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In our Season Four Finale, we break down the surprising, inspiring and unexpected  delights that came out of Indiana in 2025 proving, once again, that you should never dismiss the Hoosier State.  We touch upon Indiana University Football, the Heisman Trophy Winner, and Democracy!  Joined by our guest and sound editor, Michael Miltenberger, we share our favorite things that impacted not only Indiana but, just maybe, the entire nation.   Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

There simply was not enough time for Colleen and Janice to ask Dr. Justin Garcia everything they wanted to know about sex!  But this conversation was a good start.  We cover the history and impact of the Kinsey Institute, sex research, sex in relationships, dating apps, sex education and a whole lot more.   ****This episode contains content that may not be suitable for all listeners.  Parental discretion is advised.**** Dr. Justin R. Garcia Dr. Justin R. Garcia is an evolutionary biologist and international authority on the science of sex and relationship. He is Executive Director & Senior Scientist at the KinseyInstitute, and Ruth Halls Professor of Gender Studies at Indiana University, where he is also Founding Co-Director of Human Sexuality and Health at the IU School of Medicine. Dr. Garcia is the Chief Scientific Advisor to Match.com, where he provides expertise to the annual Singles in America study. Dr. Garcia has consulted with a variety of industry partners and his research has been featured widely in the press. His research focuses on people’s romantic and sexual lives throughout the life course, especially on integrative biopsychosocial models of variation in courtship, intimacy, and sexual behavior. His forthcoming book is The Intimate Animal: The Science of Sex, Fidelity, and Why We Live for Love. 13:28 Dr. Garcia Introduction14:40 History and Mission21:00 Sex in Politics and Pop Culture28:30 Sex in Relationships33:09 Dating Apps43:34 Dick Picks50:15 Sex EducationFor more information about the Kinsey Institute:https://kinseyinstitute.org/   Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

Kurt Vonnegut, one of the greatest American writers of all time, was a Hoosier!  Colleen and Janice go deep into discussing the life and work of Vonnegut with special guest, Chris Lafave, curator for the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library.   Guest: Chris Lafave is the curator for the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, located in Indianapolis, Indiana.   Chris has been studying and speaking about Kurt Vonnegut for over a decade, and has spoken at book festivals, schools and prisons about Kurt's life story and his influence on American culture and our world.  Mr. Lafave has always been proud to represent an organization dedicated to maintaining the ideals and memory of a man novelist Jay McInerney once described as "a satirist with a heart, a moralist with a whoopee cushion."   14:09 Interview starts 15:15 Vonnegut history in Indiana 20:20 Education and early career 28:40 Vonnegut and social media 30:00 Vonnegut Museum and Library 39:22 First Amendment Advocacy  Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez  Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan, Janice V. Rodriguez, Michael Miltenberger  Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger  Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

Colleen, Janice and fellow co-producer, Michael Miltenberger, discuss some of their favorite unusual stories coming out of the Hoosier state.  Both current events and past mysteries are shared such as zebras and camels on the interstate, the Kokomo Hum and Pukwudgies.  Seriously, we are not making this stuff up.   Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

So it turns out many people really do write books in Indiana.  Bronwen Carlisle from Indiana Humanities joins Colleen and Janice to discuss the books and authors that everyone should have on their reading lists.  This is a great conversation that highlights another overlooked but significant fact about the Hoosier State...and it's damn entertaining too. Bronwen Carlisle, programs and special projects manager, manages a variety of Indiana Humanities’ literary programs, including the Indiana Authors Awards and its affiliated events. She also supports the organization with grant reporting, copy writing and project management. Bronwen holds master’s degrees in English literature and library science from IU Bloomington and a bachelor’s degree with majors in writing and literature from Huntington University (in her hometown of Huntington, Ind.). Her literary criticism has been published in several academic books and journals. She teaches adjunct literature courses for the HU English department and serves on the board of the Imagination Library of Johnson County. Additionally, Bronwen holds a certification in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) and has taught English in China, Thailand and the states.  Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez  Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan, Janice V. Rodriguez, Michael Miltenberger  Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger  Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

Before you fly over Indiana for the holidays, just listen to this episode.  Maybe you're missing something...?   Colleen and Janice reminisce about their past Hoosier holidays with nods to live nativity scenes, unstable ice skating rinks and time and a half.  Fortunately,  Kathleen Crews, Director of the Santa Claus Museum & Village and Melissa Arnold, Executive Director of the Spencer County Visitors Bureau, save the episode by explaining the true magic of Santa Claus, IN.  This episode is filled with delightful surprises about the  remarkable town featured on the Today Show, CBS Sunday Morning , CBS Evening News, Good Morning America, BBC and many news outlets across the country.  Who knows, you might even decide to be less naughty and more nice this holiday season?    Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez  Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez  Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger  Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

