Sept. 28, 2022 | The Reflector

Kory Vitangeli resigns

By Kassandra Darnell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-ONLINE EDITOR

Following the departure of former Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs Kory Vitangeli on Sept. 2, the University of Indianapolis Student Affairs Office is undergoing a number of changes. Vice President, Chief Inclusion Officer, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and (now) Dean of Students Amber Smith is currently serving as the leader of the Office of Student Affairs on an interimbasis while the university begins its search for a new dean of students.

Smith has worked closely with the Office of Student Affairs since the start of her career at UIndy and said that the team has not missed a beat and continues to be on top of things despite staffing changes.

“Naturally, with someone as impactful as Kory [Vitangeli], and having been here as long as she was, you're definitely going to feel that [absence]. We will definitely miss her,” Smith said. “And I can say that people have learned, I'm sure, from her, how to be exceptional at their job. I'm really excited to say that I've been very much impressed at their ability to keep things going.”

Student Affairs is currently in the beginning stages of some important changes, with several initiatives

and reorganizations starting soon. However, reorganization is currently taking priority over finding Vitangeli’s replacement, according to Smith.

“We don’t have any plans as of this moment,” said Smith. “Right now, we're looking at the organization, we're looking at the student experience. We're looking at our university. We obviously want to make sure that we are positioning people, as well as students, to be served [rightfully].We want our employees happy [and] we want our students happy, and so we're in that process right now, but we don't have any decisions as of this point being made. … Probably in a month or two, so we [can] actually begin to put things right.”

When Interim President Phil Terry began his new position, there was also a reorganization of the institution to allow for more efficiency. As a result, academic and Student Affairs now report to Executive Vice President and Provost Christopher

Plouff. He said Student Affairs is in great hands with Smith as the interim, but the university wants to focus on restructuring and including students in that process.

“We're working together–primarily Amber [Smith] and I–leading efforts to look at and evaluate what we have for our student support structures, as well as our academic support structures, and coordinating those in a way that's going to be best for students,” Plouff said.

“The way to know that is to engage our students in understanding how they are experiencing our services and what is working well and what could be better. We're going to begin this fall to have some summits, bringing people together to share experiences [and] input, so that we can know how to best organize those areas going forward.”

Ultimately, Plouff said, Student Affairs does not want any concerns swept over during this period of transition. He encourages students to

reach out to himself and Smith whenever needed.

“Because of the good work of some real, strong leadership over in that area [Student Affairs], things are being adequately and appropriately attended to and covered. But, we know that when you're a person-short, things can fall through the cracks that maybe someone was or was not aware of,” Plouff said.

“We don't want that to be the case, where someone feels like that's been missed or has been ignored.”

Smith said that in the two-and-ahalf years that she has worked at UIndy, Vitangeli was an excellent partner in working with students and providing culturally enriching opportunities and partnerships. Many of the things Smith was able to accomplish were possible because of Student Affairs, she said, and that Vitangeli has left a mark on the department.

“She was very much so relational, caring about the students and wanting to always provide support for students. And I think that that is, in my opinion, a strong legacy that I see in her team, with the directors and the staff that is there,” Smith said. “It is clear that students are the primary focus, and making sure that we're there for them in the best way that we know how to be and making sure that they are having the resources and tools that they need to be successful. That's what Student Affairs is about.”

Student loan forgiveness

By Max Shelburn & Hannah Hadley

STAFF WRITER & NEWS EDITOR

President Joe Biden officially announced on Aug. 24 executive action to implement his one-time federal student loan forgiveness plan. Biden said that the program is designed to help those who need it most, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Office of Federal Student Aid of the U.S. Department of Education’s website, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program may excuse up to $20,000 in student debt if borrowers are eligible.

To be eligible for $10,000 in loan forgiveness, an individual must earn less than $125,000 of income a year, or $250,000 of combined income for married couples. To qualify to receive the max amount of $20,000 in forgiveness, in addition to falling below the income cap, borrowers must have also received Pell Grants in the past, which are government funds given to students exemplifying financial need based off of their input on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The application form for student loan debt relief will be available at StudentAid.gov in early October.

University of Indianapolis Director of Financial Aid Nathan Lohr said that many students may be eligible. “Part of the plan allows some students to receive their forgiveness automatically, although some students that are eligible may need to submit an application,” Lohr said.

Students may have received automatic loan forgiveness because they filled out the 2021-2022 FAFSA.Lohr encourages

all of those with federal student loans to fill out the upcoming application. He also recommends that students be aware of who their loan servicers are.

“I would encourage borrowers who may be eligible to reach out to their student loan servicers, so [borrowers] can take advantage of the opportunity,” Lohr said. “Students [should] stay in touch with their student loan servicer and [make sure that the company has their] up-to-date contact information.”

Lohr also said that borrowing students are able to log into their accounts with StudentAid.gov at any time to view their loan information and forgiveness eligibility with the U.S. Department of Education.

The Indiana Department of Revenue will be taxing loan forgiveness

as income, according to an article from WTHR. Those who qualify for $10,000 of acquittal will be required to pay around $320 when filing 2022's

as income, but the federal government has said they will not, due to Biden's 2021 American Rescue Plan's pause on federal taxes on student loan forgiveness until 2025, according to a fact-sheet posted on the White House’s website.

Extended information regarding the details of the loan forgiveness program can be found by going to StudentAid.gov, clicking on “Manage Loans” and then going to “Qualify for Loan Forgiveness.” The Office of Federal Student Aid is also reachable at 1-800-4-FED-AID.

EPIC Greyhounds highlight positivity

By Hallie Gallinat FEATURE EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis introduced a new program this semester titled EPIC Greyhounds. This program, which stands for Engage Positively in Community, aims to promote positive engagement between members of the UIndy campus, Associate Dean of Students Steven Freck said.

The program works by people nominating other members of the UIndy community that have done something good, according to Freck. This can be something as small as picking up trash or helping a student on campus, to something large, like leading a donation drive.

“Some of [the nominees] have helped strangers on campus, like other students… They may not have known each other, [but they] saw someone was in need. [They] sat with someone at lunch who was sitting by themselves,” Freck said. “Just someone who across campus is known as a positive influence, or someone who's been a really good friend to a particular student.… [It] could be a variety of things. Like I said… even though it's ‘epic,’ I think we're looking at EPIC as anything that makes an impact.”

Nominations are collected anonymously through a Google Form. The link to the form can be found in the Friday weekly activities email sent by Freck, on social media and on QR codes on postcards in the Student Affairs Office.

Vice President, Chief Inclusion Officer, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Amber Smith, who was also involved with EPIC Greyhounds’ development, said anyone can nominate someone in the UIndy community, even if they are not affiliated with the university.

“We just want it to be someone at UIndy so we can find them and recognize [them],” Smith said. “… I suppose that if somebody did something kind for someone and they're a UIndy student and somebody wanted to acknowledge them, I would love to hear about it.”

taxes in April of next year, and those who qualify for $20,000 could owe nearly $650. Indianapolis and other Marion County residents must also pay extra county taxes of $200 to $400. Each respective state has the ability to decide if they will tax student loan forgiveness

Federal student loan borrowers should complete their applications by Dec. 31, 2023, according to StudentAid. gov. The pause on repayments, interest accumulation, and collections on defaulted student loans that started in March 2020 will end on Dec. 31, 2022.

According to Smith, the Offices of Inclusive Excellence and Retention Strategy and Office of Student Affairs were both involved in the process of creating this program. She said that the offices were interested in finding out ways to start the semester with an emphasis on kindness.

Freck said that so far, the program has received over 70 nominations and that there are a couple of staff members who review nominations and choose a couple of people to highlight each week. The winning people are mentioned in the activities email, are featured on social media and receive a $50 gift card to the UIndy Bookstore.

This program came about from Freck and a few other staff members who wanted to highlight great things happening on campus, he said. By highlighting some of the positive things others are doing across campus, it can help eliminate some of the negativity in the world and Freck is interested to see how this program grows in the coming years.

“… In a world where there's a lot going on, taking the time to recognize someone for the good work they're doing is always important,”Freck said.“I think it's a good reminder that what you do, what you say, how you engage with others, does matter. And so, if you have the choice, engage positively.”

Student Affairs copes with loss of Vitangeli after 19 years working at UIndy

Graphic by Breanna Emmett

Students [should] stay in touch with their student loan servicer."

