Kosciusko REMC - April 2023 Indiana Connection

Meet the team: Kiley Lipps

This month it is my pleasure to introduce you to Kiley Lipps, a graphic designer and photographer who is an integral part of our team. Kiley freelanced for Indiana Electric Cooperatives for six years before joining the staff full-time this past June. I asked her to share a little about herself and her work:

My job is split between Indiana Connection and working on the creative and design needs of our member cooperatives. My favorite magazine page is the food spread because I get to take the photos and design the pages. Also, food! The creative projects I work on for the cooperatives vary a lot. I may be doing an annual meeting logo one day and an ad for our youth programs the next. You may also see me around taking photos. I’m grateful this job allows me to work on projects that make people’s lives better, even if in small ways.

Three facts about Kiley:

• I have three cats. I’m known as the cat lady in all my friend groups, and I love it.

• I bought my first house two years ago and have spent many weekends since then making it my own. I enjoy being able to paint everything pink.

• I grew up on the border between Indiana and Ohio in Union City, Indiana. It was normal for me to go to swim practice in Ohio and then dance class in Indiana in the same day, which was even more interesting when we were in different time zones!

Kiley has the ability to make any part of the magazine she touches look fantastic, and a top-notch sense of humor, to boot. I’m so glad she’s a part of this team.

Stephanie Groves Editor

sgroves@indianaec.org

Win a pink-themed prize pack ($50 value) to bring a little of Kiley’s current favorite hue into your life!

On the menu: July: Tropical fruit recipes, deadline May 1. August: Recipes for one pot dinners ready in 30 minutes, deadline June 1. If we publish your recipe on our food pages, we’ll send you a $10 gift card.

Giveaway: There are two giveaways this month! Readers can win either a pinkthemed prize pack ($50 value) OR have a chance to win four tickets to the NCAA Hall of Champions. Visit indianaconnection.org/talk-to-us/contests or send your contact information to the address below. The deadline to enter is April 30.

Three ways to contact us: To send us recipes, photos, event listings, letters and entries for gift drawings, please use the forms on our website indianaconnection.org; email info@indianaconnection.org; or send to Indiana Connection, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606.

VOLUME 72 • NUMBER 10

ISSN 0745-4651 • USPS 262-340

Published monthly by Indiana Electric Cooperatives

Indiana Connection is for and about members of Indiana’s locally-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives. It helps consumers use electricity safely and efficiently; understand energy issues; connect with their co-op; and celebrate life in Indiana. Over 311,000 residents and businesses receive the magazine as part of their electric co-op membership. Member’s cost per issue is approximately 32 cents, plus postage.

CONTACT US:

8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600 Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606 317-487-2220

info@indianaconnection.org

IndianaConnection.org

INDIANA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES OFFICERS:

Randy Kleaving President

Steve McMichael Vice President

Dr. Richard Leeper Secretary/Treasurer

John Cassady CEO

EDITORIAL STAFF:

Stephanie Groves Editor

Richard George Biever Senior Editor

Holly Huffman Communication Support Specialist

Lauren Carman Communication Manager

Kiley Lipps Graphic Designer

Ashley Curry Production and Design Coordinator

Amber Knight Creative Manager

Mandy Barth Vice President of Communication

ADVERTISING:

American MainStreet Publications

Cheryl Solomon, local ad representative; 512-441-5200; amp.coop

Crosshair Media 502-216-8537; crosshairmedia.net

Paid advertisements are not endorsements by any electric cooperative or this publication.

UNSOLICITED MATERIAL:

Indiana Connection does not use unsolicited freelance manuscripts or photographs and assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited material.

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

$12 for individuals not subscribing through participating REMCs/RECs.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS:

If you receive Indiana Connection through your electric co-op membership, report address changes to your local co-op.

POSTAGE:

Periodicals postage paid at Indianapolis, Indiana, and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER:

Send change of address to: Indiana Connection, 8888 Keystone Crossing, Suite 1600, Indianapolis, IN 46240-4606. Include key number.

No portion of Indiana Connection may be reproduced without permission of the editor.

Kiley Lipps

On the cover

Electronic sports are fast becoming a part of colleges and secondary schools. But they are more than “just video games.” Under faculty advisers, esports reach a mostly untapped group of students to teach the team skills found in traditional sports and build a sense of belonging and school spirit.

PHOTO BY LAUREN CARMAN

www.kremc.com

CONTACT US

Local: 574-267-6331

Toll-Free: 800-790-REMC

EMAIL

mail@kremc.com

OFFICE HOURS

7:30 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday–Friday

ADDRESS

370 S. 250 E., Warsaw, IN 46582

SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS

To report a service interruption after hours, please call 574-267-6331 or 800-790-REMC.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Tony Fleming, Chairman

Dan Tucker, Vice Chairman

John Hand, Secretary/Treasurer

Terry Bouse

Pam Messmore

Steve Miner

Rick Parker

Loretta Schafer

Todd Smith

INCLUDE ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN

YOUR

Add shade trees around your home to reduce surrounding air temperatures up to 6 degrees. Plant deciduous trees around the south side of your home. Deciduous trees provide excellent shade during the summer and lose their leaves in the fall and winter months, allowing sunlight to warm your home.

Use your Co-op Connections Card to save at local businesses

Rabb/Kinetico Water Systems

10% off in-store salt, filters and pre-filled 5-gallon water. Exclusions: Not to be combined with any other offer.

Excludes salt and water club cards.

co-op

FOLLOW KOSCIUSKO REMC ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER

Mark your calendars for June 8, 3-6 p.m., and start looking forward to another record-setting drive-thru event.

