Aug. 23, 2023 | The Reflector

Changes made to dining hall, meal plans

UIndy dining facilities rennovated, meal plans change with the addition of fex dollars and new plans

By Anika Yoder MANAGING EDITOR

e 2023-24 academic year is kicking o along with changes and updates to the University of Indianapolis Dining Hall. e UIndy O ce of Student

A airs announced in an email on March 9 that upgrades would be made to the dining hall, according to an article from e Re ector. Upgrades, according to the article, included complete remodels of the kitchen, serving stations and dining area. e email from Student

A airs said that renovations were aimed towards sustainability and community orientation.

In addition to facilities upgrades, UIndy Student Affairs sent out an email on Aug. 3 which outlined the introduction of “Flex Dollars” as well as a new unlimited meal plan. e email said that the unlimited meal plan option will replace the 19-meal plan and Flex Dollars will provide increased spending options for students. According to Vice President of Student Experience, Success and Belonging and Dean of Students Amber Smith, meal plans with Flex Dollars allow for the plans to have actual money to spend in addition to swipes on the meals.

“So that means that, before it was all swipes, you had to use your meal plan. Now you have some actual dollars that are with every meal plan,” Smith said. “So if you want to buy a candy bar, you don't use a swipe, you can use some [ ex] dollars.”

Each meal plan has a certain amount of money on it according to Student A airs, with rst year students living in residence halls required to have either the 14-meal-a-week plan or the unlimited plan. Other plans include the 10-meal and ve-meal plans.

Each plan gets a certain amount of Flex Dollars per semester associated with it:

- Unlimited plan - $300

- 14 meal plan - $150

- 10 meal plan - $100

- 5 meal plan - $50

UIndy Dining General Manager Amy Dugan said that updates to meal plans will not a ect a lot of the way dining works, but that UIndy Dining wants to support the university in the new meal plan structure and wants to drive a lot more of the community to the new dining space. Renovations have put the

focus on that food that is being prepared throughout the day.

“We still want to make certain that we are enhancing our o erings. Across campus, programmatically, it doesn't change who we are,” Dugan said.

According to Smith, students had expressed concern about not being able to know when entering retail locations how much they would be getting with their meal swipes. A way to allow for students to be able to grasp how much they can get with a swipe is that more meal bundles will be available at dining locations, Smith said.

“So similar to how you have McDonald's and Burger King, you have these things that are already prepackaged,” Smith said. “[Dining is] working to do that within all of the retail locations. So that way students can quickly see ‘ is is what my swipe will get.’”

According to Smith, students before the new meal plan system would end up with either too little or too many swipes on their plan nearing the end of each semester. As a result, students trying to use up their swipes would overload the resources available by Dining or they would not be able to eat on their plans if swipes had been used up too early, according to Smith. As a way to remedy this, Smith said now meal swipes are renewed every week, as opposed to a lump amount of swipes being used until they run out at the end of the semester.

“What will happen is all of the swipes that you have for that week are there every week and it starts over every week,” Smith said. “However, if you are in a situation where let's say you miss a week of school and technically you have that week, we will work with you to get that loaded back onto your card so you don't lose those meals.”

ere will be a di erent variety of food as well, Smith said, with the renovations allowing for more options like oven pizza and milkshakes along with food preparation being visible for patrons. Halal foods will also now o cially be o ered on campus according to Smith.

Along with the introduction of the plan updates, students are allowed three swipes at each retail establishment for a total of six per day. e unlimited plan is the exception to this, as they can swipe into the Dining Hall as often as they would like, with the three-swipe limit at retail locations still applying to this plan as well. However, students can use Flex Dollars if their total runs over the amount on a swipe, Smith said.

According to Student A airs, eating in the Dining Hall will be translated to an all-you-can-eat period of 45 minutes, which can be tracked with a meal ticket taken when swiping in the hall, Smith said. QR codes for students to scan will be available at all dining establishments on campus, according to Smith, for students to submit questions or concerns.

“I'm just really excited about the changes,” Smith said. “And we will continually make changes because we want to be responsive to what students are needing and wanting. Also add responsibility to make sure our students have access to food.”

Renovations are expected to be completed for students by the beginning of the fall semester, according to Dugan. Minor additions are being added, Dugan said, with tile work, but new furniture is added in the dining space.

“We're super excited. It's really beautiful,”Dugan said.“ e equipment's here, the stations are set, and we are really, really close to being able to open up and we're de nitely going to be opening for the rst day of classes. So really excited.”

