STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION
Greyhounds to cast votes to determine who will represent student body in '25-'26
CANDIDATES
media presence, they felt now is the time to run and change that.
By Luke Cooper ONLINE EDITOR
Sophomore political science and communication major Chris Hammer is running for SGA president with sophomore business administration and management major Jose Cheshier as vice president. Hammer and Cheshier are known for running the “UIndySH” social media accounts across various platforms, leading the campaign and coining the slogan “from your feed to your future.”
“I have a history of being involved in school government in high school, I was class president my senior year,” Hammer said. “We saw that the student government was getting its feet back together. We felt that we have a pretty big following on our social media account. We feel like we represent a lot of students, so we thought, ‘Hey, let's take this to the student government.’”
“We picked each other as running mates because our skills complement each other,” Hammer said. “Jose is really good at designing graphics and doing a lot of the technical work. I'm really good at doing a lot of the public speaking, a lot of the shaking hands, you know, kissing babies, that stuff.”
The main goal of Hammer and Cheshier’s campaign is to give “everybody a louder voice on campus,” according to Hammer. Citing general complaints at UIndy such as the quality of the pool table in Schwitzer and raising tuition, Hammer would like to find solutions to those issues.
We feel like we represent a lot of students ...."
Cheshier added that, from his perspective, he has seen negative feedback pertaining to the current student government. With Hammer’s previous experience in student government and their social
“I think there's a disconnect right now with the current board, how they just walk around in suits, go to events,”
Cheshier said. “I mean, I've never seen them before and I feel like students feel like there's a disconnect — like they're basically the university and extension of the university. So instead of that, we want a direct line ….”
If elected, Hammer plans on choosing his cabinet on a “case by case basis,” and that he already has a couple people in mind. Hammer wants to avoid just giving his friends positions, adding that he is looking for the most qualified people to fill the cabinet positions.
Jo'Tan Johnson & Johara ElShahat
By Pete Roeger DISTRIBUTION MANAGER
Jo’Tan Johnson and Johara ElShahat, who are running for Student Government Association president and vice president, respectively, want to continue the growth of SGA.
Johnson is a junior criminal justice major, with pre-law and law enforcement concentrations and minors in sociology and race and ethnic studies;he currently serves as the vice president of SGA in the cabinet of Mallory Tompson. El-Shahat is a sophomore social work major, with an honors concentration and minors in psychology and criminal justice. El-Shahat also serves in SGA as the college representative for the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. Johnson said he and ElShahat met in SGA.
“We want to empower students, because I know that there's been a lot of low morale with maybe going to classes,”she said.“Not necessarily pride in school, but just being, like, actively into RSOs or sporting events.”
El-Shahat said she wants to build“a face of,not that like we love school,but wereallydoloveUIndyandbeinghere.”
“Let’s make our campus vibrant,” Johnson added.
Let's make our campus vibrant."
Johnson said his campaign has three specific initiatives: dedication, transparency and empowerment. ElShahat said she wants to show that SGA members are, in her opinion, dedicated and actively understand student concerns. El-Shahat said her focus on transparency is both to alert students when changes are made and give updates on actions taken if a change can not be made quickly. ElShahat wants to empower students to be more involved on campus.
Johnson also said he wants to continue to build on the foundation laid by Tompson’s board.When selecting his and El-Shahat’s cabinet, Johnson said he plans to use a process similar to Thompson’s. Johnson described it as like a hiring process, where candidates apply and interview for specific roles in SGA. Johnson said he would look at different strengths applicants bring to potential roles, including potentially recommending someone to a role other than what they applied to if he thinks it suits them well. ElShahat said that while not everyone who applies will get a role,she still wants students to be involved.Johnson said SGA meetings would be open to all students.
El-Shahat said she and Johnson will try to address every concern brought to them by students,making as many changes as they can themselves, but also being unafraid to ask other departments if needed.
El-Shahat said that if she thinks someone is not the best person for a role, she is not afraid to let someone else take it on. However, she said it was important for SGA to listen to student concerns and work to address the issues as best they can.
McGee & Colin Seymour
By Ella Shelburn STAFF WRITER
Second year business major
Griffin McGee is running for student body president,and third year psychology student Colin Seymour is running as his vice president.McGee and Seymour met as teammates on the UIndy football team and soon became friends.
“We've been buddies for two or three years,” Seymour saidSeymour said. “We compete with each other every day. I think we're a very great fit for each other.”
McGee said that their goals are to improve UIndy’s overall community engagement,attendance at extracurricular events and diversity on the SGA board.He said that he hopes these changes will create a more positive community at UIndy. He said these three things all go into providing a better student experience.
“If we can improve aspects of each of those regards, our student life will be much more upbeat and positive, and especially with the community engagement that not only affects the university, but it affects our society,” McGee said.
To improve community engagement, McGee and Seymour said they want to plan more events similar to the annual Pack the House night.According to UIndy Athletics, Pack the House includes giveaways, music and celebrations to encourage students to support the UIndy basketball teams. Seymour said he and McGee hope to plan similar
> See SGA on Page 3
Chris Hammer & Jose Cheshier
Grifn
CHESHIER & HAMMER
JOHNSON & EL-SHAHAT
Photos by Luke Cooper
MCGEE & SEYMOUR
OPINION
By Luke Cooper ONLINE EDITOR
Ever since Investigation Discovery launched in 2008, it has been a staple in my household. Whenever news is not on the living room TV, the ID channel is.
