss said. This information was able to help the people in attendance because not everyone has the job of being the handler of a live mascot for a college or university.

“It was a way for us to give a baseline and then more detailed things, such as social media, how to make sure you’re engaging with that audience and then how you can turn that voice on social media into making sure that you are there for your students in that same voice and to make sure that voice matches up together,”Krauss said.“So that when your students are interacting with your dog in person, it makes it feel like they are still dealing with the same dog they are talking with

online throughout the week.”

One thing that validated Sigman at the conference was that other people can relate to their live mascots having an impact on the campus community.

She said that one of the best things she has experienced with Grady is when students come up and hug him because they had a bad day or even that they miss their dog at home. “... They just had a bad day, anything, and they see him and it brightens their day, that’s why we are here,” Sigman said. “That’s the special additive that he can give to campus that we don’t have without him…. Social media is great and programs do it very well, but what it boils down to is how can we be there for our campus communities and I feel like I was validated and searching for that from this conference.”

The marketing department left the conference with many ideas.

Sigman said that since there were 15 schools in attendance, Grady was given more opportunities to engage with other live mascots and grow his relationships with not only the other mascots, but the students at UIndy as well.

“Now we can really dive into bringing in big players across campus, so Student Affairs, athletics, academics, bring them into one room and say, ‘How can Grady be the proof,’ kind of back to that one statement of, ‘Our brand is our promise’ but the student experience is the proof.

How can Grady help really bring that proof to life and provide the best student experience for our students?” Sigman said.

Student takes titles in pageants

By Arrianna Gupton

been just a very fun day.”

Fisher said that her first title, Miss EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Spirit Indiana, which she won in February of 2022, will always hold a The University of Indianapolis has special place in her heart. But in August, its very own pageant titleholder: junior Fisher competed at Miss Harvest communication major Madeline Fisher.

Homecoming, the place where it all For the past seven years, Fisher had started for her. watched her hometown's pageant, Miss “It was the [competition] that I Harvest Homecoming, from backstage had watched for so long. So actually working as a stagehand. All of that winning, it was a moment that still, changed after some of her friends urged almost a week later, I don't have words her to become a contestant. to fully describe.” Fisher said. “Anytime “... [I] always kind of disregarded you win something like that, you're a myself and was like, ‘This isn't for you. little emotional, but for me to win the You're not made to do this kind of stuff. title that I had poured so much of my You're not good enough to do this kind life and my time into was absolutely of stuff,’” Fisher said. “But… last year, incredible. And I'm still just so, so around this time I grateful. I still decided you know have my trophies what, let’s see what on the table and It's just a lot of connecting a l l m y f l owe r s happens.”

Fisher had It just felt so with people and sharing out… participated in amazing and it felt your stories ..." four different local like a coming home pageants before kind of moment.” becoming an official There is a title holder. She said that before winning lot more that goes into pageants than her title, it was a little discouraging to just going on stage dressed in a pretty find herself on top one day and the next dress, Fisher said, and Miss America is having to go home without placing. But about needing to be more than a pretty she said she knew that she had to trust face. She said that in order to compete, the process. participants need something that “You get to learn a lot about the other they're deeply passionate about and girls, and I think pageant day is more want to change within their community. fun than it is stressful,” Fisher said. “It's “We all have social impact initiatives just a lot of connecting with people and and mine is called YOUsical theater,” sharing your stories and stuff like that.

Fisher said. “It's about advocating for the Before I was crowned, it was a little arts in schools and also in communities, stressful trying to find local [pageants] making sure that they get the support that I could compete in and worrying and the funding that they need and about how I would do but… it's always that the educational and social and

Photo Contributed by Madeline Fisher

Junior Communication major Madeline Fisher performs in her talent gown at Miss Harvest Homecoming in 2022. She said that her performance differs for each pageant.

emotional benefits that it can have on both students and adults are well elaborated upon and that they’re common knowledge.”

Fisher said the General Manager of WICR-FM and communication instructor Scott Uecker has supported her in all of her endeavors. He has known Fisher for a year and is one of her instructors. According to Uecker, having Fisher in class is an enjoyable experience as she is engaged and does the best she can.