Smith said she is really big on space curation and creating spaces where people can be in a community through the way that the design is laid out in

the dining hall. e space encourages community and encourages people to connect together to be in the same space to share ideas or to just simply be together, according to Smith. With a lot of changes coming to dining and the university, Smith said that there will be adjustments made, but students will be able to adapt and will hopefully like the changes.

“Change is di erent, but it doesn't have to be hard,” Smith said. “You know, it's de nitely going to be di erent. We know that there'll be some things we're getting used to. But I think that there's way more pluses than minuses.”

Tanuja Singh starts tenure as UIndy President

By Mia Lehmkuhl EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

University of Indianapolis President Tanuja Singh started her tenure July 1, according to a press release from UIndy 360. With having a little over

two months of experience as president, Singh shared her thoughts about being on UIndy’s campus.

“I absolutely love it,” Singh said. “It’s a beautiful campus, but it’s also a very e cient campus—a walkable campus.”

Singh said that while she was a candidate for the presidency, she

was impressed by how UIndy strives to introduce students to multiple facets of life beyond college. She said UIndy connects students to not only basic skills needed for a career, but fundamental life skills that contribute to a life-long-learner mindset.

“[Students] are very engaged,” Singh said. “ ey seem like they are the kinds of students who are going to school and really wanting to make an impact…

ey care about the world.”

Singh shared goals that she wants to accomplish during her time here, and that dialogue has already been started across campus to get the ball rolling. Singh said she aims to strengthen enrollment and retention. She also said she wants to bring a more diverse student body to UIndy by expanding where the university recruits from.

“... My ultimate goal would be that, if you come to UIndy, irrespective of your major, if you are a music major or a history major or a business major or a nursing major, you’ve had at least one experiential learning opportunity,”

Singh said. “Whether you’ve done an internship or that you’ve worked on a project, and it could be in your major or it could be in an area that interests you. So I might be, you know, a business major, but I might have an interest in music.”

Singh said that one of the biggest

challenges in higher education is a shrinking undergraduate population. According to Chalkbeat Indiana, a nonprofit news organization that focuses on coverage of education, data shows that about 53% of graduating Indiana high school students went to college in 2021. This data includes high school students who went to some form of college directly after graduating. This number is very close to what was recorded for the state in 2020 (53.4%), according to Chalkbeat Indiana. However, in 2015, it was 65% according to WFYI, and

education has changed significantly since she was a student. She said she wants UIndy to be more current, relevant, connected and accountable going forward.

“[College] used to be the only place to go to, right? People went to a university, got their degree and generally you graduated and your skill sets remained stable for many years,” Singh said. “If you look at the reports that are coming out from the World Economic Forum and other publications, just the skill sets are changing every few years. So learning has become lifelong learning.”

this year it is currently at the lowest in a generation.

“So for the undergraduate population, the idea is to expand beyond just our immediate markets in the country, and then also make the o erings at UIndy more attractive to international students,” Singh said. “At the graduate level, there is growth, we need to capture that growth.”

Singh also said how higher

Singh said that while a lot of what she hopes to accomplish cannot happen within one academic year, she is starting dialogues across campus now. Despite this, Singh said she is most looking forward to seeing students back on campus this fall and that she is excited to engage with the student body.

“We are on a path to progress. We are really looking forward to growing the university, you know, making the university really well known for the kinds of things that I talked about earlier,” Singh said. “So [I am] very excited to be here. Just delighted. Love the city. Love everything about the university and I'm very excited to lead it along with my great group of people.”

Graphic by Breanna Emmett

The University of Indianapolis' Dining Hall underwent extensive rennovations this summer, which were aimed to make dining more sustainable and create a more community oriented space. The dining hall is expected to be open by the beginning of the semester.

Photo contributed by the University of Indianapolis Tanuja Singh began her tenure as the tenth president of the University of Indianapolis on July 1. She said one of her goals are to strengthen enrollement and retention at UIndy.

We are on a path to progress. We are really looking forward to growing [UIndy]."

By Hannah Hadley OPINION EDITOR

Indiana is famously referred to as the “Crossroads of America” due to the intersection of several major highways in its capital Indianapolis. As an Indiana native and a college student living in Indianapolis, I feel the effect of many of our state’s roads being closed for construction when trying to travel. However, even though mass road construction may be inconvenient and frustrating at times, upgrading our state’s infrastructure is imperative for our citizens and economy in the long-run.

Reliable roads and bridges are necessary for safe travel. With Indiana’s crazy weather (Google “Indiana weather unpredictable” and see how many articles pop up), potholes and other flaws can easily form on roads. These hazards can make it difficult for people to travel effectively by damaging cars, causing accidents and slowing down traffic, according to Forbes. In order to keep the citizens of Indiana and its visitors safe, state infrastructure must be adequately (and sometimes frequently) updated.

