HOT JOBS
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Easily applyVazquez and Ruff earn MVC awards
Aces earned road wins at Valparaiso and UIC
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- LOUIS – On the heels of a weekend that saw the University of Evansville volleyball team earn a pair of road victories, two of its players were recognized by the Missouri Valley Conference on Monday.
Alondra Vazquez garnered the league’s Player of the Week award while Kora Ruff was touted as the Freshman of the Week. Vazquez earned Player of the Week recognition for the fifth time in her career while Ruff earned the freshman nod for the first time.
In a weekend where her performance could not have been more important, Vazquez averaged 4.75 kills and 3.75 digs per set while helping UE earn road victories at Valparaiso and UIC. The matches were pivotal as UE looks to improve its spot in the league standings as the season hits the homestretch.
Vazquez opened the weekend with 19 digs and 24 kills in a 3-1 triumph over the Beacons. Her 24 digs was a season-high. She added three assists and a block assist. Saturday’s road win over the Flames saw Vazquez put forth another 19-kill effort while adding six digs, two aces and an assist.  She hit .349 in the victory.
Eagles Welcome Tommies for Final Home Match​​​​​​​
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Men’s Soccer finishes their home season on Wednesday, November 2, as they host St. Thomas University at Strassweg Field for a 2pm kickoff. The Screaming Eagles are currently 1-11-3, 1-4-1 Summit League, and finish their season on the road in Tulsa, Oklahoma to take on Oral Roberts University on November 5 at 1pm.
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USI and Western Illinois University fought to a tough 1-1 draw on October 26. Both defenses were stellar in the first half. The Eagles had a chance to take advantage of a hand ball inside the box which sent the Leathernecks down to 10 men. The Eagles weren’t able to convert on the penalty. Western Illinois then went down and took the lead. USI was able to equalize as sophomore Mical Hardtman (Hamilton Parrish, Bermuda) put a ball from a corner to the top of the box where graduate Nick Faddis (St. Louis, Missouri) controlled it and curled a beautiful ball into the bottom left-hand corner. USI had multiple chances to win the match, but the Western Illinois defense kept the Eagles at bay.
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The Eagles have been trying to find their rhythm up front all year long. Coming into the season the man watch up front was junior Zach Barton (St. Louis, Missouri). Barton came into the season with 20 career goals and sat tied for 10th all-time at USI and was looking to climb the rankings. He has just one goal on the year but is leading the team in shots and shots on goal with 21 and 13. Newcomer Faddis is leading the team in goals with three while senior Ryan Nevins (St. Peters, Missouri) and sophomore Sam Benoist (Foristell, Missouri) each have two.
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USI Head Coach Mat Santoro has been very consistent with his starting lineups this season. Santoro has eight outfield players that have double digit starts this season and four of those have started every game they have played. Faddis and senior Colten Walsh (St. Louis, Missouri) have started all 15 games while Walsh has the most minutes played with 1249. Freshmen Will Kirchhofer (Fishers, Indiana) and Ednilson Voiles (Jeremie, Haiti) are the other two who have started every game they have played, both have played and started in 14 games. Kirchhofer missed the Western Illinois match due to suspension after receiving a double yellow card against Lindenwood University while Voiles missed the match with Chicago State University.
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Junior goalkeeper Alec Meissner (St. Charles, Missouri) has been the main man in net for the Ealges. Meissner has started 14 out of the teams 15 games. Meissner has allowed 32 goals this season while making 64 saves and has faced 205 shots. Meissner was the man in net when USI has their lone clean sheet of the season at the University of Evansville. The Eagle’s defense has allowed two or less goals in 10 out of the 15 matches. This has come from a very consistent backline of Walsh, junior Travis Sides (Evansville, Indiana), and sophomore Damian McGregor-Wickham (Toronto, Canada). The USI defense has also seen starts from Hardtman, sophomore Aevar Ofjord (Grindavik, Iceland), senior Luke Lindsay (Plymouth, Minnesota), and junior Marky Lara (Evansville, Indiana).
USI events and updates for the week of 10/31/2022
11:30 a.m. Thursday, November 3
University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees to meet
The University of Southern Indiana Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, November 3 in the Griffin Center on campus.
7:30-9:30 p.m.. Thursday, November 3
USI to commemorate DÃa de los Muertos with celebration
The University of Southern Indiana will commemorate DÃa de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) from 7:30- 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 2 in the lobby of the Liberal Arts Center. The event is open to the public at no charge, and light refreshments will be served.
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, November 5
Southern Indiana Conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion returns to USI for year two, to address “The Power of Community”
The University of Southern Indiana’s Southern Indiana Conference on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, November 5 in Carter Hall on the USI campus. The event is $25 per attendee, and registration is open to the public through November 3.
SAVE THE DATE
November 7 -Â December 9
53rd annual USI Juried Student Art Show to be displayed in McCutchan Art Center/Pace Galleries
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The University of Southern Indiana annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, a presentation of selected student artworks from the past academic year, is being held November 7 through December 9 at the McCutchan Art Center/Pace (MAC/Pace) Galleries in the lower level of the Liberal Arts Center. This year’s exhibition features 111 artworks chosen from over 280 entered.
