Apr. 28, 2021 | The Reflector

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THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS • FOUNDED 1922 • INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA VOL.

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APRIL 28, 2021

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Photo contributed by Libby Turner

Maynooth University in Maynooth, Ireland will be the location of the School of Education's embedded study abroad program. This is the first embedded study abroad program from SoE, as well as the University of Indianapolis.

SoE partners with Maynooth

Six elementary education students headed to Ireland for UIndy's first embedded study abroad

By Jacob Walton SPORTS EDITOR & PHOTO EDITOR

Six students from the University of Indianapolis School of Education will be studying abroad for a full semester as a first for the university, according to Elementary Education Coordinator Libby Turner. The program is the first embedded study abroad program and it will send students 3,500 miles overseas to Maynooth, Ireland where they will spend a full semester at Maynooth University within their elementar y education program, according to uindy.edu. An embedded study abroad program differs from a traditional study abroad program as it allows students to retain their financial aid and continue taking classes for their major, according to uindy.edu.

Prior to this, Turner said, the SoE was undergoing a restructuring of its curriculum and one of the major goals was to give students better opportunities to study abroad. Turner said that once the idea was in her head, she reached out to the Center for Global Engagement and they recommended Maynooth University. After that r ecommendation, Turner and some others from the SoE traveled to Maynooth University to tour their school of education. She said that at first, Maynooth University was not sure if it would be possible but they were very cooperative.

“And so we started having some conversations with them [Maynooth University] and they were leery because their school of education had never really even hosted any type of study abroad students or exchange students,” Turner said.

All the students participating in the program were put through a testing process in order to make sure they were right for the trip, according to Turner.

Firstly, they had to meet the GPA requirement of a 2.7 and then pass an educators dispositional assessment administered by faculty review. And finally the students were given a list of questions to answer, one asking how the program would help the students.

The applications were then sent through a rubric system set up by the School of Education and the Center for Global Engagement, where faculty would blind review the applications for selection, according to Turner. She said this strenuous process was done not only to make sure the students would be right for the opportunity, but in order to represent UIndy in the most positive

way possible. One of the challenges that the students are going to face is the different grading styles that Maynooth University has compared to UIndy.

Turner said that the School of Education and Center for Global Engagement had to make sure students were mature and responsible enough to handle those challenges.

“They're the first ones representing it [the embedded study abroad program].

So again it's important to us that the people going over represent UIndy well, they're [Maynooth University] taking a risk on us,” Turner said. “ … This is a commitment, it's a bit kind of like a job. You have a responsibility now you are representing us in setting this up for future generations, hopefully.”

For many study abroad programs at UIndy, they are elective-based programs that seek to give students a new experience but, according to Turner, a full

semester of just elective courses would not be possible for elementary education students. She said that the program is very sequential in the way students progress through it, and she did not want students to choose between this opportunity and graduating on time. Turner said that the solution was to match the UIndy curriculum with that of Maynooth University. Another roadblock that had to be surpassed was to guarantee that the students would still get to work in classrooms.

“And we wanted them to have an experience in a school because that's the other thing we guarantee our candidates when they come in is that every semester you'll have some type of placement out in a school setting; a K-12 school setting,” Turner said. “ … And then we rearranged our > See SoE on page 8

Pink, Carlson Evans to receive degrees

By Nathan Herbst OPINION EDITOR

Each year, the University of Indianapolis awards honorary degrees to individuals who epitomize the university’s mission and prove themselves as leaders and role models worthy of the student population, according to University President Robert Manuel.

This spring, UIndy chose to recognize Daniel Pink and Diane Carlson Evans for their accomplishments in their specific fields.

Pink is the bestselling author of six books on human behavior and business.

Some of his books include “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing,” “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” and “To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others.”

Evans was a combat nurse veteran who served during the Vietnam War and was responsible for building the Vietnam Women’s Memorial. She is also the author of “Healing Wounds,” a book about her experience founding the memorial. Both recipients will be honored on the WICR commencement program that will air during the graduation parades on May 8 and 9.

Manuel said UIndy has awarded honorary degrees since its founding.

He also said researching candidates is a community process that faculty and staff contribute to. They identify people meaningful in their fields that produce accomplishments in line with UIndy's mission that benefits other people, Manuel said. However, he said degree recipients do not necessarily have a connection with UIndy.

"There are moments in the university's annual cycle where you celebrate the highest levels of achievements and aspirations of humans, especially those who have made an impact in people's lives consistent with the mission of our university: service to others or thinking about how to connect people and provide true hospitality,” Manuel said.

“Those are things that are important to us. An honorary degree is a way to look at someone's life achievements and match them to our mission and show the world in a public way what our hopes and aspirations are for every graduate."

Manuel said that both degree recipients embody the kind of missional standards the university has and hopes to promote to its students. Receiving an honorary degree is very prestigious, but Manuel said giving them out reflects well on the university and shows that it can connect with talent like this.

Pink describes his life as such: “I wake

INSIDE: NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 8 OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 FEATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ENTERTAINMENT . . . . . . . . . .7

up in the morning and try to find stuff out and then tell people about it.”

Pink was born in Columbus, Ohio, and said that receiving an honorary degree in Indianapolis is almost like coming home.

"I like the Midwest because people are humble, they’re friendly, they’re lowkey, and to be honored by humble, lowkey, friendly people is a double honor," Pink said.

When Manuel reached out to Pink

There are moments in the university's annual cycle where you celebrate..." about being awarded a degree, Pink said he was shocked but accepted it immediately. Although Pink said he is not a scholar himself, he said he sees himself as a translator from the world of research into the world of human behavior.

"What I have tried to do in my books is look at large bodies of social science and try to extract lessons from them that people can apply in their work,”Pink said.

“And so, at some level, it's consistent with the University of Indianapolis' mission in that it is a mix of scholarship and

action."

Pink said that he primarily writes books he would want to read himself.

The topics and ideas he writes about can be inspired by certain problems or emotions he faces. For example, Pink said he was inspired to write “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing” because he wanted to optimize his schedule and figure out the best time to do things. His latest book on the emotion of regret was inspired by his experience at his daughter’s college graduation, where he said he found himself reflecting on his own college experience and the regrets he had.

"What I'm trying to do in the books is help people see the world differently, but also equip them with specific, practical tools so they can do things a little bit better," Pink said.

Carlson Evans said the reason she got into nursing was because of her mom, and also because she found great happiness in serving others. This eventually led her to serve as an Army Corp nurse in Vietnam for six years.

But even after her service was up, Carlson Evans had another battle to f ight.

After returning from Vietnam, Carlson Evans said she realized military women and nurses have been taken for granted, kept in the background and unrecognized, even though they

provided enormous value to the war effort. To remedy this situation, Carlson Evans wanted to build a memorial honoring women and their contributions to the military. Unfortunately, she said many others did not share her sentiments.

"I soon realized I was going to have to convince people of what I thought was the right thing to do, and that was to recognize women,” Carlson Evans said. “But I didn't realize there would be so much pushback, so much animosity and misogyny directed at us women."

Ten years of lobbying had to transpire before a monument was eventually built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. According to Carlson Evans, this memorial was also the first of its kind to recognize any military women in the entire Capitol. Carlson Evans said the Vietnam Women's Memorial complements the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to honor the women the way the men were honored. The sculpture is built to scale with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, according to Carlson Evans.

"What I feel so humbled and honored but proud of is ... I raised the awareness of the importance of the nursing profession and the importance > See Degrees on page 8

SENIOR SEND-OFFS

FEDEX PRAYER VIGIL

ALUMNUS LEADS AT IMHC

Graduating staff writers and editors reflect and reminisce on their time at UIndy.

Family members, friends and members of the community gathered at Monument Circle on April 18 to remember those killed at an Indianapolis FedEx facility just days before.

Alumnus Evelyn Jones has been named chief financial officer of the Indiana Minority Health Coalition. IMHC is a statewide non-profit organization, as well as an Indiana certified Minority Business Enterprise.

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OPINION

2 THE REFLECTOR

APRIL 28, 2021

Seniors say final goodbyes The Reflector's raduatin staff re ect on their colle e ex eriences and re are to art

By Noah Crenshaw EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When I first came to the University of Indianapolis, I was a little intimidated. As a first-generation college student, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders and was rightly terrified. Flash forward to the present: I no longer feel the weight of the world, but rather a sense of pride for making my way through.

The first time I joined The Reflector, I had no idea what I was doing. I knew I wanted to do journalism, but I did not know what kind. I also did not think of myself as much of a writer, but I signed up for the class anyway. This quickly became one of the best decisions I have ever made. I discovered that I had a passion for writing and for keeping the world informed.

