Oct. 11, 2023 | The Reflector

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OCTOBER 11, 2023

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Nursing program hosts White Coat Ceremony

By Elyssa Merrill

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER & BUSINESS MANAGER The University of Indianapolis Nursing Program celebrated its fourth biannual White Coat Ceremony, presented by Franciscan Health for the first time this year. After receiving a grant from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 2021, the nursing program implemented the White Coat Ceremony in Spring 2022 and was able to celebrate it once more on Oct. 5 with some different aspects added to it this year.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of White Coat Ceremonies across the nation, the Arnold P. Gold Foundation thinks of the ceremony as a rite of passage. Started by Arnold P. Gold after seeing the impact that technology had on the empathy of nurses, the Gold Foundation’s initiative is to illustrate the importance of patient care before they say the Hippocratic Oath, according to their website. According to the Gold Foundation, Arnold P. Gold believed reciting the Hippocratic Oath at graduation was too late in their education, so having a ceremony earlier in their education would allow there to be an emphasis on the importance of compassion in patient care at the start of medical training.

Associate Professor of Nursing Toni Morris said she applied for the grant from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation after seeing the application in an email from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Morris said the faculty left for the summer break and returned to hear that they had been selected to receive a one-time grant to hold the ceremony at UIndy. Morris explained that there was a lot of work, teamwork and thought that needed to go into the celebration, as it had never been done at the university before.

“Each individual school is allowed to design their own ceremony, so we did a lot of research,” Morris said. “There was myself, Dr. Morrel and Dr. Darnell [who] decided to join me on the mission to do this. We did a lot of research to figure out what other nursing schools do. Where do they hold it in their program? ... It just really depends on the school and who applies, but they’re elevating all health professions which is really great. We decided that it would make most sense for us to have it the first semester of the junior year for our students because they’re transitioning from the simulation lab into the hospital.”

Photo by Breanna Emmett

Junior Raegan Melton is adorned in her white coat by Dr. Laura Darnell at the White Coat Ceremony. Each student participating in the ceremony takes the Oath To Compassionate Care shortly after being dressed in their coat. This year's ceremony honored 64 students, and hosted over 400 attendees, both being the largest number UIndy has ever had.

Tribute from the ceremony program contributed by Toni Morris

Morris said that placement of the ceremony in students’ junior year was significant as it is a point of evolution of their education, and it puts their work from the simulation lab into practice with real patients in hospitals.The White Coat Ceremony was not always extended to nursing students, according to the Gold Foundation, but instead it used to be limited to physicians. The goal of having a ceremony, however, is to highlight humanism in the care of all patients,

according to the foundation. Morris said it is an incredibly important subject to keep in mind, and it is reinforced through the ceremony.

“Hopefully it inspires the students, and it reinforces the importance of having the compassionate care … the compassion and the kindness at the core of the care they’re delivering,” Morris said. “Because healthcare is rapidly evolving with technology with different equipment, and nurses are stressed and

taxed at the bedside. Sometimes it can get lost just because of the nature of where we are in our profession at the point and moment.”

Interim Undergraduate Program Director and Assistant Professor of Nursing Laura Darnell, also spoke about the implementation and significance of the White Coat Ceremony at UIndy and said she hopes that the ceremony will offer encouragement for the nursing students. She said it is a great opportunity

to give students the motivation to continue on throughout their careers.

“We found that it was nice to put [the ceremony] midway through our nursing program because it kind of recognizes them after they’ve had a really difficult semester,” Darnell said.

“It helps them move forward, gives them that motivation they need to continue on and to keep going.”

While the original purpose of the > See White Coat on Page 3

Experience Design to be phased out The University of Indianapolis Experience Design program will no longer be enrolling students

By Anika Yoder

MANAGING EDITOR & CO-ONLINE EDITOR The University of Indianapolis Department of Experience Design will no longer be enrolling students for the 2023-24 school year and in years moving forward. According to Adjunct Professor of Experience Design Austin Baker, the university decided to sunset the program and phase out the course work after a program review.

Students currently enrolled in the program will still be able to graduate with an experience design degree, and those currently majoring in the program

will be completing all their coursework this school year, according to Baker. The phasing out of the program was organized by the now-dissolved Center for Advising and Student Achievement and will allow for students to earn their credits until the end of the current academic year.

The UIndy experience design program is one of the only of its kind in the Midwest, according to the UIndy website.The program focuses on creating environments that engage consumers using multiple disciplines of design and management, along with research and development.

Students or people interested in experience design can find opportunities outside of an academic environment to pursue the career field. According to

INSIDE: OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3, 8 SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4, 5 FEATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ENTERTAINMENT . . . . . . . . . 7

Baker, there are programs around the country that offer experience design majors, and there has also been an influx of non-academic experience design careers.

I would not let this discourage people from pursuing this field..."

“I see there's a bunch of places that are offering certificates in museum design or like, a masterclass in themed entertainment design,” Baker said.

Programs in experience design on the

university or college level can be found at institutions like Kent State University and Brigham Young University,according to Baker. The Experience Design and Management program at BYU focuses on interdisciplinary design principles, according to the university’s ExDM program website. The program focuses on experience management, events and experience in recreation.

According to Baker, programs like UIndy Experience Design being cut are a result of lower interest in the field academically, as well as universities looking to cut down costs. Baker said the program being sunset is an institutionspecific decision that students can also look at crossover with other fields like theatre and marketing.

“I think we're seeing that we're almost approaching the cliff, as they call it, where enrollments are just kind of starting to go down everywhere and so universities are looking to cut and unfortunately the humanities are obviously the first on the chopping block,” Baker said.

Despite program cuts and students not being able to pursue the major at UIndy, Baker said the field is still growing. According to the research platform for user tests and design surveys UsabilityHub, the average salary for a UX designer in the USA is about $99,000.

“The field of experience design is still going strong and growing rapidly,”Baker said. “I would not let this discourage people from pursuing this field in general.”

RACOONS AS PETS

PROFESSOR PUBLISHES NOVEL

OPEN MIC NIGHTS AT KML

Two writers debate the pros versus cons of owning raccoons as legal pets. Check out Page 2 to read their arguments.

Professor Rebecca McKanna published her novel “Don’t Forget the Girl” on June 20. The novel follows the story of two friends trying to solve the murder of their friend. Head to Page 6 to read more.

Kannert Memorial Library hosts open mic night for UIndy students and faculty to showcase their original work. See Page 7 to read more.

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OPINION

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OCTOBER 11, 2023

THE REFLECTOR

Graphic by Hannah Hadley

By Michael Harrington FEATURE EDITOR

The idea of reselling clothes seems good to today’s more environmentally conscious consumer. Have any clothes you do not wear anymore? Sell them to somebody who wants them. Want to cut down on clothing waste? Buy second-hand clothing. Want a unique piece? Check out apps like Depop or Poshmark. However, the rise of reselling clothing—especially thrifted clothing—has led to some questions about ethicality regarding resellers.

If anyone has browsed second-hand apparel sales apps, the first thing they may see is a steep price for something like a used brand-name or vintage shirt. According to magazine Dazed Digital, e-commerce apps allow resellers to set the prices for items by their own discretion, which could create an unregulated market full of lofty price increases. A few days ago, I opened a second-hand shopping app in

order to look for a “vintage” Ed Hardy shirt, only to see that the cheapest option was a wrinkled, worn shirt for almost $40—not including shipping.

Another ethical dilemma that comes with reselling clothing is the new phenomena of “resellers” going to thrift stores in order to “thrift” pieces just to resell them. According to The Link newspaper, critics argue that resellers are buying all the quality items from second-hand stores, leaving low-income buyers the leftovers.

Unsurprisingly, this contributes to the resale market growing eight times faster than the apparel market, as seen in a 2022 fashion resale market report by online sustainable clothing retailer ThredUp. When people cannot find any quality pieces at their local thrift store, they either have to deal with what they have, buy environmentally damaging fast fashion or go on a resale app and face the steep price markups.

Reselling c lothing has e ven contribued to the price increases at local thrift stores as well. According to

Medium, corporate thrift retailers have noticed the spike in used clothing sales and subsequently raised the prices on them in their store. The current demand for second-hand apparel is so high that it has resulted in many resellers buying large quantities of clothing.The Medium said that resellers have contributed to the spike in thrift store prices due to

The normalization of paying more for something used...needs to stop..." the fact that they purchase a plethora of clothes—more so than the average person. This dilemma also promotes a culture of mass buying, as resellers see an easy way to make a large amount of money due to the small investment and high yields.

Some people may argue that resellin clothes is still ethical as many thrift

stores throw massive quantities of unsold clothing away. This is true, according to Reader’s Digest, as nearly 90% of clothing donated is thrown away or sent to textile recycling centers. However, what they fail to realize is many of the clothes being resold are being bought in a manner that is unsustainable in of itself. According to The New York Times, thrift stores actually have seen an uptick in both the donation of fast fashion items and the sales of these clothes. The market for fast fashion is far more environmentally damaging than clothes being sent to textile recycling centers, as fast fashion has seen an uptick in water consumption and the production of microplastics, according to Earth.org.

Others may also argue that reselling clothes is a good way for low-income people to make money. While a goodhearted thought, this could be debated.

According to The Week Newspaper, a lot of wealthy individuals are going into thrift stores with the sole purpose of reselling clothing. Since they usually

buy out the quality clothes from thrift stores, they appeal more to prospective buyers as compared to someone selling a shirt that they do not want anymore.

