Feb. 21, 2024 | The Reflector

Page 1

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

102

I S S UE 8

reflector.uindy.edu

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

Celebrating Black History Month at UIndy By Derrick Jones STAFF WRITER

In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford formally recognized Black History Month after “Negro History Week” was celebrated throughout the late 1960’s, according to NPR. President Ford implemented the holiday to, “Seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area or endeavor throughout our history,” according to NPR. The University of Indianapolis is celebrating Black History Month this year by showcasing young Black leaders in the community by hosting multiple different events across campus, according to Assistant Director of the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Title IX Coordinator Cari Freed. According to their website, the OIE governs the university’s commitment to inclusive excellence by building upon a comprehensive strategy to ensure equal access to educ ational qualit y, benefits & resources, workforce development & leadership opportunities, intellectual

& social development, and a welcoming environment for all members of the campus community. “ We have the Black Business Bazaar that's going to be put on by the Black Student Association, and what's really special about that is that it actually hosts vendors that are current students at UIndy,” Freed said. “It's an opportunity for you not to just celebrate all Black people from our past, but to also encourage and develop the Black people of today and to encourage and develop the Black community that we have here at UIndy.” Freed said UIndy also plans to have other events to celebrate leaders on campus and throughout the greater Indianapolis community. Events include a barber shop talk, a poetry slam and other activities, according to Freed. “We have a barbershop talk so young men can come and get their hair cut and listen to other inspirational black men who have done great things and persevered through challenging times,” Freed said. “We have the Mad Love Poetry Slam, which is an emphasis on self-expression and the

power of self-expression to help your mental health. Then we also have our Black Excellence Dinner, but that's always one of my favorite events of the year because it's an opportunity for us to come together, get a little dressed up, have a nice meal and then really talk to leaders and community members of our campus. This year, our theme is ‘For the Culture.’” Advisor of the BSA and Student Experience Designer in OIE Selena Jackson-King, says the registered student organization will be holding activities throughout the year to showcase Black history and excellence. OIE also wants to celebrate Black History Month in the future by celebrating our present and future leaders, according to Jackson-King. “We always like to uplift Black voices,” Jackson-King said. “We just had our [Ripple] gallery opening and one of our students, Samir, they were the photographer for one of our exhibit pieces and they're also in BSA. So, this

will be up all year round. We're just highlighting Blackness that way just by simply

being apart and b e i n g included.” OIE plans on also celebrating Black history throughout

the year with a podcast series titled ‘Talk Tuesdays.’ Every Tuesday at 3 p.m., OIE will be discussing different current events and topics regarding black history and different issues around the world. “We’re starting like a podcast called ‘Talk Tuesdays.’ Come in on Tuesday afternoons, I think around 3 p.m., and you guys could come in and sit and listen to Cari and I and also special guests talk about whatever issues that are going on campus and in the world around us.” OIE’s office is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and hosts many activities throughout the year for students to engage with one another, according to Jackson-King. She said OIE is the representative for all minority groups on campus and actively seek student involvement. “Just come and check out OIE,” Jackson-King said. “One of the things I think people miss out on is that this is a collective space so they could come in and hang out with us or come in in the morning and do homework. But do visit us, we would love to meet you.” Graphic by Breanna Emmett

School of Business embraces new era After being named dean in November, Karl Knapp is looking for many ways to enhance UIndy By Michael Harrington FEATURE EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis School of Business is ushering in a new era with a new dean. According to UIndy 360, Karl Knapp was appointed as the Dean of the School of Business on Nov. 27. Knapp said he feels thrilled and inspired by the faculty on campus. After serving as dean eight years ago, Knapp said he learned the managing aspect of the position and is now ready to focus on leading the school as a unit. “I learned a lot of the internal processes in managing this organization— budgeting and the boring things that you just have to do,” Knapp said. “So I can step into those particular administrative tasks, but the real focus for me is leading the organization through these difficult,

competitive situations.” According to Knapp, the role of the dean can be seen as a product leader. After learning AI programming language in 1986, Knapp said he was hooked on the idea of implementing AI into business, and even took a sabbatical to study it. “I've been interested in it and implementing varying degrees of expert systems and AI systems for quite a long time,” Knapp said. “So the sabbatical was timely because that was right before ChatGPT blew up. I spent my sabbatical learning how those deep learning neural network systems work and I brought that knowledge back to our faculty.” Knapp said he would like to see students work with AI ethically in the classroom, as it is a tool. While others may see AI as something negative, according to Knapp, implementing

