Ball State Daily News Vol. 103 Issue: 15

DAILY NEWS

Ball State athletics staff, alumni, supporters and athletes speak on the generational problem with attendance and fandom. 05 MYA CATALINE, DN PHOTO; BRENDEN ROWAN, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

11.30.2023

ballstatedailynews.com

@bsudailynews

DNNews

11.30.23

02

Did you miss it? Catch up on the news from Nov. 27-Dec. 3 and take a look at upcoming events...

BallStateDailyNews.com Trump plans to replace ‘Obamacare’

ALEX BRANDON, AP PHOTO, PHOTO COURTESY

Nov. 27: Former President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he would pick up his fight over the Affordable Care Act after failing to repeal it during his first term in the White House and is “seriously looking at alternatives.” Trump’s comments drew a response from Democratic Joe Biden’s campaign, which case it as another “extremist” proposal from the GOP front-runner.

AP: Lawmaker moves to force Santos vote Nov. 28: Rep. Robert Garcia

(D-California) moved to force a vote this week on expelling Rep. George Santos (R-New York) from the House, calling it a necessary step if House Republicans do not take action following the recent ethics report that found Santos stole money from his campaign. Expelling Santos would require support from at least two-thirds of House members voting.

Ball State heads north for Minnesota Invite

Ball State travels to face Saint Louis

women’s swim and dive are on the road as the Cardinals participate in the Minnesota Invite in Minneapolis.

The red and white are currently undefeated (3-0) in competitions and are coming off of a first place finish at the House of Champions Invite. The invite will start at 10 a.m. Nov. 29.

basketball will hit the road as they travel to St. Louis to take on Saint Louis University in the Cardinals’ third road game of the season. The Billikens come into the contest with a 4-3 record. Ball State looks to rebound from its Nov. 24 90-59 loss to Notre Dame. The game will start at 2 p.m. Dec. 3.

Dec. 2: Ball State men and

Dec. 3: Ball State women’s

Follow the DN socials

4-DAY WEATHER

FORECAST Hope Kleitsch, Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MOSTLY SUNNY

RAIN SHOWERS

MOSTLY CLOUDY

SCATTERED SHOWERS

Hi: 54º Lo: 42º

Hi: 48º Lo: 41º

Hi: 49º Lo: 39º

Hi: 53º Lo: 37º

THIS WEEK: Chances for rain showers will continue, with a few scattered flurries possible in the mix, especially at night.

Conditions will start to brighten by the end of the week.

Temperatures will moderate in the mid-to-upper 40s with lows hovering around the freezing mark.

START CHECKING, FROM DAY ONE.

MYA CATALINE, DN

VOL. 103 ISSUE: 15 CONTACT THE DN Newsroom: 765-285-8245 Editor: 765-285-8249, editor@bsudailynews.com

The Ball State Daily News (USPS-144-360), the Ball State student newspaper, is published Thursdays during the academic year except for during semester and summer breaks. The Daily News is supported in part by an allocation from the General Fund of the university and is available free to students at various campus locations.

EDITORIAL BOARD Daniel Kehn, Editor-in-chief Kyle Smedley, Print Managing Editor, Co-Sports Editor Olivia Ground, Digital Managing Editor Grayson Joslin, Director of Recruitment Elijah Poe, Co-Sports Editor Zach Carter, Associate Sports Editor Hannah Amos, Lifestyles Editor Ella Howell, Associate Lifestyles Editor and Copy Editor Kate Farr, Opinion Editor Elaine Ulsh, Associate Opinion Editor Jacob Boissy, Video Editor Brisa Porter, Associate Video Editor

Emma Plank, Associate Social Media Editor Mya Cataline, Photo Editor Andrew Berger, Associate Photo Editor Meghan Holt, Visual Editor Jessica Bergfors, Visual Editor Lisa Renze-Rhodes, Adviser TO ADVERTISE • (765) 285-8256 or dailynewsads@bsu.edu • Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri. • ballstatedaily.com/advertise TO SUBSCRIBE Call 765-285-8134 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mon. -Fri. Subscription rates: $45 for one year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Daily News, AJ278, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306 JOIN THE DAILY NEWS Stop by room 278 in the Art and Journalism Building.

All undergraduate majors accepted and no prior experience is necessary.

CORRECTION

In the Nov. 16 edition of the Ball State Daily News, Meghan Holt designed the data visualization on page two. On page 10, the person attributed as “Seth Davis” is actually Seth Ravenna.

To submit a correction, email editor@bsudailynews.com.

Waking Up with Cardinal Weather is Ball State University’s first and only morning mobile show focused on getting your ready for the day through local news, weather and lifestyle trends. Waking Up with Cardinal Weather airs every Friday morning at 8 a.m. at @cardinalwx live on Facebook.

DNNews

11.30.23

A HEAD START High school students can receive up to 30 Indiana College Core credits through Ball State’s dual credit program.

03

Campus

CAP student selected for LAF Scholarship Fourth-year landscape architecture major Anaya Marshall has been selected for the Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF) Ignite scholarship program. Marshall is one of five students nationwide to be selected for the second cohort of LAF Ignite. The cohort is a multiyear program for students of color that provides an annual $10,000 scholarship and an annual paid summer internship.

Campus

Teacher’s College awarded grant Ball State University’s Teachers College has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon to work with universities in Cameroon and Central Africa, according to the university. The project will provide innovative in-person workshops for faculty members in Cameroon.