I do, however, appreciate the sentiment behind this argument.

I do not hate the idea of reselling clothing. In fact, it is a wonderful concept that allows people to have access to items they really want that they might not have been able to get otherwise. In theory, if someone is struggling with finding some decent clothes at their thrift store, they can use apps such as Depop and Poshmark. However, the current market for secondhand apparel is extremely unethical and inflated.

Why should I pay $40 for a namebrand shirt someone wore, tore up and sweat in? The normalization of paying more for something used than something new needs to stop. If resellers truly want to make a profit, they should focus on the long-term and sell multiple pieces at more accessible prices—not make their selections unaffordable and, frankly, unappealing.

Pro/Con: Should raccoons be legal pets?

Raccoons, other wild animals are legal in Indiana with a Wild Animal Permit and additional terms

By Caroline Krauch SPORTS EDITOR

When it comes to pets, there are basically no limitations in Indiana these days. If someone wanted to, they could even apply to have a bear as a pet (which is interesting, yet slightly terrifying). I once saw a video on Instagram of a woman who accidentally raised a panther as a pet thinking it was a cat, and then after growing an emotional bond, kept it, even when it was fully grown. In the State of Indiana, it is currently legal to own different wild animals as pets with a special permit. With hunting and trapping season coming up, I think it is important to address why I think having raccoons, in particular, as pets is a good thing.

Pe r s o n a l l y, m y n u m b e r o n e reservation about having a raccoon as a pet would be the legality of it. However, that is not an issue in Indiana—One could even apply to keep an eight-foot crocodile in the state if they wanted to. However, in order to make keeping a wild

By Olivia Hogsett STAFF WRITER

In my experience, it is rare to come across someone who has a pet raccoon—and for good reasons.

Raccoons can be unpredictable, hostile, anti-social and scary looking, to say the least. However, Indiana regulations state that people can own raccoons as long as they come from a licensed breeder and buy a Wild Animal Permit, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. As someone who loves animals, I do not think anyone should own a pet raccoon in Indiana or any state for various reasons, including safety for the animals and humans.

According to the website Pet Keen, “Raccoons are mischievous and unpredictable by nature and they can be aggressive. Even if you think you’ve tamed a wild raccoon, that animal can turn on you at any moment and deliver a wicked bite with its sharp teeth.”

animal possible, one would have to fill out a Wild Animal Possession Permit Application from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The application must be filled out and turned in within five days of acquiring the animal, which makes sure the state is aware of the animal quickly. And, if the DNR has deemed raccoons safe enough pets to grant legal permits for them, then why argue against the experts?

According to the DNR, a raccoon can grow to anywhere from eight to 20 pounds. That is around the same size and weight of a small dog or domesticated cat, meaning a raccoon would not take up too much space.

It would not absolutely need to have its own room like some larger animals would such as a horse, donkey, goat, etc.

A c c o r d i n g t o We b M D , domesticated raccoons are able to be trained and can be affectionate companions over time, despite many people viewing them as violent creatures. Raccoons are of the rodent family which also includes animals such as guinea pigs, hamsters and mice.

This means that, similarly to these

animals, raccoons can also be trained breeder and take it to a veterinarian and learn to bond with people. for a health check and vaccines anyway.

Another misconception people There are plenty of practical have about raccoons is that they are reasons to keep a raccoon as well. carriers for disease. Yes, raccoons can Raccoons are omnivores, meaning carry diseases like any other animal they eat both plants and animals. that is typically found in the wild, This but they are actually not the main means carrier of diseases, such as rabies, like that many people think, according to Undark—bats are actually more dangerous. The number of rabies cases has been decreasing since the 1970s after the country started programs to raccoon will vaccinate wild animals, eat basically according to the United anything, States Centers for similar to a Disease Control. scavenger And, like any in the ocean. other animal, a Raccoons have raccoon would been known need more to eat bugs and immunizations pests in the wild— as a pet that What person animals in the would not want a wild do not get. Also, personal, in-home if one keeps a raccoon exterminator? The as a legal pet in Indiana, they raccoon could eat any are required to purchase bugs or pests it sees the animal from a licensed Graphic by Breanna Emmett in the house—and

Trying to tame this wild animal is hostile and instinctual behaviors a complete waste of time. A pet toward humans and other animals. r ac c o on ow n e r While dogs easily bond with humans, may spend raccoons are unable to form close much of their emotional connections time training with humans even a raccoon just after several breeding to be let down attempts.” when the animal According to reverts back to its Time, dogs have a instincts. Additionally, a form of sociability raccoon’s temperament that makes them can be heartbreaking to a able to connect human because after the with humans. owner thinks their pet is However, tamed, it can lash out at raccoons lack any moment, as if it were this sociability never trained at all. and that severely Pet Keen also mentions affects their ability that r accoons are muc h to be good pets. different from normal house Health Ful l y pets. They cannot be completely says raccoons can domesticated and will oftentimes carry diseases such be unpredictable. as rabies, salmonella, According to Pet Keen, roundworm and “Unlike easily domesticated leptospirosis. dogs, raccoons are not social Raccoons are also and are animals that exhibit Graphic by Breanna Emmett known to bite—

even the “tamed” ones. Health Fully additionally says salmonella can be spread through raccoon feces and that roundworm eggs may also be present in their feces. The roundworm eggs, according to the article, “can lead to serious health issues in humans as they affect the central nervous system, and can impair the body’s organs, including the brain.” Although the DNR mandates that raccoons come from licensed breeders and that the animals visit a veterinarian after an ownership permit is issued, raccoons can still harbor diseases without signs or escape outside and get diseases from other animals.

Raccoons are nocturnal animals, according to the DNR. I question why someone would want a pet that is usually on the opposite sleep schedule of a typical person. A raccoon pet owner would need to put food out for the raccoon right before the owner goes to sleep to ensure that their pet is fed. I think this is nonsense. I strongly question how a person can adequately care for and enjoy a pet

even outside—if that is where one is keeping their pet. Additionally, raccoons will eat basically any food you put in front of them, according to WebMD. Not only can someone save money by not having to buy specialized food for their pet, but they will have significantly less household food waste as well. One may never have to feel guilty about wasting food again since they would have their own garbage disposal in the form of a house pet. Those leftovers that went bad? The raccoon will eat it.

With the limitations on pets now being so loose, it is hard to see the line between wild animal and domesticated.

There is no one animal that is more qualified to be a pet than others in my opinion—raccoons included. Raccoons are misunderstood creatures that get a bad reputation just because they are not a typical pet, but there is no good reason they should not be. A pet is a companion to have and to love, and a raccoon is capable of these things if given the chance. Let us not worry about raccoons—People have venomous spiders and snakes as pets, for heaven’s sake! that is not awake when they are. And, it is worth mentioning that animals have biological circadian rhythms (A.K.A. sleep cycles) just like humans do, according to The National Library of Medicine.

Lastly, it is illegal in most other states to keep a raccoon as a pet, according to World Population Review. According to WPR, pet raccoons are only legal in 19 out of 50 U.S. states. The other 31 states have laws in place that prohibit having a pet raccoon. Yes, raccoons may be legal as pets in Indiana, but if one takes their pet raccoon on a short trip to Kentucky without a Wildlife Transportation Permit from the state, they are now breaking Kentucky state law. The State of Indiana needs to reconsider legalizing raccoons as pets in the state due to the various problems the animals present to humans and themselves when put into a domestic setting. In the end, if you enjoy parasites, skin-breaking bites, scratches, heartbreak and not being able to play with your pet, a raccoon may be the pet for you!

Corrections The Reflector acknowledges its mistakes.

Whenamistakeoccurs,wewillprint corrections here on the Opinion page.

If you catch a mistake, please contact us at reflector@uindy. edu.

In our Sept. 27 Issue: - Toni Morris' name was mispelled as "Tony" in the article titled "Toni Morris recieves service learning award."

- The article titled "Toni Morris recieves service learning award" had a misleading attribution. The article was discussing only Morris' Service Learning Award and not her Education for Service Award, which was attributed as the Service Learning Award when it is not the same. Informatrion attributed to the UIndy 360 Service Learning Article as information from the Education for Service UIndy 360 article misleads the attributions and Morris' quotes discussing her Service Learning Award.

- The article titled "Biden administration launches SAVE Plan" and its corresponding graphic did not clarify that borrowers have to recertify their application every year if they do not link their IRS account to the Department of Education.

- In the article titled "Campus security upgraded," it was not clarified that the Flock Security cameras did not run facial recognition, the Verkada data system is what runs facial recognition from the Flock camera's data.

The opinions in this section do not necessarily reflect those of "The Reflector" staff.

What do you think?

Send your letters to the editor or other correspondence to: reflector@uindy.edu

NEWS

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THE REFLECTOR

OCTOBER 11, 2023

UIndy IT warns against phishing

By Arrianna Gupton EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Students at the University of Indianapolis have been recipients of fraudulent emails from people pretending to be faculty or staff members and offering tempting job or internship opportunities since this past summer, according to an email sent by UIndy IT. These emails use an online scam tactic known as phishing.

In an email statement, UIndy IT said, “Phishing is an attempt to steal people’s identities by tricking the victims into giving up their personal information including username and password, or other sensitive information (e.g. credit card number, gift card info, social security number and date of birth).

Many phishing campaigns exploit our heightened sensitivity to current events, our personal finances, and even the familiarity of our colleagues in an attempt to gain access to our personal and university data or for financial gain.”