“She's a high achiever. She's very driven. She is incredibly talented,” Uecker said. “She has a very solid work ethic and I think [that] may be the thing that endears her most to me is that she has a vision for her future and is willing to put in the work. However, she is also willing to change.”

According to Uecker, it’s very easy to

see why Fisher’s winning titles. He said even though Fisher makes school and pageanting look easy, there has been a lot of work put in for her to get to where she is now.

“She finds a way to say ‘yes’ to opportunities. Too many students don’t get the success they deserve because they just don’t put themselves out there.

It's hard to put yourself out there, but she does,” Uecker said. “... If you look at what she does to get what she's gotten, it's well deserved on her part. I couldn't be happier for her.”

As far as what is next for Fisher, she will be participating in the Miss Indiana pageant next June. For the rest of this year, Fisher plans on dedicating her time to growing her social impact initiative, which entails community service and going out into the community.

OPINION

Honoring 100 years of The Reflector

By Kassandra Darnell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The first issue of The Reflector was published on Nov. 15, 1922. Now, 100 years later, we continue to bring you campus and local news on a biweekly basis. This newspaper has been brought to you by students for almost as long as the campus has existed, from the early days of Indiana Central College to today at the University of Indianapolis, following the university’s constant changes.

In our first issue, The Reflector addressed its readers directly to describe its purpose on campus, saying in that open letter, “it is my purpose to visit the students, ex-students, graduates,

and other friends of the College twice a month, and keep them informed of the progress here and tell all I can that will be of interest.” Those words remain true to this day, but our mission has evolved to fit the modern era, as covering the news has changed and adapted. Our goal is always to accurately inform the UIndy community and capture and retain the events of our history, but we also seek to uphold the highest standards of professional practice and ethical conduct. The Reflector also is dedicated to publishing articles online between issues whenever necessary, ensuring that our readers have access to the news, both online and in print.

As this newspaper has grown alongside the university, its staff has consistently

reported on the many changes on this campus, including name changes, new buildings, the population of students, tuition increases, new presidents and more. In doing so, The Reflector has worked tirelessly to actively document UIndy’s history as it happens. As part of our 100-year celebrations, our print issues also will include reflections of our past issues and the different historical events that have occurred at UIndy during the course of the newspaper’s existence.

The Reflector always will be focused on providing the community with fair and accurate reporting. Our purpose is to inform the UIndy community, whether the news is positive or negative. When there is something happening on campus, The Reflector

will report on it. This newspaper serves this community. We encourage our readers to write to us, whether in the form of comments, emails or letters to the editor, and let us know how we can do better.

Although The Reflector staff is constantly changing, the passion all of these students have for journalism and this university remains as it has for a century. We hope that this newspaper continues to serve the UIndy community for many years to come.

As we celebrate a century of news at UIndy, we hope you will celebrate with us by engaging with the newspaper in print or online whenever you have the opportunity. Thank you for reading our newspaper and being a constant part of our journey.

AUGUST 24, 2022

Bill Nye to present at Family Weekend

By Hannah Hadley STAFF WRITER

Television personality and science advocate Bill Nye is landing at the University of Indianapolis on Sat. Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Ruth Lilly Fitness Center and Nicoson Hall, according to the Parents and Family Page on UIndy’s website. Stated in an article from UIndy 360, headlined “A Conversation with Bill Nye,” the event is part of the university’s running “Making Our Way Home '' series and UIndy Family Weekend 2022.

Supported by the Blanche E. Penrod Lecture Series and the University Series, students, faculty, staff and the community can expect a more discussion-based event rather than a lecture, according to Associate Dean of Students and member of the Family Weekend Planning Committee Steven Freck.

“It should be a good opportunity for students, faculty, staff and everyone who attends… just to hear a little bit more about Bill Nye's story and then some of his passion areas,'' Freck said. “It will be set up more as a conversation… It is going to be a moderated conversation and not a lecture.”

Vice President of Corporate and Community Partnerships Andrew Kocher said Nye was originally scheduled to visit UIndy in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the event back.

The University Events web page says that UIndy Events’ collective goal is to have students, staff and the community to engage more in diverse and versatile topics, while also opening up opportunities to learn and grow.

