Indiana University Professor Brandon Wallace

Brandon Wallace, a professor at Indiana University, is entrenched in the intersection of sports and social movements. In a lecture delivered to High School Journalism Institute students at Indiana University on the evening of July 8, Wallace detailed his concerns about the growing focus on advertising and consumerism within sporting events.

In today’s society, advertisements have become a staple of sporting events, which often serve as a conduit for advertisers to reach the public.

“There’s so many things constantly trying to capture our attention,” Wallace said. “The commercials, all these different things, [are all ways] to keep you engaged. And I’m kind of concerned about this.”

Wallace sees these advertisements as efforts to sway audience opinions. “They’re supposed to entertain us. But in the midst of that entertainment, it’s …
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Aspiring foreign correspondent Emily VanLeer does not use Al as a primary tool; however, this is not only due to academic integrity policies or rules put in place by authority. VanLeer rejects the use of ChatGPT and other Al tools because she views them more so as crutches that will not benefit her work.

As suggested by a recent MIT study, too much Al use could increase cognitive decline, leading to weaker brain connectivity and lower memory retention. VanLeer, although not having read the study herself, agreed with its consensus. “I kind of hate that it’s constantly used because I feel like you’re just taking the benefits out of yourself, because I’m the kind of person who loves learning and reading,” said VanLeer. “You’re kind of robbing yourself of actually learning and getting the skills down.”

VanLeer’s pursuit of knowledge is evident, …
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IU Professor Preaches the Power of Athletics to Next Generation

By: Emi Carmona

News Reporting Wallace Article

Jul. 9, 2025

First-year Indiana University Media School Professor Brandon Wallace’s first encounter with racial stereotypes was on his high school basketball court in Eagle River, Wisconsin. As a non-starter on his JV team, he wasn’t used to being feared. He found himself being “double-teamed,” disregarding his “lack of abilities and skills” on the court.

“I was trash, and not a threat to score,” Brandon said.

Brandon claimed that his experience as a minority in athletics growing up shaped his interest in racial profiling in sports. In this instance, Wallace shared he had an advantage because of the myth regarding African-Americans’ natural athleticism. He brought his experience to the forefront while speaking at Ernie Pyle Hall.

Through years of sports, he became hyper-fixated on the correlation between sociology and sports. …
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      In late May of this year, Indiana University Bloomington shut down its Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in compliance with Indiana’s new federal guidelines regarding DEI.

      At a university of 48,424 students as of fall 2024, 27.4%–roughly 13,268 students–identify as people of color. In Indiana, nearly 59% of Black, 49% American Indian/Alaska Native and 47% of Hispanic households are below the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold, which is the minimum income a household needs to afford basic necessities where they live.

      “I think it’s important that we lift up people who have systematically had, you know, issues, in the history of this country,” Incoming IU student Mackenzie McLane said. “I think it’s kind of doing a disservice to them, and I …
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On July 8th, 2025, Dr. Brandon Wallace stood before IU’s Bloomington’s High School Journalism Institute class at the Ernie Pyle Hall. He gave a press conference over his presentation, “My Past, Present, and Future”, in which he provided his perspective on the relationship between sports and social justice while elaborating on his upcoming projects.  

Professor Wallace currently serves IU Bloomington as the assistant professor for the Cinema and Media Studies program. He obtained his B.A. at Bradley University with a major in Sociology and Sports Communication and furthered his education at the University of Maryland, receiving his MA and PHD in Physical Cultural Studies. With experience in researching the racial aspects in sports media, Professor Wallace highlighted to the high school journalists how sports mimics occurrences in society and the power substances to improve humanity.  

“Looking at sport, we can understand a …
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Trump’s Bill Controversial in Bloomington

By: Coles Brown

News Reporting

​    President Donald Trump’s self-described “big, beautiful, bill” recently became law after he signed it on July 4, 2025. This lengthy bill, spanning nearly 900 pages, contains tax cuts for people and businesses, tightened requirements for benefits programs like SNAP EBT and Medicaid, increased funding for national defense and immigration enforcement, ending tax credits for clean energy investments, and a tax on university endowments. Although this bill’s passage signals a major victory for Republicans in advancing their policy goals, Democrats have widely condemned it. Both this political division and a simple lack of knowledge over the specific contents of the bill are identifiable in the Bloomington community.

    ​“The provisions I know of, mainly, I know about the gambling. All the other stuff I’m not too …
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the unemployment rate has risen 0.5% since June 2022, and as of June 2025  the unemployment rate is at 4.1%. With the use of AI also rising, those looking for jobs are left wondering how AI will change the future employment field, and if it is currently continuing to the struggling job market, although its influence or lack thereof is highly debated. 

Recently Duolingo, a language learning program, faced backlash after an internal email about shifting to an AI-first schedule and firing and replacing contractor roles with AI. This recent controversy has increased the debate about the use of AI throughout the job industry.

“ I hear a lot of people say it’s taking jobs and I haven’t really understood that… I don’t see it replacing, like actual human touch or creativity and things like …
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Young Chinese-American Explores her
Heritage; A Look Into the Future

     Sophomore Jessie Tien throws her hair up into her signature “messy low bun” in reminiscence of her mom doing her hair for her first Chinese New Year at 5 years old. Jessie grew up in a multi-cultural home in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio says that she’s always been intrigued by her parent’s heritage. The high schooler particularly intrigued by her grandparent’s immigration story from China.

“I think that sometimes I wish that I knew a little more about my culture” said Tien.

Jessie’s family always indulged in Chinese treats and cuisine, but she never really knew the story behind it. Jessie shares that her parents weren’t entirely immersive for either culture, and they juggled both cultures evenly.

Growing up with Confucianist Values, and the hard-working American spirit, she was always …
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      With yellow tape and equipment scattered across streets, the busy college town of Bloomington, Indiana, has undergone extensive construction this summer. From planting new buildings to maintaining, construction is almost everywhere– contributing to persistent noise and frequent interruptions. Many locals are used to this, especially since the surge in construction in recent years.

      “[The] only thing it ever impacts for me is commuting in and out… and I have to go in a circle, and it might make me late,” Erin Kirchhofer, a resident who works in Bloomington, said as she watched the construction crane across the street.

Like Kirchhofer, many residents in Bloomington often had to adapt and detour around ongoing construction. With construction even on campus, forcing students at Indiana University to do the same.

While many residents were inconvenienced, Keso Sahadewan, a …
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