IUPUI Athletics Switches to Horizon League

By: Cole Beanblossom

Halfway done with the non-conference part of the schedule, IUPUI looks forward to start conference play as they begin their first season in the Horizon League. “I heard rumbling of a potential move, but I wasn’t brought up to speed until the day of the move” said Senior Associate Athletic Director John Rasmussen .Following IUPUI’s fiscal year, on July 1st, all athletics made the switch from the Summit League to the Horizon League.

“Playing in the horizon didn’t make much sense, geographically” said Rasmussen. The Summit league has teams in Colorado, both Dakotas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. IPFW and Western Illinois. Last year, IUPUI travelled over 14,000 miles in a little under four months. With traveling to places like Colorado and the Dakotas, you are forced to fly unless you want to make a 12-16 hour bus trip.

“One of the disadvantages of flying is that you are at the mercy of the airline” said Rasmussen. When you deal with airlines as much as a division 1 basketball team, you are bound to run into delays and cancellations, both of which take a toll on the players. They are all student athletes and when you take them out of the classroom for sometimes days at a time, it can really hinder their grades.  “It was a good league [Summit League], really good basketball, offense orientated… but it just didn’t have a strong connection with the Midwest” said Assistant Head Coach Matt Crenshaw.

So to geographically make more sense, IUPUI made the switch. Last year, IUPUI basketball travelled over 14,000 miles and this year, they plan on traveling less than 10,000 miles. Doing so shaves off over 4000 miles from last year. That is like cutting a road trip to and from Los Angeles out of your schedule. When you take out 4000 miles, that makes the players happier, and when the players are happier, the coaches are happier, and they hope this can translate into more wins with all of the saved time.

While some might think that a large portion of the IUPUI athletics staff knew about the move, the only people that knew about it the whole time was Chancellor Nasser Paydar and the Athletic Director, Dr. Roderick Perry.

Another driving factor of IUPUI switching was after Valparaiso left to join the Missouri Valley Conference with Indiana State, the Horizon League needed someone to replace them. Not only does it fit the mold of mostly urban campuses, “joining the Horizon is a great competitive fit for us”, said Rasmussen.

For the basketball team, the transition was rather easy compared to teams that start their season at the beginning of the semester. The switch to the Horizon League wasn’t made official until July 1st, the first day of IUPUI’s fiscal year. By June 30th, teams like the soccer and volleyball teams already had their schedule ready to go as if they were staying in the Summit League. July 1st rolls around and they have to completely change their schedule in a matter of a month.

The basketball team was aware of the possibility of them moving to the horizon league so they already had four Horizon teams scheduled just to show they could compete with Horizon League teams. “We’re open to play pretty much anybody… We scheduled Purdue (#17) and Gonzaga (#12) for a reason” said Graduate transfer Maurice Kirby. That shows the type of mentality the coaches want their players to have going into a new conference.

           Going into this new season, IUPUI Basketball is eager to start conference play up. After starting the season 2-6, there are still some kinks to be worked out. “We take it game by game, practice by practice and we strive to improve ourselves every day, it’ll all come together” said Senior guard TJ Henderson. This year will be Head Coach, Jason Gardner’s fourth season at IUPUI. The two years before Gardner showed up, the Jaguars went 6-26. His first year, he went 10-21 and he has been improving every year. Last year the Jaguars went 14-18.

In nine of their losses, they lost the game by less than 10 points, which can be seen as a positive. “Each year has been ramped up intensity-wise, talent-wise, so that has made practices that much more competitive. With that I think we should transition well into conference play” Said fourth year player DJ McCall.

A lot of sports teams have a motto that they like to perpetuate throughout the season, so I asked a couple of players to see what they think best described IUPUI. “Team” was brought up on multiple occasions. A simple four letter word that hold a lot more weight than people really think about. “As long as we go to battle for each other each practice, play for each other, we’re going to be a good team” said freshman guard Jaylen Minnett.

During a practice, the team splits into two and every time they switch to a new drill, they huddle and break it down with “1,2,3. TOGETHER” During their drills, as they pass it to someone they try and say the name of the person they are passing it to promote better communication.

           When you compete at a high level like division 1 basketball, you can’t just go out there and play without setting goals or creating a game plan or else the more disciplined teams will walk all over you. So at the beginning of the season, the coaches sat everyone down and asked what the players thought a good goal would be for the season. Instead of saying “finish above .500” or another small, easily attainable goal, every practice, they are striving to win the Horizon League their first year in. By winning the Horizon League, IUPUI would make it to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013 when they were a 16 seed.

IUPUI is headed out west to play both Washington State and Gonzaga for a West Coast tour to wrap up the non-conference part of the season. Finishing up the tour against #12 Gonzaga will be a great way to embark on their maiden voyage in the Horizon League. Playing a top 25 team will help them get ready for the tough, offensively-oriented teams of the Horizon League.

“There’s a lot of words to describe us but one thing that we have a lot of is grit” said Freshman Forward Elyjah Goss. “We’re not going to back down from anybody. They could be a top 25 team, and we’ll still show up and play our hardest.” Goss continued. There are twenty one games standing between them and the Horizon League Conference Tournament in Detroit. There is plenty of room for improvement over the season, it should be interesting to see how competing in the Horizon League 

Not your mama’s feminism: what feminism means to millennials

By Darian Benson

With the Women’s Marches occurring nationwide, the #MeToo movement going viral on social media and sexual harassment allegations popping up all over Hollywood and Capitol Hill, it is not surprising that the term “feminism” has become one of 2017’s biggest buzzwords. In an ever expanding and technologically progressive society, feminism is taking on a new meaning for America’s millennials.

 According to Janice Bankert-Countryman, associate faculty of communication studies and women’s studies, there is no clear definition for the term “feminism.”

 “Feminism on a pop culture level, does not have a clear definition,” Bankert-Countryman said. “I don’t know if it ever has. Where in a very complex time with turbulence and change. I think that people are triggered by the term feminism, like they always have, but even more so now. There is this assumption that feminism means man hating, but that’s not true at all.”

 Bankert-Countryman’s definition of feminism is something along the lines of mutual empowerment for everyone with a focus on women’s lived experiences. Many millennials are gravitating to some variation of this definition of feminism.

 Raejohne Melton, a senior general studies major, believes that the basic definition of feminism is wanting equal rights for everyone.

 “Feminism is the idea that everyone should be equal regardless of gender,” Melton said. “I also feel that feminism is much more than just that though. Feminism isn't just this one little box of injustice that you can fit into. Sometimes you can fit into more than one box.”

 As a black woman, Melton said that not all of her problems are solely based on the fact that she is a woman. Instead, they include racism and misogynoir (misogyny directed toward black women). What Melton is referring to is intersectional feminism. Intersectional feminism is a school of feminism that takes into account all of the various aspects and identities that make up a person. Race, age, sexual orientation and socioeconomic background are some examples of a person’s intersectionality.

