Indiana Daily Student - Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026

Bloomington erupts after championship win

By IDS Staff news@idsnews.com

Around 11:10 p.m. on Kirkwood Avenue

There’s under two minutes left in the College Football Playoff National Championship. A chunk of fans stand on South Kirkwood Avenue just outside the Upstairs Pub.

One City of Bloomington transit bus blocks the entrance to Indiana Avenue from Fourth Street. Another sits across the two lanes on Kirkwood and Grant Street. A sanitation truck blocks Dunn Street outside Bloomington Bagel Company.

It’s a preparation for a national championship celebration, but one minute and 56 seconds still remain to decide whether it’s excitement or disappointment across Bloomington.

Cheers erupt as redshirt sophomore kicker Nico Radicic kicks his field goal through.

27-21, IU.

Fans huddle in groups to stay warm, breath creeping from their mouths in the 12-degree cold. There’s small commotion as Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit’s muffled voices emerge from Upstairs.

Cigarette smoke spreads across the crowd, breaking through the air. It’s an apt scent given the circumstances — head coach Curt Cignetti is only one minute and 42 seconds from leading Indiana football to its first national championship. Each play moves Indiana closer to that reality, but it also moves the University of Miami closer to the end zone. Three successive chunk passes bring the Hurricanes into Hoosiers territory.

Cigarettes still chop through the cold air, but so does nervous energy from the fans. Small groups huddle around phones

presenting the contest. Some look down in a tight circle; others lift the phone over their heads for all to see. More fans sprinkle in from the north and south sides of Kirkwood, hoping to celebrate a national championship.

Cignetti calls a timeout. The fans take a second to collectively breathe, still visible through the air. Less than a minute passes. Out of nowhere, a group of five men burst into euphoria. Their broadcast is ahead. The crowd hears but doesn’t respond. It’s too good to be true.

A couple seconds pass. Then the celebration spreads to the rest of the crowd. It’s an interception by Indiana redshirt junior Jamari Sharpe. Pandemonium ensues. Fans hug each other on the street. Others flood the open deck at Upstairs, shouting to the ones below. The flashlights of phones illuminate Kirkwood, a

considerable group of the Hoosier faithful that quickly expands as more fans flood in.

Fireworks burst in the distance. Fans sprint through the street. Some climb on street signs and light posts. Screams, laughter and cheers ring across Kirkwood.

It’s an Indiana national championship.

11:15 p.m. inside Assembly Hall When it seemed like nothing would go wrong for Miami, the Hoosiers needed a turnover to halt the momentum. And just like that, as Carson Beck dropped back to pass, it fell into the hands of redshirt junior defensive back Jamari Sharpe to seal the game. Mendoza kneeled two times until the clock hit zero.

Andrew Bailey, sweat dripping from under his Bison helmet, raises both arms in triumph. He’s speechless now and slowly

turns to look at the fans.

“When you were a freshmen, did you ever think this was going to happen?” Bailey asks, looking at the screaming crowd above him. Towels fly, tears drop and the Hoosiers are champions.

11:35 p.m. on Kirkwood Avenue

All down the street Hoosier fans chant and scream. A few of the most daring take their chances climbing the telephone poles and street signs lining Kirkwood Avenue. But one student, wearing candystriped pants takes it a step further, hoisting himself on to the awning over Jimmy John’s. Shaking the sign above the sandwich shop, he led the crowd in chants below. But what comes up, must come down. And realizing he had no ladder or stairs to descend, he trusted the people below him and jumped into a sea of open arms.

12:15 a.m. on Kirkwood Avenue

People are climbing onto awnings and roofs on Kirkwood Avenue. Legs dangle over the Greetings and Goodfellas signs. The street is packed to the brim with people, chanting, yelling, celebrating. A couch is on fire on Dunn Street between Kirkwood Avenue and Sixth Street.

At least one drone and a helicopter watch the streets.

At least four Indiana State Police officers with riot gear and batons exit their cars on Sixth and Indiana to assist with fire department first responders.

Fans climb onto a City of Bloomington Sanitation truck blocking an entrance to Kirkwood Avenue.

“Flip the truck!” one fan yells from the nearby stairs leading up to BTown Smoke Time.

But before the fans got the chance, five Bloomington Police Department officers order people to get off,

shining flashlights on anyone who tries to climb back up. One fan approaches and officer with a question.

“Can you shoot me in the leg?” he asks, pointing to the officer’s taser.

12:42 a.m. on Kirkwood Avenue

A fire, about five yards across, burns on Kirkwood Avenue near Z & C Teriyaki and Sushi. It’s unclear what the burning object is. A crowd of people surrounds it completely. One person lights a stick on fire and holds it in the air. The blaze dies down and a cloud of smoke descends over Kirkwood, sending many people walking away. The line for the Upstairs Pub is robust; Insomnia Cookies is shoulder to shoulder. A group plays musical instruments, including a tuba, in Peoples Park. A crowd jumps to the beat of the music.

The street’s chaos is dying down, but

2:30

Bloomington honors women’s role in Civil Rights Movement

By Elizabeth Schuth ekschuth@iu.edu

There would be no Martin Luther King Jr. Day without Coretta Scott King.

With the theme “Soul, Spirit and Sacrifice,” Bloomington highlighted the advocacy of Coretta Scott King that helped keep the Civil Rights Movement alive. Hundreds gathered inside a nearly-full BuskirkChumley Theater on Jan. 19 to celebrate her work for the city’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration.

“(This year’s theme) places special emphasis on the women who carried the movement forward alongside the men,” James Sanders, a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission member, said. “We are intentionally uplifting the oftenoverlooked contributions of Black women whose strength, leadership and sacrifice helped shape the fight for justice.”

The celebration began with a performance by the IU African American Choral Ensemble singing “O-o-h Child,” by Five Stairsteps. Audience members stood up, clapping their hands and swaying to the beat. They finished with a song encouraging the audience to

Bloomington. Mayor

“lead with love.”

“Sometimes we play cards that are not always the cards that bring unity and bring hope, but we encourage you to lead with love,” Ensemble Director Raymond Wise said. “We can choose to lead with love, or we can lead with hate, but if we lead with love, we might just make a difference.”

Mayor Kerry Thomson presented the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award to Ruth Aydt. Aydt worked the last decade to consolidate

data documenting racial inequality in the Monroe County criminal justice system with the Monroe County NAACP.

The award is presented annually at the Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration to recognize a Monroe County resident, business or group that made contributions to racial justice and human rights.

Traci Parker, associate professor of history at the University of California, Davis, spoke on Coretta Scott

King’s influence on social justice movements from civil rights and beyond.

“Women are the soul of a movement,” Parker said. “I also think that she understood that the struggle changes and morphs every generation, so we can never be compliant, and it’ll look different for every generation, but we have to be committed to justice for everyone.”

Parker highlighted Coretta Scott King’s contribution to social justice

outside of her role as Martin Luther King Jr.’s wife and a mother. She spoke to her successes and struggles, creating a national holiday for her deceased husband and advocacy for peace in Vietnam and an end to South African apartheid. The annual Bloomington celebration is planned by the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission. The commission was founded in 1993 to highlight the importance of recognizing

the deceased civil rights leader’s legacy.

“I wanted to be an active contributor to the Bloomington community,” Sanders said. “The mission of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission — promoting justice, inclusion and unity — closely aligns with my own values. Joining the commission felt like a meaningful way to serve, give back and help advance the principles that Dr. King stood for.”

The commission encourages making the holiday “a day on, not a day off” by volunteering in the community. Volunteer opportunities throughout January include work with organizations like Wheeler Mission, My Sister’s Closet and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington. Those interested in serving can access a sign-up page on the Bloomington Volunteer Network website.

“Celebrating Dr. King’s legacy is essential because it reminds us of the sacrifices made so that we can enjoy the rights and freedoms we have today,” Sanders said. “It creates space for reflection, education and recommitment, especially during times when unity, justice and understanding are still deeply needed.”

Students expand Indy-based clinic to Bloomington

By Emerson Elledge eelledge@iu.edu | @emersonelledge

When Faizan Khan walks in to volunteer at the Crescent Clinic, he can’t help but be reminded of his grandmother.

He thinks of her when he talks to a patient whose first language isn’t English. He imagines what it must have been like for his grandma when she moved to New York City with six kids. And he knows how much easier it would have been for her if she had access to a clinic like Crescent in Indianapolis.

That’s one of the reasons he wants to start another location in Bloomington.

In 2018, a group of American Muslim citizens in Indianapolis founded the Hoosier Crescent Foundation and Crescent Clinic in Indianapolis. The HCF identified a need in the Indianapolis area for free primary care to those who needed it, whether they had access to health insurance or not.

Indiana University School of Medicine student volunteers run the monthly clinic in Indianapolis with the assistance of undergraduates, like Khan. One professional physician is on-property during clinic hours, but the small group sometimes receives up to 15 patients during the clinic’s usual four hours of operation, leaving much of the care up to the students.

Khan started volunteering at the clinic during his freshman year because his older brother was involved. He’s now in his final semester of his bachelor’s degree in psychology at IU Bloomington and hopes to attend

medical school.

He and fellow senior Yahya Ahmjad hope to start a second Crescent Clinic location in Bloomington, where 30.5% of the city’s residents are at or below the poverty line. The two reached out to friends they thought would be interested in volunteering as they try to get the clinic started. The clinic has a group of around 10 volunteers ready for when the Bloomington location officially starts, but they plan to reach out to more students as the clinic’s opening approaches. They have not yet set a specific date for opening but estimate it will be in March.

The Indianapolis clinic allows first and second-year medical students to work closest with patients, with third and fourth-year medical students and undergraduate students offering additional support.

Third-year Indiana University School of Medicine student Khunsha Ahmed is the Indianapolis clinic’s co-president and she has worked with the clinic since her first year of medical school.

“It was such a good experience to get the handson clinical face time with patients that you don’t always get in medical school,” Ahmed said. “It really helped me to progress,

I feel, in my medical train-

ing a little bit faster than I would have otherwise.”

Ahmed has collaborated with Ahmjad and Khan as they have worked on the Bloomington clinic’s development by passing on knowledge she has learned leading the clinic.

“I was so excited when they first brought up the idea, because we’ve always thought about just how we’re filling this small gap here in Indy, and even then, we continuously are enriching our outreach resources,” she said. “There’s such a diverse population in Bloomington, whether it’s like immigrants, refugee or the underserved, so, I’m really

excited that that resource is going to exist for them.”

Ahmjad and Khan have planned much of the clinic’s future and are trying to find a location for the clinic. They’ve talked to the Islamic Center of Bloomington and a few churches as potential locations for the clinic’s specialized needs.

“We’re just trying to get a space secured where there’s enough room to ensure that people’s privacy is guaranteed as they might need to have certain things checked out,” Ahmjad said.

Ahmjad and Khan hope to have the location determined by the end of the month. The clinic’s Instagram page will be used for

updates and more clinic information.

The two emphasized the clinic is open to all, but the Indianapolis location tends to receive many lowincome patients, as well as patients who have recently immigrated to the U.S.

“It will always give me this context of ‘let me ask about this person’s living situation,’” Ahmed said. “It’s that you just don’t know the background of that patient and just how much that informs their health and maybe why they’re missing appointments or maybe why they’re not able to pick up their medications.” Khan appreciates how the clinic offers a chance for him and other medical staff to build closer relationships with patients, something they don’t always have the chance to do when working in typical healthcare settings.

“There’s always like the discussion between the bridge between the physician and the patient and building that bridge,” he said. “I feel like my role as a physician is: I build a bridge and I walk over.”

Ahmjad and Khan are both members of the Muslim community, something that has motivated their clinic development and ambition to help the community.

“This also has a really strong connection to what is in our religious teachings, where it’s like, ‘if you save one person, it’s like as if you’ve saved all of humanity,’ in a sense, and ‘save’ meaning helping them with whatever their needs are at the time,” Ahmjad said. “I think that motivates and drives so many of us.”

Gov. Braun reflects on 1st year in office in address

By Adelyn Rabbitt adrabb@iu.edu

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun delivered his 2026 State of the State Address Jan. 14, discussing the achievements of his first year in office and initiatives for the coming year.

“In 2025, our message was clear: Indiana is open for business,” Braun said.

In his address, Braun celebrated last year’s developments in education, policing and property taxes. He cited affordability as his highest priority in the coming year and advocated for creating new jobs and higher wages.

As for job market growth, Braun cited INCOG BioPharma Services, Autocam Medical, Kratos Defense, Caterpillar and Amazon as companies providing new career opportunities for Hoosiers. He also shouted out Power Up, a state-run program meant to upscale professional skills and increase wages for Hoosier workers.

Indiana wages are growing faster than the national average, Braun said, with Hoosiers’ hourly wages rising over 4% in the last year.

“Indiana is Midwest’s growth engine for more jobs and bigger paychecks,” Braun said.

Braun said he appointed three new members to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, an administrative agency that hears cases relating to utilities and

makes decisions in the public interest, to ensure utilities are provided at reasonable rates.

In November, Amazon announced a plan to invest about $15 billion in data centers in northern Indiana to aid the function of cloud computing and artificial intelligence technology.

Braun said Amazon will pay any electricity costs from the data centers. He stated Hoosiers’ electricity rates will decrease with the arrival of the data centers. Data centers have become a highly debated topic for some communities across the state over the past several years. Consumer advocacy organization Citizens Action Coalition, which has argued against building data centers in the state, counters the increase in energy demand will lead to higher utility bills, pollution and water consumption.

“AI is going to be the key to jobs of the future, but data centers can’t stick Hoosiers with the power bill,” Braun said.

In 2025, Braun signed a property tax overhaul that created a new property tax credit for homeowners and exempted many businesses from business personal property taxes. Braun said the tax cut will save taxpayers $1.5 billion within the next three years. He also voiced his support for House Bill 1001, a bill from Rep. Doug Miller that aims to help Hoosiers buy

homes despite surging housing prices.