SMITH

Student life affected by inflation

Mia Lehmkuhl OPINION EDITOR

The stereotype that college students can only afford to eat ramen was one that I never thought would apply to me.

At the beginning of this past summer, I was excited to live independently from school and provide for myself. I had just finished freshman year, and I was proud that I came out of that transition from high school to college alive. I was officially an “adult.” I was not expecting to face some of the worst inflation to hit this country in our lifetimes thus far.

In order to understand inflation, it’s important to consider something like the Consumer Price Index (CPI). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the CPI is “a measure of economy-wide inflation.”

This index is used to quantify inflation over an entire economy. For example, as of July 2022, the CPI of the United States increased 8.3% from what it was in July 2021. In terms of food prices, the CPI for groceries increased by 13.5%, and the CPI for food bought away from home (such as restaurants) increased by 8%. All of these numbers boil down to one truth: inflation has significantly spiked in the past year. As a student just entering adulthood and a whole new world of financial responsibility, that world does not seem so friendly when a loaf of bread costs double what it did a year ago.

I remember having to strictly budget what I bought from grocery stores in order to be able to afford to eat the whole week. I threw myself into

cooking meals instead of relying on more convenient (and more expensive) frozen options. This worked for a while until I went home to see my family. During the week I was vacationing, I had lost a week’s worth of pay from my summer job. This crippled my ability to purchase groceries on a consistent basis, and I quickly had to sacrifice the quality and quantity of my meals so my bank account balance would not plummet to an anxiety-inducing low. Home-cooked meals turned into microwavable, frozen meals, and those soon turned into the classic college student meal: instant cup noodles. They were cheap, plentiful and filling for what I could afford.

Beyond grocery receipts and

meal planning, what stood out to me was the toll this situation had taken on my mental health. Not being able to provide for yourself financially brings feelings of shame and a lot of negative self-talk as a consequence of that. I developed anxiety around finances and still struggle today with the amount of money it costs to stock up my dorm room. I was lucky enough to not have to pay rent for where I lived off-campus this summer, and I cannot imagine having to juggle the spikes in rent (up to 13% this year in Indiana, according to news station WYFI) along with food costs.

I would also like to note that although I did not drive during the

summer, gas prices skyrocketed during the past year as well. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the CPI of all types of gasoline increased by 25.6% in the past year. I saw gas prices hit five dollars a gallon just right around the corner from campus, and I know I could not have financially survived the summer for as long as I did had I been forced to pay for gas on top of food expenses.

After all of this, the beginning of a new semester where I had a meal plan and no need for transportation around campus was something I welcomed. I was very lucky compared to many other students who have more expenses than I did; we as students collectively suffered the consequences of inflation.

Censorship in schools: book banning

Breanna Emmett ART DIRECTOR

In March 2022, the IndyStar reported that Indiana legislation received a bill (Senate bill 17) proposing that teachers and librarians have the potential to be criminalized for exposing students to books and materials that could be viewed as inappropriate or harmful to minors. This vague bill was promptly shut down and rejected by legislators, but other states have not been so fortunate. According to PEN America, a free speech advocacy organization, 122 bills of a similar nature have been proposed in 33 different states since early 2021, 12 of which have become law. While it is understandable to want to protect minors from inappropriate content, it begs the question: what is inappropriate content for minors, and who decides that?

The banning of books in public schools has been an ongoing issue. From classic novels, such as Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”to more recently published LGBTQ novels like “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson, beloved stories are the targets of many school districts wishing to restrict minors’ access to information, as suggested by research done by PEN America. The American Library Association (ALA) states that a book can be challenged by any group or individual, but the final decision of officially banning a book is typically up to the school board of that district.

Animation deserves respect too Hallie Gallinat FEATURE EDITOR

Since I was young, animation has always been my preferred method of storytelling. I have been watching animated movies and TV shows for as long as I can remember, and a majority of my favorite shows happen to be animated. Yet, whenever someone asks me what my favorite show is, I find myself too embarrassed to tell them that it is an animated series and not something like “The Office” or “Stranger Things.” I believe this is a result of the stereotypical belief that animation is an inferior form of storytelling, which is more prevalent now than ever.

When people talk about animated content, their minds jump to the conclusion that all animation is made for children. This was even repeated at the Oscars where, during a speech before the Best Animated Feature Film award, one of the hosts said “animated films make up some of our most formative movie experiences as kids.” This was the same Oscars show where “Flee” was one of the nominees, a PG-13 animated documentary about an Afghan refugee. Its competitors were all PG-rated films made by Disney, Pixar and Sony Pictures Animation, and it lost to “Encanto.”

For this documentary about a very serious matter to be lumped into the same category as what they described as “formative memories for kids” is really insulting to the hard-working creators of all of these films.

Animation is not just for kids and never explicitly has been. There are many animated films and TV shows that have kids as their primary demographic, but there are plenty of examples of animated content for all ages. Disney movies are the perfect example, as many of them explore stories that appeal to all ages.They may have elements that would appeal to children, such as cute animals or pretty princesses, but multiple Disney movies tell deep and emotional stories. One of my favorite animated movies, “Mulan,” tells an extremely compelling story about a girl having to overcome gender stereotypes to fight for her country and family. “Toy Story 2,” a movie I watched over and over when I was little, still makes me cry to

this day over Jessie’s storyline.

There are so many great animated TV shows out there as well that are enjoyed by people of all ages. “Gravity Falls,” “The Owl House,” “Regular Show” and “Adventure Time” are some examples of animated shows that have large adult fanbases. Even 2010s “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” found its way into adults’ hearts, for better or for worse with the development of the “Brony”community.

Additionally, there are many animated shows that are made specifically for adult audiences, such as “Smiling Friends,” “Bojack Horseman” and “Rick and Morty.”

It is not just the Oscars that are disrespecting animation either; companies are mistreating the medium as well.The streaming service HBO Max, as part of the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery, removed about 36 shows, including a little over 25 animated ones, from its service unannounced last month, according to Screen Geek, CBR and Paste Magazine. Animators were not

made aware that their shows were being pulled. Some shows, such as “Little Ellen” and, one of my personal favorites, “Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart,” were even about to get new seasons before they were unceremoniously canceled and wiped, according to Paste Magazine.

HBO Max is not alone here either; Netflix has been putting its own animation division on the back burner. According to TechCrunch, in an effort to make higher-quality animated products, Netflix recently downsized its animation division and laid off 30 animators. Netflix also split one order of “The Cuphead Show'' into “seasons” to avoid giving raises to its animators, according to GamerBraves.

Hearing how animation is being mistreated by the entertainment industry breaks my heart, as I have always wanted to learn how to animate myself. There are just so many things one can do with animation that live-action just can not do. Animation can take viewers to compelling, distant lands with unique

characters and visuals. Live-action movies can try to do this, but that typically takes a much bigger budget and higher quality special effects, and even then it will not be as convincing as an animated product. Some of the best stories have been told through animation in the same way that some of the best stories have been told through live-action.

Just as there are multiple genres for books, movies and video games, animation also has multiple genres. There is comedy, drama, horror and many others. Yet, it seems like many in the entertainment industry treat animation as if it is its own genre, which is not the case. One wouldn’t put “Catcher in the Rye'' in the same genre as “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” so why should animation made for children and adults be lumped together?

Animation is not a genre—it’s a medium, a medium where the possibilities are only as vast as what the animator can draw. It takes time, teamwork and effort to make a highquality animated product, just like how live-action products are made. Animation has been around for over a century, so it is time to stop treating it like an inferior, childish form of entertainment.

There are several reasons why a book may be challenged. For example, in 2020, the ALA reported that the most common reasons for a book to be banned were sexually explicit content, vulgar language or because it was deemed unfit for an age group. More disturbingly, PEN America found that 33% of recently banned books are centered around LGBTQ content and protagonists, and 41% of banned books feature a protagonist of color.

When it comes to book banning, there is a fine line between the protection of minors and unnecessarily censoring content. To strip students of their access to stories centered around minorities and those within the LGBTQ community,that is censorship. It is valid to want to limit minors’ exposure to explicit content, but the statistics suggest a double standard.There are several books that feature content that could be seen as inappropriate and are still allowed in school libraries. For example, the Bible features sexual content, graphic violence and death, and yet it can be found in most school libraries across the nation—but that same reasoning could be used as an excuse to remove a book that parents might disapprove of on a personal level.

