Laila Baluk

Freshman at Indiana University, PR and Journalism Student



Projects by Laila Baluk

Up and Coming Band ‘New Semantics’ dives into World of Indie Rock

By Elise Sensabaugh, John Doyle and Laila Baluk

BLOOMINGTON, IN (April 3, 2025)

In the basement of a Bloomington home, surrounded by cords, amps and holiday lights, four IU students found something rare: a collective harmony of creative expression. 

It is not just musical harmony, but one formed when four like-minded students came together at the perfect moment. After meeting in a jazz ensemble and house party, New Semantics was born into what they described as a “DIY Indie Band,” formed from a real connection and the need to create an exciting outlet for its members and fans. New Semantics is a refreshing return to authenticity in a musical generation that feels artificial and overproduced. Their sound is pieced together with spontaneous beats and organic flow, fueled by their wish to be unique, unlike other bands. Their music moves and breathes as they try to create music that means something. “I knew a few good guys who wanted to get together,” says Rocco Fugate, the band’s frontman and guitarist. “All the songs come to life here when we all get together, that’s the magic.” 

Guitarist Rocco Fugate excitedly waits for his cue to join in song alongside his bandmates. Fugate also plays for Real Peak and appreciates the artistic freedom that comes with these collectives.

This band creation came from making something out of nothing, overcoming challenges, and using each person’s skill set to become one. Their first show, held in a makeshift venue in their own rehearsal space and band member’s home, drew a much larger crowd than expected. They had an excellent turnout, and the crowd had a great time overall. Jack Buinicki, a New Semantics base player, said he felt “it went splendid” while smiling ear to ear. Buinicki met Fugate in an all-campus jazz combo at Indiana University and then decided to play alongside him during winter break.  Despite being full-time IU students with hectic schedules, they continue to find time to make the band succeed. Buinicki admits scheduling is challenging, but said “[they] have gotten good at communicating to schedule things, and [they] are pretty on top of those things.” Buinicki’s passion for music started when he was 11 years old while he played viola in his school’s orchestra. He didn’t pick up the base until his senior year of high school and missed the passion of playing with a collective. Now, he and the rest of the New Semantics have found their place, not just in followers or fame but as part of something greater.

Jack Buinicki’s concentration on playing bass is fueled by the musical passion he’s had since he was young. Buinicki hopes to continue this work throughout college.

New Semantics gets a thrill from creating unique pieces as a team, which makes this band stand out the most as a listener. The band’s name came from a heated conversation about language and meaning between two members. Fugate originally pitched Turpentine Cheese Wheel and Connor’s Secret Girlfriend as their band name. These options served more as inside jokes among the group and didn’t welcome their audience as much as they wanted them to. His friends were on board, but eventually, someone threw out  “Semantics” and it stuck. Because “Semantics” was taken on Spotify, the group decided to throw “New” in front of it, which fields their band’s goal of creating a revived meaning to their style- music, words, and how they connect as a collective. 

Redefining meaning is built into everything this band continues to work towards. Their sound consists of a blend of a Modest Mouse style, a rock band, and classic indie rock. Buinicki admitted that “it’s a little bit of country, too.” They aren’t easily categorized, but that is a part of the point they are making. They’re carving out a space in the music world for something different that doesn’t fit into just one category. 

The collaborative energy they hold is what makes their performances matter. Their debut was only a few weeks ago, and as they continue to build their sound, they will face challenges in navigating and combining everyone’s unique skills and ideas. New Semantics had an unexpectedly exciting first performance and experienced an electric connection between the other two bands, Daytripper and Real Peak. It faded away the struggles of student life and became an essential moment in continuing to build their band. They were able to hold their first gig when they asked around other local bands and found the best place to launch their passion. Fugate has experience playing for another band, and the New Semantic’s lead guitarist Maxwell Woehler offered their practice space and made it happen. 

Maxwell Woehler happily leads the band on vocals, piano and often guitar. He continues to welcome the band into his space week after week.

New Semantics has two more performances on the calendar- April 11th and 25th- as they begin planning their next move for the summer. This band is the kind of brand that is ever-evolving each day. They’re imperfect and unsure but use this to curate the perfect sound and team. New Semantics is redefining it in the world of music that often feels only focused in one direction, making their music worth listening to. They are unknowingly creating a message for artists that it’s freeing to create something imperfect, something entirely new. 

