County library to close earlier on weekdays
By Adelyn Rabbit adrabb@iu.edu
Adara Nichols, 32, sits in a library window seat with two suitcases behind her chair.
She’s been unhoused in Bloomington for two years.
She is at the downtown library almost every other day from 3 p.m. until it closes on weeknights at 9 p.m.
She was unaware that beginning Nov. 24, the downtown branch of the Monroe County Public Library would close two hours earlier, at 7 p.m., on weeknights.
Nichols said it would impact her directly, and she’s especially worried about the change occurring at the beginning of the winter months’ harsh weather conditions.
“I would personally feel saddened if it closed two hours early,” Nichols said.
Tori Lawhorn, communications and marketing director at MCPL, said the library’s primary funding source is
property taxes, so when Indiana’s Senate Enrolled Act 1 was signed into law April 15, the library was forced to make a change. The law lowered residential property taxes and planned for longterm tax reform, in turn undermining funding for public institutions including libraries and schools.
The library is aware of its role within the local unhoused community, Lawhorn said, and added that there are other local options for those in need. When the library closes at 7 p.m. beginning in November, unhoused patrons won’t have to wait for another resource to open after leaving the library for the night, she said.
Due to SEA 1, the library estimated it would be $350,000 to $375,000 short of its annual budget. Library leaders weighed their options and considered closing a location one day a week, Lawhorn said, but
New IU policy permits professor relocation
By Samantha Camire scamire@iu.edu
A policy passed by the IU Board of Trustees in June allows the university to require professors to relocate to a different campus.
Before, reductions in the number of tenured and tenure-track faculty were to be achieved through “voluntary reassignment or attrition,” the new policy allows the university to reduce faculty numbers through “reassignment, which may involve transfer of tenure home, transfer to a different campus, or attrition.”
Effectively, this means faculty could be required to transfer to any of IU’s nine major and regional campuses, as well as its nine School of Medicine campuses.
The new policy also emphasizes that university procedures may be altered to remain in compliance with state and federal law and reduces faculty input in decisions regarding the merger,
reorganization and elimination of academic units and programs. Previous versions of the policy emphasized “shared faculty and administrative governance,” while the new policy stresses that recommendations from faculty are solely advisory.
The IU Bloomington chapter of the Association of University Professors decried the new policy, calling it “draconian.”
An IU spokesperson did not respond to request for comment.
The policy was passed at the June 2025 Board of Trustees meeting, where trustees also approved performance reviews for tenured faculty and a $225,000 bonus for IU President Pamela Whitten, among other items. The June meeting was also the first for the three newest trustees. They were appointed by Gov. Mike Braun following his removal of the previously elected trustees June 2.
ultimately decided that closing the downtown branch two hours earlier Monday through Thursday would be the best solution for the budget shortfall.
The decision was influenced by the location’s data on library traffic and anecdotal evidence from staff and patrons, Lawhorn said, which showed that usage of the downtown library significantly decreased after 7 p.m.
The other MCPL locations, Southwest and Ellettsville, already close at 7 p.m. during the week, and Lawhorn said the downtown library team had previously considered matching the hours even prior to the property tax changes to allocate resources more efficiently.
As its primary response to budget changes, MCPL will reduce staff by five full-time equivalent positions through attrition over the next three years, as staffing is the library’s highest expenditure.
Reducing the downtown location’s hours is a method to make staff reduction easier.
According to Lawhorn, the library’s projected savings between these two strategies is about $360,000, enough to make up for MCPL’s estimated deficit.
Before the library board announced its plan publicly June 18, Lawhorn said they conducted meetings with each staff department in the MCPL system to receive feedback. Though some staff members expressed disappointment, Lawhorn said, “The overwhelming response was they understand."
Lawhorn said the only major worries she heard expressed by patrons are from those who use the branch’s meeting rooms between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weeknights. About 10% of daily downtown library use is accounted for by meeting room use, Lawhorn said. MCPL provides a list of other meet-
ing places available in Monroe County that is regularly updated by staff.
The downtown branch of the library serves as a study spot for IU students. Senior Vanessa Vasquez studies there often in the evenings after her on-campus activities are complete. She said the free parking at the library makes studying there more accessible for her than at oncampus study locations.
“One of the reasons I come here is because when I drive to school, it’s usually pretty hard to park on campus,” Vasquez said. “I know not everyone’s able to afford a parking pass, so the library is always a good alternative to have somewhere accessible because they have a free parking lot.” She noted that the library’s collection of textbooks can be useful for IU students, and that the downtown library’s location is more convenient for students on campus than the
other two locations, which are both over 10-minute drives from campus, while the downtown branch is about a five-minute walk from the Sample Gates.
“I think it’s also just good to have somewhere off campus, like, you don’t always want to be on campus,” Vasquez said. “Being here is kind of a refresher from everything else, like Wells especially can get really busy.” Any programs that take place in the downtown library past 7 p.m. on weeknights will be moved to a different MCPL location or to an earlier time of day. Offsite programs will be unaffected by the library’s change in hours and the MCPL eLibrary will still be available around the clock.
“Reducing operating hours is never a desired move for us,” Lawhorn said. “But we do believe that it’s the most appropriate and sustainable adjustment we can make at this time.”
Bloomington Jazz Orchestra concert highlights Indiana composers
By Stella Klaus ssklaus@iu.edu
Bloomington residents rolled out their blankets and set up chairs Sept. 7 evening at the Switchyard Park amphitheater for a night with the Bloomington Jazz Orchestra. Spanning around two hours, the event included performances of an array of pieces, even featuring some songs by Indiana composers.
