Matt Novello



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Journalism Story

The Redsteppers: Beyond the Sidelines

By: Katie Williams, Cali Stouder, Matt Novello

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (Mar 27, 2025)-

Odds are if you go to the football and basketball games here, you have seen the Red Steppers. The Red Steppers of Indiana University are a dance team here at IU and perform multiple times during Indiana athletic events. Similar to cheerleaders, they perform on the sidelines during the football games while also performing on the field during breaks within the games. Whether it be timeouts, the end of a quarter, or halftime, they go on the field multiple times to provide entertainment for the crowd. And when it comes to basketball games, it is very similar, they perform on the court during breaks within the game so there is entertainment for the crowd.

The Red Steppers are actually not associated with IU Athletics, as according to blogs.iu.edu, they are a part of the Marching Hundred, which is also a part of the Jacobs School of Business. Just like the athletes at Indiana University, the Red Steppers have to put in a lot of work.

Most of the dancers have been dancing their whole life and have been practicing since a very young age so they were able to get to the skill level they are at now. In practice and before events, they have to master the routines they practice so they can be perfect when performing. They practice every day, around six to twelve hours a week, while still having to attend class and do school work, but unlike athletes, they are not the center of attention when it comes to the events they perform at. The Red Steppers even have to put in a lot of offseason work so they are ready for when the season arrives. They are a big part of the athletics here at Indiana University and for our story, we interviewed two current Red Steppers at Indiana University, Sophia Sales and Mia Fox.

The Red Steppers warming up for practice

In these interviews, we asked a lot of questions so we could learn about what it is like to be a Red Stepper here at Indiana University. Sophia Sales mentioned that during football season, they have to make sure they perfect their routines before the games. In our interview with Sophia, she said, “During football season, for anywhere from four to six practices which are three hours each…” This goes along the lines with how much work these dancers have to put in to be successful and perform to the best of their ability.

The Red Steppers practicing a routine

Sophia also mentioned how she believes that the hard work she puts in helps her in life by teaching her how to have a strong work ethic along with having a work life balance. Just like how being on the Red Steppers is physically challenging with how much practice they have to put in, it is also mentally challenging. The Red Steppers are a big family and they are there to support each other, just as teammates are on a sports team. Sophia also mentioned how her coach does a great job at making sure their whole team has a great bond. This contributes to everyone having more fun while performing as they are a very close-knit team.

Sophia Sales practicing a routine with fellow Red Steppers

When we asked Mia about practicing before events, she mentioned how they first learn the routine from a video at home. This shows that Red Steppers do not only have a lot of work to put in at practices with the team, but also at home on their own. It’s very similar to how athletes practice on their own to perfect their craft, Red Steppers do the same thing. Mia also mentioned that being a part of the dance team makes it hard to have a “normal” college life, and they have to give that up. Mia stated, “I have made a lot of sacrifices to be part of the IU dance team, I feel like the biggest one is you give up that totally normal college girl life.” It is hard for these dancers to be able to still have a lot of fun in college with how much work they have to put in, but overall, Sophia and Mia both said they have loved college so far including being a part of the Red Steppers. Being a part of the Red Steppers has been a dream come true for both of them.

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Apple Unveils the Apple Watch Series V: The Future of Personalized Technology


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Apple revealed a new grounding product with revolutionary technology–The Apple Watch. 

 

Media Contacts

Naomi Maurer

Lexi Bunting

Matt Novello

 

CUPERTINO, California (Sept. 9 2014) –Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, revealed today, the company’s new groundbreaking product–The Apple Watch. Available in two sizes, 38 mm and 42 mm, the Apple Watch is the most personal device Apple has ever created, featuring sophisticated capabilities that seamlessly integrate into the user’s daily life.

Cook began the presentation by saying, “We love to make great products that really enrich people’s lives. We love to integrate hardware, software and services seamlessly.” Cook highlighted Apple’s commitment to creating technology that enhances the experience of its users, and producing products that are functional and natural to use. 

The Apple Watch is highly customizable, offering the users a variety of ways to express their own personal style. The watch has intimate ways to connect and communicate, and serves as a comprehensive fitness device, a navigational tool, and much more. It’s designed to not just be a device, but an extension of the buyer, fitting into their lifestyle.

The Apple Watch has a rich design story,  with the goal being to take cutting-edge technology and make it more accessible and practical for everyday use. Johny Srouji is Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies saying, “Creating beautiful objects that are as simple and pure as they are functional. Well, that’s always been our goal at Apple. We designed the Apple Watch as a whole range of products, enabling millions of unique designs, unparalleled personalization, both in appearance and capability.” 

The Apple Watch was created to be worn for both special occasions and for everyday use. It reflects personal style and demonstrates how technology can fit seamlessly into that. The combination of Apple’s hardware and software delivers a product that is not only functional but also inspiring

Personalization was a large focus in the design process. “You can personalize both the appearance and the capability of the Apple Watch. Personalization extends way beyond the interface. We’ve designed six different straps, and a mechanism that makes them easily interchangeable, with a level of refinement and precision that also serves a functional purpose,” said Cook. Whether users want the elegance from the 18 carat gold base with leather loop strap or the stainless steel base with practical, sweat-resistant silicone sports strap, they can easily change the look of their watch to match their style.

One of the biggest challenges Apple faced when designing this product was the watch’s small size. To overcome this, Apple introduced the digital crown, a revolutionary input method that allows users to interact with the device. The digital crown functions as a dial that lets the user scroll to find which app they would like to use. This addresses the issues with having to work around a smaller display effectively. So the user can use Apple’s apps such as notes, message, timer, etc.. or third party apps like Pinterest, Instagram, Spotify, etc..  

Cook said, “Apps are designed for lightweight interaction that let you respond quickly to messages. And with digital touch, we’ve developed an entirely new way for you to connect intimately with others. You can get someone’s attention with a gentle tap. You can send a quick sketch, or you can even share something as personal as your own heartbeat. These are subtle ways to communicate that technology often inhibits rather than enables.”

 

In addition to the digital crown, Apple introduced another remarkable technology in the Apple Watch—the ability to sense force as well as touch. This added a new layer to the user interface, creating an intuitive experience that felt even more natural. The Zaconia backing of the watch has four sapphire lenses– infrared with visible light LEDs. Allowing to direct a comprehensive picture of your daily activity, the crystals house a one of a kind inductive charging system. 

Cook continues with “At the heart of the watch is a custom designed chip that integrates many subsystems into one remarkably compact module, which is then completely encapsulated to protect the electronics. It’s essentially miniaturizing an entire computer system onto a single chip.” Those qualities allow the watch to be an incredibly accurate device that was created for everyday use and functionally is user friendly.  It was built with everyday use in mind, seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology with an intuitive design.

 

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