After a semester or so, I was convinced by the editor-in-chief and managing editor that I should apply for a position on the editorial staff. I hesitated to do this because I was still new to The Reflector.

After applying and getting a position, I was quickly invited into the loving, chaotic family that is The Reflector.

I learned how to edit and design — all while growing as a person. I also developed a coffee addiction after several long productions, but this sort of thing happens under those stressful conditions.

I learned from each challenge that arose and continued on.

One of the most significant things I have gained from my time on The Reflector is the friendships I have made. I met some of my closest and dearest friends through The Reflector, and I will forever be grateful. I will have these friends for a long time, although it is sad to think that in the future we will never be as close as we are now.

I also want to take a moment to thank my adviser, Jeanne Criswell, for believing in me and for her unabashed optimism.

It made the hard days for the newspaper so much easier.

I will miss you all. I will miss UIndy. I have had the time of my life here. Before I sign off for the last time, let me leave you with this. You will often hear people saying “fake news” or that the media are the enemy of the people — but we’re not. Good journalism will give voice to the voiceless and hold those in power accountable. Without that, there is no check on injustices and nothing holding back those in power from hurting those who are not.

The famous broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite once said,“Journalism is what we need to make democracy work.”

Cronkite was correct, and this is more important now than ever.

By Taylor Strnad

MANAGING EDITOR People always told me that college would be the fastest four years of my life. I never believed them until recently, when I realized that I have less than a month of my undergraduate career left.

When I first arrived at the University of Indianapolis, I knew two things: I wanted to be a teacher, and I was going to be a high jumper on the track and field team.

One of those quickly changed — I found out that being an elementary education

major was not for me. However, I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.

I spent the majority of my freshman year finding my bearings and doing the typical college freshman stuff. I was adjusting to living without my mom, making new friends, going to practice and social events and not knowing what on earth I wanted to do for a career. It wasn’t until my sophomore year at UIndy that I found the communication department, with help from the Professional Edge Center and Professor Rebecca Gilliland.

Once I discovered the communication department, there was no looking back.

I knew that was where I wanted to be.

I quickly became involved with Top Dog Communication and The Reflector, which have kept me quite busy over the past two years.

During my junior year, The Reflector’s editor-in-chief at the time, Jayden Kennett, urged me to apply for a position on The Reflector, but honestly, I thought she was crazy. Who knew I would still be here two years later? At the time, I was The Reflector’s business manager, an account coordinator for Top Dog Communication, a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America and an athlete. I also worked a job. To say I was busy was an understatement, but busy was normal, and I liked being busy.

My senior year,the busyness continued.

I became an account executive for TDC, The Reflector’s managing editor and the President of the PRSSA, all while I worked and continued to compete as an athlete. People told me I was crazy or doing too much, and sometimes I believed them. There were even times when I questioned whether it was all worth it. However, as I near the end of my senior year, I see now that the stress, tears, laughs and excitement were all worth it.

TDC and The Reflector encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and where I discovered my passion for public relations, journalism and communication.To my professors Jeanne, Rebecca, Whitney and Koehn, thank you for encouraging me to try new things.

My college experience would not have been the same without each and every one of you.

To some of my dearest colleagues in the communication department — there are far too many to name all of you — but to Noah Crenshaw, my newspaper partner-in-crime, thank you for showing me the ropes, not only of The Reflector but journalism as a whole. As my senior year comes to an end, I realize how much I have done in such a short time.

I know it’s cliché, but these were the fastest four years of my life and the most wonderful four years of my life. My one piece of advice for those remaining at UIndy is to please enjoy every minute of your time here. The excitement, tears, stress, frustration, friendships and craziness— embrace all of it because these four years will go by in the blink of an eye.

Although this chapter in my life is closing, I am excited to flip the page.

I’ll be continuing my education at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. There I will use my fifth year of athletic eligibility and pursue a Master of Science degree in Journalism as the next step toward my goal of working in academia and higher education.

By Nathan Herbst OPINION EDITOR

As the last few weeks of my final semester at the University of Indianapolis wind down, I can’t help but think about how unusual my college experience has been. Half of it was rudely interrupted by COVID-19 and took place online, much to my dismay. Yet even the normal half proved to be very different from what I had expected of my college experience.

Honestly, I am not quite sure how I ended up at UIndy. My young, naive high school brain did not have the best criteria to guide my college search process, and looking back on my decision, I feel I made it a little haphazardly. I knew I wanted to run Division II cross country and track, go to school in a big city and stay within a few hours of my hometown.

I did not care about much else because I did not know what else to care about. I had no clue what I wanted to study or do after I graduated, so I decided to worry about that later and hoped whatever school I picked would magically work everything out. UIndy seemed to fit the bill on the few things I knew I wanted.

It was in a big city, and the athletic team seemed competitive, so I figured that was good enough. I decided to study biology because it seemed as good a major as any.

I learned a lot my freshman year. I learned that biology didn’t particularly interest me. I learned that I wanted to do

something less STEM-y and that I really enjoyed studying religions.Through that, I finally learned what I was looking for in college.

Unfortunately, I began to think UIndy did not have what I was looking for. And that was true for a while, as my experience at UIndy didn’t quite turn out the way I had expected or hoped. Athletics was not all I’d come to believe it would be, and while the university is in a big city, the south side is not a particularly scenic place to run around and get my training miles in. I felt like I had made the wrong decision.

I was mistaken. My experience at UIndy was not perfect, but no one’s years at college are. I compared myself too heavily to what my friends at other schools were doing, or what I had seen on TV or in movies. I realized that while my regrets were true on a surface level, I had a lot to be grateful for during my time at UIndy. After all, here I had discovered my interests in writing and journalism.

Here, I met many amazing people who heavily influenced the person I am today.

I ran here with teammates I’ll forever count among my closest friends. Here, I began to think for myself and realized who I want to be. Things may not have gone as planned, but my time at UIndy has taught me who I am and what I want to get out of life.

So as my time at this small university on the south side of Indianapolis draws to a close, I want to encourage others who may find themselves in a similar situation to give things a chance. This is a different college experience, and COVID-19 has made everything worse, but life will get better. You can and will grow and change and find out all sorts of amazing things about yourself and others.

You just need to push through the hard times, try something new and never stop discovering things about yourself.

around the classroom. In high school, I began to develop my own original characters, with attached narratives, and would storyboard more comics in my notebook.

When the time came to head off to college, I was excited to explore all of the new, creative avenues that would become available to me. But I was also absolutely terrified of the entirely new environment and its pressures.

Looking back at the majority of my college experience, I was right in both my excitement and my fears. I was able to take electronic media and animation courses that taught me so much more about the arts that I loved, and I simultaneously learned to express myself in new ways that I had never even heard of. I also carried a crippling stack of textbooks on my back, the weight of which will forever haunt me. I will be tormented for eternity by the useless knowledge crowding my brain, thanks to the unending gen-ed courses that have nothing to do with where I want to go in life. (Why I had to take a chemistry course to get a Communication degree, I’ll never know).

More importantly, my years at the University of Indianapolis gave me the opportunity to grow, and grow I did. I moved beyond my social anxiety and was able to find a group of friends who brought me comfort as I sprouted into a young seedling on the University of Indianapolis’s campus. I also gained the strength to separate myself from those people, when I realized they were becoming toxic.

I gained the ability to manage myself in terms of time, finances and emotions.

As I began to bud, I figured out how to plan my day, work when necessary, save money and set aside a moment for myself to breathe and cry. Boy oh boy, did I cry, and that was good. I needed to cry, so I did; I got things out of my system, and I moved on.

At UIndy, I blossomed into quite the handsome young flower, if I do say so myself. Now, I have to uproot myself and walk away from the garden that gave me water, soil, sunlight … all of the nutrients I needed to grow. I must walk out into the big, scary world. As I look at the world, though, I can see that it offers so much more hydration, earth, and sun. I think I can grow a lot bigger in this world.

That creative kid I was still lives inside of me, and he is what drives me forward in almost everything I do. I often want to doodle in my notebook and write nonsensical stories, but now I can do so with a wisdom and experience that five-year-old me would be so proud of.

When he made that book for my mom, I don’t think he ever imagined he’d one day win awards for his illustrations or inspire people with his stories. He has now, though. I have. And now I’ll leap into the world, inspired to create something that will make my mom just as proud as she was when she read “Goblin of Fire.”

By Brett Pinna STAFF WRITER

By Ethan Gerling ART DIRECTOR

My mom is a big Harry Potter fan and an avid reader. She also never really spends money on herself; if she has to empty her wallet, she prefers to do so for her four kids. So growing up, she only read the first few Harry Potter books, despite being a major fan of the series.

