Feb. 9, 2022 | The Reflector

CMYK

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS

One-man performance of "A Rubik's Cube" > See Page 7

VOL.

100

I S S UE 7

Booster shot required to return to campus

By Kiara Conley & Kassandra Darnell ONLINE EDITOR & NEWS EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis has updated its COVID-19 policy for the Spring 2022 Semester. In an email sent on Dec. 22, 2021 from University President Robert Manuel, to be in compliance with the vaccination policy, students, faculty and staff with on-campus activities must have a booster shot or an eligible exemption.

Updated vaccination documentation will need to be uploaded to Med+Proctor

by March 1 or by the date eligible per the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, according to Manuel’s email from Jan. 7, as the date of compliance will vary. Dean of Students and Vice President for Student and Campus Affairs Kory Vitangeli said the decision to require the booster is a result of Manuel consistently meeting with health professionals.

“It just made sense, given that we were already requiring the vaccination in order to continue to keep our campus as safe as possible, which we've always kind of had that goal,” Vitangeli said. “And we just thought it was important to go ahead and take that step.”

According to Vitangeli, the mask policy will remain the same, requiring students, faculty and staff to wear masks indoors. Events must also operate at 50% capacity, which includes running admissions events at a lower density in order to ensure social distancing, Vitangeli said. However, she said it is hard to determine if classes will have to go back to an online format.

“I don't think anybody, unfortunately, can predict what the next few months are going to look like, and what the semester will look like,” Vitangeli said.

“All I can say is our intention, really, is to try to be in person if we're able to, try to continue to keep campus open safely. But also, if things get to the point where it's safer to go virtual, certainly the university is prepared to do that as well.”

reflector.uindy.edu

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Tuition increase for 2022-2023 President Manuel announces $1,280 tuition increase in next academic year

By Jacob Walton

cost of attendance, and that the access to that for people who are in need of aid to EDITOR-IN-CHIEF help them stay here is Sunni [Manges] and the financial aid office,” Manuel The University of Indianapolis tuition said. “[It's] critical at this point, because will increase to $33,252 for the 2022we know that COVID[-19] continues 2023 academic year, according to an to impact the economic situation of so email from University President Rob many, [so] we want to be sure that we're Manuel on Jan. 21. Full-time tuition will helping them through those situations increase $1,280, and other costs, such as at this moment in time.” meal plans, room and board, and overall Prior to her new role in the Student student fees will increase $600.This is the Solution Center, Associate Vice largest tuition increase over the past four President for Retention Strategy Sunni years, during which time annual tuition Manges said she worked in the Office increases averaged $1,028, according to of the Registrar, the Office of Financial an article from The Reflector.

Aid and within the Center for Advising Manuel said conversations about and Student Achievement (CASA), and tuition increases are always difficult, that experience is what makes her skill set especially during COVID-19, but that perfect to help students who are having increases have to be made for UIndy to issues. She said she has been busy, which continue to provide the desired level of shows that her office is important and in education. helping people, but that is both positive “Especially at a time like this, and negative, because it also shows how where we have to make sure that we're many students are dealing with financial, taking care of people in different ways, academic and mental health issues. and providing the According connectedness and to Manges, the the education that Student Solutions ... we have to find it we have, and to be Center is a one-stop good stewards of the necessary to make those shop for students tuition dollars that for a plethora of adjustments." come in, we have issues they may be to find it necessary having. She said one to make those of the significant adjustments,”Manuel said.“...If anybody advantages of her office is that now, finds themselves in need of conversations instead of a student being sent to different about affording their tuition, there's UIndy offices such as Financial Aid both the Office of Financial Aid, which and the Registrar, she and her team can has always been there, but now Sunni communicate on behalf of the student, Manges [associate vice president for speeding up the process. retention strategy] who put her name “You guys [students] don't have to do in that letter specifically. We hope they all the running around and guessing and [those concerned about affording their trying to figure it out and tell your story tuition] would reach out to her or to the 5,000 times,” Manges said. “You can just office [Students Solution Center] to have tell it to us once, and then we'll do the conversations about how to proceed.” work on your behalf to make sure that Manuel said in the email the increases you get your answers.” will be put toward UIndy programs and A lot of what Manges works with enhancements,ranging from COVID-19 is the financial side of students’ issues, responses, security expansion, wireless she said, so she has the ability to set up networks and healthcare expansions to payment plans herself that may be more academic and student support. He also flexible than those provided by the Office encouraged students who are struggling of Financial Aid. One of the largest parts financially to use the newly created of her role as associate vice president for Student Solution Center. retention strategy is to help students in “It's really important that they any way possible so they can stay here at [students] understand that the amount of the university, she said, and the biggest money we're giving back in financial aid part of keeping students at UIndy is the helps defray, for students that are here, the relationships around campus.

“I feel like if students feel like they belong and students have the relationship [with] and students have that connection to the university, they're going to do what they can and find ways and work with us to help make it happen,” Manges said.

“I think even if a student needs some additional assistance, but they don't feel a connection to the university, it's not worth their time to search those out and talk to me and find a way to make it happen, they're gonna leave. I think having that sense of belonging and community and connection to the university is the absolute number one thing that we need to do with retention.”

Manges said that another important aspect of student life where she has seen changes is the behavioral tendencies of students, so her office does a lot of work to help students, and help faculty

understand the new generation of college students. She said that there have been, and will continue to be, rapid changes in the way students interact with the university due to COVID-19.

“We're all behaving differently than we did and I could see that especially in the freshman and sophomore classes that came through, versus the freshmen and sophomores that are now juniors and seniors. Their behavior was very different,”Manges said.“[Some] students are a little bit more leery about going out, and then you have students that want all online; and then you have the exact opposite . . . students that want everything in the classroom and everything in between. And you can't really cater to everybody, and there has to be a balance with those.” > See Tuition on page 8

P. Gold Foundation. Despite this being a one time grant, Morris said they were working on a sustainability plan to ensure they can continue doing it in the future and all the students can have a coat for the ceremony.

that they gave us that they all wanted to be included.”

Students will only have two tickets each that they can give to friends and/or family to attend the ceremony. Morrell said that at the ceremony, students will

of healthcare and the care that we provide to patients,” Morrell said. “It’s kind of a rite of passage as well as a celebration for these students as they continue through nursing school.”

Morris said that students saying the oath and participating in the ceremony is important as it helps them remember to keep their focus on humanism while working with patients.

It is important for nurses to take this oath before they begin working with patients rather than at the end of their training because they would be taking it too late, Morris said. She said that younger nursing students should pay attention to the ceremony to see the oath they will be taking.

“We would definitely encourage younger nursing students to watch it because that’s going to be them, or anybody that’s even interested in nursing, that they would watch the ceremony just to get them excited about this rite of passage and then know what they are going to be experiencing in the near future too,” Morris said.

Graphic by Jazlyn Gomez

Nursing department white coat ceremony

By Molly Church

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR The School of Nursing at the University of Indianapolis will hold its first white coat ceremony this semester for junior nursing students, Associate Professor of the School of Nursing Briyana Morrell said. She said the ceremony celebrates the students and acknowledges their work while also pressing on the importance of putting the patient first.The ceremony was originally set for Feb. 4 and has been rescheduled for Feb. 15 due to inclement weather.

“Nursing school is really tough and it [the ceremony] is a way to come back to our why we’re nurses, the importance of the role of nursing and to let our students know that we’re here to support them, that we value them and we value the work that they’ll do,” Morrell said.

Assistant Professor of the School of Nursing Toni Morris said this ceremony was made possible this year due to a one-time $1000 grant from the Arnold

MORRELL “We are working on a sustainability plan. So not everybody chooses to buy a coat…. We thought it would be best if we moved to the sustainability of trying to make sure we have coats available so that everybody that wants to participate

can regardless if they have the ability or want to buy one,” Morris said.

Nursing faculty wanted to be able to include all the students in this ceremony, Morris said, but because of COVID-19 and limitations on space, only junior nursing students could participate this year. However, Morris said the ceremony will be streaming to allow those who cannot be at the ceremony to watch.

“The biggest driving factor of limitation was time, and then just the resources to put on a ceremony that would accommodate over 200 people.

We really looked at every possible way that we could possibly do that [include everyone] and we really wanted to, but it just wasn’t feasible.

I would say that there was deep regret that we couldn’t include the whole entire student body because this was our inaugural one,” Morris said. “The best we can do is start implementing it now and move forward. I guess that’s where I see that it’s extremely meaningful to students and that they’re excited to participate in it because of that response

MORRIS come up on stage and get a coat and a pin and they will say a professional oath.

“They [the students] … take an oath, which indicates their understanding of the professional responsibilities that they have and also discusses the sacred nature

2

OPINION

THE REFLECTOR

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Wasting energy on NFTs

Non-fungible tokens are adversely affecting the climate

By Logan Wong

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Non-Fungible Tokens, or NFTs as they are better known, are any digital forms of art, GIFs, video clips and more, according to an article by The Verge.

“Non-fungible” means non replaceable.

For comparison, the painting “Starry Night” is non-fungible because it is the original work painted by Vincent van Gogh himself. Copies of the painting someone may hang on their wall or keep as their desktop wallpaper are fungible because they are not the original.

Specific digital media all have unique identification codes which distinguish an original from a copy, thus making the original non-fungible.

NFTs are all bought and sold through a cryptocurrency blockchain. According to Investopedia, a blockchain is a digital ledger that keeps track of all transactions ever made with cryptocurrency. Most of them are supported by Ethereum’s blockchain, but other cryptocurrencies also support NFTs, according to The Verge.

“The innovation with a blockchain is that it guarantees the fidelity and security of a record of data and generates trust without the need for a trusted third party,” according to Investopedia. “With regular currency like the US dollar, the “third party” is a bank.

NFTs can sell for hundreds, thousands or even millions of dollars. The founder of Twitter Jack Dorsey’s first tweet sold for $2.5 million, according to The Verge.

