USI The Shield April 2022 by The Shield

THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022 | USISHIELD.COM | VOL. 54 ISSUE 5

Photos courtesy of The Shield Archive

THE SHIELD | APRIL 21, 2022 | USISHIELD.COM

Processing 2021-2022

BY SHELBY CLARK Editor-in-Chief

To support Division I or not to support Division I? To wear a mask or not to wear a mask? To talk about mental health or not to talk about mental health? Those were the questions of the 2021-2022 academic year. The university experienced a lot of change this year. Each day felt like it was building up for another change. The 2021-2022 academic year was emotional because when change is involved, emotions are involved. There has been heartache and stress. There has been joy and advancement. I have watched students, myself included, go through seasons of extreme emotional highs and lows this academic year. We had to process the deaths of beloved students and faculty. We had to process the COVID-19 pandemic and the changing policies. We had to process the decision to go Division I and the potential results of that decision. We had to process the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We had to process our own mental health and burnout. Beyond the universal moments, each member of campus had their own experiences to process. I had to process the sudden resignation of The Shield’s former long-term adviser. I had to process what my job responsibilities were and the journey of transforming a team of four into a fully fledged, over 30-member Shield staff. I had to process the highs and lows

Photo by Shelby Clark | The Shield Shelby Clark, Editor-in-Chief, takes a selfie with a group of The Shield staff members at The Shield’s St. Patrick’s Day Party on March 17 in the Student Life Lounge.

of growing a team, changing the culture of an organization and my own mental health. It was one of the best years of my life while simultaneously being one of the hardest years of my life—I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The life lessons I learned in the 2021-2022 academic year will follow me for the rest of my life. The Shield is no longer barely surviving; we are thriving. We increased the quantity and diversity of the content on our website and our weekly Thursday newsletter, The Shield Source. We returned the

monthly print editions after almost a year of no printing. We got to work with wonderful interim advisers, and now, we have a new adviser who not only cares about the organization but about the well-being of the students in the organization. The Shield is once again a happy place to work and one of the best organizations run by the best students on campus. The change The Shield underwent was not easy. It was full of high and low moments for all parties

involved, yet as we look to our 55th year of publication, the future of the organization is brighter than ever. The changes this university underwent this year will leave campus forever changed. It was full of high and low moments for the students, faculty and staff of this campus. Making it here was no small feat. While I do not know each campus member personally, I know you deserve congratulations for making it through this year of change. Celebrate the highs and lows of the year. Celebrate yourself.

THE SHIELD | APRIL 21, 2022 | USISHIELD.COM

When you think of USI ‘21-’22, what do you think of? BY QUINTON WATT Staff Writer

Phoebe Kuhlig

sophomore health services major

“College Mentors for Kids, I’m going to be the new VP of activities. We go to Glenwood Academy and help younger kids.” Reyna Avila

freshman early childhood education major

“I did a lot with the Education LLC. This year, we got to watch ‘The Grinch’ for Christmas.”

Eduardo Mejia

junior political science and global studies major

“One of the best parts was winning first place with Lambda Chi Alpha in a lip-sync battle against other fraternities.” Allie Gee

junior photography major

“I joined Gamma Phi Beta this year. It’s been great meeting a bunch of new friends.”

Taylor Hayes

sophomore dietetics major

“I mostly do schoolwork, but me and my roommates like to go to Sonic late at night then watch TV.” Nic Garbison

junior history major

“This year, I’ve been doing sports announcing for the radio here at the university.”

THE SHIELD | APRIL 21, 2022 | USISHIELD.COM

Seniors reflect COVID-19, their four years at USI

Photo by Tegan Ruhl | The Shield Makayla Schirmer, senior health services major, smiles in front of the Cone at the University Center.

BY TEGAN RUHL Staff Writer

Five graduating seniors put their heads together after a Christian Fellowship Church (CFC) meeting to come up with a quote best describing their four years at USI. Sitting on a large white rug in CFC leader Lindsey Wilson’s living room, seniors Danielle Daily, elementary education major, Katherine Drone, elementary education major, Sarah Barnes, elementary education major, Miranda Sermersheim, nursing major and Kylie Skepnek, business major, recounted their four years of school together. They worked to condense all the memories into a single quote. They eventually chose the specific words highlighting their experience and created their ideal group quote. The group elected Sermersheim

to be the one who announced the finished quote out loud. Standing on her knees with her head up so everyone could hear her, Sermersheim said, “My time at USI was marked by gracious friends, genuine faith and growing knowledge.” The five seniors laughed and smiled at the sentence they had constructed together. The CFC group are far from the only seniors reflecting on their tumultuous years at USI. For many students from the class of 2022, the past four years have been anything but the typical college experience. From the beginning of quarantine through the twoyear time span of the COVID-19 pandemic, the class of 2022 is the only class currently on campus that had a normal academic year before the pandemic.