Additionally, the university’s two goals for the “Making Our Way Home '' series from 2020 through 2022 are social responsibility and critical thinking.

“His [Nye] background and his encouragement that people take a scientific approach to problem-solving hits those two learning goals,” Freck said. “I would say when you look at our typical speaker lineup, I think Bill [Nye] has a unique perspective, compared to some of the other speakers we’ve had…. We don't always have leading scientists in their field here; we have lots of folks, but it's going to be unique in that approach.”

Leading up to the event, Bill Nye’s documentary, “Bill Nye: Science Guy,” will be shown in UIndy Hall in the Schwitzer Student Center on Wed. Sept. 14 at 8:30 p.m., according to Freck. Students who attend will be eligible to earn Lecture and Performance (L/P) credit.

According to an email sent from UIndy Events on Aug. 17, there are a limited number of tickets left available to students, and prices will increase on Fri. Sept. 2 at midnight.

“I just want to make sure students realize that they have the opportunity to come and participate in the event…,” Kocher said. “So I’d love to say if you haven't already, get your tickets.”

Tickets can be purchased online by students, faculty, staff, alumni and the community at the University Events website. Questions about the event should be directed to events@uindy.edu or tickets@uindy.edu.

WELCOME WEEK SPECIAL

3 AUGUST 24, 2022

THE REFLECTOR

Liam Price receives gold medal

By Hallie Gallinat FEATURE EDITOR

A year of training paid off for University of Indianapolis junior communication student Liam Price when he won gold in the 50m swimming backstroke in the Special Olympics USA Games over the summer. As the Indiana representative for the Special Olympics, Price said he is proud of his win.

“I feel like it wasn’t just given to me, I felt like I worked hard for it and I trained all year long to try and get that, to get the best place I could in there,” Price said. “Gold was the biggest accomplishment I’ve made so far at [the] USA Games and... it’s also given me hope to continue to show them that I could be a USA swimmer for Special Olympics.”

The experiences Price had at the Special Olympics were great but also fast paced. He said that while there, he met lots of new swimmers who he had never swam against, and some celebrities like former National Football League player Peyton Manning.

“First celebrity I ran into, when I got off the plane, was Peyton Manning and... it took me at least a good minute to recognize his face,” Price said. “I was starstruck.”

Price said he was also interviewed by former NFL player Tim Tebow, where they discussed topics such as his experiences at UIndy and his future goals. He said that Tebow’s encouragement was also part of his success in winning gold.

Price joined the Special Olympics in 2016. He said that he went through health issues when he was younger, but he wanted to be in sports. UIndy Head Coach of Swimming and Diving Brent Noble said that Price also played basketball, baseball and football before narrowing down his sport to swimming.

In addition to swimming at the

Photo Contributed by Jon Price

Liam Price stands on the podium after winning a gold medal in his swimming event at the Special Olympics USA Games. Price competed in the Special Olympics over the 2022 summer. Additionally, Price was a representative of the state of Indiana in the games.

Special Olympics, Price also swims for UIndy Swimming and Diving.

He said he joined the team after running into former UIndy Head Swim Coach Jason Hite at a restaurant.

After seeing his Special Olympics swimming t-shirt, Hite asked him to watch a swim meet.

“He wanted me to just come and practice with someone,” Price said.

“He wanted me to get experience [of ] what it’s like to practice with the team and then e ventuall y [he invited] me to be a full fledged swimmer.”

Noble said Price’s training is individualized like the other swimmers

on the team. He asks Price how he is feeling each day before he begins training.

“We want him to believe in it.

We want him to feel good about what he is doing. Liam [Price] likes

We want to make sure that the influence we have is positive.” to sprint, he likes to come in and warm up and go fast,” Noble said.

“It ’s important to have a good

time and enjoy what you’re doing, especially for him. He swims most of his workouts alone. So there’s a lot of hooting and hollering and he gets into that and we have a good time together. He typically comes in and gets some sprinting in.

He doesn’t like aerobic swimming as much, but he’s recognizing more and more how important it is.”

Pr ice also volunteered with different sporting events and was also a U.S. Youth Ambassador when he was in high school. He said he went around the country and talked to different schools about Unified Champion Schools and

servant leadership. In addition to volunteering for Special Olympics, Price has also volunteered at police stations and fire stations, Noble said.

