Indiana
Students, faculty feel 'walled off' from Indiana University climate plan, sustainability projects
Indiana University said it’s reorganizing its sustainability offices to better implement the university’s climate action plan. But some students and faculty at IU Bloomington said they’ve been cut out of the process to make the university a cleaner, greener place.
How IU chooses to move forward could determine whether students, faculty and staff have a role in helping the university reach its climate goals.
Hands-on learning opportunities on campus take a hit
Sophomore Will Gardiner grew up playing in a nearby creek in Fort Wayne. Now he’s studying environmental science at IU Bloomington. He points out a sinking stream in Dunn Meadow on campus.
“It’s almost as if all the water goes right underneath and then right where that bridge is where the other side of the stream is. A little bit further up it shows right back up, it comes right out,” Gardiner said.
Gardiner said getting more hands-on experience would help him find a job and narrow down what he wants to do. But there aren’t enough good internships to go around for the more than 2,000 students in the IU Bloomington O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Since Gardiner is spending at least two summers working or taking classes — the pressure is on for the summer before his senior year.
“I pretty much have one real opportunity to get a good, solid internship in before I’m out of school. So you want to make it count,” he said.
Students used to get more of that hands-on experience right on campus. Professor Kelly Eskew is the director of education for the Kelley Institute for Environmental and Social Sustainability in IU’s business school.
She was also president of a now defunct advisory board which used to tackle sustainability projects on campus through seven working groups — only two of which are now active. Eskew herself chaired one where a company trained students to do waste audits.
“The goal was that we would repeat that work year over year, using students to take a look at what our trash looks like here at Indiana University. And that has completely fallen away. It’s really a terrible waste of a wonderful — no pun intended — but it’s a missed opportunity,” she said.
Students and faculty ‘walled off from the process’
Losing the board means faculty also lost a way to share their expertise as IU tackles possibly the most ambitious sustainability project ever — its climate action plan. Though the university held at least one public forum at each campus, the planning committee meetings weren’t open to the public. And at least for now, implementation committee meetings aren’t either.
“I think it’s kind of a tragic loss,” said Michael Hamburger, professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at IU.
“There is so much expertise and so much energy and enthusiasm about engaging with these issues. And more and more of many faculty and students feel walled off from this process, with many of the operations being handled in in secrecy and kind of behind closed doors,” he said.
That includes the new chief sustainability officer position — which oversees the climate plan for all of IU’s campuses.
Hamburger said faculty wanted an independent role hired through a national search — able to hold the campus accountable to its climate commitments and maybe more ambitious ones. Instead it reports to Capital Planning and Facilities and was posted internally. IU refused to explain why.
Reorganization makes the future of IU’s sustainability offices uncertain
While some faculty worry about all of these changes, Jessica Davis, the new chief sustainability officer, said she’s excited to get to work.
“We got a lot to do but it’s all very good, very exciting and really personally rewarding to be able to work on and serve the institution this way,” Davis said.
The climate plan implementation committee on IU Bloomington’s campus held its first meeting in January.
Davis admits her team has been more insular lately — that’s because the university was busy reorganizing all of its sustainability offices under the climate action plan.
“And ultimately it’s our job to implement and manage the climate action plan, as well as try to standardize the sustainability experience across IU to the best of our ability. So because that triggered a significant reorganization for us, now the provost’s office is working on what a new model might look like,” she said.
While things may be in flux right now, Davis said the implementation committee is working on a list of projects that students and faculty can get involved with. She said anyone on campus can always talk to their representative on the committee or request an audience with the committee.
Expert: IU isn’t an anomaly, but shouldn’t ignore opportunities for students
Like it or not — the way IU has organized its sustainability initiatives is not unusual, said Bridget Flynn. She works for Second Nature, a company that helps universities track their greenhouse gas emissions and find climate solutions.
They said having the chief sustainability officer position tied to facilities is very common — though today more of those roles are getting pushed up the hierarchy.
“More of those positions are reporting directly to the president or to a VP or like a CFO. Or a creation of a cabinet level position,” Flynn said.
Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way. Text “Indiana” to 765-275-1120. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on climate solutions and climate change at ipbs.org/climatequestions.
Flynn said no matter how they choose to reach their climate goals, universities should try to involve students as much as possible. Even if IU decides to, say, hire a contractor to make their buildings more energy efficient, students could write requests for proposals or evaluate bids.
Flynn said change will take time — there are a lot of stakeholders involved and that involvement is important.
“In order to have people feel like they were really part of the process and see themselves in the plan and implementation. And that it really represents the desires of the campus,” she said.
Rebecca is our energy and environment reporter. Contact her at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.
According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.
The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.
It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.
According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.
Can Indiana football land 5-star receiver Monshun Sales? Recruiting analysis
The Hoosiers are a finalist for five-star Lawrence North receiver Monshun Sales. IndyStar insiders Kyle Neddenriep and Zach Osterman discuss IU’s chances.
