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Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 | Indiana Daily Student | idsnews.com
» SMITH
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 was the first to congratulate him. “It touched me,” Panos said. “He made me feel special that night, but not just me — everyone.” Panos and Fattore knew Smith for roughly a year. They said they will always remember his kindness and ability to listen. In the spring, a relative of
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COURTESY PHOTO
Students and community members have woven countless stars as part of One Million Stars to End Violence at locations such as Middle Way House, the Boys and Girls Club, and Girls Inc. The Lotus Education & Arts Foundation is spending the year focusing on this cause, and Mathers Museum of World Cultures and the Eskenazi Museum of Art have also participated in the weaving of stars. Mathers will have a weave-in Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 project speaks directly to those desires in a beautiful and culturally relevant way.” Hatcher said the arts in general are an effective avenue for communication and
» SWIMMING
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 top.” The IU women’s divers will be lead by Parratto and senior Michal Bower. Bower comes into the meet on the heels of a thirdplace finish at the USA Diving Winter Nationals in the 3-meter springboard. The result earned her a spot on the USA World University games roster competing in Taipei, Taiwan, in August. Parratto, a Dover, New Hampshire, native, is continuing her transition this year from platform diving to the springboard. So far the decision to focus on the springboard has paid off. “It’s definitely a lot harder for me just because I’ve focused so much of my time and energy on platform,” Parratto said. ”So, it’s such a different concept to go in
that is why projects like this send a message and promote dialogue in the world at large. “Both visual and performance arts allow for the spread of subtle or overt messages in entertaining and engaging ways,” Hatcher said. “There is a long tradition of us-
ing music, political cartoons, poetry, books and more to peacefully protest that which is wrong or to advocate for that which is necessary. In this instance messages of hope and peace are being passed on by the weaving of the stars themselves.”
and train. Obviously it’s a lot lower, and it actually moves up and down. I’m working on my leg strength and improving that and just learning all the big dives I need to compete and actually be competitive in the Big Ten and NCAA.” The spring opener will also reflect the work the Hoosiers put in during winter break. During that time the swimmers took a training trip to Bermuda, where they lived in an army barracks, and the divers had a training camp in Bloomington that began right after the New Year. “It was different,” Pieroni said of the barracks. “I think we had probably about 30 guys in one room together, and it definitely facilitated a faster bonding experience, which was the other goal of the trip.” Johansen also described
the experience his divers endured while in Bloomington by explaining the camp allowed the athletes to focus entirely on diving and not have to worry about schoolwork and other worries that come during the year. Now back in class and back in the pool, the Hoosiers are ready to welcome the Wolverines to town and get a crack at what could be the men’s first victory against Michigan in a dual meet since the 1998-99 season and the women’s first since 2013-14. “I know that every single person on this team is not going to hold back as far as that,” Parratto said. “We’ve wanted that win for so long. I feel like I know it’s our time to really, really show everyone and prove to whoever doubted us before that it’s really our time to shine.”
Laffoon said the United States’ struggle with racial problems is systemic and ongoing and has become more overt in recent months. “I am 45, and this is the first time in my life that I have see such a racially divided nation,” Laffoon said. “MLK Day is four days before the swearing in of a president that for many will bring a season we hoped would never come.” Sims’ and Laffoon’s concerns stem from observations of the political leadership of President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. In November Trump selected Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, as his choice for attorney general. Civil rights activists decried the move due to Sessions’ voting records. According to Ballotopedia, Sessions voted against the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act in 2013 and against special funding for minority- and womanowned businesses in 1998. National news sites, including the New York Times and fivethirtyeight.com have reported Sessions called the 1965 Voting Rights Act intrusive legislation. “The other day I was just reading Coretta Scott King’s letter about (Sessions’) history of coming after civil rights leaders,” Laffoon said. “Here we are, 20 to 30 years later, and the past is repeating itself in such a way that we have to be vigilant.” Laffoon and Sims are not the only leaders who have felt urgency and concern
Fattore’s was having medical complications, and Smith noticed a change in his friend’s behavior. “Nic saw me down and asked if I was all right,” Fattore said. “I just spilled it all out. He was very good at listening.” After the summer break, when Fattore returned to school, Smith asked him how his family member was doing. Fattore said he will always miss how Smith made
him feel — either annoyed at his sarcasm, he said while laughing, or so lucky to have him by his side. “I think I’m going to miss knowing that no matter what happened to me or someone I know, I always had Nic to fall back on,” Fattore said. Smith died Tuesday night. The Dallas Cowboys have their first playoff game of the season against the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 15.
about the political climate. Yassmin Fashir, an IU sophomore and community educator in Wilkie Quad, said she believes MLK Day is a day to remember the fight. “For me, MLK Day is a day where I feel like we can at least remember that what we’re fighting for is timeless and that it transcends generations,” Fashir said. Fashir helped create “The Formation Exhibition,” an exhibit featuring photography from the civil rights era next to photos illustrating the same fight in present day among other displays. “We’re doing this to show that the fight for black liberation is still going on today,” Fashir said. “What I see going on today is parallel to what happened during the civil rights movement.” Fashir’s MLK Day activism began when she enrolled at IU. Culture shock prompted her to take action, she said. “A lot of it was self-realization that I was black,” Fashir said. “Before, I didn’t realize what that meant.” Dexter Griffin, a sophomore at Bloomington High School South, said he will serve on MLK Day for the twelfth consecutive year. His family introduced him to MLK Day service when he was three. Griffin’s service extends well past MLK Day. Griffin was awarded the Commission on the Status of Black Males’ Outstanding Black Male Leader of Tomorrow Award in 2016. While Griffin said he loves to serve the community, he also hopes for better times. He said he’d like to see
more open-mindedness and integration within Bloomington beyond MLK Day. “Some people here are really close-minded,” Griffin said. “Being a black man, I’ve seen some things. It’s hard to explain, but these things, in the black community, we’ve always seen it.” Sims said even though the holiday is largely centered around service, he believes some people will walk away changed, perhaps through conversations they may have with people different than them. “Conversation is what’s valuable,” Sims said. One opportunity for consideration and conversationstarting will be Monday night in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater when Adam Foss will speak. Foss is an advocate for criminal justice reform and a former juvenile division assistant district attorney in Boston. Foss said he is concerned with systemic injustice and will speak about how to combat inequity and mobilize communities to exercise their civil rights. “Service is a good thing,” Foss said. “It should happen all the time. Sometimes I feel like doing service is a way that we make ourselves feel better about not having that really uncomfortable conversation that we should be having, especially right now.” Despite their shared apprehension, all five people will serve the Bloomington and IU communities on MLK Day. “I believe this is the way it is,” Sims said. “Only light can overcome dark, and only love can defeat hate.”
HOUSING FAIR January 21-May 7, 2017 Exhibit Opening Saturday, January 21, at 2 p.m. Join us in celebrating the opening of the exhibition with food and music. The event will be free and open to the public.
SAY ALOHA TO YOUR NEW HOME FEBRUARY 1
IMU ALUMNI HALL
10 A.M. - 4 P.M.
FILM FESTIVAL Meet with local vendors to find a place to live. Houses, apartments, townhomes & more, the Housing Fair has it all.
January 26-28
Buskirk-Chumley Theater idsnews.com/housingfair
bloomingtonPRIDE.org