It is okay to say that citizens of Indiana deserve nice roads and bridges.

A survey by AAA found that, “1 in 10 drivers sustained vehicle damage significant enough to warrant a repair after hitting a pothole.” Pothole damages to cars totaled to $26.5 billion dollars, or about $600 per repair, according to AAA. And, to make matters worse, AAA found that people who had one pothole-related incident were much more likely to have another pothole-induced issue. People who use Indiana roadways every day should not have to fear for car repair bills caused by poor infrastructure like potholes and rough roads.

It is necessary to consider how Indiana road construction is also meant to increase traffic flow—A.K.A. make drivers’ time spent in their car more

efficient. One initiative aiming to improve traffic flow and safety is the work on I-465 and I-69, which are interstates that are on the northeast side of Indianapolis, according to the Clear Path 465 project. Clear Path 465’s website said the roads are being rebuilt to facilitate higher speeds, implement smoother merging and decrease cars weaving in and out of traffic. Projects like Clear Path 465 are continuing all over Indiana right now, which I believe are in the hopes to help residents to have better experiences on state roads.

If visitors do not feel safe or efficient on Indiana roads, it could deter them from visiting the state—And,

and from companies could struggle to be timely to their destinations (and, in extreme cases, semis may be damaged from bad road conditions). The list could go on.

Yes, it is time-consuming figuring out detours and navigating construction traffic. However, these frustrations are temporary. Asphalt roadways last around 18 years and concrete roads have a lifespan of about 25 years, according to engineering firm Ayres Associates. Adept infrastructure for decades is well-worth the weeks, months, and even a few years of construction.

By Michael Harrington FEATURE EDITOR

For as long as I have been driving, I have had to constantly deal with some type of road construction in Indiana. Whether the construction caused traffic jams, road closures or conditions which felt unsafe, it has always been rather annoying. This year, I have seen far more road construction than ever before, which has resulted in far more headaches for myself.

repair that I could barely afford, further adding to the stress of my commutes. I am not saying that road construction is a bad thing. In fact, I find the I-65 Finish Line project’s purpose necessary as many of the bridges on and around Indiana’s interstate do either need to be repaired or replaced. According to The American Road & Transportation Builders Association, a total of 32 bridges on the state’s interstate highway system (rural and urban) are structurally deficient or in need of repair. However, I do not feel the construction is efficient or convenient for drivers.

ultimately, deter them from contributing to Indiana’s economy.

According to Visit Indiana, “Visitor spending added $8.5B to the state's gross domestic product” in 2021 just after COVID-19 restrictions started to relax. Our state would suffer major losses to our GDP and tax revenue if tourists and visitors started avoiding Indiana due to its roads.

One may not be convinced that decreased tourism alone would hurt Indiana’s economy too badly, but there are additional economical factors that are influenced by roadways. Local businesses on streets and roads that are in disrepair may feel the struggle of decreased customer traffic (even I sometimes avoid going down certain roads in downtown Indianapolis due to the poor structure of the road, even though there may be interesting businesses there). Houses may lose value due to their proximity to poor infrastructure, such as a road full of potholes, which affects buyers and sellers. Semi trucks bringing goods to

It is also valuable to note that infrastructure is bi-partisanly recognized as an issue in the United States and in Indiana. President Biden’s (D) 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law “authorizes up to $108 billion to support federal public transportation programs, including $91 billion in guaranteed funding,” according to the Federal Transit Administration. Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb (R) also has implemented an infrastructure measure. Holcomb’s 2017 “Next Level Roads” initiative allocated $60 billion to invest in Indiana’s highways, roads, and bridges. The governor’s plan also offers to pay for part of the cost of local road projects for cities, towns and counties in Indiana, which could improve nearly all of the state’s infrastructure.

Yes, it is frustrating having to slow down 30 miles per hour for construction, take a detour due to a closed road, or swerve to miss a traffic barrel. However, the frustration is temporary—If roads last 18+ years, residents will not have to deal with a road being redone in a while. In the long-run, roads and bridges in Indiana will be safer and more efficient to travel on. Therefore, the wellbeing of Indiana residents, out-of-state visitors, the state’s economy and everyone’s cars will improve.

In the meantime, plan your routes ahead of traveling, check current traffic conditions and appreciate work being done on the road. After all, we are paying for it anyways, right?