Not only does banning books limit the diversity of stories that a student can experience, it ensures that LGBTQ students and students of color are not represented in the media they consume. Representation is very important, especially when it comes to minors who are just starting to figure out who they are and what is “normal.” Representation in media is beneficial to the development of an individual’s self-confidence and identity. It allows them to experience characters and stories that mirror their own lives; they are able to see that they are not alone. When books that can provide that representation are taken out of school libraries, that makes it so much more difficult for LGBTQ students or students of color to feel seen by the world around them.

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.

Corrections In our Aug. 24 Issue:

We used the wrong title for Aaron Kivisto in the story "UIndy psych study published." The title used was Assistant Professor and CoDirector of Doctoral Programs for the Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology. The correct title is Associate Professor in the Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology.

What do you think?

Send your letters to the editor or other correspondence to: reflector@uindy.edu

Graphic by Breanna Emmett

... stop treating it like an inferior, childish form of entertainment.

Photo by TNS/Disney Channel

THE OWL HOUSE - "Agony of a Witch" - On a school field trip to the mysterious Emperor's Castle, Luz strays from the group and into danger. This episode of "The Owl House" aired Saturday, Aug. 22 (8:44-9:06 P.M. EDT) on Disney Channel.

Students suffer from price spikes as result of nation-wide inflation this year

Engineering school accredited

By Anika Yoder EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The R.B. Annis School of Engineering at the University of Indianapolis has received accreditation for the Industrial & Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Software Engineering programs by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), according to UIndy 360. The accreditation allows UIndy engineering undergraduates to be qualified under an internationally and nationally recognized commission for working in their respective fields upon graduation.

According to Assistant Professor for the School of Engineering Najmus Saqib, ABET is the premier accreditation body for all engineering programs—not just in the United States, but worldwide.

It was the first time that Mechanical Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering and Software Engineering went up for accreditation and received full certification after the first review, which is considerably rare, according to Saqib.

“A lot of times, new programs don't get full accreditation; they get provisional accreditation, and then they have a follow-up review in a couple of years,” Saqib said.

First, to be eligible for accreditation, the school has to have students graduate from the program, who then submit a large report which is known as a self-study report, Saqib said.

The report includes everything about the program from the university's history, when the program was founded, how many students were and are enrolled in the program and transcripts of those students and class work.

“We had to dig up old exams and tests and they looked at what sort of work the students were doing,” Saqib said.

“[The board looked at] how [students are] being assessed for different outcomes in different courses and different things that they were producing.”

The accreditation allows for the school to maintain its status as an accredited

institution once initiated and puts the program under review again in six years, essentially duplicating the process for the initial accreditation, according to Assistant Professor for the School of Engineering Megan Hammond. The department is constantly assessing and gathering information to show the program is upholding the standards of the accrediting body, Hammond said.

The School of Engineering also received a gift of $1.8 million from Zane and Frances Todd. Todd is a retired chairman and chief executive officer of Indianapolis Power and Light Company, where Todd’s wife Frances also worked, according to UIndy 360.

Zane Todd served on the UIndy Board of Trustees from 1977 to 1991 and served as the Chair of the Board from 1981 to 1991, according to UIndy 360. The gift will also fund the Zane and Frances Todd Merit and Leadership Scholars Fund endowment, which will support students majoring in science, technology,

engineering and mathematics-related fields, with a special emphasis on engineering, according to UIndy 360.

The gift will also be going towards the Frances and Zane Todd Merit and Leadership Scholars in Health Sciences and Nursing Scholarship funds. The scholarships will have a preference for non-traditional students, in honor of Zane’s own background. The gift will go to students who are working to fund their education, have been honorably

discharged from military service, have children for which they have financial responsibility and students who are married, according to UIndy 360.

“Hopefully, [the endowment scholarship will] boost enrollment for non-traditional students,” Associate Dean and Director of Engineering Ken Reid said. “So that's really what we want, and I think UIndy is really poised for that... It's a lot of stuff that's going to help students succeed.”

Lucinda Dale, 2022 Teacher of the Year

Committee selects College of Health Sciences professor of occupational therapy for '22 award

By Anika Yoder EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The University of Indianapolis has named College of Health Sciences School of Occupational Therapy professor Lucinda Dale as the 2022 Teacher of the Year, according to UIndy 360.

The award is given to a faculty member who exhibits superior teaching as well as dedication to students. The awardee is chosen through a nomination process by which the deans of each respective school at UIndy pick outstanding faculty members for the committee to evaluate, according to Interim Vice President and Provost to the Provost Mary Beth Bagg. Director of Secondary Education, professor in the School of Education and 2020 Teacher of the Year Angelia Ridgway said the nomination process takes place throughout the academic year with a committee composed of

faculty representatives of the different schools and departments at the university.

Additionally, two student representatives participate, one being the Student Body Director of the Student Leadership and Activities Board (SLAB). Along with Ridgway, 2021 Teacher of the Year and Associate Professor of Political Science Laura Merrifield Wilson served in the committee to represent past recipients of the award, according to Ridgway.

“Once those nominees come to the committee, we have a set of materials that each [of them] put together [including] teaching evaluations [and] evidence of high-quality teaching, lots of different things that each nominee assembles into a submission that's reviewed by the Teacher of the Year committee,” Ridgway said.

According to Dale, as a nominee she submitted multiple materials for review, such as syllabi and her teaching philosophy. The committee also came a couple times to evaluate lessons during her classes and were able to see how she

worked with students while teaching, said Dale.

On top of submitting syllabi and writing her teaching philosophy, Dale said she sought out a letter of support from an alumnus to show the committee.

“It’s a partnership that relies on both parties doing the work that needs to get done, but also having respect for each other. Being okay with the gray areas, which is so typical of our healthcare practice,” Dale said.

UIndy 360’s article announcing Dale as the recipient of Teacher of the Year describes her as a “bright light in her teaching” and that, “she illuminates complicated and sometimes unsettling concepts and instances in an informative and positive manner.”

Dale has been with UIndy for 27 years, instructing masters and doctoral students.

“It is quite an honor,” said Dale. “It's extremely humbling... To be chosen mostly by your peers for this honor, it just means the world to me.”

Professor of Practice, Department of Criminal Justice

- Ana Maria Ferreira, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Global Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies - Samantha Gray, PhD, Assistant Professor, Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

- Christina Jansing, MSW, Assistant Professor, Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

- Rebecca McKanna, MFA, Assistant Professor, Department of English - Sarah Reynolds, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics and Earth Space Science

- Craig Seidelson, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Business - John Somers, EdD, Associate Professor, School of Education

In her teaching philosophy, Dale outlines her belief that students and professors should see themselves as partners in learning.

Nominees listed for the award for 2022, according to UIndy 360, included: - James Bellow, EdD, Professor, Krannert School of Physical Therapy - Bruce Biggs, PhD, Assistant

- Paul Talaga, PhD, Associate Professor, R.B. Annis School of Engineering

- Aksana Waskosky, DNP, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

Global leaders pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

was more than a monarch,” Biden said in a statement. “She defined an era."

“She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection,” he added, whether they heard her as a young princess speaking on the radio to children during World War II, gathered around their TV sets for her coronation or watched her Platinum Jubilee on their smartphones.

Biden ordered flags at the White House and government buildings to be flown at half-staff until the queen’s funeral. He later made an unannounced stop at the British Embassy to sign a condolences book.

A tearful Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, choked up as he said that it was with deep sadness that he saluted her “wisdom, compassion and warmth.”

By Tracy Wilkinson LOS ANGELES TIMES

(TNS) WASHINGTON — A world that, for the most part, knew no other British monarch expressed deep sadness Thurs. Sept. 8 at the death of Queen Elizabeth II, and awe for the expanse of her reign and the historical transformation she guided.

Leaders, many of whom were not born when Elizabeth assumed the throne, mourned the loss for Britain and

wondered what the new era will hold for a nation mired in rocky politics and unrest, above which the queen often stood as a calming, unifying force.

Citizens from former parts of the once-vast British Empire, including some who oppose the monarchy, paid homage to the queen.

In Washington, President Joe Biden canceled a scheduled speech and praised Elizabeth as a “stateswoman of unmatched dignity” and “unwavering commitment to duty.”

“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The new British prime minister, Liz Truss, on her third day on the job, stepped to a podium at 10 Downing St. and solemnly lionized the queen as the “rock upon which modern Britain was built.”

The government of Australia, where anti-monarchy sentiment runs high, said the people of Britain “will feel they have lost part of what makes their nation whole.”