The next one in line for her to read was “Goblet of Fire.”

I heard her complain often about how she wanted that book, but she would never buy it for herself. So I decided at the age of five to get it for her. I couldn’t buy it for her, oh no no no— I was five.

I wasn’t even old enough to manage a lemonade stand. Instead, I decided to make the book for her.

I sat down with a big sheet of construction paper and a box of crayons and wrote the entire book for my mom to read. Of course, this version of the book was only two pages long. It also may have had a few story elements mixed around, considering my infantile mind had no clue what a “goblet” was and instead wrote a book titled “Goblin of Fire,” but I digress.

The point of this story is that I was a creative kid, and as I grew up I held on to that creativity. In middle school, I began to write and illustrate comics focused on the fantastical misadventures of my friends and me and would pass them

When I first came to the University of Indianapolis in 2016, I was overwhelmed with excitement. I couldn’t wait to move into the dorms and meet new people. I lived in Cory Bretz Hall, where I met one of my best friends and made many more along the way. My time at UIndy was an experience to remember. Although the time seemed to fly by in an instant, I had the opportunity to make memories that will stick with me for the rest of my life.

I joined The Reflector staff in 2018, and I really appreciated that time because I picked up a new skill in photography and was able to see some interesting events that I normally would not have attended. I didn’t have a lot of experience with photography prior to joining The Reflector, but taking a chance by trying something new left me with a passion for something I would not have known about otherwise. I now enjoy taking photos in my free time, and I thank The Reflector for

ays

the opportunity to discover this hobby.

I was a photographer until the start of the pandemic and then became a writer. Writing for The Reflector taught me effective writing skills that will benefit me in the future. I found a lot of joy in writing opinion pieces because I had freedom to express myself. I was able to present my side of an issue, which gave me more confidence in my writing. I had always struggled with writing, but when I joined the staff, I had to write a new story every few weeks, which made me a better writer.

There are many aspects of UIndy that I am thankful for, but the guidance and encouragement I received from my professors is something I will always appreciate. Professor Jeanne Criswell taught me many techniques for writing and interviewing that have become very important skills for me. Before taking this course, I had never interviewed anybody. When I was told that I had to interview people for stories, I honestly felt nervous, but Criswell taught me some great interviewing techniques that made me feel far more comfortable and confident during the interviews.

I would like to thank the faculty, staff and my peers for everything they have done for me during my college experience, but especially for the memories. I can’t believe my time here is coming to an end, but I also can’t wait for the next chapter.

I never could have gotten to where I am today without UIndy.

By Dashanee Hunter STAFF WRITER

My experience at the University of Indianapolis was not traditional. I decided to transfer my sophomore year to be closer to my family and friends.

Going into my first semester, I was a music major, just as I had been at Indiana State University. To my surprise, it was taught at a pace that was harder for me because I did not have the required musical training. After two years as a music major, I decided to look for other career opportunities.

I talked to my advisor, who helped me a lot during my time at UIndy.

Based on my interests, she thought that I should give communication a try. The next semester, I was in an entirely new department. I used to be shy and stayed in the background, but in communication, that was not possible. But I soon realized that the friends who surrounded me sincerely wanted me to succeed.

Some of the things I did in the communication department included working for The Reflector, Top Dog Communication and WICR. These courses helped me figure out what path I wanted to take when I graduated, which I discovered was public relations. The experience I gained from these courses helped me become a well-rounded communicator.

Some of the things that I will miss after graduation are Welcome Week and the fun activities that are put on for the students. I also will miss the Homecoming Gala that happens during Homecoming weekend. Last year, the gala was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and my friends and I were looking forward to that, but I know that the university did what was necessary to keep students safe. The Midnight Breakfast before finals week is something that I will remember for the rest of my life, too. During my first year here, I remember asking a friend “What is Midnight Breakfast?” He said, “Breakfast at midnight to help us study for finals.” I thought it was the coolest thing about this school.

All-in-all, UIndy has brought me many ups and downs, but I have learned a lot more than I ever imagined. I am so thankful for my friends and family, and the communication and music faculty, who helped get me to where I wanted to be. Without these people, I would not be anywhere near the finish line for an undergraduate degree. ra hics by than erlin

NEWS

3

THE REFLECTOR

APRIL 28, 2021

Indianapolis grieves

By Kiara Conley NEWS EDITOR

Bouquets of flowers, candles and photos lined the steps of Monument Circle in Downtown Indianapolis on April 18 as friends, family and members of the community gathered to remember the eight people who died in the FedEx facility shooting on April 15.

Several family members and friends spoke about their loved ones lost and some even called for gun legislation.

The group Moms Demand Action was present at the event to speak and offered free gun locks, encouraging gun owners to have a lock for firearms in their homes.

Tyshara Loynes and Taylor Hall organized the vigil. Originally, they

planned to hold one for Daunte Wright.

He was a 20-year-old man shot by police in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis on April 11, according to The Associated Press. Loynes said that after the shooting on Friday, she and Hall called each other and talked about planning a vigil for the shooting at FedEx. “We just figured out really fast like the space and tried to get in contact with the victims’ families and just allow them a space to speak,” Loynes said. “We just wanted them to have a space to grieve and to speak and we just wanted to support them, honestly.”

Hall said that it was nice seeing people come together for the vigil and said she felt the families felt comforted and that they did not feel alone in this.

“I, myself knew one of the victims

so it was hard for me today waking up and thinking of what I was going to say because I was still hurting and having a hard time processing,” Hall said. “But to see all these people come together from all different cultures, all different nationalities just felt like a family orientation, I felt comforted and I could see that the victims’ families also felt together for this event.”

Hall wrote and performed a song at the vigil. Hall began working on the song after Asian hate crimes and a combination of other things happening as Hall and Loynes have been protesting and organizing since last May for the Black Lives Matter movement.

“It’s just one thing after another,” Hall said. “I cope with my emotions with music, so it was nice to be able to

write about being overwhelmed and with everything simultaneously going on I felt it fit the occasion of what was going on.”

Loynes said black and brown people face many of the same struggles and being able to stand with all the victims of the shooting and with the Sikh community felt very important.

“Again, not trying to speak for anyone, but just allowing space for their voices to be heard with everything going on still with the Derek Chauvin trial and people being murdered every day by the police and all the shootings that have been happening in Indy, it’s really crazy but it’s really important for us to find a place to just grieve, like grieve and feeling what we feel and be sad, like that’s what we need sometimes,” Loynes said. “So, that’s just the space we wanted

to create and I’m so happy to be able to stand with just the victims’ families and these different communities and to be working with Taylor.”

Hall said she was happy they were able to come together for something peaceful.

“I hate the occasion, but I’m happy that we came together in solidarity for it and we’re going to continue the work throughout the week,” Hall said. “It’s funny because we’re talking and we’re calling each other. She’s [Loynes] at the Statehouse, I’m working with the federal government and it’s just like we’re trying every day. So, it’s like a slap in the face when you see things continuously happening in your community when you’re trying, countlessly trying so it’s nice to see us actually come together for this one thing. It gives me hope.”

ower is laid in front of a memorial of one of the victims of the edE shooting at a prayer vigil held at Monument Circle in Downtown Indianapolis on April 18.

Taylor Hall, one of the vigil's organizers, speaks about the April 15 shooting at an Indianapolis FedEx facility that killed eight people during a vigil for the victims. The vigil took place on Monument Circle on April 18.

A woman holds a candle in front of a memorial for one of the victims in the April 15 shooting at an Indianapolis FedEx facility.

A man speaks on behalf of one of the victims’ families at the prayer vigil to remember the workers who lost their lives in a shooting at an Indianapolis FedEx facility. The vigil took place on April 18 in Indianapolis.

Taylor Hall performs a song she wrote about feeling overwhelmed with what is going on in the world during the April 18 vigil. She said music helps her cope with her emotions.

Tyshara Loynes and Taylor Hall speak at the conclusion of the prayer vigil that happened on Monument Circle in Downtown Indianapolis on April 18.

Photos/Page Design by Kiara Conley

SPORTS

4 THE REFLECTOR

APRIL 28, 2021

Cleyet-Merle raises the bar

From France to the U.S., Cal Baptist University to UIndy, a NCAA DII National Champion’s journey student and an international student.

Given that she has more experience with FEATURE EDITOR world travel compared to other people, she is more independent, according to Graduate student and track and field Robinson. He said Cleyet-Merle is a distance runner Bérénice Cleyet-Merle manageable, calculated risk taker in both said she transferred to the University of everyday life and on the track.