According to Noble, Price’s win in the Special Olympics was exciting and was a credit to his work. He said Price has had a positive impact on the swim team both at UIndy and at the Special Olympics. “… Most importantly, and the goal that I’m most excited about, is we want to have a positive influence…

The way I say it to recruits is we want to win and people to be happy for us that we won,” Noble said. “... And I think Liam [Price] is one hundred percent that; nobody is ever wishing ill of Liam [Price]. They see him work hard, they interact with him and they know what kind of guy he is.

And so for him to have won, I think that brings a lot to our team because it shows that he very much is one of us and that’s the kind of success that we expect.”

This semester, Price said he wants to improve on his swimming and to show his teammates that he can help them in meets. His goals for the future include representing Team USA. In addition, Price said that his name is in the hat to compete in Special Olympics Worlds 2023 in Berlin, Germany.

Noble thinks Price has many opportunities ahead of him for the future.

“He’s gonna do whatever he wants to do. I think there’s probably a pretty good chance he ends up being really heavily involved in Special Olympics Indiana or Special Olympics USA. He opens a lot of doors for himself,” Noble said. “I imagine he’ll keep swimming for a while. He has two more years of eligibility here, but he’ll swim here through graduation, but he’ll probably go on and continue to represent and stay within the sport, within the Special Olympics scene.”

UIndy welcomes a new head coach Marc Mitchell is appointed as head coach of women’s basketball for UIndy’s upcoming season

By MaKenna Maschino PHOTO EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis women’s basketball team is heading into the 2022-2023 preseason by welcoming its 10th head coach in the program’s history: Coach Marc Mitchell. According to Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Young, Mitchell’s previous experience and success as a head coach is what set him apart from other applicants for the position. “ We went through the list of applicants and then also just kind of reached out to some individuals we know in the profession, and he immediately kind of rose to the top of being one of our top candidates,” Young said.

Before coming to Indianapolis, Mitchell was hired as the head basketball coach in 2009 at Division III Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham University (FDU), where he led the team for nine seasons, including a perfect 33-0 national championship season in 2013-2014, where he was also named Division III Coach of the Year, according to UIndy Athletics.

Following his departure from FDU, Mitchell moved to New Jersey after being appointed the head coach at Division I St. Peter’s University, where he led the Peacocks to their best season on-record in the conference in over a decade.

According to UIndy Athletics, during the Peacock’s 2020-2021 season, Mitchell coached the team to their first winning conference season since 2008-2009 and was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. Moving forward, Mitchell said that coming to UIndy seemed like a great opportunity for him.

“After speaking with my agent and then speaking with our Athletic Director here, Scott Young, it just seemed like a really good fit for me and I was just really excited about the opportunity…,” Mitchell said.“[It’s] very, very supportive here, and [they] have a winning mindset.

So that’s what really drew me to UIndy.”

The Greyhounds are coming off of a season where they finished with a record of 10-17 overall and a conference record of 7-11, according to UIndy Athletics.

Mitchell said he plans to implement a distinct culture within the women’s program.

“I just want us to, on a daily basis,

be better today than we were yesterday, and that’s physically, it’s mentally [and] emotionally,” Mitchell said. “Our level of determination has to increase incrementally daily, and we want to be going in an upward trajectory from September to March.”

Young said that he is thrilled for Mitchell’s first season at UIndy because of the anticipation from the studentathletes themselves.

“Seeing the excitement of the student athletes and seeing the work that they’re putting in here over the summer and getting ready to be back on campus full-time here in the fall and get ready for the season [is exciting],” Young said.

Mitchell said that he has met with the entire team and is in constant contact with all of his new players as he gets to know them.

“They [the team is] a tremendous, wonderful group of young women to be around,” Mitchell said. “[They are] very attentive, [and] they listen…. They like to crack jokes, like I do, so it’s been really refreshing for me to be here with them.”

According to Mitchell, the Greyhounds will have 10 players returning for the 2022-2023 season, as well as three transfer students brought in by Mitchell, two incoming freshmen and another transfer-student that signed with the Greyhounds prior to Mitchell’s arrival; ultimately making for a sixteen-player-roster for the team. As a coach with one national championship to his name, Mitchell has similar hopes for the future of the UIndy Women’s Basketball Program.