Braun said something needs to be done about healthcare prices, and that he plans to cut prices using “transparency and accountability.” Indiana has found $465 million in savings for Medicare and Medicaid, according to Braun.

The state’s projected $400 million budget shortfall from last year has been offset, as many of Indiana’s state agencies operated under 10% budget cuts last year, Braun said.

“Affordability is not measured by policy titles. It’s measured by whether a family can pay the bills and still breathe.”

Shelli Yoder, Senator

On education, Braun said for the next two years, each public university in the state will benefit from frozen tuition and mandatory fees. He said 2025 has seen improved education results, all-time records on literacy scores and graduation rates, universal school choice and “fully” funded K-12 education.

Braun claimed more money has gone to teachers and classrooms rather than administration in the last year, and the minimum salary for teachers has been raised by $5,000 dollars.

“Everything we did was based around one simple principle: Parents are in charge of their own kids’ education,” Braun said.

Braun also voiced support for Senate Bill 78, which would limit student cellphone use in school.

Making childcare more affordable and available is a goal of Braun’s, and he said he would like to incentivize businesses to help make childcare affordable.

Recognizing the Indiana State Police, Braun said the police force seized double the amount of heroin and fentanyl last year than the

previous year. He said cocaine has also been seized from the streets, and that overdose deaths have fallen over 60% since 2024. He also highlighted how the state recently launched Operation Guardian Angel, created by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to save children from abuse, and has made 48 arrests thus far, Braun said.

In a rebuttal to the governor organized by Indiana Democrats Jan. 14, Sen. Shelli Yoder presented concerns that Braun’s plans to lower prices and raise wages

will not be followed through on and said state Republicans are responsible for the current affordability crisis. Yoder expressed worries about Indiana’s cost of living, childcare and healthcare. She said the current Republican-passed legislation is not working for Hoosiers. Braun’s investment in preventing fraud could be invested in helping families and hungry children in the state, Yoder said.

“Affordability is not measured by policy titles,” Yoder said Jan. 14. “It’s measured by whether a family can pay the bills and still breathe.”

City awards safety grants

By Grace Fridy gfridy@iu.edu | @gracefridy

In November 2025, Bloomington’s Transportation Commission awarded grants to five community organizations as part of the Local-Motion Grant Program. The program is one way the city is working to make streets safer for bikers and pedestrians.

The grant was awarded this year to the Bloomington Bike Project, the Monroe County YMCA, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington, the downtown branch of the Monroe County Public Library and the Summit Hill Community Development Corporation. The goal is to have the projects completed by Dec. 1, 2026.

The grant is intended to fund local projects that will continue after the grant ends, with the goal of contributing to Bloomington’s “walking and biking culture.” Applicants had to be part of a local nonprofit, local business or neighborhood association to be considered.

Hank Duncan, Bloomington’s Safe Streets program manager, said the annual grant program is a part of the city’s Safe Streets For All efforts that began in 2023.

“We are talking small, small, small scale projects that will make small changes in the short term, but in the long term, if you keep piling them on, if you keep doing them, it grows momentum,” Duncan said.

The Planning and Transportation Department initially set aside $2,400 for a single grant, however that was revised to $8,000 to be split among multiple grants due to the “quality and quantity” of applications for the 2025 cycle, Duncan said.

One grantee, the Bloomington Community Bike Project, is an entirely volunteer-run nonprofit organization under the

Center for Sustainable Living that has applied for the grant in past years.

“What we’re using the funding for this time around is to do some maintenance on some of the heavier equipment that we have in the bike shop,” volunteer Greg Janowiak said. “In particular, our work stands for bicycles are pretty old.”

The Summit Hill Community Development Corporation will also use the grant to install a bike repair station at the Crestmont affordable housing complex.

“We’re talking about an overall change in culture of how we as a community look at safe streets.”

Hank Duncan, Bloomington Safe Streets program manager

The Bike Project repairs and sells used bikes and parts at a low price, and volunteers assist people in repairing their bikes. Janowiak, an IU alumnus, got involved in the Bike Project after moving back to Bloomington over

a year ago.

“I rode in Little Five, continued to ride after school, and love to learn more about bikes,” he said. “And I also just think it’s important for folks to be able to cheaply and efficiently maintain their bicycle as a way to get around town, especially in Bloomington, which is so bikeable.”

From 2019-2024, there were six fatalities in pedestrian and bicycle involved crashes in Bloomington. Duncan said the grant program is part of the city’s larger goal within the Safe Streets Action Plan to eliminate all fatal and serious injury crashes on Bloomington roads by 2039.

“We’re talking about an overall change in culture of how we as a community look at safe streets,” Duncan said. “And to do that, it needs to be a collaborative effort between the city and its partners.”

Other grantee projects include the expansion of Club Riders, a Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington program that provides children with snacks, transportation and the opportunity to learn about

bike and pedestrian safety.

Before he worked for the city, Duncan was the Little 500 race director for the IU Student Foundation. During his time there, he worked with a number of students who were involved in the Club Riders program.

“I heard more about their experience of being a staff member and how there were years when they, when the Boys and Girls Club, could not afford staff members for this program because they didn’t have the funds for it,” Duncan said.

The Boys and Girls Club has received the grant in previous years, and according to its 2025 application, has expanded its services so 20 additional children will be able to participate in Club Riders this spring.

“Now, because of this grant program, they’re able to not just maintain what they have, but improve it,” Duncan said. “They’ve grown their bike fleet, they’ve improved the components on their bikes so more people can ride.”

The Monroe County YMCA will use the grant funds to provide attendees of its Healthy Kids Day 2026 event with helmets, light checks and additional bike safety checks. The event is April 18.

The Monroe County Public Library plans to purchase mobility aids known as “rollators,” a continuation of the mobility aid lending the library has done since 2022. Rollators are rolling walkers that have wheels, hand breaks and a seat. They are one of four mobility aids available at the library, and unlike other items, mobility aids have no due date.

“Once you have power in numbers of people biking and walking and taking transit to your destination or around the city or just for fun, then more people want to join in,” Duncan said.

Fountain fish vanish ahead of championship

By Zoe Reed reedzoe@iu.edu | @thezoereed

Indiana University learned from history.

Ahead of the Jan. 19 College Football Playoff National Championship Game, the university preemptively removed the fish from Showalter Fountain, before celebrating students could do it themselves.

University spokesman Mark Bode confirmed the removal in a statement Jan. 14.

“Given Showalter Fountain’s long history of sea creatures going on championship adventures, we’ve given our bronze fish time to safely prepare for the big game on Monday,” Bode said. “The fish will be back soon — hopefully with a win to celebrate.”

“The Birth of Venus” statue, the Fine Arts Plaza’s focal point created by sculptor Robert Laurent in 1952, features five bronze water-spitting fish that have been the center of post-win celebrations, pranks and protests since the 1980s. Over the years, the university has removed them for maintenance and to prevent vandalism.

In 1987, the men’s basketball team won the NCAA national championship, sparking a tradition that would span decades. A singular fish, weighing several hundred pounds, suddenly vanished without a trace in the

celebration’s aftermath. It was never seen again. In 2000, students protesting men’s basketball coach Bob Knight’s firing carried one to the football stadium. Nine years later, IU installed a replica. Venus Bronze Works created the replacement and kept the mold on hand for future incidents. But the deed was done. Legend has it that the original will surface when IU claims another title, or that IU won’t claim one until it does.

“Given Showalter Fountain’s long history of sea creatures going on championship adventures, we’ve given our bronze fish time to safely prepare for the big game on Monday. The fish will be back soon — hopefully with a win to celebrate.”

Mark Bode, IU spokesman The tradition continued. In 2013, two more nearly disappeared just after graduation, though university officials managed to recover them. This time, university officials didn’t take chances. By removing the fish themselves, they ensured the sculptures would be safe ahead of the Hoosiers’ championship victory Jan. 19.

City Council postpones affordable housing, zoning vote

By Elizabeth Schuth ekschuth@iu.edu | @ekschuth22

The Bloomington City Council delayed a vote on an ordinance that would impact affordable housing zoning until February.

Ordinance 202601 aims to revise Bloomington’s current Unified Development Ordinance by increasing the maximum coverage of impervious surfaces, which includes roofs, driveways and sidewalks, to 80%.

Currently, the UDO allows for an impervious surface coverage of up to 50% in certain residential zones.

Jacqueline Scanlan, assistant director of the Bloomington planning and transportation department, told the council an 80% maximum would allow for larger housing options and let Habitat for Humanity

build larger developments.

Councilmember Dave Rollo raised concerns that stormwater runoff could increase if the council implemented the new zoning regulations, as impervious surfaces prevent stormwater from being absorbed into the ground. He said that retention ponds might not be able to keep up with excess water from heavy rains in the spring.

Scanlan said the 80% maximum came from looking at current affordable housing projects, which she stated have around 6065% impervious surface coverage.

Ordinance 2026-01 also seeks to increase the amount of affordable housing units by increasing the percentage of units that must be below 70% or 90% of area’s median income depending on the

development type.

Scanlan said the ordinance aims to limit how often developers can get around constructing affordable housing. These payment in lieu options allow developers to pay the city instead of building affordable housing or parks.

“The idea here is to be more careful or thoughtful about single family development and how our incentives affect those,” Scanlan said.

Because of a technicality in the wording of the resolution, which Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson worried could make getting a mortgage more difficult, the ordinance will have a third reading at the Feb. 4 council meeting.

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‘This goes way beyond proficiency’

The story of IU’s only Burmese language instructor

Kaung Myat’s beginnerlevel Burmese students sat silently as he ushered in class by playing a song in Burmese. Once the clock struck 10:25 a.m., Myat paused the song and welcomed the group. Each of the class’s students received an individualized greeting in Burmese, with students practicing how to say how they were and ask the same of their instructor.

Myat, a doctoral student serving as IU’s sole Burmese language instructor, then began his lesson on vocabulary relating to health, sickness and body parts. He displayed a list of Burmese words for different body parts on the board, asking his students to guess their definitions.

Myat smiled at the students’ uncertainty.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong,” he said.

Gradually, the translated list came together. Students repeated each term after Myat. They drilled the vocabulary again and again. Myat named a body part in Burmese and asked for the English term, then named a body part in English and requested the Burmese translation. On each drill, Myat asked his students to hasten their responses.

Learning Burmese holds an array of challenges for native English speakers. The language draws on an alphabet of 33 complex consonants and 12 vowels, many of which bear similar shapes. Although modern Burmese is generally written with spaces between clauses to ensure clarity, spaces are not required between words.

Written Burmese’s long strings of rounded letters are not the language’s only unfamiliar characteristic for English speakers. Burmese is a tonal language, meaning that a given syllable can hold three distinct meanings determined entirely by how it is pronounced. However, because of its limited number of distinct sounds, Burmese still features confusable homophones. The language is also monosyllabic, formed by attaching basic, one-syllable root words to one another to form more descriptive terms. The constructive nature of Burmese vocabulary proved essential to this lesson. Myat used his instruction about parts of the body and previous lessons on core Burmese syllables to challenge the students to guess the terms for ailments. For instance, Myat tasked the students with deducing the term for “headache” now that they had learned the word for “head.” Having established a pattern, he asked the students to piece together translations for “toothache” and “stomachache.”

English and Burmese differ greatly in written and spoken structure. Still, Myat reached his students. Within minutes, the class added new vocabulary to their repertoire, and within a few minutes of drilling, the class could recall the terms instantly.

Breaking down barriers between English and Burmese is a familiar process for Myat, who has been a language instructor for 10 years. He became an English tutor in 2015 while a student at Myanmar’s Sagaing Institute of Education. At the university, he said, teaching opportunities were generally reserved for senior teachers pursuing professional development. Still, because professors recognized Myat’s talent for teaching English, he got his foot in the door.

Myat spent his college years in Myanmar researching universal principles of language instruction. He transitioned from teaching Burmese students English to teaching American students Burmese. Myat said coming to the United States and building an understanding of what strategies resonated most with students helped him improve at teaching.

“Teaching U.S. students makes me so excited,” Myat said.

Myat’s enthusiasm seemed to be shared by his

class. As the students became familiar with their new vocabulary, hands shot up more quickly in response to questions. Increasingly confident voices competed to deliver answers. Having engaged his class, Myat smiled. Students weren’t just receiving instruction — they were learning.

Myat was naturally curious about other cultures as a child in Myanmar, a country with vast ethnic and linguistic diversity.

“The friends I met in my childhood and teenage life came from different regions,” Myat said. “I went and visited their regions and noticed, ‘oh, their culture is not the same as my culture.’ It was interesting.”

Myat said this early interest in experiences different than his own sparked his desire to teach languages. Still, he encountered obstacles to his aspiration.

Because Myanmar is a former British colony, English is taught in all schools and at all levels of education. However, Myat said Myanmar’s curricula emphasizes reading and writing over speaking and listening, resulting in relatively low communicative English proficiency. Myat also said classes he encountered typically had a minimum of about 75 students, overcrowded for individualized instruction.

Education in Myanmar crumbled in the decades following a 1962 coup that installed military rule. Hopes for reform were rekindled in 2010 when a civilian government transitioned to power. The new government freed political prisoners, instituted free and fair elections and tolerated privately-owned newspapers. It also undertook a comprehensive education reform plan designed to make the education sys-

tem more effective and accessible.

When the military restored authoritarian, isolationist rule with a 2021 coup, education progress halted. Combined with the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastation in Myanmar, the new political order produced plummeting school enrollment and rising dropout rates.

“Education was not good, and I love freedom, traveling freely around the world,” Myat said.

Because of these values, Myat felt compelled to respond to the government upheaval. A university teacher at the time of the coup, Myat joined Myanmar’s 2021 Civil Disobedience Movement, a wave of public sector workers’ strikes, economic non-cooperation and protests resisting the junta.

While Myat protested, he also waited to hear the results of his application to be a 2021 Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant. He heard about the opportunity through a friend who previously won the award, using it to teach Burmese at IU. The program would allow Myat to feed his dual passions of teaching languages and world travel.