Indianapolis to participate in indoor track, “Even if she’s a little stressed out, she’s an experience not provided by California’s very coachable,” Robinson said. “She’ll temperatures, . Since her transfer, Cleyet- listen and reflect to put herself in position Merle has built up an impressive list to be as successful as possible and take the of accomplishments, capped off by a risk when necessary to win a race.”

National Championship her senior year, According to Robinson, UIndy Track according to UIndy Athletics. and Field has taken the feedback of According to Cleyet-Merle, training Cleyet-Merle’s previous coaches from alongside different experience levels and both France and California Baptist. He events within track and field has helped said they have tried to blend both coaching her improve athletically. In competitions, models under which Cleyet-Merle had she said that she goes for the win. trained.

“I have a competition mindset “We didn’t overrun her, but we and I guess I’m didn’t under run perseverant … I her,” Robinson said. really like running, “We kind of took She’ll listen and reflect just because I’m a middle ground with a lot of people with her to put herself in position to approach who are super cool,” mileage. So it still Cleyet-Merle said. be successful as possible...” gave her plenty of Though she strength but then had been an Alldidn’t kill her every American four times, prior to UIndy, day with the constant workout that she Cleyet-Merle said she had never might have gotten at certain programs at accomplished her ultimate goal: a the same time. So [we are] trying to keep national championship. Head Cross her healthier longer, on a more frequent Country Coach and Track and Field basis and allow her to really capitalize on Assistant Coach Brad Robinson said the big meets we had.”

Cleyet-Merle has been gung-ho about Robinson said Cleyet-Merle’s legacy is putting herself in the position to win an that of a true competitor. He said she is not individual title. Combined with an afraid and has high standards for herself incredibly high work ethic and competitive and her team. According to Robinson, drive, Robinson said Cleyet-Merle Cleyet-Merle’s presence straightened out brings a lot of positive energy and some of her team members that needed it. personality.

“Ever since Bérénice came in she has “… It’s a very fun blend across the raised the intensity and commitment level board,” Robinson said. “But at the same of what it takes to just be good, to be great,” time, making sure the emotions don’t Robinson said. “Her presence, pretty get too high, keeping things balanced so much from immediately when she walked that she’s within the moment, but at the into our program through the doors same time, see the long term planning here, was an elevated bar for everybody. goal for not only the current season, but A n d a g o o d w a y, n o t a n collegiately and her other goals that she intimidation factor. She just walked has beyond just UIndy track and field in with the intensity of ‘if you want here as well.” to run [Cleyet-Merle] in practice, you Robinson said Cleyet-Merle is mature better get serious and you’re not going in the sense that she is both a graduate to waste time and fool around.’”

By Noah Fields

Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics

Senior distance runner Bérénice Cleyet-Merle holds her National Championship Trophy from the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championship meet. She won the meter event on March with a time of . leyt Merle came into the final with the top ualifying time.

Unlike Cleyet-Merle, Robinson said many UIndy student-athletes are local.

Most teams have students with different backgrounds such as larger schools or smaller schools,and they only know that to which they have been exposed, according to Robinson. He said that having CleyetMerle’s teammates exposed to her level of

athleticism has been priceless for the program.

“So again, what [student athletes are] exposed to, a lot of it’s just statewide competition. You may see things on the internet, nationally [and] internationally.

But to have somebody [Cleyet-Merle] truly walk in that is at that elite

level, where they carry themselves, the way they talked [and] the way they prepare for warm-ups, competitions [and] practice, it changes [student athletes’] demeanor[s] on what [they] need to do to take things seriously and elevate [themselves] to the next level,” Robinson said.

Pilar Echeverria: 5 years of greatness

By Jacob Walton SPORTS EDITOR & PHOTO EDITOR

For the past five years, the name of University of Indianapolis senior golfer Pilar Echeverria has been surrounded by success. With multiple NCAA Division II Player of the Year awards, a national championship and a top 100 amateur ranking in the world, Echeverria has cemented herself as one of the greatest golfers in UIndy’s history.

The Guatemalan native has had a path unlike many other student-athletes at UIndy. Echeverria said she was responsible for her own recruiting and sent resumes and videos to coaches all over the country. According to Head Golf Coach Brent Nicoson, as soon as he saw her swing and was able to talk with her, he knew she was different.

“I saw her swing video on her resume that she sent me, and it separated

herself. She did a great job, just like she does in everything else, of putting her resume together …. As soon as I saw her swing for the first time and saw she hit a four iron 200 yards, I was like ‘This kid’s for real,”’ Nicoson said. “Once I was able to get to talk to her, the relationship was built pretty fast, and I knew that was the type of kid we wanted in our culture.”

Since being recruited back in 2016, Echeverria has amassed a resume of accomplishments that is unrivaled by any other golf athlete at UIndy. In the 2018-2019 season, she took her game to the next level and won her first W G C A DII Player of the Year

The Resume of A Great

• 2 time WGCA player of the year • 2020 GlVC Paragon Co award winner • 2019 DII Honda Athlete of the Year finalist • 4x WGCA All-American First Team • 4x GLVC Player of the Year • 17x GLVC Player of the Week • School recordS: 16 tournament wins • 2018 NCAA Team National Champion Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics Photo Illustration by Jacob Walton

Award, an accomplishment she went on to repeat a year later in the 20192020 season. However, Echeverria said that the accomplishment that stands out the most in her career is the national championship that she and the rest of the team won during the 20172018 season.

“I think the main one is just winning nationals, and we really dominated that year that we won. That tournament we won, I think by 38 strokes.

And it was just amazing to see my teammates performing; like we all clicked on that same week,” Echeverria said.

“And it was just so fun being able to be that confident and just go out and play and knowing that your teammates are going to do great and that you’re going to do great as well.”

Echeverria’s success is not limited to UIndy as she has become one of

the best amateur golfers in the world, at one point sitting at No. 69 in the 2020 World Amateur Golf Rankings.

This allowed her to qualify for both the 2017 and 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championships. Prior to this, she was already a worldwide talent representing Guatemala on multiple occasions on the world stage, according to UIndy Athletics.

Echeverria said that she has come a long way from where she once was.

“Honestly, I wasn’t that good in high school and I had the opportunity to start traveling when I was in high school for my association. And I think that’s one of the big parts of my success is that I was exposed to these pressure situations and these big tournaments very early on in my golf career,” Echeverria said. “The Guatemala association has helped me play tournaments … and it’s a huge part of my success. Honestly, these last four years is the best golf I have played in my life. So it’s been fun watching everything pay off and it’s been a long journey.”

According to Nicoson, something that has set Echeverria apart from others is her attitude towards the game of golf. He said that she is a fun player and does not put too much pressure on herself, tries to have fun with everything she does and that she represents the program well.That is also shown with her interactions with other teams’ players and coaches.

“What people don’t know, [for] all the other teams in our region, all the other coaches, I would say their favorite competitor to be around and to play with is Pilar, so for other teams and for other schools and other coaches, that should tell you something about the girl,” Nicoson said. “So while she’s beating most of them, she’s their favorite player to play with, she’s just so humble ... she doesn’t want to be given anything. She really is generally a nice kid and generally roots for whoever she plays with, so in her mindset, the only way to win is to go beat them.

She always wants to play them at their best and wants to beat them

at their best. That’s just who she is.”

But her personality is not the only thing that has set Echeverria apart, it has been her consistency and ability to train smart that makes her so successful, according to Nicoson. He said that she might not put in the most hours but that she puts in the smartest hours in training, understanding all the different parts of the game of golf, utilizing statistics and other measures in her training. Besides that, he said her ability to accept help and use the resources she has at her disposal is a major factor that makes her special.

But over the years her consistency has been one of her best qualities.

“Honestly, it’s day in and day out.

It’s the same Pilar —she’s played some great rounds, don’t get me wrong. She played a great final round in the 2018 national championship,” Nicoson said. “...When she wasn’t playing her best golf. She bounced back and had a 66, that was a special round. But I’d say as far as the moment when I knew I had a really special player, it was early. She separated herself her freshman year, just by the consistency level. She was always around par, for women’s college golf that is a great number to hover around. She was there every round.”

With her UIndy career nearing its end as a member of the No. 6 UIndy Women’s Golf team, Echeverria said that this will not be the last time she graces the course.

She said that the next step is to turn that top 100 amateur ranking into a professional career and chase her dream. According to Nicoson, he does not have any doubt that Echeverria can be successful at that next level, and that as long as she keeps working hard and using the tools around her, she will find success.

Echeverria said that she is going to take her talents to the highest level in golf.