“We have spent time this summer playing music of Indiana composers and arrangers including David Baker, Hoagy Carmichael, Al Cobine, Freddie Hubbard, Wes Montgomery and Brent Wallarab,” Lissa May, director of the Bloomington Jazz Orchestra, said in an email. “We will also perform an arrangement of ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing’, by our very own lead trombonist and Bloomington resident, Sam Swyers.”
During the concert, the musicians played two of Carmichaels' most popular songs, “Heart and Soul” and “Stardust.” They also played “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” originally written by Don Gibson in honor of Janis Stockhouse, the previous director of the Bloomington
Jazz Orchestra. Stockhouse passed away last December.
The orchestra plays at a variety of community events and had multiple “firsts” this summer, including playing at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis. The group also collaborated with the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, performing a concert together in August.
“This concert at Switchyard Park is an opportunity for us to perform for an audience from the community that may not otherwise have an opportunity to hear us,” May said. “The Bloomington Jazz Orchestra musicians really love to play and bring jazz to the community.”
The orchestra plays a variety of jazz music, including 1940s swing tunes and contemporary jazz. It is comprised of musicians with varied experiences, some being professional musicians and others music educators or current IU music students.
During the concert, a few people slowly made their way to the paved area in front of the stage and began dancing, most of whom were part of the Swing Dance Club at IU.
“We just love showing up to dance to live music,” Zoe Willingham, president
of the Swing Dance Club and a music student in the final year of her IU master's degree, said. “We don’t really get an opportunity to a lot of the time, so for the past couple of weeks when there’s been live music, we just like to go.”
As a music student studying jazz violin, Willingham likes listening to live music often, and this show offered some new arrangements she hadn’t heard before. Because of how frequently she listens to the band, she said it is nice to hear the orchestra play new pieces.
“I can tell that they’re trying to get out of their comfort zone and, you know, just try new things, which is what performing is for,” Willingham said. “You want to expand yourself and not just stay in the same box.”
Some audience members enjoyed both the music and watching the dancers. Kirsten Tucker, an IU alumna, said it was fun to see the dancers and musicians collaborate. Tucker loved watching the swing dancers because it often inspires kids to go up and dance too.
Tucker attended the concert to support her partner, who is a saxophone player in the orchestra and had
multiple solos during the concert.
“I love listening to all the solos,” Tucker said. “I think it’s incredible what jazz musicians can come up with just on the spot, just the improv skills that they have are incredible, and I love being able to hear the art that they create.”
Bloomington and Switchyard Park offer many opportunities to listen to live music, including upcoming events like the Splattertones on Sept. 12 and Evening with the Bloomington Community Band on Sept. 21. Many of these options are free and help support community groups.
“I’ve been to the Switchyard venue quite a few times, I love it,” Lexie Prat, member of the Bloomington Chamber Singers, said. “It’s such a beautifully manufactured space as a casual concert venue to show up and come and go from.”
The Bloomington Jazz Orchestra has several upcoming events in September, including playing from 6:30-8 p.m. Sept. 17 at Meadowood and from 4:30-6 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Persimmon Festival. The orchestra is also playing at the Bloom Magazine Gala on Sept 19.
IDS FILE PHOTO
The IU Board of Trustees sits during a meeting June 13, 2024, at Henke Hall of Champions in Bloomington. A policy allowing forced relocation of professors was passed during the June 2025 Board of Trustees meeting.
The Monroe County Public Library is pictured March
STELLA KLAUS | IDS
Audience members dance while the Bloomington Jazz Orchestra performs Sept. 7, 2025, at the Switchyard Park amphitheater in Bloomington. The orchestra performed an array of pieces, even featuring some songs by Indiana composers.
ARTS
University students give creative makeovers
By Zoe Reed reedzoe@iu.edu
IU students created murals, parklets and public art installations for rural communities
What used to be blank walls and empty spaces are now filled with murals, parklets and public art.
On Sept. 4, students and community members alike celebrated the completion of a collaborative placemaking art and design project that transformed rural downtowns across south and central Indiana at IU’s Rural Placemaking Studio Open House.
The open house, held from 5-7 p.m., featured design boards displaying projects from each of the 16 participating counties. Students stood by their boards to walk guests through the creative process, while community representatives gathered to discuss how the work had impacted their towns.
The celebration marked
the culmination of the 2025 Rural Placemaking Studio initiative, a partnership between the IU ServeDesign Center at IU’s Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design and the IU Center for Rural Engagement. The project connects university faculty and students with rural communities to enhance public spaces through art and design, including wayfinding signage and public art installations.
Tracy Brown-Salsman, a Martin County resident, praised the students’ work on historical buildings.
“It turned out just beautiful,” he said. “We’re very impressed with the work the students did with our community in Martin County, and it looks like they did beautiful work for the other communities.”
Jon Racek, program director of comprehensive de-
sign at Eskenazi and director of the ServeDesign Center, said that the project is run like a professional design firm.
“The faculty are the design partners, and the students are the ones managing each project,” Racek said.
The 2025 program represents an expansion from the previous year, growing from 13 to 16 participating communities. The initiative focuses on rural communities with populations of 50,000 or fewer within approximately 90 miles of Bloomington, targeting areas that often lack resources for professional design services.
“Sometimes we act as just a catalyst for getting projects going,” Racek said. “Our goal is to hand it back to them with a design they can show to the rest of the community, to professionals, and even use for grants or capital cam-
paigns.”
Projects completed this summer span multiple counties and include diverse community enhancement efforts. The artwork includes parklets, or small seating areas in parking lots, historical signage celebrating local heritage, pre-architectural designs for community centers and murals that activate underutilized downtown spaces.
