04/23/2019

Indiana Statesman Serving Indiana State University for 90 years

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Indiana Statesman

@ISUstatesman

isustatesman

indianastatesman.com

#PlasticStrawsSuck

ISU pledges against the use of plastic straws Marisa Combs Reporter

All throughout the month of April, Indiana State is participating in a competition campaigning against Plastic Straws.

In an effort to not only help the environment but to help campus become environmentally friendly.

The competition is put on by a company called Simply Straws who makes reusable straws and other reusable products.

ISU is competing against other universities to see which university receives the most signatures pledging against them.

Larger universities in the Midwest such as Michigan State are in the competition as well.

ISU is currently in first place with the most signatures.

The competition consists of people signing a pledge against straws and whichever university has the most signatures, wins the competition.

“I actually found about Simply Straws through a Buzzfeed video” said Residential Life Assistant director of Residential Education Katherine Uttich. “I did some more research, then I found about the competition then decided roll with it.”

ISU participated in this campaign last year, but just since then student involvement in the campaign has increased drastically.

“I did the campaign last year on my own, then I did a call out to other students on campus and I got so much response from it,” said Uttich. “I believe that a lot of

Victoria Flores | Indiana Statesman

Two student representatives pose in front of a Pledge Against Plastic Straws table in the Hulman Memorial Student Union, Commons area, on April 3.

this campaign comes from student to student conversations, students connecting with other students to be able to have that discussion about helping our environment.”

Uttich has developed a student program on campus to help students be more environmental friendly.

“With Residential Life support, I implemented a eco ambassador program to help promote not only the competition but other sustainable practices in student’s everyday life,” said Uttich.

Uttich explained that student support for the program has

been amazing.

“They have had so much enthusiasm toward this campaign, it is truly amazing how much support this has gotten,” said Uttich.

Hailey Martin, an eco ambassador, discussed her experience working on this campaign.

“It is so much fun” said Martin.

“The earth is our home, it is important we take steps to help it.”

The campaign is using turtles to gain student attention about this campaign.

“We are using turtles to promote this campaign” said eco ambassador Paige Stoltz. “Every-

one knows about turtles being affected by straws, so we are using them for people to connect to it.”

Residential life is not only doing this campaign to help the environment, some members of Residential Life went on a community service trip relating to plastic straws and turtles.

This past spring break, they went on an Alternative Spring Break trip. Their trip consisted of doing various tasks at an aquatic center located in Florida.

There, the students got to see firsthand the large amounts of trash washed up on the shore of

the ocean.

“One of our jobs was to pick up trash on the shore line by the aquatic center, one part of the shore was completely covered with trash,” said Uttich. “We spent a lot of time picking up trash one part of the shore line but there was still so much trash to pick up, including tons of plastic straws.”

Uttich explained the trip assisted in helping the students on staff connect with the campaign against plastic straws.

“I think that experience for the student staff helped them connect with the campaign,” said Uttich. “To jumpstart those students to student conversations about implementing environmental practices.”

This campaign has a lot of support from businesses in the HMSU commons to help promote the message.

“George’s has been the biggest supporter of this,” said Uttich.

“He is looking to talk to his vendor about having paper straws instead of plastic.”

George isn’t the only supporter of the initiative.

“Also Einstein’s has been supportive with this as well, they are open to taking the steps to implement not suppling plastic straws,” said Uttich.

The eco ambassadors will be in the commons for the remainder of the month collecting signatures. Also at their table, you can play a game for the chance to win a free reusable straw.

If you want to take the pledge against plastic straws, visit this website, simplystraws.com/isu.

ISU bookstore hosts Easter Egg Hunt for students Brea Haller Reporter

We all owe our very own bookstore a thank you for their Easter spirit this year.

The Indiana State University bookstore put on an Easter egg hunt for students this year.

Students from all around the world attend Indiana State. Many of which are not able to go home for holidays or even just in general.

For some students, it may be hard to not be able to see their family. Some may become stressed and overwhelmed with schoolwork and need a break. This event helped to cure some of these issues faced

by fellow classmates.

The bookstore employees spread out among campus and hid a total of 55 Easter eggs. Almost all of the eggs were placed outside because it was perfect weather for an Easter egg hunt.

People found eggs in the flowerbeds of campus, the grassy areas of the commons, behind rocks and alongside of buildings.

Colorful eggs filled with candy were hidden and prizes were given out to whoever found them first.

If students were to find an egg, they were to take in to the bookstore to claim their prize. Some prizes consisted of Indiana State University fan-gear. Students reported receiving Indiana State rain jackets, water bottles and other various forms

of school-spirit wear after they turned in their eggs for a prize.

“I found the egg in the little garden of flowers outside of Stalker Hall. There were two pieces of candy in the egg and when I took it back to the bookstore I got an Indiana State water bottle,” said Indiana State student, Jennifer Reardon.

Another student claimed a prize and received a rain jacket.

“I found my egg outside near the rec building. It had some candy in it and when I went to the bookstore they gave me a free rain jacket”, said sophomore Sydney Myer.

This event was a great one to host at this point in the year since study week is creeping up and finals are just around the corner. For many students, this is a very

stressful time in the school year.

Students have been working hard for the past two semesters and are looking for a fun stress reliever. This event was perfect for relieving this stress.

It was also a fun and creative way to encourage students to get outside in the nice weather and get some exercise.

To add the benefits of this event, it was one that everyone could enjoy. Even students who choose to not celebrate the holiday were welcome to join in and search for eggs.