Interim Chief Technology Officer Mathew Wilson said phishers are likely to pretend to be someone you know in order to get the victims to give up sensitive personal information. He said these threats usually come from countries with less-defined hacking laws or countries with no extradition

treaties with the United States. He said the easiest way to identify phishing emails is through errors in grammar and misspellings.

“We're seeing a number of phishing attacks lately that are pretending to be employers and they're offering things like internships or research assistant positions and they're offering attractive dollar amounts,” Wilson said. “... They want you to apply for the position and try to engage with them, and ultimately they're trying to steal money out of your bank account.”

According to Wilson, if anyone receives an email that seems like it is using phishing tactics, they can report it for phishing by clicking the three dots on Google. He stated that these reports are then sent to UIndy IT where they can then open an investigation. Wilson said that if students do fall victim to phishing, they should open a ticket with the IT Help Desk in order to file a report.

“Anytime that we get a report about a phishing email we investigate it,” Wilson said. “If it's gone to more than one person then we'll proactively block that email and make sure that no emails are going outbound to that email account and we're not going to receive any further emails inbound from that account. Then we also make sure that students or employees aren't engaging with that person, and if they

have then we instruct them to stop.

If they've already been asked to wire money to the phishing attackers then we'll refer you back over to your bank and to university police.”

Wilson said students interested in employment or internship opportunities should reach out to either the Pro Edge Center or search via Handshake. If students need to schedule an appointment or submit a

support ticket they can do so via the UIndy IT Help Desk.

“If you have a question or if you're not sure if it's real, the Help Desk would be happy to take a look at it,” Wilson said. “But a lot of times if you think that it might be phishing, we're going to look at it, and it's probably phishing, so mark it as phishing and report it as phishing on Google. That's the easiest way to do it.”

Graphic by Arrianna Gupton

Teacher recruitment initiative

School of Education receives $750,000 grant from Department of Education

By Mia Lehmkuhl EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-ONLINE EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis School of Education received a $750,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Education to improve teacher recruitment and retention efforts,according to Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant Project Manager Kelley Carnagua. Over the summer, the DOE hosted a series of workshops where colleges and universities could attend, according to Dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences John Kuykendall.

During these workshops, Kuykendall said the DOE talked about how they were going to provide funding to support unique programs or activities regarding attracting, preparing and retaining high school students who have an interest in pursuing a career in education. From there,according to Kuykendall,the School of Education applied for the grant and received the funding this past summer.

Kuykendall said that UIndy was able to host high school students on campus in a teacher bootcamp where students stayed on campus and attended workshops taught by UIndy faculty. “[Students] were taught by our faculty, they went to visit schools in our Marion County area, I think they went out to an elementary school in Lawrence,” Kuykendall said. “They were able to be

in our facilities, be taught by our faculty following courses: members and just really meet our students • EDUC 100: Explorations in that were here as a part of that experience Education for a week. We think that was something • EDUC 203: Psychology of that will help them kind of see us as a Learning, Development, and place they’d like to continue their studies.”

Instruction According to Carnagua, the School of • EDUC 255: Technology and Education has four main goals regarding Student Support Systems the use of DOE funding. These goals • EDUC 272: Introduction to include growing dual credit offerings for Learners with Mild Disabilities students, providing a week-long summer • ELED 155: Children’s Literature, Teacher Prep Academy on campus, Appreciating and Incorporating developing a paid apprenticeship program Children’s Literature in Reading and establishing a positive public image and Writing around the teaching profession in Marion The grant was offered to colleges County. and universities by “... We have the DOE to create created an a pathway into the You spent as much time apprenticeship teaching profession, program, where growing up with a teacher as according to UIndy.

UIndy Teac her W ith a current you did with your parents." shortage of teachers, E d u c a t i o n candidates in their Carnagua said they second and third are trying to change year have the opportunity to return to the rhetoric around teaching in order to the school districts to work as a paid encourage students to pursue a teaching paraprofessional while they're completing career. their college courses,” Carnagua said.

“I think the overall perception of “They're having the opportunity to the teaching profession has changed,” complete their coursework, while also Carnagua said. “The teaching profession being paid for their position.” isn't viewed as positively as it was before.

According to UIndy’s website, the Currently, the teacher pay rate… People grant expands dual credit offerings for hear a lot of misconceptions about teacher high school students, and Carnagua pay and what that looks like, and so for said UIndy is already partnered with 12 some high school students choosing a school districts where 446 students are career, the teaching profession might taking dual credit opportunities for the not look like it is as worth it in terms of

income.”

According to Kuykendall,this shortage has created a workforce issue where teachers are leaving the profession in “leaps and bounds.” Teachers are quitting their jobs, Kuykendall said, and there is also a shortage of prospective teachers coming to universities.

“This is a profession that, you know, over time, you pay out really well. But that's the number one reason and there are challenges,” Kuykendall said. “There's always rules and [regulations] that come around teaching protocols, there's less freedom now to teach. People hear stories and working in some of those tougher school districts really is discouraging for a lot of people.”

Despite this, Kuykendall said that teaching is a noble profession and that teachers make a significant impact on students’lives.The profession of education should be held in high regard, according to Kuykendall.

“None of us would be where we are today without someone sitting down with us and taking the time,” Kuykendall said.

“Our parents didn't do all that. Who did it? It was a teacher, right? You spent as much time with a teacher growing up as you did with your parents when you think about it. And we quickly dismiss the work that they do. … I want our university folks to know that they should be proud of our teacher preparation program at the University of Indianapolis because we are producing good teachers.”

a way to keep these students’memories in the program, and that there will be seats set aside on the stage for them among their peers.

“We’re going to have a special dedication during the ceremony for two students who we've lost this past year,” Darnell said.“...They will be getting white roses, we’re going to have two chairs set aside for them. We’re going to drape their coat over the chair, still keeping them in the lineup.”

According to Darnell, this year had the highest number of student participants in the history of the ceremony, and she was happy to recognize so many students who have made it this far towards their

education. Morris also said she was happy to see such a large number of students in this year’s ceremony. She said that what is most impactful to many people when they are in the hospital are the people who took care of them.

“We are part of the hospital bill, but if you ask most people about their hospital stay, they will tell you about the nurse that took care of them,” Morris said. “So it’s an opportunity for us to let our students know that they are very valued. …It’s an opportunity for us to acknowledge the hard work because nursing school is really hard, and it takes a special person to be a nurse. It’s a way for us to kind of give back to them.”

White Coat from Page 1 ceremony is to keep humanity within medicine, UIndy also uses it as a motivator and way to recognize the work the nursing students have put in thus far, according to Darnell. Morris said she knows that this ceremony can also recognize the efforts and support of loved ones, parents and family.

“It's an opportunity for parents, family members and loved ones to enjoy that evening,” Morris said. “It’s an acknowledgement for them because some people do travel in the world alone, but, for the majority, most people do not and they've had some type of help at some point along the way.”

According to Morris, the students

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received a Gold Foundation pin that they pin on themselves, received a red rose, got coated by the program director and took their place on risers on the stage. After all the students were in their places, they recited the Oath to Compassionate Care in unison. Morris said that this is done to ensure that they keep the interest of the patient as well as the patients and family at the core of what they do now as well as when they become professional nurses.

Darnell said this year's ceremony will have an additional dedication for two nursing students, Tabor Lock and Riley Duerstock, who lost their lives within the past year. She said this dedication will be

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CELL receives grant for STEM Teach

By Anika Yoder

MANAGING EDITOR & CO-ONLINE EDITOR The Indiana Commission for Higher Learning has awarded the University of Indianapolis Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning along with the Independent Colleges of Indiana with a grant for $2.7 million for the STEM Teach Initiative. According to UIndy 360, the initiative is tailored toward high school educators looking to complete graduate level STEM courses in order to meet requirements for the Higher Learning Commission to teach dual credit courses. CELL is partnered with the ICI for the sixth time in a row for funding for STEM Teach.

The ICI and CELL apply for a grant every two years, according to the Director of Strategic Initiatives for CELL Trish Wlodarczyk. CELL and the ICI apply through the ICHE for a STEM teacher recruitment grant, and UIndy is not the only recipient.

“There are a number of other recipients and it has a couple different layers,” Wlodarczyk said. “One is to credential dual-credit teachers in STEM fields.

Another is professional development for STEM and then as the title speaks, it's a STEM teacher recruitment grant so some grants are to recruit more teachers into STEM fields, kind of building a pipeline of pre-service teachers.”

According to Wlodarczyk, the STEM Teach initiative is meant to work with current and upcoming dual credit teachers.

When teachers apply for dual-credit credentials through the STEM Teach program, those applying have to be selected as the dual-credit teachers for their respective schools in order to take the program courses. CELL provides professional development opportunities to K-12 educators who are looking to participate in the program. “[Teachers] can also apply to STEM Teach and we have a few graduate certificates in STEM education,” Wlodarczyk said. “UIndy offers one, they’ll take the four courses at UIndy and receive a grad certificate in STEM education. And that could be for any K-12 teacher, so that's just getting more professional development in STEM fields.”

According to Wlodarczyk,once CELL receives the grant award for its initiative, the center submits a request for proposals to all colleges and universities in Indiana.

CELL reviews the proposed courses to make sure the content counts for dualcredit credentialing and then is accepted into the program catalog.

“Our catalog will consist of 18 credit sequences, or bundles of courses, for teachers to take those courses through us,” Wlodarczyk said. “Then we would pay each participating college the teachers' cost of tuition and then also for textbooks, so teachers don't pay anything out-of -pocket.”