True crime interest in the United States has seen a resurgence in the past 10 years or so, according to Google Trends. From 2015 to 2022, the genre steadily gained interest, but it has leveled off in more recent times.
There are three main reasons why true crime is popular, according to the School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon: Viewers enjoy mysteries as people have always been drawn to them, there is a slight feeling of participation in solving the featured crime and it makes people feel more prepared if a violent crime happens to them.
True crime programs allow people to become more educated in the comfort of wherever they might watch or listen to said programs. Not only do consumers learn the victims’ stories, they also gain some insights into surviving a potentially dangerous situation.
Research done by Stella Bruzzi, executive dean of the faculty of arts and humanities and professor of film at University College London, suggests the genre has shed light on cases and has been a reason for the reopening of
investigations. She cited Sarah Koenig’s “Serial” as an example with the Adnan Syed case being reopened after it was mentioned on the podcast. In 2022, Syed’s conviction for the murder of Hae Min Lee was overturned, but he was resentenced on March 14, according to CBS News.
An article by Mashable brings up the ethical concerns of true crime, featuring victim and advocate Patricia Wenskunas. She mentions what happened to her is not a “story,” but rather her life. There is no arguing with that, but living in the United States sometimes has its unfortunate consequences. All court cases are public, and government documents are not copyrighted, meaning they can be used for anything. In the case of true crime, it is more episodes pertaining to the cases.
Sometimes victims and or their families do not like the attention given to the cases, which is fair, but currently there is no regulation for going through court documents and a little internet investigating for an episode, nor should there be. If there is some type of victim fund, donating a majority of the proceeds from an episode to that should be encouraged but not forced. It is a moral thing to do. Although, not everyone will do the moral thing — obviously.
The true crime genre does more good than harm because it sheds light on the cases long after they would have faded into irrelevance otherwise. The genre has the power to activate the fourth estate and expose more people to more knowledge, and it also has the power to potentially reopen cases and get closer to the real justice that originally should have been awarded.
Money talks
Using our voices and our money
By Ella Harner STAFF WRITER
No gas, no stores, no restaurants, absolutely no corporate spending is allowed — an economic blackout where America fights back from the big corporate billionaires, or at least attempts to.
When big companies continue doing “horrible things,” there are only so many ways the average person can show them it’s wrong, but the biggest way to get them is where they see it most — their revenue. Boycotting is not always the most successful, but the message of them is. When people fail to knock down the business’ revenue, they bring up the education that triumphs everything else.
A “day of economic resistance” began on Feb. 28 called for by John Schwartz, founder of the People’s Union USA. The People’s Union is a political movement that supports the ideas of diversity, equity and inclusion. Schwartz announced the idea of the economic blackout to show “people had power” on Feb. 4, 2025, on his Instagram account.
Today. However, this does not mean this boycott was unsuccessful however.
Other economic boycotts have struck up due to the RussiaUkraine war, like Boycott Russia, which praises the corporate companies who stop its operations in Russia. One of these companies that was boycotted due to the Russia-Ukraine war was Starbucks, according to NDTV. This protest against Starbucks reportedly caused the company to close four branches in the Middle East, according to The Jerusalem Post.
While some companies, like Starbucks, do face consequences from economic boycotts, others just receive merely a few bad comments made about them on the internet, like Schwartz’s comments on the economic blackout on Feb 28.
When the people are educated, that is the real success.
According to the Ethical Consumer, economic blackouts have been a successful method of boycotting for years. The truth is though, they cannot all be successful.
Unsurprisingly, Amazon is the most popular online shop in the U.S., according to Statista. On the Friday of the People’s Union USA economic blackout, Amazon sales were 1% higher than the previous eight Fridays, according to USA
Success in economic protests should not be measured simply by how much revenue the company you protested lost. When the people are educated, that is the real success. With how high sales are at corporate businesses like Walmart, Target or Amazon, you would need a majority of the world to back down on buying for the numbers to fall. The idea of the economic blackout is not to ruin Amazon. Rather, it is to show them that the people protesting, are fighting and want change.
Protests are meant to share your words — your truth. They are a public showing of what you stand for, even if no change occurs right away. Sharing what you believe is still helping whatever cause you are fighting for, even if you do not see the outcome right away.
By Ella Harner STAFF WRITER
It is no secret true crime is a popular, widelyloved form of media. From podcasts to movies, the true crime genre is not only entertainment, but a new form of influence.
True crime not only depicts and examines real crime cases, according to MerriamWebster, but brings entertainment to its viewers. While true crime is entertaining, the problem still stands: True crime encourages desensitization and idolization of real-life criminals.
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” which was released last year, according to IMDb, is one of those cases. “Monsters” follows the story of the Menendez brothers and their parents’ murder. With the release of this docuseries, people have even begun dressing up as the brothers, inspired by both the real-life and fictional outfits from the show, according to KTLA. While taking inspiration from the Menendez brothers is not necessarily wrong when it comes to their fashion choices, it does desensitize viewers from the brothers’ crimes.