 “There are layers and intersections of cultural problems and feminism is not real if you don’t address all of them, even when, especially when, they don’t apply to you.”

 Zoe Richardson, a senior history major, says that acknowledging your own privileges and being aware other people’s intersections are some of the key aspects in being a successful feminist.

 “The most important thing I know about feminism is that even if you don’t personally need it, if you have everything you want or need and have never even for a second felt the sting of inequality, still fight for the rest of us,” Richardson said. “The privilege you’ve had is a strength. And using it to help others is the only way you can be sure not to squander it.”

“Privilege” is another buzz word that is making its rounds in 2017. The term “white male privilege” is often talked about, referring to the advantages that white men have traditionally had access to. However, one important idea in modern day feminism is the idea that everyone has privilege over another and it is important to be aware of whatever privileges one might possess.

 “Nearly everyone is endowed with at least some level of privilege,” junior psychology major Kara Hairston said. “Being a brown woman denies me privilege, but being straight and able-bodied grants me privilege. And another straight, brown, able-bodied woman who’s five shades darker than me will be five shades less privileged. Everyone has a sort of a net total of those parts of their identity that work for them within their institutions and those that work against them.”

 Often feminism has a negative connation; some believing that feminism is synonymous with misandry and therefore only woman can be feminists. However, as more people become educated about what feminism truly means, more people are starting to identify as feminists, including men.

 Austin Trowbridge said that he began to identify as a feminist in high school after learning what feminism actually is.

 “I’m convinced that most men won’t openly identify as a feminist due to the name itself,” Trowbridge said. “It’s due to a lack of education, I think most confuse it with either being feminine and feel a lack of masculinity voicing those beliefs, or fear women trying to become the dominant gender.”

 Trowbridge said that he identifies as a feminist because feminism affects the people that he cares about.

“Feminism means the girl who worked with me this summer didn’t get paid a dollar less on the hour.  It means I won’t have to worry about my sister being harassed when she grows up, or my mom not getting a position at her job that she knows she deserves but just will never get.”

 Millennials are known for their intensive use of modern technology. The internet, and specifically social media, has allowed for more people to become educated on feminism and for feminist activism to reach more people.

 Sophomore public health major Elizabeth Grosvenor suggests that modern day feminism would not be as powerful without the use of social media.

“Modern day feminism very much depends on social media, Grosvenor said. “It’s become the main place for discussion and organization. The Women’s March in January was pretty much organized over Facebook and Twitter. It’s how our generation gets our news and forms our opinions.

I think this wave of feminism differs from past versions of feminism in that information is moving so fast.”

 Feminism causes have historically been defined in terms of waves. Janice Bankert-Countryman believes that as a society we are in the process of entering the fourth wave of feminism.

 “The first wave of feminism was all about the vote,” Bankert-Countryman said. “The second wave of feminism was all about equal rights and equal pay. Third wave was much more individualized and about expression. I think in the fourth wave everything is coming and crashing together.”

 Bankert-Countryman thinks that the fourth wave will be more about the community coming together and supporting each other. Although she said that the fourth wave has not crusted yet, she definitely sees a shift from the third wave in regard to feminist ideologies.

“People are scared about their rights, about their freedom to live, about their gendered lives as they see fit. We are concerned about laws and our bodies and our health. I mean it’s a hot mess. If we really focus on community development and loving ourselves I think that the fourth wave can be summarized in two words: community power.”

 She believes that the younger generation of feminists are doing powerful things with the Women’s March and #MeToo movements and being more vocal about what they want. However, she does fear that feminism will become more of a trend rather than a movement.

 “I don’t think feminism is a trend but I do think it has become trendy,” Grosvenor said. “Feminist slogans are sold on t-shirts and buttons and mugs in stores like Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 but the sweat shop workers who make those products are paid close to nothing. I think this is a very shallow look at feminism but it’s easy to see it this way if your only exposure is through social media.”

 Zoe Richardson said that in a time where feminism is such a hot topic, it is important for young people to remember that for many people, feminism is not a trend but a lifestyle.

 “Fairness and equality don't take lunch breaks or days off,” Richardson said. “If you're not always vigilant to injustices, you may overlook them. That being said, feminism is becoming trendy in today's more progressive society. And if it needs to be a trend to someone before they can fully embrace it then I think that is a trend worth following.”

A Day with Radio One

By Jay Olt      

           Indianapolis- Radio One; one of the largest and most important urban radio stations in the Indianapolis area, but one would ever guess from the building. Located just off of Meridian Street the station’s home base hides in the shadow of the Angie’s List skyscraper and is trumped by the Indianapolis skyline behind them. Nonetheless Radio One’s wavelength’s impact people much farther than even the Towers they reside under.

           The building shocked me as I parked my car in the crammed parking lot that was owned by the station. For all my life I had been listening to at least one of their stations so the name Radio One always had this aura of being grand and untouchable. However the building is just a grey rectangle with plain white text at the top right corner that reads “Radio One”. I expected it to be like the TV station buildings that were mostly windows and had a structure just for their logo so anyone who dare drive down Meridian Street were guaranteed to bask in their glory. Not Radio One, you have to know where you are looking to find it and even then you might miss it (including myself). This did not hinder my excitement to get to see how a real radio station operates as they invited me to come and witness a normal day at the station.

           When I walked in, I was greeted by the receptionist; an older but friendly lady, the kind that would tell the pastor to take his time or ask a stranger “How you doin’ baby”. She showed me the elevator and I was off.  I was greeted by my host for the day, Promotions Director Amanda Lewis. “This is it” she said “This is the heart of Radio One”. It looked like a normal office, cubicles and all, however this office was different. Posters for urban movies and Janet Jackson Album release banners hang everywhere but I think the most interesting props were the Phat Heads of every celebrity imaginable from Katy Perry to the poop emoji. The people who worked in the office also do not have the stereotypical melancholy that you would expect from an office space. I could feel the relaxed atmosphere of the building as soon as I stepped foot in that office. I was quickly introduced to the other promotions director Eric De La Rosa. “I hope you like what you’ve seen so far because you’re going to be seeing it a lot.” He said as he showed me where I will be stationed. It was a nicely sized cubicle with a sports illustrated swim suit edition calendar on the wall, I’m sure to keep morale up.  Christmas props were spread around the table but were swiftly pushed aside. “You’ll be with of one our promotional assistants today.” Amanda said, “You’ll you get to see what the promotions team does for the radio.”          

           When people think of how radio stations make their money most would say that they get it from advertisements but in actuality a good percentage of the money comes from paid promotional events. This means that places will pay for the radio to come and promote the event by being at the location. People are more likely to come to a pizza store opening if they also get a chance to meet their favorite DJ so therefore it’s a win-win for the radio, they get paid to promote their station.  