Completion of the program can usually take about two years,Wlodarczyk said,and traditionally takes six semesters depending on if the course would take six to eight weeks within the traditional semester.

According to UIndy 360, registration teachers accepted into the program for courses is available based on teacher’s priority status and occurs several months before each semester begins. According to Wlodarczyk, CELL has a steady pipeline of funding and teachers getting graduate certificates can also go on to get master’s degrees through the center.

“We credential a lot of teachers,” Wlodarczyk said. “We get teachers graduate certificates, and then they can even go on to get a masters through us. So as long as the STEM teacher recruitment fund stays alive through the legislature, we continue to have successful outcomes.

I think we will continue to be funded, hopefully.”

STAFF DIRECTORY EDITORS / MANAGERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.....................MIA LEHMKUHL • lehmkuhlm@uindy.edu MANAGING EDITOR...........................ANIKA YODER • yoderav@uindy.edu NEWS EDITOR.............................OLIVIA PASTRICK • pastricko@uindy.edu SPORTS EDITOR.........................CAROLINE KRAUCH • krauchc@uindy.edu OPINION EDITOR.........................HANNAH HADLEY • hadleyh@uindy.edu FEATURE EDITOR........MICHAEL HARRINGTON • harringtonm@uindy.edu ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR..........HANNAH BIEDESS • biedessh@uindy.edu CO-ONLINE EDITOR..................MIA LEHMKUHL • lehmkuhlm@uindy.edu CO-ONLINE EDITOR............................ANIKA YODER • yoderav@uindy.edu PHOTO EDITOR........................BREANNA EMMETT • emmettb@uindy.edu ART DIRECTOR.........................BREANNA EMMETT • emmettb@uindy.edu BUSINESS MANAGER....................ELYSSA MERRILL • merrille@uindy.edu DISTRIBUTION MANAGER.............ELYSSA MERRILL • merrille@uindy.edu ADVISER....................................JEANNE CRISWELL • jcriswell@uindy.edu THE REFLECTOR • 1400 EAST HANNA AVENUE INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46227

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Contact Us: The Reflector office 317-788-3269 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 317-788-3269 after hours or fax 317-788-3490.

SPORTS

4 THE REFLECTOR

OCTOBER 11, 2023

UIndy Swim & Dive will not settle for less

Swim & Dive seeks another successful season following win at NCAA National Championship

By Caroline Krauch SPORTS EDITOR

For the 2022-23 season the men’s swim and dive team won the National Championship while the women’s team was the runner up for theirs, according to UIndy athletics. This year, both teams are hoping to bring the trophies back to Indianapolis.

The swim/dive season begins competition at the end of October and post-season play not beginning until the spring, around March. Third year Head Coach Brent Noble said he is prepared to put the work in.

“So we’ve got to progress and work through, we have men, we have women, they’re both sort of in different places,” Noble said.“They’re both solid, both have lost a lot of points and a lot of talent and then brought in a lot of points and a lot of talent. So, I mean, I’m happy with where we are. We’ve got plenty of work to do.”

Noble said he is proud of where the teams are at, but recognizes there is still a lot of work to be done. The team lost a good amount of refined, experienced swimmers from last season according to Noble. Despite this, he said he is happy with how the team looks still and is

excited to see what the season holds.

“I’m looking for ward to the development, it’s going to come with a new group,” Noble said. “I’m looking forward to new personality [and] new accomplishments. The way is pretty well-paved.”

Senior Brynhildur Traustadottir, a freestyle competitor on the women’s team, has been swimming since she was six after growing up in the pool watching her siblings swim competitively as well.

She said during her last year of eligibility she wants to focus on enjoying her year as much as possible.

“I’m literally enjoying just every single minute with the people,” Traustadottir said. “I’ve been swimming with new people trying to get everything I can from Brent just to improve.”

Traustadottir said she was proud of the team and how far they made it last year, but is hoping to bring home the national championship this year. She said she is hopeful for the team this year and is happy with the place they are in, even this early into this season.

“I think we’re at a really good spot because Brent has a very good vision and he’s very good at planning and knowing what to do next. With all the people we already have and all the new people, I think

we’ve gotten really like a strong incoming class,” Traustadottir said. “And I feel like we’ve gotten more close as a team even though we’re 97 people. And it’s kind of hard. But at the same time I feel like I can walk up to anyone on that team and just, like, start a conversation.”

Senior Brayden Cole has similar feelings about the men’s teaml. According to Harvard Business Review, after reaching the peak of collegiate athletics, many athletes would find it hard to stay motivated and work towards a goal that’s already been reached. Cole disagrees.

“Without a doubt, [we are] more motivated because now we’ve reached the top of the mountain now that everybody is going to be going for us. And I can’t tolerate losing,” Cole said. “We can’t lose now that we’ve won, I can’t go back to being second or third place. So it’s first place from here on out.”

According to Cole, the biggest challenge for the men’s team is going to be adjusting the new swimmers into everything and continuing to foster this winning mentality. He is optimistic about how the team has been practicing and performing.

“We just kind of got a couple new pieces that we need to mesh and integrate into the team and they’re already doing

such a good job with that,” Cole said.

“I mean, that would be the only real challenge I could see, but I think we’re already handling that relatively well.”

The UIndy swimming and diving team will have its first official meet on Oct. 20 at Purdue University according to UIndy athletics. This will be the opening meet to the fall season before national competition begins in the spring. Cole said the teams will not accept anything

less than winning now that they have had a taste of victory.

“You know, I want to win so that the members of this team have that experience,” Cole said. “But then on the other side of it, we have a lot of fifth years and seniors who have done a ton for this program and have been a part of the rise.

And so I’m looking forward to watching them finish their careers and do things that are pretty special.”

Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics

UIndy swimmers Jeron Thompson and Brayden Cole pose at a swim meet. Thompson achieved a time of 19.37 during 50-yard free at the NCAA Division II Championship.

Cross Country is off to a running start

Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics

Cross country athlete and graduate student Hadley Fisher races towards the finish line. UIndy cross country at the Blue River Cross Country Course during the Franklin Grizzly Invite on Sept. 2. Their next meet is scheduled for Oct. 21 at the GLVC Championship.

By Arrianna Gupton EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

The University of Indianapolis men’s and women’s cross country teams are off to a running start to th 2023-24 season. According to UIndy Athletics, so far, the teams have had two meets

respectively, the first at Franklin College where the men placed first and the women in second. The team’s latest meet of the season, the Jaguar Invitational, took place at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis where the men placed in fourth and the women in sixth, according to UIndy Athletics. Head Coach Brad Robinson, who has been coaching the

team for 13 years, said that although the team roster and schedule are shorter this year, it has allowed the team to focus on staying healthy, better quality and more consistent training.

“We’re a little smaller, but I would say we’ve got a lot of veterans as well so, even though we’re smaller, I would say the team, in general, is a bit closer,” Robinson

said.“Overall, the experience coming into it, we don’t have as many new faces of true freshmen coming in. So whether it was graduate transfers or just returning athletes, almost everybody seems to be bringing some sort of collegiate crosscountry experience to the table, and that’s allowed us to start training at a much higher level, smarter level without a doubt, our injuries on average, I would say have been down and just higher, higher level of training without a doubt. And that’s transitioning over to the results we see when we race as well.”

Robinson expressed that both teams are eager to be challenged this year despite losing some strong runners this year. He said the resilience the team has shown has quickly made up for the losses allowing for the teams to work stronger as a collective. Sophomore Emma Gaston stated the women’s team has been very supportive of one another, creating an environment where everyone can accomplish their goals. She said the team has surprised her this year since everyone has been reaching their individual potential which she enjoys seeing.

“We have the mentality that you’re not running for yourself, you’re running for the team and if you can focus on the team, then you’re gonna improve your own self no matter what you do,” Gaston said.

“And Coach Brad has really honed us in on that. It’s not about yourself, it’s about the team and if we run for the team and do it for the right reasons, everything else will fall into place.”

Fifth-year graduate student Jaycee Wilburn said everyone on the men’s team has been improving as the season

progresses. He stated the close-knit nature of the team has created a culture where even when someone is having an off day someone is always there to pick you up.

Right now the team trained for their next big meet, the University of AlabamaHuntsville (UAH) Chargers invitational in Huntsville, Alabama according to Wilburn. The meet took place on Oct. 7 according to UIndy Athletics.

“Next weekend we have Huntsville Alabama coming up, which is gonna be a huge DII showcase,” Wilburn said.

“Everyone’s really hype for this meet.This is the place basically where we’re gonna run really fast. This is probably going to be, not our fastest, but hopefully, it’s gonna be people PRing personal records across the board, bringing some of the fastest times they’ve ever seen. Just use it as a big confidence booster and then hopefully regionals, we’re trying to place high enough to potentially qualify for nationals.”

[As of Reflector press time, this meet has already taken place.]

According to Robinson, he hopes in the future the teams can claim the previous two meets as their home court.

He stated the team quickly adjusted to the new course and is currently gearing up for more familiar meets. Robinson said the Huntsville meet historically has always been a great meet for the teams as far as competition goes.

“We want to improve upon last year,” Robinson said. “We want to improve our finishes at conference and the regional championship for sure. And then we’re looking to see if we can get an athlete, perhaps, to the national championship also.”

UIndy Golf takes on DBU Tournament under new leader

good. Now it’s about how we finish rounds and how we finish tournaments.That tells us kind of what we need to work on in practice moving forward.”