This year will bring our third drive-thru annual meeting, and we couldn’t be more excited. When you come through our Warsaw facility, expect to receive a $10 bill credit, a gift, a free meal and a chance to vote for our board of directors. Look out for your June issue of Indiana Connection, which will include the voting ballot and more information.

Why should you come to the drive-thru annual meeting? We’ll let other KREMC members explain with a few comments we received after last year’s successful event:

“You guys have rocked it again! So smooth, quick and easy. I came through at 3:30 and was all the way from the road entrance to the road exit in about seven minutes. I personally think it’s so much fun to see all the employees and staff there working, smiling and waving!” - KREMC member, 2022

“Thank you for everything. I really enjoyed this!” - KREMC member, 2022

“Thank you so much! I loved seeing everyone having fun out there.”

- KREMC member, 2022

In other words, there is so much to look forward to this June. Our team at Kosciusko REMC is passionate about caring for our members in every way that we can, and that includes improving our annual meeting to serve you better each year. We’re grateful for your attendance, your support and your presence in our county.

KURT CARVER

President and CEO

KREMC rates and rebates

RATES

Residential and farm service

Service charge $24.50 per month

Kilowatt-hour (kWh) charge @$.0922 per kWh

Tracker charge @$0.002904 per kWh

Outdoor Lights*

40w LED $8.75 per month

70w LED $12.25 per month

REBATES

Electric water heaters 50 gallons or larger:

• Gas to electric replacement — $125

• New construction water heater — $125

• Geothermal desuperheater — $50

HVAC:

• Geothermal system installation — $250

• Air-source heat pump system — $150

• Programmable thermostat — up to $25

Visit www.kremc.com for complete guidelines and restrictions. Additional rebates can be found at powermoves.com.

Celebrating Curt Barkey's 15 YEARS AT KREMC

Curt Barkey started as a geographic information systems (GIS) analyst at Kosciusko REMC on April 28, 2008. He collaborated with nowretired Jayne Brunetto on a five-year tech plan, working to implement technology for the engineering and operations departments of the electric cooperative. Throughout the first part of his career at KREMC, Barkey worked in outage management, mapping and other IT responsibilities. Over time, the cooperative started to change and grow, and the IT systems had to adapt.

“We outgrew our infrastructure, so we built something for the future,” Barkey said.

What he didn’t know was that they were laying the foundation for installing fiber internet in thousands of Kosciusko County homes. The systems he helped set up for KREMC allowed the company to later move into fiber installations at a rapid pace.

During the first few conversations about starting Kosciusko Connect, Barkey was excited.

“It seems like a simple thing — how hard could it be? However, there are a lot of regulations, taxing, software and hardware processes that we didn’t know about,” he explained.

The cooperative learned quickly as they formed their vision for Kosciusko Connect, and the subsidiary company

was born. Barkey became the vice president of technology and broadband, and soon realized how much hard work the project would require. Every team member’s role was essential and unique, and the cooperative family showed up with the passion required to bring the Kosciusko Connect vision into being, one step at a time.

“Because I was born and raised here, my passion is the county. For me, broadband isn’t about making money. We’re giving somebody something they need to be able to live well, fundamentally changing Kosciusko County for the better,” Barkey said. “It makes this a better place to live, work and play.”

Aside from helping bring broadband to the county, Barkey has been involved in community cycling, including the Fat and Skinny Tire Fest and Kosciusko County Velo Cycling Club.

Looking back on his 15 years at KREMC, Barkey can confidently claim this as the best job he’s ever had. Now, he’s helped lead Kosciusko Connect in installing fiber internet in over 5,000 local homes. Barkey is appreciative of his growing team, community partners and the mentors that have encouraged him throughout this process.

“Curt plays a vital role at KREMC and Kosciusko Connect to keep

everything on the IT side running smoothly. Congratulations to him on this milestone of 15 years,” said Kurt Carver, president and CEO of KREMC.

To anyone starting out in the IT field, Barkey gives this advice: “Experience is important. Learn as much as you can about everything, even if you think you’re going to specialize in something specific.”

He’s glad to be in a place that’s focused on serving the community and recognizes the value of Kosciusko Connect’s cooperative roots. Going forward, Barkey hopes to keep improving.

“We have a strong foundation and solid solutions because of how we built the fiber infrastructure. I want to keep improving by going back to revisit whatever we did quickly and asking ourselves how we can make those things better,” Barkey said. “Ultimately, it’s not about serving broadband. It’s about making sure customers have what they need. We’re providing a service in which somebody else just sees them as dollar signs. I don’t see them as dollar signs. That’s what makes a difference between Kosciusko Connect and other internet companies.”

AS A KOSCIUSKO REMC MEMBER, YOU’RE INVITED TO THE 2023 ANNUAL DRIVE-THRU MEETING!

Drive through our facility to receive a gift, a free meal and a chance to vote for our board of directors. We’re proud to keep improving our annual meeting every year, and our attendance numbers have continued to increase. Mark your calendars for June 8, and we’ll see you there!

KREMC BOARD OF DIRECTORS! Vote

THE CANDIDATES FOR THIS YEAR’S ELECTION ARE:

John Hand (i) vs . Tony Siebeneck

Pam Messmore (i) vs . Jill Shock

Loretta Schafer (i) vs . Joel Shepherd

for the

To learn more about the candidates, make sure to read your May issue of Indiana Connection, where candidates will have the opportunity to introduce themselves.

Go beyond good internet

TO MAKE CONNECTIONS THAT LAST

Kosciusko Connect’s fast fiber internet is available to all KREMC members.

Schedule your free installation before the end of 2023, and get ready for a network upgrade.