For students like Julian Clensy, an IU senior in comprehensive design, the experience offered hands-on learning.
“Talking with the people and getting their opinions on the designs was the most fun part for me,” he said. “It helped me learn how to work on human-centered designs for real people.”
The program received significant industry improvements this year through
HWC Engineering’s $100,000 pledge supporting student engagement. The multi-disciplinary firm, which serves public and private clients across Indiana through economic development, planning, landscape architecture and other services, recognized the program’s dual benefit to students and communities.
“The heart of it is creating a place where people feel at home, have a sense of identity and pride where they live,” Hoosier Quality of Place Liaison with the IU Center for Rural Engagement Nicole Vasconi said.
As part of her role, Vasconi serves as a collaborator and co-director of the Placemaking Studio, handling logistics, scheduling and applications behind the scenes.
“A big part of the process is leading the community engagement sessions and
community planning sessions,” Vasconi said. “We make sure the project is not just one person’s idea, but there has really been consensus around it and drive within the community to see it through.”
That emphasis on collaboration carried through to the student’s experience in the field.
“I hope the projects create spaces where communities can gather and connect,” Clensy said. “If you want to learn how to work with real people, with real clients, then do it. You get good reallife experience.”
A further call for proposals, inviting communities to submit projects for consideration, is planned for winter 2025.
“We’ve got more projects that we would like to work on,” Brown-Salsman said. “This is just the beginning.”
IU ranked third-worst college for free speech in report
By Jack Forrest jhforres@iu.edu | @byjackforrest
IU was named the thirdworst university in the country for free speech in rankings released Tuesday by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
Of the 257 higher education schools included, IU ranked above only Barnard College and Columbia University — two private institutions — making it the worstranked public university for free speech in the United States. An IU spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Why did IU rank so low?
IU’s ranking stemmed from five “speech controversies” in 2024 and 2025. FIRE referenced IU’s cancellation of an art exhibition by Palestinian-American artist Samia Halaby scheduled for February 2024. According to the artist’s grandniece, a museum official cited safety concerns and Halaby’s Instagram posts, in which she often expresses her support for Palestine and a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War, for the cancelation. In March 2024, IU Hillel planned to host former Hamas member and Israeli spy Mosab Hassan Yousef in a speaker event. Amid criticism from the Middle Eastern Student Association and Palestine Solidarity Committee against Yousef’s
derogatory comments about Muslims, protesters planned a counter-demonstration.
The university asked Hillel to postpone the event due to security concerns. Hillel vowed to reschedule the event for the fall but never did. The counterprotest, originally against Yousef’s visit, did take place, though IU warned organizers it could put the MESA and PSC in violation of university policies unless they went through official event registration procedures. Both the PSC and MESA later posted on social media they were unaffiliated with the demonstration.
The College Republicans at IU hosted then-Rep. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, and Chaya Raichik, the creator behind the “Libs of TikTok” social media accounts in April 2024. Protesters disrupted the event by shouting. According to the IU Police Department, two individuals refused to stop being disruptive after three requests and were escorted out and briefly detained before being released. College Republicans posted on Instagram that the club “SUCCESSFULLY hosted Jim Banks and Chaya Raichik” despite “attempts to SHUT DOWN the event.”
The FIRE ranking also referenced students punished for their participation in the pro-Palestinian Dunn Meadow encampment last year. Following a policy change the night before the start of the demonstration,
IU and Indiana State Police arrested over 50 protesters on two separate days in late April 2024. Those arrested were initially banned from campus for at least a year, though the bans and criminal trespass charges were later dropped.
The county chief deputy prosecutor described the policy change as “constitutionally dubious,” and the university later adopted a more comprehensive policy on campus speech.
The IU School of Medicine canceled an annual conference on LGBTQ+ health care in January this year. Executive associate dean Mary
Dankoski said leadership decided to cancel it due to the “challenging” timing given state and federal actions restricting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
What does the ranking mean?
IU fell 12 places from last year’s ranking, receiving a score of “F” for at least the fifth year in a row. IU was one of 166 schools in the most recent report to receive an “F” for its speech climate, according to FIRE.
The free speech organization states it surveyed 325 IU students, with 54% saying they’ve self-censored on
campus at least once or twice a month. Nearly 75% of students surveyed said “shouting down” speakers on campus is acceptable, at least in rare cases, and 35% said using violence to stop someone from speaking is acceptable, at least in rare cases.
IU received an overall grade of 43.9, a “yellow” on FIRE’s spotlight ranking. That’s down from 44.7 in 2024 and 57.5 in 2021. The nationwide average this year was 58.63. The university also received an F in administrative support, political tolerance and self-censorship; a D- in openness and comfort expressing ideas; and a C+ in disruptive conduct. According to a faculty survey released by FIRE in December, over 70% of IU faculty respondents said it was not very or not at all clear that the administration protects free speech on campus. Nearly 70% reported considering academic freedom as not at all or not very secure, and 34% said they recently changed their writing “for fear of causing controversy.”
In this year’s free speech rankings, Purdue placed second-best in the country. DePauw University ranked 18th, and the University of Notre Dame ranked 238th.
IU enrollment up despite fewer international students
By Mia Hilkowitz
In April, several IU students had their visas cancelled, though President Donald Trump’s administration announced later it would restore many of the thousands of visas terminated nationwide. Trump’s administration has still revoked more than 6,000 student visas . Overall, enrollment systemwide and at IU Bloomington is up from last fall, coming in at 89,247 and 48,626, respectively. However, the number of students is still down compared to other headcounts from the past nine years, with the exception of fall 2024.