“The ultimate prize is to win a national championship,and…[the] support here at UIndy, with the facilities here at UIndy, with the resources here at UIndy, with the beautiful campus here at UIndy, I think we can recruit those type of players to come here, and I think ultimately that I think that’s a realistic possibility,” Mitchell said.

As for this season, Mitchell wants the UIndy community to support the team.

He said that encouragement from the community is an important part of the team’s success.

“What I would like to do is kind of galvanize the UIndy community, particularly the student body, to come out and support and kind of enjoy watching these young women that we have on this roster…,” Mitchell said. “Come out and support them and just show some love.”

Photo Contributed by UIndy Athletics

UIndy women’s basketball Head Coach Marc Mitchell shakes hands with Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Scott Young during Mitchell’s opening press conference for the new position. Mitchell delivered the press conference once he was hired to the position.

WELCOME WEEK SPECIAL

4 THE REFLECTOR

AUGUST 24, 2022

Navigating the U.S. monkeypox outbreak

By Olivia Cameron MANAGING EDITOR

An outbreak of the monkeypox virus is occurring in the United States and multiple other countries, where it was previously unreported. The virus was officially declared a public health emergency by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Aug. 4, 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

As of The Reflector print time, there are 102 reported cases of monkeypox in Indiana, as shown by the CDC’s 2022 U.S. Map and Case Count.

Assistant Professor of Public Health Education and Promotion in Kinesiology Kara Cecil said that while the disease is not new to the world, as it is endemic in some African countries, it is new to the U.S. The disease was first isolated in monkeys, but is transmitted by rodents to humans, making it zoonotic, according to Cecil. She said monkeypox is transmitted from person to person mostly through contact with skin lesions, bodily fluids or respiratory droplets. However, it can exist outside of a human host on linens or clothing.

“The more people you have close, personal contact with, the greater risk you have of contracting monkeypox, and just really any other infectious disease,” Cecil said.

Cecil said that the early signs of monkeypox can mirror the symptoms of other health conditions. Early symptoms evolve from general fatigue to flu-like symptoms, such as fever and muscle aches.

“At that point, your lymphatic system, your lymph nodes, will start to become swollen. And then finally you can see a breakout of blisters or a blister-like

rash on the skin; it depends on how it was transmitted and where the rash first appears,” Cecil said. “After a week or two, the rash, the pustules, will dry up and you will continue to recover. And most of the time it's self-limiting. It’s a self-limiting condition, which means it resolves. It most often resolves on its own…. You don't have to go get treated for it, necessarily.”

While men who have intercourse with other men and those living with HIV make up the majority of cases in the current outbreak, according to the CDC, anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person is at risk. If someone believes that they are seeing the early symptoms of monkeypox, they should

It's a self-limiting condition, which means it resolves." evaluate their risk factors, Cecil said.

“I would say anyone, any person, student or otherwise… if you have that close personal intimate contact with multiple unique people, so not repeat, but multiple unique people, you have a greater risk of contracting monkeypox and any number of other diseases from pinkeye or a common cold, to monkeypox or syphilis or HIV,” Cecil said.

Symptoms should be considered in the context of daily health behaviors, like going to the gym being the cause of muscle soreness, Cecil said. However, a rash should be seen by a healthcare professional.

“If you see a rash, particularly in the genital area, that you want to have examined by a healthcare professional because it could be monkeypox, could

be syphilis; it could be a lot of other things,” Cecil said.

The CDC recommends that those who have been exposed to monkeypox, and those that are at a high risk for exposure, get vaccinated against the virus.

Due to a limited supply of vaccines, an individual must see a healthcare provider to determine their eligibility, according to Cecil.

Monkeypox is less transmissible than other diseases, like COVID-19, and therefore, Cecil does not expect to see massive worldwide issues. Additionally, most cases in adults are not severe.

Labeling the disease a public health emergency allowed access to funding that pays for producing more vaccines and the distribution process, which is needed because the outbreak was not anticipated, she said.