Indiana Academy junior Ella Robinson (left) and sophomore Ayesha Khan (right) attend a dual credit class Nov. 17 at the Indiana Academy. Robinson says that dual credit classes offered from Ball State make her secondary education dreams more achievable. OLIVIA GROUND, DN Meghan Braddy Reporter Imagine you could complete 30 hours of college credit before ever graduating high school.

To some, it might seem like an unimaginable concept on top of the workload they already have to satisfy their current academic requirements.

To others, it’s a chance to possibly graduate from college early and either get a headstart on their careers or embark on a higher education.

With the addition of the Indiana College Core (ICC) to its dual credit program, Ball State University has made this opportunity a reality for several high school students.

The dual credit program has been around since about 1997, allowing high school students to take

Students can use their college credit to earn a bachelor’s degree in less time…pursue a double or triple major, join research labs with professors, and work on a master’s or doctorate earlier than they would.”

- DAIN KAVARS, Indiana Academy’s Executive Director

college classes through Ball State in person with their teachers or online with actual professors while also completing their academic requirements for high school. The ICC curriculum was added to the program this past fall, allowing students to earn up to 30 credits for their eventual college diploma James Hendrix, the assistant director for high school and state-wide initiatives at Ball State, said that while the ICC has many benefits for students in the dual credit program, one of the main ones is to increase college graduation rates.

Indiana’s college-going rate has steadily declined since about 2015. The most recent data from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education shows that only about 59% of Indiana high school students graduate who pursue some type of higher education.

4See HEAD START, 14

Campus

Jennifer Mearns named to board The first lady of Ball State University has been named to the board of directors for Indiana Humanities, a statewide nonprofit organization.

The organization provides grants to spotlight humanities organizations and activities while creating programs to help Hoosiers think, read and talk. Indiana Humanities is governed by a volunteer board of Indiana educators and business and community leaders.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: AP: SUSPECT IN UVA SHOOTING PLEADS NOT GUILTY.

DNNews

11.30.23

04

‘The Best Hidden Secret’

After two decades of funding projects and programs at Ball State, Women of Beneficence receives state honor.

Grayson Joslin Director of Recruitment When Beth Williams heard there was a group of female Ball State University alumni coming together to create a philanthropic group to support university projects in 2002, she was immediately interested in the opportunity.

These alumni were originally influenced by the Washington Women’s Foundation, a collective group of women across Washington who put together their money to fund organizations and nonprofits.

Williams then became one of the founding members of Discovery, which now goes by the name Women of Beneficence. She believes the greatest thing this group does is give students new opportunities and give women the opportunity to give back to Ball State.

“I feel like I was directing the spending of my money,” she said.

The organization, which has now grown to about 80 active members, has funded immersive learning projects and programs at Ball State for more than two decades, while also providing women an opportunity to network and give back.

Joann Davis, a member of the group’s Board of Directors, first joined Women of Beneficence when someone from the Ball State University Foundation told her about the group. After joining, Davis realized the group was a special experience and pointed to the networking opportunities as an example.

able to direct funds and be able to give grants to various projects. As a fellow member of the board of directors, she is grateful the money she donates is given to places that make the most impact.

“They make the gift giving very personal, and you’re involved every step of the way with where that money goes,” Blecher said.

Female alumni of Ball State are not the only people who can join Women of Beneficence. Also included in the organization are spouses of alumni, faculty members and other community leaders.

“You just have to have a love for Ball State,” Blecher said.

Davis said during the most recent application process, there were 12 grant applications. The grant applications were then narrowed down, which were then decided during the group’s annual meeting. The group tries to select and fund projects based on the benefit of not only Ball State students but also the overarching communities as well.

Over the previous few years, correlating with Geoffery Mearns’ tenure as president of Ball State, Women of Beneficence has shifted its focus more to align with the Beneficence Pledge.

Projects such as a high-altitude atmospheric balloon launch, a student farm and a dysphagia clinic have all been funded through Women of Beneficence grants.

One of the 2023 grants was given to a virtual reality courtroom facilitated by Brandy Rocheleau, assistant teaching professor of criminal justice and criminology. She noticed the process of criminal law could be difficult for students because most of it happens behind closed doors.

I’m so enthused to know that there are so many people out there that are so passionate about Ball State and Beneficence to the point where they’re willing to be so generous to fund a project like this,” - BRANDY ROCHELEAU, Assistant teaching professor of criminal justice and criminology

“These younger women coming out of Ball State have a chance to network with philanthropists,” Davis said. “This is a stepping stone for them.”

However, the primary focus of Women of Beneficence is to give grants to various educational programs. Women of Beneficence has given over $1 million over the past two decades to various immersive learning projects.

What made the group stand out in the mind of Karen Blecher was that the group of women was

“Even if they go to court, they’re only seeing bits and pieces of what’s actually going on,” Rocheleau said.

This led Rocheleau to apply for a Women of Beneficence grant for a virtual courtroom so her students could understand the criminal court setting and also develop empathy for people who are going through the legal process.

Rocheleau’s virtual courtroom was one of three projects funded by Women of Beneficence for

Members of Ball State Women of Beneficence pose for a photo with their Outstanding Philanthropy Group Award Nov. 15 at the Indiana Philanthropy Awards in Indianapolis. Women of Beneficence is the first college organization to win the award since Indiana University Dance Marathon in 2006. BALL STATE WOMEN OF BENEFICENCE, PHOTO PROVIDED 2023; the virtual courtroom was given a grant of $22,846. The virtual courtroom was developed and designed by the on-campus Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts Lab (IDIA Lab). The online program includes various courtrooms, which include models of jurors. One of the courtrooms included is the United States Supreme Court, which includes models of all nine current Supreme Court justices.