Scan the QR code to learn more about fast fiber internet.

CALL YOUR CO-OP YOU GO SOLAR before

For those considering the installation of solar energy at home, there is plenty of information — and misinformation — floating around.

To get to the bottom of it all, the one thing any prospective solar owner should do is contact their local electric cooperative.

There are a host of reasons why, but here are a few of the most important ones:

In order to maximize the benefit of installing solar, you first need to understand the electrical use in your home. Your local electric cooperative can provide information and history specific to you, and perhaps even perform an energy audit, to ensure the right size solar system is purchased.

The cooperative can answer basic questions, provide

resource materials and direct you to reputable websites or contractors in your area. They will also be able to inform you of any potential financial incentives for installation, because federal, state and local programs are constantly evolving. Even with a solar system installed, during times of high energy demand, as well as at night and on cloudy days, you will still need to be connected to the cooperative’s power lines. Each utility sets its own policies, rates and rules for interconnection that an installer may not know about. The cooperative will ensure that an interconnection application is completed and that you are notified of any application fees, and that all other documentation, including necessary insurance, is completed.

If there is any opportunity for the cooperative to “purchase” excess energy generated by the solar system, a local representative can provide all the necessary information.

If you have questions about what installing solar energy could mean for your home, don’t hesitate to ask your local electric cooperative. Nothing is more important than being well informed before making such a big decision.

by Staci Montgomery Engineering and Operations Specialist Clark County REMC

Give line crews lots of room:

IT’S THE LAW

This year, National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 17-21. Be mindful of lineworkers on the job.

Spring has arrived with its profusion of color: whites and pinks … and orange — lots of orange — as in the orange of work zones.

National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 17-21) reminds motorists to be careful around those whose jobs put them along the roadways. Indiana’s electric cooperatives remind motorists that work zones also include utility crews who work along the roadsides to build, repair and maintain the highway of electric power lines. Sometimes, crews can be around the next corner or just over the hill — day or night.

“While routine line work is done during daylight hours, emergencies happen at anytime,” said Jon Elkins, vice president of safety, training and compliance at Indiana Electric Cooperatives. “We want to remind motorists our crews can be working at all hours and to be careful when they see warning signs and flaggers.”

When motorists see the orange diamond-shaped work zone warning signs and vehicles with flashing amber lights, they should slow down and prepare for the zone ahead.

Indiana law requires motorists to approach cautiously and change lanes away from emergency vehicles if they can do so safely. If not, they should reduce their speed to 10 mph under the posted speed limit and proceed with caution. Motorists should not stop in the roadway; this may cause a rearend collision with other vehicles.

Emergency vehicles protected by the law include:

• Police vehicles

• Ambulances

• Fire trucks and rescue equipment

• Highway incident-response vehicles

• Highway maintenance vehicles

• Utility service vehicles

• Tow trucks

Violating the law can result in a fine and a suspended license. Steeper penalties, including jail time, are enforced for infractions within work zones.

Though move-over laws are only for emergency vehicles, drivers should always be courteous to those parked on the shoulder. Give them room to safely repair their vehicles and help prevent tragedies.

SOURCES: Indiana State Police, Workzonesafety.org, moveoverlaws.com

TIPS FOR DRIVING SAFELY IN WORK ZONES

• Take extra care to pay attention and expect the unexpected. Work zone configurations can change without notice.

• Don’t text or talk on the phone and avoid taking your hands off the wheel.

• Watch for speed limit reductions, narrowing lanes, changing traffic patterns and highway workers.

• Respect the posted speed limits and merge as soon and as safely as possible. This will allow traffic to flow smoothly.

• Keep in mind: Driving 45 mph, instead of 55 mph, through a 5-mile work zone will only add 1.2 minutes to your trip. Speeding and aggressive driving are major causes of work zone crashes.

• Keep a safe distance on all sides of your vehicle and maintain a safe following distance. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of work zone crash.

Indiana Electric Cooperatives names JOHN CASSADY CEO

John Cassady has been named Indiana Electric Cooperatives’ next chief executive officer. IEC is the statewide electric cooperative trade association and the publisher of Indiana Connection. Formerly executive vice president of member and stakeholder relations at Wabash Valley Power Alliance (WVPA), Cassady became CEO of the 88-year-old organization March 15.

“I am honored for the opportunity to lead a member organization with such a rich history and tradition as Indiana Electric Cooperatives,” said Cassady. “I am grateful to IEC’s board of directors for entrusting me with this responsibility and I am excited to work with IEC’s exceptional team in service to our 38 member cooperatives and the communities served by them.”

county feature

Jennings County

Jennings County is home to a “disaster” just waiting to happen. That place is the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center . The center provides the infrastructure for realistic scenarios replicating natural and manmade disasters, military urban warfare and much more. Military; local, state and national agencies; and civilian first responders come to Jennings County from around the United States and the world to take part in training exercises at the center.

Located just east of North Vernon, Muscatatuck’s campus features a 1,000-acre urban and rural landscape with more than 190 brick-and-mortar structures; 1.8 miles of subterranean tunnels; a clock tower used as a rappel tower; a cave complex; more than nine miles of roads; a standing water rescue environment that includes a village of seven flooded houses; managed airspace; a 185-acre reservoir; and a cyber live-fire range. Owned by the state of Indiana, the site is leased to the U.S. Army and managed by the National Guard.

