November 13, 2024 by reflectoruindy

OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS • FOUNDED 1922

Trump declares victory

Republicans take Senate, White House and Indiana governor

By Gabriel Tice STAFF WRITER

History was made early last Wednesday morning when Former President Donald J. Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 election, becoming America’s 47th president.

The election was called by the Associated Press just after 5:30 a.m. EST when Trump was projected to win Wisconsin, putting him over the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. However, now President-elect Trump declared victory around 2:30 a.m. in Florida.

“This is a movement like nobody's ever seen before and, frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time,” Trump said.

This election marks a historic comeback for Trump after losing the 2020 election, being found guilty of 34 felony counts and surviving an assassination attempt. Trump also won the popular vote, getting just over 73 million votes, which is the first time the now president-elect has ever won the popular vote in his three presidential campaigns. This was also the first time a Republican candidate has won the popular vote since 2004 when George W. Bush was elected for his second term. He is also the second president in history to win two nonconsecutive terms, the first being Grover Cleveland who won in 1885, lost in 1888 and then won again in 1892.

This election comes after polls had indicated a tight race with a narrow lead in favor of Democratic nominee and current Vice President Kamala Harris in states like Michigan and Wisconsin.

However, election night proved these polls incorrect with Trump not only winning the popular vote, but also winning in all seven of the key swing states: Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Arizona.

“This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again, and in addition to having won the battleground states of North Carolina, I love these places, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, we are now winning in Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Alaska, which would result in us carrying at least 315 electoral votes,” Trump said during his victory address shortly after winning Pennsylvania.

Not only did the Republican Party win the presidential election, they also won big in Congress. The Republicans took four Senate seats from the Democrats, giving Republicans a majority there. Republicans also gained two seats in the House, and the determining factor for whether they will control both chambers of Congress will be the seats still being decided.

Republicans hold a small majority in the remaining races.

Republican Senator Mike Braun defeated Democratic

The Associated Press reports that

candidate Jennifer McCormick in the Indiana gubernatorial race, with Braun securing just over 54% of Hoosiers’ votes. One U.S. Senate seat was up for grabs in Indiana, which

Republican Jim Banks won, defeating Democrat Valerie McCray. All nine U.S. House of Representative seats were up for election with Republicans winning seven of them, according to the Indiana Election Division, with Democratic incumbents

Frank J. Mrvan and André Carson winning the first and seventh districts, respectively.

Republican incumbents Rudy Yakym, Jim Baird and Victoria Spartz all won reelection in the second, fourth and fifth districts.

Republican Marlin Stutzman defeated Democrat Kiley Adolph to win the third district, securing 65% of the vote. Republican Jefferson Shreve, who campaigned for and lost the Indianapolis mayoral election in 2023, won the sixth district election and secured just short of 64% of votes. Incumbent

Republican Todd Rokita defeated Democrat Destiny Wells to win his second term as attorney general, winning over 58% of the votes.

Greyhounds going global

By Caroline Krauch SPORTS EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis recently announced its 2024-25 faculty-led study abroad programs that are available to students for the spring and summer.

According to the study abroad webpage, studying abroad allows students not only to continue their education but also earn credits and help out other communities. UIndy offers faculty-led study abroad opportunities across six continents and will take place at various times in the semester, with most occurring in mid-May and some taking place over spring break in March.

There are financial aid opportunities available to students going or interested in going on one of these trips. According to its website, the Office of Financial Aid and the Center for Global Engagement will work together to determine eligibility. There are also various grants students can apply for, including the Greyhound Adventure Grant, which closes its applications Nov.21.For more information on any of the trips,students should reach out to the trip’s advisor. Various call-out meetings take place throughout the semester where students can learn

more information. Assistant Professor of

Sociology

ElizabethZiffandAssociateProfessor of Spanish Ana Maria Ferreira are leading a trip to Mexico City in the spring semester. According to the trip’s description, students will learn things about the past and present culture and explore different parts of their society.

Ziff said depending on the trip, there is the option for study abroad trips to count towards students' credits depending on the discipline; for example the Mexico City trip can count towards Spanish minors and majors electives. Studying abroad offers a unique experience, Ziff said, that goes beyond what students can get from the classroom.

that we have here.”

The goal of this trip, Ziff said, is to broaden people’s understanding of Mexican culture. There will be a combination of activities including readings and visiting historical and cultural landmarks. Depending on the trip, there can be more of a service learning component involved. Ziff said that for her trip, they are doing a day of service learning, but there are others that do it throughout the whole trip.

“It's just such an amazing learning experience,” Ziff said. “It's one thing to sit in a classroom and read about a different culture or even watch a film about a different culture,but you learn so much about the world but also about yourself when you travel. So I strongly encourage students to take advantage of the opportunities

“I think that's one of the, at least for me, most enjoyable things about traveling with a group is that I'm going to focus on certain parts of the trip, but the person next to me is going to totally see something else,” Ziff said. “I think the ability to do this in a group and have faculty who can facilitate the conversation and stuff,it gives you that opportunity to also debrief and think through things.”

Faculty-led study abroad trips stem from a professor feeling inspired and getting the approval of the school to go ahead and plan the trip.

Associate Dean and Director of the R.B. Annis School of Engineering

Kenneth Reid is leading a trip to Cuba over spring break. He said this trip is open to any students,staff,alum or even family members.

Along with learning, Reid said there will be dancing and cooking classes as well as other activities. Since this trip is for anyone,Reid said the focus is education and a specific objective for the trip is to be able to relate what everyone learns back to their majors or interests.

“I talked to a lot of students who say,‘I'm going to wait till I graduate and then I'll have the money to do it’ and to that I say, you won't have the time…” Reid said. “This is your opportunity to go. You don't have to plan anything. Everything's taken care of for you, you're going to meet new friends. I guarantee. It happens every trip. Everybody forms a really tight community, it really gets along great, and that's our goal. It really is a once in lifetime chance.”

A full list of the study abroad options for the 2024-25 year can be found on UIndy’s website or students can directly reach out to the trip’s leader with interest for more information. Interest meetings and scholarship deadlines will be occurring throughout the year.

Hounds react to Election Day results

How do you feel about the results of the election?

"The person who I would have voted for did not win. So I'm kind of disappointed with that. My family is very disappointed, but it is what it is at the end of the day."

- Liam Blaze '25

"The popular vote won the Electoral College as well. So I think that, you know, it's what the American people wanted."

- Riley Alberts '28

"I am not too heartbroken because, if you didn't vote, then you don't really get to argue. But I am just hoping that he can turn our economy around, and we can get it going."

- Austin Kehr, '24

"I think the better campaign won. I feel like Donald Trump ran a better campaign than Kamala Harris, and I think the results showed that."

- Caden Colford '26

"Sad and heartbroken."

- Maddy Stephens '25

"I'm honestly not surprised. I had a feeling Trump would win despite Harris raising a huge campaign. I think he was going to win anyways, but it's sad."

- Stephanie De JesusCardoso, '26

Did anything surprise you about the election?

"I guess the overwhelm of Trump winning. I was expecting more of a close race, especially with the swing states. I believe Trump won all of them, if not most of them. I thought Kamala had more of a chance, but the people of America chose wrong."

- Liam Blaze '25

"I think that the media was kind of portrating that it was going to be a lot closer or go a different way than it actually did, so that surprised me a little bit."

- Riley Alberts '28

"I was really surprised that he actually won. I really thought Kamala had it. But like I said, I hope he can do just as a good job as she would have."

- Austin Kehr '24

"Losing."

- Maddy Stephens '25

Graphic by Jona Hogle

Graphic by Allison Cook

CHEC K YOUR PRIVILEGE

YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO NOT VOTE, but it is a privilege.

By Gabriel Tice & Elyssa Merrill STAFF WRITER & OPINION EDITOR

After last Tuesday, it should be clear that voting is an essential piece of our nation.