While the intention of true crime should be for exposure, justice and education, it seems the true intentions are solely for entertainment. And, what is more entertaining than watching someone get murdered all while having the guy who plays the murderer being the most conventionally attractive person you
have ever seen? This combination adds to the desensitization of murder and takes attention away from the crime itself. It makes people forget the crime actually happened and involves real people. True crime fans make edits of criminals on TikTok, dress up as them for Halloween and some even idolize them.
Not only have fans of the Menendez brothers sprung up due to their fashion sense, but fans have formed due to their actual crimes. A 15-year-old from Wisconsin, who was charged with firstdegree homicide, said he was inspired by a scene on a Netflix documentary of the Menendez brothers to stab his mother to death, according to USA Today.
The idolization of murderers is alarming no matter the cause of their actions. “Who is Luigi Mangione?” is a TV special released in February on Prime Video, according to IMDb, and it brought even more hype to the alleged killer of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Under #luigimangione on TikTok, there are countless edits romanticising his alleged actions as well as his looks.
Due to people enamored by his physical appearance, it is hard to say whether or not they actually agree with Mangione’s alleged crimes. People become invested with him and his looks, and that gives them the opening to fall into the idea that what he did was right rather than recognizing what he did was a crime.
True crime opens up a whole new avenue for people to find a new idol, and because the actors who play the criminals in the documentaries that are released are often conventionally attractive, it triggers people to idolize their actions or ignore them all together.
Our president needs netiquette
By Olivia Pastrick MANAGING EDITOR & CO-NEWS EDITOR
This has been fact checked per “The Reflector” press time. For how often I was told to mind my digital footprint, it really is shocking that the president of the United States clearly did not get the same advice.
President Donald Trump has been a prolific social media presence since he became a public figure. While I think social media can be a useful tool in modern politics as a way to connect with constituents, there should still be a standard of professionalism when they post. Trump’s avid and aggressive use of social media is an embarrassment to the American people, as he should always seek to uphold the integrity of our country, even when he is hiding behind a screen.
On Feb. 18, the White House official social media accounts posted a video is still available on Instagram, of people who appear to be immigration officers lining up people who we are made to believe immigrants, in chains and handcuffs, with the caption “ASMR: Illegal Alien Deportation Flight.” While this would be a horrific attempt at a joke from anyone, seeing the White House and the Trump administration make light of a traumatizing experience for immigrants — human beings — is cruel.These kinds of posts coming from the leaders of the U.S. show a lack of empathy in addition to the lack of professionalism.
should be taken seriously (as he is an unelected billionaire pretending to be our president), the fact that Trump and his closest peers are openly mocking and dehumanizing immigrants seems to be very similar to the Nazi party in Germany spreading antisemitic propaganda amid passing antisemitic legislation before World War II. Trump also posts
transformed into a golden paradise and called “Trump Gaza.”
The video included Musk throwing money at children and women as well as Trump dancing in what appears to be a club with a woman who is, notably, not Melania. The creator of the video, Sol Avital, told BBC News he originally used AI to make the Trump Gaza video as a satire to underline the “megalomaniac nature of the idea.”
After the video was posted, unelected bureaucrat Elon Musk reposted it with the caption “Haha Wow” with it. While I do not think anything Musk-related
Avital said the video was a joke among friends and coworkers to test new AI technology and tried to get it taken down when he saw that it had gone viral, but it was too late by the time Trump had reposted it. The fact that the
president sees satire content on social media and uses it as a way to push propaganda is, frankly, immature and disgusting. In addition to reposting offensive content, Trump uses Truth Social to go off on all-caps tangents and regularly threaten our democracy. For example, on March 4 Trump said in a post that any university that allowed “illegal protests” to take place on its campus would lose all federal funding, and that agitators would be arrested, expelled or “sent back to the country from which they came.” Beyond the distinction in the Constitution that assembly peaceable, unclear what
Trump’s definition of an illegal protest is — after all, he pardoned the rioters from Jan. 6. Or is it only illegal if they are protesting him? The president of the U.S. should always seek to be the pinnacle of professionalism and progress in the world, yet we have a president who rambles and openly mocks other people on social media. While it is not the only reason, Trump’s social media presence has made America look like a joke on the international stage, and it is time to start taking the things the president says, even online, much more seriously.
Jona Hogle
Corrections
The Reflector acknowledges its mistakes. When a mistake occurs, we will print corrections here on the Opinion page.
If you catch a mistake, please contact us at reflector@uindy.edu.
In the Feb 26 issue, CELL recieved a grant, not a donation.
The opinions in this section do not necessarily reflect those of The Reflector staff.
What do you think?
Send your letters to the editor or other correspondence to reflector@uindy.edu
Graphic by
Editorial cartoon by Emma Foutz
Graphics by Olivia Pastrick
Highlighting Women's History Month in Indy
Hoosiers gather at statehouse for women's march
By Olivia Pastrick MANAGING EDITOR & CO-NEWS EDITOR
Originally designated in 1980, March is Women’s History Month in the United States. Tis year, Hoosier women gathered at the state house on March 8 to march for their rights.
Te women’s march on March 8 was organized by the 50501 Movement on Facebook, which is a nationwide movement to protest against authoritarianism and threats to the U.S. government according to its Facebook page. Te Indiana group of the 50501 Movement has put together several events throughout the state similar to the march, protesting the government, for LGBTQ+ people and for Gaza.