From 2016 to 2022, overall enrollment at IU dropped from around 95,000 to 90,000, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. IU again recorded a drop to 88,490 in 2024. IU Bloomington’s overall enrollment has steadily increased since 2020, when the student population dipped slightly to around 43,000. In an email to IU faculty and staff, university President Pamela Whitten highlighted that IU Online, IU’s online education program that launched in 2012, now has more than 10,000 degreeseeking students. Additionally, Whitten noted IU Indianapolis’ incoming class increased by around 10% and 70% of all undergraduate students are Indiana residents.
ZOE REED | IDS
Julian Clensy shakes hands with Nashville, Indiana, residents Sept. 4, 2025, while presenting the Rural Placemaking Studio’s Lincoln Pinch Park project in Maxwell Hall. The Indiana University program connects student designers with rural communities to develop place-based improvement projects.
crowd of protesters are pictured April 29, 2024, at Dunn Meadow in Bloomington. IU was named the third-worst university in the country for free speech in rankings released Sept. 9 by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
Advait Save (he/him)
is a junior studying economics and sociology
When I was 12, I had certain thoughts and behaviors that I did not consider unusual. In hindsight, I think I washed my hands a lot. After a point, it had become a ritual to wash them at least once every 30 minutes and about three or more times before touching my computer or notebooks. I had also developed a fear of the color red, leading me to wash my hands just at the sight of it on everyday objects.
It was only when my mother saw my palms become flaky and almost develop cracks from all the vigorous hand washing that she realized something was off. As a medical professional, her doctor’s eyes were alarmed. She inquired, and I told her about some of my behavioral patterns, which, until then, a pre-pubescent middle schooler like me thought were normal.
The truth was they weren’t. It was only due to her active intervention that we saw a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with obsessive-compulsive disorder, colloquially known by its abbreviation OCD. OCD is often misunderstood in popular culture as the tendency for someone to be orderly by arranging their pens a certain way or alphabetically organizing their bookshelf. I believe this misconcep-
Let’s make your mental health great again
tion of the condition is quite common and leads to invalidating the seriousness of the issue. In my personal experience, OCD has been more about intrusive thoughts. For instance, even today whenever I leave my apartment, I make sure to check if the bathroom faucet is running or not. I do this by closing and opening the bathroom door exactly three times — sometimes more, depending on my mood. I recognize the irrationality of doing this, but I still do it because my brain constantly buzzes with the thought of my apartment getting flooded. My rationale for legitimizing this action is attempting to achieve greater accuracy in reaching reality through multiple observations.
Through medication and behavioral therapy, I have overcome most of the worst aspects of my condition, like compulsive hand washing. There are still days when some of those symptoms return to varying degrees, but my therapist and I have developed ways to handle them. Certain behaviors feel usual to us, and it isn’t just individual ignorance that makes them usual; it’s also a lack of intervention from people around us that fuels our habits. We often don’t feel like ourselves; we recognize that to a point, but we don’t act upon it until a loved one points them out to us.
Today’s mental health
discourse is often characterized as an individual problem, which diminishes the role of community in helping people counter their conditions. Professor of critical psychiatry at University College London, Joanna Moncrieff, in her work “The Political Economy of the Mental Health System,” critiques this narrow biomedical perspective on mental health issues. She suggests mental health issues are not like physical issues, best explained by chemical abnormalities inside an individual’s brain. Instead, they are deeply entangled with social, economic and political realities.
She argues that mental healthcare has grown in a capitalist system prioritizing efficiency and discipline. By labelling mental distress as medical and situating the problem solely within the individual, it obscures the contribution of social isolation, socio-economic inequalities and racial discrimination in increasing the rates of mental suffering. This perspective challenges the prevailing biomedical model, which often dominates treatment and public perception. It calls for a deeper acknowledgment of how our environment creates conditions for distress, just as any biological cause.
This critique underscores that addressing mental health issues requires communal and systemic solutions. In part, such community spaces
allow us to recognize distress in others as readily as we notice it in ourselves, creating a foundation for shared healing rather than solitary endurance. Moncrieff’s critique highlights a deeper material issue that requires policy changes, which potentially limits our immediate agency, but our hands aren’t completely tied; there are ways in which we can develop communal methods to support our peers. At IU, we have existing resources such as care referrals that promote communal support. However,
that mustn’t be the end of it. We should actively work toward creating conditions of acceptance and spaces where everyone feels welcomed and noticed. This could be achieved through schools that teach early emotional literacy, workplaces that offer accommodations for individuals experiencing mental distress or even a student organization on campus that brings people together and educates them about active interventions and emotional care. Individual biomedical treatment matters and is backed by scientific
A PLEA TO SENATOR YOUNG, LET GAZA LIVE
literature. However, the existence of that treatment would be of no use if my mother hadn’t noticed my condition in the first place. With us living away from our immediate families, we must foster communities that notice and care for us. So, this semester, don’t just make your mental health great, work toward caring for others and building a community that looks after everybody’s well-being, because when things don’t go our way, we have no one else but our community.
ausave@iu.edu
Daniel A. Segal is
at the Claremont Colleg-
es and a member of both the Academic Council of Jewish Voice for Peace and the state coordinating committee of Jewish Voice for Peace Indiana.