           After relaxing in my cubicle for a bit I was introduced to Amber Kruggel, the promotional assistant who will be taking me on her daily routine. “It’s a pretty sweet job.” She said, “We basically get paid to go to events you would normally have to pay to get into to.” Even for smaller events, planning is vital. One of the main jobs that promotional assistants do besides run the events is during office hours the directors will send them to scout the location of an upcoming event.  The checklist consists mostly of will we have enough space to set up our tent/ table? Will we have power or will we have to provide it ourselves and most importantly will we be outside or inside. For this event we were outside. “This isn’t common, usually we are inside.” Amber said on one of the first days this winter that it actually felt like winter. After we got that finished we rode back to the station in style. The 6 company vehicles are all painted to represent one of the stations. It’s not exactly the safest option considering you can barely see your back windows but you do get some looks in the McDonald’s parking lot so it’s something.

           After we got back to the station it was time to start preparing for the real event of the night; Hot Hoops with 96.3 at Short Ridge High School. We met up with the second Promotional assistant Hannah File. “This is an easy event” Hannah said, “And tonight people are going to love us because we are giving out Katy Perry tickets!” I always thought that when radio stations say they are giving out radio tickets that they just were saying it to get their clients information and while this is true the radio really does give out tickets and tonight we were going to be giving away 14 tickets right in the front row! This was exciting to me as it was something that I’ve always heard about but never got to experience first-hand.

           After we packed the car with the table and gifts we were giving away we took the short trip down Meridian to Shortridge High School. A small inner city school but the kids seemed to be having a good time shooting hoops in their humble gym. Not long after we set up curious students and faculty came up to our table to ask what stuff they could have. “Is it free?” seemed to be the most common question asked followed by “You aren’t going to call me at work are you?” Finally DJ Swift showed up an hour late. “It was the traffic” he said but according to my new PA friends no matter if it’s 7 in the morning or 3 in the morning it’s always the traffics fault.

           Swift was DJing and we were handing out radio memorabilia; it seemed like a normal event. However my favorite part of the whole day was when about 10 middle school girls saw we were giving away Katy Perry tickets. They couldn’t believe their luck; a basketball game where there were more basketball players than an actual crowd and they had a chance to win Katy Perry tickets. They quickly wrote their names down thinking they had no chance, but at half time when we pulled the winners, they all won. Just seeing the joy on their faces really made me realize what the radio is all about. According Radio Regional director Deon Levingston Radio One’s mission statement “…Is to bring entertainment to every demographic of Indianapolis; white or black, young or old we do what we do to bring them entertainment in as many ways as we can.” And that is what I saw from those girls, the radio made their entire year and it will be a memory they will cherish for the rest of their life. Thanks Radio One.

HIV & PrEP Hayden Thomas

As a gay man, HIV is a terrifying and sensitive topic that many others fear as the imperceptible disease spreads across the world and remains in our cities.

I am HIV negative and I hope to remain that way for the rest of my life. Thanks to modern day medicine, scientists and doctors have come up with a prevention medication called Truvada; also known as PrEP.

PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on July 16, 2012 and the administration recommends it to high risk individuals. That being said, PrEP is not an excuse for individuals to have unprotected sex.

Kalob Gossett who is a PrEP Spokesperson for IUPUI, Popular Opinion Leader, and Program Manager at the Damien Center explained to me in a unique way how the medication works. “Truvada works by creating an armor, or protective layer, around each of your immune system cells that HIV uses to infect the body.” Gossett went further to say, “In addition, the armor is only at its strongest when the medication is taken daily as prescribed; and when doses are missed the armor begins to rust (to continue with the analogy).” Side effects for the medication are basically minimal and many patients don’t have any. In the rarest of cases, doctors have seen some patients endure side effects like liver problems and even lactic acidosis.

I have been on PrEP for almost a year now and I have not encountered a single issue with the medication. There aren’t even any withdrawals, but like Gossett stated, if an individual misses taking their daily dose (which I am guilty of), the medicine will stop working almost immediately. The scary thing about missing doses is if for some reason you become infected, the virus could possibly become resistant to the medication.

The Damien Center is one of the leading HIV clinics here in Indy. They offer many different services that include free HIV/STD testing and helpful counseling. This chart, from this year, helps give a good view on the age ranges, number of people and percentages that the clinic sees. Ages 23-30 are the most sexually active with ages 31-40 being the second most sexually active. These ages would be considered “high-risk” and mostly likely to be on Truvada.

While there are no PrEP usage statistics kept for the city of Indianapolis at the moment, Gossett mentioned to me that, “It is estimated between 120,000 and 145,000 (It’s a moving target since it’s always changing) individuals are on PrEP across the United States.”

The process for getting on Truvada is fairly simple. All you need to do is set up an appointment at a clinic or with your primary care physician, and fill out some paper work and after a series of questions followed by blood work, you’re all set. Once results from the bloodwork are received, you’re able to get your prescription.  

I only encountered one problem with getting set up; I was still on my parents’ insurance and I knew I had to be upfront with them about getting Truvada. Having come out as gay to my parents in high school, they used to always have the safe sex talk with me and it always included the context of HIV. At one point when Truvada came out, both of them thought PrEP was for people who lived a profligate lifestyle. How was I supposed to get their insurance card and ask them about being prescribed something they found unreasonable?

At the beginning of last year, I spoke with a counselor at the Damien Center named Dexter Etter who helped me find ways of explaining it to them in terms of how it only takes one time for someone to get infected with HIV and if something nonconsensual were to every happen to me, Truvada would prevent HIV at all costs.

When I approached my parents about getting prescribed Truvada, my mom commented back to me and said, “We’ve been waiting for you to ask that.” All along they had been wanting me to get on Truvada and all the while they thought it would be “insulting” to ask me first. Life lesson #82367: don’t underestimate your parents’ opinions.

I reached out to Etter for this story because I wanted to get his view on where he thinks PrEP stands with society now. As society changes everyday, views and opinions have also changed which helps things such as medicine evolve. With that in mind Etter stated, “Consumers and providers both questioned the efficiency of PrEP and wondered if there would be unintended consequences. Some said that it would cause people to become careless and engage in promiscuous, unprotected sex, which would lead to an increase in other STDs like gonorrhea and syphilis.”

As for the past year, PrEP is becoming more and more acceptable in society as something that helps stop the spread of HIV and that is evident almost everywhere. Not only the United States, but the whole world is embracing it rather than beating it down.

“Now we know that PrEP is 99% effective at preventing HIV for people that take it as directed. Use of PrEP increased as time went on, study data got stronger, friends recommended it to friends, information spread, and pop culture began to reference PrEP,” says Etter.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did statistics for HIV in the U.S. between 2011 to 2015. One of the statistics I looked over was “Trends among gay and bisexual men have varied by race.” The stats set me back.

For white men, there was a decrease of 10% in diagnoses while African American men saw an increase in diagnoses of 4%. Hispanic/Latino men had an increase of 14%.

Jeff Kim who is a nurse practitioner at the Damien Center commented on this topic saying, “I would say it is due to the lack education, socioeconomic status, lack of access to care, mistrust in the healthcare system and fear of getting tested.”