It was a great way to make all students feel welcome and to take their minds off of the stress of schoolwork.

A big thank you goes to the bookstore for putting on this event!

College of Health and Human Services is improving lives of students on campus Lauren Rader Reporter

The College of Health and Human Services Student Advisory Council met with Dr. Caroline Mallory, Dean of CHHS on Monday evening.

Students are invited when members are graduating, or recommended for the position.

These students gathered together to make a difference on campus and within their specific college.

Stephen Lamb, president of Student Government Association, came to speak about the importance of having committees within specific colleges to meet student needs, and advocate for fellow peers.

This is a direct line to staff that can help students make a change.

A representative from the career center also came to explain networking and

helping students make connections.

There have been many career fairs that allow students to meet people, and make the connections they need to further their careers.

“It was really awesome to be considered for this position. This is a great networking tool, and I am happy to be able to be a part of it,” nursing student, Blake Wiseman said.

“I believe that it will help me further my career, and help me connect with employers and other students like myself.”

The goal of the advisory board is to make the College of Health and Human Services a place that helps students succeed, and helps them gain the education they need for their future career.

There have been discussions at past meetings about improving teaching

and advising so students can be successful in their academic careers.

The Student Advisory Board discussed issues that need to be addressed, and issues that they can improve upon.

“The dean’s advisory council has been very empowering,” senior Logan Dawson said. “It has given me a place to express my voice for the students at ISU.” Give to Blue was orchestrated with the help of many members on the board with the College of Health and Human Services.

There is a professional travel scholarship being developed to help students get to where they need to be in their career.

The idea was to create an avenue where students could gain support from their university to continue on with their education.

University Marketing

Dr. Caroline Mallory poses for a photo in a gym on ISU’s campus.

NEWS

Page 2

Tuesday, April. 23, 2019

Elizabeth Warren proposes canceling student loan debt, free public college Janet Hook

Los Angeles Times (TNS)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is unveiling a proposal to wipe out student debt for millions of borrowers, making her the only major 2020 presidential candidate to advance such an ambitious plan to relieve the growing burden of higher-education loans on Americans and the economy.

The proposal would cancel up to $50,000 in debt for people with annual household income under $100,000. Beyond that income threshold, smaller amounts of debt would be canceled, but no one with more than $250,000 in household income would be eligible.

To keep students from accumulating more debt in the future, Warren also proposes making two- and four-year public colleges tuition free, according to a plan unveiled in advance of a Monday evening CNN town hall focused on issues of interest to young voters.

With a price tag of $1.25 trillion over 10 years, Warren’s higher-education initiatives up the ante on an issue that most 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have been trying to address in more modest ways.

At issue is the top economic challenge for a key Democratic constituency — millennial voters, many of whom have gone to college and left school during a decade that has seen an explosion of student borrowing. Student loan debt has more than doubled, to about $1.5 trillion, over the last decade, according to a Federal Reserve report that found the trend has contributed to declining rates of homeownership among young adults.

“The time for half measures is

over,” said Warren in a post on Medium describing her proposals. “My broad cancellation plan is a real solution to our student debt crisis. It helps millions of families and removes a weight that’s holding back our economy.”

The high-dollar proposal will surely face push back from Republicans but also from some Democratic rivals. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., has said she opposes tuition-free fouryear public college, although she favors free community college.

Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Ind., has objected to broad student-debt cancellation, preferring more-targeted debt relief.

Warren said the cost of the program would be covered by some of the $2.75 trillion in

revenue that would be raised from the “wealth tax” she has proposed — a 2 percent tax on Americans with assets worth more than $50 million, with an additional 1 percent surcharge on wealth over $1 billion.

With the 2020 presidential field nearing 20 Democrats, candidates have each been looking for ways to distinguish themselves. Warren, despite her higher national profile, has not been in the top tier in most polls and in recent fundraising reports.

Late last week, she distinguished herself by becoming the first major candidate to call for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump after the release of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report on Russian interference in the

Media coverage of violent events is found to fuel a cycle of stress Melissa Healy

Los Angeles Times (TNS)

In an era of round-the-clock news cycles and ever-present social media apps, violent events that occur thousands of miles away can feel as though they strike increasingly close to home. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that wall-towall media coverage of mayhem can induce post-traumatic stress in those who consume it.

A new study that tracked thousands of Americans after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 and the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 in Orlando, Fla., found that for many who acknowledged initial distress over one of these events, watching lots of news coverage about it was associated with experiencing more post-traumatic stress symptoms six months later.

And that was not the end of their distress. Those who spent more hours engaged with seven different forms of media coverage about one event were more likely to worry over future events. And then, when another national trauma took place, those same people tended to seek out more coverage of it.

The result of this vicious cycle: deepened levels of distress.

“Distress responses to past large-scale collective traumas (e.g., terror attacks) may sensitize some individuals to media coverage of later collective tragedies, thereby exacerbating distress responses in their aftermath,” the study authors wrote in Wednesday’s edition of the journal Science Advances. “This sensitization process may fuel a cycle of distress.”

And that, the authors added, is a public health issue, since people with post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic distress are more likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular problems.

The researchers, from the University of California, Irvine, analyzed the news and social media consumption of 4,165 adults from around the country. They also tracked their psychological states for as long as three years after two major violent events: the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three and injured hundreds, and the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub that left 49 dead and 53 injured.