Gaza’s struggle to feed its population began many years before October 2023. Since 2007, Israel has blocked crucial agricultural supplies from entering Gaza, notably fertilizer. The Israeli blockade also limited Gazans’ access to the Mediterranean Sea and thus to fishing, which previously had been a vital source of food in the small territory. While Gazans nonetheless persisted in producing some food, more than half of Gaza’s food was imported following the 2007 blockade, most of it as aid. The Israeli military assault in response to Hamas’s guerrilla attack Oct. 7, 2023, further cut both imports and local food production. By March 2024, knowledge-
able observers warned of an unfolding famine. A year later, in March 2025, food deprivation was already pervasive and then became far worse when the Netanyahu government closed Gaza to food aid. After more than two months, in response to global outrage, Israel again allowed a trickle of food to enter — but since then, its soldiers have regularly fired on and killed Gazans who trek to the small handful of designated food distribution sites. In effect, Israel has given Palestinians in Gaza a choice about how they will die, whether by starvation or murder.
When I consider this awful choice Gazans face, my mind turns to Robert Frost’s poem, “Fire and Ice,” which reflects on the different ways humanity might bring the world to an end — which is, in a sense, what has been happening for Palestinians in Gaza under Israel’s genocide.
Even the most ardent propagandist for Netanyahu’s government today strains to claim that Israel is not deploying food as a weapon of war.
Indiana’s Senator Todd Young has a notable and commendable track record on the issue of the use of food as a weapon of war. It is a record that Young cannot — that he should not —
Prakriti Khurana (she/her) is a senior studying finance and business analytics.
I have always been a visual person, and I love watching movies and shows over listening, reading books or consuming other forms of media. However, this past summer, after a friend’s recommendation, I started listening to podcasts while walking or cooking. Being a horror and thriller fanatic, I was instantly drawn to true crime podcasts. What began as a love for murder mysteries grew into a habit that reshaped how I spend my free time, listening to both “Solved Murders” and “Unsolved Murders.” What struck me most was how seamlessly podcasts fit into my routine. I usually filled that space with music, but it started getting boring and repetitive. My music taste is limited to the 2010s, and I have exhausted that playlist. This led me to transition into a world of podcasts which expanded beyond my imagination. Suddenly, I could turn everyday chores into moments of entertainment or learning. With categories ranging from news and education to conspiracy theories and comedy, there was something to match every mood and pocket of time.
As a loyal Spotify customer, thanks to the student discount, I turned to the platform to explore my new form of media and realized that many of my peers had made the same switch recently. According to Podcasthawk, podcast listenership is projected to climb from 450 million in 2023 to 619 million by 2026 — a surge that reflects their growing convenience and cultural relevance. Unlike movies or shows, podcasts don’t require tickets, long stretches of free time or even a screen.
As a student, I’ve found that listening to podcasts on the walk to class or during a workout is one of the best ways to use that time. Many IU students feel the same. Tovah Blumenfeld, a senior, shared she sometimes listens to “Gems with Miles and Julian” when cooking. She explained that while she would love to watch television during that time, podcasts help her stay concentrated and prepare a better meal. This trend isn’t unique to IU; according to a YouGov study, about half of Americans (49%) who listen to podcasts do so while completing household chores.
Another reason podcasts are gaining popularity is the personal touch they bring. Just like books, the listener
abandon.
Early in his Senate career, Young led efforts to oppose the use of food as a weapon of war in Yemen. His work on this issue, it is fair to say, diminished suffering and saved lives. And in 2022, Young commented: “It is time for the United States to hold those who use food as a weapon of war accountable for their horrific action.
uses their imagination to create a world of their own. Audiobooks have also been gaining traction recently due to the convenience with which they can be integrated into students’ lives. For example, you can listen to your favorite authors while riding the bus — a moment when reading a physical book isn’t as easy — or after a long day of classes, when your eyes are tired and you just want to relax. According to Music Ally, 25% of Spotify Premium subscribers have been engaging with audiobooks since the feature launched.
Another senior at IU, Pavithra Krishnan, said audiobooks provide her a chance to escape from her busy school schedule. She said different authors use different voices when
narrating their books that makes the experience of listening even more engaging. The rise of podcasts and the growing popularity of audiobooks show more than just a change in what we consume; they reflect how we live our lives. They combine convenience with imagination and a personal touch, making them feel like companions rather than just content. While movies, shows and physical books will always have their place, audio media fits easily into our schedules and lets us enjoy stories on our own terms. In a world where time is always in short supply, having something that moves us, sparks our curiosity and keeps us connected makes all the difference.
prkhuran@iu.edu
From Yemen to Ukraine, the world’s most vulnerable are suffering in unspeakable ways.” These are noble words from the senator — but they are words from three years ago. Compare them with everything Young has said publicly about the mounting famine in Gaza: “_____.”
That is right. No words. And no action.
We know that support for the human rights of Palestinians is regularly smeared, and thus chilled, by dishonest charges of antisemitism. This might well explain Young’s baleful pivot on this issue — that is, his wordless embrace of a Palestinian exception to his previously stated principles. It is thus crucial to affirm that Jewish ethical obligations to feed the hungry and stand with the oppressed support the struggle to end the Israeli state’s forced starvation of Gaza. This is why over two dozen rabbis occupied the
office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune on July 29, demanding he and the entire United States Senate stand against the Israeli food blockade. And it is why Jewish Voice for Peace Indiana has joined a broad interfaith coalition demanding that Senator Young of 2025 listen to Senator Young of 2022. Whether the 2025 senator does or does not listen to his own earlier words could play a decisive role in whether deaths from the famine in Gaza continue to increase significantly or, instead, a surge of food and medical aid enters the territory and saves precious lives. I thus ask every reader to contact Young’s office to urge the senator to listen to his younger self. His office can be reached at 202-2245623 or by using the letter writing tools on indianafastforgaza.com, which identifies additional actions that Hoosiers can take to Let Gaza Live!
Steve Metzler was a steering committee member for the IU Student Foundation in 1974.