There is a generic form of Truvada in the works at the moment. It will cost much less; possibly somewhere around $300. Insurance companies might make patients switch to using the generic form so companies can save money. Etter informed me how this could cause an issue because consumers, “will have to pay out of pocket because there are no copay cards for generic drugs.”

Indy is a growing city that flourishes with diversity and culture. I find our city to not spread the word of HIV around enough as it should because STD’s have had their own mini epidemics in Indy. Last year Indy had a “code red” for syphilis. Kim gave me his opinion on this subject saying, “No, the city of Indianapolis does not advertise, promote, or educate individuals on HIV awareness testing or Truvada. I feel our PrEP program has been proactive and gone out into the community to help educate and bring awareness to HIV/PrEP.”

There is still a lot of work to do so that we can teach generations from now to take care of themselves. Being on Truvada is not something to be ashamed of. It’s a way of taking action in your life and preventing an outcome that no human should ever have to endure. I can only hope that there will be a cure for HIV in the future.

Trans students face obstacles on campus

By: Darian Benson

From classes to study sessions to extracurricular, a college campus is where many students spend most of their time. It would make sense for a campus to feel safe and inclusive; essentially a home away from home for its students. IUPUI is a university with a students from a variety of backgrounds. However, not all students feel as if the school accommodates to their needs.

Elijah Moore, a sophomore photography major, is going into his second month of fully transitioning from female to male. Since he started his transition during the middle of his time at IUPUI, he has noticed many differences in the way he is treated. He has also faced a few obstacles as well.

“There are many obstacles I have that cis students do not have to worry about,” Moore said. “The bathroom issue in the campus center is one example. I am over a month into transitioning, so I look too masculine to use the female restroom and I am still too feminine to use the male restroom.” Moore said that he tries to schedule his bathroom breaks during times that the restrooms will not be busy.

“No matter which one I use, I get weird looks and it is uncomfortable for me,” Moore said. “I identify as male, so I would like to feel comfortable using my respected restroom. Therefore, Gender neutral bathrooms benefit people like me who are in the beginning transitioning stage.”

The lack of gender neutral bathrooms seems to be a problem that many students face. Sophomore Kourt Heathley also struggles with finding a bathroom on campus that they feel comfortable using.

“Bathrooms are definitely an obstacle,” they said. “There aren’t a lot of gender neutral bathrooms on campus, and there’s normally only one or two in every building, in comparison to the two or four sets of multi-stalled single-gender bathrooms.”

Both Moore and Heathley believe that IUPUI lacks in resources and safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ Center, located in Taylor Hall, is just now going into their second year of operation.

“I think that LGBTQ+ staff and students need more representation on campus,” Heathley said. “There should be mandatory safe-zone trainings everywhere on campus, and more opportunities for people to learn about the queer and trans communities.”

Junior Andrea Doloso, is an ambassador at the LGBTQ+ Center. She believes that the best way to gain more representation and recognition on campus for not only trans students, but minority students as a whole, is for students and faculty to be better educated.

“There are many different learning opportunities on campus that people can take part in,” Doloso said. “There are movie screenings, books and the Center is always open.” She believes that the more people begin to engage in conversation about changes, the faster changes can occur.

Although he says there is a lot of room for changes, Moore says he is seeing progress with trans acceptance in the classroom.

“I had one teach who automatically knew and I never had to tell her anything,” Moore said. “She would accidently call me ma’am and then correct herself right away. It made me feel good and hopeful.”

Author Jonathan Eig Speaks At JCC on New Sports Biography

Jonathan Eig is the author of New York Times’ bestselling books about Jackie Robinson and Lou Gehrig. He spoke at the Jewish Community Center about his newly released biography about boxing great Muhammad Ali and his experiences while writing it. Eig has written the first complete biography about Ali in “Ali: A Life.”

“Nobody had written a complete biography of Ali and it was just one of the great lives of American history,” Eig said.

Eig talked about Ali’s beginnings, back when he was Cassius Clay. He began training after his bike was stolen. He talked to a police officer about it and was offered to join a group of black and white boxers in a gym in Louisville. He also discussed Ali’s career and the challenges he faced with opposing racism. Beyond racism, he touched on Ali’s opposition to the Vietnam War and his refusal to be drafted. And who could forget the memorable moment when he lit the torch at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

“I wanted to talk about Ali and why he matters, especially given some of the things happening in the world today. We still debate whether athletes, in particular black athletes, should be allowed to speak their minds and I think that Muhammed Ali had to fight against that prejudice.”

Ali stood up to racism and. had the platform to voice his opinions and wasn’t afraid to do so.

“Ali, when he began speaking out, was challenged because a lot of reporters and society expected black people to keep their mouth shut and do their job and not speak out and Ali challenged that, saying that he had a right and responsibility to stand up to power.”

Eig didn’t get the blessing from the Ali family but Eig made them aware he was writing it. Eig wanted this biography to be objective so he could do the Ali story the justice that it deserved. He was persistent with his interviews. He acquired over 500 interviews and was able to finish the biography in 4 years.

“I think he is one of the most interesting Americans who came along, so I was excited to have the chance to do it and it seemed perfect time because it had been 50 years since he became champion and 50 years since he stood up against Vietnam and it seemed that enough time has passed to tell the story in a meaningful way,” said Eig.

Eig referenced when Ali’s second wife Khalilah Ali showed him a letter the late boxer had written while they were married. There was a point in their marriage when she was mad at him for cheating on her and thought that he forgot about why he became a Muslim, so she had him write a letter. In that letter, Muhammed Ali had written to her on why he became a Muslim. This letter was given to Eig and after he was finished with the biography he donated it to the Smithsonian Museum of African American History.

“That’s like finding gold for a researcher like me. It was important. It wasn’t exciting because it was new. It was important because it revealed a very important part of his life and why he became interested in the nation of Islam to begin with,” said Eig

Later in Ali’s career, one of his most famous fighting strategies was his rope-a-dope which he used  during the Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman. The plan was to pretend to be trapped against the ropes and endure the punches that the opponent would throw until they would tire out. Even in training, Ali was content to let his sparring partners hit him during sessions. There were some people who were opposed to this. 

“His fight doctor Ferdie Pacheco told him that it was terrible and that he wouldn’t support it and eventually quit, saying that he wouldn’t be a part of Ali career if he was gonna keep fighting, not just the strategy but in general stop fighting, that it was doing a lot of damage to himself,” said Eig

Ali had many memorable fights in his career. Eig believes that his most memorable fight was his first match against Sonny Liston for the boxing world heavyweight championship.

“First Sonny Liston fight is the most important and second choice would be the first (Joe) Frazier fight when he loses but he shows how tough he is and gets back up and fights his way back.”

Ali has had an amazing career and faced many challenges in the ring and in this nation and “Ali: A Life” helps to show his tale and what he faced.