“I’m gonna go ahead and chase my dream. I’m gonna try and go pro this summer,” Echeverria said. “And some days it really scares me. Some other days it doesn’t scare me as much, but I think it’s a good path to take. And it’s almost the same feeling I had when I came to college like that same uneasy, scared feeling, but eventually, you’re just so thankful that you took that path. And I think being a professional golfer is gonna give that feedback to me.”

SPORTS

APRIL 28 2021

THE REFLECTOR

Waters’ legendary run

By Hallie Gallinat

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Photo contributed by Jon Price

Freshman swimmer and Special Olympics Youth Ambassador Liam Price poses with another Special Olympics advocate during Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C. in 2019.

Liam Price A Greyhound helps raise awareness and now I’m on it,” Price said. “I’m thankful that I was given the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF opportunity to do things which brought me to where I’m at now [with] The decision on where to continue being a swimmer.” their athletic career is something Being an advocate for the Special that goes through the head of many Olympics is a lot of work, Price said. high school student-athletes. They do At the same time, however, it is helping internet searches into schools, programs to make an impact and is helping to and cities. However, for Liam Price, create a brighter future for people with University of Indianapolis freshman disabilities, he said. swimmer and Special Olympics Youth Price was asked to testify before Ambassador, the initial spark that led Congress to advocate for the Special to him coming to UIndy was the result Olympics and those with special of a chance encounter at a Mexican needs in 2019. Price said the goal restaurant. was to get Congress to advocate, On a Thursday night a few years explain and help promote laws that can ago, Price ran into Head Swimming help those with special needs and Diving Coach Jason Hite at a in the future.

Qdoba restaurant. Hite said that “It was a big deal ... because I was at the time, UIndy used to host talking to authority figures and people Marion County Special Olympics around the country and they can help,” Swimming, and he was on his way Price said. “.... It made me excited, and home from one of their events at the same time, it made everybody when he and his family decided to stop excited.” at Qdoba.

Price said that testifying before “I was on my way home and my wife Congress was one of his favorite didn’t want to cook dinner, so we — moments while involved with the myself, my wife and my three boys — met Special Olympics. He said to speak to at Qdoba and right there … behind us was legislators and have a sense of authority Liam and his dad,” Hite said. “I noticed was nice. that Liam had a Special Olympics Associate Head Swimming and swimmer shirt on, and so I asked him Diving Coach Brent Noble said that where he did it, just to make conversation.

Price is doing a great job at making his I had a UIndy experience as good something on, as it can be, while and we just started also supporting talking between It was a big deal... because what he believes in. him and his Price is a good example I was talking to authority of someone who has parents.”

According benefited from the figures and people...” to Hite, his son Special Olympics and and Price began is willing to give back talking during the and represent that opportunity, he said. encounter. One of Hite’s sons, a senior at Noble said that UIndy Swimming Center Grove High School, was in the and Diving thinks it is important same weight-lifting class as Price, Hite to expose their team to different said. perspectives, including Price’s. He said “My son was like, ‘Hey, Liam. I Price is a unique individual who brings know you. How are you doing?’ Then something to the table that no one else he [Liam] ended up applying to on the team does. Price works really come to school here and then being hard to be his best, which is what a part of the team,” Hite said. “So [a] they ask from everyone on the team, pretty cool little deal there, and I don’t Noble said. know if he ever would have been here if “He has a full schedule. He swims with we wouldn’t have met right there in the us. He does some weightlifting with us, line at Qdoba.” but also some weight lifting on the side,” This encounter is just one aspect Noble said.“He’s a busy, busy, busy guy, so of Price’s unique life experiences. having that wrapped up in a part Price, a 2020 Center Grove graduate, of, of all of our swimmers, it’s not is not the typical collegiate swimmer. only an experience for him, it’s an He is also a Special Olympics experience for everybody. So he’s Youth Ambassador and even testified somebody that we want these people to before the U.S. Congress for the Special know, and we’re really grateful that he is Olympics. part of what we’re doing.”

Price, who was diagnosed with Price said that he hopes his Autism and Tourette Syndrome, stor y will give people more was first involved with the Special oppor tunities to go down a | Olympics through developmental similar road as him, inc luding swimming when he was around looking into being a youth four to five years old. He eventually ambassador. He hopes he is able decided that he wanted to make an to take that experience to the next impact, and began to advocate for the level so that others can follow in his Special Olympics. footsteps, and so he can “I felt like I had enough energy follow those before him. and breadth to make an impact Until then, Price has one other thing because I was coming away from on his mind. some times where I was struggling “Go Hounds!”

By Noah Crenshaw

5

After four years on the mound, University of Indianapolis senior softball pitcher Hallie Waters is graduating and moving on from her role with the UIndy Softball Team. Since her debut for the team in 2018, she has been a steady force, according to Head Softball Coach Melissa Frost.

“She’s always been good for us in the circle, but I think definitely, this year she’s elevated her game to a whole new level,” Frost said. “And I think that’s just a huge contributor to Hallie’s work ethic, the work she did in the off-season, she spent a lot of time during quarantine working on her own game and I think that’s awesome. Certainly, the work that she has put in is coming out right now, tenfold.”

This season so far has been Waters’ best statistical season, sitting with an ERA of under 1.0, on over 100 innings pitched according to UIndy Athletics.

She sits at 16-1 this year, with 115 strikeouts recorded and only 28 walks.

Frost said that Waters is not only a great player but a great person. She said that Waters wants to see the team succeed and win. In addition, Frost said Waters interacts with the rest of the team well.

“I think she’s one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met in my life.

And, just an all-around great person,” Frost said. “She’s a great person, great student, great athlete. I think she just brings so much to the team of just love and kindness. And like I said, she’s just a great individual.”

During her career, Waters has racked up numerous accomplishments including two no-hitters, two Academic All-American honoree awards and a 2020 GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year according to UIndy Athletics.

However, Waters said that one of her first accomplishments on the softball team was when she was a freshman, which came in the form of finding her comfort on the mound.

“It was kind of a rocky start, but just finding my comfort on the mound, being able to contribute to the team in some way, I would say that’s my very first accomplishment because that’s my only job, to get on the mound and do my part to help the team win,”

Waters said.“So I think the very first time that I was able to do that is probably my first accomplishment.”

One of Waters’s favorite moments on the team took place during her sophomore year where the team won the regional tournament, she said.

Another one of her favorite moments happened recently, she said, where the team made history for how many home runs hit in a game. In that game, the Hounds would send 10 home runs over the wall against Truman State University.

“I think just being a part of that game and then just the energy we had after the game and how much fun we were having together, I think that’s my new favorite memory,” Waters said. “Hopefully that makes them more this year.”

Waters said that she does not want to leave an individual legacy behind when she leaves UIndy. She believes that UIndy focuses a lot on legacy and its past teams, so she wants to leave behind a legacy of her fitting into the softball program.

“I don’t really want it to be individualized, I kind of just want to leave a legacy of fitting in with this program and buying into the program and just being the standard of our program,” Waters said. “I just want to be remembered as one of the people that bought in, met the standard and raised the standard and left giving it their all.”

According to Waters, the coaches at UIndy have impacted her and helped her become a better person.

Waters said that the coaching staff at UIndy focuses a lot on mental health, something that she said is rare to find in college athletics. Along with the coaches impacting her, she said that UIndy Softball in general has impacted her life.

“I feel like [UIndy Softball] just taught me so many life skills. I couldn’t even begin to start a list of it because there’s so many like just time management and how to be respectful and how to present yourself and how to carry yourself and be confident in yourself and how to deal with failures,” Waters said.“I think there’s just too many things to name that UIndy softball has impacted me. Just in general, it’s made me feel like I belong, you know, I have a family here in the softball team and everyone that’s involved with athletics at this school. So I think it’s just made me feel very loved and very welcomed, and also just taught me so many life lessons that I’m going to carry on, outside of softball too.”

Waters said her next step in life is to attend medical school. She said that she will be attending Indiana University School of Medicine in the fall to study to be a pediatrician.

“I was fortunate enough. I got into medical school, so I’m going to finish out this season,”Waters said.“Unfortunately, I don’t get to come back and finish my fifth year, which makes me sad, but I decided that I got i n t o m e d i c a l s c h o o l a n d I ’m going to start at IU School of Medicine in the fall.”

Photo by Jacob Walton

Senior pitcher Hallie Waters in a game against the McKendree Bearcats. Overall this season she has an ERA of .90 and has tossed 101.2 innings with 115 total strikeouts.

The man behind the hype

By Amber Beraun STAFF WRITER

For the past 12 years, videographer Zack Pasley has filmed every football game at the University of Indianapolis.

His videography work showcases highlights from every game on the team’s social media accounts through edited footage he shoots himself. Pasley said his videos are made to be “UIndy friendly” and promote the players and program.