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR & STAFF Dy has matured a lot as a player this WRITER season, according to Nicoson. While leading the team on the course, Dy said Women’s golfer Anci Dy was crowned this early season has felt rewarding…

Great Lakes Valley Conference player “It feels really validating because I’ve of the week for the second consecutive worked really hard the last couple years week, according to UIndy Athletics. The and I’ve had a lot of great teammates Greyhounds ended with a fourth place that have done really good things for this finish at the Dallas program and I’m Baptist University happy to step into Classic earlier this those shoes and kind We have a great leader up of show our young S eptember, the website stated. Dy people what we can there and it pushes the shot four under par do…” Dy said. “Our through 54 holes, others behind her.” first tournaments according to UIndy are really hard so it Athletics. started off on a good University of Indianapolis Golf Head note. It sets me up for a good confidence Coach Brent Nicoson said that success is booster.” not new to the women’s golf team, and The team dynamic has been very neither to Dy, as she took third at the beneficial to the team this year, Coach UIndy Invitational, their season opener, a Nicoson explained. With Dy’s leadership week prior, according to UIndy Athletics. and hard workers across the whole team, With early found success this season the the women’s golf team has created an team is still looking to take that extra environment for success. step, Nicoson explained.

“She’s [D y] a great leader…”

“We want to go to these tournaments Nicoson stated. “For us as coaches to win but it was a loaded field,” Nicoson she always does things right but said. “With our inexperience, I thought the team this year is really close. we played pretty well. The fourth place They all like each other, I think it’s just finish and I feel like that was, I would say, her maturity and understanding of what a successful trip we learned a lot about she does, puts her head down and goes the team. So we know we can be really to work.”

By Hannah Biedess & Nicholas Varanelli

Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics

Junior Anci Dy tees off on the golf course. Her Total To Par Gross was +3. On Sept. 3rd. the UIndy golf team won 4th place out of 16 competing teams during the DBU Tournament. UIndy Golf has their next match scheduled for Oct. 16 in the Flyer Invitational in Ohio.

“And I think we need more of that. I think the others will see that and several of them do as well. But I think just having a person in that number one spot that we know is going to play well.That feeds down to the other girls that she’s just so mature.

She works hard. She keeps things simple.”

The DBU Classic was a good test to see where the team is early in the season, Nicoson said. It has also set the team up

for future matches, he explained.

“Anytime we have a player playing well like that, it’s gonna push the others right behind them,”according to Nicoson.

“Just kind of, it’s kind of a domino effect, but they have to push each other to get better and I think these two tournaments [UIndy Invitational and DBU Classic] have shown them what she can do. Same with her, she has finished these rounds

off and she’s winning these tournaments.

And so I think it was very beneficial for us. We have a great leader up there and it pushes the others behind her.”

Looking to continue their hot streak, the Hounds went to Findlay Ohio on Oct. 2 for the William Beall Fall classic hosted by Findlay University in which they won first place, according to UIndy Athletics.

SPORTS

5 OCTOBER 11, 2023

THE REFLECTOR

Pais wins ITA Championship title Sophomore Tyffaine Pais takes the ITA Regional Midwest Championship title during tournament

By Connor Mahoney STAFF WRITER

Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics

Sophomore tennis player and Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional Champion Tyffaine Pais celebrates on the tennis court after scoring the winning point at the end of the tournament. The next torunament begins on Oct. 11 and goes to Oct. 15.

Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics

Freshman UIndy tennis player Benedetta Sensi takes a break after competing on the court. Sensi won all but her final singles matches, the last of which was against Tyffaine Pais. In her doubles matches, she and her court partner Diane Flament won 3 out of 4 matches.

Facing off against her teammate, sophomore tennis player Tyffaine Pais was victorious becoming the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Midwest Regional Champion after defeating fellow Greyhound freshman tennis player Benedetta Sensi, according to UIndy Athletics.

Pais said the tournament started rough but after taking it match by match, she was able to focus on what was in front of her.

“If you’re just trying to realize ‘Oh my, right now I’m gonna play in the quarterfinals, then I’m gonna play the finals in the finals,’” Pais said. “I think that you’re putting too much pressure. So especially for me, I was not really thinking, I was just, ‘Okay, I’m just playing a girl with a raquet like me.’”

This was not the first time Pais played in the ITA Regional. Pais said she competed in the competition the previous year. Pais competed in her first tournament as a Greyhound having transferred from Northwest Missouri State University and being from France originally, according to UIndy Athletics. Likewise, Sensi, who is from Italy, competed for the first time as a Hound which resulted in battling against her teammate in the final.

“I was happy; I was in final and [Pais] was my opponent,” Sensi said. “So, I knew that one of the two of us from UIndy would win the tournament… We didn’t fight, [and] it was calm, so it was good.”

Stepping onto the court to play for the first time in the United States, Sensi said she felt a lot of emotions. She said she is proud to be on this team.

“It was emotional because I [had] never been in the USA, [this] is my first year…,” Sensi said. “Everything is new, it was my first match as being part of

the team. It was difficult because [there was] a lot of emotions going towards looking at how I play in the match… I was proud to be part of the team. So, I gave everything for my teammates, for my school, for my coach, for everyone.”

Pais and Sensi said that the ITAs has been a good way to prepare for the spring season. According to Sensi, in the short time she has been here the team is meshing well together. “ We pretty much met everyone a month ago now, [and] we’re all getting on well, with ever yone,” Sensi said. “ We’re all really close on the court, and also off the court; we’re studying together… We’re going to eat all together, but we’re not doing it because we have to do it, we’re doing it because we want to do it… Of course, seeing the level that we have been producing for the tournaments, I’m really proud of them.”

The Greyhounds had mu l t i p l e i n s t a n c e s w h e re t h e y played against each other which shows the level of the team, according to Pais. Cheering on each other in the games, Sensi said the presence of her teammates is felt when they go out and compete.

“I learned that [my teammates are] always there for me, I was winning [and] they’re [there] to cheer me on… Sensi said. “I think we can do great things together… for the spring.

I’m proud of my teammates because everyone is great. I love them; they’re always there for me… So, I’m proud to be part of this team.”

Throughout the tournament, Pais said she wants to thank the coaches for supporting them.

“Thank [you to] coach and the assistant coac hes bec ause the y have done a really good job during these tournaments…,” Pais said.

“They have been there for us on the courts… I would like to thank them because they have been there for us mentally [and] supporting us.”

Alumnus Evan Soucy drafted to NLL you’re kind of refreshing the page t o s e e w h e n t h e y wo u l d u p d a t e i t and stuff… And so I was ner vous, but also super excited when it EDITORIAL ASSISTANT & STAFF happened.”

WRITER S o u c y s a i d h i s f a m i l y i s p ro u d o f h i s a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s . S o u c y ’s E v a n S o u c y, a U n i ve r s i t y brother Gr aden, was also dr af ted of Indianapolis alumnus, was i n t o t h e N LL by t h e Va n c o u v e r drafted into the National Wa r r i o r s i n Va n c o u v e r, B r i t i s h L a c ro s s e L e a g u e by t h e C a l g a r y Columbia, according to the Roughnec ks. S ouc y stated he was Va n c o u v e r Wa r r i o r s . the 37th pic k in the second round, “ I ’d s a y t h e y ’ r e p r o u d , ” that e ven though this year ’s dr af t Soucy said. “My brother was w a s n o t b ro a d c a s t t h e re w a s a s e l e c t e d t o Va n c o u v e r a c o u p l e lot of anticipation and mixed o f ye a r s p r i o r. I t w a s s o m e t h i n g feelings leading up to the event. t h a t w e ’v e b e e n a b l e t o re l a t e Soucy expressed that he was about, and we still play together excited to even hear his name h e re . S o i t ’s c o o l , r i g h t n o w m y called, but especially for the b ro t h e r a n d I w e re k i n d o f j u s t Calgary Roughnecks since he t r a i n i n g t o g e t h e r. ” g re w u p w a t c h i n g t h e t e a m o n Soucy said his favorite T V. memor y at UIndy was winning “ G ro w i n g u p, t h a t w a s k i n d t h e G LVC C h a m p i o n s h i p g a m e of my team that I would always in 2021. UIndy faced Lindenwood watch because University in the there was championship someone from game and my hometown ultimatel y ... So I was nervous, but that played p u l l e d a also super excited there,” Soucy 1 0 - 9 v i c t o r y, said. a c c o r d i n g when it happened.”

S o u c y , to UIndy a B r i t i s h Athletics.

C o l u m b i a , “ That was a Canada native said at the age super tough game and it came o f n i n e h e t o o k u p l a c ro s s e . H e d o w n t o t h e w i re . L i n d e n w o o d s a i d h e g re w u p p l a y i n g b o t h g a v e u s a r u n f o r o u r m o n e y, ” offense and defense, which he Soucy said. c re d i t s f o r e vo l v i n g h i m i n t o t h e Soucy stated that he would d e f e n s i ve p l aye r t h a t h e i s t o d ay. n o t b e w h e re h e i s w i t h o u t t h e According to UIndy Athletics, h e l p o f t h e p e o p l e a ro u n d h i m .