The Millennial Woman

Millennial women are the GREATEST generation of women ever? Well…...that’s debatable, but, what is not debatable is how there is a change in women. For example, women are graduating at a higher rate than male counterparts. That wasn’t the same case just some years back. Women have fought hard to be in the position they are in, and the millennial women are reaping the fruits of Emmeline Pankhurst, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Madam C.J. Walker, Bessie Coleman labor in society and in the work place. According to Richard Fry, senior economist at Pew, said “young women are staying home now because they are half as likely to be married as they were in 1940.” A Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data found that 36.4% of women age 18 to 34 lived with parents or relatives in 2014, the most since at least 1940, when 36.2% lived with family. As a result, more millennial women put off marriage, attend college and face high living expenses. However, there is a new trend and its coming faster than ever. A study done by McKinsey & Company found that 53% of corporate entry level jobs, but women only hold 37% of mid-management roles. That number drops 26% for vice presidents and senior managers, which means there is a huge disparity higher up the corporate ladder. Although it is not the companies doing. Women of the millennial generation are living life and doing so at a young age. A study from the University of Kansas found that women are burning out faster than men after looking at attrition rates of journalists. According to the research, women reported higher levels of overload and intention to leave the field. In a weird way this research contradicts its self, not only are women of the millennial generation living at home to pursue a better life, but on the other side of things, millennial women (those born from 1981 to 1997) accounted for 82% U.S. births in 2015. At the same time, Millennials make up 31% of the adult U.S. population, and 34% of the U.S. workforce. While they now account for majority of annual U.S. births, Millennial women are waiting longer to become parents than prior generations did. Among Millennial women ages 18 to 33 in 2014, for instance, 42% were moms. But when women from Generation X – those born between 1965 and 1980 – were in the same age range, 49% were already moms. I know that was a lot of numbers, but as the saying goes, “numbers don’t lie!!!” When talking to Barbara Browning, who has worked in the college school system for 40 years, was able to tell me from her observation, millennial women are more focused on graduating, they are wanting to be wealthy without a man’s help. A “new mindset’ of the millennial mindset. Overall, these women are pushing a wave of freedom, taking their lives in their hands and saying, “if I want to live life I will, if I want to have kids I will, and if I want to work at a high level I will.”

Campus Shuttle Issues for IUPUI Students

Indianapolis, IN-- IUPUI’s shuttle service consists of more than 20 stops getting students to and from class including students who live on campus except for those students living at Stadium Lofts off of 16th and Harding St. With four shuttle lines getting students and faculty around campus, the shuttle does not make a stop at Stadium Lofts but instead passes the apartment complex making a stop at an IUPUI owned building for faculty.

The two shuttles closest to the Stadium Lofts are the Brown and Purple line. The Brown line runs Monday through Friday, 5:30 am- 12:30 am. The Purple line runs Monday through Friday, 6:00 am- 12:30 am. Students like Ali Sparkman; a current senior attending IUPUI also living at Stadium has some concerns about her safety when it comes to taking the shuttle to campus. Ali along with many other Stadium Lofts residents feels unsafe walking to their apartments at night. “I pay more to live closer to campus so I can use the bus system without paying $400 a year to park”. The current on campus parking pass rate for students at IUPUI is $414 for two semesters.

When asked about the shuttle system not making a stop at the Stadium, Doug Tingley; assistant director of transportations and space utilization at IUPUI stated the university is currently undergoing a transformation demand study evaluating the current transportation here on campus. “This transformation will help not only on campus housing but the community around IUPUI who utilize the shuttles to and from campus”. 

“Two years of living here and taking the bus and never have I noticed someone who isn’t a Stadium resident get on the bus that stops at the building near Stadium.”

Robin Coto, current resident at Stadium claims to have never seen anyone occupy the bus coming from the stop closest to the Stadium. The building; IUSM Biotechnology & Research Training Center is located 1345 W 16th St. The average walk from the Stadium to the bus stop is approximately 5-6 minutes. Robin and Ali both walk home from the stop at night because of night classes. They along with other students cross a road but before crossing the road must pass an alley with woods connected to it.

An anonymous bus driver claims IUPUI acknowledges the issue for students but will not take necessary measures or make changes until an accident actually occurs. “What IUPUI needs to realize is it is better to be safe than sorry”. The bus driver asked to remain anonymous for their career sake. “If someone on the board had a daughter they too wouldn’t want their daughter walking that far by herself so late in Indianapolis”.

Doug Tingley mentions IUPUI does not stop at the Stadium Lofts because it is considered a third party owned group. The third party group must contact the university and agree to some terms by the university. Doug hopes to make an agreement with Core Development (owners of Stadium Lofts) and add a bus stop for the student residents. Changes will be taken place as long as both parties agree to terms. The outcome of these changes will result in a bus stop closer for students and a lot safer for them as well.

IUPUI Campus Rec Plans on Soaring to New Heights with New Additions

After years of low participation, IUPUI’s Campus Recreation department is hoping for record numbers next semester as they plan on opening their new 10,000 square foot Fitness Facility in February. The Campus Recreation department is responsible for intramural sports, fitness, and recreational activities conducted on campus. Even with 30,000 students that go to IUPUI, the participation numbers for Campus Recreation are far lower than the likes of schools like IU and Purdue. According to Matt Jones, the director of competitive sports at IUPUI, IU’s campus recreation department will see anywhere from 1000 to 1200 people per day while IUPUI is a “blip on IU’s map” with only 100 on a good day. Granted, IUPUI doesn’t have the facilities that IU and Purdue have, but this upcoming semester, they plan to boost those numbers with the addition of the new weight room.

Another problem that IUPUI runs into is funding for programs like Campus Recreation. Bigger schools like IU and Purdue’s budgets are in the 8 figures, while IUPUI get a fraction of that. Unfortunately, there is nothing IUPUI’s campus recreation department can do about it. The addition of the new fitness facility is “Something we’ve been waiting for, for two years and we couldn’t be more excited about it.” Said Matt Autry, the Associate Director of Campus Recreation. Autry’s hopes of campus recreation becoming self-sustaining are now feasible with the addition of the facility as well as a much needed raise in the recreation fee. Not only will the new facility give students access to a gym from 7AM to 10PM, this new center will also be used as a recruiting tool for perspective students because at every campus visit, there are normally three main things students look at and those are the food on campus, how good the dorms are, and how good their recreation facilities are.

A new price for the recreation fee hasn’t been determined yet, but it is expected to be raised from fifteen dollars per semester. The new facility will give every IUPUI student and faculty member access to a state of the art gym for a relatively inexpensive semester fee. With that fee, you also have access to swim in the Natatorium swimming pool during their hours and access to intramural sports like sand volleyball, basketball, flag football, and many more. Autry hopes that this new addition will “finally get us into the 21st century.” Right now IUPUI is one of only two Division One programs where student athletes share their facilities with students. Matt Jones says that the new facility is a stepping stone for hopefully eventually building a legitimate Rec Center. But in due time they will know if that is a possibility, it all comes down to how well the new facility performs.