“The goal was always for these videos to be where a grandparent could be holding a kindergarten kid and they could both be enjoying these videos together,” Pasley said.

Pasley has also been with the Greyhound Club ever since he started working with the team, and has always been very involved he said. According to Pasley, he has also been the announcer during games as he follows the players to catch footage of good plays. He said he feels like part of the team and is close with the coaches and players.

“They get a kick out of it because I try to make them look good. I want them to

share it. I want them to send links off to their friends and families. I love seeing retweets off of Twitter,”Pasley said.“They know what I’m trying to do is [to] just be a nice guy, and try to make the university better because they’ve been good to me.”

Pasley’s favorite part of working with the team is the friendships he has found. While Pasley’s career is in medical sales, he remains committed to UIndy’s football team because of the exciting atmosphere each game holds. Pasley said he thinks everyone needs to get their satisfaction from somewhere, and football videography is a fulfilling hobby where he finds exactly that.

“I’ve enjoyed the commitment and the friendship, but I’ve also enjoyed taking that winning atmosphere to my personal life. [Former Football Head] Coach [Bob] Bartolomeo always said ‘Winning is fun’. I started saying that a lot at my work now, and I mean it,” Pasley said.

Head Football Coach Chris Keevers said Pasley’s highlight tapes motivate players and help sell a winning program.

Keevers said the team is happy to have Pasley as their videographer, so they let him get as close to the games as possible

with cameras and drones.

“There’s a relationship there, and he really helps us win,” Keevers said. “Those videos he produces, and things he does for our football team, help with our kids.

Our kids love it, but also it helps with recruiting which is the lifeblood of our program.”

Keevers said even in losses, there are highlights to be recorded, and he believes Pasley can create a good video out of anything because he knows what he is trying to accomplish. He said UIndy football’s relationship with Pasley is unique because of his desire to create a good lasting image for the team.

Pasley said he has watched the team grow and improve throughout his years working with UIndy and has no plans to leave. He said the university’s fun atmosphere and winning tradition always produces more fans and bigger games, and he has seen dramatically positive changes come with this.

“My heart is right there with those guys,” Pasley said. “They adopted me, where I earned the right to be a part of it.”

Photo by Jacob Walton

Zach Pasley at the University of Indianapolis Football game on April 17. Before that game Pasley was responsible for announcing the seniors info for senior day festivities. Pasley has been filming and producing videos for UIndy Football for the past 12 seasons.

FEATURE

6 THE REFLECTOR

APRIL 28, 2021

Coalition names CFO Indiana Minority Health Coalition names Evelyn Jones CFO

By Alex Vela STAFF WRITER

Photo contributed by Uche Unogu

Following his graduation, Uche Unogu (center) stands with Libby Davis (left) and Dick Davis (right). Unogu said the Davises were strong supporters of him throughout college.

Alum turned board member, president

By Noah Fields FEATURE EDITOR

Always looking for opportunities to serve his community, University of Indianapolis Alumni Association President and Board of Trustees Member Uche Unogu said that he has risen into his leadership positions in the last six to eight years. After graduating from UIndy, Unogu began traveling the world, 33 countries in total, on evangelical missionary trips for thousands of people.

One of the things that brought Unogu back to UIndy was when University President Robert Manuel approached him about joining the Alumni Board. “[Manuel] gave me some really good advice. He said, ‘You know, once you get in, just put your heart into it. Just go fulltime on it, sir. Give not because you’re trying to become the president, just go into it, whatever you do,’” Unogu said.

“It’s almost like the Bible verse I say: ‘Whatever my hands find to do, do with all my might.’”

Since growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Unogu said he has felt God’s call to do something internationally, whether that was studying abroad or missionary work.

He said, however, that he did not know how he could achieve that goal.

Unogu said that Former Head Soccer Coach Bob Kouril was instrumental both in recruiting him and encouraging him that studying abroad was right for him. However, because Unogu’s NCAA information failed to go through in time, Unogu was unable to participate in soccer when he first entered college, he said. By the time Unogu’s information went through, Kouril had moved on to another job.

“I literally didn’t know anybody, and so college wasn’t really that much fun for me,”Unogu said.“In the sense, like I said, I didn’t really know that many people. It really took a couple [of ] years for me to kind of get into the groove.”

Because he did not have any relatives who had graduated from an American institution, Unogu said, he was on his own in terms of finishing school. Unogu said his experiences at UIndy taught him that if he set his mind to it, he could accomplish his goals.

“Getting admitted [to college] is one thing because then you rejoice: ‘Woohoo, I got an admission.’ But now you [have] got to enroll,” Unogu said. “That’s a whole different beast. You [have] got to pay the money, get the classes you need to get. So now you’ve been admitted, you’ve enrolled, well, now you [have] got to finish.”

Unogu said that he had a lot of help along the way, including that of former Career Services Office Assistant Director Libby Davis. According to Davis, she met Unogu during his freshman year of 2004, when he came to investigate the Career Services Office, which later would become the Professional Edge Center.

“My first impressions were ‘here is this person who just persevered through a lot of difficulties, even getting to the university,’” Davis said. “I was very impressed with the fact that he left his homeland in Nigeria, and he arrived [at]… the University of Indianapolis not knowing one single person. That was impressive to me.”

Davis said that throughout Unogu’s years at UIndy, she would invite Unogu to her home for meals, invite him to her church, bring him essential groceries and generally help him. Within a few months of knowing her, Unogu began to call her “mom,” and her family became his first American family, she said. “... On that journey [through college], there were a lot of discouragements, but he never let it get to the point where he couldn’t function and couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Davis said.

“And quite honestly, I mean, his faith plays a huge part, huge. He really trusted God to get him through, to provide for him, and it was just such a blessing.”

The Indiana Minority Health Coalition named Universit y of Indianapolis alumnus Evelyn Jones its chief financial officer on March 10, 2021. Jones previously served as founder and operator of Eve’s Accounting and Tax Services.

“I am a people’s person,” Jones said. “So this level of my career allows me to help others become successful. And certainly, my journey has afforded me the experiences to know what it takes for them to be successful.”

Jones said her journey began when she was nine years old when she was introduced to taxes and numbers. By the time she was 12, she was filing her family’s tax returns.

“I grew up having a love for numbers, because they always fascinated [me], how numbers could solve everything,” Jones said. “And if you think about the keyboard and technology behind every letter, t h e re ’s a n u m b e r g u i d i n g t h a t information.”

Jones’ passions include nonprofits and real estate accounting, she said. By the time she was 17, she was already working as a banker at Merchants National Bank, now PNC, according to Jones. During that same time, she said she went to Indiana Central College, now

known as UIndy.

According to IMHC Controller LaRon Henr y, Jones is familyoriented and straightforward as a leader. He has only worked with Jones since July 2020 but has noticed similarities between him and the new CFO. “I’m a big family guy,” Henry said. “What I’m about is being able to work, take care of myself and my family and allow my kids to grow comfortably in their homes and allow them to pursue their dreams that they have growing up.”

I’m here, if it weren’t for UIndy I wouldn’t be here, that’s my roots.”

Jones said she came to UIndy as an accounting student. The university sent instructors to her at Merchants Bank to teach her during her lunch hours, she said. This meant that the bank paid for her education and that she never had to leave work to be physically on campus, according to Jones.

Jones makes it a focus to be someone that people in her profession c an look to for guidance. The UIndy a l u m n u s h a s h a d q u i t e t h e j o u r n e y throughout her life and career. She came to UIndy in

September 1982, but due to her having children and prioritizing family, she did not graduate until 2011, she said.

“I had a great experience,” Jones said. “The disciplines that I got from UIndy, even though they span from 1982 to 2011, if I did not have that I would not be here today. I’m here, if it weren’t for UIndy I wouldn’t be here, that’s my roots”.

Henry said he was appreciative of Jones and the opportunities that she has given him. He said that coming across IMHC and Jones was a blessing.

“Meeting [ Jones] and talking with her, she saw the value that I c o u l d b r i n g t o t h e c o m p a n y, ” Henr y said. “She was able to see potential in me s o s h e g a v e m e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o b e a part of the team and the company.”

Henry said how helpful Jones has b e e n f o r h i s p r o f e s s i o n a l g r o w t h . H e said that she is a straight-forward leader and honest to her workers.

IMHC Finance Director Feras Nassar said Jones makes it a point of e m p h a s i s t o i m p a c t l i v e s a n d m a k e others successful. He said he liked her approach and her flexibility that she gives to the workers. “ S h e ’s a l w ay s s ay i n g t o u s t h a t her role is to make us successful i n our jobs,” Nassar said. “I really enjoy working with her.”