S o u c y h a s p l a ye d f o u r s e a s o n s He said he has had many people in w i t h t h e U I n d y m e n’s l a c ro s s e h i s l i f e s u p p o r t h i m t h ro u g h o u t team. Soucy said some notable this journey including his athletic awards he received p a re n t s , c o a c h e s a n d m e n t o r s . during his time at the university “I’d say first and foremost, my a re t w o - t i m e G LVC Ac a d e m i c famil y, like my parents and stuff,” All-Conference, 2021 AllS ouc y said. “ They al ways kind of G LV C H o n o r a b l e M e n t i o n , pushed me to stick with lacrosse G LV C D e f e n s i v e P l a y e r o f and I’m thankful for that. And t h e We e k a n d 2 0 2 2 A l l - G LVC then also Chris Bowman. He is S e c o n d Te a m . S o u c y s a i d a s t h e our general manager for the team d r a f t w a s h a p p e n i n g, h i s n e r v e s in my hometown. S o he’s kind of w e re a t a h i g h . coached me growing up and he’s “It was pretty cool,” Soucy kind of been there the whole way, said. “It was kind of mixed t h ro u g h o u t t h e w h o l e p ro c e s s . emotions of the whole thing. The H e ’d p r o b a b l y b e t h e b i g g e s t dr af t wasn’t actual l y broadc asted influence on my game to date. And t h i s ye a r, s o i t w a s k i n d o f l i k e , then my college coaches, Coach t h e re ’s a l o t o f a n t i c i p a t i o n … S o S tocks, Coach Reed and Grimes.”

By Arrianna Gupton & Olivia Hogsett

Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics

Senior Evan Soucy guards an attacker from the Lewis University Flyers in their semi-final conference game this past 22’-23’ season. The men’s lacrosse team will resume playing again this Spring. Their 23’-24’ season will kickoff on Friday Feb. 2nd at Alabama Huntsvillle.

Photo contributed by UIndy Athletics

UIndy Alumni and men’s lacrosse player Evan Soucy plays defense on the field against the Westminster University Griffins on Feb. 11th. Soucy finished his last season with the Greyhounds with 36 groundballs and 23 caused turnovers according to UIndy Athletics.

6

FEATURE

THE REFLECTOR

OCTOBER 11, 2023

Professor concludes exhibition

UIndy professor Jyotika Saksena co-leads a study-turned exhibition featured in downtown Indy

By Caroline Krauch

our students and a chance to serve the larger community. In some ways, when you think about UIndy as education for service, it's a perfect place for our students to get that experience,” Saksena said.

Saksena said they used a methodology which is called PhotoVoice which meant that the women themselves were given cameras,

told to snap pictures of what made them feel happy or sad and then caption the photo in their own words. The biggest challenge in this research, according to Saksena, was the language barrier by using visuals instead of just words, as it was a much more impactful and interactive way of getting to know the woman.

According to McMorrow, she met

Saksena in 2015 while the two both worked at UIndy while McMorrow served as the Director of the Master of Public Health program. She said that she and Saksena originally connected over how their two programs could correlate more under the topic of global health. McMorrow said she hasbeendoingworkwithPhotoVoiceforover

ten years which was how the methodology was chosen for the project.

“It was 11 years ago, I started doing PhotoVoice. I did it with a group of teenage girls, African American teenage girls,” McMorrow said.“It went really well and I just really appreciated how the method worked in terms of capturing people's true experiences and also their stories.”

Saksena said the research is an ongoing project and that there are plans to continue the methodology and share their findings with the public. Saksena and McMorrow have done gallery shows before, both downtown and in the Schwitzer Student Center as well, according to Saksena. Saksena said she encourages UIndy students to get involved, and an important aspect of helping these refugees adjust to life here is communication and being immersed in the culture.According to McMorrow,their research and exhibit has already been improved to be featured in two more conferences coming up within the next six months.

“I'm grateful to have this exposure because I don't know if Dr Saksena mentioned it,” McMorrow said.“But really PhotoVoice,the way that it was conceived, is always for there to be, not just to do research and like keep it inside but to have these kinds of media and awareness and advocacy exposure.”

Exposure is something that both McMorrow and Saksena said has been a focus. The colleagues are constantly looking for opportunities to share their experiences and work with others.Both women said they encourage students to get involved and reach out to them if they have any interest in the subject or methodology.

“So in any way that students can do internships,do volunteer work or take service learning classes would be all different ways of helping these refugees integrate,”Saksena said.

can inspire me.I often write about things that I don't understand.”

While McKanna said that readers might want to be prepared going into the novel if they have experiences with violence or grief, but readers have also praised the book.

Publishing her writing has been a lifelong dream, according to McKanna, and she said that she has enjoyed talking to people who have been moved by her storytelling.

“I've been lucky. It's only been nice,” McKannasaid.“Peoplewillrandomlymessage me, strangers, and it's some of those messages that have been really meaningful and really, really sweet.”

For students looking to publish their own novels someday, McKanna said she advises them to take creative writing classes offered at UIndy. Other than that, McKanna advises writers to write a lot and to write through bad writing.A lot of writing is going to disappoint, McKanna said,but it is in the revision process where that can turn into something bigger. “...Ipublishedalotofshortstoriesandthen, my now agent, read one of them in a literary journal and contacted me,” McKanna said.

“That's not how it usually happens. People usually do what they call querying.And so for a fiction book or novel, you need to have the full book done. And then you go and query a bunch of agents to see if any of them want to represent you. … once the book is done, and they kind of go back and forth with you on revisions and things like that. Then they try to sell your book to publishers, and when it gets published.”

McKanna said that the novel writing process took nine months and revisions betweenherandheragentlastedaboutanother year.After that,she started the long process of actually publishing what she wrote.According

to the Greenleaf Book Group, authors can expect the editing and publishing process to take nine months to two years—with one and a half years being the average. “... The book wouldn't come out for a couple more years,”McKanna said.“Part of that time was revising one more time with the editor. And then the rest of the time

is just preparing the book for publication doing like pre-publicity, stuff like that. So it's a long process.”

McKanna said that oftentimes the difference between someone who gets published and someone who does not is persistence and stubbornness.

Discouragement is normal and part of the

process, and it can often signal that one is on the right track, according to McKanna.

"My favorite part of my job is reading student stories. Like I absolutely adore it. So they [students] should take Intro to Creative Writing or, you know, some of our other creative writing classes," Mckanna said.

Singh said connecting with the university community and the external community is one of the most important things a president can do. Events such as the President’s Lunch are a way to bridge the gap between the president, the student body, the faculty and alumni, Signh said.

“I’m hoping to hear from [alumni] about what is it that keeps them connected to UIndy and what is it that keeps them connected to the university,” Singh said. “I'm hoping to have these very informal conversations. ...Homecoming is not a formal event, it's a very informal event, a celebration, and I'm hoping to talk to them about what it is about their experience that makes it special.”

UIndy Vice President of Community and Corporate Communications Andrew Kocher said the President’s Lunch was a way for Singh to express her plans for the future of UIndy.

According to Kocher, the event is

different compared to the past iterations.

“The two biggest differences for this year's lunch is one, the new president because people want the opportunity to meet her and hear what she has to say,” Kocher said. “The other thing is we're intentionally designing the event

SPORTS EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis saw Professor of International Relations Jyotika Saksena co-lead a research study with her colleague Director of Master of Public Health and Associate Professor atWestern Michigan University Shannon McMorrow. The study was featured in downtown Indianapolis at the Circle City Industrial Center according to Saksena. McMorrow and Saksena began a study on how female Congolese refugees adjusted to life in Indiana. According to an analysis by ResearchGate, the exhibition featured photographs that were taken and captioned by the refugees themselves, using a methodology called PhotoVoice.

This research and exhibition were done in partnership with Exodus Refugee Inc., Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC) and other community partners who have donated space and money to the cause, according to Saksena. Saksena said Exodus Refugee Inc., a partner in this research, directed Saksena and McMorrow to focus on Congolese women because they were a newly arriving group to Indianapolis.

According to Saksena and McMorrow, they met these women in 2016 and have been in contact ever since.

Saksena stated they wanted to focus on Iraqi and Syrian refugees as well but since their funding was from IMHC, it was not possible because the federal definition of minority considers Iraqi and Syrian people as white. UIndy has had a relationship with Exodus for over a decade, and it first started out as a place where students could go to get internships,according to Saksena.According to UIndy 360, Saksena has served on their board since 2014.

“It's [Exodus] a good learning space for

Photo by Breanna Emmett

Located in the Schwitzer Gallery in the Circle City Industrial Complex off of E Brookside Ave, the exhibit titled “Through Their Eyes” was open to the public for the entire month of September. The exhibit explores the integration of Congolese refugees in Indianapolis.

UIndy professor thrills with new novel

By Mia Lehmkuhl EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-ONLINE EDITOR

AssociateProfessorofEnglishandInterim Writing Lab Director Rebecca McKanna published her first novel this summer, a true crime story titled “Don’t Forget the Girl.”

Published in June, the novel is about three friends, according to McKanna, where one of them goes missing and is presumed murdered by a serial killer. The two surviving friends want answers about what happened to their friend, but the suspected serial killer is set to be executed.The UIndy 360 events page said the novel’sTV/film rights have been optioned by film company HeyDay Films, meaning that an agreement has been made where the author gives a potential producer the rights to try and get the movie “set up,” according to Agents and Books.

“IthinkIwasalwaysdrawntocrimestories, and was interested in true crime myself, but I started to get kind of skeptical about that,” McKannasaid.“...Iwantedtowritesomething that kind of had those thriller elements but wasn't putting the focus on like the serial killer rather than on the victim and their loved ones.”

McKanna said she is originally from Iowa and started teaching at the University of Indianapolis as a full-time faculty member in 2017. Before writing “Don’t Forget the Girl,” McKanna said that she started with various short stories, and one of these stories was written about a girl who develops romantic feelings for a serial killer. This played a role in the inspiration behind her novel.