A majority of the construction’s focus has been on I-465, a route that I, and many others, use in our daily commutes. According to FOX 59, I-465 West was closed on July 7 and opened back on July 27. This added an additional 20 minutes to my work commute because I had to take side roads instead of the highway. The I-465 interstate is an essential route for me to take when going either to school or work, but the constant construction makes it unreliable due to the many road closures. According to I-69 Finish Line, the construction is supposed to last until sometime in 2024. This means commuters get to look forward to more traffic congestion and lane closures for months to come—maybe even another year. I understand that the I-69 project is considered necessary by many in order to improve the condition of our road networks, but I think constant construction is more of a pain than something to be appreciative of.

Another thing that irritates me about the construction on I-465 is the deterioration of the lanes. When lanes on the highway are closed, all the cars have to line up in the few that are open. As a result of this, I had to drive on the highway when only two lanes were open earlier last month. Unfortunately, the lane that I was stuck in had a pothole in it. I could not switch lanes and ended up hitting the pothole. Because I hit it with no opportunity to slow down or swerve out of the way, I messed up the alignment of my car's wheels. This required a costly

ENTERTAINMENT

Monument Circle park

By Hannah Biedess EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Monument Circle, in the heart and centerpoint of downtown Indianapolis, has temporarily transformed into a public, car-free gathering area, according to WTHR. Returning again from last year, WTHR states, SPARK on the Circle is brought to the community through the partnership of nonprofits Big Car Collaborative and Downtown Indy Inc. There is something for everyone at the SPARK on the Circle, Chief Communication Officer for the City of Indianapolis Department of Metropolitan Development Hannah Thomas said. She said that there have been different events everyday since the park’s opening on July 8.

SPARK on the Circle has been a long planning process, Thomas said, with the goal of maximizing Indianapolis’ public spaces. According to Thomas, the park is part of a resiliency strategy to be intentional with economic development. Thomas said there needs to be positive things to do downtown. The Circle is a good place for college students to go,Thomas said, if they want a break in between classes.

“It's a tool for retention and getting people to stay in Indianapolis, because it shows the cultural vibrancy of our city and its connectedness,” Thomas said.

Public Art and Curatorial Fellow at Big Cars, Julie Xiao said that the park brings more foot traffic to Monument Circle. She said before Spark, not too many people walked in the area.

Every Tuesday at the Circle is “Lunch

Break Live,” Xiao said, which is an event where local musicians come to the park and play music. Every Wednesday there are artist workshops according to Xiao, where artists can come and teach people their art. Additionally, there are events run by FreeTown Village that do performances about historical characters, Xiao said.

Feedback for the park has been positive, according to her. Thomas said that the public reaction has exceeded expectations.

Xiao said she believes that people like the park so much partially because the events are free for everyone.

“People are excited,” Thomas said. “You can go down any time of day and there are people of all ages, all races, all socioeconomic statuses who are down on the circle, enjoying just sitting in a parklike environment and sitting on a bench and having a bottle of water or having a coffee and catching up with someone.”

Xiao said that she hopes the park will stay and be similar to what it is now, but it all depends on the city.

“We've gotten a lot of positive feedback,” Xiao said. “So, hopefully, they listen and we'll continue to do something

According to the events page, “Cyanotype Workshop with Aurora PhotoCenter” will be on the Circle on Aug. 25, which is an event making “camera-less photography made out in the sun.” Another artistic opportunity is scheduled on Aug. 30, with “Big Car co-founder and writer John Clark to make drawings, poems, and short stories…” Thomas said that future events can be found on CircleSpark.org.

I also believe that the project’s goal to add more lanes and widen I-465 may cause more traffic, rather than solve it. According to the New York Times, adding additional lanes may only work for a short period of time. When road capacity increases by one percent, the number of cars on the road will increase by the same amount after a few years, according to the Times. Essentially, this means that the increased capacity for cars will be filled within a few years. Regarding I-465, this could mean another project once traffic fills the new lanes, likely taking users of Indiana interstates back to square-one. I believe rather than have mass road construction throughout the interstate, a more effective way to handle traffic would be to improve our public transportation. Besides the bus system within the city, there is little public transportation, which forces people to drive to go anywhere. The I-69 Finish Line project alone costs around $1.5 billion, which does not include other road construction within the city and state. It may seem far-fetched, but think about how that money could be used to improve our bus lines or to implement other types of public transportation.

Regardless of how much the project costs or what the state transportation agency plans to work on, I am not looking forward to another year of headaches, closures, and congestion. I can only hope that construction speeds up so my commutes are less stressful to navigate than they already are.