Six months after the Boston bombings, the amount of media coverage a study participant was exposed to was a good

predictor of the number of PTSD symptoms he or she exhibited — including intrusive thoughts or memories about the bombings, hypersensitivity to potentially fearful cues, numbness and avoidance of reminders. Those with higher levels of media exposure also expressed greater worry about future violent events two years after the bombings.

In turn, after the Pulse nightclub attack, study participants who had high levels of stress and worry about future events were more likely to report both higher levels of media exposure related to the Orlando shooting and more acute stress stemming from the massacre.

It’s widely known that some people are more likely to develop PTSD, including those with a history of depression, anxiety or exposure to violence. But even after accounting for this variation in vulnerability, the UC Irvine team found that more media consumption concerning one event set people up for greater distress, and then for greater consumption of coverage of a later event.

These results are in line with a growing consensus among PTSD researchers, said Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist who directs Stanford’s Center on Stress and Health.

“Exposure to trauma, even at a distance, will elicit the kind of reaction you might have if you are witnessing an event yourself,” he said.

The fact that one is experiencing the events on a screen and is not in immediate danger may mitigate the effects of the sounds, images and vivid accounts of trauma, Spiegel said.

“But we have these big brains that allow us to imagine what it’s like to be there,” he said. When it comes to processing raw images coming across our TVs, laptops and devices, our rich imaginations can conjure very real feelings of immediate danger, he added.

The study authors say their findings hold lessons for news outlets and social media companies, as well as for their audiences.

Media organizations “need to recognize the vital role they can play in broadcasting distress,” they wrote. Amid “pressure to generate clicks and shares,” providers of news-related content should resist the temptations of sensationalism and adopt

MEDIA CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

2016 election. Her position appeals to her party’s left wing but is at odds with congressional leaders and other Democrats who are wary of launching a process in the Democratic House that is unlikely to succeed in the GOP-controlled Senate.

A campaign aide said Warren’s impeachment pronouncement did not signal a shift in her focus on “big policy” initiatives that have been the hallmark of her campaign. She has offered detailed proposals on subjects such as child care, anti-corruption and breaking up big technology companies — all designed to address what she sees as inequities in the U.S. economic and political systems.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was one of the earliest and most vo-

cal proponents of tuition-free public college, beginning in his unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign. Most of the other 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have offered proposals to ease student debt and make college tuition free, but most of those plans impose conditions such as income limits or public-service commitments in order to qualify.

Warren is proposing free tuition and fees at two- and fouryear public colleges for students of all income levels, with costs shared by state and federal governments. She argues the policy should be universal, not targeted just on lower-income people, in the same spirit in which free public education is now available to all through high school.

She is also proposing additional federal spending on Pell Grants to help low-income students meet other nontuition costs; additional aid for black colleges; and more money for states that increase enrollment and graduation rates for people of color.

The debt forgiveness benefits would be based on income, but an analysis of the plan conducted for the Warren campaign by a group of academic economists estimates that the policy would provide some relief for more than 95 percent of all households with student debt and would wipe out all debt for up to 76.2 percent of indebted households.

Warren also takes aim at for-profit colleges, which have been criticized for saddling low-income students and people of color with debt while providing degrees of dubious career value. She calls for cutting off for-profit colleges from receiving any federal aid “after an appropriate transition period.”

Page 3

FEATURES

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Palacsinta, Hungary’s popular crepe dessert Daniel Neman

St. Louis Post Dispatch (TNS)

If you are in Budapest and you happen to be at the mall just outside the Ors Vezer Tere stop on the Red Metro line, be sure to stop off at the food stand that sells palacsinta. It is reported to be wonderful there.

If, on the other hand, you are in the center of the city, close to the east bank of the Danube River, the palacsinta sold at the Great Market Hall are also said to be superb.

Palacsinta are thin, egg-based pancakes that are rolled and stuffed with fillings that are usually sweet. Jams, nuts, sweet cheese and chocolate are popular fillings, and so too _ it being Hungary, after all _ is sour cream. Savory versions often include meat cooked with sour cream, paprika and tomatoes.

It sounds like a crepe, right?

Palacsinta are Hungarian crepes. Or to put it another way, crepes are French palacsinta.

And just like crepes, palacsinta are a popular street food, sold in food stands around Hungary _ and also in neighboring Romania, where they are called palatschinke.

Actually, palacsinta (and also paltschinke) are different from crepes in one key respect: They are a bit thinner.

Making palacsinta thinner than crepes is easy. You make a batter that is similar to a crepe batter, and just before cooking it you add some soda water. I saw one reference saying that in Hungary they use any fizzy drink, including lemon-lime soft drinks, but I just used plain soda water, because yuck.

Does the soda water make a difference? I think it does. The palacsinta were lighter than other crepes I’ve made, and I could definitely notice the bubbles when I sampled some of the batter before cooking it. I’m not

Hillary Levin | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | TNS

Palacsinta, sweet rolled crepes, filled with jams and/or sweet cheese, is a popular dessert in Hungary.

convinced that same sensation lasted after they were cooked, however.

Because I wanted to explore the entire palacsinta experience, I decided to try a good half-dozen fillings.

You can put anything you want in palacsinta, from ice cream to strawberries that have marinated for an hour or two in balsamic vinegar (the result is mostly sweet, not tart). One colleague whose grandmother was Hungarian said her family used to just sprinkle granulated sugar on them before rolling them up.

I decided to make a traditional sweet cheese filling. If there is a name for it, I do not know it and haven’t been able to find it. You begin with ricotta cheese, though some people use dry cottage cheese, and mix in an egg yolk, some sugar, a couple of drops of vanilla and some lemon zest.