A statement from the White House on Aug. 18 announced that the Department of Health and Human Services will have 1.8 million doses of monkeypox vaccine available starting on Aug. 22.

Students can protect themselves from monkeypox with simple measures, such as hand washing and staying home when ill, Cecil said. It is a good idea to avoid contact with anyone exhibiting signs of illness, she said.

“There are some basic things that you can do to prevent and protect yourself against all kinds of infectious disease: hand hygiene, staying home if you feel sick, keeping your hands off your face, washing your hands before you eat, keeping your environment clean, just kind of clean and tidy, doing your laundry, keeping things picked up,” Cecil said.

“And you can really limit your exposure, particularly to this disease, by limiting your number of intimate partners.”

For more monkeypox information and resources, visit cdc.gov or damien.org for those in the Indianapolis area.

UIndy psych study published

Professors, students researched hate crime laws, how they can affect youths

By Hannah Hadley STAFF WRITER

Editor’s note: This article may contain upsetting content related to mental health.

Please visit your nearest emergency room or call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 if you need help.

The dissertation of recent graduate of the University of Indianapolis’ Graduate Program of Clinical Psychology Keeya Prairie inspired a research study that was published in the American Psychological Association’s academic journal “Psychology, Public Policy, and Law.” The study details the effects that state hate crime laws have on young people.

Prompted by Prairie’s research, a group of faculty and students from the Graduate Program of Clinical Psychology, including Prairie, concluded from their study that when states enact and enforce specifically worded hate crime laws (HCLs), suicide attempt rates among teens drop remarkably.

The national government enforces federal hate crime laws that prosecute certain crimes motivated by race, color, national origin, religion, sexual

orientation, gender, gender identity and disability on the basis of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, according to the United States Department of Justice website.

However, most states opt to include further specification and protections in their state legislation for state prosecution purposes.

The research found that HCLs must be specific in whom they are protecting– primarily sexual minorities. To reduce youth suicide rates, legislation must include clear-cut wording that says hate crimes against people in the LGBTQ community is in worse defiance of existing crime laws, according to the study.

“Enumeration has serious consequences and implications, as our study found. Those consequences are related to the lives of young people.

Not just sexual minorities, but also heterosexual youth are protected when laws enumerate,” Prairie said.

Prairie’s advisor, Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Doctoral Programs for the Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology Aaron Kivisto, said via email that “enumerated HCLs were associated with a 1.2% reduction in youth suicide attempts,” which translates to around

252,000 fewer suicide attempts in teens.

Data for the UIndy study was taken from 27 states that have enacted HCLs since 1991 and from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) survey of high school students asking about general health-related practices and factors. The UIndy study concluded that states that did not express specific protection for those in the LGBTQ community did not see a decrease in suicide attempt numbers.

According to the State of Indiana’s website, suicide rate in Indiana has been above the national average since 2000, and was the state’s highest in more than five decades in 2017. The CDC reports that Indiana’s youth suicide rate is not only higher than the national average but also among the top ten U.S. state for the highest percentage of increase.

Currently, the State of Indiana does not include explicit wording that a hate crime can be motivated by gender/ sex or gender identity, according to the Justice Department. Indiana House Representative Greg Porter (D-Indianapolis) has been advocating for Indiana to adopt stricter HCLs for more than 20 years. Indiana passed an HCL in 2019, but Porter said he

voted against it because he felt like it was too ambiguous. Porter thinks that the law is not inclusive enough.

“It wasn’t about having legislation,” Porter said. “It was about checking a box to have the perception of having a hate crime [law].”

According to the findings from the study, Indiana’s HCL is not effective when it comes to preventing youth suicide attempts.

Both the UIndy researchers and Porter think change is possible.They said that in order to make change happen, people must engage, call local legislators and vote. Prairie expressed that people can converse among friends and family, as well as protest in order to make an impact.

“Voting is power,” Porter said. “To let your voices be heard is powerful.”

Prairie hopes that the findings of this study encourage others to research how HCLs affect other minority groups.

“There is yet to be research… on how hate crime laws may protect against suicide in [other minorities],”Prairie said.

“I just think that this research could help us learn a lot more about what makes hate crime laws effective…. Enumeration matters.”

Graphic by Olivia Cameron

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