Sportscasters beware — your ignorance is showing, When you call us the University of Indiana, unknowing. No such place exists, and it aggravates every fan in the land, We stand united, crimson-clad, with banners in hand. From the echoes of Assembly Hall to the roar of Memorial’s field, Our legacy runs deep, our pride never yields. We are cream and crimson, bold and true, Call it loud, call it proud,
It’s Indiana University or IU! Not some mix-up on your cue cards or a slip of the tongue, But a name that rings out like a victory song sung. We’ve earned our stripes in history’s game, So get it right when you speak our name. We’re not just a schoolwe’re a state of mind, Where grit meets grace and legends unwind. So next time you’re live and the cameras roll through, Remember the name, and say it like we do: Indiana University! IU! Forever proud, forever true.
COURTESY PHOTO
Rabbis with Jews for Food Aid for People in Gaza protest in the office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, on July 29, 2025, in Washington. More than two dozen of the rabbis were subsequently arrested.
ILLUSTRATION BY KELSEY GAULT
IDS FILE PHOTO
Indiana football fans cheer, some with their arms in the air, following a game against Northwestern University on Oct. 5, 2024, at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. Indiana became the first FBS team to be bowl eligible after their sixth win of the season.
ARTS
Unsung heroes of IU Auditorium: Volunteer ushers
By Sophie Albert soalbert@iu.edu
If you’ve ever seen a show at the IU Auditorium, you’ve most likely been greeted by smiling students wearing white button-down shirts and black pants. Maybe they helped you find your seat. Maybe they handed you a program. Maybe all they did was answer a question you had.
Patrons see these ushers every time they attend an event at the auditorium, and these students are vital to the workings of the auditorium.
The volunteer ushering program at IU Auditorium has allowed students to get a look behind the curtain while helping patrons since the auditorium opened in 1941. Through the program, students learn skills in customer service, see what goes on behind the scenes
By Abby Whited abwhited@iu.edu
Since their inception in 1984, MTV’s Video Music Awards have become the site of countless iconic pop culture moments. Think Britney Spears’ “I’m a Slave 4 U” performance with a live snake, Lady Gaga’s provocative rendition of “Paparazzi” and Beyonce’s pregnancy reveal during “Love on Top;” these are the moments that make up the fabric of iconic VMAs history.
Nowadays, iconic VMAs moments like these seem few and far between. It
at the auditorium and meet like-minded people, Mary Higdon, the assistant guest services manager at the IU Auditorium, said. Sophomore Liam Commons started ushering his freshman year of college.
“When I ushered for my very first show, ‘Les Misérables,’ I ended up liking it so much that I ushered for four different shows,” Commons said. “I got the chance to be a stage guard for one of them which was such a cool experience because between the matinee and evening show, I chatted with the pit orchestra and I got them to sign my program.”
Ushers arrive at the auditorium an hour before doors open to go over information about the show and practice seating.
Half an hour before the show begins, the ushers take their places and begin greeting guests. During this time,
with a dance break in a pit of dark sand.
She kicked off with her song “Revolving door,” which inspired a viral TikTok dance challenge earlier this year, stalking sultrily downstage before flawlessly hitting her signature backbend move. McRae then launched into a rendition of her hit “Sports car,” delivering the kind of pristine choreography that she has become known for. Serving an enigmatic state presence and a confident attitude while hitting all her marks, she completely owned the main stage during her performance slot.
Lady Gaga debuts “The
ushers show patrons to their seats and answer any questions guests may have. It is the usher’s duty to create a hospitable atmosphere that makes guests feel welcomed and calm, even when seating an auditorium of up to 3,200 people can get hectic.
After the show begins, ushers assist with late seating. This can be the most stressful part of ushering, as they must show patrons to their seats in the dark while a show is happening without disturbing any guests who are already settled in. Once the late seating period is over, ushers get to enjoy the show from the balcony for free, a great perk of the program for theater enthusiasts.
“Cost is definitely a barrier for some people to be able to go to shows ,and so giving people the opportunity to give back to their community, help lead people to their seats, that kind of thing, so
moments. Declaring “the category is dance or die” in a giant red ball gown from atop a massive cage filled with dancers, Gaga kicked off this year’s VMAs performance with a sense of drama and charisma she is known for bringing to the show. Despite the performance being pre-recorded, her soaring vocals, striking visuals, bizarre choreography and impressive staging certainly brought the VMAs to life.
Doja Cat performs “Jealous Type” with a 1980s flair
Doja Cat opened the 2025 VMAs with a performance full of 1980s-inspired imagery and aesthetics. Her re
that we can eliminate cost as a barrier is a really big benefit,” Commons said.
As the assistant guest services manager, Higdon’s role requires her to oversee both the volunteer ushers and student managers. She helps set up events, assigns students to different positions across the auditorium and is a point of contact for everyone, from volunteers, employees and talent, throughout the shows.
During her freshman year of college, she was drawn to the ushering program as a way to meet people outside of her elementary education major. She did theater in high school and wanted to help people while staying connected to theater while in college.
“When I found the auditorium, it was a great way to get guest service experience while also having some really awesome shows and be-
The performance began with a solo from saxophonist Kenny G, punctuating its nostalgic vibe. Doja then launched into a delivery of her newest song, hitting seductive, Janet Jacksoninspired choreography in a retro outfit. When the song progressed into its rapping portion, her breath control was measured and steady, clarifying each word. Although the performance featured callbacks to 1980s nostalgia, it still felt like an embodiment of Doja’s personal flair and stage presence.
Sabrina Carpenter spotlights drag artistry
One of the absolute high
ing able to connect to people that weren’t just in my school,” Higdon said. “I’ve met some of my best friends here, just through the different programs that we do.”