Pictures of monkeys wearing different clothes and flying cat GIFs can sell for thousands. Jimmy Fallon paid over $200,000 for an ape wearing a captain’s hat, according to CNET. The problem with NFTs is that they are just a bunch of ones and zeros in a computer—they do not have real value while material things like food, water and land all have real world value. NFTs have perceived value based on history or novelty, much like paintings or other pieces of artwork. NFTs have value based on the hype around them. As long as people are willing to buy them, they are

Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Kendrick Lamar, on stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., on April 23, 2017.

Graphic by Olivia Cameron and Logan Wong

worth money. Still, they are not physical things that can be touched, unlike real world artwork, which makes NFTs a bad investment.

NFTs may seem harmless. After all, they are just digital things people like to spend massive amounts of money on.

But NFTs are bought and sold on online marketplaces that use Ethereum.

“To keep financial records secure, the system forces people to solve complex puzzles using energy-guzzling machines.

Solving the puzzles lets users, or ‘miners,’ add a new ‘block’ of verified transactions to a decentralized ledger called the blockchain,”according to an article from The Verge.

Ethereum mining is extremely energy intensive. According to Statista, a single Ethereum transaction is equivalent to 100,000 Visa transactions in terms of energy consumption, and there are hundreds of thousands of those transactions happening every day.

On the other hand, it is uncertain if Ethereum based NFTs are causing more transactions overall. According to The Verge, “Without NFTs, miners would still be plugging away at puzzles and polluting. And NFTs are still a

relatively small portion of all Ethereum transactions.”

Regardless, the increase in popularity of NFTs will eventually lead to increased emissions as long as Ethereum continues to require computers to solve puzzles and math problems. The model that Ethereum currently uses is set to change which is supposed to decrease emissions, according to an article by The Guardian.

“Rather than handing out internal responsibilities based on how much electricity is burned, the system instead allocates power based on how much Ethereum existing users already hold – requiring them to ‘stake’ a portion of their currency every time they make a decision,” according to The Guardian.

W ith this model, Ethereum transactions will not be as energy intensive. NFTs will be able to be bought and sold with much less of an impact on the global climate.

Personally, I will not be buying NFTs in the near future. I would rather put my money into better long term investments.

NFTs are probably a passing fad that will be gone in a few months like a meme, but unlike memes, they have a tremendous environmental impact.

Graphic by Jazlyn Gomez

Predicting 2022

By Arrianna Gupton

Cardi B, Charli XCX and many others, plus the return of large concerts and STAFF WRITER festivals like Coachella, and things even slightly going back to normal in the I think we can all agree that the summer, 2022 could potentially be the last three years have been absolutely best summer yet. insane. There have been so many world According to Vox, conspiracy theorists events that no one could have expected have stated for years that we are either or predicted. We are still in the midst in a simulation now or that humanity of a global pandemic, as well as social would eventually create one. On Oct. movements that continue to shape and 28, 2021, Mark Zuckerberg had all of change our lives. So I'm curious, what our heads spinning in confusion when is in store for us this year? Personally, I he announced that Facebook would am hoping that we get the break that we henceforth be called Meta. This sent finally deserve. I think that we could all some people into a frenzy trying to use a breather, so here are my predictions figure out what a metaverse even was or for 2022. if this marked the end of face-to-face Kendrick Lamar hasn't released an interactions, according to MSNBC. Bill album since “DAMN” in 2017 and Gates has also placed a lot of faith in the after the sound clip of an unreleased advancement of the metaverse, stating song took TikTok by storm, fans have on his personal blog, “Within the next been on the edges of their seats waiting two or three years, I predict most virtual for an announcement that the 29-time meetings will move from 2D camera Grammy-nominated artist is finally image grids to the metaverse, a 3D space releasing new music. According to with digital avatars.” I think we're going Rolling Stone, Lamar's possible 2022 to see a real push for VR [virtual reality] album is the most anticipated of the year. technology during the year in preparation I have an endless amount of hope that for the release of the metaverse.

2022 will be the year that he releases a new It has officially been six years since album. Lamar is set Rihanna released to perform at this her album “ANTI.” year's Super Bowl Although I would Personally, I am hoping LVI halftime show predict that that we get the break that rather alongside Mary J. she is dropping Blige, Snoop Dogg, a world-stopping we finally deserve.

Eminem and Dr. album, I think it's Dre, according to safe to say that she NBC Sports. So, things are already is way more focused on her current looking up when it comes to Lamar being business ventures. It was announced more of a presence this year. After a letter last year by Forbes that her estimated published to Oklahoma stating that his net worth is 1.7 billion USD. On final album with his record label TDE Jan. 7, 2022, Rihanna tweeted, “2022, is in the works, it's safe to say that the we coming in HOT! we bout to bring album is set to release this year. you a whole new #SavageXFenty According to Rolling Stone, the experience with the launch of our summer of 2016 is considered to brick-and-mortar retail stores!” The be the best year of music. There are announcement of her first in-person plenty of memorable songs that were stores amassed 8K retweets and over released that year, such as “One Dance” 71K likes. Considering all of the

by Drake, “I Took a Pill in Ibiza” by amazing publicity that Savage X Fenty Mike Posner and many more. After has received for its inclusive sizing the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, since the launch of the brand in Sept. we haven't been able to have any 2017, according to Forbes. And with memorable summers, with very few the announcement of new stores, I concerts or in-person events. In 2022, wouldn't be surprised if this year we there is a chance that we will be able to see the beginning of Rihanna's true get somewhat back to normalcy by this reign over the activewear and lingerie summer. Experts have predicted that industry. as things start to calm down after the Overall, I see all of these predictions as spike in cases, COVID will be more real things that could happen this year. I like the flu, with cases being lower in hope that with the start of 2022 we begin the warmer months and spikes when to see the return of larger festivals and it's colder, according to CNN. I feel events. I also can't wait to see where the as though if things truly do let up, we metaverse takes us. I wish nothing more could see a repeat of summer 2016. than that this year brings everyone peace With this year's list of anticipated and prosperity during these troubling albums featuring artists such as SZA, and hard times.

Reconsidering the definition of a sport

By Alex Vela

BUSINESS MANAGER A sport is “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess,” according to Dictionary.com. Some prominent examples of these sports include racing, baseball, tennis, basketball, golf, bowling, wrestling, etc.

As a student-athlete at the University of Indianapolis, I play baseball, a game with many rules, positions and qualifications that make it a sport. There are two teams facing off against one another, with skillful competitors on both sides of the ball.

When I was younger, my little cousin was participating in extracurricular activities such as cheerleading and

gymnastics. At that age, I did not consider these things sports because it was not what I pictured a sport to be, and they were not like the sports I competed in. My immature self believed that a sport needed a ball and some type of goal.

After going to one of those gymnastic events, I soon realized how much of a sport it was. Admittedly, it was the first time I had ever watched a gymnastics meet in its entirety. However, after watching my cousin and her team flying around and competing, I promised myself that I would never discredit any other activities.

That day I realized something: while the sports I have played in my life, such as basketball, football and baseball are much different than other various activities, it does not mean those

activities are not sports.

I believe that there is a common misconception that in order for an activity to be considered a sport there has to be the use of equipment, such as balls and helmets. This is flat out not true, and just because some activities require you to wear certain equipment or get a ball or puck in a net, that does not mean that they are any more of a sport than activities such as chess or poker.

As for whether poker is a sport or a game, poker is a sport because it is played for entertainment, is competitive and almost always requires both physical and mental prowess in order to consistently play and win at the highest levels, according to automaticpoker. com. Online multi-tabling players are required to have acute hand-eye

coordination, and both live and online players need physical endurance to play long sessions.

Another good example similar to poker in which certain sports that do not necessarily require athletic ability, but instead a more knowledgeable ability is Jeopardy. According to jeopardy.com, “Sports serve society by providing vivid examples of excellence.” Some may think of phenomenal physical attributes when the word ‘sport’ is brought up, but some other examples include the dominating performances in activities that display brain strength and comprehension. In some ways, these sorts of activities have the same qualities as professional sports.

A better definition of a sport is an activity that involves competitive i n d i v i d u a l s m e a nt f o r o t h e r s

entertainment. And w ithin that definition, other key components of a sport would be that there is some form of points or way of determining a winner and loser.

All too often people belittle other sports and competitors because they may think that the sport that they participate in is more difficult or better than that of another. This is unacceptable because everybody has their own abilities and talents whether they are physical or not.

There are many debates about what the most difficult sport in the world is. There are now discussions about what determines a sport. There needs to be an appreciation for every single sport, competitor and game that we are all so lucky to watch.

STATE

3

HB1134 to impact education THE REFLECTOR

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

By Kassandra Darnell NEWS EDITOR

The Indiana House of Representatives passed House Bill 1134: Education Matters on Jan. 26, with a vote of 60-37 and three representatives excused from voting. The bill was authored by State Reps. Tony Cook, Republican; J.D. Prescott, Republican and Chuck Goodrich, Republican, and primarily focuses on additional parental involvement within public education.The bill will now proceed to the Senate for committee discussion and voting.

The bill covers several areas of public education, requiring schools to post educational materials to school websites; giving parents the option to opt their children in or out of these materials; as well as committees created by schools’ governing bodies that must consist of parents, administrators and community members, according to the text of HB 1134. Curriculum will also have to follow new parameters that state schools cannot officially include or promote concepts that may compel employees or students to adhere to certain tenants in relation to the individual's sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin or political affiliation, and schools cannot require employees or students to engage in training, orientation or therapy that presents any form of racial or sex stereotyping or blame on the basis of the aforementioned characteristics. According to HB 1134, students additionally cannot be required to participate in any evaluation that reveals or attempts to affect the student's attitudes, habits, traits, opinions, beliefs or feelings without parental consent, and schools must provide a request for consent to a student’s parents before providing certain mental, socialemotional or psychological services.