Review: 'Oppenheimer'

By Mia Lehmkuhl EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ah, the atomic bomb—a sure way to get you and your family hurtling toward the box office,cash in hand,waiting to find out if this one can finally be as good as “Interstellar” (just with a red-white-and-blue bow on it). Turns out, the movie is just as good, in my opinion. According to Variety Magazine, Oppenheimer currently ranks as the highest-grossing World War II film in history, having earned $649 million globally.The film,overall,was different from the films that have been coming out over the past few years, and that was enough for me. Its brilliance, though, is in director Christopher Nolan’s cinematography. The three hour,star-studded film narrates the tale of J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by actor Cillian Murphy, and how he and his team created the first functional atomic weapon in Los Alamos, New Mexico. My first takeaway sitting in the theater was how loud this movie was. I had never

experienced anything like it. Be it the movie’s extraordinary score, composed by musician Ludwig Göransson, or the atomic explosion, I did not have much left of my hearing afterwards.Nonetheless,the loudness serves a purpose: It rips you from your bubble and places you in the midst of one of the gravest decisions made by the U.S. government—not to mention my newfound knowledge on how a team of scientists in New Mexico risked world obliteration to back it. Going in, I was afraid that the film would downplay the effects of such a choice (there is certainly some nuance missing, as it is strictly from the American perspective),but Nolan sends audiences off with an explosive,apocalyptic warning. I found myself left with feelings not so far from Oppenheimer’s solemn attitude about his contribution to U.S. history. But, hey, at least we got to see Albert Einstein!

(P.S.) The film is somewhat known for its intimate scenes between Oppenheimer and actress Florence Pugh’s character, Jean Tatlock, and I guess now I understand why.

I will spare the details,but know that there is a lot of “staring into your soul” through the screen. And that kind of eye contact makes me uncomfortable—sorry, Nolan!

- Entertainment Value: 8/10

- Acting: 9/10

- Technical Elements: 10/10 (No CGI was used for the nuclear explosion, according to CNN)

Goods: - A-List cast

-Murphy’s resemblance to Oppenheimer (seriously, it is a little uncanny)

Bads:

- A little hard to follow—especially at the beginning

- The “staring contest” between Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh

- That one scene where Robert Downey Jr. takes a century to walk over to Einstein and Oppenheimer for the sake of a flashback

...Roads and bridges in Indiana will be safer and more efficient to travel on.

Graphic by Breanna Emmett

Music Box Theatre Assistant Technical Director Rebecca Lyon displays frames of a reel from the film "Oppenheimer" on a light table as it is rewound during a showing Saturday, July 29, 2023, in Chicago. Lyon said the 70mm version of the three-hour film involves nine reels used on dual gauge projectors.

Headline Graphic by Hannah Hadley

Photo by (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Student writes short film "Blue"

By Olivia Pastrick NEWS EDITOR

Since May 2022 when she was announced the winner of Project Pigasus, now Project Constellation, sophomore creative writing major Piper Parks has been working on her film, “Blue.” According to Project Pigasus, the contest is a statewide film writing competition for high school students where they can have their screenplays turned into films. Parks said the film is about an artist, Oliver, struggling with depression and how it affects her as an artist as well as her journey in overcoming it.

“The film ‘Blue’ is about this character named Oliver trying to see the color in life again as an artist. Her experience with depression had left her feeling colorless and on the edge of just like giving up on life,” Parks said. “But in a dream, she meets someone called Blue that resembles physically someone that she knows in her personal life who helps her realize that she needs to try to reach out for help and see things the way that she used to.”

When Parks was writing the script for the movie, she said she did not expect to win the contest. As a creative writing major, Parks said she did not have a lot of experience writing a film, but that it has become something she has dabbled in more and more since writing “Blue.”

“[Working on the set of ‘Blue’] has been crazy … When I wrote it, I was not really expecting anything to come out of it. But then, when the production company announced that I had won their contest and started working with me, it was kind of therapeutic. I guess, because it's written kind of about my own personal experiences,” Parks said.

Parks said that working with the director, Emilie Flower, was a new experience. She said a lot of the work she did on set was working with Flower

to create each shot to encapsulate what they both wanted. According to Parks, she wanted to make sure the film was accurately portraying what she wrote while Flower brought her expertise to the set.

The film is not yet available to the public, but Parks is hoping that it will

be on Amazon Prime and Youtube. She said there has been a premiere for the cast and crew, as well as a screening at a student film festival in Bloomington.

“I mean, my main hope is that people that have experienced similar things that I have, like mental illness and depression, [will] kind of feel less

alone and [more] understood,” Parks said. “Because I mean, I have seen a couple of films that kind of made me feel that way. But me writing this myself and being at the age that I was at, kind of made it feel a little bit more real.”

According to Parks, she hopes the film encourages people to reach out

and seek the help that they may need, especially people around her own age.

“I also really hope that it does make them think about a Blue in their lives as well,” Parks said. “Because I mean, even if they don't have someone like that in their life, I hope that “Blue” can be that person for them.”