Rocheleau said throughout the process of the virtual courtroom coming to life, members of Women of Beneficence have been kind and supportive of the project. She added with each update she provides them, the group responds with enthusiasm.

“I really found that they live up to that name,” Rocheleau said. “I’m so enthused to know that there are so many people out there that are so passionate about Ball State and Beneficence to the point where they’re willing to be so generous to fund a project like this.”

Because of their service of philanthropy to the

Ball State community, Women of Beneficence has been awarded the Outstanding Philanthropy Group award from the Indiana chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Blecher said she is grateful for the recognition the organization is getting.

“I felt like we’ve been the best hidden secret [at Ball State],” Blecher said. “We’ve been this little gem that nobody has discovered until now.”

One lesson Davis learned while being a member of Women of Beneficence is by uniting for a common goal, many positive things can happen, from funding projects to getting to meet other likeminded women.

“It’s very fulfilling to spend a day in January [going over these proposals],” Davis said. “There are a lot of opportunities for women to meet other women who have the same kind of mission.”

Contact Grayson Joslin with comments at Grayson.joslin@bsu.edu or on X @ GraysonMJoslin.

DNSports

11.30.23

Despite a concerted effort toward improving attendance for Ball State athletics, the issue persists.

05

Women’s Volleyball

Ball State to play in first round of NIVC The Cardinals will travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to take on Middle Tennessee State University.

The game will be the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. This is the 13th overall NIVC and the sixth in this format. The Blue Raiders enter with a 20-9 record. The first serve will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 30.

Track and Field

Cardinals start season at Saginaw Valley Ball State will kick off its 2023 campaign at the Saginaw Valley Holiday Open in Saginaw, Michigan Dec. 1. The season starts indoors and will run through the beginning of March at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The meet will begin at 3 p.m.

Ball State’s offense prepares to snap the ball against Kent State Nov. 18 at Scheumann Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Golden Flashes 34-3. MYA CATALINE, DN Kyle Smedley Print Managing Editor and Co-Sports Editor Ben Carr said he grew up a Purdue University fan.

A Zionsville native, Carr said he regularly attended basketball games at Mackey Arena and football games at Ross-Ade Stadium with consistently packed crowds.

Shortly after he enrolled at Ball State University in 2022, he was disappointed by the lack of fan support.

So, Carr came up with the idea for Cardinal Chaos during the first semester of his freshman year, presenting it to the former head of athletics marketing, Shawn Sullivan. Carr based much of his idea on Dayton University’s Red Scare, a similar student-led fan engagement group at a university similar in size to Ball State.

After Sullivan left Ball State in early 2023, Matt Brown, the director of ticket services, picked up Carr’s idea and started to get the ball rolling.

Eventually, the idea was passed to Sullivan’s replacement, Kevin Mullaney, who finally got

Cardinal Chaos off the ground at the start of the 2023 semester and Carr’s sophomore year.

Michael Lewis, men’s basketball’s head coach, has been the most outspoken about bringing more Ball State fans to Worthen Arena. He consistently ran promotions for ticket vouchers granting free hot dogs, pizza or beer to the first number of fans to come to a home Cardinals contest last season and has continued it into his second season.

Lewis even took on the unofficial title of “Campus Party Planner” and has carried that over to his second season as coach. Jeff Mitchell, Ball State’s new Director of Athletics, wants to continue to support people like Carr and Lewis in their efforts to increase attendance.

On Mitchell’s first day at Ball State back in April, he stood on the floor in Worthen Arena looking at approximately 11,500 empty seats. Since he arrived in Muncie, Ball State’s 15th director of athletics has made it a point of emphasis to fill those seats.

He started by piggybacking off men’s basketball head coach Michael Lewis’ efforts to increase attendance, which resulted in average attendance

rates at Worthen Arena jumping from 3,203 per game in 2021-22 to 4152 per game in 2022-23. The first of many ideas to come to fruition since Mitchell’s takeover was born: sell courtside seats at Worthen, something that had never been done before.

Mitchell said once tickets went on sale before the men’s and women’s basketball season started in fall 2023, courtside seats sold out almost immediately.

However, a problem with attendance still exists on a larger scale across Ball State athletics.

The highest reported attendance for a football game at Scheumann Stadium this season was 15,171, a far cry from the estimated 22,500-fan capacity. The most fans Ball State football has hosted in the past decade was 18,329 during a family weekend contest against Toledo in 2013.

“We have to act now,” Mitchell said. “We are offering an entertainment option for Muncie and East Central Indiana, we’ve got to tell that story better.

“We have to perform better, we have to recruit better and we have to sell Ball State in a different way.”

4See ACT NOW, 05

Football

7 football players listed for All-MAC Ball State football had seven players named to the All-MAC honor list after the 2023 season. Junior offensive lineman Corey Stewart and senior outside linebacker Sidney Houston Jr. made the All-MAC first-team.

Redshirt junior running back Marquez Cooper and redshirt senior linebacker Cole Pearce made the second team.

Third-team selections were redshirt senior offensive tackle Damon Kaylor, sophomore tight end Tanner Koziol and junior punter Lucas Borrow.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: BALL STATE FOOTBALL STICKING WITH HEAD COACH MIKE NEU

DNSports

06

11.30.23

ACT NOW Continued from Page 5

5 0

8

5

3

5

I don’t think anybody should ever lose hope. I do think it would make [Muncie] a better place to live and work and go to school if you had that kind of symmetry.”