We know, it's been a while!  Colleen and Janice wrap up season three with their customary witty banter while offering very little useful information.   Join us as we defend our delayed season finale and provide updates from the past year.  Season 4 coming soon! Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

Indiana has been home to extraordinary women.  From actors and singers and writers to entrepreneurs and notable women from history, amazing women have been born and raised in Indiana (or if they spent a few years here - we're claiming them too!). One of these amazing Hoosier women, Christina Hale, worked her way through college as a proud single mother and served as a nonprofit executive for Kiwanis International, fulfilling a variety of roles that included chief communications officer and executive director for Kiwanis Youth Programs worldwide. A former state legislator for the Indiana General Assembly and the first Latina to run for statewide office in Indiana, Christina earned a reputation for bipartisanship and resolve. In 2021, Christina was appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration to head communications for the US International Development Finance Corporation. She continues to fight against sexual violence and advocate for youth and democracy. In her book, "Why Not You?", Hale shows why, no matter your age, now is the time to find your platform and pursue the vital causes that inspire you. Christina discusses the importance of positional leadership, how to channel a servant leader’s heart, and why it’s easier than you think to create your own path toward transformative change. With powerful stories of ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things, Why Not You? is an interactive guide that points you in the right direction and inspires you to say yes to your calling.  Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez  Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez  Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger  Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

In our second episode examining human rights in Indiana, Colleen and Janice discuss the events in the Indiana Statehouse and Supreme Court following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overrule Roe v. Wade.  State senator, J.D. Ford, provides context and detail to help us understand how Indiana became the first state to ban abortion after the fall of Roe v. Wade.    ***TRIGGER WARNING - This episode references sexual assault and may not be suitable for sensitive listeners.***    J.D. Ford - In 2018, the voters of Indiana Senate District 29 elected J.D. Ford to the Indiana Senate   Since then, he was elected as Minority Caucus Chair and appointed to serve as ranking member on a number of important committees, including Education, Veterans Affairs and Family and Children Services.    Senator Ford is the first, and so far only, openly LGBT+ member of the Indiana General Assembly. As one of the youngest members of the Indiana Senate, he is proud to represent Hoosier Millenials.    Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez  Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez  Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger  Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

In the first episode examining the state of  human rights in Indiana, Colleen and Janice discuss the history and politics of LGBTQ+ rights over the past decade with state senator, J.D. Ford. Interview starts: 16:31   J.D. Ford - In 2018, the voters of Indiana Senate District 29 elected J.D. Ford to the Indiana Senate   Since then, he was elected as Minority Caucus Chair and appointed to serve as ranking member on a number of important committees, including Education, Veterans Affairs and Family and Children Services. Senator Ford is the first, and so far only, openly LGBT+ member of the Indiana General Assembly. As one of the youngest members of the Indiana Senate, he is proud to represent Hoosier Millennials. Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

Is this "flyover" state worth a second look?  Colleen and Janice hope Hoosier photographer and entrepreneur, Joey Lax-Salinas, can convince them it is.  Lax-Salinas has changed the way Indiana appears on search engines by photographing and cataloging nearly every city and town across the entire State of Indiana (approximately 400 to date!).  With his extensive travel and knowledge of not only Indiana, but cities across the U.S., he seemed to be the most qualified for this task.   Joey Lax-Salinas is a traveling photographer and entrepreneur whose photos and videos have been featured on Good Morning America, World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer, The Weather Channel, CNN, Forbes.com, and USAToday.com.  He is a collegiate licensed photographer of Indiana University campus photos and the author of "Good Night, Indiana University", available on bookshelves in 2023.   17:07 Lax-Salinas interview begins  Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

