Friendship. Friends.
If you are anything like me, your brain goes into a frenzy as a thousand thoughts flood your mind when you read those words.
You think about dancing in The Quad at sunset to Hannah Montana songs as you throw Frisbee discs with a large group of friends. You think about starting movies with your best friends at 2 a.m. and then laughing at each other as you all slowly fall asleep.
You think about the friend who surprised you in your office with a bag of food because they knew you didn’t have time to eat that day. You think about all the conversations and smiles you’ve shared with them.
You think about the lessons people have taught you about friendship – you are who you surround yourself with, friends can either make or break you – sound familiar?
You might even think about the times when you were lonely and needed a friend. You might think of a time when you had a friend who needed to be checked on.
We’ve all had friends who made us better people, and we’ve all had friends who didn’t. We’ve all felt lonely. We’ve all made core memories with people we’ll never forget. We’ve all been influenced by the people who surround us.
The desire to belong to a community crosses barriers of culture, race, gender and time. It’s human nature.
If all of humanity is seeking friends, then it is important to know the definition of a friend.
Friend, according to Merriam-Webster, is defined as, “one attached to another by affection or esteem.” Affection is defined by the same source as, “a feeling of liking and caring for someone or something.”
To be friendly means you must open yourself up for attachment. You have to first decide you want to be friends with someone. It’s the result of a series of decisions.
Sure, you could randomly be assigned a suitemate who is one of your closest friends two years later. The assignment was out of your control, but the friendship was the result of effort and time from both parties.
It was the result of making awkward small talk, taking advantage of Eagle Perks by going to Walther’s Golf & Fun, watching “Stranger Things” together and slowly opening up to each other.
When we start college, we are told it is our time to find ourselves, reinvent ourselves and make lifetime friends. That’s great and all, but that’s also super scary.
The truth is, at some point, we’ve all been scared of this. We’ve all been worried we’re going to mess up the whole college thing and not make all the great friends we’re supposed to make.
The truth is we are all still living in a world that is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. More than ever, we know the value of friendship.
The greatest truth is there’s not an antidote to these fears and uncertainties we all share, but there’s comradery in knowing we share them.
The first month of the 2022-2023 academic year is behind us, and we are walking into month number two.
Some of us are getting used to new suitemates and roommates and living on campus. Some of us are commuter students who are unsure how to find their place here.
Some of us are reserved and don’t know how to start the conversation. Some of us are extroverted and are overwhelmed by the college social wave.
Some of us may have joined a new organization, and some of us may have returned to an organization we loved before and are finding our footing for this year.
We’re all making a lot of decisions as we navigate creating new friendships or sustaining old ones.
“Finding your Flock” explores the idea and themes of friendship. It brings to life the joys, uniqueness and challenges of friendship.
We hope this print relates to you as you find your flock.
of The Shield
BY SYDNEY LAWSON Lifestyle Editor
At the start of USI alumnus Brad Flittner’s sophomore year, he entered business communication instructor Cindi Clayton’s BCOM 231 classroom for the first time. As a student, Flittner was always engaged and extroverted, qualities Clayton deeply appreciates in her students. Flittner thought Clayton was approachable and passionate, qualities he deeply appreciated in his professors.
The pair began to carry conversations beyond class time, and soon enough, Clayton asked Flittner to be her teaching assistant.
“We were close while I was her TA, but I don’t think we were BFFs or anything,” Flittner said.
However, as Flittner tried to find his footing in the career world, he found himself going to Clayton again and
again for advice. “That advice turned into more than just career stuff,” he said.
While Flittner was Clayton’s TA from 2017 to 2019, Clayton said she was going through one of the hardest times of her life.
“Brad was such a support. Anytime I’d need to cheer up he’d come right over since he was on campus all the time. That really built our friendship because we had that bond,” Clayton said. “I can’t really estimate what a positive impact that was on me at the time. He made me feel confident in the classroom during that time where I was otherwise starting to doubt everything.”
She expressed her gratitude for helping care for her and her home when she was recovering from surgery. She said Flittner was the first to point out she was in an abusive relationship and encouraged her to fight to get out of it.