“When I heard about the program, I knew I was interested in it,” Myat said. “I heard I would be teaching as the main instructor if I applied to IU, so I would get lots of experience.”

The scholarship was a competitive opportunity. Myat said there were only four or five spots available for Burmese scholars to teach in the U.S., and IU’s offer of a head Burmese instructor position was particularly rare — but he made the cut. On Aug. 26, 2021, he left home for Indiana.

At the end of Myat’s one academic year of Fulbright backing, however, the political environment in Myan-

mar was as volatile as when he’d left. The military remained in power, employing widespread violence against civilians — particularly those who had engaged in antigovernment protests.

“I didn’t know what to do, if I should return to my country or stay in the U.S.,” Myat said. “People who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement, like me, got stopped trying to leave the country. Some had to pay lots of money; some got arrested.”

Concerned as a former CDM participant, Myat contacted the U.S. embassy in Myanmar, saying he would only return if his safety was guaranteed. When the embassy couldn’t make the assurance, Myat decided to stay in the U.S. He moved to Los Angeles for a gap year, working fast food jobs while living among the city’s thriving Burmese community.

“I asked a student why she wanted to learn Burmese, and she responded that in her workplace, she’s surrounded by Burmese people. She wanted to communicate with them and to learn about their culture. This opens opportunities.”

While Myat was in Los Angeles, IU’s Southeast Asian Studies Department offered him an instructor position. He began teaching Burmese remotely to IU students. Invested in language education, he decided to pursue a doctorate. Myat moved back to IU

changes began tentatively, with students ironing out difficult pronunciations to ensure their syllables resonated accurately. The classroom was dark, quiet and mostly empty. Because Myat administers his classes through a hybrid model, three of his eight students participated in person that day while their peers joined via Zoom. This divide only added to the students’ challenge of finding confidence and connection in a language they were still in the early stages of learning — and to Myat’s challenge of keeping them engaged.

Still, Myat’s smiling, yet firm encouragement continued to reach his class. He had the students employ the structures in different combinations, switching their roles between questioning and responding and instructing them to describe a variety of maladies. With each pass through a conversation, Myat pushed the students to respond more quickly, a signal of language assimilation.

As the students learned the conversation patterns, the voices echoing through the classroom became more fluid and self-assured. Students mouthed words back to themselves, silently reinforcing the sensation of speaking the language.

Eyes once buried in notebooks or fixed on the screen now found those of other students. Although the conversations unfolded in formulaic structures, they began to sound organic. Smiles crept onto students’ faces as they used one another as a learning resource.

In 50 minutes, the class had learned to converse with entirely new vocabulary. Myat congratulated his students on their progress as they filed out of the room and he closed the Zoom meeting.

IU has long been renowned for offering courses in the most languages of any university in the U.S. However, these offerings have been under threat in recent months.

as an instructor in January 2024 and was admitted to the School of Education’s Literacy, Culture and Language Education program this past spring. He said he hopes the program will help him realize his dream of being a professor, whether in the U.S. or Myanmar.

“I want to do good for my country,” Myat said. “I would definitely go back if the situation got better.”

Myanmar has been embroiled in a bloody civil war for decades. A dizzying array of political factions are jockeying for power across the diverse nation, with civilians — and particularly minority groups — in the direct line of fire. Recent nominal elections have done little to persuade experts that democratization is coming any time soon.

In the meantime, Myat uses Burmese to stay connected to Myanmar. He said he uses voice recordings of people from home to demonstrate Burmese pronunciation to his students and integrates cultural context into his syllabus.

“My students learn about the culture, identity and history,” Myat said. “This goes way beyond proficiency.”

Once Myat’s students began to master their new list of health and sickness vocabulary, it was time to apply what they’d learned. Myat projected basic conversation structures, like how to ask how someone was feeling or if they’d taken medicine, onto the board. He played voice recordings of the exchanges to familiarize the class with the sounds and inflections of the language. Then, it was time for the students to have conversations of their own.

Myat chose two students at a time to practice their vocabulary in context. Ex-

Because of an Indiana House bill that took effect in July, all IU bachelor’s degree programs must produce at least 15 annual graduates. In September, the U.S. Department of Education also cut funding for an array of university programs that “do not advance American interests or values.” The result? The culling and reworking of over 400 IU degree programs, with the language department taking an outsized hit.

Burmese-language education is particularly relevant in Indiana, which has been the top relocation site of Burmese refugees to the U.S. for about 40 years. Today, Indiana is home to about 12% of the country’s Burmese population, the largest community of any state. Many of Myat’s students are heritage learners — children of Burmese parents with some limited exposure to the language. However, his classes have diversified in his time teaching at IU. Myat said his students now hail from a range of ethnic backgrounds, unified by a curiosity to explore Burmese culture.

Myat said learning to forge connections through language study has practical uses.

“I asked a student why she wanted to learn Burmese, and she responded that in her workplace, she’s surrounded by Burmese people,” Myat said. “She wanted to communicate with them and to learn about their culture. This opens opportunities.”

Myat said the practicality of language education isn’t limited to professional development, though — and that learning languages might just serve U.S. interests, after all.

“In a country like the U.S., we have to find unity in our diversity, to live in harmony,” Myat said. “This is a way to build friendships and understand each other.”

By Natalia Nelson nelsonnb@iu.edu

Sam is open about his struggles on his podcast.

In the very first episode, he outlines the “negative” aspects of his personality: bluntness, obsessiveness, loudness. That’s what makes the episodes real and raw.

When listening to the podcast, the volume has to be turned down. Sam almost shouts into the microphone; his nose brushes against its pop filter.

In the fourth episode, he discusses how difficult it can be for those with autism to find love. In the past, Sam said, girls have even run away from him.

“Everybody wants love,” he says. “Even me. I want love. Now, ladies, I am single, so hit me up if you wish.”

Across the 238 podcast episodes of “Autism Rocks and Rolls” released since 2019, he’s talked to professional wrestlers, “America’s Got Talent” contestants, comedians and actresses. But his mom, Gina Mitchell, likes the episodes where he talks to someone on the autism spectrum the most.

“Those are the most powerful,” she said.

Sam is 23 now, but he was diagnosed with autism when he was 4. At 2 or 3, his dad Doug Mitchell said he would line things up in a specific order and rearrange them if they were moved out of place. He didn’t like the way certain items felt, like clothing tags, and he never looked at the camera for a photo.

He and his family live in Owensburg, a small community in southwest Indiana, and he was diagnosed through his school in Greene County.

SEE PODCAST, PAGE 8

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8

Gina, a teacher at Eastern Greene Middle School, said she had some students with autism, so it wasn’t a complete shock to her. Still, she wasn’t trained in working with children who had autism.

“You have, kind of, a vision of what your children are going to be and what they’re going to do,” Gina said. “We learned about [autism] quickly, and because we knew we had to.”

Sam’s parents read books and spoke to his pediatrician, but Doug said it was hard to find help and people to talk to about their experiences. That’s why Sam’s parents think his podcast is so important — it offers an avenue for an understanding of autism Doug and Gina didn’t have.

Connecting with others wasn’t always easy for Sam as he grew up. So, when he joined Eastern Greene High School’s media club at 16, Gina said she was excited for him to find friends with common interests.

In the club, he recorded episodes of “Thundercast,” a school-sponsored podcast where the hosts interviewed teachers, students, bus drivers and cafeteria staff. Sam loved it so much that he thought he’d make his own show.

“When he came home and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to start a podcast’, we didn’t know what that was,” Gina said. “We just got him, you know, what he needed.”

For Sam’s 16th birthday, his parents gifted him a microphone and soundboard — equipment he still uses to record his podcast today. The show was initially intended to be a travel podcast. Sam figured it would be great for about 10 episodes, but he wouldn’t have enough material for anything more.

“So I thought, ‘let’s think of a topic that’s gonna stick around,’” Sam said. “I have autism. I think that could — that talk could — stick around for a long while.”

One November evening, Sam interviews Leila Farshchian, a behavior analyst, over Zoom. He’s lucky his microphone doesn’t pick up the chirping fire alarm and blaring television in the next room.

He leans over a wooden table in his living room to record the podcast, his knees bumping up against its surface. Sam has to sit on a chair that’s too tall for the table, or else the camera will only pick up his forehead.

The setup is nestled between a pinball machine and a loveseat draped with a rainbow puzzle-piece quilt.

The walls are decorated with pictures of him and his dad as they proudly display glistening fish and the occasional framed newspaper clipping. On the table in front of him are pages of typed scripts and questions. He asks variations of the same five questions to each person he interviews.

“How do you think a brain with autism operates?” Sam asks the dark-haired woman on the other side of the Zoom call. Farshchian’s not autistic, but she frequently works with those with autism and special needs.

“It’s really hard for me to box it in,” Farshchian responds. “One brain, one individual with autism is going to be just one brain, and there’s millions of different variations.”

The name of the podcast stemmed from his autism and his love of rock and roll bands like AC/DC, Mötley Crüe and Nickelback. He said he loves rock because it helps him express and cope with anger in a healthy way — something he used to struggle with when he was younger.

His favorite song is Hinder’s cover of Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild.” He said he connects with the song because it’s about living a free-spirited life and not caring about what others think of him.

On Oct. 27, 2019, he published a 37-minute-long first episode, titled “101:

Sam’s Stories.” Sam spoke about his hobbies, what he liked and didn’t like. He talked about how he struggled to socialize with others growing up, and how the kids in eighth grade only interacted with him because his mom taught the grade.

“From K through seventh grade, I could not fit in,” Sam said in the podcast. “People thought I was socially awkward; they didn’t know how to take me well, they just pushed me, and I felt excluded. Majorly.”

Before seventh grade was a difficult time for Sam, he said.

“I felt like people didn’t care,” He said. “... back then, if I had a funeral, probably no one would be there but my family.”

Sam said freshman year was “the worst year of them all” because he felt like everyone — his peers, teachers — didn’t understand him. He felt depressed.

“I thought no one cared. I thought I was like an insect,” Sam said.

Like when Thanos choked Spider-Man in

“Avengers: Infinity War” and called him an insect, “That’s how I felt,” Sam said. He talked about how the summer after freshman year, he did some self-reflection, trying to think about how social lives worked. He said he tried to shift from being a people-pleaser to not caring what others thought of him anymore.

“If you hate me, hate me,” he said. “I don’t care about it anymore.”

The podcast climbed from a couple of downloads to a few hundred. Now, just the first episode has been downloaded 746 times on Podbean, a podcasting platform. He’s now also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The podcast garnered hundreds and then thousands of downloads. Sam kept recording episodes, discussing everything from making friends and getting the girl of your dreams to advice for parents on how to handle a meltdown. He interviewed his parents and then eventually others — the first openly autistic NASCAR driver, autism advocates,

television stars. His “biggest guest of them all” was autism and livestock advocate Temple Grandin. She’s written a slew of books about autism and animal behavior and even had a biopic made about her life in 2010. She joined him on his 23rd episode, which was released almost a year after his first recording. They talked about their mutual struggles with algebra, hating itchy clothes and learning how to take turns.

“I had to learn that I couldn’t just keep talking on and on and on about carnival rides when I was in high school, because that bored other kids,” Grandin said.

“It’s really hard,” Sam said. “If it was up to me, I could talk about WWE and professional wrestling.”

In Sam’s eyes, doctors can give facts about autism, but they can’t speak to why someone is having a meltdown. That’s what makes “Autism Rocks and Rolls” unique.

“im so proud of you. U r amazing,” the comments on

the site read.

“You’re awesome, Sam! Glad to hear you’re doing so well!” another commenter said,

“Autism Rocks and Rolls” was born.

As “Autism Rocks and Rolls” grew, it evolved into a nonprofit in 2020, complete with a six-member board that oversees the organization’s finances and an annual gala. The nonprofit pays Sam $1,000 monthly to record the podcast, which releases a new episode every 16 days. The nonprofit has begun providing training for first responders and human resources. Gina said they realized people in the emergency field didn’t receive much training on how to interact with those with autism.

“We recognized that as a problem,” Gina said. “And thought, ‘this is something, like this is a direction that we can go into.’”

SEE PODCAST, PAGE 9

A patterned “Autism Rocks and Rolls” puzzle piece blanket is draped across a chair Nov. 19, 2025, in Mitchell’s Owensburg, Indiana, home. The podcast evolved into a nonprofit as it grew.

degree in broadcasting. He continued to produce the podcast during high school and college, despite being a full-time student.

Sam and Gina go in and directly speak with officers, but they also have a manual. They most recently trained the police department, fire department, emergency workers and dispatchers in Bicknell, Indiana.

The board also pays for Sam to attend two speaking events annually. He’s traveled to Canada, Washington, D.C., Florida and, most recently, a special education conference in Wisconsin.

Samuel Hutchins met Gina and Sam on Facebook. Hutchins has a podcast of his own, “Xavier’s Journey,” about his own son, who had autism and passed away due to an injury sustained from a seizure. There, Hutchins talks about autism education and awareness.

“(Sam) still is knocking it out of the park,” Hutchins said. “Because he’s knocking down those barriers, and it’s inspiring people like me and other people around to take a different look at what autism is.”

Sam graduated from Vincennes University in May with his associate’s

He’s now working parttime as a board operator in Bloomington for IU men’s and women’s basketball and is thinking about moving out of his parents’ house.

“We’re so proud of him,” Gina said. “You just sit back and think, ‘wow, like he did it, like we did it’, you know, it took a village, but we are very proud of him.”

Sam said he would be open to pursuing the podcast full time, but he’s just continuing to produce new episodes for now. The podcast reached 23,800 downloads on Podbean as of Jan. 13.

“There were many times, I know, as he grew up, he didn’t feel like he had a voice,” Gina said. “And so I always say, ‘well, they’re listening now.’”

In the fourth episode of his podcast, Sam offers his strategies to get the “girl of your dreams.” Women love muscles, he says. Women love men who play guitar. Women love men who have good manners and can cook.