During the march there were several speakers who emphasized the importance of gender equality and overall fairness in the U.S. While the march wrapped around the state house, several people were chanting “Hey hey, ho ho, Trump and Musk have got to go.” Several signs held during the march also emphasized the resistance for the Trump administration and Indiana Governor Mike Braun.
Several people spoke about their experiences as women or other marginalized groups and how it is important to have strength. One speaker referred to the resistance to the Trump administration as a moment of solidarity, harking back to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
events to encourage more student participation at other athletic events.
McGee and Seymour also said they want to make the student government or cabinet more diverse. McGee said it is important for everyone at UIndy to feel represented by their student government.
“If you look in Shreve Atrium, we've got 55 countries, but we only have 15 seats on our board,” McGee said. “We do have some good representation there, but I feel like it could be better. I feel like if we get that representation, that will help bring in different RSOs’ athletic teams,and I think that will create more student engagement and give everybody their own voice.”
At the end of the day, we're serving the student body."
To make students feel more represented within the student government, McGee and Seymour said that they plan to have SGA work more closely with the Student Leadership & Activities Board (SLAB). Seymour said both organizations work to make student experience better, so it is logical that they would work together.
“SLAB and SGA are kind of side by side, but I think we should kind of make them work together because … a big thing for us is more community involvement and more extracurricular involvement,” Seymour said. “If SLAB and them work together, we can make more things like L/P events.”
Additionally, McGee and Seymour want to encourage students to participate in community service. McGee said he plans to create a day where students can get a free credit hour for participating in a community service project.
“Last year, we had the solar eclipse, and we got a day off school, and you had an opportunity to take a free course for one free credit hour,” McGee said. “I think we should do something like that. We could have a mental health sort of thing at the end of the year, and it would be very centered around community engagement. Whenever you take that day off, you could go do a community service project,like with a cohort, an advisor, a teacher.”
If McGee and Seymour are elected, they plan to keep students’ feedback in mind when making decisions. Tey said that they want the student body to feel connected to SGA.
“At the end of the day, we're serving the student body,” Seymour said.“Te student body is not serving us. We are not on a level higher than them. We are on the same level working towards the same goal.So,if they come to us with a problem about us, absolutely, we are 100% open to change. We want everybody to feel welcomed and we want everybody to be fulfilled with their college experience.” SGA from Page 1
Tracking bills in Indiana General Assembly
By Emma Foutz ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Te Indiana General Assembly has reached the halfway point in the 2025 legislative session, and bills that have been introduced must either be passed into the next stage or dismissed.
Associate Professor of Political Science Gregory Shufeldt describes how the Indiana legislature operates at this point in the session, as bills must be approved in their chamber of origin, either in the Senate or
the House of Representatives, to be introduced in the opposite chamber.
After a piece of legislation is introduced, Shufeldt said, the leader of each chamber gets to decide which committee they want the bill to be assigned to. Committees are smaller groups of legislators with specific focus areas, such as healthcare or education, and they schedule hearings or testimonies from private citizens or interest groups that advocate in favor or against a bill.
As of March 16, the following
high-profile bills have been referred to the opposite chamber committees:
• SB 1: Property tax relief
• SB 2: Medicaid matters
SB 10: Voter registration
SB 11: Minor access and use of social media
• SB 285: Comparative college and career information
SB 451: Income tax rate
SB 523: School chaplains
HB 1001: State budget
• HB 1008: Indiana-Illinois boundary adjustment commission
HB 1041: Student eligibility in interscholastic sports
• HB 1461: Road funding
• HB 1531: Various immigration matters Shufeldt said there is a combination of factors that influence whether a bill is passed.
Priority bills, experienced and longstanding state legislators, and public support can all determine whether a bill proceeds to the next step. Te legislative process can be hard to follow and not necessarily accessible to the everyday voter, Shufeldt said.
“If you’re not going to the state capitol, if you’re not checking the website, it’s very possible that stuff gets added on at the 11th hour that you’re not paying attention to …” Shufeldt said. “Not every citizen or every interest group has the same amount of resources, and so it creates some barriers or inequities… it creates an unlevel playing field of who has access and who has influence.”
highest standards of professional practice and ethical conduct. Operating in accordance with the guarantees of the First Amendment, The Reflector fosters civic discourse and engagement.
Photo by Olivia Pastrick Marchers gather outside of the Indiana Statehouse on March 8 to protest against authoritarianism and threats to the U.S. government.
Cartoon by Ella Harner
INDY IGNITE
Trailblazing pro team going 10-8
By Caroline Krauch SPORTS EDITOR
The Indy Ignite have commenced their inaugural season of play, being the first and only professional volleyball team in the area.
In January 2024, the Ignite announced its brand and mascot, becoming part of the Pro Volleyball Federation. The PVF is one of two major volleyball leagues in the U.S., the other being League One, another new league that is attempting to start its own professional league according to its website. What sets the PVF apart, the league says on its websites, is that it is an elevated version of the previously existing leagues.
On its site it says “Pro Volleyball Federation operates at a major league level and is advancing a traditional league model with teams in major markets across the country. Our teams play home and road games in major venues and will have rabid fan bases within their home markets.”