- PETE LEMBO, Former Ball State football head coach

13

13

Northern Illinois

Toledo

23

17

Toledo

15

Bowling Green

Miami Miami (OH)

Central Michigan

Because of this, he doesn’t think many of Ball State’s students grew up as fans of the Cardinals, even if they were from Indiana. Instead, they’d likely choose to support universities like Notre Dame or Indiana.

Despite being a Muncie native, Miller didn’t feel like this was a valid excuse for low attendance.

“Everybody’s from somewhere,” Miller said.

“But that doesn’t mean people can’t go watch their teams at the college they’re at. We gotta have a product that people want to see.”

However, during games like the 2013 contest against Toledo that saw nearly 19,000 fans pack Scheumann Stadium, Lembo said the increased attendance during winning seasons certainly helped appeal to recruits.

“I tried to create a culture where everyone felt like we were in it together and that the success of the town and the success of the university and the athletic program were all tied together,” Lembo said. “You’re fighting a lot of history there.”

Although Mitchell and past athletic directors have been on board with encouraging students and the Muncie community to attend more games, Lembo said it was difficult for the athletic department to

14

Buffalo

10

17 Kent State

15

Ball State

20

Akron

25

Eastern Michigan

Western Michigan

The root of the problem Mitchell believes every university the size of Ball State struggles with consistent attendance. However, more than half of the schools in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) average higher attendance numbers at home football games. Only two of the 12 host cities have a larger population than Muncie.

Greg Miller, a former men’s basketball player on the 1990 Sweet 16 team, posed the question: What is the fans’ reason to be there?

Miller’s son, Riley, played for the football program from 2015-19. As a parent, Miller said he looked for positive momentum when finding reasons to go to sports outside of football; how the players interacted with each other, win or lose. He feels like the men’s basketball team has that right now.

“I want to watch something with momentum, something rolling down the tracks at a high speed,” Miller said. “Winning has a lot to do with bringing people in. They want to be a part of it.”

That was something former Ball State football head coach Pete Lembo said was hard to do consistently during his 2011-15 tenure. Lembo was on the sidelines for the Cardinals’ highestattended game in more than 10 years, but it was in the midst of a 10-3 season.

Lembo said he feels like being the head coach for Ball State football is one of the most challenging jobs in the MAC. That’s why the Cardinals are on their sixth coach in the past 30 years, and none of them have more than two winning seasons.

During that three-decade span, Ball State has only had eight winning seasons, ranking eighth in the MAC. Part of the struggle of piecing together a consistent winning culture came down to recruiting, Lembo said.

“A kid has got to pass by three or four MAC schools in Ohio before he comes to Ball State,” Lembo said. “The same could be true of a kid up in Michigan or perhaps in Chicago.”

6

Winning Seasons in MAC Football since 1993

BRENDEN ROWAN, DN DESIGN

Fans sit to watch Ball State football play against Kent State Nov. 18 at Scheumann Stadium. MYA CATALINE, DN get ideas rolling with the constant turnover in the athletic director’s (AD) chair. During his six seasons as head coach of the Cardinals, Lembo worked under three different ADs: Tom Collins (2005-12), Bill Scholl (2012-15), Mark Sandy (2015-18).

Mitchell took over in early 2023 after Beth Goetz (2018-22) left for the University of Iowa and is the seventh Ball State AD since 2000.

Alternative perspectives Julie Cromer, director of athletics for Ohio University since 2019, said the football program’s consistent winning has helped her and the entire athletic department consistently keep the ball rolling on ideas to allow fans to enjoy the overall gameday experience, regardless of the result. Ohio has had 14 winning seasons in the past 30 years.

She said the department encourages fans to come into Athens, Ohio, and go to a local farmer’s market, grab lunch just two blocks away from the stadium and go to a tailgate event before the game even starts.

Some other things Cromer considers when it comes to marketing for higher attendance at home games include local gas prices, ticket prices, prices of other entertainment options in the area, strength of schedule and more. Cromer said Ohio has not raised ticket prices of their sporting events even in the midst of current economic inflation.

“I don’t want to overextend a family of four, because they’re facing increases across every part of their gameday experience,” Cromer said.

Ohio’s football tickets are $34 online and $40 at the ticket office on game day. Ball State football’s range from $10-27 in advance, fees not included, whereas gameday tickets range from $10-30.

Ohio, similar to Ball State, only sells tickets for football, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and wrestling. However, Cromer said the department is looking into potentially ticketing its Olympic sports such as swimming/diving and track/field.

Carr said Cardinal Chaos is only technically “required” to attend ticketed sports like football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball and gymnastics. However,

The hope is that we start building up a culture where fans are willing to come out to these events, and I think that brings the university closer as a whole.”

- BEN CARR, Cardinal Chaos founder

they try to attend every sport they can and those sports, such as field hockey, have expressed gratitude for their support.

“It’s not just six sports, it’s athletics as a whole.

You look at places like IU; they have 24 varsity sports, and they get people to come out to all of them,” Carr said. “The hope is that we start building up a culture where fans are willing to come out to these events, and I think that brings the university closer as a whole.”

Emma Hilton, Ball State field hockey junior, said most of the only people who come to her team’s games are partners, friends or family members of teammates. However, attendance at sporting events at Ball State has actually been larger than she expected.

In the one field hockey match Cardinal Chaos attended, Hilton scored the game-winning goal against IU. “Having the support from a lot of people in the stands, getting that energy, is huge,” Hilton said.

“If energy shifts in the wrong direction, things can really take a turn.”

4See ACT NOW, 08

SPEND TOO MUCH AT MUG CLUB AND

CAN'T AFFORD YOUR RENT? we can't help you budget your nights out, but we can help you start looking for a new place. we know how difficult it can be to find the ideal place to live. That's why we feature dozens of housing providers within Muncie, so you can view all of your options in one place. Our goal is to help you find a home that's right for you!