State Rep. Ed DeLaney, D Indianapolis, said the bill attacks the curriculum in order to assuage the anger of certain parts of the population. It does this through the formation of curriculum advisory boards in each district, which will largely consist of parents, in order to help determine what materials are appropriate or not, expanding on those that already exist in most districts both formally and informally, he said.

“We [schools] have to be very cautious and make sure that students aren't upset by anything,” DeLaney said. “I don't really think it's about students; I think it's a small number of parents who get

Graphic by Kiara Conley

upset about all this, and then they impose their fears on their children and now on the system.”

DeLaney said he is particularly concerned about the extensiveness of the opt-out option for parents and students.

Parents can opt their children out of social and emotional counseling, he said, as well as certain classes or any materials they do not want their children to learn, making it difficult to run a uniform school.

“I think we've come to a very dangerous point here, where, in effect, we're going to turn each school into a special purpose charter school . . . so that we have to tailor everything—what kind of classes you can take, whether you take all the class[es], whether you get counseling—all of that has to be tailored child by child to suit the whims of individual parents, and then it has to be tailored district by district to suit the particular attitudes of any particular district,” DeLaney said. “Just

one more heavy load thrown on top of public education at a time when public education has real problems.”

Assistant Professor of Secondary Education Sarah Denney said she has been tracking this house bill and

... the broader dynamic around the country will be that we're backwards." previously wrote to her senator in the Senate Education Committee regarding Senate Bill 167: Education Matters, HB1134’s matching bill that died on the House floor. She said she is disappointed that this is the focus of the conversation regarding what efforts need to be made in education currently

because of students' needs during the pandemic. This bill is also putting social studies on the chopping block because of certain topics coming under fire, Denney said, which may reduce the amount of time spent on social studies in a time of political polarization where students need these skills.

“With regard to K-12 students, the ability to speak freely in class about sometimes divisive concepts, but also just critically examine multiple perspectives and history, allowing students to feel like they have a voice in the classroom, helps them to develop important communication skills, important critical thinking skills,” Denney said. “And these things are going to lead to higher academic achievement, higher sense of self-efficacy; this is going to translate into citizenship skills that we want for our students later on in life…. I'm worried that attempts to eliminate discussion are

just going to eliminate those potential benefits for students in the classroom.”

One of the pieces of evidence presented to the House was regarding a teacher in Middlebury, Ind. that had presented “graphic” sex education materials, which this bill would prevent.

However, Delaney said most teachers teach what they need to and do a good job, but teachers are also lacking support. He said Indiana education is underfunded, and teachers need more pay and more respect, but while they will be receiving higher pay, they are going to be watched very closely. But there has also been a discussion about the image issues this could create, he said.

“What's come up today is the image thing,” DeLaney said. “And now, a small network of people, who are fearful and have bad attitudes, have spread among themselves the idea that our schools are pornographic palaces run by lunatics who want to abuse our children. But the broader dynamic around the country will be that we're backwards. That's harmful at two levels: it will not attract people to our state, but it also will demoralize people who were thinking about being a teacher.”

Denney said she has concerns regarding how this bill could affect future educators, mainly because teacher preparation programs across the country have some form of required diversity component. University of Indianapolis’s course is EDUC 290: Teaching in a Diverse Society and Denney is one of five instructors. Students in this course and ones like it are forced to critically examine concepts like systemic racism and white privilege, and Denney said she fears this bill could prevent open and critical examinations of these topics.

“There are specific tenants that say things like, ‘students should not feel any form of discomfort as a result of their race, sex, religion, political affiliation, etc.,’” Denney said. “And while I agree that students shouldn't feel guilty, and that's something that's also mentioned in the bill, I never want a student to feel guilty for part of their identity. I do think that sometimes these conversations can be uncomfortable. If students and families have the right to bring suit against the university for feeling discomfort, that's just going to limit their growth as individuals, and their ability to have the cross-cultural understanding that's necessary to teach in diverse classrooms.”

This bill is an attempt to discredit the teaching profession, Denney said, and a > See HB on page 8

Rally for HB1079 and redefining rape

Citizens rally at the Statehouse in support of house bill altering definitions of rape and consent

By Kassandra Darnell NEWS EDITOR

Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of sexual assault that may be disturbing for some readers.

A small group gathered on the steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Jan. 29 to rally support for the passing of House Bill 1079, a bill that seeks to redefine rape and consent in Indiana. Those participating stood facing the street holding bright pink signs that called for passersby to encourage their senators to vote for the bill to pass through the Senate. Extra signs propped up on the base of the Oliver P. Morton statue.

Leading the group was Stephanie Stewart, a resident of Carmel, Ind., who supported the bill as it went through the House of Representatives.

Stewart said that she has been meeting with State Reps. Wendy McNamara, Republican; Sharon Negele, Republican and author of the bill; and Donna Schaibley, Republican and co-author of the bill, to help ensure the bill passes and that she organized the rally because Indiana’s current law failed her. Stewart said she was assaulted in 2019, and the prosecutor did not pursue charges in her case, despite overwhelming evidence.

“I had bruises all over my body [and] had to go to physical therapy for two months,” Stewart said. “I was definitely assaulted. There's no question about it.

My own doctor even said I was assaulted.

So I am out here doing this because the law needs to change because the prosecutor specifically told me that they did not file charges because our consent laws are weak in the state of Indiana.”

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), Indiana law’s current definition of rape is intentionally having sexual intercourse with another person or intentionally causing another person to perform sexual conduct when the other person is either

Photo by Kiara Conley

Photo by Kiara Conley

Several signs sit at the base of the Oliver P. Morton statue in front of the Statehouse on Jan. 29. The signs were designed with different phrases in support of defining consent.

Stephanie Stewart holds a sign supporting House Bill 1079 in front of the Statehouse on Jan. 29. Stewart organized the rally and worked with State reps. supporting the bill.

compelled by force or the imminent threat of force, unaware that sexual contact is occurring or mentally disabled or deficient to the point that the person cannot consent. HB 1079 will create a new definition, which says that a person commits rape in two scenarios: either (1) when the person engages in sexual activity with someone who submits under the belief that the person committing the act is someone else the victim knows and that belief is intentionally created by any artifice, pretense or concealment by the person or (2) the person engages in sexual activity with someone that has expressed a lack of consent to sexual conduct through words or actions, according to the bill.

“I think the biggest thing is . . . this law as drafted covers both consent by words and by action, which means if someone's trying to put their clothes on, they're trying to crawl away, that counts as a lack of consent, because maybe they're too terrified to speak,” Stewart said. “Or maybe they're gagged, I don't know, who

everyone,” Davenport said. “So our state needs to define what consent means. It's sad that it's not defined. And it's 2022.

How is that not defined in our state? It's been in and out. It needs to be voted on and passed, because I think that needs just to be part of what our laws are.

Consent needs to be defined so that our lawmakers and our justice system can have good tools to use when crimes are committed. And to protect people and give people a voice.”

Carlos Garcia, also among the small group at the Statehouse, said that he has been a part of Stewart’s moral support throughout this process and that she is a force to be reckoned with. He said he wants to change the law in Indiana to support changing the law in Indiana to define consent.

“It'll clearly define what it means to have consent,” Garcia said. “And it'll also be able to, hopefully, get better prosecutions for those individuals that actually think it's OK to harm a woman.

knows, right? So you just don't know.

You need to be able to either say stop, no.

There has to be [that] if there's any kind of negative ‘I don't want to do this,’ and the man pursues intercourse, it’s rape; and the law does not cover that right now.”

The bill was voted on by the House of Representatives on Jan. 20 and passed 86-3, with nine votes excused and two not voting. The bill will be voted on in the Senate next. Stewart said a similar bill stalled out in the Senate committee last spring, leaving her concerned that again this bill will not pass in the Senate.

Laura Davenport, Stewart’s friend, was with her on the Statehouse steps.

Davenport said she has been helping Stewart and, through her support, learning about the current law and what is not defined. Davenport said she wants laws established so her daughter and anyone else in the state would be protected in situations similar to Stewart’s.

“This could impact anyone and

I think also there's this toxic mentality for some men that they can do anything they want to with women, and that's not how a man should behave.”

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Corrections and Criminal Law on Feb. 1 for its first reading, according to the Indiana General Assembly website under Bill Actions.

Stewart said she encourages everyone to email members of the committee to encourage support for the bill, because they need to step up and ensure the bill makes it out of committee and onto the Senate floor.

“This deserves to be voted on, especially when it passed the House almost unanimously now two times,” Stewart said. “It has bipartisan support.

There's no reason not to support the bill. It needs to get passed this time to protect our daughters. I have two little daughters, and I'm out here for them— and my friends and their daughters and my fellow Hoosier women ….”

4

SPORTS

THE REFLECTOR

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Photo by Jacob Walton

Photo contributed by Liz Wacienga

Greyhound women in sports Photo by Jacob Walton

By Giselle Valentin SPORTS EDITOR

No matter who it is, if someone is working in the sports industry, they all share one thing: a passion for the game.

Every year on Feb. 2, sports organizations across the United States and the world celebrate women who paved the way for countless others to showcase their passion. The women who work in athletics at the University of Indianapolis come from a variety of backgrounds, including playing, coaching, educating and administration, and they all share that same passion.

In March 2021, Sports Information Director Liz Wacienga was hired by UIndy Athletics. Wacienga said her love for sports began as a child, where she played baseball and then golf in high school. Wacienga said she knew that she wanted to combine sports and business and later went to pursue a degree in sports management at State University of New York College at Cortland, according to UIndy Athletics. Wacienga said during her freshman year, she was the scoreboard operator for the baseball team as part of classwork. But, when she met Cortland’s sports information director, her career changed.