According to the PVF’s website, it was founded “Because the time is now for professional volleyball in the United States.” The name ignite is inspired by the ‘burning passion’ the community has for volleyball and the determination to grow the league, according to its website. The Ignite is currently 10-8 on the season and ranked fourth in the league of eight, according to the league standings.
By Olivia Pastrick MANAGING EDITOR & CO-NEWS EDITOR
March Madness has tipped off for 2025, and already it looks like it could be shapinguptobeoneofthemostinteresting tournaments yet.
The Ignite played its first game on Jan. 11, 2025 to a sellout crowd at Fishers Event Center, according to Indianapolis Monthly. The event center is the arena for all of the Ignite’s home games after opening in November 2024, according to its site, and now hosts games not only for the Ignite but the Indy Fuel (minor league hockey) and Fishers Freight (indoor football) too. The center also hosted the PVF’s inaugural All-Star Match on Feb. 22 which was the first women’s pro volleyball match ever to be shown on a ‘traditional legacy TV network’ in CBS according to an article released by the Ignite.
The PVF played its inaugural season in 2024 from January to May, hosting the championship game on May 18. The league follows a similar schedule now, wrapping up its season in May again. According to the schedule, the first championship team of the PVF was the Omaha Supernovas. There are now eight teams in the league in total, including teams in California, Nevada, Michigan and Ohio, among others. According to USA Volleyball, the PVF was the first league globally to share its revenue with players from the start.
This season, the Ignite had three players named to the All-Star roster, including setter Sydney Hilley, outside hitter Leketor MemberMeneh and opposite hitter Azhani Tealer. Ignite’s next game is on March 30 at the Orlando Valkyries. The game will be available on YouTube TV through CBS Sports.
Throughout the season, there has not been one completely dominant team in Division I women’s basketball like in previous years. After coming off of an undefeated season and a national title, South Carolina has had a strong season, but have lost to teams such as the UConn Huskies and the Texas Longhorns earlier this year.
For the first time since 2021, the Gamecocks did not get the first overall seed placement, which instead went to the UCLA Bruins, who also beat South Carolina earlier in the season.Head Coach DawnStaleyexpressedherdisappointment andconfusionwiththeselectioncommittee and said her team creates a strength of schedule that should always give them the
first overall seed if they execute throughout the season. While it was shocking to see another team at the top, the last thing anyone else in the tournament wants is for Staley and her team to have a chip on their shoulder, so it should be interesting to see if they can prove themselves. Another surprising placement was UConn being a second seed in USC’s region. Earlier in the season when these teams faced off, it was a battle of the superstars with Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins,and if the teams meet in the Elite Eight,there is no doubt those two will have to battle it out again.
Graphic by Olivia Pastrick
Graphic by Olivia Pastrick
Photo by Allison Cook
Libero Elena Scott raises her arms in a team huddle during a March 20 Indy Ignite match at the Fishers Event Center. The team became part of the Pro Volleyball Federation in January 2024.
Photo by Allison Cook
Outside Hitter Anna DeBeer gears up to hit the ball at the Indy Ignite vs. Columbus Fury match on March 20 at the Fishers Event Center. The Ignite are currently 10-8 for the season.
Hounds take on Div. II
Swim & Dive finds success at the 2025 national championships held in Indy
By Hunter Baker STAFF WRITER
The UIndy Swim and Dive teams competed in the Division II National Championship March 15-16.The men’s team finished fifth while the women came in fourth.
The competition was held at the IU Natatorium as part of the NCAA Division II Championships Festival, according to the Indiana Sports Corp. 27 Hounds competed at nationals, and several won events throughout the competition including first place in the 1000m relay by the UIndy’s Andrea Gomez and a relay team win, according to UIndy Athletics. The relay team of Julia Magierowska, Megan Gregory, Andrea Paaske and Kirabo Namutebi set a new DII record in the 200m medley with a time of 1:30.37.
Head Coach Brent Noble said the focus for this year was using the team’s prior experience, as the men’s team won the national championship in 2023 and other athletes have qualified previously and have that experience under their belt. In his time at UIndy, Noble has led the Hounds to win 19 events, which is more than the program’s entire history under any previous coaches. Noble was voted by his peers as the 2023 CSCAA Division II Men’s Head Coach of the Year, having led the men’s team to their first ever national title, and also coaching 83 All-American athletes.
we have a program here where it’s pretty well required to want to come in and put in the work to get better, because I think that’s really the only way to do it.”
Noble said the team attitude is a huge factor into its success. The athletes need to be able to perform at high levels, he said, which can be hard to do consistently but his team has found a way.
“You need to be surrounded by people who are also going to do that,” Noble said. “They’ve worked hard, they’ve stayed the course, but I think in doing that work, they build a mental strength that allows them to come in and understand they’re going to get the best out of themselves any given day.”
This was the last meet of the season for senior and Olympian Cedric Buessing and the final meet of his college career.
... and just be totally grateful that I’m able to even compete ....”
He qualified for the 500m freestyle and 200m backstroke amongst other events. Buessing said the journey has been a challenge.
“It’s definitely hard in the beginning, not having any dual meets, and then dual meet season starts, and it’s easy to become very fatigued, and you just sort of push through classes,” Buessing said. “Winter training is tough, probably the toughest time of the year, and then conference hits it’s just exhausting, but you just put your head back down for the final sprint and make it to Nationals.”