 

https://youtu.be/Yde34lPBAec?si=ZVoBFMXP7qpyZSH

Apple Unveils the Brand New Apple Watch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2014

Media Contacts: 

Laila Baluk- lbaluk@iu.edu

Jordan Brown- jnb10@iu.edu

Kevin Hill- khil@iu.edu

Apple Unveils the Future of Wearable Technology with the All-New Apple Watch

 

CUPERTINO, California (Sep 9, 2014)- Apple Inc. announced its first-ever smartwatch, the Apple Watch, at a September 9, 2014, event at the Flint Center at De Anza College in Cupertino, California. The Apple Watch is designed to revolutionize how people track their health, stay connected, and interact with the digital world beyond their phones. This watch, available in multiple styles featuring a sleek design, health-tracking capabilities, and integration with the iPhone, the Apple Watch is Apple’s first step into wearable technology. The Apple Watch is Apple’s most personal device yet created. The technology is a new way to connect to the world, a tool to maintain an active lifestyle and access information from your handheld device. Every detail provides a truly personal experience for all users. 

“You know what has driven Apple from the beginning; this compulsion to take incredibly powerful technology and make it accessible, relevant, and ultimately personal,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Design. “We’ve designed a range of products so personal, you won’t put them on your desk or in your pocket, you wear them on your wrist. We conceived, designed, and developed Apple watch as a completely singular product.” 

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The Apple Watch showcasing its efficiency in a person’s busy lifestyle. Emily Carter utilizes the watch’s time management and notification features to stay focused while scavenging the job market and her email on her laptop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The device features a customizable watch face with interchangeable bands, allowing users to navigate effortlessly with a small screen on the wrist. These customization options ensure that the Apple Watch is not only simple technology but also a fashion statement that fits into users’ daily lives. The watch is available in three collections: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch, each crafted uniquely with aluminum, stainless steel, and 18-karat yellow or rose gold casing. These editions have a retina display, heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and gyroscope equipped with a speaker, Bluetooth, and up to 18 hours of battery life. The customizable watch face with the option of interchangeable bands makes it a day-to-day technology and a stylish accessory for the wrist. The Apple MagSafe technology makes the Apple Watch available in 38 mm and 42mm sizes, with quality performing bands for different users. 

“When you are notified of things on Apple Watch, we’re using the tactic engine to give you feedback on your wrist,” said Kevin Lynch, Apple’s Vice President. “It’s just like somebody tapping you on the wrist very gently, and even if you are sitting right next to someone, they won’t be able to tell you’re getting notified; it’s very subtle. But you’ll feel it on your own wrist. You can choose what information, of course, will come and notify you on your watch.”

The Apple Watch appeals to a broad range of consumers. From athletes to business professionals, this device offers versatility in both aesthetics and functionality. Each collection is carefully crafted to reflect Apple’s commitment to high-end materials and craftsmanship. Whether worn by a doctor, business professional, or athlete, the device offers a combination of features that meet the needs of all. 

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The Apple Watch demonstrating its unique lifestyle capacities. Alex Baker enjoys using the capabilities of the watch to count his macros and nutritions whilst cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the ultimate device for a healthy life, the Apple Watch can do what other devices aren’t able to because of the automatic health insights that connect to the most advanced features to improve health. The watch tracks when you sleep and helps you create a healthier bedtime schedule and routine. The watch marks your REM sleep, Core sleep, and Deep sleep with vitals like heart rate, sleep duration, and respiratory rate. It marks when a users heart has irregular or unusually high rates, which could be signs of severe conditions. The quick alerts notify the user of all irregularities. The Apple Watch offers features to stay in touch just through your wrist to simply text, call, and listen to music.  The Digital Touch features allow you to draft a text using your fingers and send it with a swift touch. Apps include calendars, music, maps, and weather, similar to the apps available on the iPhone. Siri communication allows users to dictate messages without typing them out. The ease of zooming and scrolling and navigating features provide a quick way to find numerous apps, seamlessly connected with the iPhone. Compatible with the iPhone 5 and later models, the Apple Watch connects with user information to answer calls, send texts, and control music directly from the wrist. 

The Apple Watch will be available for purchase starting at $349 and available to run with the latest IOS. This new device represents a new start to wearable technology that is practical for all everyday users of the iPhone. It perfectly blends into the existing Apple products to redefine how users interact with new technologies Apple creates. 

Apple Ceo Tim Cook shows off the Apple Watch’s revolutionary new features. The “Digital Crown” allows the user to navigate the Apple Watch without obstructing the screen while the Fitness and Workout out aid users in their pursuit of being physically fit.

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