It is how we elect our leaders and decide on important topics, but, most importantly, it is the only way United States citizens get to directly voice our opinions for our government’s performance. That is why it is so frustrating for me to hear people I know speak nonchalantly about this election. There are so many reasons: they are not sure if

they are going to go vote, they just do not feel like waking up that early, waiting in line or any other excuse that we all hear.

Voting is one of the most important things we do as Americans, and the system we use for governing does not work unless we as citizens do our part. Another excuse I hear is, “It does not matter who is elected, nothing will change anyway” and “The world will keep on turning regardless of who is elected.” That is simply not true — just because you may not feel the effects of the election, others do.

It is such a privilege to look at the ballot and vote for no one but yourself. It is even more of a privilege to decide that the vote

meant to represent the populous is not worth your time. What is the point of pushing for change if you are just going to throw it away and not use it? By voting, not only do you get to use your voice for the future

Just because you may not feel the effects of the election, others do.

of this country, but you also get to enjoy the right that so many have pushed for you to have.

Looking up the phrase “Is President Donald Trump a white supremacist?” brings up a plethora

of articles discussing his character and who he associates himself with. There is no shock when looking at stats from the Pew Research Center to see that a majority of White people prefer Donald Trump. But wait — it does not stop there. Not only is the racial majority voting for the racist, assaulter and felon, but the men, those without college degrees and those over the age of 50.

After the rallies toward the end of his campaigns featuring concepts of plans, racist “jokes” and his deplorable claims for protecting women “whether they like it or not,” it has become increasingly clear that those Trump hates are also hated by the voters that support him. A

Indiana puts faith over health

Abstinence-based sexual education: A disservice

By Ella Harner STAFF WRITER

What screams abstinence-based sexual education more than teen pregnancy? Oh wait, you probably were not taught that either.

According to Indiana Codes 20-30-5-12 and 20-34-3-17, the only sexual health information that is required to be taught in accredited Indiana high schools is about AIDS. However, this education is rooted in abstaining from sex until outside a monogamous relationship. Not only is it unrealistic as 20.8% of teens in an Indiana high school survey noted that they had sex within the previous three months of the survey, but this abstinencebased sexual education is a disservice to teens and college students across the nation.

Abstinence-based sexual education, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, teaches that abstinence from sex is the only morally acceptable option for youth, and the only safe and effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs.This education often excludes information about condoms,birth control or other

contraceptives. Additionally, after stricter policies on abortion were passed in Indiana since 2021 especially, finding accurate information is more difficult, according to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. It does not improve when a bill passes like HB 1577, requiring information to be shared with the mother seeking an abortion that will guilt her and is meant to be “objectively fact” yet

for teen Hoosiers

the last 30 days were asked if they used a condom or protective barrier when engaging in oral, vaginal or anal sex most of the time or always. Of those asked, less than 50% said yes for both men and women.

This is staggering when, according to SIECUS, 55% of Americans claim to have never had “the sex talk” with their parents,leaving sexual education up to friends, the internet or schools. No matter how students learn about sex, it needs to be factual.

clearly biased.

Abstinence is required to be taught in 37 states if sex education is even offered in classrooms, according to KFF, including Indiana. It is no secret that college students have sex. According to the American College Health Association, the average number of sexual partners for college-aged men and women in the U.S. were two and 1.7, respectively. Additionally, when the survey was taken for the 2023-24 school year, those who reported having sex within

After leaving high school and venturing out into the world,teenagers are often left with a childlike wonder when it comes to embracing their new-found freedom. Growing up, my parents were not strict, but even I found myself feeling overwhelmed with the amount of freedom college provided me. This freedom allows students to explore their sexuality and desires, but it could lead to irreversible consequences without proper education.

Unsafe sex, or sex without

contraceptives, can lead to pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and diseases. Without accurate sex education of how to have it safely, how are teens supposed to navigate this? I suppose Indiana’s answer is, “Not at all.” In 2020, 158,043 of nationwide births were from teen mothers, and 15% of those were not the firstborn child, according to the U.S.Department of Health & Human Services. With only a few options when it comes to situations such as unplanned pregnancy — one being abortion, there is very little information in regards to pregnancy health. With Indiana being an anti-abortion state as of August 2023, that option is no longer available to teens who experience unplanned pregnancies. This lack of care for proper education can not only increase the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy but also result in the search for an unsafe abortion.

The idea of abstinence-based sexual education is a disservice to teens. Teaching sexual education, including the uncomfortable parts, is essential to keeping teens in America healthy.

WNBA expansion is a win for basketball

talent there is.

By Olivia Pastrick MANAGING EDITOR & FEATURE EDITOR

Here for more after my perfect postseason predictions? Well I am back with more predictions, thoughts and comments following the 2024 WNBA season as well as looking at what is to come for women’s basketball.

The WNBA season only ended four weeks ago, yet there are seven of the 13 WNBA teams searching for new head coaches ahead of the 2025 season. The Indiana Fever parted ways with Christie Sides, who coached the team for two seasons, with an overall record of 33-47, but picked up former Connecticut Sun Head Coach Stephanie White on Nov. 1. The Chicago Sky also filled its head coach position by hiring former Las Vegas Aces Assistant Coach Tyler Marsh. While these two teams may be looking at the upcoming rebuilds now that there are hired coaches, the Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics, Los Angeles Sparks, Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings are all still looking to fill that gap. White has previously coached and played with the Indiana Fever, so as a huge fan of the franchise, I look forward to welcoming her back. Additionally, White won the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year award and led the Connecticut Sun to eight consecutive postseason appearances, the longest active streak in the WNBA. As an Aces fan, I am curious how Becky Hammon and the Las Vegas

management will rebuild the roster of assistant coaches considering they not only lost Marsh to the Sky but Former Aces Assistant Coach Natalie Nakase was announced as the first head coach for the Golden State Valkyries. The Valkyries will begin playing in the 2025 season. Expansion in the WNBA is an incredibly exciting thing to look forward to not just for the 2025 season but also in the future, as Toronto, Ontario in Canada and Portland, Oregon both announced the teams will enter the league by 2026. This expansion will mean additional games to watch for basketball fans as well as a large number of open roster spots across the league for players that may have previously been cut from one of the current 12 teams’ 12-player rosters. I am devastated every season as I see some of my favorite athletes waived from their teams simply because the league is not big enough for the amount of

GOLDEN STATE

An important question to look ahead to, however, is who will make up these expansion teams? For the Valkyries, it will get the fifth pick of each round, according to the WNBA, but obviously it will need more than three players. The Valkyries will have its own draft of current WNBA players on Dec. 6, and each of the 12 teams can protect a maximum of six players, meaning they could not be drafted to Golden State, according to ESPN. This should lead to several interesting moves, both to the Valkyries and the other 12 teams as the teams look for other ways to rebuild rosters, depending on which players get traded. Expansion is something both players and fans have been begging for for years, because it gives so many more athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest level.

campaign based on hatred, bigotry and self-interest will never serve the citizens of the United States. To all of those who did not vote because there were “no good candidates,”I hope there is no reason to regret that decision. For those who voted for Green Party Nominee Jill Stein, I hope there is no reason to look back on that vote and prefer Vice President Kamala Harris. As of right now, those who are feeling grave loss from this election can only hope for the best, advocating for ourselves until the end. These next four years may be grim after the results of this last election, but we cannot give up now. We must always use our voice to cast our votes because our lives depend on it.

Smith Mall talks

By “The Reflector” Staff

This is a compilation of impromptu questions answered by the

How did your high school prepare you to understand sexual education?

“Specifically in high school, the only mandatory class that we had to take pertinent to sexual education was health class. It was a one semester class, but most people took it online over the summer — that’s what I did. And there was only one unit about sexual safety, and it was just the basics of contraception. But we predominantly talked about abstinence, but that was the only mention of sexual education in my high school level.”

- Kennedy Terhune ‘27

If the only sexual education you had was what you learned in high school, would you feel prepared?