November 11-13
USI fandom deal, BOGO USI Basketball tickets
For opening weekend, those who purchase a ticket to one of home opening USI Basketball games will receive a second ticket to the other game for FREE! That’s a ticket to the Women’s Basketball home opener on November 11 and a ticket to the Men’s Basketball home opener on November 13 for only $10.
Eagles Grounded at Bellarmine Invitational​​​​​​​
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – University of Southern Indiana Women’s Swimming & Diving fell to three opponents this weekend as they competed in the Bellarmine Invitational. The Screaming Eagles fell to Bellarmine University, 224-90, Florida Gulf Coast University, 265-49, and Gardner-Webb University, 254-59.
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USI finished the weekend with 15 top-10 finished with just one top-five finish. The top-five finish came from freshman Mattilynn Smith (Morgantown, Kentucky) in the 1000-Yard Freestlye.
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Other Top Women’s Results:
200-Yard Medley Relay: 1:55.23 (8th)
1000-Yard Freestyle: 11:02.13 (5th) – Smith
400-Yard Freestyle Relay: 3:48.30 (8th)
400-yard Medley Relay: 4:11.43 (8th)
200-Yard Fly: 2:18.55 (8th) – Freshman Sarah-Catherine Dawson (Prospect, Kentucky)
400-Yard IM: 5:07.91 (8th) – Freshman Hannah Gardner (Bowling Green, Kentucky)
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UP NEXT FOR USI:
Statehouse Task Force Passes Final Report Aimed At Addressing The Housing Shortage
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Statehouse Task Force Passes Final Report Aimed At Addressing The Housing Shortage
INDIANAPOLIS—On Thursday morning, the Housing Task Force met for the third time since Sept. 29 to revise and adopt a final report, going through 15 “findings and recommendations†for the General Assembly and Gov. Eric Holcomb.
The committee, headed by Rep. Doug Miller, R-Elkhart, and Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger, recommended that the state provide loans and grants to help fund housing infrastructure, saying it “will pay off in private-sector investment and economic growth.â€
It also suggested implementing both “tax incentives for homeownership programs targeted at first-time buyers or low-income buyers†and “state funding for financial literacy efforts†related to homeownership.
“[A]s a former teacher that taught this, I think this is really a great point and something that everyone really needs to understand—what it costs to own a home,†Rogers said.
Miller said he was excited to see point No. 8, which suggests using more Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative funds for housing projects, as “READI actually is targeted more broadly across the state … So it gets into even some of our smallest communities, so it has the opportunity to make the largest impact.â€
READI, according to the state’s website, takes “state appropriations to promote strategic investments that will make Indiana a magnet for talent and economic growth.â€
“Housing requests comprised 30% of all funding request[s] in the first round of READI, but more could be done to promote projects that result in the highest end use of limited grant dollars,†the task force’s final report reads.
One recommendation that the committee altered slightly was the proposal to “consider voluntary revisions in local zoning.â€
An example the report gave for the recommendation was the “waiver or elimination of unnecessary regulations,†and some members successfully advocated for the removal of “unnecessary.â€
Jeremy Stutsman, mayor of Goshen and representative for Advancing Indiana Municipalities, first questioned the inclusion of the word, saying it was subjective.
Different numbers were thrown around for what percentage of costs for building a home is due to regulations—Rogers said 25% while Gina Leckron, Habitat for Humanity of Indiana’s director, said 20%—but both said it was a reason for supporting the recommendation because if some regulations were removed, then the price of building a house would go down.
“Regulations imposed by all levels of government account for $93,870, or 23.8% of the current average sales price ($397,300) of a new single-family home,†said the National Association of Home Builders, referencing a NAHB study. It lists “hard costs of compliance,†such as fees, as the top regulatory cost during lot development and “changes to building codes over the past 10 years†during construction.
Other suggestions from the task force included “faster approval times for construction permits and timely inspections of projects at the local level†and allowing a half year between the passing of new building codes and when they take effect.
There was consternation among some members regarding a part of the report that said the committee is against “new sales taxes on services.â€
While Indiana currently does not tax services, Stutsman said it was a broad position for the group to take and if the General Assembly did want to pass a tax on services, it may be for good reason.
Miller disagreed, saying a tax on the services that go into homebuilding, like framing, plumbing and electrical work, would work against what the task force is trying to accomplish.
“So I feel strongly enough about this that I think that this needs to stay in that policy statement,†said Miller.
The biggest change made to the report was the inclusion of a 16th recommendation, after Sen. Fady Qaddoura, D-Indianapolis, expressed concern that there was nothing addressing the problem of landowners not keeping properties safe and up to standard.
The new addition—which said, “Support addressing substandard housingâ€â€”was suggested by Miller to appease Qaddoura, who responded with a moment of thankfulness.
“You did an amazing job,†Qaddoura said, referring to the two Republican co-chairs. “You’ve been transparent, you’ve been inclusive, you’ve been asking people to testify.â€
The new substandard housing recommendation was “the final piece that will … help me fully endorse and support this report publicly and privately,†Qadoura said.
The final report passed 10-2, with Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, and Stutsman voting no. It will now go to the Legislative Service Agency and then the General Assembly and governor.