This concoction, whatever it may be called, is simply astounding. It is better than it sounds. It is better than I thought it would be. It is so good, I decided to try

some on an English muffin, too.

Not a good idea. Stick to palacsinta. And if you do make palacsinta, be sure to use this sweet cheese filling in at least some of them.

For my other fillings, I made a chocolate ganache _ chocolate melted into cream _ which goes well with everything and especially with crepes. I also had some homemade strawberry jam in my fridge, so I used that in some others, and I bought apricot jam and used that too, mixed with walnuts as is often done in Hungary.

Finally, I tried to re-create a filling that I read about, sour cream with rum raisins. I didn’t have time to allow the raisins to get plump in the rum, so I just mixed raisins and a little rum in sour cream and added ground walnuts, a bit of vanilla and more sugar than I thought I was going to need.

It was a little tangy, a little sweet and entirely delicious with palacsinta. But it still wasn’t as good as that sweet cheese filling.

___ PALACSINTA Yield: 3 to 4 servings (3 pancakes per serving) 3 eggs 1 teaspoon superfine sugar, see note Pinch of salt 1 cup milk Generous 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup carbonated water Butter, for the pan Note: To make superfine sugar, blend granulated sugar on high in a blender for several seconds until powdery.

1. Combine the eggs, sugar, salt and milk. Stir in the flour to form a smooth batter. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

2. Just before cooking, stir in carbonated water. Put a skillet over medium heat and add just enough butter to coat it when it melts. Swirl the butter to coat.

When hot, pour { ladle of batter into the skillet. Tilt the pan so the batter coats the surface of the pan evenly. When golden, flip

the pancake to cook the other side.

3. Fill with sweetened cheese filling, below, jam (or jam with sweetened cheese filling), chocolate sauce, berries, strawberries marinated 1 to 2 hours in balsamic vinegar, or just sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Per serving: 318 calories; 9 g fat; 4 g saturated fat; 198 mg cholesterol; 13 g protein; 45 g carbohydrate; 13 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 892 mg sodium; 136 mg calcium Adapted from “The World Atlas of Street Food,” by Carol Wilson and Sue Quinn SWEETENED CHEESE FILLING Yield: 3 servings 1 egg yolk, see note 1 tablespoon superfine sugar, see note A few drops of vanilla extract 2/3 cup ricotta or cottage cheese Grated zest of { lemon Note: This recipe uses raw egg. The USDA warns that no one should eat raw eggs, unless the eggs have been pasteurized in their shells. Infants, young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk for foodborne illnesses. _ To make superfine sugar, blend granulated sugar in blender on high for a few seconds until powdery.

1. Beat the yolk with the sugar and vanilla until creamy. In a separate bowl, soften the ricotta cheese with a large spoon or fork, then beat in the egg mixture and add the lemon zest.

2. Use to fill palacsinta or other crepes. If desired, mix with jam to fill palacsinta.

Per serving: 134 calories; 9 g fat; 5 g saturated fat; 90 mg cholesterol; 7 g protein; 6 g carbohydrate; 5 g sugar; 0 g fiber; 49 mg sodium; 122 mg calcium Adapted from “The World Atlas of Street Food,” by Carol Wil-

Wabash location closest to campus behind Burger King

3 LOCATIONS: 3045 Wabash Ave Terre Haute, IN 2420 Spring Clean Ave Terre Haute, IN 5451 South State Rd 63 Terre Haute, IN

Summer Store Your Stuff Terre Haute Bowling Center

Good for 1 free bowling game *Not good with other offers

$120 for Summer Springhill Mini Warehouses 600 Springhill Road 812-238-2913

Page 4

Our Incredible Planet

Seth Ymker Columnist

Too often we go through our “ordinary” lives without thinking about how incredible and amazing our planet really is.

While some have contested that science has taken some of the wonder out of our lives by explaining the natural phenomena around us, I would disagree.

Science helps us to greater appreciate our world for its amazing complexity. There is nothing, no matter how drab and common, that is not wonderful in its own way.

When I walk to class, I prefer not to listen to music, but rather to look at the world around me and find joy in the little moments of seeing the first robin of springtime, or the bursting of an orchid from the ground.

I dare not miss these moments, as only the present is assured.

I also love hearing the stories of people’s lives. Everyone has a story, and almost everyone wants to share it. Just ask and you never know what new and incredible thing you will find out.

I first started collecting strange tales and facts after I learned from one of my local librarians that she had once found a returned book in which a piece of raw bacon was being used as a bookmark.

Since then, I have been given private biographies, albums with unique historic photographs, told a multitude of local myths and legends, and learned to appreciate everyone and everything around me. Simply because I asked and chose to see.

Although, as these things were shared with me in private, I will keep them that way, I decided to include some interesting facts and stories about our wonderful world below. I hope you enjoy!

There are a plethora of human wonders, such as the 1944 incident when Flight Sargent Nicholas Alkemade’s bomber was shot down while returning to his airfield in the United Kingdom after a bombing raid on Berlin.

After his parachute was burned to ash, Alkemade chose to jump without his parachute rather than burn to death and fell 18,000 feet. After crashing through trees and landing in deep snow, Alkemade was cap-

tured with nothing more than a sprained ankle.

However, Alkemade does not hold the record for the highest free fall without a parachute, that record would have go to Vesna Vulovic, a Serbian flight attendant who was the sole survivor of JAT Flight 367 and landed in Czechoslovakia after a fall of 33,000 feet and survived due to extremely extenuating circumstances.

