IDS Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023
INSIDE, P. 4
The great bagel obsession of Bloomington
Indiana Daily Student | idsnews.com
City of Bloomington to plant hundreds of trees By Andrew Miller
ami3@iu.edu | @andrew_mmiller
Bloomington will inventory and plant hundreds of trees between 2023-24, it announced Aug. 31. The inventory, conducted by the Davey Resource group, will cover 5,033 of the city’s trees, designating each tree’s location, species and size, as well as newly added maintenance and planting site information. SEE TREES, PAGE 5
OLIVIA BIANCO | IDS
A tree is seen Sept. 20, 2023, in Dunn Woods. Bloomington will inventory and plant hundreds of trees between 2023-24.
A year after his death, family and friends remember Nate Stratton
Rokita sues IU Health, alleging HIPAA violations tied to abortion case
By Christy Avery
averycm@iu.edu | @christym_avery
By Andrew Miller ami3@iu.edu | @andrew_mmiller
Ceci Stratton has celebrated her brother every moment since his passing — his kindness, laughter and authenticity. But for her family, the vigil held Sept. 17 marking the one-year anniversary of his passing felt less like a celebration of life than a call for change. “Today is an opportunity to show resilience in the face of tragedy,” Ceci said during her speech. “This is an opportunity to set an example – a necessity for change.” More than 50 of Nate Stratton’s friends and family members gathered in Dunn Meadow on Sunday afternoon to honor the former IU student who was killed last September after a hit-andrun incident involving an alleged drunk driver. Sitting on blankets in Dunn Meadow, those who knew Nate clapped, cried and embraced as they listened to music and shared their fondest memories of the man they said had a fire for life. Originally from Excelsior, Minnesota, Nate was a junior in the Kelley School of Business pursuing a career in entrepreneurship. Shortly before tragedy struck, he had accepted a study abroad opportunity in Australia. The event was supported
BRIANA PACE | IDS
Students have a moment of silence in remembrance of Nate Stratton on Sept. 17, 2023, in Dunn Meadow. The Nate Stratton Celebration of Life event was held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with live music, remarks about Stratton’s impact and a candlelight vigil.
by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, an organization focused on ending impaired driving. IU alumni band Funk Almighty performed songs including “Uptown Funk,” “September” and “Tennessee Whiskey.” Peyton Womock, the band’s saxophonist and road manager, said the band wanted to participate to honor Nate’s legacy and raise awareness against drunk driving. Nate died Sept. 18, 2022, after Bloomington resident Madelyn Howard, an IU alum, reportedly veered into the bicycle lane at the intersection of North Walnut Street and East 12th Street and hit him with her car, the Indiana Daily Student reported. Nate was riding an electric scooter at the time of the incident, making his way
back from Raising Cane’s around 2 a.m. Howard allegedly had a blood alcohol level of .226 – almost three times the legal limit of .08 – and fled the scene after striking Nate. Howard has since been charged with four felonies: reckless homicide, leaving the scene of an accident, operating a vehicle while intoxicated and causing death when operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .08 or more. Howard is currently free on bond, with a jury trial set for Feb. 26, 2024, according to court documents. Nate’s parents Brad and Elizabeth Stratton filed a civil lawsuit against Howard in Nov. 2022, according to court documents. They added Kilroy’s Sports Bar, where Howard was reportedly
drinking that night, to the lawsuit in May, claiming bar staff allegedly continued to serve Howard alcohol after she was visibly intoxicated, a crime in Indiana. Howard was a Kilroy’s employee but was off-duty the night of the incident. Sunday’s vigil was held just days after another student riding an e-scooter was struck by a driver on campus Sept. 14. The student was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Although both Nate and the other student were hit while riding scooters, his family wants to make one thing clear: drunk drivers are the problem, not scooters. Ceci said Nate’s death was not an accident, but a wrong and avoidable choice. SEE NATE, PAGE 5
Jacobs opens opera season with ‘The Merry Widow’ By Gino Diminich
Gdiminic@iu.edu | @ gino.diminich2
As the overture plays, silhouettes dance across a large panel of intricately decorated windows before giving way to a jubilant ball in full swing. As the guests dance and drink, so too is the audience invited into the fast and hilarious world of “The Merry Widow.”
The Jacobs School of Music will present this opera with two casts at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 and 23 at the Musical Arts Center. “The Merry Widow” is a German operetta composed by Franz Lehár and follows a recently widowed woman as she attempts to fend off numerous suitors all vying for
her affection and the enormous fortune left to her. At the center of the chaos is the Baron of Pontevedro trying to convince Count Danilo Danilovitsch to marry the widow to ensure her fortune stays in their poverty-stricken country. SEE OPERA, PAGE 5
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita filed a lawsuit Sept. 15 against IU Health and IU Healthcare Associates. The lawsuit claims they violated patient privacy and state law after a doctor shared the story of a 10-yearold rape victim from Ohio who had traveled to Indiana for an abortion. The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that IU Health illegally supported Dr. Caitlin Bernard, an IU Health OB-GYN, after she had shared the patient's story in a July 2022 IndyStar article. At that time, IU Health said their review of the case found she had not violated patient privacy laws. In May 2023, the Indiana Medical Licensing Board ruled Bernard had breached state and federal privacy laws. However, many medical professionals and the American Medical Association disagreed with this ruling. Donna Shalala, former United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and who helped write federal HIPAA laws, said Bernard did not violate any federal laws. The Board reprimanded and fined Bernard $3,000. The day after the licensing board’s hearing, IU Health
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Indiana announces 2023-24 Big Ten schedule By Will Foley
wtfoley@iu.edu | @foles24
GINO DIMINICH | IDS
IU graduate student Jonathan Elmore rehearses as Count Danilo Danilovitsch for the Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theater's production of "The Merry Widow" on Sept. 18, 2023.
released a statement saying they disagreed with the ruling. The lawsuit alleges IU Health and IU Healthcare Associates inappropriately decided to protect the doctor rather than patient privacy. The lawsuit states IU Health’s original review did not properly investigate Bernard’s actions. Rokita also alleges IU was inconsistent in its application of privacy policies ratified Bernard’s misconduct by publicly contradicting the licensing board’s decision. “IUH has created confusion regarding what conduct is permitted under HIPAA privacy laws and the Indiana Patient Confidentiality rule,” the lawsuit says. “The inconsistencies and confusion threaten the privacy of its Indiana patients.” IU Health said in a statement over email it will respond directly to Rokita's office on the case. "At IU Health, we hold ourselves accountable every day for providing quality healthcare and securing privacy for our patients. We continue to be disappointed the Indiana Attorney General’s office persists in putting the state’s limited resources toward this matter. We will respond directly to the AG’s office on the filing," the statement says.
Indiana men’s basketball’s Big Ten conference schedule was announced Sept. 19 afternoon per an IU athletics press release. The Hoosiers open their
Bloomington's 7 Day Forecast
Big Ten season at home in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Dec. 1, hosting Maryland. Indiana will then travel to Ann Arbor to face Michigan on Dec. 5. SEE SCHEDULE, PAGE 5
SOURCE: XANDER LOWRY | XLOWRY@OUTLOOK.COM GRAPHICS BY: THE WEATHER CHANNEL
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