On Tuesday, Aug. 29, students gathered at the Science Mall, right at the heart of the campus, to network and grab some free food and giveaways. It was hard to not engage in that event since it was impossible to not pass it while walking to class.
Dean of the College of Science, Ronald Friedman surrounded by fellow colleagues at the College of Science booth.
“The goal of the Don’s College Picnic is to create, foster, and build pride for the university in general and colleges, like the College of Science, in particular,” said the Dean of the College of Science, Ronald Friedman.
The event served mainly as an information hub for those wanting to learn about the different colleges, degrees, and possible career opportunities found throughout campus.
There were 16 booths found at the picnic, such as the Career Development Center, Dormer School of Business, The College of Liberal Arts, the School of Education, and the Student Activities Board, among others, allowing students to connect and network with their fellow classmates and PFW staff.
Students lined up early to check in for the anticipated event, with about 500 students attending within the first hour and a half of the picnic, according to Dean of the School of Education, Isabel Nuñez.
PFW has organized at least ten “Welcome Back to School” events between Aug. 22 and Aug. 31. The University also has hosted events for both high school students and future students, Nuñez said.
Members of the Student Activities Board pose for a picture as another student signs up for the board.
PFW senior Brittany May heard about the picnic from the Student Activities Board (SAB) Instagram.
“I try to hit up all PFW events on campus for the fun and free giveaways,” said May.
There were free sandwiches from Firehouse Subs and Subway, and giveaways for items like notepads, pens, lunchboxes, and umbrellas. Students also could get a free T-Shirt from the College of Liberal Arts.
“They had shirts, pins, and bottle holders that they were giving away,” said Emily Tyler, a PFW Psychology student. “I grabbed one of each.”
According to Tyler, everyone at the booths were so approachable and nice.
“It was very easy to walk right up and engage in a conversation while learning things about my college that I didn’t know, even going into my senior year of college.”
For Nursing student Paige Cavanaugh, the food was the favorite part of the event.
The food and giveaway ticket every student was handed once checking in.
“With this hot weather, the only thing that really keeps me focused is the next meal I’m going to eat,” Cavanaugh said. “It definitely helps balance the knowledge that is gained during these sorts of things.”
The Don’s College Picnic is a considerable way for students to meet staff and faculty helping at the booths. It also builds connections and associations with their colleges as well.
“For example, a psychology or biology major cannot help but realize those departments are part of the College of Science when they visit our table,” Dean Friedman said.
To stay informed on what happens around campus this semester, visit the Purdue University Fort Wayne website and check out the upcoming events calendar.
On Aug. 31, over 90 student organizations set up shop on the Science Mall to recruit new participants and share their messages at the Purdue Fort Wayne Campus Connections Fair. Students looking to join clubs and find their place on campus lined up throughout the area to look around.
The Purdue Fort Wayne Connections Fair is an event held at the beginning of every semester as an opportunity for students to connect with local on and off campus organizations. This year, students could check in and receive a Purdue Fort Wayne tote bag to start before travelling to each table, many of which offered candy or other trinkets and toys.
One of the organizations holding a booth was the Photography Club, who are dedicated to the education and appreciation of photography.
“We are a group of creative people looking to find other creative people to appreciate the art of photography,” said club president Madison Foreman.
Like many other clubs found throughout campus, the Connections Fair is considered to be one of the best sources for sign-ups. The Photography Club ended the day with a total of 90 students registering to join.
“It’s great way to meet so many new people,” said Foreman. “We welcome people of all ability levels, so we’re an option for anyone attending.”
Not all groups attending were student organizations. Some other groups came out for a chance to make connections with the students. One group present was the Northeast Indiana chapter of the National Organization for Women.
“We’re here today to find potential new members but also to help young people register to vote,” said Chapter President Keiran O’Dowd.
NOW is “an intersectional, multi-issue, multi-strategy organization that takes a holistic approach to women’s rights”, and the organization can be found on Facebook. Students who stopped by their booth had the opportunity to sign up and join the chapter, register to vote, or check if their voting district had changed.