ProEdge holds Summer Success Camp

By Hannah Biedess EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Over the summer the University of Indianapolis held a success camp for high school students, according to Assistant Director for Arts and Science Careers Rebecca Franks. The camp was funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment and was made to encourage high school students to go to college and get careers, Franks said.

Assistant Director of University Events Brayton Lipperd said as the week progressed, students became more comfortable around campus.

“I think everyone loved being here, and it was exciting to see them grow and change,”Assistant Director of University Events Brayton Lipperd said.

camp experiences. So students of 21st Century Scholars, students of minority groups and students who got free and reduced lunch,” Lipperd said.

According to Franks, there is an increase in college students struggling with mental health, due to unrealistic expectations and not feeling supported. This camp gave early exposure for college life, while also showing the challenges that come with it, Franks said.

“Letting them get that taste of what college is like and understanding that there are some things that are really great and there are some things that are challenging, but there is always someone on campus to support you,” Franks said.

Contributed by ProEdge

Students outside of Roche Diagnostics in Indianapolis on a field trip sponsored by ProEdge. Students took a tour of the facility to learn about viable careers in STEM fields

Lipperd said that college attendance rates have gone down both in Indiana and nationally. A lot of the colleges across Indiana were given a grant to host a summer camp in order to get attendance rates and interest in college back up, Lipperd said.

“Our goal was to reach students who usually would not be reached by summer

According to Franks, the students stayed on campus and got the full college experience. She said the students had classroom sessions everyday where they could meet faculty members with varying majors. Students also took field trips in the afternoon to see how majors work outside of the classroom.

“We took field trips to different UIndy partners that represented different kinds of sectors within the industry. We had a STEM field trip to Roche, we had an art steel trip to the ISL Symphony

Orchestra, we had a business deal trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and then we had a healthcare field trip to community South hospital,” Franks said.

In the evenings, there were fun activities that showcased what college life is like, Franks said. On the last day, students met with ProEdge to see what career options they could have based on their interests. At the end of the final day, students walked across the stage and their name was announced.

“I love working with that age group because they have so much passion and so much potential,” Franks said.

According to Franks, it is important to work with high school students in order to help pair their skills and interests together. She said that college is intimidating to some because it is a world of the unknown, which is why it is important to work with that demographic.

“I think it is incredibly important to help students in high school see those opportunities before they shut the doors. Because if you do not think that you fit somewhere, you do not see yourself, you just stop thinking about those as options,” Franks said.

Krannert Memorial Library receives $4,000 PALNI grant

By Michael Harrington FEATURE EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis was awarded a $4,000 Private Academic Library Network of Indiana Innovation Grant last July, according to the PALNI news consortium. The grant is awarded to schools in order to fund projects that support collaboration, according to PALNI.

University of Indianapolis

Assistant Professor of Practice of Religion and Senior Faculty Academy Fellow James Willis said that the grant will be used to create a recording studio in the library. This studio will allow for faculty to create quality lecture style videos for their classes, according to Willis.

“The library received a $4,000 grant from PALNI for equipment to help build a more robust recording

studio for faculty and perhaps students later down the road. But immediately [it is] for faculty to help build micro lecture style videos to incorporate into their classes.”

Willis said.

According to Willis, the idea of a recording studio was ready to begin before the grant was awarded. However, the grant is allowing a recording studio to be fully implemented with better hardware.

“We actually had the beginnings of a studio in the library that was being built during the pandemic and it was partially equipped, so it could produce some basic videos, but it needed some additional equipment. We found out about this PALNI grant that was being awarded for these types of projects, and we thought it would actually be a really good thing for our group to [apply for] this grant to ask for money for the equipment to help basically finish off the studio to

get it up and running,” Willis said. “PALNI generously awarded this grant in order for us to be able to buy more hardware, to finish the studio and make it something where faculty can go in and record high impact videos.”

and all the obligations that we have. And so anything that helps is going to be helpful for the students,” Milne said. “The thing about PALNI is that they are specifically [based in] Indiana, and it is a good chance for us as the school named after the city to really kind of leverage this collaboration.”

Milne said the opportunities presented by PALNI are signs that the school should work with the organization and others like it. According to Willis, this grant can give faculty the opportunity to create more fleshed-out video lectures.

According to University of Indianapolis Associate Professor of English Leah Milne, working with organizations such as PALNI can help broaden UIndy’s accessibility and available resources for students.