Dean Wilson, a student coordinator for Campus Rec is one of the most excited for the new weight room saying “Having this weight room will honestly make IUPUI’s campus better, right now, students can only work out from 4PM to 11PM on the weekdays, but now they have access to the gym from 7AM to 10PM.” IUPUI has never had a legitimate fitness facility and coming February students and faculty will get that privilege. “It’s going to be their center” said Matt Autry, the students will finally have a state of the art fitness facility that they desperately needed.  

 By: Cole Beanblossom

IUPUI Parking-How much of an Issue is it For the Students?

By Alex Burr

Parking at IUPUI. You talk to a stranger around campus or look on any IUPUI social media forum and you can see the frustrations clearly: “Parking on campus is ridiculous”; “We pay too much”; among plenty of other complaints.

I have had my own struggles with IUPUI parking. I do not park on campus frequently, but if I ever drive to campus, you can bet I will be driving for minutes on end, looking for a spot. All just to go to Cavanaugh or the library! I knew I could not be the only person on campus frustrated by all this, so I went and sought out my fellow students opinions of it. To sum up what I discovered from various students: IUPUI students appear to be frustrated with parking problems around campus.

Students appear to be fed up with innumerable things about parking on campus: IUPUI closing lots, the number of lots and garages that are on campus, the amount of money a person spends on parking passes, among others. All but one of the interview subjects commute to IUPUI and some of them can find parking easier than others, but the gist of it was this: if you get to campus earlier, it is easier to find a parking spot. And once you find a parking spot, you might want to move your car! But heed the warning of Tyler Wallman: “Never do I dare move my car either because the one time I did that, I spent an hour and a half look(ing) for spot number 2.”

Another frustration students have is the lack of parking spots there are. According to Gaten Hardwick, who transferred to IU Bloomington for this school year but had the same frustrations last year, said “...sometimes I can find a parking spot within minutes, other times I find myself struggling to find a spot within 30 minutes, that’s why I (would) arrive almost an hour before classes begin.”  According to Brittany Hadden, there are “not enough parking garages around campus and they are giving out too many parking passes when there aren’t enough parking passes to begin with.”

One student, Kaylee Crowell, told me that she struggles to find parking when she gets to campus between 11:30 and noon. She mentioned how she parks in the garages, and that she believes “surface lots are a waste of space and there needs to be more garages.” Catherine Baran mentioned how when the school hosts Indy Eleven games, “they let certain people park in certain student and employee lots, which makes parking parking nearly impossible.”

Lindsey Fraley also was perturbed at the lack of notifications when it came to parking garages: “...and there are signs at all of the garages saying they are all full only to learn through the Parking Garage app on One.IU that it wasn’t true, or when they decide to block off parking for some actual event and that leaves actual students with nowhere to go. It’s the fact I never got any notification, neither did anyone else is probably the most annoying (part).”

While many people arrive at campus early enough to find parking, according to some of the people getting off the campus may be even more unbearable. Hadden told me that “...towards the afternoon (the parking/traffic) gets unbearable.” Wallman shared a similar sentiment, saying: “After school, especially around five or so which is when my classes get out, I spend at least 45 minutes, if not longer, in traffic because of the construction, people, etc.”

Another problem that was disclosed with me was the parking at the Riverwalk Apartments and Townhomes. Gason Feist told me that since he lives on campus, he does not need to drive to campus. However, if does need to drive, he reconciles with himself that his spot that he has will not be there when he gets back and “there won’t be a replacement.” He also goes to point out that at the Townhomes, “there are no more than 20 parking students for 60+ students. While not everyone has a car, only a spot for ⅓ of the students is unacceptable. When they are full, you must drive into other lots and hope that your car won’t get a ticket.”

I attempted to reach the Parking Systems and Garage Operator Douglas Manning, but at the time of publication, he has not gotten back to me. If he had gotten back to me I would have asked him questions regarding all these students concerns, but the point remains students are not happy about the parking situation on campus.

WTTS Rocks So Indianapolis Children Can Read

By: Mackenzie Taylor As Indianapolis enters indoor concert season, many exciting shows are lining up on the winter schedule, and the Rock to Read benefit series presented by local radio station WTTS is one to watch out for. With one show down and two to go, this year’s Rock to Read lineup has featured Chris Isaak at the Murat Theatre on October 17th and the station will host Ray LaMontagne on Saturday, November 4th in the IU Bloomington Auditorium and Spoon on Friday, December 8th in the Egyptian Room at Old National Centre.

Beginning in 2006, WTTS has partnered with local businesses like Jockamo Upper Crust Pizza and Karma Records each year present shows and raise money for children’s reading programs under the Indianapolis Public Library. Over the years, Rock to Read artists have included Los Lonely Boys, Collective Soul, John Hiatt, The Head & The Heart, Counting Crows, Beck, the Avett Brothers, and frequent flyer, Chris Isaak, who has been featured in the series a total of three times. According to WTTS Promotions Director, McKenzie McCarthy, “Rock to Read shows are booked based on who we’re playing, who we have history with, and who’s touring that could be routed here in the fall to be part of the program.”

The Indianapolis Public Library has been the beneficiary of the funds raised through the concerts from the start of Rock to Read. McCarthy said, “At the time Rock to Read began, the Central library was being built and undergoing some major progress and changes. We wanted to help spotlight that progress for the city.” In the twelve years since WTTS kicked off Rock to Read, the target for fundraising has shifted from the Library in general to a more specific focus on children’s reading programs. According to President of the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, Roberta Jaggers, “The Library’s biggest children’s program is the Summer Reading Program,” reaching 45,000 people each year. Jaggers said the goal of this program is to, “bridge the gap between school years and encourage recreational reading for children of all ages.”

A portion of the profits from the ticket sales for each concert are donated to the Indianapolis Public Library, but WTTS does not stop there. At some of the Rock to Read shows, the station auctions off a guitar signed by that night’s performer. An auction is not held at every show; McCarthy explained, “We ask each artist. Some say yes, some say no. Most say yes because they’ve already shown interest in the charity component by agreeing to donate a portion of the ticket proceeds.” This fundraising technique has proved to be both fun for concert attendees and successful for the cause. This year, Chris Isaak signed (and drew a self-portrait on) an acoustic guitar that sold for a record $2,050. Jaggers said of the Library’s partnership with WTTS, “The station has raised well over $100,000 since the program began in 2006, which is very beneficial to the Library’s children’s programs...We just want to continue providing a satisfying giving experience for WTTS staff and listeners...We really appreciate WTTS’ support of the Library’s children’s programs.”

New Uniforms, New Confidence

By: Bryce Shadday

             The Crosspointe Panthers’ Boys Varsity Basketball team gains a new source of confidence thanks to a wardrobe change.

Crosspointe looks to improve their 6-15 record from last year. The team has returned everyone from last year except two starters. The team is mainly made up of freshman and sophomores who were young and inexperienced last year. The boys are more confident this year and one reason is because of new uniforms.