“Honestly, I feel like the education that I received in high school didn’t really prepare me ... because I went to a Catholic high school. And although my teacher did provide us information about what different contraception there is, it was mostly just to talk about why it’s not allowed in the Catholic Church rather than what it could be used for.”

- Rachel ‘28

“Honestly, I don’t even know. I feel like my life in high school and my life now are completely different, and I feel like my experiences and my thought process of sex and things like that are way different.”

Until the 2025 WNBA season kicks off, there is still so much to look forward to for women’s basketball. The NCAA season has already begun and is set to be filled with just as much excitement as last year with players like Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins making their returns. This NCAA season will also be important to watch for those interested in who their favorite WNBA teams could be looking to draft. Bueckers is projected to be the first overall pick, and there are many other draft-eligible players behind her who will be showcasing all they have in hopes of going to the league. Additionally, a new women’s basketball league will begin playing in January 2025: Unrivaled. Started by New York Liberty Forward Breanna Stewart and Minnesota Lynx Forward Napheesa Collier, Unrivaled is a three-versus-three format with six teams, each with six roster positions. Many Fever fans are anxiously awaiting Caitlin Clark’s decision on whether she will join Unrivaled this offseason, but even if she does not, it looks like it will be an all-star level of competition for fans to enjoy.

Overall, there is much of the 2025 WNBA season that still remains a mystery, but every part of that mystery is an opportunity for growth that has been a long time coming for the league. I am excited to see what expansion and coaching changes will mean not only for individual teams but for women’s sports and women as a whole in this upcoming year.

-Brayton Bowen ‘26

Do you think abstinence-based sexual education is a disservice to Hoosier teens?

“I am religious, but not everybody’s religious. So I may hold myself to a different set of rules or commandments that other people may not, so I don’t think it’s right to have ‘abstinence is key’ when not everybody necessarily thinks that.”

- Morgan Smith ‘27

“I think it’s good overall. I think being conservative with your body, in my opinion, at least is a good thing. That’s kind of how I was raised, just a good, Christian, conservative household.

-Brayton Bowen ‘26

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.

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

Headline graphic by Emma Foutz

Graphic by Olivia Pastrick

UIndy community.

Indy enters 'Swift City' era

Concertgoers attend three night leg of 'Eras Tour,' bringing economic impact

By Livia Lytle BUSINESS MANAGER

Breaking records on multiple fronts, Taylor Swift brought over 207,000 “Swifties” with her to Indianapolis, which became temporarily known as “Swift City.” Swift was in town from Nov. 1-3 for her final shows of the U.S. leg of “The Eras Tour.” Swift’s tour became the highest-grossing concert tour of all time by the end of 2023 when, at that point, it had already made over $1 billion dollars less than halfway through its run, according to Time. While the arrival of approximately 200,000 “Swifties” to Indy was expected, in reality there were at least 207,000 fans present over the weekend, according to Visit Indy. All three nights of the concert continued to break records as they went on; each performance at Lucas Oil Stadium continued to set new all-time attendance records as the weekend went on with over 69,000 Swifties in attendance per night, according to Swift herself.

Visit Indy’s Senior Communications Manager Clare Clark said Taylor Swift weekend was the biggest event for 2024 for the city of Indianapolis. While it was perhaps the most impactful event of the calendar year, Clark said 2024 has already been a record-breaking year in terms of tourism.

“We can definitely say that Taylor Swift’s Weekend in Indianapolis exceeded all expectations and tourism metrics,” Clark said. “We are used to hosting large-scale events, but it was the biggest event for tourism for 2024. This will be on par with, if not more than, the impact and visitor count that we saw with

the Super Bowl in 2012.”

UIndy Associate Professor of Economics Timothy Zimmer said the economic effects of the three-day concert stop is very significant. He said while the boost to Indianapolis’s economy may be temporary, this concert was massive worldwide regardless of the duration and still has a notable impact for the city.

“You’re talking about 200,000 people, and that’s a massive number,” Zimmer said.

“The key there is that most of them are coming from out of state. You’re getting new money into the state, which is going to add to the whole economy.”

According to Visit Indy, the anticipated economic impact from “The Eras Tour” weekend to be a nine-figure

... Taylor Swift's weekend in Indianapolis exceeded all expectations ...."

number. Over 80% of ticket holders for the Indy shows were from out of state, according to Visit Indy. This meant more revenue for the city because short-term rental bookings increased 207% in comparison to the same weekend last year. There was a seven thousand percent increase in searches for Airbnb rentals year-overyear for the weekend, and the Indianapolis International Airport increased its incoming flight seat capacity and added additional round-trip flights from key destinations, according to Visit Indy.

“We had a sellout of all hotel rooms and they were commanding rates three times the normal rate for that weekend in November,” Clark said. “We had city-wide installations branding Indianapolis as ‘Swift

City’ for the weekend. With Indianapolis being an eventdriven city, time and time again we see our hospitality partners, restaurants and hotels really step up to the plate to roll out the red carpet for the visitor experience.”

The J.W. Marriott finished its 34-story decal on the front of the building of Swift on Oct. 18 in preparation for her arrival. The Children’s Museum bedecked its dinosaurs with friendship bracelets as they entered their “Swiftie Era,” according to Visit Indy.

Downtown Indianapolis has hosted over 50 events and placed 32 Swift-themed street signs around the city blocks, according to Visit Indy. Victory Field hosted a pre-concert party on the first night of the show called “Baseb(all) Too Well,” the Indianapolis Zoo entered its “Wildest Era” and hosted a public all-weekend-long Swift party and more events hosted by the small businesses of Indy.

Clark said convincing the Indy community to participate in large-scale events like this one is an easy pitch. Large event weekends, like the Taylor Swift weekend, are perfect to showcase how Indianapolis does large scale events best, she said.

“We use these events as a marketing opportunity for potential convention clients,” Clark said. “We utilized this weekend to show how successful we can be from a public safety lens, getting 200,000 people in and out of the city successfully, what we can do from citywide activations, how walkable our downtown is and overall highlighting the hospitality community in Indianapolis.”

Taylor Swift left Indianapolis, but Zimmer and Clark both said her presence was significant and brought a tourism and economical boost that will add credit to Indy’s “Reputation.”

Singh reacts to UIndy rankings

By Luke Cooper ONLINE EDITOR

U.S. News & World Report released its annual college rankings for 2025 this past September,ranking the University of Indianapolis at 296 of 436 national universities.

In addition to the overall ranking, UIndy placed 297 of 433 in top performers on social mobility, as well as several ranked undergraduate programs: engineering was ranked 150 out of 286 and nursing at 218 out of 686.

The rankings show some favorabilitytocertainschoolsaccording to UIndy President Tanuja Singh. The branding of a university plays a significant role in the rankings, and increasing UIndy’s brand recognition is a goal of Singh’s through marketing the university more.

“Twenty percent of the ranking is how your peers evaluate you,” Singh said, “which essentially means other provosts,other deans,and that is really a part of marketing. How well you market your program has a lot to do with how well you are ranked.”

According to U.S.News & World Report, rankings are calculated by 19 different categories.Graduation rates and “graduation rate performance”

follow peer assessments, accounting for 16% and 10% of the ranking, respectively.

“As far as the overall ranking is concerned, we are doing better than we did last time,”Singh said.“We have made progress and we are continuing to make progress in that particular area. That is something we will keep focusing upon, but not excessively.”

The primary areas of focus for Singh are retention, which makes up 5% of rankings, as well as student outcomes, which make up 57% of rankings. Singh said a point of pride for UIndy is that students get to participate in experiential learning beginning their freshman year, while many other universities do not give students that opportunity until their senior capstone projects.

The R.B. Annis School of Engineering at UIndy incorporates experiential learning through its “DesignSpine” program. According to Associate Dean and Director of Engineering Ken Reid, over the course of a traditional undergraduate experience, students would have experience on three team projects for real clients and have given 12 formal presentations.Students typically start the program in their sophomore year.