“A lot of people aren’t aware the lines are redrawn every 10 years,” O’Dowd said. “Just because you voted back in 2020, doesn’t mean you’re currently registered if your district changed.”
The Connections Fair doesn’t just benefit groups, it also allows new and returning students to find their new passion and meet others with similar interests.
One of the students in attendance was Sophia Cheng, a freshman engineering student who just moved to Fort Wayne from California. For Cheng, it was a chance for her to meet like-minded individuals and find some new friends.
“So far I only know a few people from my classes and my roommate,” she said. “I’m hoping to join a club and meet some new people.”
One of Cheng’s favorite booths to stop by was the Q Center, one of her reasonings was because they were offering various stickers as well as pronoun pins.
As for clubs to join, she ended up finding a couple that worked for her.
“I joined the Asian American club and the Table Top RPG club,” Cheng said. “I loved seeing all the clubs in one place and hearing about what each one does.”
For those who were unsure if whether the Connections Fair would be worthy of their time, Cheng recommended coming in the future.
“It’s an amazing way to find clubs that you haven’t heard of yet.”
If you missed this semester’s Connections Fair, you can find a full list of student organizations on PFW’s website.
Earlier this year, Purdue Fort Wayne began a new pilot program that is making traveling to campus easier, warmer, faster, and drier for students who live in the apartment complexes around and on campus. This week, the university announced that the program is being renewed for another year.
The program, nicknamed ‘Purduber’, began in January with rides offered on weekdays Monday through Thursday from 8:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m., and on Fridays from 8:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., with 15-minute increments in between.
“The SGA officers had received a lot of feedback from students that they were in need of transportation to and from campus,” said Abbey Wang, coordinator of student leadership and the Student Government Association. “We had also heard this from several concerned staff and faculty members in a division meeting over the summer.”
@purduefw@IUFortWayne 👀 at the new student shuttle! Beginning tomorrow students at Student Housing, @TheArchFtWayne & @StJoePlace, you now have a shuttle running on a Walb Union drop off/pick up loop every 15 minutes or so at the schedule below + a Friday Kroger trip! pic.twitter.com/AV3ewOHwk7
— PFW VC for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs (@PurdueFWSA) January 8, 2023
Not only will transportation be offered throughout campus, but another service will be offered for students to go to Kroger, 4120 N. Clinton, which will begin at 1:35 p.m. on Fridays. To be eligible for the trip to the store, students must sign up.
“We wanted to include a weekly trip to Kroger because we had many staff and faculty give feedback that many international students don’t have a free way to travel to the grocery store to get the things they need,” Wang said.
Space on the Kroger shuttle is currently limited to the first seven students who reserve a spot each week. Yet, with the limited space, according to Wang, the program has had good numbers so far, averaging 30 passengers a day per route and approximately 90 passengers a day in total.
Current Pick-up and Drop-off locations are located at the clubhouses at Student Housing, St. Joe Place, The Arch, and Canterbury Green. On campus, students can choose to be picked up or dropped off outside of Walb Student Union under the Skybridge.
To make it easier to find, there are A-Frame signs with shuttle information for students to identify where and when they will be picked up. For the purpose of the shuttle program, the drivers will only shuttle to and from the housing complexes to Walb, with no stops in between.
“There is potential for this to change, should we continue the program in the future,” Wang said. “But, for now, we are focusing on getting students to and from campus safely and warmly in these Indiana Winters!”
In August of 2022, the beloved Auburn-Garrett Drive-In was destroyed by a blusterous storm that tore down half of the historic screen and damaged the surrounding areas.
The Drive-In, built in the 1950’s, remains as one of Indiana’s few remaining Drive-In theaters as well as one of garrets most iconic and beloved living classics for all ages. With low concession prices like sodas, popcorn, and even slices of pizza, both children and adults could enjoy the constantly changing double featured films provided throughout the spring.
Julie Yarde, owner of the property and permanent fixtures of the now 70-year old drive-in, has worked with insurance adjusters, engineers and contractors to get the theater up and running once more before the 2023 season. At the moment, it isn’t looking to promising.