The center is located on the grounds of the former Muscatatuck State Developmental Center that was created in 1920 as the Indiana Farm Colony for the FeebleMinded. For 85 years, it was one of Indiana’s largest mental institutions with some 3,000 patients and was one of Jennings

County’s largest employers with some 2,000 staff members. Following changes in the state’s overall health administration and in the treatment of mental illness, the number of patients at the institution began to decline. In 2001, the state announced the institution’s closure. After it closed in 2005, the state passed control of the facility to the Indiana National Guard which led to the development of the training center.

Jennings County is also bordered on the east and west by two national wildlife refuge areas that offer visitors natural beauty and opportunities to enjoy wildlife.

Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge , encompassing 50,000 acres, spills over into eastern Jennings County from parts of Jefferson and Ripley counties. The refuge covers a portion of the former Jefferson Proving Ground, a munitions testing facility operated by the U.S. Army between 1940-1995. The refuge is designated as a “Globally Important Bird Area” and contains many rare species of plants and animals in the

County Facts

FOUNDED: 1817

NAMED FOR: Jonathan Jennings, first governor of the state of Indiana.

POPULATION: 27,611

COUNTY SEAT: Vernon

INDIANA COUNTY NUMBER: 40

wetlands, grasslands, shrublands and forest.

On the western edge of the county is Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge . Established in 1966, the refuge is noted for providing feeding and resting areas for migratory birds.

An American goldfinch photographed at the Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge

Photo by Donna Stanley/U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Made with a mission

Shelly Henley’s bakery is staffed by employees with autism.

No Label at the Table is described on the company’s website as “a glutenand-dairy-free food company whose mission is to employ people on the autistic spectrum and provide job training skills.”

Located in the heart of the Arts and Design District on W. Main Street in Carmel, No Label at the Table is owned by Shelly Henley, whose oldest son, Jacob, has autism. When Jacob was turning 18 and transitioning to adulthood, he told his mother that he wanted to be a chef in a restaurant. So, with passion and heart — but without any formal culinary or business training — Henley created a business to help make Jacob’s dream a reality.

over the years, Henley and Jacob baked together, creating delicious recipes and fond memories. They used some of those recipes as the basis for their business and have experimented over time to substantially increase their offerings.

World Autism Awareness Day

“In this process, I’ve gained a few pounds and realized I hate frosting, but I’ve found meaningful work,” Henley explained.

Henley and her team began selling their baked goods at farmers markets, and on March 16, 2018, the physical store opened, staffed with over a dozen employees on the autism spectrum.

Jacob started eating a gluten-andcasein-free diet at a young age, and

If you have never visited their storefront and are wondering what to order, the most popular item is the “Oatmeal Dream” cookie sandwich;

it’s like an oatmeal creme pie, only larger (and even tastier). Other crowd-pleasers include pumpkin gingerbread, English muffins and garlic breadsticks. In the freezer case, you can usually find hearty soups and take-home meals. The bakery is carryout only, but if it’s a nice day, you can enjoy your goodies while you stroll along Main Street and the nearby Monon Greenway.

If you have questions about the business, make inquiries by emailing contactus@nolabelatthetable.com. Since a third of the employees are non-verbal, No Label at the Table does not have a phone.

Jacob Wittman holding a tray of “Oatmeal Dream” cookies.

Freshly baked garlic breadsticks are a popular pick.

Photos courtesy of No Label at the Table

Toast toppers

WAKE UP YOUR BREAD, ANY TIME OF DAY

1 can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed and smashed with a fork

12-15 diced grape tomatoes

⅓ cup chicken broth

¾ teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Toasted bread for serving (rye or wheat is recommended)

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine beans, tomatoes, broth, garlic, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer about five minutes until mixture is like a paste. Spread warm bean mixture on toast and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

CANNELLINI TOMATO SPREAD Beverly Allen, Sellersburg, Indiana

BLUEBERRY JAM

Sharon Krick, Knox, Indiana

1 pint fresh blueberries, washed and picked over 2 tablespoons chia seeds

½ cup honey or pure maple syrup (you can increase/decrease amount to taste)

Toasted bread for serving

Add the blueberries, chia seeds and honey or maple syrup to a small pot and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, mashing the berries with a spoon while stirring. Remove from heat; the jam will thicken as it cools. Spread on toast to serve and store any remaining jam in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

DIJON ASPARAGUS CHICKEN SALAD

Patricia Piekarski, Harvey, Illinois

1 cup mayonnaise or light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 pound cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, shredded or finely chopped

1 (10 ounce) package frozen asparagus spears, thawed and finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

Toasted bread, cut into toast points, for serving

In a medium bowl, stir mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper together. Add chicken, asparagus and bell pepper and stir to coat. Refrigerate for at least one hour, then spread the mixture on toast points to serve as an appetizer.

eSPORTS A REAL GAME CHANGER

BY RICHARD G. BIEVER

Photos by Richard G. Biever

Tyrese Ellis gets set for a Rocket League competition. The Fort Wayne Snider senior is among the best esports competitors in the nation and may have college scholarships at his fingertips.

When Tyrese Ellis was a high school freshman, his future looked uncertain at best. He admitted he lacked motivation and was “borderline failing” most classes.

“I was a heavy gamer,” he said. “I wasn’t heavy into going to school.”

When the Fort Wayne Snider senior says “heavy gamer,” Tyrese means video games. He played them nonstop, mostly alone in his bedroom. Back in grade school, Tyrese played a lot of basketball with friends, he noted. But as they all grew older, the friends started going to different schools and in different directions. “I started playing video games more and more, and then I eventually just stopped playing basketball,” he said.

Video games let Tyrese escape the stresses of socializing and making new friends. Already a little shy, he retreated more into the world on the video screen. Tyrese became skilled at gaming — adroitly manipulating avatars to victories against online opponents. All the while, his academic and personal skills atrophied.

