Indianapolis, IN
Leaders celebrate rooftop expansion at Madam Walker Legacy Center
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis leaders gathered Wednesday as the Madam Walker Legacy Center launched its final phase of construction on its rooftop expansion.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett said, “I have attended many, many groundbreaking ceremonies, but this just might be my first-ever ‘sky breaking’ ceremony. I think that, alone, says a lot about the Madam Walker Theatre.”
The Democrat said it’s only fitting.
Madam C.J. Walker, who lived from 1867–1919, was a pioneering African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist who became the first female self-made millionaire in the United States. Envisioned by Walker, Indiana Avenue’s cultural district survived decades of hardship as a hub for business and entertainment.
Hogsett said, “This institution is one that has never been shy about firsts.”
The new space will open in May at the four-story flatiron building that once was the manufacturing plant for Walker. The rooftop bar with a capacity of 49 will have couches and tables where patrons can look toward the Indianapolis skyline.
Chris Gahl, executive vice president for Visit Indy, said, “Each day, visitors are seeking out, they want to see performances inside, they want to learn about the art and architecture of the building, and this exists already as a key tourism driver, and now to have a sky event space for meeting planners to book makes this even more attractive as we look to sell and market Indianapolis.”
Gahl said, “To be able to have a rooftop space overlooking our growing skyline and have it in such an iconic space helps continue the progress of our 5-year strategic plan towards 2027 when we will celebrate 100 years of this building standing in our community.”
Kristian Stricklen, president and CEO for the Madam Walker Legacy Center, said, “It is a beautiful view of the sky and all of downtown right here from Indiana Avenue.”
Wednesday’s ceremony followed an $8 million endowment to provide long-term support for operations, historic preservation, cultural programming and strategic initiatives.
Indianapolis, IN
IU to play Syracuse at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — IU is set to play Syracuse at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 9, a source confirmed to WISH-TV Sports Director Anthony Calhoun.
Darian DeVries is heading into his second season as IU’s head coach. The Hoosiers went 18-14 in his first season at the helm.
IU and Syracuse last played in 2021, a game Syracuse won in double overtime.
Indianapolis, IN
BSU co-hosts celebrity look-alike contest with other Indianapolis universities – The Butler Collegian
College students from all across Indianapolis came together to sing, dance and have a good time. Photo by Mason Buysse.
On March 27, the Black Student Union (BSU) co-hosted a celebrity look-alike contest alongside Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Indy), Marian University and University of Indianapolis (UIndy). The event consisted of seven choreographed lip-sync routines and several impromptu performances from audience members. Celebrity impersonations included Rod Wave, GloRilla, Megan Thee Stallion and more.
Jayla Myers, a sophomore biology and Spanish double major, serves as the vice president of programming for BSU and helped host the event. Last year, she was the first-year chair for the logistics committee. Myers credited IU Indy for coming up with the idea for the event and inviting the Black student organizations at other universities across Indianapolis.
“We’re in really hard times right now, especially as a community,” Myers said. “We wanted to come together and have an event citywide, across all the BSUs, and [provide] a place for people to express themselves through the music that they listen to day-to-day.”
Zimmya, a first-year nursing major at UIndy, participated in the event as a performer. She is a member of Let’s Link, an organization serving Black and Brown students at UIndy. After seeing similar events online, she was inspired to replicate them in real life. She also enjoyed working with the other schools.
“Everyone [was] very welcoming,” Zimmya said. “[They have] a good spirit, good vibe. It was really easy to collaborate and put it all together.”
As far as her performance went, Zimmya’s chosen celebrity look-alike was Rod Wave. She said it was an easy choice to perform her favorite song by her favorite artist. She rated the overall experience a 10 out of 10.
“This is one of my first events, planning something with other schools,” Zimmya said. “It’s been pretty cool. It seemed hectic at first, but once everybody got their roles of what to do, it became pretty simple.”
Amiia Burnett, a sophomore speech, language and hearing sciences major, will serve as BSU’s communications liaison for the 2026-27 school year. She also participated as a contestant in the celebrity lookalike contest alongside first-year sports media major Amaya Nichols, where they performed as Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla.
“I’m glad that we were able to do it,” Burnett said. “It was fun to get our energy out and have these fun, upbeat dances.”
Burnett enjoyed getting to know the students from other universities.
“I felt very welcome,” Burnett said. “It was a big group of people that got along nicely.”
Myers is also involved with Butler’s chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People as the organization’s treasurer and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
“I love being able to cultivate a community on Butler’s campus,” Myers said.
With Butler being a predominantly white institution, Myers stated that her favorite part of BSU is trying to make sure the Black student population stays united and builds a comfortable, welcoming community.
While this is the first celebrity look-alike contest hosted by BSU, there are other events put on annually, such as Kwanzaa and a variety of events during Black History Month. Myers urges Butler students to attend BSU events.
“People love to say that Butler doesn’t have a Black community or isn’t trying to foster Black community, but you can’t show up to a neighborhood and ask to be a neighbor when you’re not a good neighbor,” Myers said. “You have to show up to events in order to cultivate a community.”
Burnett also agreed that having a Black community on campus is important to her.
“Being able to be in [Black] spaces, you’re around people that relate to you and understand what it feels like,” Burnett said.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis Colts GM Suggests Team Could Make Surprising Anthony Richardson Decision
When the Indianapolis Colts signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a multi-year extension, it was viewed as a foregone conclusion that former first-round pick Anthony Richardson would be traded this offseason. It now appears another option is on the table.
Speaking to repoters this week at the NFL annual league meeting, Colts general manager Chris Ballard said there’s a “scenario” where the team keeps Richardson into the 2026 season.
Indianapolis Colts Urged To Trade for Pro Bowl Edge Rusher
“There’s definitely a scenario there. He’s a good dude and he’s talented. I mean, I still want good for Anthony, man. I still think he’s got a lot in him. He’s had some freaking bad luck, but I still think Anthony has got a lot of ability and he’s maturing and growing.”
Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard on if the team may keep Anthony Richardson
Richardson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, appeared in just two games this past season with 14 combined offensive snaps. In October, he suffered an orbital bone fracture during pregame warmups when a resistance band he was using snapped and struck him in the face.
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, the Colts granted Richardson’s agent permission to seek a trade. Various reports have connected the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, and Green Bay Packers to the dual-threat quarterback.
However, Kansas City has since acquired quarterback Justin Fields from the New York Jets. Meanwhile, the Packers are among the teams interested in signing free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins to serve as a backup next season.
There may not be as strong of a trade market for Richardson as his representation hoped for, or Indianapolis might not be satisfied with the draft-pick compensation clubs are offering for him. With Jones recovering from a torn Achilles, it’s clearly possible that the Colts keep Richardson through training camp and see if he could be a starting option until Jones is ready.
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