A total of $278,000 is needed for the repairs, including $181,216 for materials, $54,480 for fabrication and $32,804 for erection. The costs include the already existing footers, but it does not cover demolition costs of what is left of the structure.
After realizing that the theater was insured for only $60,000, Laura Glaser, daughter-in-law of Yarde, has set up a GoFundmeto get some funds for the costly rebuild of the screen.
“I am being as transparent as I can. I have nothing to hide. I was under-insured—unknowingly under-insured,” said Yarde during an interview with KPC news while addressing the negative comments throughout Facebook. “I have never defaulted on my insurance.”
Auburn-Garret Drive-In Facebook page
Now being up for almost 5 months, the goal the community is looking to reach is $250,000, and at the moment $17,250 has been raised.
According to KPC News, there are thoughts of gifting back the portions of the salvaged screen to donors and other interested parties.
100% of all funds raised will solely go to the rebuilding of the screen as well as improving the drive-in such as bathrooms and concessions, so more generations can enjoy and make memories at the Auburn-Garrett Drive-In.
As the second semester of the school year begins, many students are beginning to get back into the groove of their academic lives and head back onto campus.
For some they will begin writing paper after paper, others will work on new sketches for their end of the year showcases. Yet, for a group of students found in Neff Hall they have to begin their hunt for patients to get their Dental Hygiene degrees.
From sophomore to senior year, students who are accepted into the Dental Hygiene Program get to learn as to what it exactly is that dental hygienists do in their day-to-day life while at work along with how to do it.
With clinics designed just like what you would typically see at an actual dental office, both friends, family members, and randomly assigned patients can get to see students learn more and more while cleaning their teeth and providing other services such as x-ray and scaling.
Each student in the program has to reach a certain number of patients each semester to move onto the next level and to also graduate. Although the students may have their agendas full at the beginning, not every patient can be reliable on showing up to their appointment, and because of this, that student can begin to fall behind on their requirements.
IUFW Junior, Alana Lester, has dealt with a patient or two canceling last minute, as well as many of her fellow peers who have also experienced the same thing.
“It is a slight setback when it comes to cancellations, as it is very difficult to get someone else to take that spot which in turn makes it difficult to meet requirements necessary to finish the class,” Lester said. “Many of us started this semester off behind due to the lack of patients from cancellations.”
The appointment itself will usually take around 4 hours to complete as students will be taking each step thoroughly and getting the go ahead by the licensed dentists and dental faculty who are supervising the students.
With hours differing each day of the week between the months of January to April, the clinic will be open Monday through Friday.
Monday
8:00 a.m. – noon 1:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday
8:00 a.m. – noon 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Thursday
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Friday
8:00 a.m. – noon 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Depending on holidays, times will vary.
Not only does the clinic offer teeth cleanings, but for a reduced price, you can get oral exams and cancer screenings, periodontal assessments, local antibacterial medicaments, local anesthesia, oral hygiene instructions, fluoride treatments, sealants, and x-rays.
The Dental Clinic fees range from $20 to $64 depending on age and services. The clinic also accepts dental insurance to those who bring in their card and fill out the information on the paperwork handed out before the appointment.
An appointment is required and there are three reserved parking spots available in the patient-only parking lot (Lot 8) located outside of Neff Hall. Additional parking is available in Lot B and parking garages. Handicap spaces are available adjacent to Neff Hall.
To get a high-quality, low-cost preventative dental service with the IUFW Dental Clinic, call 260-257-6826. For more information about costs, services, or clinic hours go to https://www.iufw.edu/dental-clinic/index.html
For some people, they consider that the talk of menstruation is considered as a taboo subject. Due to this belief, others don’t feel as if they are allowed to talk about it and so questions begin to arise without many answers.
On December 7th from 5:30 pm to 8 pm, the Department of Communication, the Women’s Center, and Helmke Library will be showing the popular Disney movie, Turning Red.
If you don’t know what the movie is about, Turning Red follows the story of a thirteen-year-old girl who is torn between continuing her role as her mother’s dutiful daughter and dealing with the changes of adolescence. If the challenges were not enough for her, whenever she gets overly excited she transforms into a giant red panda.