The game changer that brought Tyrese back into the real world came during his sophomore year, 2020. That’s when Snider High School started an “esports” program. Esports is short for “electronic sports.” But it’s more than just “playing video games.”

Esports combines video gaming with organized team competition. That synergy is creating a whole new arena at middle schools, high schools and universities around the electrified world. It’s turned professional, too. Out of the competition come the intangibles — the esprit de corps — the pride in one’s school, in one’s teammates and in oneself.

Call it “esprit of esports”: Schools that have started esports programs are finding that esports fosters the same leadership, sportsmanship and communication skills traditional athletic programs strive to build. Students like Tyrese, who previously slipped through the cracks of athletics and other school activities, are now finding a place among their classmates and are engaged as never before.

“Tyrese is my favorite success story,” said Joseph Wilhelm, Snider High School’s esports adviser. “His story is kind of why we developed the program in the first place. He latched onto esports as a viable career path and college path and sees a goal.”

Since esports participation requires the same level of academic achievement as athletics and other extracurriculars, Tyrese found the motivation to attend classes and improve his grades. He’s now an A-B student. He is even planning to retake

the classes he failed as a freshman to improve his GPA in hopes of achieving college admission.

Wilhelm says Tyrese is so highly skilled at Rocket League, one of the most popular games, he believes college esports scholarships will be in the offing for Tyrese when he graduates next month. “He was one of those kids who would never get to go to college if it weren’t for esports.”

FROM PONG TO PRESENT

Ever since the first pixelated Pong ball pinged across the primordial video screen a half-century ago, organized competitions have been a part of video game culture. While the complexity of the games, their graphics and storylines advanced light years over the next 30 years, competitions were mostly kept on an amateur level. That changed in the 2000s with the advent of livestreaming on the internet. Suddenly, the generation that grew up playing these games at home could also watch the best of the best compete. Video gaming became a professional sport with the surge in viewership. In 2018, the League of Legends World Championship, for example, brought in more viewers than the Super Bowl and the NCAA continued on next page

Tyrese’s Rocket League varsity teammates, Dalen Banks, left, and Naz Scholhl, fist bump after sweeping Concord High School in Elkhart in their best-of-five online match in February, 3-0.

continued from page 21

Final Four combined. In 2021, esports brought in more than $1 billion in revenue.

Today, the booming esports industry attracts 26.6 million monthly viewers who watch gamers compete in a vast array of virtual venues. Beyond games simulating real sports and traditional board games like chess, the online universe has expanded with fantastical strategy and battle arena games like Tyrese’s specialty, Rocket League, a kind of soccer played with rocket-powered cars. Even the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been giving esports a look-see. In 2017, the IOC acknowledged the growing popularity of esports and said that competitive esports could be considered a sporting activity. While noting it was premature to make medal events for esports in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the IOC has cited the need to keep the Olympics relevant to younger generations. Still, some esports-related activities might be part of Paris next year.

Beyond the pros on arena stages and online, esports has given rise to a whole host of career paths for professionals in marketing, information technology, programming, game and graphic design, and even broadcasting. Commentators who call the action occurring on the

screen of esports events are called “shoutcasters.”

The growth of esports over the last two decades has brought a demand for extended opportunities for esports athletes. Universities across North America began offering scholarships to incoming freshmen to join their collegiate esports teams. In 2016, the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) was founded as a nonprofit organized by its member schools to develop the framework for esports competition. Over 240 institutions with more than 5,000 student/athletes across the U.S. and Canada are members. NACE colleges and universities award an estimated $16 million a year in student esports scholarships and aid.

IT PAYS TO PLAY

Just as collegiate esports has NACE, esports programs at Indiana secondary schools now have the Indiana Esports Network (IEN). Wilhelm, who was among the founding educators of IEN in 2019 and is now director, says the nonprofit organization functions like a state athletic association.

Indiana Esports Network is 100% volunteer driven and educator led, and its programs are free to students. Over 100 school districts across the state have joined the network. Wilhelm estimates over 1,500 Hoosier

students are participating in esports programs the network coordinates and oversees.

Schools participating in esports run the gamut in size, demographics and socioeconomic populations — from big city schools like Ben Davis in Indianapolis to rural schools like Seeger Memorial Jr.-Sr. High in Warren County. Member schools include public, private and parochial.

Wilhelm said their statistics are showing that 80% of esports participants never participated in other school activities. “People understand why extracurriculars are important and the value of them, but they’re not reaching every student,” he said. “Our motivation here at Snider was to get students more motivated in school. We noticed a large portion of the student population wasn’t playing sports. They aren’t in band. They don’t really do anything extracurricular. They just come to school, go to their classes and go home. And for those students, there wasn’t a lot of extrinsic motivation for doing well.”

Today, Snider has about 80 students participating in esports. The esports game room, once a computer lab, is equipped with 20 single gaming stations and three large monitors with rows of game chairs. After school, the room is full of students interacting with the games and each other. Wilhelm admits that esports are still new to the academic environment, so it takes some convincing of administrators and parents — which requires facts and some tact.

“The initial comment is always like, ‘What? We’re trying to get our kids to stop playing video games.’

“Yeah, we get that,” Wilhelm tells them, and then comes the IEN pitch: “But let’s use it as a tool. Let’s control that and teach them healthy habits, as opposed to just what they’re doing at home. Let’s show how to do it in a productive way.”

Haiden Carpenter reacts during practice in Snider High School’s esports room. Along with the team spirit, esports includes marketing, programming and graphic design; students created their esports school logo on the wall.