Milne said that UIndy professors are always looking for ways to create better coursework for students. “It is a challenge of time, funding

“It [gives flexibility] for faculty to have options about content delivery. Whether synchronous or asynchronous so students can go back and view them,” Willis said. “But instead of faculty operating with a basic microphone and the recorder on their computer, this will include editing software. It

will include the use of a whiteboard to help [make] those videos and make them very high quality as opposed to the normal standard that would be on a computer.”

The fall semester will see a few faculty members use the studio, while the spring semester will see the studio open to everyone, Willis said. With projects like the library studio, a preliminary evaluation is necessary according to Willis because it allows early adopters to understand and figure out how the project will function as well as how to use it.

“We envision somewhere between maybe five or 10 faculty who [will] work with the equipment, and we develop training materials and things like that over the fall,” Willis said. “Our hope is that in the springtime we will have [the studio] much more readily open and available for faculty use.”

Sophomore creative writing major Piper Parks poses with cast and crew at "Blue" premiere screening. Pictured from left to right: Art Director Geoff Ehrendreich, Actor for Blue Giovanni Axibal, Screenwriter Piper Parks, Actress for Oliver Ella Nelson, Actress for Mom Charity Anne Dehmer, Director Emelie Flower and First Assistant Director Matt Rudolf.

... Anything that helps is going to be helpful for the students."

Contributed by Piper Parks

Winner of Project Pigasus' screenplay writing contest produces short film about mental health

Division of Student A airs restructuring

Many positions within Student Affairs were cut and remaining positions were merged together

By Michael Harrington FEATURE EDITOR

e new school year brings about personnel and organizational changes made within the University of Indianapolis Division of Student and Campus A airs, according to an email sent on July 18 by the o ce. Former Senior Associate Dean of Student Life and Leadership Steven Freck, former Associate Vice President/Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator Jessica Ward and former Executive Director of Student Development Debbie Spinney have departed. Student Conduct, Title IX and other o ces have seen administrative updates as well, according to the O ce of Student A airs. According to Vice President of Student Experience, Success and Belonging Amber Smith, the changes within the department were made to ensure that the department helps the

student body while also ful lling its obligations to the university.

“The university—as a lot of universities—is facing declining enrollment,” Smith said. “And we have to essentially make sure that we are creating a space where we can ful ll the obligations that we have with students while also meeting our nancial obligations. We have had to make some changes to try to create more e ciency while also continuing to do the work, but modifying our work as we need to make sure that we are able to meet the demands of our students while also meeting the obligations of the university.”

Updated division changes within the O ce of Student A airs include Rob Williford serving as Associate Dean of Judicial A airs and Residence Life and Cari Freed serving as Title IX Coordinator, according to the email sent by the O ce of Student A airs.

“The activities, experiences and events will not change,” Smith said.

“We have a small campus, so whenever someone is not here, we notice it, so that is [a] change, but as far as the

According to Smith, the goal is to look at ways the o ces could blend together.

“What I have been looking at is how these o ces ow in a way where we understand how what we are doing is impacting the student, because you are experiencing one University of Indianapolis,” Smith said e main focus of the o ce this year is to support students holistically, with a focus on mental and spiritual well-being, according to the email. Smith said that the O ce of Inclusive Excellence is taking this initiative by showcasing an exhibit related to students’ mental health.

Engagement Center, which opens to the public in December, is focused around expression of emotion.”

According to Smith, Student Affairs could see changes in the way its workflow is divided among staff. The goal of this is to create synergy within the office, to improve the experiences of students on campus, Smith said.

SMITH

activities and the things that we are engaging with, we de nitely want to keep those things.” Smith said that a key focus for the O ce of Student A airs is how the organizational changes could impact the lives of students on campus.

e O ce of Inclusive Excellence has a new exhibit called “Heart,” and it is focused around mental health,” Smith said. “[ is year] we are focusing on a huge mental health initiative to help students connect with resources but also make it [mental health care] part of their daily lives. ere is still a stigma associated with mental health right? So the exhibit that is in the Intercultural

The Office of Student Affairs is trying to be more involved in students’ life and wellbeing than before, according to Smith. Smith said that the o ce is looking to learn more about the student experience in order to create better morale on campus.

“We are wanting to look closer at how students are experiencing UIndy and be intentional about creating an experience that we know is meaningful to them,” Smith said. “And so as educators, creatives and innovators, that is our job. It is de nitely one that requires a certain level of vulnerability and humility.”

Athletic department administration changes

By Olivia Pastrick NEWS EDITOR

In the past year, the University of Indianapolis Athletic Department’s administration has experienced multiple changes, including the addition of Greg Shaheen as the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletes. According to Associate Athletic Director of Communications Ryan Thorpe, Shaheen has been fully committed to making improvements to the athletic department since taking over the position in November.