There are also natural wonders of the world that boggle the mind, and some of which defy even the powers of science.

In Mexico, a crystal cave reaches temperatures of over 136 degrees Fahrenheit and has 90 to 99 percent humidity. If humans cannot remain too long in the cave as water vapor will begin to condense in the coolest place in the cave: your lungs.

Near Puerto Concha, Venezuela, the Catatumbo Lighting storm occurs around 260 nights a year in the exact same location; it is possibly one of the strangest weather phenomena on the planet.

There are plethora of strange and unique facts that may surprise you.

For one, we are never actually experiencing the present, rather because of the shockingly brief neural delay between our eyes and our brain; we are experiencing time a split second in the past.

It might also surprise you that light does not always travel at the speed of light, but can in fact move as slowly as 38 miles per hour.

In addition, during World War II, some poor sod was the only person to die by longbow at the hands of “Mad” Jack Churchill who went into battle with a longbow and sword.

Hey, you never know what you will find out or see if you look hard enough and ask enough people.

The world may be easier to explain due to science, and seem smaller due to advances in transportation technology, but it is no less astonishing because of these advances, and its land and people have many stories to tell and many incredible sights to see.

Look around and see the beauty that is around us every day, everywhere we go. Everyone’s story is worth hearing, and yours is worth being told. Never take anyone else or yourself for granted.

Keep your eyes and ears open, this is a pretty crazy and amazing world that we live in, and you never know what you’re going to see or hear!

OPINION

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

The Mueller report identified one guilty party: The gullible American public Virgina Hefferman

Los Angles Times (TNS)

Along with the far left and far right in the U.S., Russian President Vladimir Putin holds the pieties of liberal democracy in contempt. His nation’s attacks on American hearts and minds, detailed in the long-awaited Mueller report, carried with them the spirit of the Joker in the Batman myth — a malevolent court jester motivated by venality, contempt for pretense and a craving for relevance and thrills.

In the special counsel’s report, one member of WikiLeaks — the organization that framed, staged, timed and distributed Russian-hacked material to wreak maximum havoc on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign — described his feckless goals this way: “We want this repository to become ‘the place’ to search for background on hillary’s plotting at the state department during 2009-2013 … . Firstly because its useful and will annoy Hillary, but secondly because we want to be seen to be a resource/player in the US election, because eit (it) may encourage people to send us even more important leaks.”

To a ghastly extent, the social media attempts “to provoke and amplify political and social discord in the United States” (Mueller’s words) and the more formal Russian military cyberattacks to demonize Hillary Clinton (and by extension liberals and centrists) succeeded. They’ve left our cognitive processes in disarray.

It used to be that Americans didn’t feel remotely threatened by “invaders” at the border; or thwarted by a phantom “deep state”; or constantly lashed by racist, sexist and violent fantasies. These psychic phenomena, and many more, were seeded in

our consciousness on Facebook and Twitter and Reddit, then amplified by traditional media so aggressively that we came to believe and even act on them.

Like Iago whispering to Othello, the Kremlin’s operations convinced the prosperous, peaceful United States that it is teetering on the brink of civil war.

Just read the opening — pages 19 to 62 — of Robert S. Mueller III’s work product. This section closely resembles the 9/11 Commission Report, the exhaustive compendium of facts issued in 2004 not to build a criminal case but just to show us what happened on Sept. 11, 2001.

Likewise, we need to know what happened in 2016, when armies of hostile foreign actors decided to have their way with us. We have to get it straight if for no other reason than that it will clear our heads enough to grasp what follows in the report.

Beginning in 2014, the Internet Research Agency, a network of Russian trolls and other “information war” foot soldiers, went to work online “to undermine the U.S. electoral system” essentially by making trouble.

The will to make trouble is a constant in the report. According to White House Counsel Don McGahn, President Trump wanted his henchmen to “do crazy stuff ” (he used an obscenity) to shut down the Mueller investigation. The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, intended to create a dramatic rift between Clinton and Bernie Sanders just to keep things “interesting.”

In early 2016, the IRA had moved on to disparaging Clinton nearly full-time, while lavishing fond attention on Sanders and praising Trump as a mashup of Superman, Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman and Jesus. It also staged rallies for candidate

Trump, in sync with local activists.

People who should have known better picked up the disinfo campaign. And this wasn’t just Trumpites like Kellyanne Conway and Michael Flynn. U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul, for example, amplified one of the IRA’s most prolific “personas” — accounts manned by intelligence professionals — on Twitter. The report adds that “U.S. media outlets also quoted tweets from IRA-controlled accounts and attributed them to the reactions of real U.S. persons,” citing a 2018 study from the Columbia Journalism Review.

Russian military intelligence — the GRU — was more overtly criminal. In short, its operatives hacked both the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee, and then made sure to release only the material that would hurt Clinton and the Democrats.

Again, some media outlets recycled what was gouged out of the servers.

Assange middle-managed the hand-off from the GRU to various illustrious newspapers.

Readers no less than reporters were enthralled by the stolen materials and the fraternity-style panty raid on Clinton. Amy Chozick, who covered the Clinton campaign for the New York Times, later described herself as “an unwitting agent of Russian intelligence.”

We all were.

What makes the attacks on the U.S. so repellent and ultimately tragic is that so few saw them for what they were — viruses, memes and ear worms unleashed in social and traditional media where Americans spend an average of 11 hours every day, and where we are supremely vulner-

MUELLER CONTINUED ON PAGE5

Challenging Your Biases Erin Bradshaw Columnist

I think the society we live in is so closed-minded, despite every one claiming to be “open-minded.”