“This is a loss we all feel, for few have known a world without Queen Elizabeth II,” the statement said. “In her seven remarkable decades on the throne,

Her Majesty was a rare and reassuring constant amidst rapid change. Through the noise and tumult of the years, she embodied and exhibited a timeless decency and an enduring calm.”

Biden’s remarks were followed by statements from former U.S. presidents, a sign of the “special relationship” and uniquely close alliance that Washington has with London nearly 250 years after the colonies rebelled against Britain.

Former President Bill Clinton thanked Elizabeth “for all she did to deepen the Special Relationship.”

“In sunshine or storm, she was a source of stability, serenity and strength,” Clinton said in a statement.

Former President George W. Bush fondly recalled having tea “with Her Majesty and her Corgis” and echoed gratitude for her steady hand during crisis and tumult.

And from a fortified bunker in his warravaged country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted that the queen’s death marked “irreparable loss.”

Pope Francis paid “tribute to her life of unstinting service to the good of the nation and the Commonwealth.”He also said prayers for King Charles, invoking “an abundance of divine blessings” to guide him in his new role.

In parts of the world that once formed the British Empire, and where the ghosts of exploitation and often brutal colonialism haunt people’s memories,

there were condolences for Elizabeth while not necessarily for the monarchy.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered her as a “stalwart of our times.”

“She personified dignity and decency in public life,” he said on Twitter.

Modi recalled a meeting with the queen when she showed him a handkerchief that Gandhi had given her on her wedding.

“I will always cherish that gesture,” he said.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres referred to the long period of decolonization in Asia and Africa and cited Elizabeth’s role then as “a reassuring presence throughout decades of sweeping change.” Guterres noted that the British monarch visited the U.N. headquarters in New York on two occasions, 50 years apart.

Even Sinn Fein, an Irish nationalist political party that historically fought the British government, expressed sorrow and credited Elizabeth as a peacemaker.

“I am grateful for Queen Elizabeth’s significant contribution and determined efforts to advancing peace and reconciliation,” said a Sinn Fein leader, Michelle O’Neill.

©2022 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Photo by Hannah Hadley

...it's a lot of stuff that's going to help students succeed."

Photo by Stephane de Sakutin/WPA Pool/Getty Images/TNS

The coffin of Queen Elizabeth II rests on the State Gun Carriage in a funeral procession in the streets of London. The monarch reigned for over 70 years.

R.B. Annis Hall, home of the School of Engineering, sits on Shelby Street across from the Greyhound Village apartments. UIndy launched the School of Engineering during 2017.

DALE

Concerns rise for athlete’s mental health

NCAA expresses concerns about student athlete’s mental health in hopes to spread awareness

By Hannah Hadley NEWS EDITOR

Recent studies by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) show that collegiate student athletes are experiencing “elevated levels of mental health concerns,” which includes “mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression” during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Medicine at the University of Indianapolis Brian Gerlach said he saw this before COVID-19.

Gerlach does a variety of things in regards to health such as being a certified athletic trainer, licensed health care provider, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and American Red Cross certified mental health first aid provider.

“We saw a tremendous uptake in the amount of need for mental health [care],” Gerlach said.

and 46% of males saying they would not “feel comfortable seeking support from a mental health care provider on campus.”

Junior undergraduate exercise science major and member of the UIndy Swimming & Diving team Faith Atkinson has been researching perceived stress in athletes at the university.

“Athletes are kinda seen as role models…,” said Atkinson. “I think athletes see themselves as trying to hide their mental health problems for other people because they want to be seen as that role model.”

makes sure that you’re getting and have access to resources that are available for you,” Tabit said.

According to Gerlach, UIndy Athletics provides several mental healthcare resources for athletes, including counseling through the UIndy Health & Wellness Center in the Health Pavilion,weekly campus visits from a sports neuropsychologist, an athletespecialized therapist and a reinstated support group.

The support group called Pursuing Athlete Wellness (PAW) will be held every Wednesday night from 8:35 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., starting on Sept. 28 in Ruth Lilly Fitness Center.

According to the NCAA, in the past two years the NCAA has sent out three well-being surveys to student athletes around the United States, with a total of 70,000 responses. Data from all three surveys report that student athletes are having increasing concern regarding psychological wellness, especially after the coronavirus pandemic. The compilation of data found that mental health complications are “1.5 to two times higher than identified before the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The NCAA’s constitution states that, “each member school is charged with facilitating an environment that reinforces physical and mental health within athletics by ensuring access to appropriate resources and open

engagement with respect to physical and mental health.” This means that all colleges that are part of the association must not only provide physical health care to athletes, but mental health care as well.

The research by the NCAA also found that many collegiate athletes are hesitant to utilize the mental health resources on campus with 48% of females

The 2021 survey by the NCAA also indicated that 65% of female athletes and 58% of male athletes agreed that their teammates took each other’s mental health concerns seriously.

Junior undergraduate exercise science major and athlete for UIndy Track and Field, Claire Tabit, who is researching motivation in athletes, believes that teams at UIndy are supportive towards one another in regards to mental health.

“In my experience, it’s very supportive and… everyone’s supportive of you and

“It’s okay to speak up and say that you need help and that you’re not feeling okay,” Gerlach said. “And no problem is too small to reach out for help.”

Athletes can contact their athletic trainer to make an appointment with UIndy’s sports neuropsychologist or specialized mental health counselor. If you or someone you know is experiencing mental distress, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Brian Robb is going to the next level

By Grace Lichty STAFF WRITER

Brian Robb, former University of Indianapolis Men’s Lacrosse player, has been drafted to the National Lacrosse League. Having the opportunity to play professionally in his athletic career, he credits the university for making it all possible.

“Going to school to play in university was a big stepping stone for me,” Robb said. Coming from British Columbia, Canada, Robb has always worked hard to make his goals come to fruition. When asked what got him started playing the sport, he credits his siblings’ interest, and Robb started playing from the age of three. He was recruited to play at UIndy in 2018 by the Head Coach of the Men’s Lacrosse Team Greg Stocks.

“He’s not only a great lacrosse player, but he’s a good person off the field too,” Stocks said. “He’s been voted captain for the team, so it’s been really really cool to see him grow.”

According to Stocks, Robb was a great person to have on the team. Additionally, he was a leader and an example to follow, Stocks said.

“He’s one of those guys that is always around and always willing to lend a

helping hand, help underclassmen, which is that leadership that got him into that captain role. To answer their questions, help them through some of the tough stuff,” Stocks said. “Especially freshman coming in who may find the college life, and being a student athlete, really tough to balance and he does a really good job

explaining to them how to be successful.”

According to Robb, his team is what drove him to success, due to their great relationship and overall talent. Robb stood out as a player, according to Stocks.

“He’s one of our faster players, and that’s what puts him a step ahead of a lot of the other players on the field,” Stocks

During his time at UIndy, Robb played field lacrosse. He will be playing box lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League. Robb is continuing to practice and stay in shape for his upcoming season.

“I’m excited to make some money playing pro on a game I’ve always loved,’’ Robb said. “The hardwork’s paid off.”

Robb’s success helps show what the UIndy Men’s Lacrosse program is all about according to Stocks.

“It shows the level that we play at and the level of talent that we have as a team, that we have people that have the ability to go pro in their sport,” Stocks said.

According to Robb, not only does he excel physically, he also took his schooling and academics exceptionally seriously. Robb tried to keep a balance between the two, he said.

“I think working in the classroom just as hard as you are working on the field is–there’s a lot of success to it,” Robb said.

Robb has the option to play for UIndy in the spring, and he is currently weighing his options.

“I’m just really excited and proud that he got this awesome distinction of being drafted and will be going pro shortly,” Stocks said.

Robb has many people rooting for his success and those players who look up to him are what motivate him most.

“Being a mentor and inspiring the next generation of lacrosse players is what is most important to me,” Robb said via email.

Golf achieves top GPA in Division II women’s golf

By Kamau Ransom STAFF WRITER

The University of Indianapolis women’s golf program notches top grade point average among Division II women’s golf programs with a 3.945 for the 2021-2022 season, according to UIndy Athletics.

Along with finishing first in the Great Lakes Valley Conference under Coach Brent Nicoson for the 10th year in a row, they even came second in regionals and 10th in the nation.

Since Nicoson took over the women’s program going into the 2011 season, he has captured a GLVC Championship every year he’s been with the program.