For more information, visit our website: www.ballstatehousing.com/housing

DNSports

11.30.23

08

Fans sit to watch Ball State women’s basketball play against Northern Iowa Nov. 18 at Worthen Arena. MYA CATALINE, DN

ACT NOW Continued from Page 6

While she has recognized the efforts Ball State Athletics is putting forward to increase attendance at ticketed events – even saying the increased promotion for sports like women’s volleyball has driven her and some of her roommates to attend more games – she thinks the department should expand things like giveaways to non-ticketed events such as field hockey. She said increased attendance at such events would increase awareness for an undercovered sport in the Midwest.

“I think people being able to see something they aren’t familiar with is really beneficial,” Hilton said.

Lembo said there is no doubt fan support gives players extra motivation.

Even when the University of South Carolina, where he currently serves as associate head coach, has a down year, the GameCocks still see around 40,000 fans for their spring exhibition game and nearly sell out Williams-Brice Stadium for each home game.

“I remember doing Cardinal walks in front of 200 or 300 people; We do our GameCock walks here in front of 10,000 people,” Lembo said.

Nyla Hampton, a junior women’s basketball player, spoke about the value of crowd energy.

“It fuels you in every step you take,” Hampton said.

Hampton transferred to the program from MAC-rival Bowling Green. During her three seasons with the Falcons, Hampton played at Worthen Arena three times.

Hampton acknowledged women’s basketball rarely gets the same attention or attendance as men’s, but said it isn’t a “sore spot” because she has never known anything else.

However, she still wants to try and change that narrative.

“If we can get them here, I think it’ll be like, ‘This is a really fun group [that is] really fun to watch,’” Hampton said. “Getting them to their first game is the biggest step to get ourselves out in the

community being seen and connected.”

Miller wants to see more players make efforts off the court to get fellow students to come to games.

Though he acknowledged the potential struggles of a first-year or transfer player in building community, Miller wondered if players are making relationships with classmates to see if a friendship can be kindled and perhaps bring them to a game.

“Players are young, and they want to see people in the stands,” Miller said. “They want to hear that noise.”

Hampton said when she was a student at Bowling Green, she encouraged classmates to come support the Falcons the next time they had a home game.

Even during her short time at Ball State, she has started to do the same.

Charlie Cardinal during Ball State women’s basketball game against Northern Iowa Nov. 18 at Worthen Arena. MYA CATALINE, DN problem at Ball State. He said it depends on what each fan is looking for. He finds that Ball State does a good job of promoting players and promoting teams, yet he doesn’t know if it’s a two-way street.

“I think the tradition comes from who’s in the jersey,” Miller said.

Despite his reasoning for why he believes Ball State struggles with consistently getting high attendance, Lembo feels like there is light at the end of the tunnel with the efforts Ball State currently has in place.

“I don’t think anybody should ever lose hope,” Lembo said. “I do think it would make it a better place to live and work and go to school if you had that kind of symmetry.”

We have to act now. We are offering an entertainment option for Muncie and East Central Indiana, we’ve got to tell that story better.”

- JEFF MITCHELL, Ball State University’s Director of Athletics

“I haven’t come across a single person that hasn’t been open to coming and watching,” Hampton said.

Cromer said Ohio does a lot of marketing via social media or email, similarly to Ball State. Those who sign up for emails may receive gameday promotion leading up to home events. That said, ticketed sports do have more funding going into the marketing than non-ticketed sports.

Moving forward Carr said he hasn’t noticed a lot of tradition between Ball State Athletics and the university’s students. However, he wants to build that up through Cardinal Chaos.

“It’s basically creating an environment that’s fun and welcoming for students that maybe we haven’t had in the past,” Carr said.

Conversely, Miller doesn’t feel like tradition is a

Mitchell said part of the struggle with getting people to attend sporting events more regularly is the emergence of a seemingly “saturated” entertainment market, especially with Muncie having the thirdlargest population in the MAC with more than 65,000. While Athens has the fourth-lowest population in the MAC at just more than 24,000, it is one of the largest in its area of the state. In that sense, the university serves as not only the center of Athens but the center of the entire region.

This actually allows for better community engagement than perhaps in larger cities like Muncie or Kalamazoo, which have more things to offer to the community in terms of entertainment.

Cromer does credit some of Ohio’s strong attendance to the athletic department’s strong sense of winning and tradition. The football team has only lost one home game over the past two seasons,

and does more than just promote family weekend and homecoming; Ohio hosts a dad’s weekend and a high school marching band day as well.

“Team culture, winning culture and learning how to win is something that we’re all teaching as part of the student-athlete experience regardless of whether or not we’re selling tickets,” Cromer said.

Mitchell drew on his experience at Southern Mississippi (Sun-Belt Conference) and Santa Clara (West Coast Conference) to prove improved attendance and successful athletic culture is attainable at the mid-major level, whether its programs are consistently winning or not.

Hattiesburg, Mississippi, has a population of nearly 49,000, significantly less than Muncie, yet in Mitchell’s final full-year at Southern Miss, the football program averaged 23,259 fans per home game with a 3-9 record, playing at M.M. Roberts Stadium with a capacity of 36,000. However, Southern Miss has had 24 winning seasons in the past 30 years.

While Ball State football averaged just 10,772 fans per game in 2023, down nearly 1,000 from 2022’s average of 11,637 Mitchell didn’t say these declining numbers have a negative effect on Ball State athletics’ fiscal bottom line. However, he recognized improvement needs to be made.