“Another idea you could do is save up money because women love men who are rich and have that cha-ching cha-ching,” Sam said. “Make

sure you also have a good personality, too.”

Sam said his strategy to find love was to have a sense of humor.

“I’m a pretty funny guy.” he said.

He said he wants to fall in love and get married eventually, though he gets nervous around women he finds beautiful.

“It would be nice,” he said. “To have companionship.”

In today’s political climate, he said, there’s a lot of misinformation about what autism is. In September, the Trump administration suggested a link between Tylenol taken by pregnant women and autism, which was criticized by experts for its questionable scientific backing.

Only autistic people know what it’s really like to have autism, Sam said.

“They know because they live it,” he said.

It took him a while to realize who he was, as Sam sums it up in his podcast.

“I now know who I am. I am one friendly human being. I am one that fights for my rights. I am one annoying turd sometimes; I am a guy who likes music; I am a guy who likes to play pinball.”

There’s a few seconds of pause in the audio, like he’s trying to find the right words.

“And I am Sam Mitchell.”

Presented by BCT

Princess Mononoke (1997) - 1/16

Ponyo (2008) - 1/23

The Boy and the heron (2023) - 1/30

The Wind Rises (2013) - 2/6

You Got Gold (2025) "A Celebration of John Prine" - 1/17

Featuring post-film talk with Prine guitarist Jason Wilbur and Executive Producer Robert Meitus

Presented by Bloomington Roots & BCT

76 Days Adrift (2025) - 1/24

Brand new and critically acclaimed survival documentary

Presented by BCT

groundhog day (1993) - 2/2

Presented by BCT

wisdom of happiness (2025) - 2/8

Shows us a timeless truth: happiness is still possible, even in the midst of chaos and uncertainty

Presented by BCT

the princess bride (1987) - 2/14

Valentine’s Day Special: 2 for $18

Presented by BCT up (2009) - 2/17

National Random Acts of Kindness Day: Tickets $5

Presented by BCT

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration - 1/19

Soul, Spirit, and Sacrifice: Honoring the Legacy of Core a Sco King and the Women Who Faced America to Save U.S. Presented by the City of Bloomington

Weird Academia - 1/29

A live conversation exploring ideas that challenge the conventional boundaries of scholarship: the occult, mysticism, hauntings, telepathy, UFOs, ETC. Presented by the IU Center for Possible Minds

Mosaic - A TEDx IU Conference - 2/27

10th annual TEDxIU conference featuring six speakers

Presented by TEDxIndianaUniversity

The Jokers of Magic - 1/25

The irreverent, laugh-your-bu -off night of comedy and magic you didn’t know you needed. 18+ Only

Presented by BCT

Airwaves For All: A Benefit for WFHB - 1/31

Featuring The Dynamics, Coyote Motel, Jeff Shew & the Late-Night Crew, The Hammer & The Hatchet, KP & The WLGs

Presented by WFHB & BCT

Abbey Road's Number Ones... and More - 2/12

The ultimate Beatles tribute experience

Presented by La Jolla Booking Agency

Over The Rhine: Infamous Love Songs - 2/13

Over the Rhine returns to treat Bloomington for a special Valentine concert

Presented by Bloomington Roots & BCT

Vienna Teng - 2/20

A musical mashup of stories, environmentalism, activism, and community

Presented by BCT

Bloomington Winter Blues Festival - 2/21

Featuring King Bee & The Stingers, Mike Milligan and Steam Shovel, and Andra Fay & Sco Ballantine Presented by BCT

Shows coming to IU Auditorium this spring

By Sophie Albert soalbert@iu.edu

The start of a new semester means another lineup of shows at the IU Auditorium to look forward to. Here’s a list of the shows coming to the auditorium this spring.

Cirque Kalabanté - Jan. 25

Put together by Yamoussa Bangoura, a Guinean multidisciplinary artist, “Afrique en Cirque” is a display of acrobatics inspired by daily life in Guinea. The performance will include colorful scenery, costumes and staging accompanied by live Afro-Jazz, percussion and kora.

There will also be a pre-show talk led by Tavy Aherne, the associate director for the African Studies program at IU, discussing the culture of Guinea. Additionally, there will be a postshow talk with members of Cirque Kalabanté.

Blue Man Group - Feb. 4-5

The Blue Man Group, the popular eccentric entertainment ensemble, will return to IU this February as part of their BLUEVOLUTION tour. The performance will feature classic Blue Man Group acts including music, art and science, but this tour also introduces a new member: “The Rockstar,” who will be performing percussion. The auditorium will also host a “Kids Night on Broadway” an hour before the show begins, where guests can participate in a variety of family-friendly activities.

Kinky Boots - Feb. 10-11

This Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical is returning to IU for two nights. The musical is inspired by true events and follows the story of Charlie Price (Noah Silverman), who inherited a shoe company from his dad, and Lola (Omari Collins), a drag

queen in need of some snazzy boots. In order to save his shoe company, Charlie teams up with Lola to create a line of high-heeled boots for men and as they work together, they find they might not be as different as they first thought. The story is brought to life with songs written by Cyndi Lauper, sharing a message of acceptance and individuality.

Leslie Odom, Jr. - Feb. 15

Three-time Emmy and two-time Academy Awardnominated songwriter, actor and New York Times bestselling author Leslie Odom, Jr. will perform at IU for one night only.

The performer first grew to fame for his portrayal of Aaron Burr in the original production of “Hamilton” on Broadway and has since continued acting on stage and in film and television, as well as releasing several albums. Odom will be accompanied by his band and the IU Philharmonic Orchestra, made up of students from the Jacobs School of Music and conducted by Thomas Wilkins.

Mariachi Herencia de México - Feb. 19

This Grammy-nominated contemporary ma-

riachi band, made up of 14 young musicians, is aiming to reinvent mariachi music while also honoring its rich past. The band is known for bringing an electric energy to traditional mariachi music, transforming it into a more modern sound.

Mrs. Doubtfire - Feb. 28

The musical adaptation of the beloved film “Mrs. Doubtfire” is making its way to Bloomington for the first time. The story follows a divorced father (Craig Allen Smith) who creates an elaborate plan to get to spend time with his kids: pretending to be a Scottish

nanny. This stage production brings the film to life in front of audiences’ eyes and is sure to be a fun time for all.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical - March 5-6

This jukebox musical, celebrating the world-renowned Tina Turner, will be making its IU debut for two performances. The musical recounts the life of Turner (Darilyn Burtley), using her most popular hits to tell the inspiring story. This performance is sure to get crowds dancing and grooving while also learning about a music legend.

Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens - March 12

Inspired by the strength and community found in music, Silkroad Ensemble’s most recent flagship program, “Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual,” explores how music can help people better understand the world. The show combines instruments and music from all around the world, including Sicilian tarantella, Moroccan gnawa, Indian classical music and American old-time banjo, to create a mosaic of interconnectedness between the performers and audience members.

The Philadelphia Orchestra - March 25

This Philadelphia-based orchestra aims to not only entertain but also transform audiences. Their performance will feature principal guest conductor Marin Alsop, who has already made a name for herself in the classical music world, becoming the first woman head of major orchestras in the United States, South America, Austria and Great Britain. The orchestra will perform Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, Brahms’s Variations on a Theme of Joseph Haydn and Schumann’s Symphony No. 2.

Beetlejuice - April 10-12

Another musical adaptation of a classic film, “Beetlejuice” will be coming to IU for the first time, performing five shows. The story follows an eccentric teenager who discovers two ghosts in her house and accidentally summons a mischievous demon who tries to return to the living world by whatever means necessary. Information about added shows can be found on the auditorium’s website. Tickets are on sale now both in person at the box office and online.

Community mourns the passing of Lois Eskenazi

By Leah Stein steinle@iu.edu

Lois Eskenazi, a philanthropist and well-known member of the Bloomington community, passed away Jan. 4 in Jupiter, Florida, at 92. She is remembered by her husband, Sidney, and their three children, Sandra, Dori and David. Lois and Sidney Eskenazi are known for their $20 million donation toward the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design. The couple also donated an additional $15 million three years prior for the renovation of the IU art museum, which has since been renamed to the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art.

Peg Faimon, dean of the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design, said in a statement the school’s community is mourning Lois’ passing.

“Our hearts are heavy with the news of Lois’ passing, Lois was a great friend to our school, and to many of us individually,” she said. “With her lifelong, abiding engagement in visual art, she was personally invested in the success of our school and our students, for which we will always be deeply grateful. Her legacy will live on in the strength of art and design education at IU.”

Founded in 2016 as the School of Art and Design, the school was renamed in 2019 in honor of the Eskenazis’ donation, which supported the construction of the school’s Mies van der Rohe Building. The donation also allowed for the establishment of scholarships, including the Lois Eskenazi Scholarship for incoming freshmen interested in painting as well as a “Fund for Excellence” to support fellowships, visiting artists and scholars, research fund-

ing, equipment and other projects.

“Her legacy is evident not only in buildings and programs on our campuses, but also in the opportunities her family created for students to express their creativity, think critically and contribute to their communities.”

Pamela Whitten, IU President

Mindy Besaw, the Wilma E. Kelley director of the Museum of Art, said she never had the chance to meet Lois but has had the privilege of hearing stories about her impact on both students and the museum.

“The gifts that she and Sidney had given were frankly transformational for the museum. If it wasn’t for

their gift, I don’t think we would be nearly as bright and welcoming for students,” Besaw said.

In addition to an outpouring of love for Lois from the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture and Design and Museum of Art, IU President Pamela Whitten said in a statement the entire IU community is mourning the loss.

“She — along with husband Sidney — understood that a great public university strengthens the cultural and civic life of an entire state and acted on that belief with incredible purpose and generosity,” Whitten said in the statement. “Her legacy is evident not only in buildings and programs on our campuses, but also in the opportunities her family created for students to express their creativity, think critically and contribute to their communities.”

Student’s capstone turns into Rose Bowl-inspired dress

By Steven Leatherwood sjleathe@iu.edu

Zilly Then, a senior fashion design major at Indiana University, and her professor, Megan Romans, sat in Romans’ living room and turned old, thrifted IU Tshirts they found at Goodwill into dozens of roses, gluing them onto an old football helmet.

“Zilly came over to my house, and we made (roses) just until our fingers were bleeding. That amount of roses,” Romans said. They created this colorful helmet as part of an outfit Then designed for the Rose Bowl: an 18th centuryinspired lamb-shape hoop skirt, a mesh overskirt and a crimson shrug and corset accented with roses.

Hannah Shepherd, Then’s classmate and model, wore the piece for the photoshoot. Shepherd and Season Magazine photographer Grace

Guo shot a series of photos in a nearly-empty Memorial Stadium a week after Then and her professors brainstormed the idea after finals week.

“It was cold and it was heavy,” Shepherd said about the helmet.

The Rose Bowl look garnered over 10,000 likes on IU Bloomington’s Instagram page and attracted local news attention.

“I think it’s really cool to see everything that’s come out of this,” Romans said.

The outfit didn’t start out as the iconic crimson and cream Rose Bowl look many have seen on Instagram, though.

It came from a similar design Then used for her senior capstone project. During her presentation, Then’s professors pointed out that the mesh skirt she used reminded them of athletic wear, becoming the initial inspiration behind Then’s popular

design.

“So, we decided, let’s do something for football for fun,” Then said. “And from that on, we decided to create a look. And also, we wanted to focus on the Rose Bowl theme, so we tried to add some roses.”

Then created the design and the outfit just after the semester ended, before IU’s football team played in and won the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

This new outfit was a personal endeavor — a continuation, but not a requirement — of her senior capstone project.

Then described her style as “modest” but “also very girly.” She said she likes to use colors, and her favorite fabrics are chiffon and anything sheer. Her style is clear in the Rose Bowl dress — her favorite piece to date.

Professor Jessica Quirk, one of Then’s fashion design professors, said the entire Rose Bowl piece spawned out

of Then’s love for design.

“She’s an incredibly hard worker,” Quirk said. “She’s incredibly talented with her artwork, the style of designs; her technical abilities are high, and she’s a lovely person.”

As for her future, Then hopes to work for one of her favorite companies, Nordstrom, a leading fashion retailer, where she is currently applying for a position.

“I think she’s going to have a lot of demand,” Quirk said.

Then also wants to pursue her own brand in the future, alongside company work: something where she can pursue her own creative endeavors when imagination strikes.

“I do want to keep making, you know, things that I get inspiration for and something different to keep my creativity up and working with other people,” Then said. Then is presenting more

COLUMN: Film adaptation of ‘People We Meet on Vacation’ didn’t meet expectations

By Leah Stein steinle@iu.edu

Netflix’s adaptation of Emily Henry’s novel “People We Meet on Vacation” was released Jan. 9. Directed by Brett Haley and starring Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, the movie delivers the joys of summer vacations in the bleak winter.

The plot follows Poppy Wright (Bader) and Alex Nilsen (Blyth) as they take yearly summer trips and toe the line between friendship and romance.

The movie includes an incredible soundtrack featuring artists Robyn, Boygenius, Cigarettes After Sex and Taylor Swift. The film also switches between the past and present throughout New Orleans, Tuscany and Barcelona. This quick pacing keeps the film engaging and captivating for audiences.

Additionally, the movie also adds new scenes that build momentum within the plot and provides book fans with a surprise to look forward to.

By Sydney Weber syaweber@iu.edu

Dear soon-to-be-graduate,

It’s finally here. After interminable semesters, you are about 16 weeks away from graduation. Now what? How do you leave the campus and the community that you’ve spent so long building?

I faced those questions in 2023 as I prepared to

However, I believe the book is better than the movie.

I can acknowledge that books contain a significant amount of detail, which can be difficult to translate and adapt into a two-hour movie; nonetheless, the adaptation’s exclusion of key characterizations and plot details made it fall flat for me.