“We had a client for a‘DesignSpine’ project who said they had two

engineers,one from Purdue,one from UIndy on a team out in the field and they had to go into a hole to work some equipment and the Purdue student was really reluctant to,” Reid said. “She said the UIndy student jumped right in and knew what he was doing.”

In the future, Reid would like to see UIndy ranked above 100 in the engineering rankings. Reid said he believes it is possible considering the engineering school was founded in 2017 and has already made substantial progress towards that goal.

“We expect to enroll incoming classes of 100 to 125 every year,” Reid said. “We're definitely in a good growth place. A lot of our scholarship from our faculty is being presented in national conferences, and that's how you get your name well-known with other universities.” Singh said she would like for UIndy to be ranked above 250 overall in the future. Ranking universities according to one scale presents its own challenges, Singh said, since every university has different goals and resources. Singh believes focusing on individual programs is more meaningful as far as rankings are concerned, and UIndy tends to do well in those rankings.

Photo contributed by Visit Indy

A 34-story tall Taylor Swift graphic was put on the JW Marriott Hotel downtown Indianapolis on Oct. 21 by Sports Graphics to welcome the singer.

Photo contributed by Visit Indy

The New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome exchanged friendship bracelets with Lucas Oil Stadium as part of Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour."

Soccer kick-starts postseason

By Elyssa Merrill OPINION EDITOR

This story is per “The Reflector” press time.

The University of Indianapolis men’s soccer team wrapped up its regular season with an overall record of 8-4-4 while going 4-2-2 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The team entered the GLVC tournament this past Sunday, Nov.10 as a fourth seed, according to UIndy Athletics, and has high hopes ahead to perform well.

After facing some adversity in the beginning of the season with two losses, the team pulled through with eight wins, interrupted by a singular tie, according to UIndy Athletics. Junior midfielder Kabiru Gafar said the losses lit a fire under the team to perform better.

“We went on eight games unbeaten in the conference,” Gafar said. “[I’m] not saying it was good for us to lose the first two games, but that was a switch up. We know we need to get it together.”

When it comes to losses, senior team captain and center midfielder Jakob David said it is an unfortunate outcome for the team. However, David said it is important to take the experience and learn from it too, going game by game.

“Obviously you don’t want

The

to lose, but I would say it takes leaders to step up in difficult moments,” David said. “A loss is probably the most difficult moment possible. … just reflect on what went wrong, talk it through and then try to get through it and then focus on the next game or next training.”

Stop the witch-hunt

Opinion: Transgender athletes are unjustly treated

By Olivia Pastrick

MANAGING EDITOR & FEATURE EDITOR

An athlete’s identity should never get in the way of their ability to play the sport they love, yet players like San Jose State’s Blaire Fleming have found themselves at the center of controversy.

Fleming is a redshirt senior volleyball player and co-captain at SJSU and was assigned male at birth, according to OutKick. Due to Fleming’s gender identity and following complaints from fellow teammates and the media, Assistant Coach Melissa BatieSmoose filed a Title IX complaint claiming that school officials showed favoritism to Fleming by allowing her to compete on the team, according to the Daily Mail. Fleming allegedly conspired with a player from Colorado State University, according to the Daily Mail, to leave the center of the court open so SJSU co-captain Brooke Slusser would be targeted with especially hard spikes from the opposing team. While this could be true, it has nothing to do with Fleming’s gender identity and is being used in this witch hunt to invalidate transgender athletes. Any player could have done this, and, although it is not right, it does not make all trans athletes villains. If Fleming’s teammates and coaches are not making SJSU Volleyball a safe space for all of its athletes, it is reasonable to assume Fleming wanted to seek some kind of retribution. Whether she did conspire with another player to try to hurt her teammate is important when addressing her individual character, but it cannot be used as a reflection of the transgender community just because she happens to be transgender. According to Fox News, Fleming’s “towering 6-foot1 presence on the volleyball court” has assisted in taking SJSU Volleyball to a successful 13-3 season, as of Nov. 4. The “competitive advantage” argument against transgender athletes has always perplexed me, in part because most of the time it does not exist. For example, Fleming is listed on the team’s roster as 6’1”, which is not only not the tallest on the team, only two inches taller than Brooke Slusser, but it is also the average height for an outside hitter in volleyball, according to official data from USA Volleyball. Macy Petty, a legislative assistant for Concerned Women for America, a nonprofit legislative action committee that

aims to spread and incorporate Christian ideology, and an NCAA volleyball athlete, said in the Fox News article she had previously been “blindsided” because there was a “man” on the other side of the net in one of her games. She said the NCAA and SJSU need to have the decency to disclose that they have a “man” on their team. While this is obviously insensitive to Fleming’s and other transgender athletes’ identities, it is also, not important to the actual argument of excluding these athletes from competition — when I played basketball, I was astounded when I saw girls almost literal feet taller than me and drastically stronger than me, but that only meant I had to play harder and learn to be more aggressive myself. Adjusting to a challenging opponent is part of any sport, and it is more important that transgender athletes are competing in the sports they love, in an identity they feel comfortable with, than someone being scared of a competitor.

Now, if those athletes choose to intentionally target other athletes, of course they are dangerous — but it is not because they are transgender. I am not condoning what Fleming allegedly did, but I am saying that her actions had nothing to do with her identity, and it is unfair to the entire transgender community to portray it as such. Is that not demeaning to men to assume that the reason Fleming’s alleged violence towards her teammates is due to the fact she was assigned male at birth? Yet, people actively choose to make this an issue about transgender people as a whole, when it is in fact one decision made by one athlete.

This lack of critical thinking is not a one-time issue, as we saw with Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif who is currently preparing a lawsuit against the unverified medical reports released during the Olympics claiming she was assigned male at birth, according to FirstPost. This instance, as well as countless others, prove that this is a witch hunt to persecute transgender people. When we let these instances promote so much fear mongering around a group of people, it has a negative effect on every single person who identifies that way, whether they are an athlete or not.

There may be instances in everyone’s life when they meet a transgender person that they do not like or do not agree with — that is not a reason to assume every transgender person thinks like them or is inherently evil for living differently.

Head Coach Gabe Hall said, when everyone does their part on the team, it makes moving on from negative outcomes far easier. He added that success has more to do with the culture the players create for themselves than the things out of their control.

a family — like it says on our shirt, united as one,” Gafar said. “And that’s really what we try to do. Every training, every session together, every meeting, every video session, every team dinner, wherever we go, we try to be united as one. And that’s where the culture part comes in. It’s really important for our progress and what we’re trying to accomplish here.”

Hall has personal experience with various soccer teams but, said he feels like this team is a family. When you are part of a family like the UIndy men’s soccer team, you do not want to let the others down, Hall said.

“I think that’s where the boys have done a really good job of creating a culture of family and togetherness,” Hall said. “And that carries onto the field where they’re willing to fight for each other and work for each other, and they don’t want to disappoint each other, and so they give a little bit extra.”

in GLVC

Surrounded by other UIndy teams with winning cultures, there is an expectation to win every game, conference and tournament, Hall said. While that culture may be stressful for the men on the team, it has also created a space for a community that Hall, David and Gafar agreed is like a family.

Family or not, David said his faith in his team allows him to continue believing UIndy has the best team. Although inconsistency found its way into the beginning of the season, David said it is important to continue fighting regardless of outcome.

“We want to win the regionals, want to go as far as possible,” David said. “I think we have a good chance, but obviously we have to go game by game.”

“We look at each other like

Royer hammers in wins

By Elyssa Merrill OPINION EDITOR

After competing and volunteering on the team for years, Assistant Track Coach for Throwing Matt Royer was promoted to a full-time position nine years ago. For Royer, UIndy is more than a job, it is home.

“I did not want to coach at first,” Royer said. “I really just wanted to keep throwing post-collegiately, but I had a mentor who was the previous coach … and he kind of got me into coaching because I just love the connection. … I think it’s that camaraderie once I realized watching kids develop into what they’re able to become, it was very rewarding and satisfying.”