“That really put me on the path to healing,” Clayton said.
Flittner joked that Clayton repaid him by giving him his own personal Chapstick in her office and helped him with “boy problems,” but went on to share the value Clayton has added in his life. Clayton was able to sympathize with and support Flittner when his mom passed.
“You’re the anchor that holds me in place,” Flittner said to Clayton. “I think your wisdom has gotten me a huge head start by helping me know about hurdles before they ever came.”
Clayton is glad for the light and joy Brad has brought into their friendship.
“Brad has made me a more fun person, more lighthearted,” Clayton said. “I always want to learn, and I always asked him lots of questions about how I could be better supportive of LGBTQ + folks.”
Clayton and Flittner shared the sentiment that they could always count on one another for support.
They laughingly recounted a story in which Clayton totaled her car on her way to seek such support from Flittner and simply got back into her ruined car to meet him.
Throughout the years of friendship, Flittner and Clayton emphasized that what they valued most was the constant honest, unflinching support from one another through hardship and healing from trauma.
“Brad is family now,” Clayton said. “We know each other’s story.”
The two best friends are closer than ever. Flittner and his fiancé, Jacob Delk, attended Clayton’s recent wedding. Now, Clayton will be officiating Flittner’s wedding in October.
“We can be so candid with each other,” Flittner said. “It’s so valuable to have someone that I truly feel I can be myself with. We see each other in our rawest forms.”
The bond between a service dog and their handler is one that is not easily obtainable. Service dogs are trained through hard work, dedication and patience for one purpose: to help their handlers with day-to-day life.
Ness Calloway, senior English teaching major, and Lizzy Sinning, senior studio art major, are two students on campus who have service dogs.
Calloway’s service dog, Ozzie, is a two-year-old male Labrador and Great Dane mix. Sinning’s service dog, Lily, is a 10-year-old female yellow Labrador and Rhodesian ridgeback mix.
Lily was rescued from a Craigslist ad when she was five weeks old. Sinning rescued Ozzie from living on the streets in garbage as a puppy.
Ozzie picked up on Calloway’s needs during their first year together without service dog training.
“He was showing signs he wanted to help,” Calloway said. “He showed that he was very attuned to my anxiety and depression.”
Lily started working as a service dog when she was about four years old.
“I was lucky that, since I’ve had her for so long, she kind of already figured things out,” Sinning said. “So, it was just reinforcement of what she was already doing.”
“You have to have a bond with your service dog, or it’s gonna be really hard for them to do work,” Calloway said. “Because you’re their handler, you do a lot of training with them. I think that builds a bond where you have this mutual understanding.”
When Ozzie is off duty, he acts like any normal dog, loving to chew on his tire toy and watching TV. When Lily is off duty, she loves to play in water.
Lily and Sinning go to USI’s Labor Day at the Lake event every year to swim.
Ozzie allows Calloway to have a better education and work at the Recreation, Fitness and Wellness center.
“Before I was allowed to bring him onto campus, I could go into a panic attack, and that could cause me to stop really caring about things,” Calloway said. “I would miss a lot of my classes. I would not really care about my work. Having him here really does help in that kind of way.”
The biggest thing Lily does for Sinning is provide her with security.
“I know I will be safe in any surrounding I’m in,” Sinning said. “When I do have a bad experience, and I end up having an attack, I know that she’s going to be there to protect me and protect others.”
Calloway and Sinning said they want people on campus to educate themselves about service dogs and understand why they cannot interact with them. In their experience, many students and faculty members on campus start interacting with their service dogs without their consent.
“The best advice I’ve given somebody is do not stare too much at a service dog,” Calloway said. “Do not make noise at the dog. You can interact with the handler to a point and be like, ‘Hey your dogs really cool.’”
For both Calloway and Sinning, having a service animal means having safety, comfort and companionship. They said their ability to navigate dayto-day life and procure an education would be greatly reduced without their dogs.
“Having him here really does help,” Calloway said. “Without him, I probably would have dropped out of school because it was so stressful.”