I found the portrayal of Alex to be a prime example of this. In the book, Alex is a dynamic character living with the trauma of his mother’s death during childbirth and the responsibility of stepping up to raise his brothers while his father grieved. Because of this, he is regimented and consistent with routines, clothes and time management. Alex also holds a deep-rooted fear of getting close to people and then ultimately losing them, like he experienced with his mother.

In the movie, though, Alex’s mother is mentioned once and then never again. Without this information

yourself now can ease the transition in May.

For the tired: Finish smart

Senioritis is real; it can feel like you’ve hit a wall, causing you to lose all motivation to keep up with your schoolwork. To get through it, I recommend making sure you get enough sleep and fresh air, and to do triage on your work.

and explanation for Alex’s uptight ways and fear of losing loved ones, he comes across as unflawed.

An example of this comes across in his devotion to Poppy. In the book and the movie, Poppy has a pregnancy scare while on one of their yearly summer trips; this trip includes significant others.

Alex is there to comfort her and reveals later in the book he was concerned about her and how frightened she was that he got a vasectomy because he does not wish to see her upset.

While many readers argue the vasectomy detail comes across as creepy, it

For the nostalgic: Make a map of your version of Bloomington

Though we’re all walking the same streets, I’d argue that in a sense we all live in different versions of Bloomington; no one else has had the exact same experiences here as you. This is a bittersweet thing, so if you’re feeling like reminiscing, draw a map of the Bloomington and the IU that you know.

the coffee shop where my friend worked, where I’d study and chat with her during her break.

For those with a bit of

FOMO: Create a bucket list

At this point, you’ve probably spent a few years on campus. If you’re anything like me, there are still a few things you want to do at and around IU before you graduate — now’s the time!

is an example of Alex’s utter devotion to those he loves and his fear of losing those close to him, especially through pregnancy and childbirth.

There are also other minor character changes like the exclusion of Alex’s medically complex cat named Flannery O’Connor, after the American novelist, the lack of mention of Alex’s involvement in the Indiana University creative writing MFA program and the removal of three of Alex’s younger brothers.

Alex is not the only character to go through major changes in adaptation.

Poppy’s family and friends are altered in the movie mainly to remove her brothers, Prince and Parker, as well as her closest friend other than Alex, Rachel.

Poppy’s family is eccentric and their house and traditions reflect that. In the book, the house is described as cluttered and chaotic, while in the movie, the house is toned down to look like a stereotypical

through the Square Donuts drive-through between midnight and 4 a.m. for its latenight hours. Try log rolling or jumping off the high dive at the Student Recreational Sports Center.

For the nervous: Ask positive “what if?” questions I’ve long had a tendency to dwell on “but what if…?” questions. What if I don’t have what it takes to do a

suburban home. The movie also omitted details about her family’s unique traditions, such as a talent show and a game called “Shark jumping” where someone lies about the plot of a movie and another person guesses what was real and what was fake. I believe since most romcoms are not more than two hours, these details were cut for time In the book, Poppy’s family plays a huge role in her character as she feels greatly overprotective of their quirks and wants other people to love them like she does. In the movie, Poppy is represented without close companions whether that be family or friends and therefore loses a bit of her humanity. As a massive fan of the book and the Emily Henry universe, it’s safe to say I was disappointed by some of the major changes to the plot and the characters. However, if you are in the market for a fun, summery rom-com, this movie is for you.

Finally, I want to share something I held onto when I was moving back to Bloomington for a master’s degree, which I think is applicable any time you’re entering a new phase of life: things will be different, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be worse. Overall, I had a great undergrad experience, but lots of things changed during the time I was away from campus. People moved, friend groups shifted. I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit into the community anymore. Now, I’m closer than ever with my core friend group and have gotten to know lots of new people. There are things I really miss about undergrad and things that I prefer in ferent than it was three years Now go, get started on that homework. We still have

Indiana wins 1st national championship

The Hoosiers defeated Miami 27-21 to earn their 16th victory, finishing with a perfect

season

By Dalton James jamesdm@iu.edu | @daltonmjames

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.

— Curt Cignetti knew he could lead Indiana football to success from the moment he arrived in Bloomington in December 2023. He vowed to make the Hoosiers one of college football’s premier teams. And on Jan. 19 inside Hard Rock Stadium, the Cream and Crimson reached immortality with their 27-21 victory over the University of Miami in the College Football Playoff National Championship in Miami Gardens, Florida.

“We won the national championship at Indiana University,” Cignetti said postgame on the television broadcast. “It can be done.”

The Hoosiers are the first team in the modern era to finish 16-0, and the first since Yale University in 1894.

Heisman Trophywinning quarterback Fernando Mendoza delivered yet another moment that will live in Hoosier fans’ minds forever. He broke a pair of tackles before reaching for the goal line, securing a 12-yard score.

Miami received the opening kickoff and gained a first down before Indiana’s defense forced the Hurricanes’ first punt of the contest. The Cream and Crimson punted on their first drive, too.

with 2:42 left in the first quarter.

The Hurricanes went three-and-out just five times over their previous nine games. However, Indiana’s defense forced Miami into three consecutive threeand-outs while the Hoosiers took a 3-0 lead with redshirt sophomore kicker Nico Radicic’s 34-yard field goal

The Hoosiers embarked on a 14-play, 85-yard drive in the second quarter that they capped with the first touchdown of the game.

Sixth-year senior tight end Riley Nowakowski lined up as a fullback behind Mendoza, as he rushed for a 1-yard score.

Miami’s offense picked

up its first momentum of the contest on its final possession of the first half, gaining 43 yards across nine plays. However, the Hurricanes missed a 50-yard field goal, as the Hoosiers went into the locker room ahead 10-0.

Although Indiana received the opening kick to begin the second half, it went three-and-out and punted.

Miami junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. scored a 57-yard touchdown, cutting Indiana’s lead to just three points.

While the Hoosiers continued their offensive struggles, their special teams unit delivered a touchdown.

Sixth-year senior defensive lineman Mikail Kamara blocked a punt that redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah

Jones recovered in the endzone to put the Cream and Crimson up 17-7. The Hurricanes responded with a 10play drive that Fletcher ended with a three-yard touchdown to cut Miami’s deficit to three in the early stages of the final quarter. Then, after the Hoosiers previously converted a fourth-and-5, they were tasked with a fourth-and-4. Mendoza ran for the score, giving the Cream and Crimson a 24-14 lead with just over nine minutes left. Miami again found an answer. Freshman receiver Malachi Toney notched a 41-yard reception before scoring a 21-yard touchdown just two plays later, cutting Indiana’s advantage to three points. The Hoosiers drove down much of the field but were forced to settle for a field goal with less than two minutes remaining to take a six-point lead. While the Hurricanes sought a game-winning touchdown, redshirt junior defensive back Jamari Sharpe sealed the victory with an interception. The Hoosiers now stand alone at the top of college football with their first-ever national championship. While Cignetti just completed his second season at the helm, he’s cemented himself as an Indiana University legend.

COLUMN: Unseen stories of Indiana’s national championship win

By Quinn Richards qmrichar@iu.edu | @quinn_richa

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.

— Pure chaos. That’s how I would describe the aftermath of Indiana football’s historic national championship win over the University of Miami on Jan. 19.

A horde of credentialed media members funneled into the narrow doorway marking the entrance of the Hoosiers’ locker room. They surged past a sign with the word “WIN” etched in bold white letters on a crimson background before stepping into a scene unlike any other.

Dozens of Indiana players filled the room, donning their newly-earned national champion apparel. Many of them danced and sang in the middle of the room, unbothered by the intruders attempting to conduct postgame interviews.

The smell of cigar smoke filled my nostrils as a cloud of gray smoke rose from the mouths of numerous Hoosiers. When in Rome, I suppose.

In the mayhem of it all, I found what felt like the one person not actively participating in the festivities. I spotted senior punter Mitch McCarthy scanning the locker room for a teammate to celebrate with — or so I thought.

“I’m actually trying to find a beer,” McCarthy said. “If anyone’s allowed a beer, it’s a 28-year-old. So, I haven’t got one yet. I’m a bit disappointed.”

As I left the determined Australian to continue his mission, I turned the corner to see redshirt seventhyear senior long snapper Mark Langston, McCarthy’s partner in crime. I watched as Langston cracked a hole into his drink of choice — a Dragonfly IPA — and finished it in a matter of seconds while a crowd of teammates labeled him “Shotgun Mark.” I caught up with the foamy-mouthed special teamer to ask about something he told me during the national championship media day two days prior. He had told me that, before coming to Indiana last season, he was embarrassed to wear his Georgia Southern University football merchandise in public.

Now a national champion, I asked him how often he’ll showcase his Hoosier swag.

“Every day,” Langston said. “Every single day.”

I imagine that’s the same feeling longtime Indiana fans have. For so long the Hoosiers were an embarrassment on the gridiron. It’s blunt but true; the losses speak for themselves. But now, Indiana football is the greatest story in sports. For goodness’s sake, going from 3-9 to 16-0 in the span of two years is one of the greatest stories in the history of sports.

It’s no surprise that Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington was flooded as

the Hoosiers neared victory.

Students cluttered rooftops, climbed on trees and scampered up light posts to get a view of the crowd below.

All the pent-up anger from a disappointing three decades of Indiana University athletics was released when redshirt junior quarterback Fernando Mendoza ran out the final seconds of the game. While the student body rushed the streets of downtown Bloomington, redshirt senior running back Roman Hemby shared in the merriment inside Hard Rock Stadium.

“I’m just so happy,” Hemby said. “As the clock hit zeros, I couldn’t stop running and screaming that we were national champions.”

He did so as an ocean of lingering Hoosier faithful roared for the grand finale of a magical season while cream and crimson confetti fluttered from the rafters. It’s easy to get caught up in the euphoria of such a moment. But my eyes were drawn elsewhere.

As the two opposing sidelines converged, one uplifted by victory and the other burdened by defeat, an emotional scene transpired on the 1-yard line. Miami’s senior defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. slumped to the grass, exhausted after the hard-fought defeat. Indiana’s redshirt junior left tackle Carter Smith knelt beside him, his right hand outstretched on Bain’s left shoulder.

In the immediate aftermath of the biggest win of his career, Smith didn’t celebrate with his teammates — he comforted his opponent. After the game, I asked why.

“I mean, I’ve been there,” Smith said. “Last year at Notre Dame, sitting down on the field, it was a really sad moment. I didn’t really have anyone come up to me, and he was kind of in the same boat.”

After a few words, he helped Bain to his feet before offering him a hug as a parting gift. It wasn’t the last time Smith would offer a postgame embrace.

Following the Hoosiers’ trophy presentation, he waited patiently for redshirt junior left guard Drew Evans to finish an on-field

interview before tapping him on the shoulder. As Evans turned, the two offensive linemen locked arms for a lengthy hug, punctuated by the relief of completing the ultimate goal.

“He means everything to me,” Smith said. “We’re best friends. I’ll praise Drew for the rest of my life; I love him to death man.”

But the most tear-jerking scene? That happened before the game even ended. After the play that Indiana fans will remember forever, Mendoza’s 12-yard touchdown run on fourth down late in the final quarter, the cameras turned to his parents.

It’s well-known Fernando Mendoza IV doesn’t stand up to cheer during games so he can celebrate with his

wife, Elsa, whose multiple sclerosis keeps her in a wheelchair. But as the play developed, his dad couldn’t help but lift from his seat. As the Hoosiers’ quarterback took off, his dad’s right hand clutched the railing in front of his seat. The closer his son got to the end zone, the higher Fernando IV rose from his seat. By the time Fernando reached across the plane in acrobatic fashion, his dad was elevated in the air, his right hand clenched in a fist, lifted in the night sky above. In the blink of an eye, he sat back down, celebrating with his wife the way they had all season long. Through it all, his left hand held onto Elsa, as they watched their son write the final chapter of Indiana’s storybook season.

QB Fernando Mendoza puts body on the line to lead

By Conor Banks conbanks@iu.edu

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza has made plenty of crucial plays for the Hoosiers this season. He stood strong in the pocket to lead the Hoosiers on game-winning touchdown drives against Iowa and Penn State. He combined for just five incompletions across Indiana’s previous two CFP games compared to his eight total touchdown passes. The signal-caller took a shot to the rib-area on his first snap from the line of scrimmage against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game on Dec. 6. However, Mendoza returned after just one missed play to lead the Hoosiers to a 13-10 victory over the Buckeyes. Mendoza’s clutch drives and toughness throughout

the season earned him the Heisman Trophy and a spot at No. 1 in most 2026 NFL mock drafts.

But perhaps no play in Mendoza’s four-year collegiate career was bigger, or more gutsy, than a 12yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of the College Football Championship run Jan. 19.

During the Hoosiers’ second drive of the game, the redshirt junior took a hit to his chin. After handing the ball off to redshirt senior running back Kaelon Black, Mendoza emerged from the play with a bloodied bottom lip. Despite the high hit, no penalty was called on Miami.

This was just one of the multiple hard hits Mendoza absorbed in the first half Monday — a trend that was to the dismay of head coach Curt Cignetti. “I’m all for letting them

play,” Cignetti said postgame, “but when they cross the line, you’ve got to call them.”

Yet, Mendoza did not shy away from more contact in the second half. Playing in his hometown, the Miami native took command of the final Indiana touchdown drive at the start of the fourth quarter.

“I’ll die for my team,” Mendoza said postgame.

Facing a 4th and 4 situation at the Miami 12yard line and holding a threepoint lead, Mendoza dropped back as if to pass. But the signal caller quickly squared his shoulders and ran toward the line of scrimmage — a designed quarterback draw. Mendoza jumped-cut to his right before bouncing off two tackles. The Heisman Trophy winner twisted, regained his balance inside the 5-yard line and launched himself from the 2-yard line into the body of 6-foot-2,

235-pound Miami linebacker Mohamed Toure in the endzone — another big hit.

The 12-yard touchdown run extended the Hoosiers’ lead to 10 points with Mendoza continuing to put his body on the line for his “band of brothers.”