Royer said he understands the struggles his athletes go through, so he strives to provide a space that accepts and accommodates anyone and everyone, regardless of background. Due to this, Royer said he stays true to himself and those around him to provide the best experience possible.

“I try to just stick to the same person I am,” Royer said. “I’m just goofy, and I just enjoy just being alive and living that part of it. If I have to differentiate myself when I come here, what’s the point of doing that? … You have to be fun and you got to enjoy what you’re doing.”

Red shirt senior thrower Zoe Pentecost agrees, saying that the environment Royer cultivates allows for fun, despite his busy schedule as a father and coach for all five throwing events for the men’s and women’s teams.

“We just have such a fun time at practice,” Pentecost said. “We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We can always joke around with him and tell him everything. He makes the environment just light and fun, but we’re also there to

He took a chance on me and taught me everything...”

get better, so it’s a good dynamic.”

Player praise is not where Royer’s success ends, especially after last year when Pentecost won two national titles for the indoor and outdoor season with weight throw and hammer throw respectively. Pentecost said she had never touched those two events before entering the collegiate circuit.

“He started me from scratch, he took a chance on me and taught me everything, and he’s just been such an encouragement,” Pentecost said. “He’s been there with me through every step of

the way, through all the injuries, all the highs and lows. He’s been awesome.” With Pentecost back for her final year of eligibility and Royer with high hopes, both have said this year’s women’s team is shaping up to be one of the best. Royer said his previous record for players taken to nationals in one season was seven, but he said he has faith the team will break it this year.

“I took seven kids to nationals… I think I can break that number this year,” Royer said. “I would really like to, and that would show a big success. Because I’m proud of the university, I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do for it, and I’m not afraid to let people know that.”

Regardless of the success, Royer said he does this job for the players, the throwers he oversees. After seeing them grow and mature, Royer hopes they are prepared for the future.

“I think that’s the one big thing I try to get every one of my kids to leave here with is to have confidence in themselves and their decision making,” Royer said. “To know that the next stage in life isn’t scary, as long as you go in headstrong and fully believe in what your own capabilities are. You should be able to achieve whatever you have envisioned for yourself.”

Photo contributed by MaKenna Maschino

Red shirt senior thrower Zoe Pentecost and Assistant Track Coach for Throwing and UIndy alum Matt Royer pose for a picture together after Pentecost won the DII national title for weight throw at Pittsburgh State University last season.

Photo by Caroline Krauch

Third-year midfielder Kabiru Gafar waits for the ball to get thrown in at a Nov. 1 game against the Lewis University Flyers.

men’s soccer team finished its regular season with a score of 8-4-4 and a record of 4-2-2

play.

Volleyball sets up for playoffs

Greyhounds prepare to start postseason play

By Audra Hogan STAFF WRITER

The University of Indianapolis volleyball team broke its seven game losing streak, defeating Missouri S&T in three sets on Nov. 2, which has given the Hounds a chance to push into the conference tournament.

Head Coach Jason Reed said he is looking forward to the next few weeks with the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament coming up on Nov. 21. He said this season has been full of runs. After just a few games, the Hounds broke out into a 13-game winning streak, losing only nine sets in these games combined. Since then, they had been losing until the game on Nov. 2, where its luck around winning against Missouri S&T. Coach Reed said the team is running into the issue of being scouted.

“Every weekend, especially at this point in the year, everybody knows what we’re going to do, just like we know what our opponents are going to do.” Reed said. “We’ve got to figure out how to overcome the fact that they know what we’re going to do and find a way to win anyways.”

The team has started to scale back these past few weeks in preparation for the GLVC championship. They are focusing on playing the game and working on individual skills rather than watching film and trying to prepare how to play other teams.

This team is still fairly young with a lot of underclassmen and room for growth. While there are two returning All-Conference players, setter Claire Morris and outside hitter Sophia Parlanti, a majority of the team is made up of freshmen and sophomores and all players offer something great for the team, Reed added.

“Everyone is pulling their weight on both sides.” Reed said. “If you stop one of our best players it doesn’t matter because everyone else is doing their job at such a high rate”

Reed said everyone on the team has an equal opportunity to lead. He said it does not matter what a player’s age or skill level is, they all have a voice and can lead at different times. He said he is proud of the space that he and the team have made.

“By creating an environment where everyone gets to chip in their best stuff whether it’s a play or a sentiment or a voice, we all get to benefit,” Reed said.

The team has two games until it reaches the GLVC championship tournament on Nov. 15, where the top eight teams in the conference will compete for the title. The winner will have an automatic qualifying bid to go to the DII NCAA tournament on Nov. 21.

Freshman wins first award

By Olivia Pastrick MANAGING & FEATURE EDITOR

Freshman Makayla Hampton

bowled for almost her entire life, and since starting her journey at the University of Indianapolis this fall, she has already proven herself a strong competitor and teammate.

Hampton said she learned to walk when her dad rolled a bowling ball and she followed after it and, since then, has bowled in several different leagues, including her high school team. UIndy’s bowling team was added before the 2024-25 academic year, which meant Hampton’s decision to attend UIndy and bowl came only two weeks before the semester began when Head Coach Cam Estes approached her.

“Cam came to me saying that

it was a new team, especially to UIndy, and I was kind of skeptical, but I actually did like the idea of being a part of that change,”

Hampton said. “Nobody’s ever seen a UIndy bowling team, so we’re a part of history being made. I really love that aspect, and it’s definitely a change for me.”

Hampton said she faced some challenges at the beginning of the semester as she transitioned from high school to college but was able to overcome those challenges in part because of the positive environment of the practices and tournaments with the team. The team has bonded throughout the season, including “Bridgerton” watch parties that led them to talking in British accents at tournaments as well as just supporting each other as teammates and fellow students.

“It’s such a fun environment to be around,” Hampton said. “At this stage in our life, at the collegiate level, we are basically playing sports for money, for scholarship money. So having fun

...we’re a part of history being made. I really love that aspect..”.

with your team is a way to make your job more fun, make it more appealing, make us want to do it more. I just love everybody’s personality.”

Estes said building the team had a quick turnaround time, but he and the team were able to build

a team culture and environment they are all proud of. He said they work incredibly hard in practices, so they are prepared to compete well in tournaments.

“As a group, it’s family first,” Estes said. “We try to make sure that all the young ladies know that they have many avenues if they have things to talk about, if they need help with schoolwork or anything like that. … As far as the competition side, competitions are very loud, distracting environments because of a lot of the cheering that goes on between the different teams, and so it can be quite nerve wracking at times. But getting the team to be able to focus and shut out the outside noise and focus, you know, is something that is key, and they all do a great job of it.”

Following the Warhawk

Classic at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on the weekend of Oct. 18, Hampton was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Athlete of the Week in women’s bowling. This is the first ever GLVC recognition the UIndy bowling team received, and Hampton said, for her, it is a testament to how hard she has worked to get to this point.

“It means so much to me, just to think that everything that I went through to get to this point is like, it’s all been for this, and it’s amazing,” Hampton said. “There was some time when I was in high school I stopped bowling due to some personal things, and I had to fight to get back, and I just love it that I can further my education and do what I love to do at the same time. It’s honestly everything.”

Photo by Olivia Pastrick

Freshman bowler Makayla Hampton was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Athlete of the Week in women’s bowling following the Warhawk Classic on the weekend of Oct. 18.

Photo by Audra Hogan

The UIndy volleyball team celebrates together after scoring a point during a match against Maryville University on Nov. 1. The Hounds went on to lose the match 1-3, but broke out of their seven game losing streak the next game.

Photo contributed by Dylan Euler

Freshman bowler Makayla Hampton follows through after releasing the ball at the USBC Western Shootout on Oct. 12. This is the first award the team has received since its inception.