Photo by Richard G. Biever

Some of the valuable lessons that Wilhelm believes esports imparts to students include:

• COMMUNICATION. “We’re trying to focus on those soft skills that employers are looking for,” Wilhelm said. “And communication in teambased activities, being able to communicate clearly and effectively under higher stress or real-time situations is definitely useful.”

• TEAMWORK. “For some of them, it’s just the benefit of being part of a team where other people are depending upon them,” Wilhelm said. Sometimes students have never been in that team environment. “That sense of belonging and teamwork is impactful for a lot of our students.”

• LEADERSHIP. “Most all of our teams have in-game leaders, leading while the game’s happening. I think of it like your shot caller on the court or on the football field who’s actively making decisions. Putting students in leadership roles helps them develop that way, too.”

• SPORTSMANSHIP. “Video games have a stigma around them about how people interact online, of being

toxic to faceless names on a computer.” Wilhelm said esports stresses sportsmanship and not talking smack. “What’s been super helpful, too, is having students meet their opponents in person at events, being able to put a face to this person online. And so, your actions online have real consequences when you tie that communication you’re having online to a real person.”

Wilhelm said there are also legitimate concerns about video game violence. He noted that in middle school and high school, esports includes games rated only “teen” and below. Some games do have simulated violence, he said, but they are all rated appropriate for teenagers.

Fortnite, for instance, is a popular game among teenagers. The goal is to eliminate other players. “But it’s very stylized. It’s akin to an animated cartoon,” he noted.

“It’s naive to think they aren’t playing these things,” he added. “But we say, ‘let’s teach them how to do it in a responsible way,’ as opposed to violence for the sake of violence.”

At the high school level, IEN currently

organizes regular competitions for some 15 different games across three different divisions based on school size, in addition to middle school and unified competitions in conjunction with Special Olympics Indiana. Students at each school can compete at three levels: varsity, junior varsity and club. In addition to league/tournament administration, IEN provides support and training for coaches to assist their programs.

Right now, participating schools are gearing up for the in-person state IEN championship, which will be held at Ball State University April 29.

LEVELING UP

LaGrange County REMC’s Operation Round Up (ORU) Fund committee hadn’t seen a grant request like the one Prairie Heights High School delivered in late December.

Cynthia Jones, an English teacher at Prairie Heights and the school’s grant writer, was asking for funds to help the school in eastern LaGrange County create a technology lab

continued on next page

High school students from around the state compete in person at the 2022 Indiana Esports Network’s championship tournament at Bendix Arena in South Bend last spring. The arena is a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to esports.

Photo courtesy of Indiana Esports Network

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housing computers with specifications appropriate for graphic arts/website design — and esports gaming.

“Theirs was not a typical application,” said Nic Engle, marketing and public relations coordinator at the REMC and secretary of its ORU committee. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a request from a school for computer equipment for video gaming. But we have long supported youth athletics, dance teams and the like. With the increasing popularity of esports, the committee felt some funding to get them started with their own equipment would benefit a large number of students for years to come.”

Operation Round Up is a community program in which many electric cooperatives around Indiana and the nation participate. The fund is created by consumers who voluntarily allow their co-op to round up their electric bill each month to the next dollar. That amount, on average around 50 cents per consumer per month, is then pooled into a special account and dispersed for local charitable needs. LaGrange’s ORU committee awarded Prairie Heights $1,500 for the equipment.

Last fall, Jeremy Swander, the principal at Prairie Heights, heard the Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) was initiating an “Esports Bowl,” akin to some of its

traditional Spell Bowls and Quiz Bowls. Filling in as a teacher at the start of the school year, Swander asked his calculus class if anyone would be interested in starting an esports program. He got lots of questions, and ultimately 10 seniors participated.

For the pilot program, Jones said the school had to do a little begging and borrowing. The students brought in their own gaming systems from home, and the school’s FFA program loaned esports one of its presentation monitors. “We didn’t have any monitors that were new enough to connect to the gaming systems,” she said. “This was the makeshift way we’ve been doing it.”

Like Wilhelm, Jones saw how team play led to better engagement and collaboration during the pilot program in the fall. “It was set up through IASP that these guys could have joined in and competed from home. But they preferred to come to school and be here in person. They said it was better for them as a team. They communicated better, and they felt they would be more successful by being together in the same room versus trying to all play from home.”

The ORU grant, along with another from LIFE, LaGrange County’s youth philanthropy group, will allow the school to start purchasing monitors this spring. Jones said 27 students have expressed interest in being part

of the esports program, which could begin as soon as the monitors arrive.

“The kids will still be bringing their gaming systems from home, but at least they won’t be bringing televisions on the bus.”

END GAME

Tyrese Ellis still isn’t sure about his career plans. He said he’s thinking he’d like to become a nurse and maybe study Japanese. But one thing is certain that wasn’t four years ago: He’ll be able to graduate from high school next month and perhaps earn a scholarship to college.

As he and his two Rocket League teammates were about to sit down in the Snider esports room to an after school online match with a team from Elkhart County (which they later wrapped up quickly, winning 3 games to 0), Tyrese said, “I’ll always feel grateful and proud for being in here.“

Much like his Rocket League avatar shooting from one side of the arena to the other with a twitch of his finger, esports has changed the trajectory of where Tyrese’s life is pointing. “Everything really started changing my sophomore year. I started turning it around because of esports — because I had motivation.”

Richard G. Biever is senior editor of Indiana Connection.

IEN’s state championship brings competitors and spectators together at South Bend’s Bendix Arena. This year’s will be held April 29 at Ball State University.