“And at that point I took the drop,” Mendoza said. “It wasn’t the perfect coverage for it, but I trust my linemen, and everybody in that entire offense. The entire team had a gritty performance today. And we were all putting our bodies on the line, so it was the least I could do for my brothers.”

A constant throughout Indiana football’s perfect season had been the unit’s camaraderie. Following the Hoosiers’ regular season victory over Iowa on Sept. 27, quarterback Fernando Mendoza described this chemistry as a “band

of brothers.”

On College football’s biggest stage — the National Championship Game — Mendoza’s message of playing for each other came alive.

“I saw (Mendoza) getting up slow a couple times,” offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan said postgame. “I think it was, you know, our first or second drive — he took a couple hits while he was delivering the ball. But somehow it never really fazed him.”

When asked about one word he would use to describe Mendoza at Media Day on Jan. 17, Shanahan said “tough.”

While Mendoza had his least efficient CFP game as a Hoosier on Jan. 19, completing 16-of-27 passes for 186 yards and zero touchdowns, he still found a way, as he has done

throughout the perfect 16-0 season, to guide the program to a National Championship victory.

Mendoza said postgame the one constant this year had been to “bet on ourselves,” regardless of the situation.

“We always figure it out,” Mendoza said. After hoisting the first CFP National Championship trophy in Indiana football history Jan. 19, Mendoza jogged off the field for likely the final time in his collegiate career, closing his Indiana chapter.

As the confetti rained down on the field, “Fernando” by ABBA played throughout Hard Rock Stadium. A plethora of cream and crimson in the crowd sang along, celebrating their quarterback, who put his body on the line to bring the first National Championship to Bloomington.

How Cignetti led Indiana to top in 2 seasons

By Dalton James jamesdm@iu.edu | @DaltonMJames

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Curt Cignetti tried to place his glasses on the collar of his red quarter zip as he walked toward midfield. Ultimately, he held them in his right hand.

The second-year Indiana football head coach smiled, which he seldom does, as he raised both arms and pointed toward the sky.

The Hoosiers had just completed one of the greatest stories in college football history with their 27-21 victory over the No. 10 University of Miami in the College Football Playoff National Championship. It was an accomplishment worthy of the rare sign of satisfaction. But in perhaps the most historic moment of Cignetti’s 43-year coaching career, his father, Frank Cignetti Sr., was on his mind.

“Hopefully he was watching today,” Cignetti said postgame. “He was a great role model. I was very blessed to have a father like that.”

Cignetti’s path to becoming a head coach

From the third grade, Cignetti’s eyes were set on leading a program.

After four collegiate seasons playing quarterback, he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant and made five stops before what he’s deemed the most important one. Cignetti’s four seasons at the University of Alabama under legendary head coach Nick Saban taught him how to overcome the difficulties of achieving greatness.

Although the Crimson Tide went 7-6 in Saban’s first season at the helm, it brought all the lessons Cignetti learned together.

He wound up spending three more seasons under Saban, including a perfect 14-0 campaign in 2009 capped by a national championship. Cignetti was approaching his 50th

birthday.

Throughout his years entrenched in college football, he was familiar with career-long assistants. They were guys who spent 40-plus years working under a head coach but never leading their own team.

Cignetti didn’t want to finish his career that way.

“I’d seen what those lives look like as a kid,” he said. “So, I took a chance.”

From waxing tables to leading Indiana football

When Cignetti left Alabama for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, it was an “unprecedented” move, he said, from one of the sport’s most prestigious programs to a Football Championship Subdivision squad.

He led the Crimson Hawks to a 53-17 mark over his six seasons. He waxed tables inside the program’s facility when the school

shut down for the playoffs.

Cignetti continued his climb through the ranks, taking head coaching jobs at Elon University and eventually James Madison University.

The kind of success Cignetti found at JMU was foreign to the Hoosiers at the time. Indiana University President Pamela Whitten and Athletic Director Scott Dolson sought a change after the 3-9 2023 season.

Cignetti wasn’t looking to leave Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was a place he viewed as his last stop — one he could retire at. But as the 62-yearold had conversations with Whitten and Dolson, he remained steadfast in his winning ways, ones he knew he could take to Bloomington.

“I know Indiana’s football history has been pretty poor with some good years sprinkled in there,” Cignetti said. “It was because it wasn’t an emphasis on football,

plain and simple.”

Cignetti wanted to change the way people think about Indiana football, explaining there was no reason why it couldn’t be a source of pride for the school, Bloomington and the state of Indiana.

He instilled his triedand-true blueprint — the same one he used at Elon and JMU. Cignetti said it would work on his first day in Bloomington on Dec. 1, 2023.

From visions to proven product

Now, just 780 days after his introductory press conference in Bloomington, Cignetti stood on the sideline inside Hard Rock Stadium with a national championship and college football immortality at stake.

Although the Hoosiers dominated the Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl en route to Jan. 19’s ultimate game, the Hurricanes met the

challenge. The Cream and Crimson didn’t run away with the victory, but instead truly had to earn it.

While Heisman Trophywinning quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s stat line didn’t resemble that of his across the last two games, he made perhaps his greatest play in an Indiana uniform on a fourth down in the final quarter.

After sustaining shot after shot from Miami’s vaunted front seven, earning him a bloodied lip, Mendoza dropped back before running a draw up the middle. He bounced off a would-be tackler before reaching the goal line — touchdown.

The Hoosiers’ storybook season could’ve taken a turn for the worse without Mendoza’s crucial conversion.

It didn’t, though. Mendoza instead made a play that will live in Indiana football lore forever. He

was determined to reach the end zone, willing to do whatever it took — a mindset the Hoosiers exemplified all season with all sorts of different variations of victories.

“I think we sent a message, first of all, to society that if you keep your nose to the grindstone and work hard and you’ve got the right people,” Cignetti said, “anything’s possible.”

Cignetti and the Hoosiers reach immortality Cignetti stood on the victory stage having just led his team to a perfect 16-0 season and the program’s first national championship. Not only did Cignetti bring his plan to fruition, he also used it to take him to heights he had yet to reach as a head coach.

It took just two seasons for Cignetti to not only turn Indiana into a respected program, but a college football power.

Cinderella stories aren’t new to sports. Whether it was the United States hockey team defeating the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics or North Carolina State University basketball making an improbable run through the NCAA Tournament in 1983, there’s a lengthy history of unthinkable success.

Milan High School basketball’s Indiana state championship in 1954 resulted in

“It’s

Women’s basketball loses 7th straight conference game

By Max Schneider maxschn@iu.edu

Through its first six Big Ten games, Indiana women’s basketball found itself starved of its first conference win of the season.

Draped in red for ALS awareness the night of Jan. 14, the Hoosiers fell in another convincing defeat to a Big Ten opponent, losing 82-63 to Washington at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.

The match got off to a slow start offensively, taking Washington two minutes to open the scoring after consecutive missed free throws. Indiana managed to stick with the Huskies for most of the first quarter, trailing 13-11 with just under three and a half minutes left.

However, Washington started to pull away as the first quarter came to an end, increasing its lead to 11 points after one quarter of play.

Entering the second quarter, Indiana continued to struggle offensively, allowing Washington to slowly creep ahead through consistent offensive production.

With three minutes remaining in the first half,

the Huskies led 39-22. Indiana managed to chip into Washington’s lead as the clock ran down with a 3-pointer from senior guard Shay Ciezki.

Redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont scored with a second remaining to trim Washington’s lead to 10, and Indiana entered the break trailing 41-31.

Ciezki led the Hoosiers with 12 points, going 4-for5 from beyond the arc in the first half. Freshman forward Maya Makalusky was second with eight points, shooting 2 for 5 from 3-point range.

In Indiana’s loss against then-No.14 Iowa 56-53 on Jan. 11, the Hoosiers limited the Hawkeyes to just 19 first half points. Washington scored 41 first half points against Indiana on Jan. 14, shooting 60% from the field.

Entering the second half, Ciezki continued to strike from long range against Washington, cutting the Huskies’ lead into the single digits. However, Washington responded, taking its lead back up to 14 within two minutes.

As Washington maintained a double-digit lead throughout the third quarter, Indiana was unable to chip into the Huskies’ lead despite multiple 3-pointers from Ciezki and Beaumont. Washington continued to maintain its lead with consistent points from senior guard Elle Ladine, who led the team with 19 points.

quarter and seventh of the game. The Huskies continued to score inside with ease, ending the third quarter with a 14-point advantage.

As consistent as Washington’s offense was, so was Ciezki, who drained her third 3-pointer of the

As the fourth quarter progressed, Washington’s lead only continued to grow. With seven minutes remaining, it had sprouted to 22 points.

Indiana’s offensive halted, scoring just four points through five and a half minutes of the fourth quarter. In the end, the Hoosiers fell 82-63.

Ciezki led Indiana with 23 points, going 7-for11 from beyond the arc. However, she also went 1-7 from inside the arc. Makalusky ended the night with 16 points, going 4-for-7 from 3-point range.

Center in Columbus, Ohio. The game will also be streamed on Peacock.

Men’s tennis drops first match of season to Mississipi State

By Oliver Swats oswats@iu.edu

After its strong start to the season, sweeping Butler University and Ball State University, Indiana men’s tennis fell in an early test against No. 7 Mississippi State University on Jan. 18 at the Indiana University Tennis Center in Bloomington. In the last match before the Intercollegiate Tennis Association kickoff, the Hoosiers finished the day

losing six matches in a row after their hot start from the doubles side.

Doubles three teammates redshirt junior Facundo Yunis and sophomore Braeden Gelletich got things going with a 6-4 victory to continue their momentum from the last weekend.

The doubles teams won two out of their three matches as redshirt junior Sam Landau and senior Jip Van Assendelft defeated the No. 2 ranked doubles team in the nation in a nail-biting

tiebreaker that saw a final score of 7-6 (7-4). It was a near sweep from the double’s men, but graduate student Michael Andre and sophomore Matteo Antonescu fell in a tiebreaker match 6-7 (3-7). The loss meant the Hoosier singles would need to split their matches to secure the victory.

Mississippi State has five players ranked in the top 125 singles players in the country compared to Indiana’s one. The first singles match of the

day featured 13th-ranked senior Petar Jovanovic from Mississippi State. Indiana’s No. 2 singles player Van Assendelft took on the challenge after not playing a singles match in the first two matches of the season but fell short 6-3 (6-4).

On the No. 1 singles court, Landau battled with his serve, winning the first set 6-3 and narrowly losing the second set 5-7. However, in the third set, after already dealing with injuries throughout college, Landau

had to forfeit the match due to an injury giving the win to the Bulldogs. The winning continued for the rest of the day in favor of the Bulldogs. Yunis and junior Ben Pomeranets lost in two sets while Andre made the second set close but fell short.

With the victory already sealed for the Bulldogs, singles five player Gelletich won his matches first set in a tiebreaker. In the second set, he went back-and-forth with the 125th-ranked singles

player, freshman Raphael Vaksmann of Mississippi State, but lost a service game, resulting in a second set loss. Gelletich ultimately couldn’t find his footing in the third, which resulted in an overall 6-1 loss for the Hoosiers. Indiana will have a chance to bounce back Jan. 23, as it travels to Charlottesville, Virginia, to face off against the No. 5 University of Virginia. The Jan. 23 match will be followed by a Jan. 24 showdown against Cornell University or Michigan.

Indiana wins national championship

JACK’S JAMS

COLUMN: Sports betting is changing sports — at a cost

By Jack Davis

jjd5@iu.edu

One question that often comes up in my sports media classes is, “Does anyone bet on sports?” Most of the hands shoot up in whatever lecture hall of 100 students

I’m in. The first few times I saw this I was genuinely surprised. I wasn’t oblivious, and I’m familiar with the ins and outs of sports betting, but seeing how popular it’s become among people my age was eye-opening. What once felt like something reserved for Las Vegas sportsbooks or a March Madness bracket has become part of everyday sports culture.

Odds are discussed as casually as injuries, and betting websites including DraftKings and Underdog Fantasy plaster the spread onto every broadcast. This shift has fundamentally changed sports, prioritizing profit and gambling engagement over fan enjoyment, competitiveness, integrity and the shared ex-

perience that once defined being a sports fan.

A 2023 NCAA survey found that 58% of collegeage students have participated in at least one sports betting activity. This doesn’t even account for the fact that only 40 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized some form of sports betting, and only 32 have legalized online sports betting.

Though I don’t bet on sports, I check the odds almost daily. It’s the unavoidable cost of being a fan when odds are pushed so heavily across apps, broadcasts and social media. But that’s exactly the problem. What starts as a casual curiosity can quickly shift the focus away from the game itself.

Instead of asking who’s playing well or what a win would mean for a team’s season, attention drifts to point spreads, over-unders and whether a game-winning shot “covers.” This takes away from the competitive and storytelling nature of sports.

Rather, sports start feeling like financial calculation, quietly reshaping how fans experience the moment.

Sports betting has also contributed to a rise in gambling addiction, particularly among young adults. According to UC San Diego Today, when online sportsbooks became available

searches for help-seeking services for gambling addictions surged 61%.

The accessibility of betting apps allows users to place wagers instantly, often with promotions that make the first bet “risk-free.” These bets aren’t truly risk-free. When you lose a wager, the money is rarely refunded in

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cash; instead, it’s added to your account as site credit to wager again. Because it feels like there’s little immediate sense of loss after the first bet, the behavior is reinforced, encouraging users to keep betting rather than stepping away. These incentives are intentionally designed to keep people coming back, blurring the line between entertainment and addiction.