Graphic by Olivia Pastrick

Giving voters a voice

Professor moderates Indiana debates ahead of election

By Livia Lytle BUSINESS MANAGER

In the busy weeks before the election, UIndy Associate Professor of Political Science

Laura Merrifield Wilson found time to moderate Indiana’s gubernatorial and senatorial debates.

Wilson is a decade-long political science professor at UIndy, part of “IN Focus,” an Emmy award-winning, political television show, airs a radio show on WICR titled “Positively Politics,” participates in the UIndy TV production “Policy Matters,” writes an op-ed every other month for the “Indiana Capital Chronicle,” is a member of the League of Women Voters and a board member of the Indiana Debate Commission. If one could not tell already, Wilson

enjoys politics. These two recent debates were the fourth and fifth she has moderated over the years.

“The first time I was asked to do debate moderating, I had two in 2016,” Wilson said. “The high-profile one was the gubernatorial race that’s televised. We partner with CSPAN, so it’s nationally available. That is a really big deal.”

I have the privilege ... the responsibility of being the voice of the voter.”

The IDC is a non-profit organization that is the longest serving, independent and nonpartisan commission of its kind

and one of only four statelevel debate commissions in the nation. It was founded in 2007 and has conducted 24 gubernatorial and senatorial debates since 2008. The IDC receives all debate questions from the public at large because the goal is to “exist for the voters,” according to its website.

“My job is to cultivate conversations where we rely on questions that come from the voters,” Wilson said. “I have the privilege but also the responsibility of being the voice of the voter and to ask those questions and also hold the candidates accountable to their answers.”

Wilson said a large part of being a moderator is ensuring that all candidates involved are allotted equal amounts of time to answer and opportunities for rebuttal. She said it is in the nature of moderating to be able

ONGOING

Death in the White House (until February 2025)

THINGS TO DO

Located at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, 1230 N. Delaware St., just north of Downtown Indy. This exhibit looks at eight presidents and three first ladies who died while in office, with new details from Josephine Kneip’s personal diary and the death of First Lady Caroline Harrison. Admission is $16 for adults and $11 for college students with a student ID.

Festival of Trees (Nov. 15, 2024-Jan. 4, 2025)

Located at the Indiana Historical Society, 450 W. Ohio St. in Downtown. This event features 80 holiday trees representing various individuals and organizations as well as dining and shopping options.

Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. TuesdaySaturday, and 12-5:00 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday. Admission is $5-20.

NOV. 14

Circle Mirror Transformation (7:00 p.m.)

Located in the Esch Hall Studio Theatre. This is a UIndy Theatre Co. performance of Annie Baker’s play of the fun interactions stemming from an acting class. Free for UIndy students, faculty and staff. $10 for community members. The production is L/P approved.

NOV. 15

Circle Mirror Transformation (7:00 p.m.)

to think on your feet.

“You have to make a gametime decision and you are live on television and radio,” Wilson said. “You have to prepare and think through what you are going to do if it comes to a specific circumstance. Then you don’t have to panic in the moment without having prepared for it beforehand.”

Wilson said that if things start to get chaotic or the candidates start to become argumentative, she has to stay calm. She said being able to recover from a bad moment is also important.

“You do not have to be liked,” Wilson said. “But you do want to do a good job and be seen as fair to everyone. If you have a bad moment, recover. There is always the next question. It is hard sometimes, but maintaining your composure, being flexible and always thinking a couple of steps ahead is probably the best thing you can do.”

For this year’s Indiana Senatorial Debate, thenRepublican Candidate Jim Banks declined to participate. Banks is a congressional representative for the 3rd congressional district in Indiana. The two candidates present were Democrat Valerie McCray and Libertarian Andrew Horning.

Wilson said this was not a surprise to her or the IDC, as the IDC was in contact with Banks’ team through the planning stage. She said it was regrettable for voters that Banks chose not to be present.

“It is unfortunate for the

Adrienne Warren (7:30 p.m.)

Located Downtown at The Cabaret, 924 N. Pennsylvania St., Suite B. Tony Award-winning performer Adrienne Warren, known for her starring role in Broadway’s “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” brings her solo performance to Indianapolis. Tickets are $25-120.

Gypsy (2:00 and 7:30 p.m.)

Located at 916 E. Main St in Greenwood. On-Stage LIVE Cabaret presents Gypsy, a Broadway musical, following two storylines in the backstage world of early 20th century Vaudeville. Tickets are $25.

Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat - NBA Cup Game (7 p.m.)

Located Downtown at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Indiana Pacers face the Miami Heat as part of the league-wide NBA Cup Series at the Pacers’ home stadium.

NOV. 16

Circle Mirror Transformation (7:00 p.m.)

Adrienne Warren (7:30 p.m.)

Chatham Rabbits (7:00 p.m.)

Located at LO-FI, 1043 Virginia Ave., Suite 215, in Fountain Square. North Carolina folk duo Chatham Rabbits’ tour comes to Fountain Square. Tickets start at $15.

Gypsy (7:30 p.m.)

Located at 916 E. Main St in Greenwood. On-Stage LIVE Cabaret presents Gypsy, a Broadway musical, following two storylines in the backstage world of early 20th century Vaudeville. Tickets are $25.

NOV. 17

Indiana Pacers vs. Miami Heat (5 p.m.)

Located Downtown at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Pacers take on the Miami Heat at home for a second time this weekend.

NOV. 18

Faculty Artist Concert Series (7:00 p.m.)

Located in the Ruth Lilly Concert Hall, this concert features seven musicians performing string ensemble chamber music through the centuries. The concert is L/P approved.

NOV. 19

Kellogg Writers Series - Gina Chung (7:30 p.m.) Located in UIndy Hall A of the Schwitzer Student Center. Gina Chung, a Korean American writer from New Jersey, will read selections from her upcoming short story collection “Green Frog,” followed by a Q&A session. The reading is L/P approved.

NOV. 20

Art & Design Lecture SeriesBrittany Musgrave (5 p.m.)

Located in the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center. Brittany Musgrave, an educator who believes in sharing information with her students and building artistic identities, will give a 30 to 45 minute talk, followed by a Q&A session. This lecture L/P approved.

voters because putting a debate on is an opportunity for the candidates to reach out to voters,” Wilson said. “But it is also for the voters to hear from the candidates. When you have a candidate choose not to participate, you are missing an opportunity to have a connection between candidates and voters.” Wilson said the gubernatorial debate went fantastically, giving her own performance an A-minus because, to her, there is always room for improvement. She said she was happy with the candidates, the timing, the television coverage and the questions from voters. Wilson said she gave her own performance a B-minus for the senatorial debate, mostly due to the fact that the teleprompter malfunctioned and it caused her to stumble over a few words. She said the candidates, timing and production features — with the exception of the broken teleprompter — were great. Wilson said her favorite part of moderating debates is the opportunity to connect her students with the experience. She said she loves showing them behind the scenes and giving them the opportunity to meet the candidates.

“I hope I am mentoring the next generation,” Wilson said. “I tell my students, ‘The next time you are on this debate stage, you might be the candidate, the campaign manager or the moderator.’ This might be their first experience, but it probably will not be their last.”

Photo contributed by Laura Merrifield Wilson

Associate Professor of Political Science Laura Merrifield Wilson poses with UIndy students at the Indiana Senatorial debate on Oct. 29.

Photo contributed by Laura Merrifield Wilson

From left to right, Savannah Doane, Levi Ault, Holly Overton, Laura Merrifield Wilson, Lexie Taylor, Kennedy Terhune, Jacob Smith, Mira Hagan, Amari Wilkerson and Leslie Zaragoza pose at the Indiana Gubernatorial debate on Oct. 24.

ENTERTAINMENT

Faculty concert series reimagined

Terence Mayhue brings a new era to UIndy concert that reinvents Taylor Swift music

By Allison Cook PHOTO EDITOR

UIndy music faculty put on a new type of performance, building off of a popular singer’s recent appearance in Indianapolis.