Photo courtesy of Indiana Esports Network

Professional progression:

RAPID CHANGE

At 23, Shadd McLochlin has been working for just about five years. In that short span, he’s worked all aspects of wireless and fiber internet, has earned a double major in business management and marketing, supervises five employees and has worked for two owners operating under two business models.

“It’s always changing. It’s always moving quickly. Every time I look at our map, there’s something added to it, another project we’ve got going on. I’m excited to see where it goes because it’s already gotten a lot bigger and a lot better than it was a little over four years ago when I started,” McLochlin said.

The company, Broadway Broadband, was purchased in 2020 by MiamiCass REMC, the Peru-based electric cooperative.

“It’s definitely a different culture going from a single owner to being owned by a not-for-profit. Before we were just a normal business. It was ‘get as many customers as you can and make the money.’ With the cooperative, though,

we’re still doing the same job, but it’s more customerfocused.”

McLochlin started with Broadway in 2018 while still in college. At that time, he was doing physical installations of wireless internet in customers’ homes while continuing his degrees. When the electric cooperative purchased Broadway early in 2020, he began doing fiber construction and maintaining the wireless network. While McLochlin said he enjoyed the physical aspect of the job, he shared with the new owners he wanted to eventually move indoors to a managerial post that went along with the degrees he was pursuing. Within six months, he was moved to broadband tech support. His experience in both installation and construction served him well in that role.

Today, McLochlin is Broadway’s installation/scheduling manager. The job entails planning the current and

future growth of the subsidiary and overseeing five, but soon to be more, employees. The subsidiary now has 1,500 customers in a footprint that is expanding to six counties.

He is also now pursuing a master’s degree in public management, a degree similar to an MBA but geared more toward nonprofit operations. He’s also completed a three-month management internship and is currently doing a marketing and member services internship at MiamiCass REMC.

Bringing home a SHELTER PET?

Preparation and patience are key

National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day is April 30, so if you’ve researched the right type of animal for you and are ready to bring a pet home, now’s a perfect time. Even though a shelter animal may have had a rough start to life, many make wonderful family pets, and some even go on to become service animals.

“Shelter animals are remarkable. We know this firsthand, because the dogs we train to become service dogs started as shelter dogs. Trained on over 30 skills, our program dogs show time and time again the amazing potential that shelter pets can have,” said Kelsey Burton, director of development at Medical Mutts Service Dogs Inc., a non-profit based in Indianapolis dedicated to training service dogs.

If you do decide to adopt, here are some tips to help make it easier for a shelter pet to acclimate to your home. Above all, try and be patient and allow your animal time to adjust to its “new normal.”

• Prior to the arrival of your pet, make sure you have a quiet space prepared for them that is away from all other animals. Keep your new arrival away from any other pets for at least the first 24 hours to give everyone time to adjust and decompress.

• If you are adopting a dog, have a collar with an identification tag ready with your name and contact number on it, and put it on the animal right away in case the dog escapes.

• Be prepared for potty accidents. Even a pet that is considered housetrained might have accidents due to the stress of adjusting to new surroundings.

• Provide food and water for your new pet, but don’t be surprised if they refuse to eat for the first day or two.

• Offer an enrichment activity. Your pet may not respond to it at first, but allowing them to experience new things, such as interactive toys or puzzle mats, can expand their world and help keep them entertained.

LINEWORKER APPRECIATION MONTH:

Honoring the power behind your power

Nearly everyone has experienced the dreaded crash of thunder before the lights go out — and the relief once the lights come back on. In the darkness, what could be missed is the dedication, effort and energy from the lineworkers who are busily braving the elements to return power to your day.

You have likely noticed your local electric cooperative’s crews working on power lines and other electrical equipment in your community. They are also there when you do not see them — in inclement weather, in the middle of the night and anytime when needed, 24/7. Lineworkers perform an essential job, often in challenging conditions. The tools and equipment a lineworker needs to carry while climbing a pole can weigh up to 50 pounds — and that’s while scaling poles that can range from 30 to 120 feet tall!

During severe weather events, from blizzards to thunderstorms and many other emergencies, lineworkers are among the first people called to respond. They must be prepared to leave their homes and families unexpectedly and commit to restoring

power, which can take days. They are also committed to serve during hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding and other large-scale disasters. Line crews from states away will travel to devastated communities and help restore power. Lineworkers are at no shortage of memorable stories to tell — the jobs that were exceptionally difficult, the weather that was especially rough, and other unique occurrences that made it particularly arduous to restore service.

There are more than 120,000 lineworkers across the United States, and it takes more than 7,000 hours of unique training (about four years)

to become a journeyman lineman. Working with high-voltage equipment requires specialized skills, experience and ongoing mental toughness. Lineworkers cannot take shortcuts, and there is no room for error in what they do, often in adverse conditions.

The next time you see a lineworker, please thank them for the work they do to keep the power flowing all day, every day. They live and work in your community and are among the people most committed to ensure that your town quickly overcomes severe weather impacts. They are the power behind the power you need to get through your day.

FROM THE KREMC BLOG

'WHAT DO YOU WANT THE WORLD TO SEE?'

Cathie Bledsoe is uniquely passionate about digital safety, and she has years of experience and research to back her up. With seven years working for the state police through a grant and additional time spent freelancing with her digital safety talks, Bledsoe has dedicated her career to equipping families to stay safe online. She gave around 400 talks a year in 30-50 counties during her time with the state police, by far exceeding her minimum requirement.

Throughout her career, Bledsoe has presented to students, educators, adults, law enforcement, the department of child services, foster care and churches. Her digital safety expertise was relevant to every audience and still is. Bledsoe found that grandparents needed to know what they should be concerned about as they hosted their grandkids, who would often spend time on devices. She also relayed that adults often benefit from hearing the same warnings she gives to kids regarding tech safety.