           Crosspointe has had the current uniforms for five years, and Athletic Director and Head Coach Mark Yeiter decided it was time for a change. The old uniforms are based on a simple template provided by Nike. The team decided to stick with Nike for the new uniforms, but Coach Yeiter took a more aggressive approach in designing them this time around.

           The new Crosspointe uniforms are similar to the West Virginia Mountaineers’ uniforms. The word “Crosspointe” will be printed vertically down the side of the shorts, and the Crosspointe Panther logo will be located right under the neckline on the back of the jersey. The colors will stay true to the old uniforms utilizing white and blue as the main colors for the home and away jerseys respectively. The boys are very excited about the new uniforms including their new Nike Kyrie 3 team shoe.

Coach Yeiter did ask players which jersey numbers he should order specifically for each player. Sophomores Ethan Price picked #11 and Clay Miller chose #15. When asked if their jersey numbers meant something, they both responded saying that those numbers were the numbers that were available at the time when they were called up from the Jr. High team two years ago. Miller also added, “I have to stick to that number because it is what I started with.” The numbers did not mean anything to either of the two boys at the time, but the numbers have taken on meaning to them. When they spoke of the what the jersey number meant, it was as if there was some unfinished business to attend to in the form of a state title.

The boys are determined to build off last year and see a major improvement in the win column. And confidence is key for this young tight-knit bunch. Coach Yeiter had some thoughts on the upcoming season saying, “I think that we will close the gap a little bit this year in the conference.” Crosspointe’s conference schedule consists of twelve games, and they finished 5-7 in the conference last year included some major blowout losses. With an older, ambitious players, Crosspointe wants to make a splash this year and take another step toward fulfilling the ultimate goal of winning a state championship.

Road Warrior Causes Multiple Car Collision

J.D. Hall

           Gary, Indiana- One man suffered a concussion and head trauma from a four-car wreck due to a driver’s reckless driving on 19th avenue on the east side of Gary on Saturday, October 15, 2017.

           The initial driver Joshua Finney, 39, was driving west down East 19th Avenue near Virginia St. where he told Gary’s Police Department he was “distracted,” when he hit a dark blue parked Dodge facing East. The impact sent the blue car into the yard of the owner, which was about 150 ft. away from where it was parked. The driver (Finney) continued driving and hit another parked car which was a white Saturn. This impact sent the white parked car into the front end of the black police truck parked behind it. The driver’s grey Lincoln car ended up flipping on top of the police officers truck with the trunk hanging open. According to the Gary Police Department, “The driver (Finney) was not under the influence of any substances.” Finney proceeded to get out of the car and flee the scene.

           David Finley, who is the owner of the dark blue Dodge, suffered a concussion and head trauma due to the accident. Finley was inside his home with cousin Darius Holland and longtime friend Camille Walker at the time of the accident. They had just got home from getting food with their children. Finley explains, “We were just entering the house, and less than two minutes later we heard a loud boom by the front door.” Finley a former police officer, opened the door to observe what had occurred outside his front door. That is when Finley seen Finney climbing out of the car and attempting to flee the scene. Finley pursued after Finney, that is when he hit his head on the trunk of the upside-down car of Finney’s. Finley didn’t realize how severe of the shot to the head until later. Finley would catch the fleeing Finney and hold him down until his neighbor, police officer, Donald Evans would come out and cuff Finney. Evans stated, “If it wasn’t for David, Finney would have escaped.” Finley’s cousin Darius Holland, called the police as Camille Walker made sure the kids were fine and away from the front door. According to Camille Walker, “If we had arrived back about three minutes later we all would have possibly died.” Walker made this statement because Finney’s car was rocking back and forth while on top of the police truck, until it eventually fell off. After it fell it rolled to the side of Walker’s driver side of her vehicle. After the police arrived at the scene, as they were questioning and finding out details, Holland noticed blood falling from Finley’s head. Holland stated, “I knew he was fine while his adrenaline was up, but after he calmed down you can tell he was dizzy from his walk. That’s when I called his name and as he turned around I seen blood falling from his head.” Finley then realized how bad his head was, and was promptly taken to the hospital. This is when Finley found out he had a concussion and trauma to the head. Finley was treated and is now doing.

           This is evidence that no matter who you are, where you are, how you drive, or if you even drive, that you should aware always. According to the National Safety Council, “​Preliminary data from the National Safety Council estimates that as many as 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2016. That marks a 6% increase over 2015 and a 14% increase over 2014.” This shows how the death total is steadily increasing in recent years, and doesn’t even show how many people hurt. “An estimated 4.6 million roadway users were injured seriously enough to require medical attention, a 7% increase over 2015,” according to the National Safety Council. This past September, in the sane week we had two accidents on our very own campus, our fellow students, where one resulted in death and the other victim lived.

Indy Filmmaker

T. Edward Redd

INDIANAPOLIS-A local film director prepares for the upcoming year with his soon to be released film called, Decay. He started the film six years ago and has been adding finishing touches to it over the years.

Tylor Smith started film directing in 2008. For a while he had been trying his hand at photography with his boy scout troop. Looking for a way to challenge himself in a similar fashion, he looked to film directing where he could dive into his passion of storytelling at a wider capacity. His very first short film was “Life in a Day of Indiana Smith,” a parody of Indiana Jones that takes place in Warren Central High School. He showed the film to his classmates in 2010. The process of making the film into a script and then transferring it to the big screen captured his heart.

“I could create another world to escape into and at that point of my life, that was EXACTLY what I needed. Since then I’ve been unable to walk away from film making. It ALWAYS finds a way to pull me back in. At this point I’ve accepted it as part of my life. I am a film maker and always will be,” Tylor says.

From 2010 to present day, Tylor Smith has continually made one film after another. During the production of “Decay,” in 2011, he formed a company named Fair Creek Films. Within Fair Creek Films lies Tylor and his team who all embark on filming adventures together. Since the birth of his company he’s been tackling one venture after another. He has been involved with several 48-hour film festival events where his work was screened. His very first 48-hour film “Pressure,” screened at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in the Toby Theater. It was a peculiar “arthouse” film. He didn’t expect anyone to understand and had a fear of being made fun of for doing something different. His expectations were to evoke some sort of emotion from his audience.

Since then Tylor has built a repertoire of videos that include: 13 short films, several music videos, various collaborations with other teams and a cinematography on a feature film. Currently he is working on becoming a registered LLC, renting a studio for his team and finding ways to expand his way to expand his team’s exploration into the wild world or film.

Decay is a zombie film that it set to release sometime before 2018. Tylor also plans to release another film named, “Anamnesis,” an experimental horror film about a cursed VHS tape sometime next year.

From Freestyle to Feestyle: The Hidden Costs of Local Venues

By: Jay Olt

Indianapolis- A goal many musicians wish to achieve is to get out and play shows, however many starting musicians are finding it increasingly difficult to find a platform to perform. With the closures of venues that jump started many musicians to the increased barriers some venues have enlisted, new artists are finding it harder to get their music heard by a live audience in the local Indy area.

