IDS Thursday, February 6, 2025
INSIDE
MEET AN ARTIST WHO SCULPTS IU LEGENDS
‘That’s bad’ By Tory Basile
vlbasile@iu.edu | @torybasilee
LGBTQ+ individuals. The Indianapolis Business Journal first reported the cancelation. The conference, which began in 2017, was set to take place virtually in April. Chris Geidner, a journalist and legal expert, posted on his blog that he’d been asked Jan. 27 to be a keynote speaker at the conference, only to be told Wednesday that it had been canceled. Geidner told the Indiana Daily Student on Feb. 2 he sees the move as connected to the snowball of executive orders rolling out of President Donald Trump’s administration in recent days, leaving state institutions unsure of what’s permitted. The tsunami of legislation, Geidner said, can lead to self-censoring even before
a government entity steps in.
“Their patients aren’t going away just because the Trump administration says certain words aren’t allowed."
Keynote speaker criticizes IU School of Medicine after canceled LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference
inauguration, Braun signed an executive order eliminating DEI programs in state government agencies. And with a simple, “vaguely worded” email, Geidner said, an eightyear-old conference was canceled seemingly without notice to the IU community. The statement provided to IDS by the School of Medicine, Geidner said, was lacking. “That’s bad,” Geidner said in response to Duffey’s statement. “I think that if something exists, has existed for several years and is canceled, that had benefited both your academic community and a broader community, that there absolutely should be a specific reason given.” Geidner said it's unfortunate that medical provid-
ers will not be able to attend the accessible, virtual conference to best learn how to care for LGBTQ+ patients. “Their patients aren’t going away just because the Trump administration says certain words aren’t allowed,” he said. “They’re still going to have to deal with those patients.” He said the School of Medicine has a responsibility to its students to provide a more detailed statement about its decision to cancel. “It sets a really poor example to current medical students about how they are able to best do their jobs, by literally tying a hand behind their back,” Geidner said. The IU School of Medicine hosts a list of LGBTQ+ health care resources at medicine.iu.edu/expertise/ lgbtq-health/resources.
IU Health Bloomington Hospital is pictured Jan. 27, 2025, in Bloomington. To meet Indiana’s future nursing demand, the Indiana Hospital Association estimated the state will need an additional 5,000 nurses by 2031.
The IU School of Medicine canceled its LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference, according to a note posted on the event's page. The move comes after a flurry of government action against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the state and federal levels. "The statement from the school is that the IU School of Medicine LGBTQ+ Health Care Conference has been canceled," Katie Duffey, a spokesperson for the IU School of Medicine, said in an email. The annual conference is intended for health care professionals, patients and community groups to improve health care and identify unique health risks for
By Adelyn Rabbitt
IU now defendant in suit seeking $2 billion
adrabb@iu.edu
To meet Indiana’s future nursing demand, it is estimated the state will need an additional 5,000 nurses by 2031, according to the Indiana Hospital Association. To reach that number, about an additional 1,300 nurses will need to graduate each year up until 2030. A state senate bill aims to loosen requirements to enter the field, as a start to fix the “cyclical” issue. Sen. Shelli Yoder’s Senate Bill 176 would allow high school students to begin training for and earning credits toward becoming licensed practical nurses before graduation.
“Not one person was against this bill, whether it was young people who wanted to work towards an LPN or an RN license, our health care providers, our state-approved programs." State Sen. Shelli Yoder
Indiana Senate’s Health and Provider Services Committee passed the bill unanimously last month, and it will now move to the Indiana House of Representatives for further consideration and approval. The state currently requires students to graduate high school before earning credit toward a nursing license, an obstacle SB 176 would remove. Individuals would still be required to provide proof of their high school degree or equivalent when applying for a practical nursing license. However, SB 176 would make it possible for prospective nurses to begin their path toward licensure earlier, and in turn, enter the workforce sooner. Currently, Indiana has less than 10 nurses per every 1,000 people. Though the number of nurses in Indiana has increased in recent years, it is not enough to account for the growing and aging population of Hoosiers. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, enrollment in nursing bachelor's degree programs declined 1.4% from 2021 to 2022, a small but relevant decrease. Yoder, who represents much of Monroe County, said the concept for the bill came about as she visited long-term nursing facilities in Monroe County. An administrator told her about the current language written in law that does not allow students to move toward acquiring a practical nursing license until they are 18 and have a high school diploma or equivalent. SEE NURSING, PAGE 4
By Jack Forrest
jhforres@iu.edu | @byjackforrest
Indiana University is now a defendant in a civil suit seeking $2 billion in compensatory and punitive damages over confidential plans for a Puerto Rico golf resort that were allegedly stolen. Two Indiana residents, Tim and Doris Anne Sadler, filed the suit in December against a Kelley School of Business professor, five former master’s students and real estate developer Discovery Land. The complaint alleges
the Sadlers allowed IU to use their confidential business plan for the resort, developed by their company World Trade Center San Juan, for a class in fall 2021. The class created groups which analyzed and provided feedback on the project. The class determined the revenue for the plaintiffs’ business plan could be between $1-2 billion, according to a press release. The complaint claims the former students violated a non-disclosure agreement by sharing that plan with a competitor, Discovery Land. Two of the students had a
Chris Geidner, journalist and legal expert
“Everybody is in an awkward position right now, and nobody is quite sure what they’re supposed to say, what they can say,” he said. “Which is, I would argue, kind of the point, and how they want people to be feeling.” Gov. Mike Braun has pushed to dismantle DEI initiatives throughout Indiana. On the day after his
personal connection to Discovery Land, including access to its CEO, and another had ties to the professional golf community, the complaint said. The plaintiffs allege the professor, and IU by extension, had an obligation to convey the confidentiality of the project to the class and to identify potential conflicts of interest. They also claim the professor and IU breached the terms of the NDA. IU Executive Director of Media Relations Mark Bode wrote in an email that IU does not comment on litigation.