Along with eight regional championships and two national titles in the 2014-15 and 2017-18 seasons, this marks the fifth straight year that the women’s golf program has been named into the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) top 25 for team GPAs, according to UIndy Athletics.

Nicoson in his time with the women’s program has been able to consistently compete and win at a high level.

“Over the years the culture has kind of built itself, that’s just the expectations,” Nicoson said. “Each group that comes in doesn’t want to let the year before down.”

When asked how much credit he takes for the 3.945 GPA, Nicoson said he did not take credit.

“That’s the team and our academic advisor and their professors and everybody working together and communicating…,”

Nicoson said. “They take great pride in what they’re doing. They work hard on and off the course. They know when it’s time to dig in academically, they know when it’s time to dig in on the golf course.”

Senior Catharina Graf has earned three Academic All-GLVC honors and three GLVC Brother Gaffney Distinguished Scholar Awards, according to UIndy Athletics. She has been in the program for four years.

“We’re all structured and organized

and stay on top of things, and our time management is pretty good,” Graf said. “Our team culture is really to stay focused on what we need to do whether that’s things in practice or things in the classroom.”

Last season, the program also finished second regionally and 10th in the nation, according to UIndy Athletics. Additionally, they won the GLVC championship.

“The spring season didn’t go as we wanted it to. We did win the conference

championship but we didn’t play very well at regionals…,” Nicoson said. “We were only two shots away from match play and a chance to play for another [championship],” says Nicoson.

With a new season, a fresh start with many familiar faces returning, Nicoson and Graf have both expressed that they are looking to win. In their first tournament, four golfers finished in the top 15 as they finished second in the UIndy Invitational, according to UIndy Athletics.

Leading the pack is sophomore Anci Dy, a player Nicoson has praised in regards to her freshman campaign, exhibiting a 4.0 GPA and a WGCA All-America honorable mention, according to UIndy Athletics.

“We expect to win or be competitive at the conference championship, we expect to win or be competitive in the regional championship, we expect to be relevant at the national championship,” Nicoson said. “My goal every year is to be in the final group at nationals.”

Graphic by Arrianna Gupton

It’s very supportive and… everyone’s supportive of you.”

Photo Contributed by UIndy Athletics

The University of Indianapolis women’s golf team join in a huddle for their invitational in Carmel. The Greyhounds finished second of the 17 teams that played in the invitational.

Photo Contributed by UIndy Athletics

Brian Robb looks to shoot in one of his matches for the Greyhounds last season. Robb played as a redshirt senior last year for the UIndy Men’s Lacrosse Team. This game was played against Lewis University at Key Stadium here on the University of Indianapolis field. said. “His sheer speed and athleticism is real first class.”

Photo Contributed by UIndy Athletics

Head Coach Brent Nicoson looks towards the pin with his range finder at the invitational in Carmel. Nicoson has been atop the helm for the UIndy golf teams for over 10 years.

Volleyball competes on a new court

UIndy’s volleyball team competes on Ruth Lilly Fitness Center’s brand-new Dr. Sue Willey court

By Connor Mahoney SPORTS EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis volleyball team has started their season by competing in tournaments hosted by the university and in Pennsylvania according to UIndy Athletics. Therefore, the team has to be willing to put in the work necessary to win according to senior marketing major middle blocker Elizabeth Eads. This has been evident due to comeback-wins and long fiveseries-sets.

“We’re not afraid to have long rallies and long games with five sets, and we’re willing to put that work in…,” Eads said. “I think we’re a type of team that really pushes through the pain and can outlast other teams.”

UIndy participated in the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Invitational in Indiana, PA. on Sept. 9 and 10, where they played against four teams in a two-dayspan, according to UIndy Athletics. The Greyhounds went 2-2 in the invitational; however, they rebounded after losing the first two games. According to Assistant Athletics Director of Internal Operations and Volleyball Head Coach Jason Reed saw the weekend as a learning opportunity to begin a season.

“You want to see the response to that and [the] response on Saturday; the next day was great, and so in terms of it being a young season, being able to kind of see that in the group, there’s a lot of lessons that were really valuable…,” Reed said. “When we see that situation again, and we’re struggling a little bit on the road, it’s kind of like we [will be] able to say ‘maybe we’ve been here before, we know

what we need to do.’”

Back at home, UIndy recently completed renovations to the Ruth Lilly Fitness Center, where new lights, air conditioning and a new court were put into the building, according to Reed. The new court has specifically been tailored for volleyball, but it is also accessible to the rest of the athletics and community at UIndy. Reed said the new upgrades are important for the facility and the volleyball team.

“I’m really happy for them [the athletes]; it’s been something that

I think has been needed for those student-athletes,” Reed said. “But it serves a bigger group; both of the basketball groups will use it when it’s raining, or [if] there’s inclement weather, some of our outdoor sports use that space, so, it’s really been pretty awesome to have the new floor, the new lights, the air conditioning.”

The Greyhounds have just started their pursuit of winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and making it into The National Collegiate Athletic Association National Tournament. In

Soccer hires head coach

order to achieve their goals, they will need to follow Reed’s advice in order to stay focused at the task at hand, Eads said.

“It’s easy to get off-track, and our coach always says, ‘Be where your feet are…,’” Eads said. “When you have so much homework, somebody’s tests [are] coming up, if you’re having an injury or whatever like that, just staying focused on our culture and our goals when things get tough I think is what we’ll need to work on and like focus on doing to be successful.”

Therefore, the way for the team to

achieve their goals is to stay focused and confident, Reed said. The team will have to zone in on the task at hand according to Reed.

“I know how good we are; I think the players know how good they are as well,” Reed said. “But the results as we do get into that outcome thing kind of ends up being the proof, and I think for us to have a season when you’re talking about wins and losses, our ability to believe in ourselves and play at that high level is what’s going to kind of be the difference between the good and the great.”

Student athletes thrive

By Quinn Malcolm STAFF WRITER

The announcement of the Team Academic All-Great Lakes Valley Conference accolades marked the beginning of the GLVC’s academic awards. According to UIndy Athletics the 2021–2022 school year saw 173 teams acknowledged for accumulating a grade point average (GPA) 3.30 or greater, with the University of Indianapolis coming second in the conference having 15 teams reaching the list. UIndy had 403 recipients this year, surpassing 400 for the third consecutive year.

Andrea Walker is entering her fourth year working at the University of Indianapolis as a representative of the UIndy Athletics Department and as the associate Athletics Department for athletics. According to Walker, she works towards helping students with academics, National Collegiate Athletic Association guidelines, and more.

“[I] directly oversee student-athlete academic progress, provide academic and mental health resources, NCAA compliance and eligibility, and work as a liaison between faculty and athletics,” Walker said. “[I] also oversee the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) on campus.”

By Anika Yoder EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The University of Indianapolis has named Gabe Hall as the new men’s head soccer coach according to UIndy Athletics. The fall 2022 season began after the team’s 2021 season, which, according to UIndy Athletics, was the “most successful season in program history” by “claiming both the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament and [The National Collegiate Athletic Association] NCAA DII Super Region 3 championships,” said UIndy Athletics.

According to Hall, he was the men’s soccer assistant coach last year and before that was working club soccer in the area. Three years before he became the assistant at UIndy, he also worked at Marian University with the women’s team. He also spent five years as the men’s head coach at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

“I’ve been in coaching for two decades… I started at [the University of] Southern Indiana as an assistant, worked at UIndy as an assistant for a year before going on to University

of New Mexico, where I served as a goalkeeper coach there. From there [I] went and ran a club in Oregon,” Hall said. “So I spent a couple years running a club in Oregon, and then got back into the college game at University of Dayton, as their assistant. From there, I got the Missouri S & T head job… Then my wife’s from this area, so that’s why we chose to move back here and that’s what took me into the club game.”

maintaining small improvements while playing will give the team a chance to compete for a national championship.

“We’ve brought in a talented group, looking at them in preseason, they’re working hard. They’re working to learn what’s being asked of them, because obviously we’re doing things a little bit different than we did in the past,” Hall said. “But they’re engaged and bought in, they’re talented. So the expectation is that we’re competing for championships, conference championships, getting in the NCAA Tournament and then competing for a national championship ultimately.”

Whether it is football, soccer or tennis, Walker handles all 21 athletic teams at UIndy. Walker also oversees the entire athletic department at UIndy, she said. When handling so many athletes, stress might arise, Walker had many ways she dealt with it.