The high school football season is a little more than five weeks away. We take a look today at 10 potential sleeper teams for the 2026 season from Central Indiana. To keep things consistent, we considered only teams that finished last season with a .500 record or below.
I had a few hits in this category last year, including Avon (3-7 to 6-5), Carmel (3-7 to 9-2) and Indian Creek (5-6 to 8-4). Here are teams poised for an uptick this season:
Brebeuf Jesuit
A drop off last year was not unexpected for the Braves, who lost a lot of talent from a team that finished 8-3 in 2024. Brebeuf started 0-6 on its way to a 3-8 season, which was its first losing record since going 4-6 in 2016.
There were some mitigating circumstances around last season’s record, extending beyond inexperience. The Braves lost starting quarterback Keegan Bouwkamp to an injury in the first game of the season, though he was able to return to pass for 1,004 yards and 15 touchdowns in just four games. His return as a senior will allow to senior Carter Cosgrove to return to receiver full time. They are part of a group of nine starters returning to an offense that did produce 26 points per game last season and will be anchored by UConn commit Krystian Oakley on the line.
Coach Matt Geske’s team also returns six starters on defense, including junior Joshua Rogers (42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks). There are some new games on the schedule, including Mt. Vernon, Scecina, Columbus North and Cardinal Ritter.
North Central
It might seem like a small thing but North Central finishing 2-8 last season did represent a significant jump after three consecutive 0-10 seasons. In fact, a two-win season is the best for the Panthers since going 6-4 in 2020.
Now, can North Central take another step forward in Collin Coffer’s second season as coach? The Panthers ended a 32-game losing streak in the season opener last year with a 35-13 victory over Brebeuf, then defeated Harrison (West Lafayette) 41-28 in Week 5. If North Central is going to take the next step, it will need to make headway against Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference opponents (North Central’s most-recent MIC win was in 2021).
There is plenty of hope coming into the season with an offense led by junior quarterback Chase Grove (1,901 passing yards, 19 TDs) and an experienced group of receivers. Most of the defense also returns, including seniors Kolton Ablitar-Conner and Jameson Hittle.
Zionsville
The Eagles were 3-7 last year, but four of those losses came by 10 points or less. Zionsville has been stuck on either three or four wins every year since going 9-6 and reaching the Class 5A state finals in 2021.
There are reasons to believe coach Scott Turnquist’s team can make a move in 2026. The offensive line brings back Ball State commit Eli Wildoner and Ben Maxey and has a rising star in junior tight end Theo Schott, who caught 26 passes for 305 yards and three TDs last season. Junior quarterback Finn Giles transferred from Carmel and will battle for the starting spot with junior Mac Wright.
The defense has talent, too, led by senior Ball State preferred walk-on Roman Barth on the line, along with junior Peter Monohan. The secondary returns one of the team’s top tacklers in junior Gabe Vinatieri. Zionsville starts with Pike and Lawrence Central before getting into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.
Martinsville
The Artesians did drop off from a 12-2 regional championship season in 2024 but still managed to win a sectional title and finish 6-7 last year with a relatively inexperienced team.
Coach Brian Dugger’s group will still be a little bit on the young side in some areas, but there is quite a bit coming back. Leading the way on offense will be senior quarterback Chase Davis (2,510 passing yards, 24 TDs), senior receiver Landon Cazee (95 catches, 1,280 yards, 13 TDs) and senior lineman Kyson Bunton.
The defense loses some key pieces to graduation, though senior linebackers Joel Sumner (67 tackles, five TFLs) and Nate LaFary (47 tackles in eight games) are among those returning. The path to a sectional title became a lot more difficult with Roncalli now in the mix. The Artesians open the season with Bedford North Lawrence and Bloomington South before getting into Mid-State Conference play with new league member Bloomington North in Week 3.
Hamilton Heights
Caleb Small comes over to coach his alma mater after coaching at Northwestern two years ago and Kokomo last season. The Huskies were 4-6 last year with a first-round sectional exit to Guerin Catholic, but there is a lot of experience returning on both sides of the ball.
The Huskies should be strong at the skill positions with senior running back A.J. Flanagan (813 rushing yards, seven TDs; 20 catches, 181 yards) returning, along with senior quarterback Drew Woodruff (1,742 passing yards, 13 TDs).
The defense should be strong in front seven with junior linebackers Grayden Dahlstrom and Landon Hickman among the returnees. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back 4-win seasons after going 11-1 in 2023 and making a run to the sectional title game. Small has a lot of experience on his staff, including eight coaches who have coached at the Class 6A level.
The sectional no longer includes Guerin Catholic or Bishop Chatard – the two programs that have knocked the Huskies out the past six seasons.
Mt. Vernon
This might seem like a lot to ask after Mt. Vernon finished 0-10 last season. Coach Mike Kirschner returns after getting the Marauders’ program a jolt from 2018 to 2020, helping to set the stage for a run to the Class 4A state title in 2021.