“We’ve been here, most of the group that’s here, has been there, and has been there with solid success,” Noble said. “Each year we assess what we did well and what we maybe can do better, and have tried to build that together this year. So the group we’re bringing, I feel really good about.”
Despite the positive feelings going forward to the national championship this time, Noble said the work has been demanding. He said the sport requires a lot of time and effort and the athlete’s must be willing to put in the work.
“They’ve worked,” Noble said. “It’s a sport that demands a lot, so
Senior Celina Schmidt has qualified for the 200m individual medley, 100m fly,100m , and 200m breaststroke. As an upperclassmen, Schmidt said these events are not a new challenge for her.
“It means a lot to me,” Schmidt said. “Last year I had a very good nationals, and I won twice, which created a lot of pressure for me at first, but I think right now, everything that I’m doing right now this nationals is going to be an extra bonus for me, so I’m just glad being there with the team and show what I can do, and just be totally grateful that I’m be able even to compete at this nationals this year.”
IndyCar: The race is on
By Luke Cooper ONLINE EDITOR
The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone IndyCar series set off on March 2 in St. Petersburg, Florida with three-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou winning the race, according to IndyCar.
This past weekend, IndyCar held its second race at The Thermal Club and will have the next race on April 13 for the Acura Grand Prix Of Long Beach.
IndyCar started in June 1909 with a series of races in Portland, Oregon on a 14.6-mile long track, according to Open Wheel World.
The final race in the first season was a 480-mile race between Los Angeles and Phoenix. Though Indianapolis Motor Speedway had opened in 1909, races held ranged between 50 and 200 miles on the track. It was not until 1911 when the first Indianapolis 500 was held.
IMS was paved with bricks until just before the start of World War II, while most tracks in the IndyCar series in the early years were either
street courses or dirt, according to Open Wheel World. World War II put a pause on the IndyCar series and the Indianapolis 500. In 1946 when the IndyCar series resumed, dirt was the normal racing surface for most races in the series with the IMS being the exception.
In 1955, the American Automobile Association, the sanctioning body for the IndyCar series, decided American autosports were too dangerous leading to the United States Auto Club becoming the new sanctioning body for the series starting in 1956. USAC would remain as the sanctioning body of IndyCar until the late 1970s, when conflict arose between teams and the club, according to Open Wheel World.
Not much changed initially in the switch in the 1980s from USAC and CART, though the series downsized from 18 to 12 races, according to Open Wheel World. The series also gained traction in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a competitor to Formula 1. Despite the newfound success of the series, Indy 500 President at the time Tony
George decided to split the race from CART in 1996, forming the Indy Racing League, according to Open Wheel World.
In the beginning, IRL faced issues trying to obtain well-known drivers to compete as CART had more recognition. However, by the early 2000s IRL was a contributing factor to CART’s bankruptcy, according to Open Wheel World. George wanted to buy out CART but instead the bid for CART went to a few team owners, which was thought to secure the future of it.
IRL continued to gain traction and is the IndyCar series that is known today.
The IndyCar season picks up in May with the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday, May 4, followed by the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course on Saturday, May 10. The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be held on May 25 in conjunction with the IndyCar series, according to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.The speedway will host events surrounding the race starting with the May 13 practice.
Photo by Hunter Baker
Senior swimmer Celina Schmidt practices the breaststroke in the Ruth Lilly Fitness Center on March 7. Schmidt qualified for the 200m individual medley, 100m fly, 100m and 200m breaststroke Division II National Championships.
Photo contributed by Evan Porterfield
Head Coach of Swimming & Diving Brent Noble coaches during the UIndy Last Chance Meet on Feb. 28 in Ruth Lilly Fitness Center. The men’s team finished fifth and the women came in fourth at the Division II National Championships.
Photo by Luke Cooper
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway will host events surrounding the Indy 500 starting on May 13. The 109th running of the race will be held on May 25.
BECOMING 'DAPPER DON'
A student's journey from sparking laughter in the classroom to commanding a live audience
By Mia Lehmkuhl EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-NEWS EDITOR
Whether on the stage or back in his high school classroom, comedian Dapper Don quickly discovered the power of a punchline.
Growing up in a “comedy-centric” family, freshman communication major Donald Piper, known on stage as Dapper Don, was inspired by watching bigname comedians on television. Once he was old enough to stay in the room without his parents kicking him out over their edgy humor, he was hooked on his “The Original Kings of Comedy” CD starring Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and Bernie Mac.
An introvert at heart, he wondered how laughter could command a room — and how he could do it himself.
“All throughout school, I was the kind of class clown, kind of funny type,” Piper said. “You know, I got my work done, but I could command a whole room, get them laughing. And I started to feel good from that.”
In high school, Piper said he would often riff in his classes — so much so that teachers would stop lessons so he could improvise. Now in his first year at the University of Indianapolis, he said comedy drew him to not only make people laugh but also say things that create an impact. For Piper, comedy provides relief in a world he deems too serious.
“… That's kind of where comedians come in,” Piper said. “We come in to hold that mirror up to society. Like, ‘Okay, I know this is a serious thing, but come on, this is ridiculous.’ … Some people might take offense to that, but that’s just part of the course,
an occupational hazard, if you will.”