“I feel like [writing is] kind of how I metabolize experiences in the world,” McKanna said. “So I think, really, anything

Photo by Mia Lehmkuhl

University of Indianapolis Associate Professor of English and Interim Writing Lab Director Rebecca Mckanna poses with her newest novel "Don't Forget the Girl," published this summer. McKanna said her novel was inspired from a series of self-written short stories.

Singh connects with students at lunch

By Michael Harrington FEATURE EDITOR

University of Indianapolis’ President Tanuja Singh attended her first President’s Lunch on Oct. 7th, according to UIndy 360. The event was from 12 p.m. and concluded at 2 p.m. with a pep rally to close, according to UIndy 360.

Singh said that the event was a way to get to know the campus community in a more informal setting.

“I have met with a lot of people in other settings for ice cream socials and through alumni lunches, etc.,” Singh said. “But this is one where we can combine the fun part of UIndy with a little bit of the formal part of UIndy and really get to know people in that setting, in a very fun, uplifting environment, celebrating UIndy, celebrating our students, celebrating our alumni, celebrating our faculty and all the successes.”

"[It is] an excellent opportunity for us to set the vison." to have a lot of opportunities just for campus spirit and campus excitement.

So we'll have performances by the pep band, the dance team, the cheerleaders along with some remarks from Coach Keever, our football coach.”

According to UIndy’s website, Singh is the second president since the President’s Lunch has been an event.

Singh said that this was a way to publicly set a new vision for the university. “[It is] an excellent opportunity for us to set the vision. We have been talking about where UIndy needs to be in the city, where we need to be in the state and where we need to be in the world. This is a first glimpse that I hope to share about what our vision is collectively,” Singh said. “Where are we going to be in the next three to five years? What are the biggest opportunities that we have?

What are some of the challenges we need to address? So I'm really excited because as they say, it's a different leadership.”

Kocher said that the event is a way to show how UIndy works best, as it thrives when everyone in the community celebrates together. According to Singh, the planning process for the President’s Lunch has been a fluid collaboration between the event’s coordinators.

“The process has been organic as we have spoken with each other. I'm learning a lot from the team that

already exists here and said, ‘Hey, these are some of the things that people love.’ So everything we are doing is in conversation with people for whom this event is being put together,” Singh said.

According to Singh her favorite part about her position is when she is able to connect with students on a personal level in events such as these.

Singh said she hopes attendees from the President’s Lunch can understand that the university is one that exists for the success of its students.

“I hope they take away from this event that what we do here, ultimately a university is meant to be a university, exists for the success of its students. We hope to prepare connected, impactful citizens who care about the world,” Singh said. “I hope that they see that this is the kind of place where we care about our students, and then, in turn, we know that they care about the world.

So I hope they go home feeling excited about the future.”

ENTERTAINMENT

7

OCTOBER 11, 2023

THE REFLECTOR

Library hosts first Open Mic Night

UIndy students showcase their original, artistic work in two minutes at Krannert Memorial Library

Photo by Allison Cook

Associate Professor of English and Etchings Literary and Fine Arts Magazine Advisor Liz Whiteacre smiles during a round of applause after sharing a poem she wrote in college. Open Mic Night allows students to perform a two-minute orginal work in a supportive place.

By Allison Cook STAFF WRITER

Students and faculty were greeted by soft music and smiling faces on the second floor of the campus library as they sat down for Krannert Memorial Library’s first Open Mic Night.

University of Indianapolis students had the chance to showcase their artistic talents in a safe and welcoming environment organized by Associate Professor of English and Etchings Literary and Fine Arts Magazine Advisor Liz Whitacre and Director of University Library Marisa Albrecht,

according to a Sept. 25 email sent by UIndy Student Affairs.

The event came to be through Whiteacre talking with her students in class about the idea of an open mic night, according to Albrecht. When Whiteacre and Albrecht grabbed coffee together one day over the summer, the topic was mentioned through conversation, and it was agreed that a partnership with the library would be a great idea, Whiteacre said.They said the event grew from there.

There is no limit to what can be performed, according to Albrecht, as long as it stays within the two-minute limit.

“An open mic series gives people

who are creating work an opportunity to engage with an audience that can appreciate what they’ve created,” said Whiteacre. “... This is another avenue for people to share work that they’ve polished in a very supportive environment.”

The series, however, is not only beneficial for the performers, but also the audience, according to Whiteacre.

She said the exposure to the arts leads the audience to appreciate all of the work that goes into creating something such as a TV show, a book or poem. The feeling is two-fold between performers and spectators, according to Whiteacre.

“And then for the audience … I think

enjoy playing and the audience enjoys listening to.

“The other factor is that we want to make sure that we feature particular soloists,” O‘Connor said. “So whoever my up and coming soloists are, I try to feature them in different selections.”

UIndy freshman jazz studies major and bass guitar player in the UIndy Jazz Ensemble Sebastian Rodriguez said the band focused on “Too Much of a Good Thing” leading up to the concert. The piece is one of two that were a key point of focus, according to Rodriguez. “[We focused on] our one swing piece, ‘Too Much of a Good Thing,’ mainly because it’s our longest a piece, and also another one called ‘South Street Ball Blues,’ which there’s a part where there’s just bass and a certain section for a really long period of time,” Rodriguez said According to Rodriguez, being a jazz studies major has given him plenty of opportunities to practice leading up to the concert. He said that the ensemble has worked together outside of class in order to practice as a whole.

“Most of my classes right now are just music-based, so it just gives me a lot of free time to go into a practice

room,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve been with a lot of members, we have jam sessions where we just pick a piece [and say], ‘Hey, let’s run it,’ and we play it and find something that we can improve on and just keep doing that over and over again.”

O’Connor said that he hopes the band and audience alike will find the concert entertaining.

According to O’Connor, the concert is not supposed to be a formal event, rather something viewers can sit down and enjoy, and students who come to the concert are able to be introduced to jazz as a whole.

“Hopefully [students] can be introduced to the style and the large jazz ensemble in a lot of ways appeals to a larger n u m b e r o f p e o p l e, ” O’Connor said.

“Sometimes the smaller groups are a little bit more challenging to appreciate, but that ’s really the main thing.”

Rodriguez said the concert shows

needed it most, and says it is something is another group that benefits from this wonderful that every student should new series,” said Whiteacre. “Having embrace. The series’s goal is to better the the opportunity to watch performances by emerging writers, musicians, poets, campus, according to Phillips-Hedge.

It is open to anyone and everyone who comedians, filmmakers, the list could go wants to perform. on and on. It introduces us to a diversity “I think ever ybody should be of perspectives and voices and styles.” somewhat involved in the arts,” Albrecht anticipates that this event Phillips-Hedge said. “Not only for is the first partnership of many that that therapeutic element, [but] because will happen with Krannert Memorial it helps with so much self-discovery.”

Library. She said she wants to encourage The event also serves as a way for students to take ownership of that. students to release stress and express Albrecht hopes Open Mic Night can themselves, according to Albrecht. From grow into being a safe place for other the stress that comes from everything events that students want to put on. She says any student with ideas is welcome to classwork all the way to the news, she said how important it is to have to come to her to discuss any potential a break and hopes plans. that Open Mic “ The library ’s Night can be an for students,” said This is another avenue outlet for students.

Albrecht. “I want them to come to for people to share work Every student is encouraged to me with ideas of that they’ve polished.” share any work they what they’d like to may have, or even see us be able to simply come out provide. We provide and observe the performers, according the resources, but what else can we do? to Albrecht. She said everyone can gain ... What [other] events would they like something out of the experience. to see here?” “[College is] more than just learning Open Mic Night is scheduled for from your class or course material,” said nearly every month until the end of the school year, with the goal of having Albrecht. “It’s learning about other a different student group hosting people, and how to interact and engage with other people. That’s a skill that you each one. Etchings Literary and Fine need to develop [...] just being exposed Arts Magazine was the first group to other people, creativity, their culture, that worked with the event. Senior their ideas, I think that there can’t be English Professional Writing major and Managing Editor of Etchings anything bad that comes out of that.

It’s a growing experience for everybody.”

Alex Phillips-Hedge helped announce The Open Mic Night series is eligible performers and organize the event.

Phillips-Hedge said he found creative for L/P credit for students. The next event will be on Oct. 26 in KML 209. arts to be therapeutic at a time when he

UIndy Jazz Ensemble swings in Ruth Lilly

By Michael Harrington FEATURE EDITOR

The University of Indianapolis Jazz Ensemble performed their first concert on Oct. 3 in the Ruth Lilly Performance Hall, according to a UIndy 360 article. The performance went from 7 to 8:30 p.m., according to the article. University of Indianapolis Director of Jazz S tudies Mark O’Connor said it featured a wide variety of jazz pieces. The concert also featured an opening performance from The Heron High School Ensemble, according to O’Connor.

“In terms of the tunes that we’re playing, we’re playing a nice balance,” O’Connor said. “We’re playing a tune

by JJ Johnson, an Indianapolis native trombone player. The tune is called ‘Lament’ and of course it features the trombone section. We’re playing another tune, which is in the style of a shuffle, called ‘Too Much of a Good Thing’ and some other good pieces.”

According to O’Connor, the concert is the first in a series of five, four of which are on campus.

O’Connor also said that it is important to pick music that both the musicians

how versatile the genre can be. Despite its misconception as a classical genre, the concert can appeal to a variety of audiences, according to Rodriguez.