“I was totally enthralled with what he did, absolutely loved it, and I was like ‘This is what I want to do for the rest of my life,’” Wacienga said. “ …I got more involved with him. I was working all of our football games, hockey games, soccer and lacrosse … and hadn’t I gone there [SUNY Cortland] and met him, I don’t think I’d have this career path.”

Wacienga said she loves the excitement and the atmosphere being a sports

information director provides. She said her favorite part of her job is storytelling, and being able to showcase it with the UIndy community is something special.

“There are 716 athletes, we have 716 stories to tell,” Wacienga said. “And how can I best do that? With all of our social media and our website, it’s not just recaps and stats, they are people too.”

Wacienga said she could not be happier hearing women breaking down barriers in the sports industry. She said hopefully it inspires women to pursue their dreams.

“There’s a young girl sitting at home, elementary school, middle school. She’s seeing them [women] on TV,”Wacienga said. “And now she’s saying ‘Oh that’s so cool. I can do that now.’Because before it’s just been men and now with the women out there, young girls know that it is not impossible anymore—you can do it.

Wacienga previously worked at Kentucky Wesleyan College as the Director of Athletic Communications and Senior Woman Administrator, where she was the first female Athletic Communications professional in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, according to UIndy Athletics. Wacienga said she views it as a humbling experience.

“I knew that I was the only female in the conference, but I didn’t really think of it as anything special just because it was my job, and that’s normal for me,” Wacienga said. “But it was kind of humbling and kind of a wake-up moment too because it showed me that everything that I can do on a daily basis matters.”

Wacienga believes that in ten years’ time, women will continue to break down more barriers in the sports industry. Her advice to women is to not be afraid of speaking up because their voices and

opinions matter.

“I think they’re gonna continue to shatter the glass. I don’t think that there’s a ceiling anymore,”Wacienga said. “We’ve proven over the last couple years, over the last couple of months, the glass ceiling doesn’t exist. It can be shattered, it can be broken and we can do it … we’re just going to continue to raise the bar.”

Head Women’s Basketball Coach Kristin Wodrich was brought in to turn around the basketball program after having multiple losing seasons. In her first couple of years, the Greyhounds made several GLVC tournament appearances compared to previous

... now with the women out there, young girls know that it is not impossible..." seasons, according to UIndy Athletics.

Similar to Wacienga, Wodrich’s passion for sports started when she was young. Her father coached basketball for 40 years and her brother played college basketball. She played basketball for the University of Maryland Baltimore County, according to UIndy Athletics.

Wodrich played a key role in leading the team to the America East title and an appearance in the NCAA Division I Tournament in 2007.

Wodrich said she decided to become a basketball coach because one of her purposes is impacting and encouraging women. She said she merged her passion for basketball with her desire to make a difference in the lives of young women.

Although Wodrich said she has never

faced any challenges specifically related to being a woman, she does encounter stereotypes. However, she said she uses it as motivation to improve her coaching method in all areas.

“They pigeonhole women, sometimes I think in different roles. And so I've always been driven to be an all-around coach being able to do lots of different things and in different facets,” Wodrich said.

According to Wodrich, it is critical for men to help increase the prominence of women’s sports. She said she praises ESPN for promoting women's sports and giving them more visibility.

“When you put them out there people will watch. And that was proven from the Final Four last year, the WNBA finals, when people are able to watch it, they're going to watch it because women have a lot to offer,” Wodrich said.

Wodrich believes in order for women’s sports to gain more of a following, women, especially younger girls, need to play more sports. She said having more participation in sports and women coaching, that representation is really important. Wodrich urges to keep working hard as long as it doesn’t affect one’s integrity, morals and values.

“Some people think ‘I'm a woman, I should get this job just [because] they need a woman.’ Well, no, you need to work and you need to know your craft, and you need to be good at it, “Wodrich said. “You need to put in the work first.”

Jackie Paquette is Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Student Support and Senior Woman Administrator in the athletics department and is now entering her 15th year with UIndy, according to UIndy Athletics.

Her passion for sports began when she

thought she was going to be a baseball writer, as she was responsible for baseball stats in middle school and high school.

It was not until she attended college at Butler University, the sports information director told Paquette she needed to be in college athletics.

“I thought for the longest time I wanted to be a sports information director, and then learned that my passion truly lies within the student-athletes, and their experience and how we can make their experience at UIndy the best one that there is,” Paquette said. “That's how I've moved into the role that I'm in now.”

Alongside her other work, Paquette serves as the director of wrestling operations, according to UIndy Athletics.

She said she faces challenges, such as people automatically discounting her ability because of her gender.

“That's the unfortunate part about the world of sport, is that women often just get discredited simply because they're women before people even know the ability that that woman has,” Paquette said. “That's something that I've worked really hard to sort of work against in my career. I think that all women, unfortunately, have to work against [this] in their career no matter what sport they work in.”

Paquette said seeing women in leadership positions will serve as a driving force for more younger women to pursue careers in sports as they see those positions as attainable. She said women need to be persistent and be willing to put in the work.

“That's what it's about is putting the work in, proving your competency and people are going to let you have those chances no matter what your gender is,” Paquette said.

From Ball State to UIndy golf Bronnenberg's journey from DI to DII, his historic year and the Patriot All-American Invitational

By Connor Mahoney STAFF WRITER

Teeing off in the Patriot AllAmerica Invitational held at the Wigwam Golf Resort in Phoenix, in Dec. 2021, redshirt senior Keegan Bronnenberg competed in a tournament a majority of golfers do not get the opportunity to. At the invitational, Bronnenberg had the honor to represent a fallen soldier, Capt. Michael T. Fiscus of the Indiana National Guard, and their time serving for the United States. “ The y [Patr iot Al l-Amer ic a Invitational Organizers] have a ceremony that involves the Air Force Base there, Luke Air Force,” Bronnenberg said.

“They have a flyover and a big ceremony with the Thunderbirds and Folds of Honor, and we all get announced and who we are representing.”

Honoring Fiscus,Bronnenberg carried a tag on his bag commemorating the late Captain. Additionally, information about Fiscus was displayed on the card to highlight their duties to their country.

“The Folds of Honor President made a really good point,” Bronnenberg said.

“We were like taking them on one last patrol… it's like the last thing they get to do for their service.”

Additionally, the invitational composed a Folds of Honor event to pay tribute to the soldiers. During this event,

the President of the Folds of Honor, Maj. Dan Rooney, spoke to the players, adding words that brought more intense meaning to the invitational. Likewise, Bronnenberg saw the event as an honor to play in given the message behind the event. Men’s Golf Head Coach Brent Nicoson saw the invitational as a special opportunity for Bronnenberg.

“It’s a cross divisional tournament that you have to earn your way to, and you're playing for something bigger than your school or yourself,” Nicoson said. “You're playing for somebody that paid the ultimate sacrifice to allow us to continue to play golf.”

Before participating in the invitational, Bronnenberg had already made history at the University of Indianapolis by becoming the first men’s golf player to win the 2021 Division II Individual National Championship held in Augusta, Ga. Focused on putting in his best performance on the course, Bronnenberg said he did not speak about the possibility of a championship until the golf ball fell into the hole.

“It never comes across your mind like, ‘Oh … I gotta be the first UIndy player to do it,’” Bronnenberg said. “It didn't all set in that I was the first until after it really happened.”

Bronnenberg said his interest in golf grew when he began playing at a young age with his great grandfather. Since starting at a young age, Bronnenberg

developed his talents into the player he is today.

“When I was little, he [Bronnenberg’s great grandfather] cut down clubs and took me out with him, so from the time [that] I could pretty much walk and go on the course,” Bronnenberg said. “He would let me go out and practice with him and the older I got the more, I played with him.”

Nicoson said the team focuses on going game by game when competing on the course. Therefore, the team does not look to discuss championships until that moment occurs.

“We make a point in the program not to discuss championships, not to discuss winning, not to discuss anything until it happens,” Nicoson said.

Through this mentality, Bronnenberg developed a star-studded performance capturing the attention of the audience and his teammates in attendance.

Teammate and redshirt senior Oliver Mast witnessed Bronnenberg’s allout display in Florida describing how incredible Bronnenberg’s play was.

Similarly, in the second round of the championship, Bronnenberg caught the attention of the head golf professional of the course following an impressive round.

“The head [golf ] pro[fessional] ended up telling us there wouldn’t have been ten PGA tour guys that would have beat that score [69] today,” Mast said.

Since transferring from Ball State

Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics

Head Men's Golf Coach Brent Nicoson embraces senior golfer Keegan Bronnenberg at the culmination of round 3 of the 2021 NCAA Championship, which Bronnenberg won.

University, Bronnenberg emphasized the importance of a winning mentality that is rooted in the foundation of golf at UIndy. Similarly, winning is one of the main priorities in the men’s golf program.

“It's [UIndy] really brought out the best of me, and I think it’s my peers and teammates and coach as well,” Bronnenberg said. “There's a winning attitude here at UIndy, and the program that coach [Nicoson] has built is simply built around winning.”

After arriving at UIndy, Bronnenberg

has laid out his talents by showcasing them in practices, tournaments and invitationals.Similarly,Nicoson described how the knowledge of the game of golf that Bronnenberg possesses has been passed on to his teammates. Throughout the last season, Bronnenberg looked to put his best effort forward if that was in practice or outside of scheduled events.

“If you are not working or getting better right now someone else is, and he [Bronnenberg] is that someone else,” Mast said.

SPORTS

5 FEBRUARY 9, 2022

THE REFLECTOR

Photo by Jacob Walton

Photo by Jacob Walton

Lacrosse opens at No. 2 and No. 8

Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse lands in the Top-20 of the Nike/USA Lacrosse Pre-season DII Poll

By Jacob Walton EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Coming off of historic seasons by both the University of Indianapolis Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Teams, they both enter the 2022 Spring season primed to repeat with the women’s team ranked No. 2 in the country and the men ranked No. 8, according to UIndy Athletics. Last year, both teams fell in the quarterfinal of the NCAA Division II Championship tournament, the men, lead by Head Coach Greg Stocks, to No. 5 Wingate University off final seconds goal and the women to eventual champion and GLVC rival Lindenwood University, according to UIndy Athletics. Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach James Delaney said there is a lot of younger talent ready to take that next step.