As far as his performance style, Piper said he accesses a “different part” of his brain when he performs. Piper said Dapper Don gave him a way to separate himself from Donald, someone who preferred books to speaking to others, and it allowed him to grow as an individual coming to UIndy.
“You also just have to, in general,
kind of approach it with this mindset of like, ‘I'm in the mode. I'm gonna crush it.’” Piper said. “They're out there for you. They love you. You're gonna get out there and you're gonna wow them.”
Piper said he sees a future for himself in comedy with goals to get on a major radio station and grow from there. After he makes his big break, Piper plans to debut another craft that
stems from his love of horror stories: his writing.
“... [I] want to bring forth those stories and put that out there,” Piper said. “Because the thing is, even though comedy is at the forefront, I am a jack of all trades, so I want to put everything out there. I write horror stories. I’ve got comics that connect to the horror stories.”
When not on stage, Dapper Don can be found on his podcast, “What’s Going on With Dapper Don?” every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. via YouTube. Additionally, Piper said he is active on Instagram and Facebook. And, to all aspiring comedians, Piper said to commit to the bit even when bombing during a performance.
“That is show business,” Piper said. “It is the one place where you can’t let them see you sweat.”
Art songs and persona poems shine light in the shadows
By Logan McInnes FEATURE EDITOR
When art songs and persona poems are performed together, a poet illuminates an aspect of another’s life while the music fills in the shadows.
At the “Garden Songs” Faculty Artist Concert Series on March 17, Associate Professor of English Liz Whiteacre read her persona poems. Meanwhile, Adjunct Professor Meadow Bridgham played their piano melodies to accompany Whiteacre’s poems. Whiteacre and baritone singer Andrew Durham would alternate while Bridgham played the piano.
Art songs first appeared in the 18th century and were usually performed in peoples’ homes, bringing together singers and pianists to interpret poetry set to music, according to Vocal Arts DC. With persona poems, the poet’s goal is to assume a voice and a perspective that is not their own, according to Whiteacre. She said the more a poet researches their subject whether it is a person, animal or
inanimate object the more authentic the writing becomes, enhancing the reader’s engagement with the poem.
For Whiteacre, research can be done via spending time with others, watching testimonials on YouTube or reading books on a specific subject matter.
Whiteacre said she tunes into her own chronic pain and life events when writing
If we can understand... it makes us more compassionate.”
persona poems. To her, tapping into those emotions helps sitting down to an empty page, bringing out the most realistic and relatable experience for the reader.
“If we can understand what life is like through metaphor, imagery and the emotional impact of song and poetry, it makes us more compassionate,” Whiteacre said. “It also better prepares us for all of
those things in life that come our way, that are unexpected, that we're going to have to negotiate ourselves.”
If interested in writing persona poems, Whiteacre said there are several ways to get involved on campus, including the upcoming Open Mic Night at the Krannert Memorial Library on March 31, taking poetry-writing and musiccomposition classes or joining the Creative Writing Registered Student Organization.
Thinking through how people might respond and having a moment to pause slows us down and helps us become more empathetic and compassionate, Whiteacre said. She said she encourages one to not only learn from writing persona poems, but by considering one’s point of view, emotions and background experiences, one learns about others and oneself.
“We all have the power to do that,” Whiteacre said. “Even if we're not sitting down to write poems, we can stop and think about a situation that we want to engage with and consider, well, what might this person's point of view be?”
Photo by Allison Cook Freshman communication major Donald Piper, better known as Dapper Don, performs a comedy set at “A Cabaret: An Artists’ Showcase,” on Feb. 20 in the Studio Theatre.
Photo by Logan McInnes
Associate Professor of English Liz Whiteacre reads her persona poems at the “Garden Songs” Faculty Artist Concert Series on March 17 in Ruth Lilly Performance Hall.
Photo by Allison Cook
Dapper Don waves to the crowd at “A Cabaret: An Artists’ Showcase,” on Feb. 20. Piper hopes to one day work at a major radio station and grow his comedy.
ENTERTAINMENT
I got offered a property that my mom had heard of, and that’s kind of the litmus test.”
For those who love pop culture or anime, the Indiana Comic Convention had something for everyone while it was being held March 16-18.
Comic Con is a well-known convention across the United States for comic readers, sci-fi enjoyers and movie watchers alike. Within Comic Con, there are two distinct areas within the convention center: Artist Alley and Celebrity Row.
Within Artist Alley, there are a variety of things to expect. There may be comic book illustrators with their works, independent artists with prints of some of your favorite characters or small businesses there to promote their niche-audience products like the coffee brand with a Merlin backstory, Merlin’s Munchies Coffee Company. This year, comic artist Gavin Smith attended Indy’s Comic Con as a vendor like he had years before.
As a Hoosier from Peru, Indiana, Smith said he has been a comic illustrator for the past 14 years and some of his most notable works involve “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Star Trek” and “Godzilla.” However, he did not start drawing for these licenses until four years ago.
“It took me 10 years to get there,” Smith said. “I literally did indie comics for 10 years before
Smith left Indiana temporarily for his education, heading to Dover, New Jersey, to attend the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art for three years and has been back in Indiana since. For Smith, Indiana Comic Con is more than something to do on an off weekend — it is a chance for people to put a face to his name and work displayed at his vending booth.