The movie was chosen to start the conversation around menstruation in order to celebrate Dignified Menstruation Day which is December 8th.
They will also be accepting menstruation product donations to go back to the local community. The movie will be played in Walb G21 and popcorn will be provided.
The 2022 midterm election campaign ends in less than two weeks, as voters choose their candidates on Nov. 8. Constituents are looking for solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Indiana, a problem that is affecting the entire nation.
Across the state, housing affordability has become a crisis as both home sales and rental costs have risen to record levels. What can be done to alleviate the crisis? We reached out to candidates running for state senate in Allen County to learn more about their proposals.
Sen. Travis Holdman (R-District 19) is running for reelection with a campaign focused on community development. Earlier this year, Holdman included provisions on Indiana Bill SB 382 for a state tax credit that would benefit projects addressing the housing needs of workers.
The bill will take effect next January and it will provide up to $30 million annually over five years in affordable and workforce housing state tax credits, for a total of up to $150 million. Eligible taxpayers must apply to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority with qualifying construction projects to receive the state tax credit.
Democrat Zach Heimach, who is seeking to replace retiring Sen. Dennis Kruse in District 14, worries about the difficulties young professionals currently face to afford housing.
Incomes have decrease from 2021 to 2022, making it unaffordable for residents to rent or buy homes for their own comfort. The graph below, with data collected from the Center for Housing and Policy at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, indicates how affordable it is to own a house in different regions of the state of Indiana. Index values of 100 or above indicate that homeownership is affordable for a median income household.
Heimach said that, even though affordable housing may not be the core issue for the majority of the senate candidates, it is a very serious issue. He believes government should prevent major corporations from buying real estate to make a profit, in order to provide more affordable housing.
“We have to go to the people experiencing this, listen to the people who are well diverse people in to order to keep it affordable,” Heimach said. “If we don’t know the answer, we just must find the answers.”
State Sen. Liz Brown (R-District 15), who is unopposed for re-election, and Republican candidate Tyler Johnson, who is running against Heimach for the District 14 seat, did not provide information on their plans to provide affordable housing in their districts.
With the 2022 Midterm Elections coming up in November, voters are looking into candidates to learn about their proposals to improve the quality of life in their communities. This story looks at the affordable housing policies of the candidates running for State Representative in Allen County.
Democrat Kyle R. Miller, who is competing with Republican Davyd Jones to fill the position of State Rep. David Abbott (R-District 82), believes loan and rent assistances should be available to a larger segment of the population. He proposes increasing the income threshold to qualify for Indiana’s down payment assistance program.
Miller also suggests that banks should help fund development in downtown areas, and that the government should partner with financial and lending institutions for incentives to build in overlooked areas such as southeast Fort Wayne.
“One of the things we would want to watch out for is making sure that there is not a short-term solution to a long-term problem. It’s great to get someone into an apartment or a condo, affordable housing, but if that benefit is only good for three or four months, that’s only going to help very little,” Miller said.
Miller suggests that lenders should weigh more than just credit history when approving mortgages, but rather also look at other things such as bill and rent history.
“I think that the biggest issue that we are going to have is trying to figure out how to implement some of these things and solve some of the ‘why’s’ as to why we are having these issues,” he said. “It’s going to take little things, rather than just solving it in one bill or one fell swoop.”
Davyd Jones’ campaign website did not include his position on affordable housing, and he could not be reached for comment.
‘Housing should be for people, not companies’
Abby Norden, an Independent candidate running against incumbent State Rep. Martin Carbaugh (R-District 81), blames market conditions for the lack of affordable housing in her district.
“We have outside companies, or individual investors coming into our city and buying up as many properties as possible,” Norden said. “Housing should be for people, not for companies, and if we continue to let a select few own the housing market, we will continue to see price gouging in the housing and rental markets.”
Norden believes that a way to help alleviate this problem in the area would be by improving residents’ salaries and regulating rent increases.