As part of their Faculty Artist Concert Series, Associate Adjunct Professor Terence Mayhue said he took note of Taylor Swift’s Nov. 1-3 concerts in Indianapolis, and wanted to reimagine her music for one the faculty performances. The Nov. 4 faculty concert aligned well with the Monday after “Taylor Swift Weekend,” Mayhue said, so it was the perfect time to piggyback off her presence in the city to try something new with the series.

“Normally, our Artist Series are a little bit more classical-oriented,” Mayhue said. “We will have commercial ensembles, but we don’t ever do anything that’s a pop band or pop stuff.Taylor Swift is definitely full on pop literature, … It’s definitely new, and we’re trying to reimagine everything that she did.”

Butler University and Marian University Adjunct Professor Chelsea

... You don’t have to be a [music] major to have fun.”

Hughey played drums, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra member Mark Ortwein played saxophone, Adjunct Faculty Charles Platz played guitar, community member JoshTowensend played bass, Adjunct faculty Erin Benedict sang, Mayhue played a variety of different instruments and community member and wife of Mayhue, Jeannie Mayhue, sang as well as announced. Platz said the idea to rework popular Taylor Swift songs across different genres of music was the mastermind of Terence Mayhue, who has been working in higher education for 27 years. Mayhue transformed Swift’s songs, like “Welcome to New York” into an Irish jig, “Blank Space” into Afro-Cuban jazz and more.

“[Mayhue is] one of those creative people that can hear something and take it somewhere else where you

didn’t expect it to go, and it works and fits well,” Platz said. “He’s got such a diverse approach and background with music. He can hear all of these influences and how we arrange the music. He put the music in front of me, and I played it. How it sounded was all Terence.”

Arranging different types of music is one of the larger tasks of Mayhue’s job, he said. He arranges all the music for the Latin Jazz Ensembles, as well as some of the Faculty Artist Concerts. The process involves a lot of experimentation and time to see what fits well, Mayhue said, and he is always on the search for a fresh take on things.

“I’m just interested in finding creative ways to present something that people have not heard before,” Mayhue said. “It takes a while, you know, you just gotta sit there and plunk around for a while, just to kind of find out what does and does not work. So hopefully these worked out.”

Having at least one concert that is a little more on the raw, rock ’n’ roll side of things is something Mayhue said he wants to experiment with more throughout the year. There will

always be an expression of his love and appreciation for classical orchestras and beautiful arias, he said, but finding a different audience for the same concert series is a goal for him.

Both Platz and Mayhue encourage students to take part in the music department on campus. They said music classes can be taken as electives, and students can take

lessons from professionals. A lot of classes are entry level, Mayhue said, and can be used to explore creativity and find community and fellowship on campus.

“I would encourage anybody to come check it out,”Mayhue said.“You don’t have to be a [music] major to have major fun. We’ve got plenty of opportunities to participate.”

Fighting hunger through music

By Mia Lehmkuhl EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & NEWS EDITOR

Always the Friday before Thanksgiving,this music festival brings Indianapolis bands and musicians together for a night that comprises five stages and unforgettable icons.

Tonic Ball, hosted in Fountain Square, directly supports Second Helpings — a nonprofit dedicated to fighting hunger in Central Indiana. Ticket sales help support more than 100 Central Indiana nonprofits that receive free meals from Second Helpings throughout the year, according to Tonic Ball’s website.

Marketing and Communications Manager at Second Helpings Emily Martin said the festival was founded in 2002 by a few Indianapolis locals. One of those individuals is Ken Honeywell, a volunteer at Second Helpings and supporter of education through the Ken Honeywell Continuing Education Fund.

Back when it began, the Tonic Ball featured bands covering one icon in one venue. Now, Martin said, the festival has grown over the decades.

“Now we’re covering four artists every year in five venues,” Martin said. “… There’s been a really unique

partnership between individuals who love music, Second Helpings, the Fountain Square neighborhood and all of the great venues there. I don’t know of any other event like it.”

Martin said planning an event of this magnitude is largely a group effort. For this year’s ball and others, she said the primary goal is for tickets to sell out, as those ticket sales are what directly and positively impact Second Helpings’ work.In terms of the timing of the ball, being right before the Thanksgiving holiday, Martin said it is a natural time to fight against food insecurity, as it worsens in winter months and the holiday season.

“The time around Thanksgiving into December is certainly a time when giving and giving around food insecurity is really top of mind for people,” Martin said. “It is kind of a natural time of year for supporting an organization like Second Helpings.”

Although the holiday season is the busiest time of year for many nonprofits fighting food insecurity across the nation, including Second Helpings, Martin said hunger persists 365 days a year.

“Groups reaching out to do food drives has really increased just in the last couple weeks, but that’s not as common in the spring and summer,” Martin said.

Martin joined the Second Helpings

team in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing that year’s Tonic Ball to take on a different,more creative form. For those organizing the event, canceling the ball was simply not something that was discussed, and Martin said it was a special, inspiring day that helped encapsulate the spirit of the Tonic Ball. However, her first in-person experience attending the festival is one that is important to her.

“When I’m thinking of Tonic Ball memories, my first thought was my first. It took working here for two or three years before I experienced a normal Tonic Ball, if that makes sense,” Martin said. “So it was really exciting in 2022 to get to help in planning the in person event,and then being there in Fountain Square and seeing, ‘Oh, this is what everybody was talking about like this is the magic that this event has.’ The live streams are really incredible and creative and successful, but, you know, it’s not the same.”

This year,the Tonic Ball takes place Nov. 22 and will cover Lady Gaga at Hi-Fi, Hall & Oates at Square Cat Vinyl, Parliament-Funkadelic at White Rabbit, The White Stripes/ JackWite at Radio Radio and The Greatest Hits at the Fountain Square Theatre, per its website.

Tickets are $75 a piece and grant access to all five venues.

Photo contributed by Chris Rounds

Mr. Kinetik performing at Tonic Ball 2019. The festival was founded in 2002 and had a little over 100 bands play at the 2024 festival.

Photo contributed by Antonio Toppin

Lead singer of Chick Grizzly Lizzy Street sings at the Fountain Square Theatre at Tonic Ball 2023.

Photo by Allison Cook

Associate Adjunct Professor Terence Mayhue plays the keyboard and sings during the Faculty Artist Concert Series on Nov. 4.

Puzzles by Allison Cook

Jewish Depaul students attacked

By Rebecca Johnson CHICAGO TRIBUNE (TNS)

CHICAGO — Two Jewish students at DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus who were visibly showing support for Israel were punched by masked attackers Wednesday, according to the university’s president and Chicago police.

Two masked people punched the Jewish students Wednesday around 3:20 p.m. in front of the Student Center at 2250 North Sheffield Ave., president Robert Manuel said in a letter to students and faculty. He said the students sustained physical injuries, but declined medical treatment.

Chicago police said the unknown men approached the two victims on foot.They struck one victim,a 27-yearold man, in his face and body, before pushing the other victim,a 21-year-old man, to the ground. They then fled northbound, police said.

One of the attackers was wearing a black mask, white t-shirt and khaki pants,whiletheotherworeablackmask, black hooded jacket and black pants, according to a school public safety alert.

“We are outraged that this occurred on our campus,” Manuel said in the letter. “It is completely unacceptable and a violation of DePaul’s values to uphold and care for the dignity of every individual.”

“We will continue to do everything possible to ensure DePaul is a safe and welcoming space for every member of our diverse university community,” he also said. “We recognize that for a significant portion of our Jewish community, Israel is a core part of their Jewish identity.Those students — and every student — should feel safe on our university campus.”

Floridians vote pro-choice

Despite majority vote, results come in just shy of 60% rule

By Skyler Swisher ORLANDO SENTINEL (TNS)

ORLANDO, Fla. — Abortion rights advocates want to take their fight back to the Florida Legislature armed with a new talking point: Their cause got about as much support from Florida voters as President-elect Donald Trump did.