Since the Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, which legalized sports betting, multiple leagues have faced high-profile betting scandals. In 2022, four NFL players — Isaiah Rodgers and Rashod Berry of the Indianapolis Colts, free agent Demetrius Taylor and Nicholas Petit-Frere of the Tennessee Titans — were suspended through all or parts of the 2023 season for betting on NFL games. The NBA banned Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter in 2024

for placing bets on himself during games. In 2025 at the college level, three basketball players, Steven Vasquez, Jalen Weaver and Mykell Robinson, had their eligibility permanently revoked by the NCAA. When a player bets on a game, especially their own team, it hurts the foundation of sports. Fans start questioning every play, call and outcome. Referees, coaches and teammates are constantly under suspicion. What should be shared excitement turns into doubt and second-guessing, eroding trust in the game. Betting doesn’t have to be all bad, but it’s worth remembering what’s at stake. These platforms are designed to grab your attention, keep you hooked and turn every moment into a financial decision. Sports are supposed to bring people together; betting culture pulls fans further into their own screens, chasing the next win instead of living in the moment.

IU men’s basketball posts season-low scoring vs. Iowa

By Nathan Shriberg naashri@iu.edu | @NShriberg

With 10:49 left to play, In-

diana men’s basketball trails Iowa 52-45. Hawkeye senior guard Bennett Stirtz just hit a left wing 3-pointer, and Hoosier sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway is on the ground.

The Burleson, Texas, native led Indiana with 16 points, all from the paint. As Conerway hobbled off the court, Indiana’s chances of a comeback seemingly left the game with him.

While Conerway returned nearly two minutes later, the damage was done. It was the first in a series of events that derailed the Hoosiers’ resurgence, and led to a 74-57 defeat to the Hawkeyes. on Jan. 17.

On his first possession back in the game, Conerway fouled Hawkeye senior guard/forward Tavion Banks as he went up for a layup, leading to and-one that put Iowa up 12, tying its largest lead of the night. But for the final eight and a half minutes, the Hoosiers trailed by even more.

One issue that plagued the Cream and Crimson late in the game was turnovers. After a steal, Conerway found senior forward Reed Bailey on the interior, but Bailey couldn’t corral the pass as it went off his hands and out of bounds. Faced with a disgruntled crowd, Indiana head coach Darian DeVries subbed Bailey out of the game, ending his night with just 12 minutes played. Indiana was also miss-

ing key production from fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson, who was frequently draped by the Hawkeye defense. Wilkerson was held to just nine points, tying his lowest outing of the season.

Throughout the second half, the Hoosiers couldn’t contain Iowa’s offense. Hawkeye senior guard Bennett Stirtz tallied a gamehigh 27 points, while Banks added 26 of his own. The duo combined for 19 points at the free throw line. Over the Cream and Crimson’s last three games, they’ve been outscored by 36 points in the second half.

“It’s been pretty similar, and we’ve got to figure out a way to get a little more rest probably for those guys,” DeVries said postgame.

“As we get into the middle of the second half, there’s 10, 12 minutes to go — and it’s been consistent the last three games — we look fatigued.”

While Conerway’s ability to get downhill and score at the rim helped stabilize Indiana’s offense Jan. 17, it’s not the style that the Hoosiers are aiming for. DeVries’ offense is predicated on movement and creating open looks. With the focus shifted against Iowa, the result was a season-low 57-point scoring effort with only nine assists.

“For us, when our offense is good, we get a lot of movement, a lot of cutting, a lot of action,” DeVries said. “Again, it probably comes back to a little bit of that fatigue as they get tired or movement gets less. We’ve got to be able

to fight through that a little bit better.”

Since collapsing on the road in the second half against the University of Kentucky on Dec. 13, the Hoosiers have frequently fallen apart in the latter minutes of games. The Cream and Crimson habitually relinquish momentum in the final 20 minutes, failing to finish off wins against quality opponents. Conerway stressed Indiana’s need to “throw the first punch” coming out of the break.

One source of offense that would help the Hoosiers contend deeper into games is redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries. The twotime Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year has largely disappeared from the Hoosiers’ offense, putting up

consecutive single digit scoring performances.

Since scoring 20 or more points in four of Indiana’s first nine games, DeVries’ average has plummeted to just 14.2 points per game, his lowest mark since his freshman season at Drake University.

Despite their recent struggles, the Hoosiers remain confident in their ability to compete in the Big Ten. Senior forward Sam Alexis — who reached double figures for the first time since Dec. 3 — emphasized the “one game at a time” mindset he took from his national championship winning University of Florida team.

“We’re going to take some Ls,” Alexis said. “We’re a brand new team, but we’re going to figure it out.”

By Kasey Watkins kaslwatk@iu.edu | @kaseywatki87731

As the buzzer sounded, ending the first half of Indiana men’s basketball’s matchup with Iowa, boos filled Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Yet the boos were not directed towards the Hawkeyes. Rather, their chants were aimed at the home team’s product on the court. With the Cream and Crimson coming off two disappointing second halfcollapses to Nebraska and Michigan State, the Hoosier faithful were unsatisfied with the performance and response of their team.

Despite the growing displeasure inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as the Hoosiers offense stalled and the reality of another loss sank in, sixth-year senior guard Tayton Conerway was a ray of light and a reason to cheer in the Hoosiers 74-57 loss to Iowa on Jan. 17.

COLUMN: Tayton Conerway shines in loss to Iowa

In a game where Indiana struggled at times both offensively and defensively, Conerway was the solution. The Troy University transfer was able to get the restless crowd cheering with his deflections on defense and his ability to shake off the defenders and get to the basket on offense.

“I thought Tayton did a really good job there, while we were struggling, finding those opportunities and getting downhill and getting to the rim, and we need him to continue to do that,” Indiana head coach Darian DeVries said postgame. Throughout the contest, Conerway tallied 16 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field and notched two steals. Only one other Hoosier — senior forward Sam Alexis — scored in double figures with 13 points, seven of which came in the final six minutes of the contest. As a team, the shots

weren’t falling for the Hoosiers. Indiana started the game shooting 1 for 12 from the field and 0 for 6 from beyond the arc. The Hawkeye defense rattled the Cream and Crimson early, and the Hoosiers faced the pressure of the shot clock dwindling on multiple possessions.

Throughout the first half, Conerway’s ability to get to the rim was potent and opened up other areas of the floor. At the break, the sixthyear guard was the only double figure scorer as he led the team with 10 points.

As the second half came, Conerway continued to do what he did well all night — get to the rim.

“(Darian DeVries) said, they couldn’t stay in front you. He said, get downhill, come off the screen,” Conerway said postgame. “If it’s not there, make a play. I felt like that was something I was trying to do.”

However, outside of Con-

erway’s efforts, the offense became stale and stagnant. Fifth-year senior guard Lamar Wilkerson and redshirt senior forward Tucker DeVries combined for just five second half points.

“Then we got in a little bit of isolation middle of the first half because it was working, getting Tayton in some space and getting him downhill to the rim,” Darian DeVries said. “Then I think we kind of fell in love with that as the game went on and in the second half.”

Indiana is at its best when it shares and moves the ball.

The offense needs movement to generate good shots and find the open 3-point shooter. However, against Iowa, the Hoosiers tallied just nine assists, marking just the second time this season they have accumulated single digit assist numbers.

And as a result, the product of the offense was displayed. The Hoosiers re-

corded their lowest scoring contest of the season and suffered their third consecutive loss. Indiana now enters a critical point of the season. With

IU wrestling returns home, thumps Maryland 26-12

By Noah Boudouris nboudour@iu.edu

Following a disheartening

45-0 loss to Ohio State on Jan. 11, No. 23 Indiana wrestling returned home and earned a much-needed 26-12 dual meet victory over Maryland Jan. 18. The Terrapins entered the meet losers of four straight, including a 28-11 loss to Purdue on Jan. 16. After suffering his first loss of the season against Ohio State, No. 12 graduate student Jacob Moran resumed his dominance for Indiana in the 125-pound bout against Maryland’s Presden Sanchez. Moran toppled the sophomore 20-4 and earned six takedowns, ending the match before the end of the second period. The technical fall gave Indiana an early 5-0 lead.

“The great thing about wrestling is every week, es-

pecially in the Big Ten, you’re going to face high-level guys,” Moran said after the meet. “Don’t get too high on the highs and don’t get too low on the lows.”

Maryland provided a rebuttal in the 133-pound bout, with No. 16 redshirt senior Braxton Brown taking down freshman Jackson Blum by decision 4-0. The two were scoreless after the first period, but four points for Brown in the second squashed the hopes of a Hoosier upset. Unranked redshirt sophomore Dario Lemus jumped out to an early 3-0 lead for Maryland against Indiana’s No. 25 redshirt junior Henry Porter in the 141-pound bout. However, three takedowns for Porter in the second period propelled him into an 11-6 lead through two periods. Lemus had no answer in the final two minutes, giving Porter a 14-7 victory by

major decision.

Another first period ended with no score in the 149-pound bout between Indiana’s redshirt sophomore Joey Buttler and Maryland’s No. 7 redshirt senior Carter Young. Two challenges went the way of Maryland in the bout, with a Young takedown being confirmed, and a Buttler takedown being overturned. In the second period, an escape in the first ticks and a takedown at the end gave Young a 4-0 advantage entering the final period. Buttler was unable to score more than an escape in the third, leaving the mat with a 7-1 loss to Young. In hopes of providing the Hoosiers with more points before intermission, No. 33 redshirt sophomore Bryce Lowery led by a score of 4-1 in the final seconds of the 157-pound bout. With time expiring, Lowery pinned

redshirt sophomore Michael Pizzuto at the buzzer, bringing a roar to Wilkinson Hall. Lowery dramatically flipped his victory from by decision to by fall, and gave Indiana a 15-6 halftime advantage.

“I just wanted to put moves together to put me in position to score, and we got there, got the fall,” Lowery said after the meet.

No. 20 redshirt junior Tyler Lillard extended the Hoosier lead in the 165-pound bout, triumphing over junior AJ Rodrigues 18-5. The Lillard major decision victory featured five takedowns, including three in the first period. Indiana continued to cruise against the Terrapins with redshirt sophomore Orlando Cruz bouncing freshman Seth Digby in the 174-pound bout by a score of 7-3. The Hoosiers pulled farther away with No. 14 redshirt freshman Sam Goin’s

13-3 win over freshman Sepanta Ahanj- Elias in the 184-pound bout. The decision and major decision victories thrusted the Hoosiers into a 20-point lead with two rounds remaining.

In the sole matchup between two ranked opponents, Indiana’s No. 13 redshirt junior Gabe Sollars and Maryland’s No. 15 sophomore Branson John put on a show for the fans in Bloomington. John led 3-1 after the opening period and would add an escape before the end of the second. Sollars tallied an escape and a stall point in the third period to cut the lead to 4-3 with 20 seconds left. In the end, John was able to evade the threat of Sollars, winning the bout by decision.

“At least you put yourself in position to win,” head coach Angel Escobedo said about Sollars after the meet. “We’re going to make the ad-

justments and next time you wrestle that guy, you know how you can score.” In the heavyweight matchup, Indiana’s redshirt freshman Caleb Marzolino and Maryland’s redshirt sophomore Joey Schneck wrestled for bragging rights with the dual meet out of reach for Maryland. Schneck took a 1-0 lead into the final period and exploded for six more points in the final two minutes to defeat Marzolino 7-3. With the 26-12 conference victory, Indiana wrestling moved to 6-2 on the season and 1-1 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers will next travel to University Park, Pennsylvania, for a matchup with No.1 Penn State on Jan. 23. “Best team in the nation,” Escobedo said. “Let’s go toeto-toe. Let’s punch them in the mouth. Let’s get after it. Let’s not back down.”

By Savannah Slone srslone@iu.edu | @savrivers06

On the first offensive possession of Indiana women’s basketball’s contest against Washington, Husky junior guard Sayvia Sellers — whose career field goal percentage sits at 45.1% — missed the first shot attempt of the night.

Sophomore guard Zania Socka-Nguemen corralled the rebound for the Hoosiers and passed the ball to freshman guard Nevaeh Caffey, who dribbled it down the court. Indiana passed the ball around to every Hoosier on the court before it once again landed in Socka-Nguemen’s hands.

As she scanned the court for an open teammate, Socka-Nguemen turned her head toward redshirt freshman forward Maya Makalusky, who stood behind her. Washington senior center Yulia Grabovskaia took it as an opportunity to make a play, as she quickly stole the ball right from Socka-Nguemen’s hands.

The early opportunity to gain momentum by capitalizing off a positive was gone, a trend that plagued Indiana through the rest of the night, as the Hoosiers fell to the Huskies 82-63 on Jan. 14 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington.

Moren has harped on her teams’ defensive efforts throughout the season, as the Hoosiers have given up 75.3 points per game to conference opponents. The lack of defense in games has negated the positives — like four performances of 20 or more points from Ciezki through the Big Ten slate — as the Hoosiers’ offense cannot outpace opposing teams’ scoring efforts. For Indiana to record its first Big Ten win of the season, it’ll need to clean up the issues defensively — and offensively — that are stopping the Hoosiers from gaining momentum. And Indiana won’t have an easy path to get there. The Cream and Crimson have No. 14 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, next on their schedule at 8 p.m. Jan. 22. Then the Hoosiers will take on in-state rival Purdue at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, before returning home for a game against

“We didn’t cut harder; we didn’t screen better...,” Moren said. “It was like they weren’t allowing us to do what we wanted to do, and because of it, we decided that we were just gonna stop working harder to get open, working harder to cut, and so that’s where it starts. Their effort has to be better.”

Indiana head coach Teri Moren said postgame Washington made the game difficult for the Hooseiers and she “didn’t like how we responded.”

There were times when Indiana found some continuity between the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. A 7-0 run to end the first half pulled the Hoosiers within 10 points of the Huskies. A Washington turnover led to a redshirt sophomore guard Lenée Beaumont 3-pointer to once again cut the deficit to 10 points with about five minutes and 30 seconds left

in the third quarter. Indiana then made a 9-0 run late in the fourth quarter. Apart from those runs, the Hoosiers failed to make consecutive baskets, except for free throws. If Indiana got a stop on defense, a missed shot or turnover followed. If the Hoosiers’ offense committed a turnover, the Huskies took the opportunity to score.