We had a conversation with Cathie Bledsoe about the secrets of the digital world and how to keep your family safe online. Enjoy her expertise, and let us know what you want to hear more about from internet experts @KosciuskoConnect.

WHAT FIRST MADE YOU INTERESTED IN INTERNET SAFETY?

CATHIE BLEDSOE: Children, honestly. I was a teacher, and I had seen several students get into some unnecessary trouble using their digital devices. I’m originally from St. Louis, and when I lived there, I worked at a

college that had me teach technology to retired teachers because it was so new and foreign to them. When I moved to Fort Wayne, I was a computer teacher, and I volunteered at the Girl Scouts. As technology blew up, I saw that kids were on this digital playground with no supervision, so I decided someone should do something about it.

I used to take my students to internet safety talks, and they were so fluffy. It bothered me that people were afraid to tell kids what is dangerous. Or, they would say not to do something, and so kids would automatically want to do it.

A lot of times, when people did a digital safety talk, they would say, “Snapchat is invasive,” but they wouldn’t tell you why. Or, they would say, “Don’t put photos online,” but they wouldn’t go the next step to say, “Embedded in your photo is latitude, longitude, altitude, IP address, cell phone number, make and model of your device, front or back camera.” Something as simple as the make and model of a child’s phone can give you an idea of their financial situation. If a kid has the latest phone, they probably have some money, and that makes them more of a blackmail target. The wording is very important. We need to start talking about technology as it is and help kids understand that.

Enter to win a scholarship

ARE YOU A 4-H STUDENT?

You can win one of ten $350 scholarships from KREMC this year for your summer 4-H project. The winners are determined by a simple name drawing following the annual meeting.

CALLING ALL COLLEGE STUDENTS

Apply for a John H. Anglin scholarship from KREMC for a chance to win $1,000 for your upcoming higher education classes.

Applications for the 4-H and John H. Anglin scholarships are due May 1, and applicants must register on June 8 at the annual meeting or preregister between May 29 and June 7 in the KREMC facility. You can find scholarship applications at kremc.com/youth-programs

Stay up to date during power outages this spring by following us on social media @KosciuskoREMC. You can also check out our outage map at kremc.com/outage-center to track our restoration process.

NCAA HALL of CHAMPIONS

March and April are the two months when the four letters “N-C-A-A” roll off the tongue most frequently — especially in basketballcrazed Indiana.

Though the clock runs out on the college hoops season with the Final Four, Hoosiers don’t have to let the lore or excitement fade with the arena crowds. The NCAA Hall of Champions, in the heart of Indiana, is a museum dedicated to college basketball and the 23 other college sports sanctioned by the NCAA.

The Hall, which opened in 2000, is part of a three-building complex that also houses a conference center and the corporate headquarters of both the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Federation of State High School Associations. The complex is in White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis and is adjacent to the Indiana State Museum, Eiteljorg Museum and the Indianapolis Zoo.

The NCAA Hall of Champions pays tribute to the best college athletes from around the country. Interactive exhibits spread across two stories piece together the colorful and even deadly history and development of the NCAA.

The NCAA’s founding is linked to a White House summit President

Theodore Roosevelt had with college leaders in 1905 to address the brutality and unethical practices within college football at the time. Particularly brutal was the famed “Flying Wedge,” players linked in a V-formation, which is depicted in a statue at the Hall. The formation was banned following the Roosevelt meeting because of the number of players killed or injured while running it.

The Hall features 25,000 square feet of exhibit space, as well as a variety of kiosks, interactive games, activities and hands-on displays. On the first floor, all 24 NCAA sports are represented. There are trivia challenges, current team rankings, video highlights and artifacts donated from colleges around the nation. The second level is fully interactive and visitors can compete virtually through sports simulators or hands-on in a 1930s retro gymnasium.

Three separate theaters offer unique perspectives into the student athlete experience. The Champions Theater uses the theme of what it takes to be a champion in the world of collegiate sports and gives the answer through a presentation of the lives of several student athletes. The March Madness Theater puts visitors in the midst of the men’s and women’s March Madness basketball tournament.

The Locker Room Theater depicts the life of collegiate athletics through the perspectives of several championship winning coaches and real-life student athletes.

Visitors should plan on spending about 90 minutes to fully engage with the exhibits.

A gift shop featuring all types of memorabilia and souvenirs is also on hand.

The Hall of Champions opened March 31, 2000, ahead of the 2000 NCAA Division I men’s basketball championship game held in Indianapolis April 3, 2000.

IF YOU GO:

NCAA Hall of Champions

700 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 317-916-4255

NCAAhallofchampions.org

WIN FOUR TICKETS TO THE NCAA HALL OF CHAMPIONS!

Learn more on page 3.

One of the many exhibits inside the museum.

Photos courtesy of the NCAA Hall of Champions.

DO YOUR PART. SHOW US THE MARKS.

Contacting Indiana 811 is a crucial step during any digging project, but did you know that you can expedite your project by outlining your own dig site first? It’s called “White Lining,” and is a key step that anyone who is digging can do prior to locators arriving at their intended dig area. It saves time and money, and helps to expedite the 811 process. Here’s how it works:

1. Mark the area you intend to dig by using white paint and/or flags to visually convey to utility locators where the work is taking place.

2. Submit your online ticket at Indiana811.org and acknowledge the area you have white lined.

3. On-site utility locators arrive and know precisely where the work is taking place. Learn more about White Lining and the Five Steps to Safe Digging at Indiana811.org

CONTACT INDIANA 811