Defending Indiana cuisine felt like a herculean task for Colleen and Janice.  Thankfully, acclaimed Hoosier chefs, Ambarish Lulay and Chris Pappas, stepped in to provide much needed insight.   Listen and learn all about food and the food scene in Indiana including: the "Indiana Banana" (the pawpaw), duck farms, mushrooms, burrata, lemon rice soup and the pork tenderloin.    Interview starts: 16:17 Ambarish Lulay is a Culinary Olympic Silver Medalist Chef who began his career in India with the 5-star Leela Beach, formerly the Four Seasons, in Goa and the 5-star Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay.  Since that time, Chef Lulay's has worked around the world including more recently as Chef de Cusine at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park and Executive Chef at Petco Park in San Diego (home of the San Diego Padres MLB team) He then went on to blend his global exposure to food with traditional French- Mediterranean methods and techniques to reflect current trends in food as the Chef Instructor at the Chicago Tribune 3-star Dining Room at his alma mater Kendall College in Chicago. Lulay went on to serve as the Department Chef at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Purdue University where he oversaw foodservice, operationally and academically at the Purdue campus while also serving as the chef for the president of the university.  .  As faculty, he also taught international Cuisine and Culture classes that study abroad each year. In 2018, Chef Lulay switched gears to join Scott Trzaskus as the executive chef at East End Grill in Lafayette, Indiana where he oversaw day-to-day culinary operations and worked with Scott to develop a new concept for Lafayette. Currently, Lulay is the Executive Chef for all dining operations at Cornell University and lives in Ithaca, NY with his wife Kim and child. Chris Pappas attended Purdue University, one of the top restaurant management schools in the country, and partook in some unforgettable internships during his time there. It was during this time that he fell in love with the kitchen and decided to continue his education in culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park New York). While in New York, Chris spent time at two Michelin-rated restaurants, including Per Se in New York City with Chef Thomas Keller, and was there presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at the world-renowned Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California with food activist Alice Waters. Chris’ entire outlook on life and food was transformed while working alongside some of the most brilliant minds and passionate individuals in the industry at Chez Panisse. Before leaving California Chris spent time in Napa Valley studying, tasting, and working with wine allowing him to achieve his first certification of The Court of Master Sommeliers. After completing his degree in New York, Chris returned home to Crown Point, IN, to the place where it all began, to relieve his father of his duties at their family-owned restaurant. Shortly after, he decided to open Provecho, a fine dining experience with a unique mixture of exquisite Latin American and Spanish culinary specialties, paired with expertly handcrafted drinks. Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

In this episode, Colleen and Janice want you to imagine watching a stunning sunset over the vast, blue seascape while feeling gentle breezes and sand between your toes.  Would you believe THIS is Indiana?!?!?!  It is and it can be enjoyed regularly at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.  Joined by Superintendent for the National Park Service, Paul Labovitz,  and founder of Dig the Dunes, Eve Wierzbicki, Colleen and Janice confirm there is a slice of paradise in Northwest Indiana.  Paul Labovitz started his National Park Service career in the Rivers & Trails Program and would go on to serve in Philadelphia, for the Midwest Regional Office at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, Voyageurs National Park and Mississippi National River & Recreation Area in Minnesota.  Paul has worked on park and protected area projects in over 25 states and in several European countries.  Now 26 years later, Paul serves as Superintendent at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.  Prior to working for the NPS, Paul was a Forester, Wildlife Biologist and Manager at a 10,000 private property in Southwestern Pennsylvania after earning a BS in Forest Science from The Pennsylvania State University.  He would later receive his MBA from Frostburg State University.  Paul serves as a strategist on the Urban National Park work group.  Their goal is to reach a new generation of National Park stewards.  He also serves as the Midwest Region's Superintendent Representative to the NPS Tourism Council.  Eve Wierzbicki started Dig the Dunes because of her love for the area. She began taking photos and posting them on Facebook and found that people really enjoyed seeing where she was every day. After watching her page grow, Eve started writing blog posts, created a website and added much more information for people to discover. Now she enjoys planning events and workshops and getting people out and about all year long. She’s excited to watch Dig the Dunes grow and looks forward to seeing what will happen next! 15:04 Paul Labovitz interview begins 42:10 Eve Wierzbicki interview begins Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

Colleen and Janice discuss true crime in Indiana with the founder of Cold Case Chronicles, a popular, Indiana-based cold case podcast.  Indiana has had its share of infamous crimes - many that have gone unsolved.  Join us as we learn more about how podcasts and citizen detectives are changing the landscape of crime solving.  Cold Case Chronicles is made up of four women from totally different backgrounds brought together for their desire to give exposure to lesser known cold cases.  Started in July 2019, the hosts recorded over 80 episodes dedicated to finding answers for families. Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter

Colleen and Janice share many laughs discussing sexy beverages, après ski and growing up in families who did and did not drink alcohol (can you guess which host grew up without?) Joining them for an interview and a lesson in Indiana bourbon is the man behind the wildly popular @indianabourbon Instagram page, Dirk Fentz.  Dirk Fentz is a bourbon enthusiast focused on bringing attention to Indiana spirits, Indiana farms, and Indiana families.  Find him on Instagram @indianabourbon and discover the wide variety of high-quality bourbons made in Indiana. Hosts: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Co-Producers: Colleen Brennan and Janice V. Rodriguez Theme Music: Michael Miltenberger Sound Editing: Michael Miltenberger Stay in Touch with Defending Indiana [email protected] Defending Indiana Website Defending Indiana on Facebook Defending Indiana on Instagram Defending Indiana on Twitter