“[Having good] time management all around… [Creating] to-do list each day… I have a lot of things I need to talk about and do throughout the course of my day,” Walker said.

According to Walker, she would work both in groups and individually with the athletes.

would also have a conversation with their coaches and share the academic success plan so they can help hold the studentathlete accountable.”

Walker said she provides her studentathletes with assistance in identifying resources for further information and support, as well as exploring their academic interests. During an athlete’s time as a collegiate athlete, playing a competitive sport could take too much priority, Walker said.

“A student-athlete prioritizes their athletic performance over their academic performance and that situation requires those hard conversations… and helping the student-athlete remember that their performance in the classroom is what actually provides the opportunity for them to participate in their sport,” Walker said.

Walker mentioned some ways that our athletic department can achieve this goal again.

“[Ensuring] that student-athletes have ample and effective academic resources available,” Walker said. “And they are fully supported by their respective athletic programs to ensure academic success.”

UIndy Softball Head Coach Melissa Frost said her players are diligent in academics. Additionally, the players are always getting homework done when possible, Frost said.

“We preach looking ahead and trying to get as many things done before we get on the road as possible…,” Frost said. “I feel like we don’t have to do a lot of monitoring, which is really great, especially when on the road… [they are] very disciplined in their studies and want to excel.”

While balancing being a studentathlete and being committed to a team, Frost said their team is provided with study hall options.

With the team coming back from its most successful season in the program’s history, the plan for continuing the team’s success is that the team gets members that are hard working and paying attention to the little details that are being asked of them, Hall said. As the assistant coach for a year, Hall said the team is made up of talented players, and is continuing to keep the culture of

Hall being the assistant coach last year made for him being appointed as the head coach allowed for a smooth transition according to senior accounting major and central midfielder Mason Stearn. His familiarity with the culture and being able to understand players’ needs and wants on and off the field has made him a successful college coach as well as having knowledge of the game and experience as well, Stearn said.

“He knows the college system, he knows what it takes to be a successful college coach, and I think he’s gelled into the position very well,” Stearn said.

“I do my best to present content that will be valuable to all the individuals present for that,”Walker said.“Sometimes it is difficult in a large group to give everyone the attention they need in that moment, so I also make sure to set aside time after meeting with a large group for individuals to have time with me.”

With Walker’s contributions to the academic athletic department, dozens of her student-athletes were honored as 2021-2022 GLVC All-Academic awardees. If athletes are having difficulty or troubles staying on top of their academics, Walker would sit down with them and figure out the best way to address their problems, she said.

“I would definitely meet with the student-athletes as soon as possible and have a conversation about prioritizing their academics and identifying appropriate resources,” Walker said. “I

“[We have] mandatory study hall for all freshmen, four days a week, two hours at a time, anyone that did not meet the grade point average requirements for our program that we would want them to achieve,” Frost said. “They’ll also be in study hall, and that is kind of like a sliding scale system that we use.”

Frost’s team had 23 of them named to the GLVC All-Academic Selections, with an average team GPA of 3.67, according to UIndy Athletics.

“I just think that many studentathletes, as we have had as a department… speak volumes about the amount of time that our coaches make sure these young men and women have the opportunity to excel in the classroom and on the field,” Frost said. “I think that the coaches that we have in this department are really leaders that pave the way for them to be successful in both academically and athletically and they are given the tools to do so at UIndy for both.”

UIndy Men’s Soccer Head Coach Gabe Hall leads the team in practice as he walks them through training excercises. The Greyhounds have started the season with non-conference games, now they are in conference play having played games at home and on the road.

Photo by MaKenna Maschino

Photo by MaKenna Maschino

Volleyball celebrates their point against Lewis University. The Greyhounds competed against the 15 ranked Lewis University. They Greyhounds fell short after a 3 set match.

He knows what it takes to be a successful college coach.”

Photo by MaKenna Maschino

Volleyball Head Coach Jason Reed coaches on the side during the team’s game against Lewis University. Reed has been at the University of Indianapolis for the past 10 years.

Grounded Gardening

UIndy combines mental health resources with gardening in a new program

By Steven Pagel STAFF WRITER

Sprouting a garden from a bulb of an idea, the University of Indianapolis will be cultivating an interactive program that serves as a space for mindful gardening for students. Thanks to Staff Psychologist and Liaison for Diversity & Inclusion Alyssa Alonso and Professor of English Kevin McKelvey, who have been helping oversee the planting and overall care of the garden, started the program earlier in September.

From Sept. 12 to Oct. 10, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., students can attend the community garden located on Standish Ave. The purpose of the program is to connect gardening with mental health, according to UIndy’s website. Alonso said she will speak for five to 10 minutes about health benefits from gardening, then attendees spend some time practicing mindfulness. Afterwards, 30 to 40 minutes will be spent gardening.

Alonso said she got the idea around three years ago while studying how nature impacts mental health at another university. The program was an inspiration to rectify nature's health benefits to those who need it and can use it through the garden. Focus and attention spans, exposure to sunlight, mindfulness and stress reduction are all health benefits that gardening can promote, Alonso said.

“Attention’s a limited resource, you can only have so much focus at one time. So exposure to nature replenishes that attention, it restores your attention. The theory is attention restoration theory,” Alonso said. “There’s lots of research supporting that idea. So not only does it help your attention, it also helps your focus. It can decrease stress, [and] contact with nature can also reduce depressive symptoms for some people.”

In addition, Alonso said that volunteers are able to take some of the produce grown and harvested in the garden home. She said that another aspect of mental health is connecting with others, so a community garden promotes a connection to others at the university as well as a connection to nature. Alonso said that anyone on campus is welcome to attend Grounded Gardening.

“Essentially, what I envision for the program is that it serves as a drop-in group. So people can use it

without having to sign up,” Alonso said. “They don't have to be a client here at the [Student Counseling] Center. They don't have to have ever been in counseling before, but if they want to improve their attention, they think it's going to be beneficial for them or it’s just something that they’re interested in and want to check out, they can drop by…”

Garden Intern and Senior Environmental Science and Environmental Sustainability double major Hannah Clere said the biggest benefit students gain from working at the garden is a connection with nature. She said that receiving food grown in the garden also connects students with where their food is coming from.

“I would say, coming out here to the garden has been most helpful for me in managing my stress,” Clere said. “School is a lot sometimes, and so just being able to come out here and forget about that, but it’s so close too, so it’s not even an inconvenience. It has really helped me to manage that stress and anxiety surrounding everything else that I have going on.”

By Lindsey Wormuth DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

As the semester started, clubs began to have call out meetings all across the University of Indianapolis campus.

The UIndy Film Club had their callout meeting on Sept. 9, according to their Instagram (@uindyfilmclub). According to president of the Film Club and senior creative writing major Ethan Thurston, the club regularly meets on Fridays at 3 p.m. on the third floor of Esch Hall in the TV studio, as well as outside of their regular meetings to discuss where they currently are with their films.

“On the days that we meet, in the past we usually try to have discussions about film techniques we can try to utilize like camera angles, transitions, close-ups, writing techniques, stuff like that,” Thurston said. “Just stuff that professionals do on a daily basis that we can try to replicate so that we can make our films a little bit

more effective on what they’re trying to do.”

The Film Club is welcoming a new advisor for the club this semester: General Manager of UIndy TV and Assistant Professor of Practice Communication Rick Dunkle. He said that this is his first full-time teaching job, as before he said he worked as a writer and producer for television and taught at other schools. While interviewing for his position, Dunkle was told that there was an open spot for the advising position.

“They even said, ‘It’s not a guarantee, maybe the students don’t want you, maybe you don’t want to do it.,’” Dunkle said. “[I said] I’m pretty sure I’m going to want to do Film Club if there is a Film Club.”

Throughout the last year, the club shot and produced around seven films, which was more than in previous

years, according to Thurston. This year, they are also entering a contest known as the 48-hour Film Project. According to their website, they are given a genre, character, prop and a line they must use within their film.

“It’s a 48-hour film festival contest where you don’t even know what it is until you have registered and then they basically tell you what the film is that you’re going to do,” Dunkle said. “And then you have 48 hours, your team, to actually shoot it, edit it, put it together for the contest. They had done it once before as a practice run but not actually completed and entered. This year we are going to enter.”

Thurston said the club is more about writing and producing short films rather than watching movies and determining what is good and bad about them. For Thurston, it has

been fun working with people to get their creative ventures for ideas for the short films.