Can Kirschner help to make it happen again? Mt. Vernon allowed 46.2 points per game last season, so a major overhaul will be needed on that side of the ball. There is some experienced there, including senior James Battee on the line and Zach Spalding and B.J. Johnson at linebacker.
The offense returns four starters on the line, along with Arizona State baseball recruit Mason Meyer (1,517 passing yards, 11 TDs; 420 rushing yards, six TDs) at quarterback and Johnson at receiver. Instead of Noblesville and Franklin, Mt. Vernon will open with Kokomo and Brebeuf Jesuit before getting into Hoosier Heritage Conference play.
Monrovia
The Bulldogs struggled to a 4-7 record last year after back-to-back 9-3 seasons. Coach Andy Olson’s team could be in line for a bounce back season with three top rushers returning in junior Ryder Bain (978 yards, 12 TDs), senior Coewen Stinson (957 yards, 10 TDs) and junior Gavin Wolsiffer (746 yards, six TDs). Monrovia averaged 261 rushing yards per game last season.
The defense struggled last season, especially late. The Bulldogs lost 57-56 to Heritage Christian in the second round of the sectional. The good news is that Monrovia returns plenty of experience on that side of the ball, including senior Gauge Tolan (123 tackles).
Monrovia has not had back-to-back losing seasons since 2019 and 2020.
Cardinal Ritter
Ritter has been competitive the past three seasons under coach Levar Johnson but have not been able to break through with a winning season since 2020. The Raiders were 3-7 last year with wins over Tech, Greenwood Christian and Covenant Christian.
Can Ritter get over the top with a winning season in 2026? Junior linebacker Bam McCullough (99 tackles, eight TFLs, 3 ½ sacks) is a Division I talent and will be joined at the linebacker spot by junior Ve’Sean Miles (81 tackles, 6 ½ TFLs). Ritter has three other returning starters on defense.
The offense has three returning starters on the offensive line (eight overall) and several talented skill position players, including junior running back Tavien Fox (659 rushing yards, nine TDs), who is moving back from quarterback. Senior Renaldo Thomas (534 rushing yards, three TDs) also has experience. Junior Jordyn Graham, a transfer from Crispus Attucks, is the likely starter at quarterback.
Greenwood
It is a new era for the Woodmen in the Hoosier Legends Conference, where 4A Greenwood will be one of the larger schools in the eight-team league. The Woodmen were 2-8 last year, a drop after going 6-6 two years ago and 4-8 last season.
Greenwood will have experience at the skill positions on offense, led by Lindenwood commit Benjamin Hommell at wide receiver (26 catches, 625 yards, eight TDs) and junior running back Leland Morton (596 rushing yards, three TDs). There is some experience up front on defense with Aidyn Wiley on the line and linebackers James Hurley, Damyan Hernandez and Gage Hall.
Areas of concern for Greenwood will be a young offensive line and secondary.
Scecina
The Crusaders were on this list last year and did make a two-win jump, improving from 3-7 to 5-5. Scecina lost in the first round of the sectional, 47-29, to Monrovia in Dan Harris’ second season as coach.
Scecina returns plenty talent and experience at the skill positions, including senior quarterback Bryce McDonald (1,990 passing yards, 21 TDs), senior receiver Tristan Brown (65 catches, 708 yards, six TDs) and senior running back Gavin Connel (578 yards, four TDs). The Crusaders have good size up front but not a lot of experience.
The defense will include some of the same names from the offense, along with Mannie Stevens and C.J. Heard on the line and Kaiden Dugan at inside linebacker.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The ‘Big Boy’ Locomotive is making its way back west from Philadelphia, and is in the area on Wednesday and Thursday.
It has a 30-minute stop tomorrow morning at 11:30 in Continental, Ohio, about an hour east of downtown Fort Wayne. Then, it will travel into New Haven from the east.
Recommended viewing spots are along Dawkins Road near Webster Road at Jefferson Township Park or in town at the New Haven City Hall parking lot.
Train officials remind spectators they should remain more than 25 feet away from the tracks to avoid trespassing and to stay safe.
After an overnight stay in New Haven, which is not open to the public, it will travel through downtown Fort Wayne around 9 am Thursday.
It will then make a 30-minute stop in Knox, Indiana, about 2 hours west of Fort Wayne, near South Bend and Valparaiso, which is open to the public at N. Main St. and W. Bender St. from 12:30 to 1p Central Time.
Crowds have been very large and officials suggest arriving early.
In June, Big Boy stopped here on its way to Philadelphia for the Fourth of July as part of the historic coast-to-coast tour in celebration of the United States of America’s 250th birthday.
Union Pacific’s ‘Big Boy’ No. 4014 is the world’s largest operating steam engine, weighing in at a whopping 1.2 million pounds. Twenty-five Big Boys were commissioned for Union Pacific, the first being delivered in 1941, where they were used to haul equipment in support of the war at the time.
You can track the historic locomotive through a live map of the train’s location, here.
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