“What I won’t give up on is creating the environment that is going to be enjoyable for fans and the other experiences that go along with it,” Mitchell said. “I’m willing to be stubborn and do things over and over again to create this atmosphere.”

Mitchell said the marketing team’s focus is on ensuring that a two-year-old and a 92-year-old could get the same enjoyment out of attending a Ball State sporting event. That said, he recognized the most accessible market to athletics’ push for higher attendance is the students in Muncie.

“It’s a missed opportunity if you don’t partake,” Mitchell said. “Students can develop a really significant foundation if they get involved while on campus, and one of the ways to do that is to go to sporting events.”

Contact Kyle Smedley with comments via email at kyle.smedley@bsu.edu or on X @KyleSmedley_.

DNLife

11.30.23

09

Community

Muncie Civic Theatre “White Christmas,” based on the Irving Berlin’s 1954 movie, will be performed on Civic’s mainstage.

The PG show will be performed Dec. 8-10, 14-17 and 20-23.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday shows will be at 7:30 p.m. and the Saturday and Sunday shows are at 2:30 p.m. The Dec. 17 show will be captioned. All performances have reserved seating, with tickets available at Civic’s website.

Campus

Tuba Christmas “Unwrap the Joy of Deep Brass Delight!” Students of Matthew Lyon, associate professor of tuba and euphonium at Ball State, are performing at Sursa Performance Hall on Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public. The concert is scheduled to end at 2:30 p.m., and attendees can park in the McKinley Avenue parking garage for free on weekends.

Community

Minnetrista Family Workshop

MEGHAN HOLT, DN ILLUSTRATION

Vintage clothing has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. 10

Second-year fashion major Patrick Phillips poses wearing vintage clothing in their colorfully decorated room Nov. 27 in Park Hall. ANDREW BERGER, DN

For $38 on Dec. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. a family can build and decorate a gingerbread house. The supplies are provided. Cookies and hot cocoa will be served throughout the event, and Gingy, the gingerbread man, will make an apperance. Member discounts do apply. Registration for the event is available on the Minnetrista website.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: EQUESTRIAN CLUB WELCOMES MEMBERS OF ALL SKILL LEVELS

DNLife

11.30.23

10

Vintage has become increasingly popular recently, with many customizing their personal styles using it as a foundation.

Scarlet Gallagher Reporter Long mirror? Check. Phone? Check. Outfit of the day? Check. Everything was ready to go.

Patrick Phillips posed in front of the mirror, snapped a photo and uploaded the day’s “fit check” with its signature swirl and star emojis to their social media. These emojis are Phillips’ favorites.

They said the swirl reminds them of the ’80s and ’90s, and the star is a representation of aesthetics and good fortune.

They first started posting “fit checks” for personal enjoyment, saying they like to show people what they’re wearing, but Phillips also wants to encourage others to embrace being different and express themselves.

“I like helping people and motivating people,” Phillips said. “I remember one time I was in North [Dining], and somebody came up to me and was like, ‘Yo, look at this shirt. You’re the reason why I’m wearing this. You gave me the confidence to wear this shirt.’ And I felt really good. I’m like, ‘That’s what my intentions are. I want you to feel comfortable being yourself.’”

Phillips, a second-year fashion major, first got into vintage fashion back in their senior year of high school after dressing up for Throwback Thursday with their friend in ’80s outfits.

“I remember that day, I looked in the mirror, and I was like, ‘I’m really digging this style,’” Phillips said.

Beginning to wear vintage clothing was a gradual process for them, and it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic hit that they began to do a lot of research on the style. After that, Phillips began wearing ’80s and ’90s outfits all the time, thrifting the majority of their clothes.

“Even if I get new clothes, I will want it to mimic a style or a trend from back in the ’90s and ’80s that I can use for one of those outfits,” Phillips said.

Second-year fashion major Patrick Phillips poses wearing vintage clothing Sept. 8. PATRICK PHILLIPS, PHOTO PROVIDED

They have favorite trends from each decade, citing acid wash and neon colors as their pick for the ’80s, and baggy clothes for the ’90s.

“Baggy clothes are my go-to,” Phillips said. “I watch this guy, and he says a phrase that I live by all the time: ‘If it isn’t baggy, it isn’t swaggy.’ I go by that all the time.”

They would describe their personal style as ’80s and ’90s with a little twist.

“Because I’m a nonbinary person, I like to not really think of gender when it comes to clothes,” Phillips said. “So I’ll go, say, from the women’s section and wear a women’s shirt or women’s pants and kind of make a women’s fit but add some men’s stuff in there and add my own twist to it. It’s still vintage, it’s just, back then I probably wouldn’t have been able to get away with doing this, but now I can.”

Vintage style has seen an increase in popularity over the last few years. Many people have embraced the style, some wearing it every day, others only on occasion.

Avery Gilbert, a fourth-year theatre education major, loves vintage style but also likes to experiment with different styles as well.

“Sometimes, I’ll dress more contemporary, sometimes I’ll go into the alt. field, but right now, [vintage] is generally my vibe,” Gilbert said.

One of the reasons he likes vintage clothing is he feels the clothing quality is much better than new clothing is today. He also feels that style was more refined in the past.

“Now that I’m able to really get into dressing up, and things of that sort, I like to look back and be like, ‘These pieces were just so fire, I wanna try a style like that,’” Gilbert said.

One of the places he finds inspiration is from his grandma, whose style he admired.