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Makalusky scored 16 points off 4-for-7 shooting from the 3-point line. She said she wanted to provide a spark alongside senior guard Shay Ciezki, who scored 23 points in the game and is averaging a Big Ten-leading 23.2 points per game. Still, Makalusky acknowledged that her points weren’t much if defensive stops didn’t follow.

Indiana brings back Jacob Bushue as assistant head coach

By Elakai Anela eanela@iu.edu | @elakai_anela

Indiana men’s soccer has hired former Indiana player Jacob Bushue as assistant head coach, according to a release from Indiana Athletics. Bushue returns as a member of Indiana’s staff after spending two years at the University of Louisville. He joined the Cardinals’ staff in 2024 as a volunteer assistant coach after having more than a decade of high-level playing experience at both the collegiate and professional level.

Bushue, a native of Champaigne, Illinois, attended Indiana from 2010-13. He appeared in 86 matches, along with 79 starts, and helped the Hoosiers win the 2010 Big Ten regular season title, the 2013 Big Ten Tournament championship and the 2012

NCAA National Championship. Bushue spent two seasons with Saint Louis FC in the USL Championship from 2015-16. He later played in Finland from 2017-2022 for four clubs: BK-46, Ekenäs IF, FC Haka and Jaro. He returned to the United States

By Sean McAvoy semcavoy@iu.edu | @sean_mc07

It’s been an up-and-down season for Indiana women’s basketball’s frontcourt. Sloppy play, a lack of effort and injuries characterized the group throughout the Hoosiers’ first 18 games this season.

But entering Indiana’s 19th contest of its 2025-26 campaign, the Hoosiers finally looked like they were having an impact close to the basket. Sophomore forward Zania SockaNguemen garnered two consecutive double-doubles and junior forward Edessa Noyan started to match the physicality of Big Ten opponents off the bench.

However, Jan. 14’s matchup against Washington told a different story. Socka-Nguemen and Noyan were no match for the Huskies’ tandem of senior center Yulia Grabovskaia and freshman forward Brynn McGaughy.

In total, Washington compiled 54 points in the paint out of its 82 total points. The amount propelled the Huskies to an 82-63 win, and the result dropped Indiana to 0-7 against Big Ten competition.

And the game plan for the Hoosiers put stress on their frontcourt.

“We were going over ball screens because they’re such terrific shooters from outside,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said postgame.

“Anytime you run into a ball screen, which we did, I felt, a lot tonight, you’re putting a lot of pressure on your five.”

The ball screens were a good offensive strategy for Washington head coach

Tina Langley and her team, as the Huskies went 6 for 11 from 3-point range and average 37% on their longrange attempts, the thirdbest mark in the Big Ten.

The threat of the 3-pointer froze Indiana’s defense in its

tracks, allowing Washington to get downhill and to the basket. Out of the Huskies’ 54 points in the paint, 44 of them came from layups.

The 6-foot-5 Grabovskaia feasted in the paint against the trio of 6-foot-3 players who Indiana checked onto Branch McCracken Court. She finished with 16 points, going 8 for 11 from the field. McGaughy added 13 points and a 6-for-9 shooting performance.

It was two performances that Indiana couldn’t neutralize. Socka-Nguemen tied her season-low of four points in 20 minutes, while Noyan was only able to produce two points and two rebounds. Indiana even gave junior forward Jade Ondineme, who’s only played a total of 66 minutes this season, five minutes of playing time.

Why?

“I was mad at Edessa,” Moren said. “She wasn’t boxing out. So, I was giving somebody else an opportunity.”

Ondineme’s opportunity resulted in one rebound and zeros in every other stat category. But it was a clear message from Moren to the team: the effort had to be improved, or the bench was calling your name.

Indiana has lacked consistent effort in every Big Ten game this season. And the 0-7 record reflects that fact. The Hoosiers have gone on extended stretches — especially in the third quarter of games — that have basically ended the contest in the eyes of the players.

“Their effort has to be better,” Moren said postgame. “’Z’ has to get her rear end in shape. I thought ‘Z’ did a lot of walking around tonight, and she’s such a big part of what we do.”

Socka-Nguemen is coming back from a leg injury that kept her out of eight straight games. But in

the three games since her return against then-No. 7 Maryland, Socka-Nguemen has, at times, looked slow on both ends of the court.

It’s a trend that must be fixed if Indiana wants to win at least one game in the Big Ten. Socka-Nguemen was a steady presence down low, averaging 12.6 points per game and a team-high 8.9 rebounds. But with the Hoosiers’ inconsistent scoring from other players, adding Socka-Nguemen to the mix is a recipe for disaster.

It was a disaster Jan. 14 that caused one loud fan to blurt out, “This is the worst basketball team I’ve ever seen,” with two minutes left in the third quarter and Indiana down 59-45. I think 0-17 Valparaiso University, 0-16 Niagara University or 0-15 Central Connecticut State University might have the Hoosiers beat. However, Indiana might be one of the worst — if not the worst — teams in the Big Ten this season. Along

with Penn State (0-7) and Rutgers (0-6), the Hoosiers are winless in conference play. And if Indiana doesn’t improve its record to at least 15th-best in the Big Ten, the Hoosiers’ Feb. 28 showdown against the Nittany Lions might end their season. so far ahead, but Indiana has issues that need to be cleaned up. Without a dominant post presence, opposing defenses can take every Indiana player out of the game — except senior guard Shay Ciezki.

The Hoosiers now have a week to prepare for their Jan. 22 matchup against Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. With 11 games left in the Big Ten slate, it’s a chance for the mentality of this team to change for the better.

“If 0-8 doesn’t spark your rear end to be motivated, then I don’t know what is,” Moren said postgame. “If it doesn’t ignite something in you, then you probably shouldn’t be playing this game.”

Indiana football through the years

Bloomington Eastview Church of the Nazarene

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Sunday: 9 a.m.: Morning Prayer 9:30 a.m.: Sunday School 10:30 a.m.: Worship Service 3 p.m.: Cedar Creek Worship

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Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Rose House LuMin & St. Thomas Lutheran Church

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Sunday: 8:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.

@ St. Thomas Lutheran Church

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Tuesday: 6:30 p.m. Dinner & Devotions

@ Rose House LuMin 314 S. Rose Ave.

Rose House LuMin and St. Thomas Lutheran Church invite you to experience life together with us. We are an inclusive Christian community who values the faith, gifts, and ministry of all God’s people. We seek justice, serve our neighbors, and love boldly.

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St. Mark’s United Methodist Church

100 N. State Rd. 46 812-332-5788 smumc.church facebook.com/BloomingtonStMarksUMC instagram: @stmarksbloomington

Sunday: 10:30 a.m., Service Mon. - Fri:

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church of Bloomington, Indiana is an inclusive community, bringing Christ-like love, healing, and hope to all. We embrace the United Methodist ideal of open hearts, open minds, and open doors by welcoming those of all races, cultures, faith traditions, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

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Light House Community Church 850 E. Winslow Rd. 812-339-3306 lhccbloomington.org facebook.com/lighthousecommunitychurchbloomingtonindiana instagram.com/lighthouse_community_ church

Sunday: 9 a.m., Empowerment Classes (for all ages) 10:30 a.m., Service

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Light House Community Church is mandated, by the Word of God, to lost souls to Christ and empowering the believer to grow in Christ through prayer, study of the Holy Bible, and life application teaching All are welcome! Transportation is available.

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Trinity Reformed Church 2401 S. Endwright Rd. 812-825-2684 trinityreformed.org instagram.com/trinityreformed facebook.com/trinitychurchbloom

Sunday: 9:15 a.m., Sunday Bible Classes 10:30 a.m., Worship

We are a Reformed Protestant church on the west side of Bloomington with lively worship on Sunday mornings, Bible classes beforehand, home groups, and a college age group called The Mix (a group of young adults who are both attending college and beyond).

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Christian Science

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United Methodist

Jubilee

219 E. Fourth St. 812-332-6396 jubileebloomington.org

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Jubilee is a Christ-centered community Wednesdays at First United Methodist (219 E. 4th St.) for free food, honest discussion, worship, and hanging out. Small groups, service projects, social events outreach retreats, and leadership opporrhythm of doing life together. Markus Dickinson - jubilee@fumcb.org

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4001 S. Rogers St. text/call: 812-333-2484 unityofbloomington.org IG: @unityofbloomington facebook@UnityofBloomington Sunday Celebration: 10:30 a.m. Discover a vibrant, welcoming community at Unity of Bloomington – “a positive path for spiritual living”. Our center offers a space for spiritual growth; embracing all with open arms. We community, fostering love, acceptance, and inclusion. Join our loving congregation, where everyone is valued and encouraged to explore their spiritual journey. At Unity of Bloomington, all are welcome and together we thrive!

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Society of Friends (Quaker)

Bloomington Friends Meeting

3820 E. Moores Pike bloomingtonfriendsmeeting.org

Sunday (in person & by Zoom):

9:45 a.m., Hymn singing 10:30 a.m., Meeting for Worship Children’s program available

We practice traditional Quaker worship, gathering in silence with occasional Spirit-led vocal ministry by fellow worshipers. We are an inclusive community with a rich variety of belief and no prescribed creed. We are actively involved in peace action, social justice causes, and environmental concerns.

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Bloomington Bahá'í Community and Bahá’í IU Association

424 S. College Mall Rd. 812-331-1863 bloomingtoninbahais.org

facebook.com/Baháí-Community-ofBloomington-Indiana-146343332130574

Instagram: @bloomingtonbahai

Sunday: 10:40 a.m., Regular Services, Devotional Meetings. Please call or contact through our website for other meetings/activities

The Bahá'í Association of IU works to share the Teachings and Principles of the Founder, Bahá'u'lláh, that promote the "Oneness of Mankind" and the Peace and Harmony of the Planet through advancing the "security, prosperity, wealth and tranquility of all peoples."

Karen Pollock Dan Enslow

Independent Baptist Lifeway Baptist Church

7821 W. State Road 46 812-876-6072 lifewaybaptistchurch.org facebook.com/lifewayellettsville

Sunday:

9 a.m., Bible Study Classes

10 a.m., Morning Service

5 p.m.

Non-Denominational

Christ Community Church

503 S. High St. 812-332-0502 cccbloomington.org

facebook.com/christcommunitybtown

Instagram: @christcommunitybtown

Sunday: 9:15 a.m., Educational Hour 10:30 a.m., Worship Service

We are a diverse community of Christ-followers, including many IU students, faculty and staff. Together we are committed to sharing the redeeming grace and transforming truth of Jesus Christ in this college town.

Bob Whitaker - Senior Pastor

Adam deWeber - Worship Pastor

Dan Waugh - Adult Ministry Pastor

Great Harvest Ministry Center (GHMC Family)

1107 S. Fairview St. 812-325-2428 (GHMC) ghmcfamily.org

Sunday: 10:30 a.m.

GHMC Family is a small church with a big heart. We follow Jesus and not a religion. We believe God’s Word as written for real people living in a messy world. We are a family of believers — your home away from home. Casual, welcoming, and here to support each other through life’s challenges. Come grow with us!

Tony Taylor - Pastor

Christian Student Fellowship

1968 N. David Baker Ave. 812-332-8972 csfindiana.org

Instagram: @csfindiana office@csfindiana.org

Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) exists as a Christ-centered community focused on helping students truly know Jesus Christ. Our ministry hub is located on campus at the last stop on the B bus. Reach out to schedule a tour, or join us for our 8 p.m. Thursday night worship service (Encounter)!

Ben Geiger - Lead Campus Minister

Stephanie Michael - Campus Minister

Nick Conrad - Associate Campus Minister

United Church of Christ and American Baptist Churches-USA First United Church 2420 E. Third St. 812-332-4439 firstuc.org facebook.com/firstuc instagram.com/firstuc2420 youtube.com/@FirstUCBtown

Sunday: 10:30 a.m., Worship

Monday: 10 a.m. via Zoom, Bible Study

We are an Open, Welcoming, and Affirming community of love and acceptance dedicated to welcoming the diversity of God’s beloved. We exist to empower, challenge, and encourage one another to live out Jesus’ ways (compassion, truth, and justice) authentically as human beings in community to create a better world.

Rev. Jessica Petersen-Mutai Senior Minister

Nazarene

Bloomington Eastview Church of the Nazarene

4545 E. Lampkins Ridge Rd. 812-332-4041 eastviewnazarene.org

Facebook - Eastview Church of the Nazarene

Sunday:

9 a.m.: Morning Prayer

9:30 a.m.: Sunday School 10:30 a.m.: Worship Service

3 p.m.: Cedar Creek Worship Wednesday: 10 a.m.: Bible Study

Join us at Bloomington Eastview Church of the Nazarene, where faith meets community! Connect with fellow students through engaging worship, meaningful discussions, and service opportunities. Discover a supportive space to grow spiritually and make lasting friendships. Everyone is welcome - come as you are and be a part of our vibrant family!

Rev. Bruce D. Yates - Pastor Alicia J. Dollens - Facility Manager

Episcopal (Anglican)

Canterbury Mission

719 E. Seventh St. 812-822-1335

IUCanterbury.org

facebook.com/ECMatIU

Instagram: @ECMatIU

Youtube: @canterburyhouseatiu9094

Sunday: 3

By Appointment

Canterbury: Assertively open & affirming; unapologetically Christian, we proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ by promoting justice, equality, peace, love and striving to be the change God wants to see in our world.

Ed Bird - Chaplain/Priest

Baptist

Emmanuel Church

1503 W. That Rd. 812-824-2768 Emmanuelbloom.com

Instagram & Facebook: @EmmanuelBloomington

Sunday: 9:15 a.m., Fellowship

Sunday: 10 a.m., Worship

Groups: Various times

Emmanuel is a multigenerational church of all types of people. Whether you are questioning faith or have followed Jesus for years, we exist to help fuel a passion for following Jesus as we gather together, grow in community, and go make disciples.

John Winders - Lead Pastor

- IU Coordinator 302-561-0108 bluhenrosh@gmail.com