Photo contributed by Evelyn Jones

Indiana Minority Health Coalition CFO and University of Indianapolis alumnus Evelyn Jones looks over paper work with IMHC Finance Director Feras Nassar sitting across from her. According to Nassar, Jones’ role at IMHC is to make Nassar and other employees successful.

Student creates visual novel video game

Photo contributed by Melanie Moore

Photo contributed by Melanie Moore

This art features original characters from University of Indianapolis senior software engineering major Melanie Moore’s video game “Danganronpa: Avenging Hope.” The prologue chapter is set to release in late April.

According to Moore, “Danganronpa: Avenging Hope” follows a new setting and original characters based upon the visual novel series “Danganronpa.” This screenshot previews the library as it is shown in the game.

By Kassandra Darnell EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

University of Indianapolis senior software engineering major Melanie Moore sits at her computer and edits the scripts for her game, “Danganronpa: Avenging Hope,” in preparation for the release of the prologue at the end of April.

Moore said she has been working on this project since August 2020.

The game is based on the visual novel series “Danganronpa,” which follows a group of talented high school students that are forced to murder each other.

According to Moore, her adaptation of the series will be set in the same universe, but have a new setting and original characters.

“So [the characters] are now placed in this facility for an indefinite amount of time until they find out who is writing this letter. But in the process of that, they find out that the facility has been taken over by that same person who was targeting them in the first place,” Moore said.

According to Moore, the project stemmed from wanting to see the concept of the series she loves in a different way, but she also has wanted to make a video game since she was a child. She said that

currently, game design is just a hobby for her, but she could see a potential future in designing video games for a career. However, according to Moore, the process has been difficult. She said creating a video game has not been covered in her software engineering classes, which meant she had to teach herself.

“I’ve looked into different game jams and how other creators and indie game artists make their games and I look to see how they make their scripts and what their processes [are] and then I see ‘Okay, can certain things of this apply to my process to make it more effective?’”

Moore said.

According to Moore, the process for making the visual novel began with designing the characters and learning how to draw digitally, which she was not familiar with. Then she worked on the scripts for each portion of the game, and created the music because she did not want to use any copyrighted material.

Finally, Moore said she worked on the actual software of the game using RPG Maker MB to make the characters come to life. While Moore did create the game herself, she said she had help from her boyfriend Dericq Freeman, who is a senior digital art and video effects major

at Flashpoint Chicago, a campus of Columbia College Hollywood.

“I support her love… [the] fandom nature that she has for it. And I thought it was a pretty cool project and I could help whenever she needed the help,” Freeman said.

The game will be released on Game Jolt, which allows for people to release fan games and smaller indie games, according to Moore. She said she plans to promote the release of her game via social media as well as in different forums that are meant to allow people to discuss fan games and provide support for those creating them.

ENTERTAINMENT

THE REFLECTOR

7 APRIL 28, 2021

New play redefines theatre

UIndy Theatre department performs new dark comedy play titled “Drowning Ophelia” virtually

By Olivia Cameron BUSINESS MANAGER

The University of Indianapolis Department of Theatre put on a production of the dark comedy “Drowning Ophelia” on April 20-24 via Zoom. The play tells the story of Jane, a woman who has created a separate personality that represents her trauma from being sexually assaulted by a family member, junior theatre major and actor Audrey Panyard said.

“You get to see really what the effects of trauma have on somebody through the show… but the play is also a comedy,” Panyard said. “So it’s not a super deep thing throughout the whole [show]. It’s kind of at the end where it really hits you of what’s going on. It’s fun and it’s lively

and it also has that really deep, impactful message at the end.”

The play tells a story that has an important message about mental health, according to director and associate adjunct faculty member Grant Williams.

He said that promoting mental health among students is important to him.

“I think any play at any time that pushes positive mental health and working for the betterment of yourself and looking at your past and how you can move forward in life is a great moment,” Williams said.

Panyard played the role of Ophelia, the personality created by Jane that represents her trauma. Panyard said that this character is different from ones she has played before, as Ophelia is not her own character, but is something created by someone else. Playing Ophelia also

required Panyard to sit in a bathtub full of water on the stage, she said.

“I’ve never had to do a part where I’m acting completely soaked,” Panyard said.

“So it’s a whole different experience and it’s really, really fun.”

Being in a bathtub throughout the show was challenging because the water gets cold and she had to be careful not to slip, according to Panyard. Another challenge is that she was physically alone during the performance, she s aid.

Panyard was the only actor on the stage in Esch Hall’s Studio Theatre while the other actors were in adjacent rooms, according to Williams. He built the concept in order to keep the actors separated. The actors were isolated in this production because they wanted to be able to perform without masks on,

Contributed photo by Kielynn Tally

In the University of Indianapolis’s new dark comedy play known as “Drowning Ophelia,” the actors perform in separate rooms while using screens. In addition, junior theatre major Audrey Panyard plays her role while in a bathtub located in Esch Hall’s Studio Theater.

UIndy celebrates the art of jazz

family from all over the country that like to watch too,” Meyer said.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Throughout the week, students got the opportunity to play along with faculty, junior jazz studies major The University of Indianapolis’ Jazz Alexander Nativi said. He said it was Ensemble celebrated Jazz Appreciation an honor to play with such talented Month by dedicating a week to jazz musicians. performances. According to Assistant “It’s a great educational experience.

Professor and Director of Jazz Studies It’s a great opportunity to play with Mark O’Connor, the focus of Jazz other musicians that are [of a] different Week was to celebrate the art form in caliber than probably oneself, but it’s as many ways as possible while having not the same [without an audience]. as many groups perform throughout.

The music doesn’t really feel as aligned Every night was dedicated to a specific as it should be,” Nativi said. style of jazz, O’Connor said.

According to senior jazz studies According to O’Connor, April 14 major Pearce was dedicated Edwards, being to the swing era virtual is better and April 15 than nothing, The was dedicated to It’s a great educational opportunity to groups from the experience. It’s a great play with others is bebop era. April still an upside said 16 was dedicated opportunity...

Edwards. to Latin jazz, and “The thing that’s April 17 was the really important finale where the that I can’t miss out on [is] playing with UIndy jazz ensemble played, O’Connor real people because if I was performing said. or playing with a backing track, there’s The entire week was virtually not that interpersonal spark,” Edwards streamed on Twitch, an online said. livestreaming platform, according to As jazz is one of America’s original senior jazz studies major Eric Meyer. forms of music, the Jazz Ensemble Both Meyer and O’Connor said they wants to make sure that people wish they could have had an audience. understand its significance, O’Connor “I will say it’s a little strange not said. During these times, O’Connor having an audience, and it’s a little said that Jazz Week is a celebration challenging because we feed off of the of something that was created by our energy from the audience,” O’Connor nation. Jazz Week not only impacts the said. “And so for the audience to be community, but it teaches the ensemble, only virtual, it’s a little harder to come Nativi said. up with the energy, but at the same “I’m very thankful for this. For time, there’s a lot of energy, amongst the Jazz program, especially as the the members of all of the ensembles, director Dr. O’Connor, for bringing themselves.” in such wonderful personnel, such Even though there was no audience, talented personnel, and allowing these Meyer said that there are upsides to the other musicians to come in and just week being virtual. The most obvious is share their insight of what this music that it is a safe solution, Meyer said. is,” Nativi said. “That to me has really “I do also think that it’d be cool to been the most educational part of keep the virtual option in the future for this entire experience in my entire time people that want to watch the art in here.”

Indianapolis. Cause I have friends and

By Jazlyn Gomez

according to Panyard. All actors are being filmed and projected onto screens that are on the stage, which is all being filmed by one camera, Panyard said.

“It’s a really cool thing to see. It’s theatre that I’ve never done before, but it’s really interesting and there’s a lot of challenges that come with it, with not having that person acting right next to you and having their energy to feed off of,” Panyard said. “You’re really having to do a lot more as the actor to kind of make up what you’d be given if they were there.”

It was challenging to get all the technical elements into place, according to Williams. There were complications with Zoom rehearsals and incorporating distancing,camera feeds and microphones, he said. Williams said it was a fun but very big challenge. He was excited about

using a lot of multimedia elements and redefining what constitutes live theatre.

“While we had to make sharp turns from what typical theatre is defined as, I think we’re still honoring what live performance is while making it a little bit more interesting, which I think does a great service to this play,” Williams said.

Panyard hopes that the audience gained a wonderful experience from watching the show. She also hopes that the audience saw how interesting theatre can be.