Destinee Clayton, the guest services manager at the auditorium, said ushers are vital to the type of customer service the auditorium likes to provide.
“The ‘plus one’ customer service that’s not only just meeting those expectations, but going above and beyond, so, you know, making someone feel as if they’re a friend,” Clayton said.
Ushers are a big part of this service because they are there at every show. She said many patrons come back again and again and like to get to know the ushers.
This connection built between patrons and ushers, sometimes over several years, creates a warm and familiar environment that
adds to the quality of guests’ experience at the auditorium, Higdon said. The auditorium encourages ushers to work five shows a semester, but they can always do more or less.
“I think it’s just a low commitment and possibly fun role that gives you access to the arts and also helps you provide that for other people,” Clayton said.
“I’m of the ‘don’t knock it until you try it’ kind of mentality,” Higdon said. “Come to a call out, come to our usher training, you’ll see how fun and exciting it can be to be a part of something bigger than yourself.” The program’s usher training session will be Sept. 29 at 6 p.m., also at the auditorium. You can find more information about ushering on the auditorium’s website or by emailing both audfloat@iu.edu and housemgr@iu.edu.
from her new album “Man’s Best Friend.” The performance began with Carpenter emerging onto a New York City street-inspired stage from a manhole marked with her name and ended with an energetic dance break in the rain.
Carpenter also paid direct homage to an iconic rainsoaked performance from Britney Spears’ Dream Within a Dream Tour by dancing in a downpour in a bra top similar to the one Spears wore on tour.
Carpenter’s set also took the opportunity to highlight LGBTQ+ and drag culture. Carpenter was accompanied by a posse of elaborately drag performers, all holding signs with various empowering messages such as “Protect trans rights” and “love each other.” The obvious message of pride and individuality, combined with its striking visuals, flirty dance sequences and Carpenter’s star-powered stage presence, made for a performance that was not only well-executed but incredibly enjoyable to watch.
Overall, these were the performances that made the show watchable and enjoyable. Amidst other performances that felt like the perfect time for a snack breath or a good time to tune out, these four women gave per
Usher Ash Mossberger (left) and student manager Maya Lawson (right) talk to an attendee of “Ain’t Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations” in November 2024 at the IU Auditorium. The ushering program at the
Auditorium has allowed
Auditorium shows.
Hoosiers dominate against Kennesaw State
By Dalton James jamesdm@iu.edu | @daltonmjames
Then- No. 23 Indiana football began its season with a far-from-impressive 13-point victory over Old Dominion University. And Curt Cignetti wasn’t pleased.
The second-year Hoosiers head coach was looking for improvement Sept. 6 as his squad hosted Kennesaw State University inside Memorial Stadium in Bloomington.
That’s just what the Hoosiers delivered in their 56-9 victory over the Owls.
“Good day,” Cignetti said postgame. “I think we made the improvement we needed to make, but it’s far from perfect. We’ll see areas of improvement tomorrow when we watch the tape. But we took a step forward with the step we needed to take.” Offensively, Indiana earned more.
More total yards. More passing yards. More rushing yards. More yards per play. More points. Most importantly, more touchdowns.
The Hoosiers largely failed to convert trips to the red zone into touchdowns in their season opener. In six trips inside Old Dominion’s 20-yard line, Indiana scored just two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt said postgame that the offense placed a “big emphasis” on red zone execution in practice. It paid dividends against the Owls.
Across seven trips inside the red zone Sept. 6, the Hoosiers finished each of them with a touchdown.
“That had to happen,” Cignetti said, “and we answered the bell.”
Not only did Cignetti want red zone improvement, but he also wanted to see redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza build off his season-opening performance.
championship programs like University of Notre Dame transfer redshirt senior offensive lineman Pat Coogan. So, continuing to attack the opponent is just another example of reinforcing the standard, culture and expectation.
“You’re trying to really teach habits, right?” Cignetti said. “And how you do something is how you do everything, and you’re either improving or you’re getting worse. So if you’re playing to the circumstances of the game, you’re getting worse, right? You’ve got to be able to handle success and failure and then play the next play at your very best. Those are habits, and you’re trying to create those habits.”
Cignetti wound up taking out the starters midway through the fourth quarter because they “need to play football.”
Sarratt caught three of Mendoza’s touchdown passes, totaling 97 yards on nine receptions just a week after having three catches for 44 yards without a score. Mendoza completed a pass to seven other pass-catchers against the Owls. When other receivers, such as redshirt junior Omar Cooper Jr. and sixthyear senior E.J. Williams Jr., are spreading the defense, Sarratt gets one-on-one matchups, Mendoza said.
“And when he has those one-on-one matchups,” Mendoza said, “he’s like they call him, Waffle House.” Defensively, Indiana mostly allowed fewer.
The Miami native did just that. He went 18 for 25 for 245 yards passing and four touchdowns.
Fewer total yards. Fewer rushing yards. Fewer yards per play. And fewer points.
Defensive coordinator
Bryant Haines said Sept. 4 on the “Inside IU Football” radio show that his unit, and defensive line specifically, were too controlled, not dynamic and not aggressive enough against Old Dominion. It wasn’t the Hoosiers’ style, he said. In practice throughout the week, the Hoosiers focused on creating more penetration and knock back vertically, senior defensive lineman Kellan Wyatt said. Against the Owls, the Cream and Crimson racked up 14 tackles for loss and two sacks.
“I think we made a lot
more plays in the backfield today compared to last week,” Wyatt said, “so I think we took a step forward.”