“This team is super talented, this team has a lot of depth, this team has a lot of young players with the capability of stepping up after arguably our best fall ever,”Delaney said.“I still feel like there’s a ton that we can uncover in ourselves both collectively and individually in the players. Tons of excitement and just starting at such a high level.”

The previous year the women’s team

ended the year with the No. 1 ranked defense only giving up 5.31 goals a game across their 16 game season, according to NCAA.com. Delaney said the defense has the possibility of being even better this season with the addition of transfers like graduate student defense Mekayla Montgomery, who enters the season with two years of eligibility left. He said her ability in the clearing game and the draw circle, along with the development of younger players is going to take the Greyhound defense to another level.

On the men’s side, Assistant Coach Austin Grimes said this is the healthiest the team has ever been heading into their first game. That health is going to be crucial as they open the year with the No. 2 team in the country, Lenoir-Rhyne University, according to UIndy Athletics.

Grimes said he and his team want to play the best of the best and starting with Lenoir-Rhyne is going to be a good test for the team.

“There’s no film on either of us teams.

We both have lost some guys, we both got some guys,” Grimes said. “ … I think we’re feeling good about it. I think we match up well, it’s just kind of a different style that they play that we’re kind of used to, but playing Wingate last year in the quarterfinals definitely showed us

kind of what style they play down there.”

Similar to the women’s team, Grimes said they had a very young team last year with many freshmen starters and he expects them to continue to express themselves on the field vocally and help lead this team. He said players like sophomore defense Dougie Crawford and sophomore attack Wyatt Auyer are two players specifically that can break out of their shell. Crawford has already established himself this year, being named a USA Lacrosse Magazine’s Division II Men’s Preseason All-American alongside senior midfielder Kyle Basch and senior attack Drew Billig. Crawford said the selection gives him confidence heading into the year.

“Especially since I was a little bit injured last year, and now I’m coming in healthy, I’m able to actually show my full ability, full strength and start all season,” Crawford said. “From that, I have high confidence going into the season and I can help other players on my team, try to develop them and give them some cues of how to improve and basically create a whole defense for us.”

Crawford said this team’s biggest strength is on the defensive end with the athleticism and experience of that end of the field being very high. He

said that while the defense is strong, he thinks the team has room to grow in the middle of the field.

The men’s team was not the only team to receive pre-season honors, with four players from the women’s team having their names on the list, according to UIndy Athletics. Senior attack Abigail Lagos, senior defender Kara Antonucci, senior goalie Cassidy King and graduate student midfielder Peyton Romig all hit the list with Romig adding pre-season midfielder of the year to her resume. She comes off of a slew of awards last season as well, according to UIndy Athletics, with IWLCA National Player of the Year, IWLCA Midfielder of the Year and 2021 GLVC Midfielder of the Year being just some of what she was awarded.

Romig said her success is attributed to her teammates and coaches pushing her to be her best and to continue to improve. She said since her first years in the program, she has developed from just a defense-oriented player to now an all-around player. Over her years on the team, a connection between her and Lagos formed, with the pair combining for 91 goals and 43 assists last season, according to UIndy Athletics. Delaney said those two are crucial to the program due to their history with the program,

the pair being at UIndy for majority of the teams seven year existence.

“Both [Romig and Lagos] are team captains, both captains for four years now.

It seems they’ve been here forever, and they really set the standard of what it is to be a UIndy lacrosse player,” Delaney said. “They bring it every single day, they’re our best players of practice every single day, they’re the best players in the country every single day, and we’re super lucky to have players like that leading our program because when your hardest workers are also your best players, a lot of good things can come from a cultural standpoint.”

With both teams in the top ten, Delaney said these rankings say a lot about UIndy’s commitment to grow the sport and their investment into both teams. He said that Stocks is one of the greatest coaches in the country and that is evident by the work he has done with the men’s team.

“Everywhere he’s [Stocks] gone, he’s kind of turned it to gold, you could say.

He’s done that here; our men’s team is such a great example,” Delaney said. “It really pushes both teams to be better, our girls and our guys are super close friends on and off the field. I think success drives success.”

Tennis earns top ITA rankings

By Justus O’Neil

MANAGING EDITOR After receiving No. 7 and No. 2 Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings for University of Indianapolis Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams respectively, Head Coach Malik Tabet and his Greyhounds look to further improve on their game this season.Tabet said he wants his athletes to compete at the highest level and play top teams every season.

“You always want to try to reach.

The star for us would be the national championship,”Tabet said. “We feel like we are getting closer and closer every year.

Last year, we played [in] the semis. We ended up in the final four again. So this is the second time [we’ve made] the final four in four years…. It’s exciting to see that we’re getting closer as a program.”

According to Tabet, he is very happy with everyone in the tennis program because they are good ambassadors of the sport, excellent tennis players and students and they are good citizens within the community. Although much of the tennis team are returning players, because of the COVID-19 season,Tabet said he feels as though he has a young team of veterans.

Fifth year graduate student Zac Faveri joined the Greyhounds this year after leading Western Michigan University to three Mid-American Conference championships, according to UIndy Athletics. Faveri said his chemistry with his current doubles partner, Junior Tom Zeuch, is reminiscent of his doubles partner at WMU, Jannik Opitz. Faveri said Zeuch and Opitz were childhood best friends and Opitz recommended Faveri to consider coming to UIndy because of his relationship with Zeuch.

“Coming here, I knew that UIndy was a top school in [Division II] in the whole country,” Faveri said. That was one of the main reasons that I wanted to play for UIndy, and after the fall season and the

Photo by Jacob Walton

Photo by Jacob Walton

Senior Maria Solnyshkina gets ready in a match against the Indiana Wesleyan University.

So far this season, Solnyshkina is undefeated in singles after a win at Bowling Green.

Graduate-student Zac Faveri backtracks in the UIndy Tennis Center as the UIndy Men’s Tennis team takes on the Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats in an exhibition match.

start of this season, I’ve really noticed just how good we are.”

According to Faveri, their success can be attributed to how close of a team they are on both the men’s and women’s side of the program. The program has a big family dynamic, Faveri said, which helps them push each other along. He said that his goals for this season are individual goals that impact the team as a whole.

“I think my main goal is, I want to try and lead by example and I want to bring over some of the things that made my previous school a championship winning program and culture,” Faveri said.

How athletes bring their attitudes to practice, what kind of mentality they take into matches and the energy they bring are among some of the nuances that Faveri said he hopes to bring to the Hounds’ courts. Faveri said he hopes to

want to play the next match better than they did the previous one.

“Unfortunately we lost in outdoor nationals, and we’re really upset about that,” Solnyshkina said “Now, we know what we need to work on [we’re] trying to do our best. So I hope our season ‘s gonna go well and we’re gonna win.”

Solnyshkina said to mitigate mistakes f rom their national championship loss, the team needs to work to focus more on the important points in the match. Avoiding mistakes on run shots, lunge shots, returns and playing directionally are things that Solnyshkina said she and the rest of her team all have to work on this season.

“It’s just the culture, what we have in the tennis program,” Solnyskina said.

“Everyone treats each other equally. We talk [about] what we need to improve

provide expertise as a fifth year student to the younger athletes on the team.

“I know the goal here isn’t just to win our conference championship, [but] to win the entire NCAA title,” Faveri said.

Now, we know what we need to work on [we’re trying to do our best...." “... We haven’t done that, but I’m really looking forward to trying and competing for that big trophy.”

Women’s tennis is also looking to compete for the NCAA title after losing in the national championship the previous season. Senior Maria Solnyshkina said the team comes and plays as though they

[on] as a team, so it’s [a]really cool atmosphere on our team.”

Faveri said people should come take a look at one of their matches if they are eager to watch fast-paced action. While there is fast-paced entertainment in basketball and football, according to Faveri, when people see them hit a serve more than 120 miles per hour, they are shocked to see the level the tennis athletes play at.

“I’d encourage people to come out and take a look because it’s a lot of fun,”Faveri said. “It gets bumping in the bubble at the University Tennis Center. So come and take a look and it’ll be a good time.

You won’t regret it.”

Both teams face off against Washburn University in O’Fallon, Ill. on Feb 12. as they look to extend their scrimmage win streak further into the regular season.

6

FEATURE

THE REFLECTOR

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Volunteers plan upcoming service trip

Graphic by Jazlyn Gomez

By Lily Fischer & Hallie Gallinat

Clere said that the club is always looking for more people to join. One way the Sustainability Club has been spreading word about their group is by working with other Registered Student Organizations (RSO), such as UIndy Circle K International, Clere said. She said one of her favorite events the club has had in the past year was when they hosted a volunteer day at the Carson Heights Community Garden, where UIndy Circle K International was also in attendance. “… We got a lot of people to come out and it was a lot of fun,”Clere said.“People got their hands dirty in the gardens, it was great. I think that helped to get the word out there a little bit more about Sustainability Club.”

Second year graduate student in business management and Sustainability Club Treasurer Pooja Thakkar says the club wants to foster and inspire others.

She said that one of her daughters is her role model, as she is a youth activist.

“… Because if she can do it at the age of 6-year[s]-old, then at the age of 40-year[s]-old I can definitely follow her footsteps,” Thakkar said. “… Everybody has somebody in their life they’re always looking for or they’re always getting motivated indirectly or directly…”

Thakkar said that one of her favorite projects she’s worked on was planting trees. She said she helped plant nine trees around campus. She said she is also a tree tender for the organization Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, and has planted more than 100 trees in the Indianapolis area.