“Coming out of that small of a town and coming here, and there are people here and they’re kind of walking around, they see this, and I don’t think they realize I’m from here — grew up here,” Smith said. “And they’re like, ‘Oh yeah. See? He’s a real person too.’”
In Celebrity Row, you can find Hollywood celebrities or voice actors for animated shows offering autographs, meet and greets and photo-ops — for a fee. Autographs can range from $40-$100 depending on the celebrity’s niche. The celebrities also participate in panels free to attend for those with convention admission, occasionally hosting reunion panels of actors from movies or shows. This year, a few of the panels included people from “Twilight,” “Star Trek” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach.”
People attend for all different reasons: art, meeting celebrities and cosplaying. Christian Darby, a
student, Comic Con attendee and vendor’s assistant, attended Comic Con to don his cosplay: Swatch from indie-game “Deltarune.” Of all of the conventions Darby has attended, he said Indy’s Comic
... it is not impossible to create for a living.”
Con is one of the friendliest he has been to. Darby also encourages people to attend a convention just to see if they like it.
“I’ve been to a few conventions around town, but I think this one has a generally positive atmosphere,” Darby said. “People are friendly. People talk to you, even if you don’t know anything about them. It’s nice.”
“I’m the guy from Indiana, small-town Indiana, that does this,” Smith said. “It’s like, if I can do it out of small-town Indiana, it is not impossible to create for a living.”
Indiana Comic Convention will return in June of next year, according to its website. Additionally, WeebCon and Gen Con will be happening over the summer for those who may not want to wait a year to get a chance.
Whether it is to have fun or advance a business, Indy’s Comic Con is a place where people go to be themselves. For Darby, it is to celebrate the art of others as well as the art of cosplay. For Smith, it is a way to celebrate his dream of creating for a living.
Big Car restores community mural
to following and to working together in some way,” Fry said.
The Garfield Park neighborhood celebrated its history and community by painting and restoring the “Welcome to Garfield Park” mural on March 15.
The mural was originally created in 2012 by Andy Fry, a designer and co-founder of Big Car Collaborative, an arts and design nonprofit. Big Car Collaborative provides connection and support to artists while using art to connect to the Garfield Park community, Fry said.
Fry became a co-founder of Big Car Collaborative after he graduated from college and moved back to Indianapolis. He and other artists wanted a space to create art, so they created the Big Car Collaborative as a gallery. Throughout the years, it evolved as they created more projects for the community.
“We had no idea that it would go the direction that it would go, but we were all sort of committed
For Fry, this mural is one of his favorite projects he has worked on with Big Car Collaborative. He said it helped him transition from being an art student to a practicing artist.
“I felt like there’s a way to be a professional artist without just imitating things from the past. It showed me a new path,” Fry said. Fry said the project helped bring the community together. The people of Garfield Park slowed down to gather and reflect on the neighborhood’s identity and direction, and he said it was notable that they were willing to take a leap with Big Car as the mural space was donated.
“What I’m doing during that process is listening very intensely, being very present and letting all of everything seep into my consciousness,” Fry said. Once Fry acquired the
information he needed, he created a draft to present to the neighborhood. Then, he would keep discussing ideas with the community and would absorb all of their feedback before creating
the final product. He said the park was an idyllic oasis that was woven into the fabric of the community members’ lives. In the mural, he wanted to convey the relaxed spirit of the community. For Rich Whitney, president of the Garfield Park Neighbors Association, the mural is a testament to the active community working to improve the area. He said art proves to onlookers that people are active in the community. Whitney moved to the Garfield Park area from the suburbs in recent years. He said the community welcomed him and helped him get involved with community events and volunteering.
“I see people who have lived
there for 20-25 years, who have been actively involved in coaching new people like me to get involved,” Whitney said. “It’s a really strong community. A lot of those people were participants in the first painting of the mural and now they’re going to be participating in the restoration of the mural.”
Fry agreed about the strength of the community and said the community took a leap with him when they started creating the mural. The community donated space and time to put in the work to make Fry’s design for the mural a reality.
“When I look at the mural, I feel like it’s the same place,” Whitney said. “Nothing has changed dramatically, but it’s improved and revitalized. It feels like a really good representation of where we are today as a neighborhood. That’s probably one of the best things I like about the mural.”
The mural restoration was made possible by support from a $5,000 Public Art for Neighborhoods
grant from the Indy Arts Council.
By Elyssa Merrill OPINION EDITOR
Photo by Allison Dininger A group of community members paint to restore a mural on March 15 at the Tube Factory artspace, home of Big Car Collaborative.
By Allison Dininger STAFF WRITER
Photo by Emma Foutz
Headline Graphic by Emma Foutz
Photo by Emma Foutz
Photo by Emma Foutz
A trio of Marvel cosplayers pose at the Indiana Comic Convention on March 15 at the Indiana Convention Center. Attendees get to experience art, cosplaying and celebrity interactions.
Stickers and patches on display at the Indiana Comic Convention on March 14 in the Indiana Convention Center. The event will return to Indianapolis next June.
A group of cosplayers pose at the Indiana Comic Convention on March 15 at the Indiana Convention Center. Artist Alley and Celebrity Row are two of the distinct areas at the convention.
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