“Theatre isn’t just one way,” Panyard said. “It can just be done in so many ways and there’s so many creative elements to theatre. And I hope they also see the full message of what happens to someone who experiences a traumatic event and doesn’t deal with it.”

Contributed photo by Kielynn Tally

Junior theatre major Audrey Panyard performs the role of Ophelia, while splashing water., Ophelia’s personality was made by the character Jane in“Drowning Ophelia.”

NEWS

8 THE REFLECTOR

APRIL 28, 2021

Profs. explain COVID vaccines Professors offer advice, insight on available COVID vaccines, new updates on J&J vaccinations

By Jazlyn Gomez

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT As of March 31, those who are 16 or older in the state of Indiana are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. According to University of Indianapolis Assistant Pro f e s s o r o f K i n e s i o l o g y a n d Public Health Kara Cecil, there are currently three vaccines available for individuals. “ Tw o o f t h e m [ P z fi e r a n d Moderna] are a two-shot series. The Johnson and Johnson is a single-shot vaccine,” Cecil said. “They have all gone through the standardized testing process that we [scientists] use for any flu vaccine or an MMR [measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine].”

According to Cecil, all three vaccines are similar, despite the number of shots. For the two-shot vaccines, Cecil said, the rate of protection from the first shot is around 80%, and after the second dose, it gives a marginal increase of protection against COVID-19.

“A lot of our vaccines actually are multiple shot series. Like the MMR is a good example,” Cecil said. “You'll get those — a lot of those childhood vaccines that maybe people are a few years out from remembering having to get –– but many, many of those are multiple series of vaccines to get the immunity protection.”

Although there may be skepticism, Cecil said, all vaccines have been through multiple tests and are continually being monitored for any issues.

Associate Professor and Director of the Public Health Program Heidi Hancher-Rauch said that the rollout of these vaccines has been very positive. “[It has been] really positive in terms of what we're seeing in the vaccine's ability to prevent infection from COVID in general, as well as prevent serious complications, hospitalization and death,” Hancher-Rauch said. “So really good news coming out about the vaccines overall. And so now the biggest push is we just need to get people vaccinated.”

According to Cecil, once vaccines are considered safe, they are released.

If anything were to interfere with the vaccine’s safety, Cecil said, the distribution would stop, and there would be an investigation. She said ongoing, rigorous safety monitoring and evaluation continues for the COVID-19 vaccine, just as for any flu shot or allergy medication. Cecil said that no one is being injected with the live COVID-19 virus.

Hancher-Rauch said that if someone truly came down with the disease after vaccination, it was not the vaccine but that the person was exposed to the virus prior to vaccination, or that the vaccine had not yet had enough time for the antibodies that fight off the infection to develop.

Reactions to the vaccine have been reported, and Hancher-Rauch said these are the immune system responding to the vaccine, and this is how they want it to react. She said that those who receive the vaccine may develop a mild fever or sore arm or even chills, and that is OK. “It doesn't mean that you have developed COVID from it,” HancherRauch said. “What it means is that your immune system is working as it should. It means that it is developing the antibodies. It is fighting off what it sees as the intruder, which is what the vaccine delivered. And it's really preparing your body to fight off COVID if you are exposed to it in the future.”

Cecil and Hancher-Rauch both recommend that if there happen to be any other doubts about the vaccine, they do as much research as they can from reliable sources. Cecil said people can look for credible sites, such as .gov websites and the World Health Organization, to answer critical questions and can ask their primary care providers. Hancher-Rauch said that people can also look at sources such as the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention and Dr. Anthony Fauci, or a personal physician.

Hancher-Rauch encourages students to obtain accurate information and then get vaccinated unless a physician tells them not to because of a possible allergic

Graphic by Nathan Herbst

reaction or an underlying condition. She said if someone is hesitant because of uncertainty about trusting the science or because someone else has experienced a reaction, that person should do his or her own digging and critical thinking. She said to make sure the decision is based on accurate information.

“If we want to get back to normal, if we want to have a normal campus and we want to be able to just engage with each other like we have done in the past

And so now the biggest push is we just need to get people vaccinated.” and really take advantage of all that our university has to offer, then we need people to get vaccinated,” HancherRauch said.

In the latest development, the CDC and the FDA announced that there would be a pause in the distribution

of Johnson and Johnson vaccines. The one-shot vaccine has been reported to have caused blood clots in six female patients, Cecil said. All the women were between the ages of 18 and 48, with the reactions showing up between days six and thirteen post vaccination, Cecil said.

According to Hancher-Rauch, the pause of the vaccine shows that there is a demonstration of protection for future individuals who may get the vaccine.

“When you look at the numbers, six people out of over seven million had that blood clot and come to find out they had a rare blood clotting disorder,” Hancher-Rauch said. “Just to double-check and make sure they [CDC] went ahead and pulled it to do a bit more research, mainly more for, I would say everybody's confidence. When you do the statistics, it [is] less than one in a million chance [of getting a blood clot].”

Cecil and Hancher-Rauch both said that these adverse reactions are a risk within vaccines. In fact, Cecil said that 16.5 percent of people get a blood

clot from contracting COVID-19 than from getting a blood clot from the vaccine, which is less than one in a million.

“Individuals will make the choice about the level of risk they're willing to tolerate,” Cecil said. “Are you willing to understand the risk of one in a million, the odds of one in a million [of ] getting a blood clot reaction, as opposed to 16 and a half percent having blood clots, post-COVID infection?”

The pause on the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was lifted on April 23 after scientific advisers came to the conclusion that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks, according to The Associated Press. It was found that there were 15 vaccine recipients who developed a rare blood clot, resulting in three deaths, according to AP. Health officials decided that the J&J vaccine should resume as it is critical in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and that the clots should be handled as a warning for younger women and their decision on whether or not to risk receiving the J&J vaccine or an alternative,

Sadek said that the entire process had been made much smoother than it would have previously been for a program like this.

“We've done study abroad [in] all kinds of ways. But never in the sense of here's a program where we've already figured out all your courses for you,” Sadek said. “It's specific to this major, we've already figured out all your classes for you…. Pre-approved in the sequence without even risking your graduation date being put off all, without having to worry about, do I have to contact the school and register with them? Do I need to request a transcript to bring it back? Do I need to get it approved? Do I need this?”

Sadek said she hopes that for that this will not be the first and last time that an embedded program of this type occurs at UIndy. She said she is hopeful that in the future this can be opened up to other majors and be advertised as an opportunity to potential students. The School of

Business has already shown interest in an embedded study abroad program for their students, according to Sadek.

Another opportunity for growth within the program, Sadke said, would be the School of Education receiving students from Maynooth University for their own embedded study abroad program. Sadek said that even though this partnership with Maynooth University is a pilot, she hopes that this will only be the first. “ We are hoping that someone would specifically choose UIndy because they know, not just, ‘I'm going to go do elementary education at UIndy because they have a great education department and I get to teach in the classroom. I get this kind of one-on-one attention. I get this, I get that,’” Sadek said. “We want them to say, ‘I want to come here because I can do that in Ireland, here and only here, and I want to be able to offer that to everybody.’ So eventually that's the vision.“

Evans. She said she had to take it one day at a time and break things into doable parts. She started locally in her hometown, but gradually sought the assistance of organizations such as the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Purple Heart Organization and Vietnam Veterans of America at the district, state and national level to assist her efforts. She even s aid she received a segment on “60 Minutes” that let her tell her story

to millions of television viewers.

However, Carlson Evans said she could not have accomplished all she did without the support of her family.

"We don't heal alone and we don't survive alone,”Carlson Evans said.“If we can just hang on to that better tomorrow and help each other do that,that's our basic human instinct and it's what will bring us a better world, a better life and a better tomorrow."

SoE from page 1 curriculum so that the first semester of their junior year, cause we had to go first semester for them that there are courses that they would be taking here that we found an equivalent for them.

And so that's what makes it a seamless step. That's what makes it different than other study abroad programs is that we've sculpted the program here and our program here so that they align.”

The sequential issue when it comes to studying abroad was not the only concern when it came to this new program. The financial side of the situation was something that was a major factor, according to Director of Global Engagement Ghina Sadek, for both the students and for UIndy.

Sadek said that they have worked with the Office of Financial Aid and the CFO of UIndy in order to make it to where students are able to use the financial aid package that they would normally receive for attending UIndy and apply it to their semester in Maynooth.

Degrees from page 1 of military women and civilian women who have served in support of the armed forces," Carlson Evans said.

By accepting the honorary doctorate, Carlson Evans said she felt like she was accepting it on behalf of all the women who served in the military. Over 90% of them served as nurses, according to Carlson Evans.

The struggle to get a monument to honor women was a long and difficult one, according to Carlson

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