Jacobs School of Music director Wayne Wallace conducts the students of the Latin Jazz Ensemble Monday at the Buskirk Chumley Theater. The Latin Jazz Ensemble will perform at 8 p.m. on April 18 as one of seven events in the Latin American Music Center's Spring Festival.
Battalion Chief Roger Kerr checks his email at his desk at the Bloomington Fire Department Headquarters. Kerr said many firefighters have a hard time asking for help. "I'm supposed to be the one you call," he said.
Chocolate chip cookies baked by firefighter Vick Vollrath sit out on the kitchen table at headquarters. Vollrath said he likes to bring in homemade treats to make the crew feel more at home.
Firefighter Dan Emerick discusses past emergencies he's responded to in both fire and ambulance services. Emerick said some calls are hard to forget and can result in feelings of déjà vu on certain runs. "It's not something I revisit," he said. "It revisits me."
Sgt. Brandon Hudson sits in a recliner chair in the station TV room. Hudson has worked at headquarters for 16 years. Hudson said he enjoys the camaraderie of the profession and makes a point to check in with his fellow crew members. "We see death all the time," he said. "We grow accustomed to it."
The station has beds that firefighters can sleep on when they are on duty for their 24-hour shifts. Emergency dispatch calls can drop at any time day or night. "At the end of the day, when the call goes out, you got to go," firefighter Gabe Morran said.
Bloomington Fire Chief Jason Moore is attempting to set up a support program to help firefighters feel more comfortable sharing their struggles with mental health. “In our profession, we are supposed to help everyone," he said, "It’s really hard to admit we need help."
Some of the ladies of the IU Soul Revue rehearse a song from their upcoming spring concert Wednesday evening at the Neal Marshall Black Culture Center. The IU Soul Revue is one third of the African American Arts Institute.
A variety of students and faculty gather together for the a panel event about black women in the STEM field Wednesday evening. Panelists (from left to right) Kimberly Gold, Kristen Hicks, and Erica Jones speak about how it is being a black women in a male dominated industry of engineering.
Kimberly Gold, speaks on the experiences she has had at her job and how being a black female caused her to face certain challenges during the panel talk Wednesday. She talked about how she was the first African American woman with a PhD at her job at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division.
Solutions by The State News