In a garage in Noblesville, thrash metal blasts from a speaker system. However this is not your neighbor’s dad trying to relive his glory days, this music is by Jesse Bishop. A name no one but his friends has heard, that being said this music is good, really good. Bishop has just finished his debut album “Black Winter” and is planning to release it this winter, however he has a problem. “ I have no audience” states Bishop as he lights his Marlboro Red, “ I’ve found it incredibly difficult to book gigs to promote this album when I have no audience. How am I supposed to gain an audience if I can’t even get out and show people my hard work?” Jesse isn’t the only musician that has noticed the difficulty of trying to book a show in Indy. Michael Kerns better known by his stage name Chief Kelly said “Even when my songs on Soundcloud get up to 12,000 [individual] listens, the venues do not consider that an audience. They [The Emerson Theater] tried to charge me $400 up front to even play on their stage, not including the cut they would take from my tickets sold.” And this behaviour makes sense because at the end of the day The Emerson Theater is a business and they need to make ends meet financially. However with the recent closure of venues like Ben n Ari’s in Fishers Indiana, this leaves few all age venues that give unknown artists a platform to perform.

Artist’s still make it through this though and a good example is the band The Red Streaks, a staple in the metalcore scene of Indy. Lead singer Gavin Colavito talked on the difficulties starting up saying “Not including the fear of rejection from the audience the hardest part was actually getting a spot on a show. It took a lot of lucky breaks and time to be able to get a consistent spot on the bill at some venues.” When The Emerson Theater was asked about this problem they stated that they are aware of the problem and that they have been working to include newer artists as a “...shift in our focus as a business.”

So maybe not all hope is lost for budding musicians of the Indianapolis area. There are still smaller venues like the Hoosier Dome that proudly promote and allow new artists to show what they are made of. Lets just hope that the older venues adopt these business strategies.

Planning Homecoming at IUPUI

November 1, 2017

By: Matt Brown

Homecoming is the time of the year that allows students and alumni to come together, celebrate the culture of the school and a break from midterms. With IUPUI being a commuter school, a traditional homecoming with a football game to end the week is not on the schedule. Much goes into the preparation of homecoming, from students and staff alike.

When the semester started up a few months ago, the IUPUI Traditions Board, a board of 12 students that is changed every year and are involved in the planning of University events, began the planning for school events happening throughout the school year. The two main things that this board plans are Jagapalooza and Homecoming. Natalie Figueroa, a senior at IUPUI who is apart of the Traditions Board, said they began planning for homecoming immediately after the Traditions Board was elected on August 21st. She mentioned that there are 3 committees in the Traditions Board that are involved in planning homecoming. The first is finance and their duty was to purchase all of the food and gifts that were b handed out at the events throughout the week. The second committee she talked about is the programming committee. “They are the creative piece. They came up with the ideas and other things that the board wanted to see during the week” Figueroa said. The final committee is the engagement committee and their job was to spread the word about events going on around campus via flyers and social media.

As for what she would like to see out of homecoming, she said the purpose of IUPUI’s homecoming is “to try and get as many people engaged as possible, to get students involved with events, and allow opportunities for students to get free Jag Swag.”

Joseph Hayes, Director of Campus Center and Student Expereinces, and Brett Watson, Assistan Director, both mentioned how homecoming was an opportunity for everyone at IUPUI to show their school spirit and to destress. Joseph Hayes, who has also worked at larger schools such at University of Georgia, went into detail about how it is a “fun challenge” to plan for IUPUI’s homecoming. At his former school's, homecoming week would consist of the same events every year and the week would end with a Saturday football game. At a commuter school at IUPUI, he discussed that the goal was “balance out” the events because of the diverse culture at IUPUI.

When asked about what the ultimate goal for homecoming was, Joseph Hayes said “to make it like a traditional school. There are not a lot of on-campus residents, but it is a time to get engaged and to make connections with others.” Brett Watson was asked the same question and answered “It is a breather from everything school related. It is right after midterms and students will start to be worrying about the end of the semester soon, but it is a time to destress, break away from class, and to engage yourself on campus.”

Entertainment industry and LGBTQ characters

Hayden Thomas

TV and movies have evolved immensely in terms of having openly gay characters on the small and big screen.

The entertainment business can mostly be subjective, but it has become more and more diverse over the years. Openly gay actors and actresses are paving the way as well as writers introducing more characters apart of the LGBTQ community into their projects.

This has not always been the case though. It was almost seen as morbid for a TV show or movie to incorporate someone who was gay. This was a problem in the 70’s and especially during the 80’s when the AID’s epidemic was becoming a nationwide headline.

As society has progressed in acceptance, mainstream TV and films have grown in popularity that immerse the audience to queer roles.

Over the past 2 years, we saw the Oscar winning film “Moonlight” display the life of the complex character Chiron as he explores his sexuality in a rough neighborhood and then grows up to be a man who gets reconnected with an old past lover. “Carol” also premiered on the big screen with an A-list cast including Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Both actresses play sexually curious women in the 1950’s who in the end fall in love even though society is unaccepting of it.

Most of the time, we see characters demonstrate feminine stereotypes or characters dealing with the complications of HIV. Now this is a true factor in the LGBTQ community, but it is not an everyday encounter. I had a conversation with my friend Ryan Mikel who is an intern at Out Magazine and I asked him if he felt as though the industry shows gay people in a positive or negative light.

“I think the industry is growing in its efforts to expand LGBTQ visibility, but I think there is always room for improvement.” He further went on to say how the quality of characters is more valuable than the quantity of them adding that it, “doesn’t matter as long as someone is giving our stories justice and not just ratings.”

Whenever an actor or actress comes out of the closet, it always finds a way to make headlines. Reason why? Who knows. For these people, its a huge step in their life and it requires endless courage and confidence. In some unfortunate cases, their acting careers end up losing future roles and they receive little to no respect from those who “disagree” with their lifestyle.

Netflix recently cancelled their big budget show “Sense8” after just 2 seasons which sparked a lot of anger from the LGBTQ community. The show was not receiving enough demand (viewers) versus its large budget. One of the characters on the show, Lito, was a closeted actor who ended up being outed when a photo surfaced of him and his boyfriend having sexual intercourse. Just like in those unfortunate cases I mentioned, he lost roles from producers and lost all the respect from his dedicated fans.

Many of the shows viewers were able to connect their own coming out stories, along with further struggles, with similar results that Lito went through. The cancellation of the show occurred on the same day that Pride month started which in the LGBTQ communities eyes, looked a little more than just coincidence. Netflix responded saying the sole reason for the cancellation was due to its small amount of viewers compared to its budget of 9 million dollars per episode.

Does the entertainment business have a dilemma on its hands with gay characters? Viewers want a connection; something they can relate to on an emotional level. The industry has had success with gay characters, but how can we keep that success rising and solidify the inclusions of LGBTQ characters?