Another project the Sustainability Club has been working on is collecting caps and lids, Clere said. According to Clere, there are collection bins in the Schwitzer Student Center and each residence hall. Once these caps are collected, the caps and lids will be recycled and turned into a bench, Clere said.

“We haven't gone through the process of trying to get permission through the

university to put it anywhere yet so we don't know if it's going be on campus actually, but probably, if we don't do that, we will put it in one of the gardens that are right off campus…,” Clere said.

According to Clere, the Sustainability Club will be at the Earth Day Palooza event on April 22, along with other RSOs, such as UIndy Circle K International, Glamour Gals and Food Recovery Network. At this event, Clere said that the club will be speaking on waste in the fashion industry due to the event being themed around clothing.

“The point is that there are a lot of things that are gonna be taught … at this event and that's kind of the whole idea of what we want to do for the university is give students an opportunity and an outlet to practice sustainable living and that’s just the core of it,” Clere said.

According to Thakkar, the club meets every other Wednesday at 9 p.m.. Clere said they meet online in a post on the UIndy app.

The two decided to start the website because of their shared love for shopping EDITORIAL ASSISTANT and wanting to create their own brand, Boatner said.

Selling everything from shoes to "We are going to add [candles], we are accessories to clothing, Da Bratz Factory going to end up making our own clothing is an online clothing business that with our own name and everything on it,” University of Indianapolis freshman Boatner said.“So definitely keep an open physical therapy major Reeseana mind when adding more to the website.”

Sutton and freshman social work major They are selling clothing, accessories, Amaiya Boatner lashes and shoes have designed.They currently, but want first announced to expand their ... anybody can buy from options so people their website via the UIndy app. The more variety us, it's not just set on one have website is open of what they can type of person ..." for preorders as of purchase, Boatner Reflector press time said. Not only do for their customers they have a lot of to be able to purchase items off their variety, but they are also size inclusive website. too, Boatner said.

“We actually did just start our “Our website is for anybody, [it] preorders, we won’t be doing it for long doesn’t matter if you are small, if you’re though, so we can actually start the big or anything. It is for everyone, and website, and everybody can actually get anybody can buy from us, it's not just set their items once they are purchased,” on one type of person or anything like Sutton said. that,” Boatner said.

Sutton said that her love for fashion Having a variety of sizes means that and wanting to become an entrepreneur they can have a broader audience of are the reasons she started the brand. people that can buy from them, Boatner

said. On their website shoppers can find the clothing and shoe options that can be purchased. Their prices vary depending on the material and the item listed on the website, according to Boatner. For example, the designer slides’ price is different from a regular clothing item, she said.

“I love fashion, I love to go shopping and I love clothes, so us being able to put

that out there and put it on our target audience of young girls [and] young adults is what we wanted,” Boatner said.

The target audience is teens to young adults ranging from 18 to 25 years old, Sutton said. Their goal is to make everyone feel included as well as make sure everyone feels comfortable in their own skin while wearing the clothing that they are selling on their website.

STAFF WRITER & FEATURE EDITOR

After finishing their soda, a student drops their bottle on the ground, cap and all. This cap won’t rot on the ground of campus, however. The Sustainability Club at the University of Indianapolis has plans to transform this waste into something new. According to junior environmental science and environmental sustainability major and President of the Sustainability Club Hannah Clere, the Sustainability Club aims to get the student body involved with making sustainable choices.

“We hope and we strive to make community outreach part of our mission, which has been difficult in this past year and honestly the year before that,”Clere said.“Our membership’s been very low, so that's been an issue with people getting involved but that is what we strive to do.”

Da Bratz Factory opens online

By Lindsey Wormuth

Photo by Kiara Conley

Freshman physical therapy major Reeseana Sutton (left) and freshman social work major Amaiya Boatner display a jumpsuit from their clothing brand called Da Bratz Factory.

Greyhound Adventure Grant EIP Office provides funds for students wanting to travel for service activities

By Alex Vela

BUSINESS MANAGER Imagine being able to go overseas and get the experience of a lifetime. For some students, these adventures may be their first time on an airplane. And for many students, what is making this possible is the university’s ability to kick in some money.

The Greyhound Adventure Grant committee invited applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. According to an email sent out on Dec. 14, 2021 by Vice President for Student and Campus affairs and Dean of Students Kory Vitangeli, Greyhound Adventures is a program of the Ecumenical and Interfaith Programs Office (EIP) to help students explore callings and careers, and to encourage their own contributions to the University of Indianapolis tradition of Education for Service.

The email contained information about the grant and an application.

According to the email, adventures that are considered for funding are those that either: (a) include a significant service-learning or volunteer component, (b) involve advocacy efforts related to a social concern or peace and justice issue, (c) concern matters of religious faith, theology, spiritual or vocational development, or (d) are certain educational and pre-professional experiences related to addressing a human, societal or community need.

Any questions about the grant process or application were to be directed towards Greyhound Adventure Grant Committee Chairperson Jonathan Evans.

“The Greyhound Adventure Grant is a grant that is supposed to support

students who are looking to explore anything from career based explorations to maybe faith-based explorations or even service-oriented activities,” Evans said. “ … We’d like to be able to support some of that work…”

University Chaplain and Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Religion Jeremiah Gibbs is another key contributor of the grant and is someone who co-leads various trips. Gibbs is also the Director of the Lantz Center for Christian Vocation and Spiritual Formation. Gibbs said that the grant is intended to fund vocational initiatives for students. “… It’s got a variety of different perspectives on that, but broadly helps students explore a vocation; a lot of the funding comes for specific university travel programs that are either religious or service in nature,” Gibbs said.

According to Evans, normally they have two application periods, one in November and one in February. Evans said that they give out a lot of that money in November, but this year they decided because of disruptions that they were going to have one application period in February.

“For the ones that I know, or who I’ve talked to, a lot of times they say that this is one of the best experiences that they’ve had as a university student,” Evans said.

“The opportunity in some cases to work together as a team in an environment doing something that you want to do later on in life is just really memorable…

I have not yet met a student who said, ‘Oh I wish I didn’t do that.’”

The Greyhound Adventure Grant did not happen last year due to a liability perspective, which meant there were no applicants and no travel at all, according to Gibbs. He said the university created some alternatives, such as internships,

with those funds.

Evans said they are one of the few programs on campus that can still award money and that is because this is a grant that is available every single year. He said he encouraged any student to apply while the application window was open if they believed what they were looking at is eligible.

“First of all, I think it ’s good practice because there’s a lot of funding opportunities out in the world, so this is a pretty low stakes way of doing that,” Evans said. “Second of all, we are a committee that, where we can, we would really like to try and fund trips, and so if somebody has a really good proposal we’re going to do everything we can to try to give that person some money.”

According to Gibbs, the focus is to create opportunities that will further the students for all the same purposes that their education does. Gibbs said this grant enables people who really want to participate in these programs an opportunity to be able to afford to do that so that the money doesn’t become a barrier.

“It helps us to be able to shape programs that are going to serve the students in the ways that we really want to, but it also means that more students are going to have opportunities to go and be able to do these travel initiatives and those are really good for the campus as a whole,” Gibbs said. “Not only because students who go on these programs come back more engaged, it ends up being they’re more excited about their university, they’re more excited about their college experience, but also they bring those experiences back and share with the whole community.”

Evans said the grant allows students to go overseas and travel who never would

have gotten that experience. This might be the only time in their lives that they do that, Evans said.

“What I think it does for students is in some cases it gives them an opportunity they wouldn’t have otherwise,” Evans said. “I think we all know being a college student costs a lot of money and it’s just hard getting through the regular semester, having all of those expenses, making sure that you’re managing your debt and all that.”

While grant applications were due on Feb. 1, Gibbs said students should talk with any of the faculty that are more knowledgeable about the grants being offered. According to Gibbs, when writing a grant, the goal is to convince the people who are in charge of the program that you’re going to fulfill the purposes that they want. “[The program’s] not just giving the money away for no reason, they’re giving it away because they want to have particular goals that they have set, and we set three goals for this particular program,” Gibbs said. “You’ve got to be able to make the claim that you’re going to do what the grant is trying to achieve, so being able to do that and make that pitch is important.”

According to Evans, the grant is limited to broader vocational exploration.

Evans said if it fits these criteria and the applicants are full-time undergraduate students, then the students are eligible.

“I think that it’s good for the university too because I think what we’re supposed to do as a university is to allow you to explore in creative ways the things that you want to and give you experiences that you’ll remember, and if we can’t do that it’s kind of a sad thing,” Evans said.

“This is nice that we’ve got some of that money to try to help.”

By Blanca Osorio Ortega STAFF WRITER

Nestled in the Appalachian region lies the town of Jonesville, Va.. This town is where five University of Indianapolis students will be spending t h e i r u p c o m i n g s p r i n g b re a k , working to repair homes in the town.

This is all part of the Appalachia S er vice Project (ASP), which, according to their website, brings volunteers from across the country to repair homes for low-income families.

According to the Appalachia Service Project website, this project started in 1969 by Rev. Glenn Evans, a United Methodist minister who saw that there was a need for home repairs in the Appalachian region. The trip welcomes all college students, even those who are not of Christian faith, according to Assistant Director of the Lantz Center and Ecumenical & Interfaith Programs David Boyd.

At the Appalachia Service Project, UIndy students will be met by other college age volunteers from around the country to repair and replace homes for low-income families, according to Boyd. He said he will be leading the group as he has done before.

“Students getting out of their own bubble and getting involved in the lives of others is very, very, important,” Boyd said. “I think for their education, for their exposure … and [to] see another culture, to see other people.

Appalachia Service Project is another culture. When you go there, you realize that these are not people our students have ever encountered. They are coal miners, they are families who have lived on the mountain their entire lives.”

According to Boyd, the group starts working in the morning and then takes a break for lunch, where they can spend time with the family. In the evening, the group will also spend time with other college students from across the country.