Open-minded simply means you are willing to hear other people’s ideas and views. This idea is often associated with the liberal mindset and that all liberals are open-minded people while all conservatives are closed-minded.

I would like to challenge that.

I think no matter what “side” someone is on politically, there

are closed-minded people. For most people, it is hard to hear a new idea that contradicts with their own and welcome that viewpoint.

I know when I hear an opinion about something I already have made up my mind on, I tend to shut it down instead of looking further into both sides of the argument.

We as humans automatically assume that our opinion is right and everyone who disagrees is uneducated or unintelligent.

However, when do we really take the time to sit down and ask why we feel a certain way or what lead us to that decision?

Often times, people who think a certain way surround themselves with people who think the exact same way.

This doesn’t allow for any growth or new knowledge to come your way. You’re simply surrounding yourself with people who will

100% affirm your beliefs.

Behaving this way prohibits us from exploring and diving into other cultures and mindsets.

Our culture is in the midst of being a “cancel culture,” which means that if someone does something wrong just once or has a different opinion than you, they’re automatically “cancelled.”

This can result in exclusion or people feeling as if they can’t speak their minds. I know many students who feel like they can’t speak their mind because they feel like they’ll be looked down upon.

No opinion is right or wrong and everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. The only time where this wouldn’t be the case is if it involves a person’s civil liberties and rights.

If you don’t surround yourself with people from other backgrounds or belief systems, you limit yourself. You limit your

knowledge and your ability to learn more.

As college kids, we’re in our 20’s; we have a long life to live and to think that we know everything at the age of 20 is absurd.

We don’t know everything and there’s always room for growth.

Even in your 50’s there is still room to learn.

I think this goes straight to the root that people are afraid of what they don’t understand or don’t know. This happens many times within different cultures.

Someone might not understand why a certain culture does something; therefore, you feel threatened or intimidated by it instead of asking questions or be willing to learn more.

This allows people to be “stuck in their ways” as we so often put it. I think the first step of challenging your biases is being aware of them.

If you believe that people de-

serve free college, ask yourself why you feel that way. Acknowledge that the reason you believe that is because of the way you grew up and that someone else might have a different point of view because they were raised differently.

If we have the ability to put ourselves in others shoes, we are already a step closer to being open-minded and willing to change our mindset or at least challenge it.

I also believe that people aren’t willing to simply admit that they don’t know something.

Everyone always has an opinion about something and when he or she does not know enough about the topic, it definitely shows.

I have seldom been involved in conversations where the person admits that they don’t know enough about the topic to sit it

BIASES CONTINUED ON PAGE5

Editorial Board Claire Silcox Editor-in-Chief statesmaneditor@isustudentmedia.com Rileigh McCoy News Editor statesmannews@isustudentmedia.com Joe Lippard Opinions Editor statesmanopinions@isustudentmedia.com Alex Trby Features Editor statesmanfeatures@isustudentmedia.com Andrew Doran Sports Editor statesmansports@isustudentmedia.com Danielle Guy Photo Editor statesmanphotos@isustudentmedia.com Tuesday, April 23, 2019 Indiana State University

www.indianastatesman.com

Volume 126 Issue 54

The Indiana Statesman is the student newspaper of Indiana State University. It is published Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the academic school year. Two special issues are published during the summer. The paper is printed by the Tribune Star in Terre Haute, Ind.

Opinions Policy The opinions page of the Indiana Statesman offers an opportunity for the Indiana State University community to express its views. The opinions, individual and collective, expressed in the Statesman and the student staff’s selection or arrangement of content do not necessarily reflect the attitudes of the university, its Board of Trustees, administration, faculty or student body. The Statesman editorial board writes staff editorials and makes final decisions about news content. This newspaper serves as a public forum for the ISU community. Make your

opinion heard by submitting letters to the editor at statesmanopinions@isustudentmedia.com. Letters must be fewer than 500 words and include year in school, major and phone number for verification.

Letters from non-student members of the campus community must also be verifiable. Letters will be published with the author’s name. The Statesman editorial board reserves the right to edit letters for length, libel, clarity and vulgarity.

indianastatesman.com

Tuesday, April 23, 2019 • Page 5

BIASES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 out and not offer up an opinion.

People are so afraid of looking like they don’t know something so they either offer up invalid information or make themselves look like fools, or both. Sometimes admitting you don’t know enough about a topic is the way to go about learning.

Asking questions doesn’t mean you’re uneducated, it means you have the desire to strive and learn more. In the end, if you

MEDIA FROM PAGE 2 “a more even-handed” approach, they added.

But news consumers, too, should “understand how they may be putting their long-term mental and physical health at risk by closely following along with collective traumas”

learn more about a topic you’ll be able to offer up an opinion that you’ve created based on the facts and information you have found.

Challenging our biases creates a comfortable environment to learn and grow in. If we don’t challenge our ways of thinking, we will stay stuck in this space of always feeling like we are the experts of a topic and we will often fail to dive beyond the surface level.

as they unfold, the authors added.

Spiegel agreed that news junkies — especially those with a history of trauma — need to be mindful of their propensity to become distressed and limit viewing habits accordingly. And parents should be vigilant about limiting their

children’s exposure to the sights and sounds of mayhem.

“Everything in their world is linked to them,” he said. “So these events get woven into the story of their personal narrative, and that can make it more damaging.”