Thorpe said that the department has really come together under Shaheen’s vision to improve the department, which has been inspiring to him.

“As the new Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics [Shaheen has] just taken over and [done] a great job at kind of getting us on

the right track with a few things,” Thorpe said. “We really appreciate his efforts. I know he's been a tireless worker and is really, fully committed to helping us improve things here in athletics.”

Sophomore cross country and track athlete Emma Gaston said the athletic department has done a great job at making sure the changes do not negatively impact the studentathletes. She said this has helped because it has not added additional stress to student-athletes, who are already under so much stress.

“Personally, I think the athletic director and the administration as a whole has done a really great job about keeping it internal and not letting it affect the athletes and allowing the athletes to just be themselves and go to practice,” Gaston said.

One of Shaheen’s focuses has been

on making sure that student-athletes are taken better care of, according to Thorpe. He said there has been a renewed focus on student-athletes’ mental health, as well as accessible places for them to get proper nutrition.

“I think [Shaheen has] really kind of renewed a focus on student athletes' well being, you know, their mental health,” Thorpe said. “Especially, I think, it's kind of become more of a focus recently. So I think student athletes are going to find they're going to be well taken care of going forward.”

According to Gaston, the changes have affected every student-athlete differently. She said that for her, since she is only a sophomore and has only experienced this new administration, it has affected her differently than it has fifth and sixth-year athletes.

“There's some student athletes

that are fifth and sixth years because of COVID,” Gaston said. “It could have affected them in different ways, simply because they've been here longer and they were here with the older administration and now the newer and I'm strictly here when the transition was happening. So some people might see differences or like changes over the years, but, for me, personally, I don't think there's been much of a change.”

The transition has been a transparent process, according to Gaston. She said the administration and coaches have told them what has been changing, and doing it in a way so that it will not negatively affect student-athletes.

“They're just being forthcoming and like doing their jobs to make sure that student athletes aren't being affected in a negative way, but more so in a positive way,” Gaston said.

Canadian city of 130,000 declares emergency as wild res near

By Randy Thanthong-Knight BLOOMBERG NEWS (TNS)

Record-breaking wildfires in Canada, which have already scorched an area larger than Greece, are heading toward key population centers, forcing tens of thousands to evacuate. Authorities declared a state of emergency in Kelowna, the largest city in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, an idyllic tourist region known for its vineyards, orchards and ski hills. Meanwhile, the entire population of the Northwest Territories capital of Yellowknife, about 22,000 people, continued to flee with an evacuation deadline set for noon Friday.

Climate change has made heat and drought more extreme, leading to more intense wildfires globally from Hawaii to the Greek island of Rhodes. In Canada, the number of fires and the total area burned are both well above average for this time of year.

British Columbia

In British Columbia, an evacuation order was issued by the city of West Kelowna and the Regional District of Central Okanagan just after midnight, local time. Lake Okanagan lies between the downtown core and West Kelowna but the entire city of 130,000 people was on alert for possible evacuation.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire, which destroyed hundreds of homes but stopped short of reaching the city.

Northwest Territories

Meanwhile, a map of the Northwest Territories showed hundreds of wildfires including those burning to the north, west and east of Yellowknife, which sits on the north shore of Great Slave Lake, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of the Arctic Circle. Across the lake, an earlier evacuation in the town of Hay River had previously sent some evacuees to Yellowknife.

People lined the streets of the Northern city for hours, waiting to get on 22 evacuation flights scheduled for Friday while cars jammed the sole highway out of the capital.

The decision by Meta Platforms Inc. to end news availability on Facebook and Instagram in Canada has prevented some evacuees from sharing articles on their social media platforms.

A Meta spokesperson said in an email that Facebook activated “Safety Check” on Thursday for the Yellowknife wildfires to allow users “to let their friends and family know they are safe” and can “access updates from reputable sources.”

©2023 Bloomberg News. Visit at bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

number, which will be veri ed. Letters are subject to condensation and editing to remove profanity. Submission of a letter gives e Re ector permission to publish it in print or online. All submissions become the property of e Re ector in perpetuity. Advertisers: e Re ector welcomes advertisers both on and o campus. Advertising rates vary according to the patron’s speci cations. For advertising, contact 317-788-2517.

Readers: You are entitled to a single copy of this paper. Additional copies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each

EDITORS / MANAGERS

Photo contributed by Ryan Thorpe Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletes Greg Shaheen.

Photo by Darren Hull

The McDougall Creek wildfre burns in the hills West Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, on Aug. 17, 2023, as seen from Kelowna. Evacuation orders were put in place for areas near Kelowna, as the fre threatened the city of around 150,000. (Darren Hull/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)