“… I think a lot of people have ideas for stories, not necessarily even films, but they think that it would be too difficult or that they wouldn’t be able to write it or get it created, but I think Film Club is something that kind of lets people pursue those and get them done,” Thurston said.

One thing that inspired Dunkle was when two women said they wanted to get out of their comfort zone when they attended the call out meeting. Dunkle said he encourages people to join because there are always new ideas to be explored and students need no prior movie knowledge to be a part of the club.

“If you have an interest in film or you just want to know about how films are made, obviously with my screenwriting history we will go into that a little bit, but we’re going examine all of that and you don’t need any experience, no prerequisites for Film Club,” Dunkle said.

Student offers photo services

By Michael Harrington BUSINESS MANAGER

What began as an investment for a class turned into a business for one University of Indianapolis student. Freshman pre-nursing major Kaylarae Delp has managed to turn her passion for photography into her own business, called Kaylarae Photography.

“It was junior year. I was taking Photoshop and photography [classes] in high school and I bought a really expensive camera, so I was like, ‘I’m not going to just use this for class,’” Kaylarae Delp said. “So I picked up on things and taught myself with YouTube.”

Kaylarae Delp said she began locally with family and friends in the early stages of her business. However, once she began to branch off from her family, she said she began picking up more clients. While looking at potential clients, Kaylarae Delp would always meet up with them beforehand. Kaylarae Delp said she found clientele through family and friends referring her to them.

“And then that's where [clients] reached out to me, and they would just ask me questions and just tell me what they wanted and then I would text them back,” Kaylarae Delp said. “I never really reached out to anybody. They always reached out to me.”

Kaylarae Delp said that her business is not entirely out there, yet. However, she made a post on the UIndy app about her photography business.

“With that, I just made that [advert on the UIndy channel] because with family, my prices were a little bit lower, so I just made that to meet new people also on campus… I don’t have a job, so this is kind of my job,” Kaylarae Delp said.

A previous client of Kaylarae Photography, Kaylarae Delp’s sister Kyrstien Delp said she used her sister’s services for a shoot earlier this year. She said she had used the services of other photographers in the past but noted there was a difference with Kaylarae Photography because of the photographer being a family member.

“I have had other photographers that I’ve interacted with, like my sister-in-law, [at] her wedding, I met that photographer and then [for] my prom pictures, who was actually really good at it,” Kyrstien Delp said. “It felt more comfortable doing it with family than it did with a stranger.”

Kyrstien Delp has helped with networking her sister’s business, much like other members in her family. This has allowed for future clientele to reach Kaylarae Photography for other occasions, such as birthday parties.

“I know Kayla[rae] has gotten a lot more successful lately than she used to be,” Kyrstien Delp said. “It was just for family or she was doing it for me or my mom or sisters, but now she's doing it more professionally where she’s getting paid from people other than just family because she always went cheaper with family.”

Kaylarae Delp said she sees photography as something on the side to her future career. She said to anyone who is planning on starting a business, it will be hard to get clients at first. However, she said to never give up on the business, even if the business has to be put to the side.

“If you really want to have a passion for something, just learn how to do it, learn the steps and do it,” Kaylarae Delp said. “You don’t know where you’re starting, so you have to research. Just go for it.”

Photo by Gabe Eastridge Staff Psychologist and Liason for Diversity & Inclusion Alyssa Alonso stands in the garden. She said that exposure to nature can restore and replenish a person's attention.

... you don't need any experience, no prerequisites for film club."

Photo by Gabe Eastridge

A student works in the garden on Sept. 19. Alonso said students can attend Grounded Gardening meetings without needing to sign up or prior counseling. The garden is located on Standish Ave. and students are free to visit if they are interested, according to Alonso.

Graphic by Olivia Cameron

Orchestra teams with high school

UIndy Symphony Orchestra collaborates with high school orchestra for “An Evening of Dance”

By Olivia Pastrick STAFF WRITER

Ruth Lilly Performance Hall will soon set the stage for not only the University of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, but also the Perry Meridian High School Symphony Orchestra. On Sept. 29, the two groups will be putting on a performance of dance music that they have prepared in a collaborative effort.

Assistant Professor of Music Education, Laurie Williams, has been teaching music for 32 years and has been at UIndy since 2019. Although she is an assistant professor, Williams has stepped into this leading role in the absence of the primary conductor. She has had to fill in for other conductors for various reasons several times throughout her career, and said that she has had a great time conducting this group at UIndy.

“I was looking at coming into an orchestra that I’ve not conducted before and tried to choose music that I thought would be really exciting to kick off an opening concert,” Williams said.

What started as an idea between Williams and the Perry Meridian Orchestra Director Christina Crawford is now coming to UIndy in a performance

that they hope will be a wonderful time for the audience. Williams said that her dedication to choosing themes for her performances centers around creating a fun atmosphere and being able to use the theme as a teaching moment for her students.

“I wanted to choose something that would be really standard orchestral music that’s high-quality literature but would also be playable by their students,” Williams said.

From there, she selected Johannes Brahms’“Hungarian Dance” as a starting point, and said that it exploded from there. Now, with repertoire from four different distinguished composers, the orchestras have exactly what Williams was shooting for.

“I really want to push our students and I want to challenge them to become better players, and I also want to give them music that’s standard, what we call in the business, master works,” Williams said.

An additional challenge that both the UIndy Orchestra and the Perry Meridian High School Orchestra face is time. Both Williams and Crawford talked about the difficulty in being able to meet as frequently as possible.

“[Crawford] She’s been having her students come over to UIndy on some of

the afternoons, but they have busy work lives and school schedules, so they have to just kind of drop in our rehearsals whenever they can, so it’s been crazy,” Williams said.

Crawford said that the group she has right now in her orchestra is relatively young, which poses challenges in their abilities to juggle new activities as well as perform music that is at the level of the UIndy students’ ability. She said that it is hard for her students to simultaneously prepare music for their upcoming fall concert, and for the performance with UIndy.

performance. Williams said it’s all about community building. This performance offers an opportunity for students of UIndy and Perry Meridian High School to play with and learn from other musicians who they otherwise never would have met.

“I think it’s important to give [the students] an opportunity—it can’t just be about ‘I’m going to come in the room, I’m going to get my instrument out, I’m going to play, I’m going to pack up, I’m going to leave,’” Williams said.

performance. Williams said that one of the most important things for the students involved to take away from this experience is that putting in a lot of hard work in order to put on a performance can also be fun.

“It’s electric because everybody’s connecting in that moment and everybody’s feeling the same thing,” Williams said.

It’s electric because every body’s connecting in that moment. . .”

Williams said it is a struggle to accommodate space for two orchestras when normally there is only space for one. While this may seem a problem on the surface, Williams said that it’s a great problem to have. With the additional people, Williams emphasized the idea of strength in numbers.

“Instead of just doing four [pieces of music] we’re doing seven, so almost twice the amount of work, and it’s at a collegiate level,” Crawford said.

Williams said that although there were some scheduling challenges to overcome, there would be benefits that would come as a result of this combined

Crawford said that this opportunity for her students builds a lot of trust in them to know that they can lean on the other people in their section, which includes their own peers as well as UIndy musicians, if they’re making a mistake.

For the UIndy students that are performing, Williams has said that it is an enriching experience for them to get to play the role of mentor to the high schoolers that are joining in for the

One of the key takeaways that both Crawford and Williams mentioned was that hard work can be fun when it is with a group of individuals that come together to make something incredible happen. Crawford said that her students were able to test their abilities and see if they can keep up with college level players throughout rehearsals. Crawford said she had realized through working with the UIndy Orchestra, that the students were learning that they could play harder music than they thought they could.

“It’s kind of fun to watch our students sitting next to these random strangers that they’ve never met and how warm and inviting our students have been to these great high school kids who’re coming in to play with us,” Williams said.

35th anniversary of Etchings

By Arrianna Gupton EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Founded in 1989, Etchings Literary and Fine Arts Magazine set out to revitalize University of Indianapolis’ first literary magazine, ‘Tusitala.’

According to former English teacher Alice Friman before her time at the University of Indianapolis, starting in 1971, there was nothing on campus to engage students in creative writing. Although she didn’t have a direct hand in the start of Etchings she feels as though she was able to lay the foundation for creativity here on campus when she began teaching creative writing Friman said.