“The simple truth is that we trusted Indiana University, who touts the Kelley School of Business as one of the best business schools in the country,” Tim Sadler said in a press release. “And yet, IU did not take even the most nominal actions required by our NDA’s, nor did it have any policies for protecting its business associates that even the smallest companies have in place.” Discovery Land used the partnerships World Trade Center Puerto Rico developed, the complaint says, to steal its business model. It said Discovery Land did
not contact the plaintiffs to purchase the idea or partner with them. A Discovery Land representative reached by the IDS did not provide a comment following the suit’s initial filing in December. Tim Sadler graduated from IU in 1992, and he and Doris Anne are Presidents Circle donors, according to Murphy. Editor’s note: The IDS is choosing not to name the professor and former student defendants in this case because it could not reach them for comment.
Celebrate Black History Month in Bloomington By Deshna Venkatachalam devankat@iu.edu
Black History Month began Feb. 1, and the city of Bloomington is ready to celebrate. Here are some events Bloomington residents can attend during the month of February. Indiana University events A cultural performance by students in the IU Voice Department will take place Feb. 11. This will be a celebration of African American and African Diasporic Song and will kick off at 5 p.m. at Auer Hall in the Jacobs School of Music.
The NMBCC will also host a Black Faculty and Staff Appreciation lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 12 at the NMBCC Grand Hall. Free food and gifts will be provided. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, the NMBCC is teaming up with the Eskenazi School of Art Architecture and Design, as well as the Eskenazi Museum of Art, for a culture crawl highlighting Black creativity from the visual to performing arts. For the Love of Black Art will begin with a guided tour at 4 p.m. Feb. 13 and end with a performance and reception at 6 p.m. the same day.
11 Celebration 12 Black of African Faculty American and African Diasporic Song
and Staff Appreciation lunch
the 13 For Love of
Black Art guided tour, performance and reception
To end the month, the IU School of Education will host a public concert by the African American Choral Ensemble. The concert will take place from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 26 at the School of Education. All of these events are free, require no RSVP and are open to everyone. Other events can be found throughout the month of February on the IU Bloomington Events Calendar.
Feb. 1 at City Hall. The theme of the kickoff event was “African Americans and Labor: From Slave Ships to the White House,” according to a press release. There will also be a market for Black-owned businesses, creators and organizations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 15 at City Hall. The market will honor the legacy of Bloomington’s original Black Market that was destroyed by a firebomb in 1968. A week later, there will be an event at 6 p.m. Feb. 21 to reveal and award the winners of the 2025 Black History Month essay con-
test. This will take place at City Hall. Lastly, a Black History Month Gala will take place March 1 at the Monroe Convention Center. There will be dining, dancing and recognition of both the 2025 Living Legend recipients and Commission on the Status of Black Males’ Outstanding Black Leaders of Tomorrow award winners. This event will begin with a reception and silent auction at 6 p.m. March 1, followed by the program at 7 p.m. Individual tickets are $62 and can be purchased at bctboxoffice.org or by calling 812-323-3020.
Black 21 2025 26 African History American
History 1 Black Month Gala
City of Bloomington events The City of Bloomington hosted its own Black History Month kick-off
15 Blackowned
business, creator and organization market
Month essay contest award ceremony
Choral Ensemble concert
MARCH
Addressing Indiana's nursing shortage
FEBRUARY
KAITLYN STACY | IDS
and silent auction
RED NUMBERS INDICATE IU EVENTS, GRAY NUMBERS INDICATE CITY EVENTS
PHOTOS: Bloomington's 'Bachelor' party
BRIANA PACE | IDS
Meredith Atkins laughs while watching "The Bachelor" on Feb. 3, 2025, at Kilroy's Sports Bar in Bloomington. This was the second episode of the season and the second watch party Sports hosted. BRIANA PACE | IDS
Emily Banaszek, Emma Kritenbrink and Cyerra Rosen Grupp pose for a photo with their charcuterie board and bottles of wine Feb. 3, 2025, at Kilroy's Sports Bar in Bloomington. The bar opened at 7 p.m., an hour ahead of when "The Bachelor" came on TV.
SEE DANCE FLOORS TO CHARCUTERIE BOARDS, PAGE 3