To place a classified ad call: (812) 237-3025 fax us: (812) 237-7629 stop by the office: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Dreiser Hall Room 201 or send us an email: Stacey.McCallister@indstate.edu

FOR RENT

2, 3, 4, 5 AND 7 BEDROOM HOUSES! Washer/dryer, stove & refrigerator included.

Available August 2019. Find us on Facebook or online pics & pricing of our current available units also. LSM Investments, LLC LSMinvestments. managebuilding.com Call for more info!

812-635-0019

able to novelty and arousal: #whitegenocide, #invasion, #hillaryforprison — a lot of us spread this stuff, if only to complain about it.

The hacker’s work is to create, prevent and capitalize on disruptions on the internet. Amoral in themselves, disruptions are pure opportunity: to confound enemies, to make money, to achieve renown. Even the good guys, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which develops emerging technologies for use the mil-

CLASSIFIEDS

FOR RENT UPSTAIRS APARTMENT Two bedroom, living & dining area with extra room for office or sitting area, carpeted throughout.

Covered porch, electric heat & air. Full bath & kitchen with vinyl flooring, refrigerator & stove. No pets, no smoking. $575 per month, tenant pays electricity. $500 security deposit. 814 Lincoln Street Contact: Elaine Ross 812-230-9736

Home of the Indiana Statesman

MUELLER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Rates Per Issue 20 words or less Classified Rate is $7 Frequency Discount $6 ISU Organization $5 Extra words are 15¢ each.

FOR RENT NOW RENTING FOR SUMMER OR FALL! 1-3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS Some close to campus!

NO PETS ALLOWED Call Gibson Apartments 812-234-4884 A MUST TO SEE! 1 bedroom studio apartment.

Upper unit Well maintained & clean.

No pets/non-smoker $425 plus electric 931 S. 4th St. 812-535-1291 or 812-240-2331 4,3 & 5 BEDROOM VICTORIAN HOMES Close to campus Homey & extra nice Quiet for study Must See! 812-232-6977

itary, states as a goal “preventing — and creating — strategic surprise.”

The Mueller report is so rich, and its lessons are infinite. Here’s my first one: Refuse to be drafted into the next infowar, and certainly don’t enlist. If something you’re being fed hurts the brain, don’t believe it. It could be a reference to “the Satan” that’s not quite idiomatic. Or a photo of mostly naked girls demonstrating in favor of Harvey Weinstein.

Mueller is careful — to a fault — to go only where the evidence leads. Trust him on this: If it seems un-American, it is

Deadlines For Tuesday Issues: Noon Monday For Thursday issues: Noon Wednesday Advertise in print and your classified will run online for FREE

S U D O K U SUDOKU ANSWERS from Thursday’s Issue

Page 6

Sycamores place second at Pacesetter Sports Invitational Garrett Short Reporter

The Indiana State track and field teams have spent a little more time at home than normal lately. The Sycamores hosted the Pacesetter Sports Invitational this past weekend. Both the men’s and women’s teams finished second against competition from all over the Midwest.

Illinois State was the victor on both sides of the invite. The Redbirds claimed the top spot by 11 points on the men’s side, and 11.5 for the women’s. The Sycamores beat the likes of Marian, Xavier, Detroit Mercy and more.

The main competition, however, was between the Missouri Valley Conference schools—a battle between the ISU’s. Behind Indiana State there was a major point dis-

parity on both sides.

This weekend featured Senior Day for athletes including Cassaundra Roper and Ryan Cash.

The women’s team features 12 seniors, a few of them who placed over the weekend. Roper finished atop the competition in shot put, throwing for a 16.44-meter mark.

Roper is inside the top-20 in the nation this season. Also finishing out the weekend towards the top was senior Jessi Conley. She finished the 800-meter with a time of 2:16.74, good for second place.

The only runner in front of her was fellow-Sycamore Rebecca Odusola.

With nine seniors on the men’s side, ISU’s Cash was among the notable performers. He finished second in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:56.36, not even a second off of first place. Moving up

Softball team prepares for another home game Jay Adkins Reporter

This past weekend, the Indiana State Sycamores Softball team traveled to Valparaiso, Indiana to compete against the Valparaiso University Crusaders. The Sycamores came into the weekend with a 14-27 record and were coming off a 10-4 loss to the Southern Illinois Salukis. The Crusaders came into the weekend with a 13-22 record, coming off a 4-3 win against the Western Michigan Broncos.

The first matchup kicked off on Friday afternoon, with a miraculous near comeback for the Sycamores after rallying from a 5-1 deficit, but the Crusaders finished with a walk-off win and a final score of 7-6. Sophomore pitcher, Arielle Blankenship, started the second inning off with a walk and a Sycamore error, but she found her groove quick after retiring 13 consecutive crusader batters. Blankenship was still charged in a loss after allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts.

The second matchup of the series started out differently Saturday with the Sycamores jumping out to a 5-0 lead against the crusaders. That lead wouldn’t last long though. The Crusaders rallied back from the deficit with three scoring runs in the third

inning and a four-run sixth inning to win 7-5 against the Sycamores. Senior catcher, Brooke Mann’s two-run double and sophomore first base/catcher, Amanda Guercio’s RBI double gave ISU a three run lead before the Crusaders had a chance to bat. Shaye Barton’s gave the Sycamores their 5-0 with a two-run single. Valpo’s Jaymee Lawton quickly diminished that lead after hitting a three-run double to make the score 5-3 in the third inning. Lawton repeated that feat in the sixth while Valpo scored another run to complete the comeback and finish off the Sycamores for a consecutive game.