AI in learning is like discovering the calculator. “A lot of universities, our initial reaction was to ban it,” Knapp said. “… I want to teach my students how

He does what's right for the students, for the faculty and the university ..." to use this new, advanced technology ethically and appropriately. How to cite their sources, understand the pros and cons, what it's good at and what it's not good at.” Professor of International Business and Marketing and long-term colleague

Photo contributed by Karl Knapp

Dean of the School of Business and Associate Professor of Business Administration Karl Knapp poses in Krannert Memorial Library. Knapp served as Interim Dean before being named dean on Nov. 27 after an extensive and competitive search throughout November.

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

of Knapp Katharine Bohley said she has worked with him on curriculum design to prepare students for success post-graduation. According to Bohley, Knapp’s logistical approaches to issues were refreshing to see. “There's never a decision when Karl wasn’t always fact-driven,” Bohley said. “So every decision is made based on facts. … As a dean, everyone wants their program to feel like it's the most important one. He's always like, ‘Let's revert back. Let's think about what the data shows us and let's go from there.’ I think that's been very refreshing. That's why when it came time for the dean's search, I prayed that he would get it because there have been so many changes at the campus.” According to Bohley, while he has held multiple roles during his time on campus, Knapp always had the qualities of a leader. Going from peer to boss to peer again has not changed how comfortable with his fellow faculty members he is, Bohley said. “We've had this kind of role switching back and forth. But I felt like no matter if he had the title or not, he was a leader,” Bohley said. “So it's not uncomfortable. Sometimes a peer of years becomes your boss, it might be uncomfortable, but he's done that, came back and went back and is totally accepted, not just from me but from all faculty that were there in the different transition times.” Knapp said his values come from his time working at Indianapolis Life Insurance Company where he learned valuable skills on how to serve the people around him. “My mentor for years, her name is Carla Best. She was a senior vice president of human resources and I worked at a company called Indianapolis Life Insurance Company, and it was my first job out of college,” Knapp said. “They were very ethical and how they treated people with respect, so I had a great model to learn from. … I serve the individuals who work for me. My job is to harness their passion, their ideas, suggestions and remove barriers for them.”

According to Bohley, Knapp treats the school as though it is a family where everyone is close to each other. While the school strayed from that relationship with its growth, Bohley said that Knapp not only brings that back, but he also balances having a more casual relationship with colleagues, students and the community alike.This is a quality of a leader, like a Dean, Bohley said. “He does what's right for the students, for the faculty and the university, and juggling those three is a tremendous challenge—he worries about all stakeholders,” Bohley said. Knapp said students can expect change in the master’s programs within the School of Business. While still under planning, the ideas are inspired by UIndy President Tanuja Singh, and her ideas. “We're going to revise,” Knapp said. “We're already in the process of revising all of our master's programs. I was somewhat inspired by our new president and some of her ideas.” According to Knapp, the School of Business with still keep the same values despite the dean change. Due to all faculty in the school having a background in the field, their mission is to amplify the skills of the students with their passion for teaching business. “I don't know that our attitudes would change,” Knapp said. “Our faculty are here because we've all had careers in the industry. We're here because we want to teach, we want to help young people be amazing. I don't see a big difference in how the school has operated. Dr. Belcher did, I thought, a fantastic job prior to me. The culture of the school is solid.” Knapp said while he believes higher education is in a difficult situation, UIndy can adapt to whatever challenges it faces. The culture of the school is what is going to help serve the students in the future, according to Knapp. “... Higher-ed is in a challenging situation, but I really like where we're positioned,” Knapp said. “We have a changing and adaptive culture in our school and I think our university. So that'll serve us, I think, well going forward.”

GREYHOUND SURVEY

POSTSEASON PLAY

INDIANAPOLIS FIRST FRIDAY

One writer shares their thoughts on the current narrative regarding campus safety at UIndy. Check out Page 2 to see what they—and surveyed UIndy students—think!

Winter sports are starting to heat up! Check out Pages 4 and 5 to see how winter sports are doing as they approach the postseason.

Organizations all over Indianapolis host "First Friday" arts and entertainment events on every month's first Friday. Head to Page 7 to read more about these events!

> See OPINION

> See SPORTS

> See ENTERTAINMENT


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.