“We get up in the morning, we pack our lunch and we go and build. And it’s, a lot of the time, stuff students are not fully familiar with it,” Boyd said.

“The first year, I went with a group of students with no construction experience and we sided a house. They did phenomenal, not just okay, they did amazing work. Getting it straight, the mathematics, working together, it was really amazing.”

Boyd said that the theme of ASP is “warmer, safer, drier.” Students will be using power tools, but Boyd said that they do not do anything unsafe.

“When I’ve been, the groups have painted, siding, added a foundation, they fixed a foundation one year, they built a wheelchair ramp,” Boyd said. “So anything that will make a house warmer, safer and drier, [the students] will come in and do it… they run power tools. Lot of that stuff, the students are able to do, they need [to be] empowered to do it.”

Junior religion and psychology major Mya Taylor is also returning to the trip.

She said the first time she went on the service trip was when COVID-19 hit. Taylor said it was an interesting experience as she received the email about the university shutting down due to COVID-19 during her trip. “ When I went, I didn’t know anybody that was going either.

When I came back, we were all so close at the end of that trip, even though it was a bigger group,” Taylor said. “… We became such a tight knit, little family that week.”

Senior exercise science major Caroline Kavanaugh is returning to help volunteer for the Appalachia Service Project as this is her second time going.

Kavanaugh said she is looking forward to meeting another family, working on another project and hanging out with her group again.

"Last time that I went, it was a bunch of fun, I met a lot of people. … You get to work with… the family and it was nice to get to know the family over the week,”Kavanaugh said.“And then, when we went back, you got to hang out with the rest of the people from your group, so basically everybody from UIndy, and we just kind of hung out, we played 4-square, listened to music, just kind of chilled, which was really fun… I was kind of nervous the first time because I was like, ‘I don’t have any construction experience, I have no idea what I’m doing.’ But by the end of the week, I was working with the Miter saw, using the drill, things like that.”

ENTERTAINMENT

7 FEBRUARY 9, 2022

THE REFLECTOR

Senior theatre comedy show

By Logan Wong

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER “A Rubik’s Cube,” written and performed by senior theatre major Nicholas Finch, was a one-man stand-up comedy show that told the story of his life throughout the years. The show was held on Jan. 28 and 29 and was free to all University of Indianapolis students to attend.

“It’s a self reflection on my own personal life, my own personal stories, and I formed that into a stand up comedy,” Finch said. “I told that story, and in the midst of all that I interacted with the audience. I did other little bits just to kind of reflect the message that I was trying to tell, which was a message of self growth.”

Finch said he had the idea for about two years before proposing it as his senior capstone project. Theatre majors need to propose anywhere between three and five ideas, but Finch was set on his idea for “A Rubik’s Cube.”

A few months before the performance, he said the show underwent a major rewrite because he changed how he reflected on himself and viewed his life.

“The idea for the Rubik’s Cube came from a relationship that I was in, in high school, where she gave me a gift where it essentially compared me to a Rubik’s cube,” Finch said. “That was the jumping off point for the entire show, is kind of comparing myself to that Rubik’s Cube, having a Rubik’s Cube and kind of trying to solve it, like I was trying to solve myself throughout all that time.”

Finch said the show was set in a loose form where there was no set script. He said he had clear points to hit and jokes to tell, but those came about in their own ways. He said that not every night was the same with the storytelling.

“I kind of let the flow of the night bring out those points,” Finch said.

“While I didn’t know everything I was going to say or what was going to happen, I kind of just let it be natural to the storytelling that was happening that night.... In the last night in particular,

there was very heavy interaction, which kind of formed the story to go very differently. While it was still all there, it was mainly surrounded by other people giving me the jumping-off points to get to my next point.”

Finch had a small crew to help with his show, including senior theatre and communication major Kyle Jeanor who performed an opening stand-up and introduced Finch. Jeanor said he was working with Finch almost from the beginning.

“I’ve known Nick [Finch] for four years now,” Jeanor said. “We’ve worked together on countless things, and this one was definitely unique because we weren’t acting together. He was doing his stand up and I was trying to figure out how the heck to do comedy. Even though I consider myself a funny person, doing stand-up is definitely its own beast.”

Jeanor was also responsible for designing the lights on stage. He said he had a little bit of experience from taking Lighting Design I, but still struggled with certain things.

“I looked up some stuff online, and I asked for some help. I figured it out as I went and by the end of it, I had programmed the whole thing.

But during the actual show, you just press the go button, and it just goes in between all of [the lighting cues],” Jeanor said. “It’s really simplified for that. But that night, I’d sat there for about two hours trying to figure it out. And I was really proud of myself that I was able to figure it out from pretty much nothing.”

Both Finch and Jeanor said they loved working on the show and are more than happy to perform again. Jeanor said Books & Brews South Indy offered Finch the opportunity to perform his show, but the date is not confirmed.

“When you go out and you just do something, you learn a lot,” Finch said. “I wanted to do stand up for my capstone, but I never really considered it for my career. And then there was one showing [of “A Rubik’s Cube”] in particular, where everything just really clicked and I felt like this was something I could pursue if I wanted to.”

Photo by Jacob Walton

Senior theatre major Nicholas Finch shakes the hand of senior theatre and communication major Kyle Jeanor after Jeanor introduced him. For the capstone, Jeanor acted as the opening act for the show telling a few jokes to warm up the crowd, many about Finch.

Photo by Jacob Walton

Senior theatre major Nicholas Finch tosses up a Rubik’s Cube during his performance of “A Rubik’s Cube,” in which he performed a 45 minute long stand-up comedy show talking about himself and other topics, such as school, relationships, mental health and life.

“Drowning Ophelia” receives merits Theatre students and faculty perform at festival and receive special recognition for production

By Molly Church & Lily Fischer ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR & STAFF WRITER

University of Indianapolis theatre students performed “Drowning Ophelia,” a story about dealing with trauma and abuse, during the 2020-21 Spring semester and were invited to perform it again at an upcoming competition.

Students competed at a regional level in January and a national level in April, according to intercom.uindy.edu.

Associate Professor of Theatre Penny Sornberger said the Kennedy Center American College Festival (KCACTF) is a way to support theatre students and what was being done with college theater.

“It’s a national organization that was founded by the Kennedy Center that is meant to promote academic theater, specifically in colleges and universities, because it would be the springboard

to people going into professions and working in different professional theaters,” Sornberger said.

Associate Adjunct Faculty Grant Williams said “Drowning Ophelia” was performed at the Region III KCACTF, where many students were recognized.

With this festival, students are able to showcase their work to more people at higher levels.

“It’s so hard, especially at university level; you do the show, you get some applause, your mom and dad and some friends say you did well but it’s hard to get more feedback outside of that,” Williams said. “So with the KCACTF process, they send respondents out, who are professionals in academic professional theatre world, who critique the show and give feedback and nominate people who they think they feel are deserving.We had some respondents that really enjoyed the show, really responded to it, that’s how we got sent towards being considered as

a showcase production.”

Nominations were given out to students who acted in the play, as well as merits for design and technology, dramaturgy and stage management and Williams said he received a merit for educational outreach. He said the student who received a merit for design and technology was senior theatre and communication major Kyle Jeanor, who received it for his projection and streaming.

Jeanor has participated in the KCACTF conference for three out of his four years at UIndy. He said that this year with “Drowning Ophelia” was the first time he attended the conference virtually. The online production work with this particular show has allowed Jeanor to gain more experience.

“I think for me, just in general, the best part of the entire experience was all the problem solving I got to do because one thing we would fix and it would be great,

Photo contributed by Kielynn Tally / UIndy Theatre

University of Indianapolis alum Senaite Tekle, was casted as Jane in “Drowning Ophelia” for her last year with UIndy. At the culmination of the play Tekle’s character takes full acceptance of her journey. Tekle received a nomination for her performance in this production.

Having separate stages was a new and then another thing would just kind challenge for everyone, that they learned of not work out and that’s what it is in how to work with, according to Jeanor. most things,” Jeanor said. “But for this, it He said that there were many aspects of was just a lot of troubleshooting and I feel it that could go wrong with using TVs, like I can solve a lot of technical problems microphones and earbuds. regarding live streams or projections or “I don’t think that’s something [having anything like that now and in a digital separate stages] that pretty much most world that’s fantastic.” other places have dealt with, and we Virtual theater has become a took on that challenge because it was challenge, Williams said, especially three cameras all because performances having to send to through Zoom don’t the right TVs and feel like real theater.

I would love to make sure then two cameras W illiams said he it … wanted to make a that the theaters have an broadcasting It was without a show that followed doubt a challenge the COVID-19 impactful statement...” … it was like guidelines to keep nothing I had ever students safe, but still done before.” had the excitement of a show.

The playwright of “Drowning “Working within the confines that Ophelia,” Rachel Luann Strayers, was we were with COVID-19, I was seeing actually able to attend and watch the a lot of theater that was simply Zoom show, Williams said. He said it was squares, people reading lines and it didn’t nice to be able to get feedback from the feel like theater to me,” Williams said. “I actual playwright of the show because found this play, and I kind of fell into an performers don’t often get that. idea that I thought could accommodate “She [Strayers] was able a presentation that works within the to Zoom in and watch the show confines of COVID-19 while still and really enjoyed the production,” honoring the presentation of theatre, or Williams said. [We were] able to garner the expression of theatre.” a lot of good feedback from her; she was Williams said he had the idea to give even really impressed and pleased by each student their own stage so that they the artistic decisions we made, putting could perform without a mask because like Refik’s [Dogruyol] character, for showing those facial expressions are instance, in a TV. She really enjoyed the important in theater. Once they were kind of interpretation of that character.... on the stage and took their mask off, Getting one to one feedback from the Williams said no one else was able to be playwright was really gratifying.” up there with them. Giving each actor Williams said he did not have a lot their own stage was a way to keep them of directing experience before this play, safe while also symbolizing what the and that this show was something he was show was about. proud of. He said he even met with one “The play is about kind of the way of the student counselors to make sure he we compartmentalize trauma, the way covered the topics in the show correctly. we compartmentalize different aspects He said he wanted to make sure this show of ourselves.… Everyone had their would speak to the concerns of students. own separate space that they were “What I would like to see are confined in, and at the end we see the more shows like ‘Drowning Ophelia’ character, the main character, leave that have an impact outside of just her designated space and come into a entertainment,” Williams said. “I would different one represented to make kind of love to make sure that the theaters have an a breaking out of that confinement and impactful statement towards the student stepping forward and moving forward community.” in life,” Williams said.