Sixth-year senior Louis Moore, who currently has a temporary restraining order against the NCAA that is active until Sept. 24, also notched his second interception of the season.
Although the Hoosiers largely dominated, it wasn’t smooth sailing all game. They got out to a fast start, scoring a pair of touchdowns after beginning the contest with a three-and-out. But over the final three drives of the first half, Indiana scored a touchdown, punted and turned the ball over on downs.
The second half was a
different story. Indiana stepped on the proverbial pedal in the third quarter, staying on it throughout the rest of the game. Except for the final drive of the game in which they ran the clock out, the Hoosiers scored touchdowns on each of their five possessions in the second half.
Cignetti said the secondhalf domination was “something he needed to see.” He said while there were new players on last season’s roster, he knew many of them from James Madison University. This season, however, all the transfers are also new to him.
And not all of them had the luxury of playing for
Although the Hoosiers still have one nonconference contest, which is slated for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 12 against Indiana State University, remaining on their schedule, the Big Ten slate is just two weeks away. Then-No. 11 Illinois, which defeated Duke University by 26 points on the road Sept. 6, is first up. Indiana Athletics announced at the end of July that Memorial Stadium was already sold out for the matchup.
“We got some games coming up where we’ve got to be able to play that many plays,” Cignetti said. “We haven’t executed over a long period of time as well as we need to, so we need reps, we need game reps.” In the end, Cignetti’s expressions and tone — even smiling — after the game were a far cry from those he showed last week. His squad displayed tangible improvement. Continuing to do so is critical.
“Pleased we took a step forward,” Cignetti said, “and get ready for the next one.”
By Quinn Richards qmrichar@iu.edu | @quinn_richa
Indiana football cruised to a 56-9 win over Kennesaw State University on Sept. 6 at Memorial Stadium in a dominant week two showing. A much-improved offensive display earned high marks across the board while one defensive unit regressed from a productive week one.
Here’s how each position group scored on this week’s Richards’ Report Card.
Quarterbacks
Grade: A-
Explanation: While redshirt junior Fernando Mendoza is mostly responsible for the group’s improved grade in week two, his younger brother, redshirt freshman Alberto Mendoza, capped off the room’s performance. Fernando’s 18-of-25 outing yielded 245 yards and four touchdowns — his best showing as a Hoosier. Still, inconsistent ball placement and some poor decisions blemished the elder Mendoza’s otherwise elite display. Fortunately for Fernando, Alberto’s late touchdown was a good sign for the depth in Indiana’s quarterback room and enough to bump the final grade up an extra notch.
Running Backs Grade: A+
Explanation: For the first time since 2014, Indiana posted over 300 rushing yards in back-to-back games. On Aug. 30 against Old Dominion University, redshirt senior Roman Hemby led the way with 23 carries for 111 yards. This week, redshirt junior Lee Beebe Jr. mounted the charge with an even more efficient 90 yards on 11 attempts. The Hoosiers averaged eight yards per carry — the most in a game since 2014 — and consistently gashed Kennesaw State’s defense on early downs.
Receivers Grade: A-
Explanation: One of Indiana’s goals entering the Sept. 6 matchup was obvious — get the ball to senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt. He lived up to his nickname “Waffle House” and was always open, recording nine catches for 97 yards and three touchdowns. While Sarratt headlined the receivers, 10 different Hoosiers caught passes against the Owls. Sixth-year senior E.J. Williams Jr. and freshman Lebron Bond dropped catchable passes, which keeps the final grade from being perfect, but a combined 280 receiving
yards makes the group’s efforts difficult to critique.
Offensive Line Grade: A-
Explanation: Another dominant performance in the trenches opened up holes in the run game and gave Mendoza plenty of time to get through progressions in the pass game, paving the way for 593 yards of total offense. The Hoosiers’ offensive line didn’t allow a single sack and just one quarterback hurry. However, they did give up three tackles for loss due to various miscommunications in run blocking assignments. Regardless, for the second week in a row Indiana had its way with a weaker opponent up front. That trend will likely continue against FCS opponent Indiana State University on Sept. 13 before the real tests arrive in the form of Big Ten competition.
Defensive Line
Grade: A-
Explanation: The Hoosiers’ defensive line turned things around after getting a C- for its role in Old Dominion’s pair of long touchdown runs. Senior Kellan Wyatt and redshirt senior Mikail Kamara were constantly in the Kennesaw State backfield
and combined for 4.5 tackles for loss. The Owls totaled just 89 rushing yards on 32 carries. The only negative is that three carries accounted for 70 of those yards. Preventing big plays isn’t a responsibility that falls solely on the defensive line, but it’s enough to keep the unit at an A- in this week’s grades.
Linebackers
Grade: A-
Explanation: Senior Aidan Fisher stuffed the stat sheet with seven total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack, a dominance that’s become routine for the 2024 first-team AllAmerican. While Fisher shined, his teammate — sophomore Rolijah Hardy — was kept rather quiet. The comparatively inexperienced Hardy recorded just three tackles in the 46 snaps he played. Fortunately for the linebacker unit, Fisher’s success alone is enough to improve this grade from last week’s C+.
Secondary
Grade: B
Explanation: Indiana’s secondary took a small step back from its week one excellence against the Monarchs. The Hoosiers allowed 182 passing yards and a trio of receptions
for over 30 yards against the Owls. While redshirt junior cornerback Jamari Sharpe produced the unit’s only turnover — a fumble
SOPHIA KAPLAN | IDS
Redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza celebrates with senior wide receiver Elijah Sarratt after Sarratt’s touchdown Sept. 6, 2025, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. Sarratt scored three touchdowns during the game.
Indiana falls to Louisville in close match
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