Firman said that all of the credit for the creation of Etchings has to go to the magazine’s first advisors, Anne Marie Drew and former English Department Chair Bruce Gentry. According to Gentry, a Shakespeare specialist began discussing how the school needed a literary magazine. After looking into it, it was discovered that there had been one in previous years but it had suspended print.

“We looked into it and found that there had been one [Tustitala] and it had suspended publications a few years before we got there,” Gentry said. “We knew that there was plenty of interest in having a literary magazine because Alice Firman was doing the poetry contest and there was a creative writing class once in a while.”

According to Gentry, the interest in Etchings quickly grew and there was always at least one student every year who would step up to become the editor. But originally, there wasn’t much of a budget for the magazine and a few things had to be done by hand, said Gentry.

“I do remember going down into the copy room in the basement of whatever the building the English department was [in] and assembling the pages for the magazine and putting them over a little holder so that I could push a

button and it would staple the pages together,” Gentry said. “We were actually hand-assembling it. And that was because we were trying to save money.”

Gentry said he was pleased with the results and loved that they made something new and improved for the students and the department. Everyone should be working to promote the arts and literature in schools. It’s central to the mission, Gentry said. English teacher and current advisor

to Etchings Liz Whiteacre said the magazine serves as a reminder of the rich history that is on campus. It also serves as a way to showcase the talents of those who are current students or alumni that are involved with fine arts or literature.

According to Whiteacre, changes in recent years have made it possible for different types of literary and other creative works to be shared through the magazine’s website.

“A few years back, we added musical compositions to the website; I feel

like it was about 2018. [In] 2019 we redesigned our website to have the capability of being able to offer audio,” Whiteacre said. “…We were able to add music as a category in the magazine, so [that] students writing songs are able to submit their work so that they can have sheet music or lyrics published in the magazine, but we can [also] point them to the website to be able to listen to recordings. And spoken word also became a category that we could invite and accommodate.

So that’s been an exciting development in recent years.”

Whiteacre said everyone is encouraged to submit to the magazine, and the editors love to hear from new voices and see new types of work. To celebrate the milestone of 35 years Etchings will be inviting back past advisers to work on issues 35.1 and 35.2 of the magazine. To keep up to date with events and contests Etchings is holding, you can follow them on all social media @UIndyEtchings.

Photo by Kalenga Juma

Tuba player, Austin Barton, rests to listen to Assistant Professor of Music Education, Laurie Williams, who is giving instructions on how to play a note. The symphony orchestra will be playing music from four different composers.

Photo by Kalenga Juma

One of the violinists pauses playing to listen to Assistant Professor of Music Education, Laurie Williams, who is doing demonstrations. Perry Meridian High School Symphony Orchestra will also play at a collegiate level.

Photo contributed by Liz Whiteacre

The cover of the most recent issue of Etchings, Volume 34 Issue 2, from 2022. The cover of the issue was taken by Sydney Pinkstaff and the photo is titled “Silver Blossom.”

Photo contributed by Liz Whiteacre

The cover of the first volume and first issue of Etchings from 1989. The issue includes a letter from editor, Julie M. Kuehr, who wrote about the resurgence of the magazine.

Reflecting on enrollment

How UIndy has adapted to increasing enrollment over the years, diversity and building growth

By Olivia Cameron MANAGING EDITOR & CO-ONLINE EDITOR

In September of 1924, e Reflector reported that enrollment at the University of Indianapolis—known as Indiana Central College at the time—had reached a total of 350 students. At this time, the students attended classes in the building we now know as Good Hall and had access to a gymnasium that has since been replaced with Nicoson Hall, according to an article by e Reflector. A pictorial timeline from the University Archives shows that students lived in the Roberts Hall, Cummins Hall, Dailey Hall and Trimble Hall dormitories.

98 years later, UIndy currently boasts a total of 5,600 students on its campus. As the student population has grown, so too has the number of buildings on campus.

Ed Building, which students now call Esch Hall, was built in 1958 and became home to the Campus Cupboard (a snack bar) and the former library. From 1961 to 1969, UIndy built Krannert Hall—now known as the residence hall Cravens, Lilly Hall, the Schwitzer Student Center and UIndy’s first co-ed dorm, Warren Hall.

Many of the landmarks familiar to current UIndy students were built throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, including Key Stadium, Krannert Memorial Library, Cory Bretz Hall and Ruth Lilly Fitness Center. Campus continued to grow in the 1990s and 2000s, with the Christel De Haan Fine Arts Center, Smith Mall, Martin Hall, the Stierwalt Alumni House and Center Hall all being built in the span of seven years.

These buildings supported an increasing student population over the years, and with that increasing population came more diversity on campus. e UIndy website says that

Alumni doings: 98 years later

By Kassandra Darnell EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-ONLINE EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis community is made up of a wide variety of people. While students, professors and administrators are most commonly associated with UIndy because of their presence on campus, alumni also make up a large portion of our community. Once students are enrolled at UIndy, they continue to be Greyhounds long after they graduate, and e Refl ector has always sought to highlight some of the most prominent alumni to come through the university, as well as alumni participation on campus.

UIndy alumni are often regularly involved with the university. ey can participate with the university through the Alumni Association, often serve on the Board of Trustees or participate in special events at the university, such as alumna Nikki Reed, who had the opportunity to emcee the event “A Conversation with Bill Nye”on Sept. 17 during Family Weekend.

Our coverage of alumni dates back as early as the first decade of e Reflector’s production. is was most commonly done through a column titled “Alumni Doings,” which is shown on this front page from 1924. It was often structured as a column that gave brief descriptions of what different alumni were doing post-graduation. But given the growing population of the university, a brief column was no longer feasible. Over the years, e Reflector has often written full profile pieces about alumni, their achievements and anything they do involving the university.

One of these articles covered an alumnus beginning his career as a mixed martial arts

(MMA) fighter. Angelo Robles graduated in 2018 with a background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and was a member of the UIndy wrestling team during his time at the university, according to e Reflector article. As of e Reflector’s print time, his most recent fight was on June 25 and Robles has won one pro MMA fight with no losses, according to Tapology.

Alternatively, The Reflector often covers when alumni are involved with homecoming on campus, returning to show their love for the community and showcase their own talents. Some choose to participate by joining the annual alumni recitals; Assistant Professor of Music Mitzi Westra invited alumni back to UIndy to perform during Homecoming 2019 as a way of maintaining connections with those that have graduated, according to the Refl ector article about the event.

Some alumni feel so connected to UIndy that they decide to make the university a part of their wedding plans. In 2018, e Reflector spoke to three alumni that chose to incorporate UIndy on their special day. One couple was wed in Esch Hall with the reception in the Alumni House, another was married in Smith Mall and another chose to have their reception in the Schwitzer Student Center.

Ultimately, alumni are a big part of the UIndy community, despite not always being present on campus. e university’s administration has shown that UIndy cares about alumni and they have shown that love in return. And because they have left an impact on campus, The Reflector continues to showcase the achievements of alumni and their involvement with the university, displaying to current students that they are always a part of the UIndy family.

“From its beginning, the University has been coeducational and open to all races.” While there are not readily available statistics pertaining to the demographics of the university back in its earliest

years, information from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System shows how the university has grown in the past few years. e percentages of men and women

undergraduates in the fall of 2016 and 2020 were the same, with 64% of undergraduates being women and 36% being men. ere were no available statistics showing additional gender identities.

From Fall of 2016 to Fall of 2020, the percentage of Black or African American undergraduate students grew from 9% to 11%. Undergraduate Hispanic or Latino students grew from 5 % to 8%. e percentage of undergraduate Asian students went from 2% to 3%, while the amount of American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or other pacific islander students remained at 0%.

UIndy’s campus has also been home to many international students over the years. According to the UIndy website, over 55 countries are represented among the current student population.

e Reflector has often covered the Celebration of the Flags, an annual event that showcases the many countries that UIndy students come from. is year will be the 34th year that the ceremony has taken place.

e first-ever international student at UIndy, David Manley, was from Sierra Leone, according to the UIndy Website. He enrolled in 1919 and graduated in 1923. In addition to being the first international student, Manley was also the founding editor-in-chief of e Reflector. His time at UIndy paved the way for the thousands of students to come.

Since it opened its doors in 1905 to only 75 students, enrollment at UIndy has continued to grow. at expansion has paved the way for improvements on campus that benefit students today.

Graphic by Olivia Cameron

Ultimately, alumni are a big part of the UIndy community...