The third and final game of the matchup on Saturday ended the series on a good note for the Sycamores beating the Crusaders by a blowout score of 9-1.

The Sycamores stole a season-high total of seven bases (three by freshman outfielder Olivia Patton). Junior pitcher, Gabbi Schnaiter, claimed a victory after her sixth complete game of the year, allowing one run on six hits. ISU moves to 12-4 alltime against the Crusaders.

The Sycamores will travel back home this Wednesday to host the University of Evansville Purple Aces. That game can be watched on ESPN+.

SPORTS

Athletic Media Relations

A few injuries were taken by the Sycamores this past weekend.

in distance running events, ISU junior Joshua Perry used homefield advantage to his benefit taking home first in the decathlon.

While the Sycamores were bested by Illinois State, it must be mentioned that Indiana State was not at 100%. A few injuries on both teams handicapped the Sycamores this weekend. Not all of them are necessarily season-altering injuries, but they

Reporter

On the weekend of April 19-21, the Indiana State baseball team went up against the Evansville Aces in a weekend triple-header.

On Saturday, the Sycamores were toppled over by the Aces in a 6-2 loss. This resulted in a 4-3 record in the Sycamores conference and 27-9 on the season. The game started well for the Sycamores with Chris Ayers hitting a gapper right up the middle.

This lead to Ayers stealing second base before Max Wright hit a single to left field to bring Ayers home. The Aces slowly but surely crept on the Sycamore’s lead before ultimately getting on top of ISU by the bottom of the fifth.

Clay Dungan, however, answered back with a line drive through right field to bring Dane Tofteland home to put the score

at 4-2. As the game progressed, the Aces ended up scoring two more runs on the Sycamores before the game ended.

On Sunday afternoon, the Sycamores and Aces played a double header resulting in ISU ultimately taking the series. This was partly thanks to the effort of Collin Liberatore pitching eight complete innings before resting.

This improved Collin’s record to 7-0 and resulted in a convincing 8-2 victory in game one. Liberatore only gave up two earned runs while striking out two Aces.

The power duo of Romero Harris and Clay Dungan opened up the game when Clay Dungan hit his sixth double of the season to set up Harris to bring him home for his twenty-forth RBI of the season.

Following these two, Tofteland came through with a solo home run to push the lead to 3-0 in the

did sideline a few pieces that would’ve most likely cut into the Redbirds’ advantage. A few of the absentees were kept from competing in order to maintain health as the conference championships draw near.

ISU faces some of the toughest competition of the year coming up. First they travel to Drake for the world-recognized Drake Relays this weekend. Collegiate

teams as well as professional athletes will be featured in the competition. After that, the Sycamores have meets at Ohio State as well as Indiana University.

These next three weeks will be excellent tune-ups for the MVC Championships at Gibson Track and Field Complex starting May 10.

ISU snaps six game losing streak

Jordan Koegler Reporter

With a home game scheduled for Wednesday, April 24 at 4 p.m. against the Evansville Aces, the Indiana States softball team prepares for their second encounter against the Aces this season.

The Trees have a current overall record 15-29 and a conference record of 3-16. They are 2-8 at home and 7-17 away.

On the other side, the Aces have an overall record 16-25 and a Missouri Valley Conference record of 6-12. They are 3-9 at home and 6-8 away.

The last time the two teams played each other this season was during a double header in Evansville. The Sycamores won the first game with a final score 5-1 and the Aces won the second game with a score 6-3.

The last time the Sycamores were in action was over the past weekend when they claimed a victory over Valparaiso, Saturday afternoon. The final score was 9-1 after Annie Tokarek hit a grand slam for the Trees.

ISU freshman, Olivia Patton is demonstrating her importance in being a key player for the Sycamores as she reached base in all five trips to the plate during Saturday’s game. She scored twice, recorded two hits and drew two walks.

Patton has a .349 hitting average with 43 at bats and will be a player Evansville will need to keep focus on when she steps up to the plate during Wednesday’s

Seven Sweeps for the Sycamores Emari Washington

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Athletic Media Relations

Sycamores are 3-9 at home and 6-8 away.

game.

Leslie Sims is another key ISU hitter that the Aces will need to watch during Wednesday’s game, with 143 at bats and .385 batting average. On April 16, she made NCAA softball top five plays when she hit an in the park home run against Evansville.

Evansville Sophomore, Allison Daggett has had 71 at bats this season and only eight strike outs with a hitting average of .282.

She is a top-hitting player for the

Aces. ISU will need to watch her when she steps up to the plate.

With both teams looking to add another victory to their season it will be a game you will not want to miss.

ISU only has six more games until the MVC Tournament begins. The tournament is scheduled to begin on Wednesday May 8 and last until Saturday May 11.

Times are still to be determined.

The conference will be in Peoria, Illinois and will be streamed on ESPN+.

top of the second inning. Eventually, the Aces put themselves on the board when Sam Troyer knocked a ball for a double.

By the eighth inning, the Sycamores tallied in five runs on four hits and an error. Jake Means and Romero Harris hit backto-back singles, which led Dane Tofteland to bring both of them home with a single in left field.

This ended up becoming out of reach for the Aces once Max Wright hit a three run homer to extend the score to 8-2.

The final game between Evansville and ISU came down the wire, but ended in a 6-2 win for the Sycamores. ISU is on its seventh Weekend series sweep and is now on top as one of the front-runners in the MVC conference. Excellence is only to Athletic Media Relations follow based on how hard these This weekend triple header was against the Evansville Aces. men have worked this season.