Since case numbers have decreased and mask mandates have lifted, graduating seniors are excited for at least a taste of normal in their last year at USI. “Four years at USI was definitely different than I anticipated,” said Makayla Schirmer, senior health services major. “It’s definitely been different now even with the mask mandate being lifted and the excitement of having maskless, inperson graduation.” Schirmer graduated with her first degree from the Occupational Therapy Program in 2020 and had an online commencement ceremony. She said, “It was the weirdest experience of my life.” Schirmer’s online commencement consisted of her and her family sitting in the living room watching as her name appeared on the screen to congratulate her on her degree, and then she ate dinner in her cap and gown. “My four years have been really good,” said Joel Ybarra, senior radio and television major. “I think after COVID hit, it stumbled me a little

bit. My motivation just kind of went up and down and that was a little hard, but I think that this year, it went up a little bit. I’ll be happy to graduate, and I’m going to be a little sad to leave USI, but I’m happy to see what’s going to happen afterward.” “I really didn’t realize how much I enjoyed college until COVID hit,” said Nicholas Wester, senior electrical engineering major. “Once COVID hit, I realized, ‘Wow, I’m really going to miss USI when I’m not here anymore.’ This has been really a blessing in disguise because now that we are back to normal, I’m enjoying every day of it. I’m on campus most of the day, even though I’m a commuter student, trying to enjoy and squeeze every second I can out of this experience.” Despite all that has happened in the past four years, many seniors are excited for a maskless commencement ceremony. “This year, graduating with my second degree, I get to have a normal college graduation,” Schirmer said. “Which is really, really exciting.”

THE SHIELD | APRIL 21, 2022 | USISHIELD.COM

BY SYDNEY LAWSON and IAN LLOYD “Drive My Car” This three-hour film never has a dull moment while telling the story of a grieving widower who tries to avoid the pain of regretting his work as an acting teacher. Even with its slow-burn nature, there is never a wasted moment, and the story gradually reveals itself to be a profound look at complex relationships. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” New Marvel hero Shang-Chi is forced to confront his past when the Ten Rings threaten to take away the last thing he has to remember his mother. A film rich in cultural influence, “Shang-Chi” has some of the most enticing and graceful action sequences of any Marvel film. Humor and loveable characters also make the movie. “Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time” The story of “Neon Genesis Evangelion” picks up right after the previous film following Shinji, Rei and Asuka as they confront their regrets and emotions before jumping back into their robots to save the world. Whether you want perfectly animated action sequences or wonderful explorations into the human condition, this finale more than delivers. “tick, tick...BOOM!” This musical memoir celebrates the work of Jonathan Larson that came before his iconic musical, “Rent.”

Andrew Garfield gives a passionate and authentic performance as Larson. With a gorgeous score and direction by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this film will stick in your mind long after you finish watching. “Turning Red” The newest Pixar film is centered around a 13-year-old girl that starts turning into a red panda every time she has a spike of emotions. With some brilliant character animation topping everything Pixar has made in the last decade, this film delivers a relatable story about learning how to express yourself to your loved ones. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” The best-selling and arguably most widely anticipated film of 2021, this movie revisits the iconic characters that brought Spidey to life on screen. The film is simultaneously humorous and emotional. Willem Dafoe gives one of the best Marvel villain performances to date. Full of nostalgia, this movie truly feels like the end of an era. “The Matrix: Resurrections” The newest “Matrix” film starts 60 years after the end of the original trilogy, and it reintroduces us to Neo as he finds himself trying to discern reality from fiction once again. This longawaited sequel does the opposite of what was expected, and it’s much more interested in challenging the audience’s idea of what a blockbuster should be.

“Encanto” “Encanto” follows the Madrigal family, all of whom are blessed with a magical ability—except Mirabel. When the Encanto is threatened, Mirabel takes it upon herself to restore the magic. Lin-Manuel Miranda delivers another great soundtrack, outselling even “Frozen’s” “Let it Go.” “Encanto” is a vibrant film influenced by Colombian culture and multigenerational family dynamics. (Left to right) Movie photos courtesy of Bitters End, Disney, Atushi Nishigori, Netflix, Disney, Warner Brothers, Disney and Sony Pictures and Disney.

SHIELD LEADERSHIP

Shelby Clark

Editor-in-Chief

Uday Lomada

Managing Editor

Linh Nguyen

Business Manager

Casey Clark

Chief Copy Editor

Maliah White Visual Editor

Sydney Lawson Lifestyle Editor

Maddy Wargel

Sales and Marketing Supervisor The Shield is a designated public forum and the student publication of the University of Southern Indiana. Read more and subscribe to our digital newsletter at usishield.com.

THE SHIELD | APRIL 21, 2022 | USISHIELD.COM

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