“I will work with the communities who need housing the most to help them meet their needs while simultaneously working with legislatures to raise the minimum wage and cap rental prices at affordable rates,” Norden said on her plans to combat the shortages.
Carbaugh’s campaign did not send any information on his housing proposals upon request. In the past, he has opposed legislation related to affordable housing. Earlier this year, Carbaugh refused to hear House Bill 1326, which would have addressed discrimination in home appraisals and lending. Due to his refusal, the bill died after missing the House’s deadline.
In 2018, he authored House Bill 1319, which if passed would have created a loan program with three-to-12-month loans of $605 to $1,500 with annual percentage rates up to 222%. This 222% APR is just about triple of what Indiana law classified as criminal loansharking. If the bill had passed, it could have made paying back housing loans difficult for many Indiana homebuyers.
Housing Task Force
House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-District 80) currently does not have a public statement on affordable housing on his campaign website, and his press team did not give any information in response to our inquiry.
However, he is a member of the Housing Task Force that was created through House Bill 1306 earlier this year. As a member of this force, GiaQuinta and other representatives are working to learn the best strategies in combating shortages in affordable housing.
Another goal of this task force is to end discrimination against homeowners who are having their homes appraised. To see how to best design plans in Allen County and Indiana as a whole, the task force is looking at plans from other states.
Incumbents Christopher Judy (R-District 83), Bob Morris (R-District 84) and Dave Heine (R-District 85), who are all running unopposed, do not have any positions listed on their campaign websites to address housing affordability. Their press teams didn’t respond to messages.
By Emily Coverstone, Sydney Hamblin and Megan Isenbarger
The family poverty rate in the state of Indiana is at a ten-year low, but similar to the rest of the United States, Indiana is facing a severe shortage of affordable housing for Hoosiers.
The state is facing a shortage of 135,033 affordable and available rental homes, according to a report produced by Prosperity Indiana and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
Only a handful of candidates running for U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative positions during the 2022 election are planning on taking a stand when it comes to affordable housing.
U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Indiana) and U.S. Rep. André D. Carson (D-District 7) are two incumbents running for re-election who have chosen to focus on housing affordability during their campaigns, after observing how the housing crisis has affected the nation.
Drivers of housing costs
Young believes the housing affordability crisis is happening due to discriminatory local zoning and land use policies that drive up housing costs in communities across America.
Young has already begun taking steps to ensure that Hoosiers can find affordable housing. He helped introduce the Task Force on the Impact of Affordable Housing Act which aims to better understand and respond to America’s housing affordability crisis by evaluating and quantifying the impact of housing costs on other government programs to create innovative solutions to aid cost-burdened families.
According to The Polis Center at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, cost-burdened families spend more than 30% of household income on housing related expenses. Households spending more than 50% are considered to be severely cost-burdened.
Young hopes to fix the state’s current regulations to allow Hoosiers to find affordable housing in areas where they work and where children can get quality education.
“These policies exacerbate the housing affordability crisis and stifle the ability of Americans to move to areas of opportunity,” Young said on his campaign website.
Young’s Democratic opponent, Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott, Jr., did not include a position on affordable housing on his campaign website, and his campaign staff could not be reached for comment.
James Sceniak, a Libertarian who is also seeking Young’s seat in the Senate, also decided not to focus on affordable housing as one of the top issues in his election bid.
“I wanted to focus on what I believe is most affecting Hoosier life, and although affordable housing is one of them, polls are showing there are more concerns like inflation and even how we’re taking care of our veterans right now,” Sceniak said in a phone interview.
Instead of focusing on affordable housing, Sceniak decided to make his top priorities medical freedom, VetCare, fiscal sanity, criminal justice reform, gun rights, and abortion.
Demand for affordable housing continues to grow
In the race for the District 3 Congressional seat currently held by Rep. Jim Banks, neither Banks, Democratic challenger Gary Snyder, nor Independent candidate Nathan Gotsch, outlined any housing policy priorities on their websites.
However, incumbent Rep. André Carson, a Democrat who represents Indiana’s 7th Congressional district, says he is committed to doing everything in his power to keep Hoosiers in their homes and help hardworking, American families avoid losing their homes through default or foreclosures.