“I have this red pantsuit that I got from my grandma from the ’80s and it has pearls on it,” Gilbert said. “It’s very beautiful, I used it for my Halloween costume. It’s important to me, because one, it’s a vintage ’80s pantsuit, you don’t really find those that often, but also because it’s a connection with my grandma.”

Today’s vintage style bridges the gap between the past and the present. Gilbert and Phillips both enjoy creating their own version of vintage, exploring what the heart of the style is.

“I feel like when it comes to retro style, there’s always ways that you can refine it to make it new and make it your own,” Gilbert said. “So I feel like this new wave of everybody dressing in vintage clothing really is amazing. Plus, fast fashion is ruining the world, so the more that you shop vintage, the better it is for the environment.”

Phillips recommends in-person thrifting as it tends to be less expensive than online thrifting.

There are many thrift shops and vintage stores that are serving this passion for vintage and a return to past styles, including Attic Window, Well Made Vintage, St. Vincent de Paul and Lily’s Labyrinth in Muncie.

Second-year fashion major Patrick Phillips flashes their outfit for a photo Nov. 27 at Park Hall. ANDREW BERGER, DN Lily Brannon, the owner of Lily’s Labyrinth, opened her shop because she loved thrifting and wanted to make it her job. She had always gone thrifting but didn’t start getting into vintage until she started her shop. Her favorite vintage styles are ’90s and Y2K, but she doesn’t limit herself to one style.

“I will wear anything from any style, any era,” Brannon said. “I change it up all the time, but I like colorful styles and unique-looking things.”

Along with vintage clothes, she also sells all kinds of vintage accessories from hats to jewelry, and her store has a record player playing music.

The popularity of vintage clothing has been accompanied by an interest in vintage music and culture. Phillips listens to a lot of ’80s and ’90s rap and R&B, and Brannon enjoys old rock music. Its clear interest in the past is still present today.

“As far as my every day goes, I couldn’t really see myself dressing any other way besides ’80s or ’90s,” Phillips said.

Contact Scarlet Gallagher with comments or questions at samantha.gallagher@bsu.edu.

Clothing hangs from racks Nov. 15 in a corner of Lily’s Labyrinth thrift store in Muncie, Indiana. There are all kinds of clothes and accessories available for purchase.

SCARLET GALLAGHER, DN

PASSING THE

11 11.30.23

DNLife

TORCH White and Rymer’s Bushido Karate instructors discuss the dojo’s lineage history, philosophy and issues they help students manage and more.

Zach Gonzalez Reporter White and Rymer’s Bushido Karate instructors train numerous students who need not just instruction on how to defend themselves, but help navigating their own life. Chief instructor and owner Richard Rymer mentions many students start training at the dojo due to harassment surrounding Muncie Community Schools he describes as an epidemic.

As an eighth-degree black belt under the lineage of his recently retired instructor, Ron White, Richard teaches people experiencing bullying both martial arts and confidence. The caring discipline he received from White encourages Richard to provide generations younger than him

the instruction they need as Richard did when he was their age.

“As early as my teens, I knew this was important to give to the next because I see kids when they come in, they have the same look in their eye I did,” Richard said. “They become a part of our family and that grew from that absence I had in my life that needed [to be] filled to now it’s my turn to be able to do that as well for somebody else.”

While not every student enters the dojo because of a troubling personal life, Richard indicates that’s the case for most.

“For a lot of kids that come in here, it’s not a game; it’s not a hobby; they’re coming here because this is a last resort,” Richard said.

Beyond bullying, Richard and assistant instructor Brayden Rymer said other students of

Master Richard Rymer teaches his students karate stances during a class Nov. 28 at White and Rymer Bushido Dojo.

ANDREW BERGER, DN

Master Richard Rymer of White and Rymer Bushido Dojo works with one of his students Nov. 28. ANDREW BERGER, DN

For a lot of kids that come in here, it’s not a game; it’s not a hobby; they’re coming here because this is a last resort,” - RICHARD RYMER, White and Rymer’s Bushido Karate instructor all ages come into the dojo to compete, increase self-discipline, improve physical fitness or find a resolution to a certain issue impacting their life.

Through training at the dojo, several students found surrogate father figures in the instructors.

“Some of our young men have never had a father figure, and some of our young women don’t know what a good father figure will look like,” Richard said. “So the dojo will fill the gap on these young people’s lives that will change the course from where they’re headed without that relationship, discipline and responsibility.”

During his youth, White played contact and combat sports because similar to several dojo students, he grew up bullied and vulnerable.

Sports included boxing, judo, football, wrestling and karate.

“As early as nine years old, I knew there was a possibility that I had to do something to be able to defend myself,” White said.

As a martial artist who pioneered karate in the United States and trained with individuals in the country and internationally, White passed on his teachings and experiences to the Rymer family of what he believes martial arts is about, which extends beyond a simple pastime.

“There’s not a whole lot of people that can do what the Rymers do,” White said. “They have that genuine love for the art; not the hobby, but the art.”

Richard grew up, as he described, as the person who needed discipline in his life and a relationship with someone who could teach him that. Compared to White, Richard said his

previous instructor disciplined him out of ego and fear instead of love. Richard developed a genuine connection built on trust with White when he started training with him, which is a type of relationship Richard said he fostered with his children.

“It was a discipline that I would accept because [White] actually wants me to be better,” Richard said. “Even through all the years, I’ve always felt me and him were in it together.”

With Richard’s own family, White witnessed the discipline he passed on develop Richard into both the martial artist and the family man he is today. To White, he saw Richard take responsibility for both his work and personal life.