NEWS

8 THE REFLECTOR

FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Rally against anti-LGBTQ bill

'Don't Say Gay' bill for public schools in Florida draws protest and rally from LGBTQ advocates

By Brooke Baitinger

SOUTH FLORIDA SUN SENTINEL

Photo by Mike Stocker/Sun Sentinel/TNS

Tom Lander, a former teacher, and the chair of Safe Schools South Florida, at a rally against the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill at the Pride Center in Wilton Manors on Feb. 2.

Photo by Mike Stocker/Sun Sentinel/TNS

Supporters gather for a Safe Schools South Florida & Friends rally to push back against the so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill at the Pride Center in Wilton Manors on Feb. 2.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — South Florida educators rallied on Feb. 1 to show state legislators that while the odds may not be in their favor, they won’t go down without a fight regarding anti-LGBTQ bills in schools.

Hosted by Safe Schools South Florida, local and state leaders spoke out against several bills, focusing on HB 1557/SB 1834, the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, in particular. The measure, which would prohibit teachers and school districts from talking with students about gender and sexual orientation, is moving quickly through the legislature.

Most recently, representatives in the House Education & Employment Committee passed the measure with a 15-5 vote. Next it goes to the House Judiciary Committee, where it could be revised before a vote on the house floor.

The bill’s sponsors say the bill is needed to give parents greater control over their child’s curriculum, dubbing it Parental Rights in Education.

LGBTQ+ parents say it would prevent their kids from being able to talk about their families in class.

Nathan Bruemmer, the state’s LGBTQ consumer advocate for Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, spoke at the rally about his efforts to post LGBTQ+ resources on a state website after the Florida Department of Education removed anti-bullying resources from its own.

“Some of these fights are gonna be tough, but we’re not making it easy,” Bruemmer said.“We’ve got to start saying it loud and proud. It’s OK to say trans.

It’s OK to say non-binary. It’s OK to say queer. It’s OK to say bi. It’s OK to say pan. It’s OK to say ace. It’s OK to talk about who we are in the state of Florida and to know our history.”

Bruemmer, who grew up attending Florida public schools, shared how he was once outed for his transgender status.

Ten years later, he returned to teach in the same school district, and was outed again.

“That was a very pivotal moment for me, because it was time for me to step into my own and to transition and to live my life as a proud and out transgender man.”

Tom Lander, chairman of the Safe Schools South Florida board of directors,

spoke to the crowd, sharing a similar experience teaching in schools spanning 39 years.

“Only in the last nine years I was able to teach as an open gay teacher,” he said.

“And why did I teach openly, finally? I got over the fear because my students deserve to have role models.... I want every student — gay, straight, lesbian, trans — to be safe.”

He encouraged the crowd of more than 100 people to join him in chanting “We say nay to Don’t Say Gay.” Debbie Hixon, a Broward County School Board member, wore a rainbow mask to the rally. “I do not support this bill. I am behind you,” she said to the crowd, adding that she would seek out legislators to ask them not to support the bill. “Because it doesn’t support our students. I hope that we are able to work together to get this stopped.”

Don Festge, a teacher of 31 years at North Miami High, said he’s had more than 100 LGBTQ students in his classes.

“I’ve seen what it’s like for students and kids to have to go through elementary and then high school trying to be themselves, but also trying to hide it and not be able to be who they are,” he said.

“I’ve had students come to me first to tell me they were afraid to come out because their parents wouldn’t accept them.

“School is a place for our students to be safe and to feel welcomed, and this bill will kill that,”he said.“Students won’t have the opportunity to feel safe and comfortable talking to their teachers.”

The Rev. Darrell Watkins, executive senior pastor at Sunshine Cathedral, appeared with his husband to talk about how religion has been misused to hurt people.

“There is no justifiable reason to legislate discrimination against LGBTQ people of any age,” he said. “No child should grow up being told that their very existence isn’t worthy of mention.

Don’t Say Gay suggests that something is wrong with being a person of same gender attraction or someone who cannot confirm to gender binaries.

“Once again, cis, male, white, Christian dominance is taking the form of legislation and hiding behind the mask of virtue. To erase and obliterate gay kids and gay history is to vilify and victimize LGBTQ children,” he said.

“It’s an institutional and governmental form of bullying, and our queer children

have been bullied enough.”

Many speakers talked about their kids, and how they worry they wouldn’t be able to talk about their families. That included Todd Delmay, one of Florida’s pioneers who sued the state to win the right to marry someone of the same sex only seven years ago.

Delmay, who is running for a seat in the Florida House, appeared with his husband Jeff and their 12-year-old son, Blake. He told the story of Blake bringing a picture of his family to his kindergarten class, and how the bill would discourage that.

“It’s an exercise in telling the world who you are, and finding a safe space that is outside of your own family,” Delmay said. “But if this law were to pass, that would be illegal. It would erase his family from the entire conversation. His ability to speak about who he is and what his family looks like when he gets home would be impacted, and we cannot allow that to happen.”

A handful of young LGBTQ+ students spoke out against the bills as well, including Oliver Echevarria, who last year fought against the state’s transgender athlete ban. It was the first legal action from Tallahassee in decades that sought to legislate gender and sexual orientation, paving the way for this year’s slew of anti-LGBTQ bills.

Echevarria joked about how nearly all of the women in his family are lesbians, and the crowd laughed and clapped with him. But then he brought up a serious question.

“The thought of them [legislators] saying no to any of them, even if I was to bring up my mother — what are they going to say? Don’t come to open house?” he asked, rhetorically.“They can’t just turn us away at the door.They’re not bouncers.

They can’t do that to us.

“We are people just as much as they are people. And our history matters as much as our people matter. Our children matter.

We are the future,” he said, urging the audience to think back to the smiles on people’s faces as soon as gay marriage was legalized in 2015. “You cannot replace that pure joy of knowing that you are free in a country to finally love who you want to love.”

——— ©2022 South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Visit sun-sentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Tuition from page 1 The Student Solution Center has concern forms that students, faculty and staff can fill out, and Manges said she has received numerous forms f rom professors regarding student attendance. She said because of the online semesters, students are struggling with returning to an in-person format.

Manges said that any student struggling with different aspects of their education should come to her and her team for help.

“They [students] come to me, and I look at the whole picture and can see all aspects of it …,” Manges said.

HB from page 1 base of voters are being awakened that are scared. And she said she understands where those fears are coming from but thinks teachers should be trusted to teach students.

“I think that what's happening is the dominant narrative and the teaching of American history is being challenged,” Denney said. “And that's scary. And I completely understand that feeling. I get this attempt to stick to the basics and stick to our traditional form of education. But I also just wish that we could trust that social studies professionals, teacher professionals, have been carefully thinking about the best way to present multiple perspectives to students.This is something that we spend a lot of time on in teacher preparation.

And I just wish that we could share more of that with the general public.”

THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS

The Reflector is a student publication, and the opinions contained herein are not necessarily those of the University of Indianapolis. The Reflector is dedicated to providing news to the university community fairly and accurately.

Letters to the editor, suggestions, corrections, story ideas and other correspondence should be addressed to The Reflector, Esch Hall, Room 333, or sent via electronic mail to reflector@uindy.edu.

NOTE: To be considered for publication, letters must include a valid name and telephone

number, which will be verified. Letters are subject to condensation and editing to remove profanity.

Submission of a letter gives The Reflector permission to publish it in print or online. All submissions become the property of The Reflector in perpetuity.

Advertisers: The Reflector welcomes advertisers both on and off campus. Advertising rates vary according to the patron’s specifications. 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 by contacting The Reflector business manager.Taking multiple copies of this paper may constitute theft, and anyone who does so may be subject to prosecution and/ or university discipline.

STAFF DIRECTORY EDITORS / MANAGERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF...................JACOB WALTON • waltonja@uindy.edu MANAGING EDITOR.....................JUSTUS O’NEIL • oneiljl@uindy.edu NEWS EDITOR.............KASSANDRA DARNELL • darnellk@uindy.edu SPORTS EDITOR...............GISELLE VALENTIN • valenting@uindy.edu OPINION EDITOR..............OLIVIA CAMERON • camerono@uindy.edu FEATURE EDITOR...............HALLIE GALLINAT • gallinath@uindy.edu ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR.....MOLLY CHURCH • churchm@uindy.edu ONLINE EDITOR.......................KIARA CONLEY • conleykf@uindy.edu PHOTO EDITOR.......MAKENNA MASCHINO • maschinom@uindy.edu ART DIRECTOR............................JAZLYN GOMEZ • gomezj@uindy.edu BUSINESS MANAGER..........................ALEX VELA • velaa@uindy.edu DISTRIBUTION MANAGER.........LOGAN WONG • wongla@uindy.edu ADVISER............................JEANNE CRISWELL • jcriswell@uindy.edu THE REFLECTOR • 1400 EAST HANNA AVENUE INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46227

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

STAFF

LINDSEY WORMUTH.................wormuthl@uindy.edu ANIKA YODER..............................yoderav@uindy.edu

BAILEY CLARDY LILY FISCHER ARRIANNA GUPTON CONNER MAHONEY BLANCA OSORIO-ORTEGA

Contact Us: The Reflector office 317-788-3269 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 317-788-3269 after hours or fax 317-788-3490.