But the appeal is unlikely to persuade a Republican supermajority whose members were mostly lockstep against Amendment 4.

That assessment — disheartening though it may be to advocates — rests firmly on an Election Day conundrum: The same electorate that voted 57% in favor of a ballot initiative to protect abortion access also returned to Tallahassee a Legislature nearly identical to the one that approved the six-week abortion ban the initiative sought to overturn.

Trump got slightly more votes — about 41,600 — than Amendment 4.

“The people have spoken and have sent a clear mandate to the Legislature: repeal Florida’s extreme ban,”said Lauren Brenzel,Yes on 4’s campaign director.

But incoming Florida Senate President Ben Albritton,a powerful figure in the Legislature, said hedoesn’t see a need to revisit the issue.

“I believe that every life was created by God, and every human being is valuable,” said Albritton, who represents a swath of Florida’s rural heartland from Polk to Lee counties. “My constituents in District 27 share that view. They expect me to bring their voices to Tallahassee.”

The support we've built together will be the foundation ...."

“Most of the people who got elected voted for the bill that we passed,”said incoming state Senator Randy Fine, R-Palm Bay, who served in the House before winning election to the Senate. “They supported it then. I don’t know why they wouldn’t support it now.”

Supporters of Amendment 4 insist Florida is on their side, with a vote falling just shy of the 60% needed to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution.

Amendment 4 won about the same percentage of the vote as Trump, who fetched 56% in what the Florida GOP called a “historic” win and the biggest margin of victory for a president in Florida in nearly four decades. Because more people voted in Florida’s presidential race than on the abortion measure,

Two other GOP state lawmakers voiced similar sentiments, though some Trump voters backed the abortion rights amendment.

One of those was Jasmine Ortiz, a store manager who lives in Orange County. She voted for Trump but also for Amendment 4, convinced the government shouldn’t limit abortion access.

“It is our body. It is our right,” said Ortiz after voting at an east Orange precinct Tuesday.

But Florida’s red wave showed voters approve of the job their elected representatives are doing, Fine said. Republicans retained their supermajority in the state Legislature and fended off Democratic challengers who made abortion a top issue.

In 2023,the Florida House voted overwhelmingly 70-40 in favor of the six-week abortion ban. The Florida Senate approved it in a 26-

Black students receive racist texts

By Cassidy Alexander THE ATLANTA JOURNALCONSTITUTION

(TNS)

Black students in several states reported receiving a racist text message from an anonymous number the day after the election.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is investigating the message received by students in Alabama and Georgia, it said Thursday in a news release.

The text message said the recipient has been selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation, according to screenshots shared on social media and reported by local news outlets. Another message said the recipient has been selected to become a slave on Jan. 21, the day after the presidential inauguration.

“The text sent to young Black people, including students at Alabama State University and the University of Alabama, is a public spectacle of hatred and

racism that makes a mockery of our civil rights history,” said Margaret Huang, SPLC president and CEO. “Hate speech has no place in the South or in our nation.”

Students received the text messages on Wednesday. Early that morning, The Associated Press declared Donald Trump the winner of the presidential election, capping off several contentious months of campaigning. Exit polls showed that 13% of Black voters cast their ballots for Trump in the election, the lowest percentage among any racial demographic group.

A 13-year-old DeKalb County student received a message Wednesday saying he was going to be a slave and pick cotton, Channel 2 Action News reported Thursday. The station said the FBI has been notified about messages to Black students in several states.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said his office is aware of the texts. Carr said in a statement to The Atlanta

13 vote.The ban includes exceptions for the life and health of the pregnant woman. It also allows exceptions for rape and incest up to 15 weeks, if a woman provides a police report or other documentation. Amendment 4 would have protected abortion until viability, usually considered about 24 weeks of pregnancy, or when deemed necessary by a patient’s health care provider. Florida was one of 10 states with abortion measures up for election on Tuesday. The ballot measures were an effort to protect abortion rights in states where, in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, leaders had imposed strict restrictions on the procedure.

In Florida, incoming House Speaker Daniel Perez — another powerful figure in the Legislature —

joined Albritton last year in voting for the six-week ban. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law and waged an all-out campaign to defeat Amendment 4, with his administration blitzing the airwaves with state-funded ad campaign targeting it.

A DeSantis spokesman and Perez did not return emails this week seeking comment about the abortion rights vote.

A majority of Floridians — 56% — supported another controversial ballot initiative that would have legalized recreational marijuana. That issue, too, faces a tough path in the Legislature, despite the measure getting Trump’s endorsement.

Texas Democratic Party chair resigns post-election

By Gromer Jeffers Jr. THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS (TNS)

DALLAS — Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa announced his resignation Friday,days after state Democrats experienced their most devastating election losses in more than a decade.

Democrats had hoped to make strides in their quest to be more competitive in Texas,perhaps turning the state purple — or even blue.

me in lifting up the next generation in order to unite our party as we take on Donald Trump,” he wrote.

Supporters praised Hinojosa.

“In 2014 we were losing races by 20 points,”said U.S.Rep.Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio.“Now, even on a bad night, we’re a lot closer.”

Journal-Constitution: “This behavior is vile, and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. Anyone threatened should immediately contact their local law enforcement agency.”

Spokespersons for Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College and the University of Georgia were not aware of any students receiving a similar messages when contacted Thursday afternoon by the AJC. A GBI spokeswoman was not aware of any investigation by the agency late Thursday.

Students at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina also have reported receiving similar messages, the Greenville News reported. Clemson police are investigating, and the University of South Carolina is coordinating with state and federal law enforcement agencies, the news outlet reported.

But election night produced catastrophic results for the party, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s easy defeat of Colin Allred in a high-profile Senate race. Democrats also fell short against every GOP Texas House candidate they targeted, including Reps. Morgan Meyer of University Park and Angie Chen Button of Richardson.

Even more catastrophic, Republicans made tremendous gains with Latino voters as President-elect Donald Trump won a majority of South Texas counties in Tuesday’s election.

“In the days and weeks to come, it is imperative that our Democratic leaders across the country reevaluate what is best for our party and embrace the next generation of leaders to take us through the next four years of Trump and win back seats up and down the ballot,” Hinojosa said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News. “That is why today I’m announcing that I’ll be stepping aside in the new year … and passing the torch to the next generation.”

Hinojosa will stay on the job until March, when the party’s executive committee will select a replacement.

The Texas Democratic Party’s first Hispanic leader, Hinojosa said his decision was a tough one, even afterTuesday’s disappointing election results.

“It is the best decision for our party, and I encourage our national leaders and party leaders at all levels to join

“He really believed in democracy,” said Rick Levy, president of the Texas AFL-CIO. “That kind of infused everything that he did. And from the perspective of labor,he was completely on the side of working people and understood the importance of the link between the Democratic Party and people who work for a living.” Levy saidTexas is tough terrain for Democrats,and Hinojosa did the best he could without much investment from national Democrats.

“We’re not playing in the garden of Eden here,”he said.“Texas was like the ATM machine for the national political operations. There was no investment in this state.”

Hinojosa, a former Cameron County judge, has led the state party since 2012.

His high point was 2018, when a ticket led by Beto O’Rourke resulted in Democrats gaining 12 seats in the Texas House. O’Rourke lost his Senate race to Ted Cruz by only 2.6 percentage points.

“Over the last 12 years, the Texas Democratic Party, in partnership with countless allies, has put Texas on the battleground map and has made significant progress toward electing Democrats at every single level,” Hinojosa said. “We have worked to modernize the party organization and make progress to turn our great state blue.”

The 2018 success led Democrats and some analysts to believe taking majority control of the Texas House was possible, even if a Democrat had not been elected to a statewide race since 1994.

Photo by Dreamstime

Black students in several states reported receiving a racist text message from an anonymous number the day after the election. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Photo by Dreamstime

The Tallahassee, Florida State Capitol buildings. (Dreamstime/TNS)