“It definitely exposes people to new genres,” Rodriguez said. “ M u s i c s h ow s t h a t j a z z i s n’t j u s t

slow stuff that you hear in an elevator, it can actually be very entertaining. It also brings out more things about jazz that people don’t know

about. Improvisation is a really big thing in the jazz world, but when some jazz that you hear outside of here is just like, this is what you play a n d it’s so different from c lassic al music that it’s, there’s a whole different field for it.”

Graphic by Breanna Emmett

Open Kitchen hosts karaoke night

By Olivia Pastrick NEWS EDITOR

Open Kitchen, a local restaurant on Shelby Street owned by married couple Toni and Dexter Smith, is hosting karaoke nights every Thursday evening.

According to co-owner Toni Smith, they wanted to uphold the tradition of karaoke nights that the previous establishment had while also changing some things to cater the event more toward students at the University of Indianapolis.

“The previous establishment, Jailbird, used to do karaoke on Thursday,” Smith said. “We wanted to keep the tradition, but we also wanted to tweak it a little bit. We are offering it to everyone 18 and over … We have a cool little karaoke menu that has really nice prices that college kids don’t mind paying for.”

According to Open Kitchen’s website, their late night menu is available on Thursday evenings from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. The menu includes 50cent wings, grilled cheese sandwiches and pancakes and chicken.

Master’s Human biology student Kaitlyn Glavee, who also works as a bartender and server at Open Kitchen, said there will be events other than the karaoke nights on different nights of

the week. “[The owners are] trying to do events every day of the week,” Glavee said.

“Wednesdays they do a movie night where they have a big projector screen outdoors, and then on Fridays, they’re doing cornhole competitions, and they’re sponsored by Upland Brewery, so they’re pretty cool prizes too.”

Glavee said Open Kitchen has been at their current location since March and that she hopes the close proximity to UIndy will attract students to attend their special events. She said the food they serve at Open Kitchen is all made from scratch, and that if they can not make it from scratch, they will find a vendor who will sell made-from-scratch ingredients to them.

Smith also said she hopes the events, which they geared towards college students, will attract more UIndy students to their restaurant. She said she wants to create an environment at Open Kitchen where students can hang out, eat food and enjoy themselves.

“We are also keeping [karaoke night] alive so that students can decompress before the weekend starts,” Smith said. “You don’t have to walk that far. Everyone’s welcome. So we just wanted to create a safe, fun night for the students can come and enjoy themselves.”

Photo by Allison Cook

University of Indianapolis master’s student and server at Open Kitchen Kaitlyn Glavees sings “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan during the Open Kitchen’s first karaoke night. The restruant will have more karaoke nights on Thursdays and different events everyday of the week.

NEWS

8 THE REFLECTOR

OCTOBER 11, 2023

2023 Indianapolis mayoral election approaches

By Hannah Biedess

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Current Mayor of Indianapolis Joe Hogsett is running to be reelected on Nov. 7 against Jefferson Shreve.

Professor of History and Political Science and Director of the Institute for Civic Leadership and Mayoral Archives Edward Frantz said that if Hogsett wins this election, he would be the second mayor in Indianapolis to have run for three terms, the first being former mayor William Hudnut, who served four terms. Hogsett, a Democrat, is running against Jefferson Shreve, a Republican, and both identify crime as a big issue in Indianapolis, Frantz said.

Although both candidates see crime as an issue, Associate Professor of Political Science Greg Shufeldt said that they are addressing it in different ways. Shufeldt said Hogsett is running his campaign on a platform of “unfinished business,” whereas Shreve is running his campaign on a platform of change.

“Mayor Hogsett, who is a Democrat, thinks that some of the proposals that he has enacted are starting to work, that we are seeing some positive developments in terms of raising salaries for police, trying to reduce gun violence, passing legislation to reduce access to firearms and other forms of community investment,” Shufeldt said.

“Jefferson Shreve, a Republican, thinks that the mayor has not done enough to support the police and that the city needs to take more robust action to address crime.”

According to Hogsett’s website, he wants to build a better future for children, grow the economy, invest in the infrastructure of the city and have safer neighborhoods. So far, according to his website, Hogsett has launched programs called Indy Achieves which allows residents to pursue post secondary credentials or degree programs and Project Indy, which allows teenagers to find jobs. Hogsett has also added

Graphic by Alfredo Guerrero Alonso

thousands of jobs over his eight years as mayor, according to his website, and he announced a five-year plan to fix roads, bridges, stormwater infrastructure and sidewalks that have been ignored for decades. Hogsett’s website says he invested in anti-violence programs and, in 2022, Indianapolis saw the largest decrease in murders in a year.

“A leader who always puts people before politics, Mayor Joe Hogsett is fighting for taxpayers and investing in our neighborhoods,” his website says. “... Mayor Joe is moving Indianapolis forward, as one city.”

According to Shreve’s website, he is working on creating modern infrastructure, connecting neighborhoods and public safety.

According to his website, Shreve’s background in construction will help innovate the city’s infrastructure.

Shreve also wants to add greenways, which would add alternative modes of transportation and connect where people work with where they live, according to his website. There are seven sections to his public safety plan, according to the website, that include the public safety director, police work, gun policy, improving community relations and addressing root causes of issues and returning transparency to the government. According to his website, Shreve’s overall vision for Indianapolis is to make it welcoming and where people want to live.

“As the Crossroads of America,

Indianapolis should be the hub of innovation,” Shreve’s website says. “Our home deserves to have safe streets, attractive gathering spaces and bustling business sectors. We have done it before, and we can do it again.”

Shufeldt said that the voter turnout is low, which would allow college students to make an impact on the election. He said that getting involved in politics now can allow students to become an active member in their society.

“In a race like this, if college students and young Americans vote, the vote actually has a more outsized presence,” Shufeldt said.“Because so few people are voting, UIndy students have a chance to shape the direction of the city.”

Frantz said that it is important for

students to vote in this election for three reasons: UIndy takes its name from the city, making the quality of life in Indianapolis better means better experiences for students and students can learn a lot by involving themselves in the election.

“With a slightly greater level of commitment, you can volunteer for a campaign and see how they're run,” Frantz said. “… A lot of people who get their start in all kinds of different opportunities in the city might do so through participating in the campaign for a particular candidate, meaning, it is the kind of thing that once involved, if you demonstrate an ability to carry out tasks given to you, you can create other opportunities for yourself.”

UIndy-NTU partnership moves to in-person Existing partnership between UIndy and Ningbo Tech University begins new mentorship initiative According to the Center for Global Engagement’s page on UIndy’s website, STAFF WRITER the mentorship program is open to freshmen,sophomores,juniors and seniors for the role of both a mentor and mentee.

The University of Indianapolis has According to the website, the mentors moved its mentorship initiative for and mentees will meet online for at least Ningbo Tech University students to an an hour each month during the semester on campus, in-person program after two to discuss various topics. They will also years.Director of Global Education Ghina meet in person for different activities Sadek said the goal of the mentorship on campus. The program consists of program is to connect students at UIndy 96 mentees and up to 48 mentors, and with NTU students to create a sense of all training, applications, surveys and community and belonging. check-ins for the mentors are conducted The mentorship program was created online through Brightspace. Mentors in 2021 by Instructor of English Kristine and mentees will receive a certificate at Newton in collaboration with Sadek. the end of the semester after completion According to Newton, COVID-19 of the program. protocols and travel restrictions have Sadek said UIndy has had a longmade it so NTU students have been standing relationship with NTU, unable to study on UIndy’s campus since beginning in 2004. She said that the the 2020-2021 school year. Newton NTU students are pursuing a dual-degree said that NTU students expressed their program, and that they will graduate with disappointment with being unable to forge a degree from their connections with home university and UIndy students, as from UIndy. that was the reason It's a really great “In recent years, the mentorship it's become a threeprogram was created. program ... We've had plus-one, which “The purpose of some excellent results." means that they the UIndy-NTU spend their first mentorship program three years studying is to engage students in Ningbo, China and at Ningbo Tech, who normally wouldn't engage,” Newton and then their last year they are here on said. “You have students, especially the the University of Indianapolis campus,” Chinese students, who are engaging with Sadek said. other UIndy students who are outside Sadek said UIndy also sends faculty to their cohort, their culture and they are NTU to teach students there, starting in able to network, make new friends and students’ second semester. According to build relationships.” the Ningbo Tech University website, the Sadek said the Center of Global joint academic degree program focuses Engagement has always wanted to create on the areas of International Economics something like the partnership between and Trade,Finance and English Language UIndy and NTU. According to Sadek, studies. The NTU website also said that the pandemic changed the way the the Sino-American program is fully partnership functioned, so UIndy had licensed and awards a certified bachelors to learn how to be more proficient when degree that is recognized by both the connecting students and staff virtually.

Chinese and American governments. “[Dr. Newton] and I set this up Newton encouraged students of all together, but she's taken it and run with it and made it a really, really great program,” disciplines to contact her regarding participating in the program. She said Sadek said. “It really came from when she around August, at the beginning of the fall was teaching virtually to a large group semester,the program will begin recruiting of Ningbo Tech students who were in efforts for new mentees.

China and she was here and then she “It's a really great program,” Newton decided part of her class she was going said. “This is our second year launching it to do this mentorship program where her and we've had some excellent results. The NTU students would be connected with students love it, the mentors love it and a U.S. student and strategically build out it's just going to keep growing so I would a very intentional mentorship program love to expand this program even further.” through that.”

By Brid Peoples

Graphic by Breanna Emmett