Carson says Hoosiers deserve to live in homes that meet their basic needs, but affordable housing for working families has become harder to find and is expected to become more difficult as the demand for affordable housing continues to grow.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis also found that around the same time, the national median sale price for a single-family home jumped 25% from $327,100 in the fourth quarter of 2019 to $408,100 in the fourth quarter of 2021. The greatest increases were in the West, Midwest and Northeast.
Potential solutions to the crisis
Carson supports programs that provide housing assistance to Hoosiers in need as well as public-private partnerships and community development projects that expand affordable housing for more families.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett announced in September that the city had signed an agreement with JPC Affordable Housing Foundation and Berkley Commons LLC to resolve the city’s lawsuit with the two entities concerning two apartment complexes that were causing issues for tenants.
“This settlement will keep tenants safely and stably housed, while forcing a sale to a responsible owner with the resources and commitment to operate these properties,” Hogsett said in a Tweet.
This settlement will keep tenants safely and stably housed, while forcing a sale to a responsible owner with the resources and commitment to operate these properties.
Carson praised Hosgett for the city’s actions in a Tweet on social media saying, “Safe, affordable housing is a human right.”
“I am grateful to the City, State, & @citizensenergy for using the tools at their disposal to save these residents from a public health crisis… We must do more to protect tenants from predatory landlords. Without the ability to withhold rent and demand accountability, Hoosiers are left vulnerable.”
Carson’s Republican rival, Angela Grabovsky did not list any housing policy priorities in her campaign material; a website for Libertarian candidate Gavin Maple could not be found.
Safe, affordable housing is a human right. I am grateful to the City, State, & @citizensenergy for using the tools at their disposal to save these residents from a public health crisis. https://t.co/XRsi0zQTO9
Focus on earning potential, financial incentives to build, and ‘crowdfunding”
Housing prices tend to rise with inflation, according to HomeGuides. A home’s value will begin to increase along with the inflation rate. With the increasing numbers of home values, this means that when selling a house, it’ll be at a much higher price and won’t be as affordable as it would’ve been before inflation.
On Zillow, the average cost of a house in 2022 is $212,953. That amount is considered a large and fast-growing increase since 2019, when the same house would have been sold for around $150,000.
Some politicians are hopeful that by implementing new rules, regulations and protocols, they will be able to provide relief to those who are being affected by the housing crisis.
“There are a lot of things we can do to make housing more affordable,” Sceniak said.
There are solutions to the housing crisis that the state of Indiana, and the other states, can consider if they want affordable housing to become more prominent. One solution that is typically tossed around is to use creative finance to allow more people qualify for a mortgage and buy a home, as well as provide more affordable rental housing.
Many companies have developed approaches called “crowdfunding” to help buyers in the housing market and to also seek investors, according to the Stanford Social Innovation Review. Crowdfunding in real estate is where people come together online and pool their money to purchase property as a group.
Crowdfunding is considered to be a great way to begin the investment journey in real estate without needing to spend an excessive amount of money.
Another possible solution is to incentivize new construction of affordable homes.
Financial incentives are required to stimulate both the supply and demand sides. Developers and builders can be encouraged to build new homes that are within reach for future or first-time buyers. According to the World Economic Forum, the way the incentives work is they buy down the capital costs overall when it comes to new housing or renovation projects.
Some of the candidates have taken action in addressing the housing crisis on a local level. Along with the Task Force on the Impact of Affordable Housing Act, Young introduced and secured passage of the Housing Choice Voucher Mobility Demonstration Act. Found on Young’s website, the act “enables the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and public housing authorities to begin developing new models for incentivizing greater choice and improved mobility in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program”.
Overall, there is a major affordable housing crisis in Indiana. Some Hoosier candidates have made this crisis one of their top priorities in order to make a positive impact on their state, while others have not. Whoever is elected will define whether the state will be able to make strides toward more affordable housing in the future.
The general election is Nov. 8. Visit https://indianavoters.in.gov/ for information on polling locations and to check registration status.