With September being Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month, now is a good time to bring awareness and resources to help those who are struggling.
Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2020 alone, 45,979 Americans died from suicide, and there were over 1.2 million suicide attempts, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst young adults, and 67% of young adults tell a friend they are feeling suicidal before anyone else, according to Active Minds.
According to Mayo Clinic, 75% of students who struggle with depression and anxiety are reluctant to seek help.
Brianna Aldana, president of the USI Active Minds chapter, said knowing the signs of when to help someone is going to be different for each person, so listening to your friends and knowing when something is off is important.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all,” she said.
Aldana said she uses the acronym “VAR” to check on and help her friends in one-on-one conversations. She said the “V” stands for “validate:” to “validate the way they’re feeling and let them know it’s okay to have those feelings.”
She said the “A” stands for “appreciate,” because “it takes a lot of courage for someone to have the trust in you to be able to tell you something like that.”
Lastly, she said the “R” stands for “refer.” She said “refer” does not just include suggesting someone speak to the Counseling and Psychological Services, but it also means asking someone how you can help them.
“If they say, ‘I just need someone to listen to me,’ then I’m just going to sit and listen,” she said. “If they need to do something to get their mind off of what’s going on, I’ll take them for a walk.”
Besides one-on-one interactions, there are lots of resources, such as Counseling and Psychological Services, students can use to check on their friends and themselves.
Counseling and Psychological Services: 812 464 1867
Public Safety: 812 464 1845, Emergency line: 812 492 7777
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
Trevor Project Hotline: 866 488 7386 or text ‘START’ to 678 678
Southwestern Crisis Services: 812 422 1100
USI Dean of Students CARE Team
App resources: Telehealth TalkCampus TimelyCare
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Suicide is complicated and tragic, but it is often preventable.
Here are some ways you can offer support and keep your loved ones safe:
1. Support – If your friend is experiencing suicidal ideation, it is likely that they want to talk about it and feel heard. Provide an empathetic ear.
2. Question – After listening, it’s time to take an active role and ask questions. Knowing if they have a “plan” or “means” is vital!
3. Act – If your friend is depressed, but not actively suicidal, you can reach out to the CAPS Office or to your RA/SRA. If your friend is actively suicidal, you should be prepared to take them to the hospital or to call 911 or 988 (the new Suicide and Crisis Helpline number).
For ongoing training and information regarding intervention, please contact CAPS and ask about the Screagles Mental Health Safety Roadmap.
to swim at Bell Smith Springs at Shawnee National Forest.
In any sport, the best teams have consistency to work hard every day down to the fine motor skills and chemistry to create a culture within a team.
According to Wright State University, team chemistry is defined as, “the composition of a team and the relationships among team members.” What does it take to build something so important to a campus, to make an impact like the swimming and diving team have before they’ve even begun to tread water?
BY QUINTON WATT Sports Editor culture in a brand new team is harder.
Cameron Kainer, swimming & diving head coach, and Elisabeth Peskin, swimming & diving assistant coach, worked hard through the offseason to put a team together from scratch. The process began when Kainer, the only coach at the time, traveled around and made phone calls for Division II team recruits. Around half a year later, USI announced the transition to Division I.
Kainer said not many changes were needed in the transition of Division II to Division I.
“The competition level of the Great Lakes Valley Conference is very comparable to DI,” Kainer said. “I think over the next few years we will set more of the tone we’re expecting.”
Kainer said the coaches had an idea the university would be switching.
Now, the team has 40 swimmers, two divers and a new diving coach, Andy Brown.
Adding a new athletic program is hard enough, but establishing a
The coaches worked to establish an open, approachable relationship with the recruits.
Elizabeth Busby, freshman butterfly, freestyle and individual medley swimmer, said, “They just seem like such genuine people that care for the team.”
“They’re seriously like mom and dad,” said Aakash Gorthi, freshman sprinter and middle distance swimmer.
“They’re so welcoming and warm to us.”
