by Allara Baker, Lawrence North High School

Title IX has opened the doors for women and their opportunities in sports and protection, but there’s not enough being done for Black women in turn.  According to a study conducted by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, Black women only made up 12 percent of athletes on all-female sports teams in 2020-2021. And there needs to be acknowledgement of these issues so that every woman will get a chance in sports.

In college sports, black women usually face not getting the chance to be involved in games and practices, and are usually sidelined.. Race has also not been a considered factor in the law itself.

Students attend an event at the IU Memorial Stadium Freshman Orientation. Title IX protects women in sports, but the same energy isn’t being shown to Black …
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by Maggie Phelps, Central Hardin High School

“The 39 Steps” tends to be a production that most people are unfamiliar with.  The Alfred Hitchcock inspired play usually implies that it is a show relating to thrillers and horrors.  However, this could not be farther from the truth.   

HSJI Feature and Opinion writing class attends the July 13 performance of “The 39 Steps” at Wells-Metz Theater. Photo used with permission of Kris Brown.

Indiana University Summer Theater (IUST) brings the production to life at the Wells-Metz Theater from July 7-30. The cast and crew has worked diligently to produce their interpretation of the show, especially during moments of hardship.  The team was able to persevere through illness on staff and a delayed opening in order to deliver a memorable performance. 

The book was published in 1915 and the movie adaptations followed in 1935 …
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by Lara Varella, The British School Al Khubairat

Zoë Harris from Ben Davis High School sits in Franklin Hall with 80 other students who want a chance to spend a week doing what they love: journalism. 

The High School Journalism Institute Program by Indiana University located in Bloomington provides a variety of opportunities for high school students interested in broadening their skills and knowledge of journalism, and furthermore, also aids in providing high school students from all over a glimpse on the college experience for a week. This extensive summer program is said by participants to be an extremely helpful and wonderful experience for high school students who have a passion for journalism.

HJSI participants, seniors Maggie Phelps and Zoë Harris, do background research for an interview task in the feature and opinion writing course in the IU summer program. Phot by …
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by D’Aysia Jackson, Warren Central High School

Title IX is the only law that has given women the equal rights as men in the entire country. This law has been in place since June 23, 1972, but many people have no clue what it is. According to Associate Prof. of Sports Media Dr. Lauren Smith, unfortunately 87% of Americans have no idea what Title IX is or what it protects.

This law protects people from any discrimination based on their sex or gender identity in education programs or activities that are funded by public money. Given the circumstances in the country, Title IX is the only law that grants women equal rights to men in schools and sports. It’s important for people to educate themselves no matter what gender to know how protected they are in any situations like equal access to …
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by Zoe Harris, Ben Davis High School

I’m sitting frozen in bed, staring at my phone’s harsh blue light as if I’m possessed. My mind plays a loop of tragedies and catastrophes as my heart beats wildly. Against my best efforts, I’ve scrolled myself into a hole. 

I just wanted to check what was trending on Twitter. 

Today, what begins as curiosity can end in disaster. Doomscrolling, a term first coined in 2017, is the habit of continuously absorbing negative news despite the consequences. Doomscrolling is a type of self-inflicted harm that is normalized. Consuming news threads help people feel like “informed citizens,” but at what cost? 

In times when most news is tense and negative, doomscrolling is likely. Social media plays a big part in this habit. Infographic by Zoe Harris.

Social media is often a black hole that sucks up all of …
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by Aubri Elliott, Floyd Central High School

Title IX protects female athletes in school-related sports, but what about non-school-related sports such as boxing and MMA? I have been training off and on since 2020 and have experienced all kinds of things that wouldn’t happen if my boxing gym was covered by Title IX.

At my gym, which I will not name, the head coach refuses to train girls/women; therefore, we are stuck in a beginners class unable to advance our skills. My brother, a 16 year-old male, is in the advanced class and has many opportunities to go to fights and has won many as well.

However, I have been at the same gym for around half the amount of time he has and have gotten no fight opportunities and have had no opportunities to improve my own skills. If the world of …
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