“When parents drop their kids off to you, I mean that’s their child,” Peskin said. “I think it’s a huge responsibility for us to be that parental figure when they need it.”
The coaches have also promoted campus life and encouraged their
team to support other students around campus.
“We want to promote campus life and support other athletic teams or organizations,” Kainer said. “We’re there in full force and hope we can leave our mark on campus.”
The team learned a lot over the first few weeks of the semester about being supportive, which is a basic to team chemistry and comradery. They have already started to show this to the USI community on social media by having fun and being at campus events.
The team is already finding ways to create a bond only three weeks into the fall semester. The team took a six-mile hiking trip down the USI Burdette Trail. They have also had movie nights, sand volleyball tournaments and a trip to Illinois
The coaches are working to set the framework to what the team culture and chemistry needs to be. Kainer said athletes need to understand what their principles are, and from there, the team takes the reins.
“I think they really want us to establish it,” said Colton Tang, freshman sprinter. “It’s kind of like ‘We’re only going to be as good as we want’ type of mindset.”
Going into the 2022-2023 season, the swimming and diving team had a showcase meet Sept. 17 called the “Red vs. Blue” meet. At the meet, the team planned on casually going through their races, simulating what a real meet will feel like. This helps with preparations for meet flow, which includes the scoreboard and event timing.
The team said the first two weeks of practice have been about “refining the motor” as the athletes get into their first college swimming experience.
“I’m making sure my underwaters are in check,” said Nihar Vitthanala, freshman freestyle and butterfly swimmer. “You watch the greats like Michael Phelps, and his underwaters are killer, so I took a page out of his book.”
Personal and group goals are in full effect throughout the team, and are made all the more achievable through the group’s companionship. The first official meet is Oct. 1 versus Valparaiso University in the Aquatic Center.
It’s sad to say that many filmgoers, including myself, do not pay much mind to the wide array of Indian cinema. I think it’s a huge blind spot that doesn’t get the credit it deserves. However, an Indian film released earlier this year made quite a big dent in many moviegoing circles. The breakout Tollywood film “RRR” is the highest budget Indian film of all time. Although it is presented primarily as an action movie, it is largely a film about friendship.
Malli (Twinkle Sharma), a young girl from the Gond tribe, is forcefully taken away from her family and friends by the tyrannical British rulers who have assumed control of India in the late 19th century. Determined to bring the young girl back, the tribe’s warrior, Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.), goes on a quest to Delhi, where the British colony has set up its headquarters.
Meanwhile, British officer Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) is tasked with hunting down Bheem in hope of earning his ranking of special officer. The two men unknowingly meet up and become best friends. From there, tensions rise as they struggle with their conflicting goals and the suffocating nature of the British ruling class.
“RRR” is not only the best action film of the year, but it is also one of the best stories about friendship I have ever seen on the silver screen. The two main characters are on opposing sides at the start of this tale. The film has three separate prologues, and two of them are uniquely intense character
introductions for each superhuman legend. It isn’t until the 40-minute mark that the pair meet while saving a child from a train explosion. Unaware they are adversaries, they become instant pals. There is a montage of them hanging out and having fun as a song in the background declares that this wonderful friendship will most likely end in bloodshed.
This film is long. It’s a three-hour epic that has a cliffhanger intermission halfway through the story. It does not hold anything back, and, despite the long runtime, it never feels like a slog. This is due in part to the grand spectacle that it features. “RRR” has multiple genre-defining action sequences, wonderful musical numbers and perhaps the greatest dance battle
ever filmed. It even manages to fit a romantic comedy plot in the middle.
Throughout all of the flair and bombast, the aspect that holds strong throughout the film is the bond of Raju and Bheem. It fills me with joy every time I hear the swelling of the musical score as the character’s spirits light up in their eyes. Despite their differences, separate paths and misunderstandings, these two hold on to their friendship as an unbreakable bond. It is so strong that it has the power to take down the tyrannical systems and inspire the oppressed majority.
As one of the highlights from this great year of blockbuster cinema and an absolute heart-wrenching tale of camaraderie, “RRR” earns a rating of nine out of 10.
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