“He’s like my son,” White said. “I love this man with all my heart because I’ve watched him grow, not only as an adult in martial arts, I watched how he raises his kids, how he loves his family, he loves his wife dearly.”

White’s martial arts philosophy involves not doing one’s best, but doing what’s required in both fighting and personal life situations. For example, what’s best for Richard as a husband and White as a family man, according to White, is doing what’s required in each individual role.

“Every student out there that tests for a black belt did their best, but did they do what was required?” White said. “We can’t look at ‘we’re gonna just do our best and get through life,’ it’s not that easy, you have to do what’s required.”

4See DOJO, 14

11.30.23

Sword

A Double-Edged

DNOpinion 12

Opinion editor and second-year journalism major Kate Farr applies a skin care product to her face Nov. 27 in Kinghorn Hall. MYA CATALINE, DN

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: EMOTIONAL BURDEN OF BEING A FEMALE LEADER

13

11.30.23

DNOpinion

Getting older isn’t easy, but societal pressure makes it harder.

Kate Farr

Opinion Editor, “Face to Face”

Kate Farr is a second-year journalism major and writes “Face to Face” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

It’s the way my eyes crinkle when I smile or the wrinkle on my forehead from raising my eyebrows. It’s how I feel when my freckles become more apparent after I accidentally stay in the sun a bit too long.

There’s also the nervousness that settles heavily in my chest when I realize I forgot to put on retinol after showering and the fear I feel as I’m walking to class and realize I didn’t apply sunscreen.

When I got into high school, I started to splurge on all of the anti-aging products. I tried to gua sha, I used my mother’s night cream and I tried face tape in a desperate attempt to diminish my nonexistent forehead wrinkles.

I remember my mom always feeling better once she got her hair dyed to hide away the grays like it was some frantic course of action — an attempt to reverse the passage of time.

But why does aging have to feel like one of the hardest things women face? If you stop wearing makeup or let your gray hair grow in, you’re letting yourself go. If you wear a dress above the knees that shows cellulite or varicose veins — or even get Botox to lessen the smile lines you’ve had pointed out time and time again — you’re trying too hard or damaging your “natural beauty.”

So which is it? Are we to hide our age? Or are we to attempt “aging gracefully” as society says? It’s a double-edged sword: ageism and sexism all wrapped into one.

And it’s a brunt most women bear at some point in life. In our society, youth equates to beauty, and women are underneath the magnifying glass before they have the chance to hit their 30s or 40s.

Once I started to get more active on social media during high school, my “For You” page on Instagram and Pinterest was bombarded with videos of red light face masks, facial massages to “smooth fine lines,” peptide treatments and cold plunges — whatever the latest trend was at the time. Social media has only exacerbated the issue of pushing anti-aging treatments onto women of all ages.

Prejuvenation, or preventative treatments for aging, targets Generation Z by fueling a fear of aging, according to a recent study conducted by cosmetic dermatologists and surgeons. With rapidly changing aesthetics, skincare advancements and social media trends, prejuvenation is on the rise for a number of reasons.

Gen Z is the first generation to grow up during the prime time of the internet and digital media. With iPods and iPhones in our hands as early as elementary school, we’ve lived through face filters and the rise of selfies. We’ve dealt with warped perceptions and critiqued our features due to social media-perpetuated “perfection.”

Now, we scroll through TikTok to find ways to clear our skin and beat the reality of aging. Instead of visiting a dermatologist or booking a session with an esthetician, which comes with a price tag, we look to influencers with “flawless skin” posting about their 20day detox or a celebrity’s skincare routine where they use their own brand of $100+ moisturizer.

With a wealth of information at our fingertips — both good and bad — it’s easy to get sucked in. Our societal attitude views the natural process of aging in a negative light, so it’s easy to fall for the endless routines and expensive products with the hope of eternal youth.

Our pursuit of prejuvenation is because of the world we live in.

We’re stuck in a societal and cultural shift that emphasizes youth over the reality of living. Living a full life with deep wrinkles, stark white hairs and sagging skin is normal.

That’s what I find beautiful. I find it wonderful when we’re granted the privilege to live to an old age.

Yet, ageism promotes an exclusion of aging people, according to a 2022 study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. It leads to stereotyped ideas and images of older people.

The promotion of ageism focuses on constructs like keeping older people separate from society — cut from social participation. But getting old shouldn’t mean starting to feel invisible or less than.

It’s crap.

And I’m tired of being scared to live or of something as simple as stepping out into the sun. I’m tired of buying retinol when I haven’t even hit 20 years old.

Sure, we can care about the way we look. We can fawn over appearances and do facial treatments without the guilt attached.

But a societal obsession over the way women look, especially as they age, is about more than just beauty. It’s about implementing standards and exacerbating a misogynistic power dynamic.

We need to stop ranking women by their age, looks or physical appeal. Women are more than the year they were born or their“fading” youth.

Getting older doesn’t mean we become a lesser version of ourselves, that we’re less interesting, less valuable or less full of life.

It doesn’t mean we have to try to reverse the aging process or hide from the world.

It means we’ve had the pleasure of a life fully lived.

I’m tired of squandering the youth I have at this present moment because I’m so caught up in it being gone one day. I want to look in the mirror and be able to recognize all the women who lived a full life before me. I want to see my mom, my grandma and even my great-grandmothers whom I only ever saw photographs of.

I want to carry them with me as my skin starts to sag and my eyes crinkle at the corners from how much smiling I did. I want to live that life — one fully lived — with all the changing and aging that comes with it.

So smile and laugh until your face hurts, until you’re winded and gasping for breath. Choose the life that’ll show 40 years down the road when your bones creak and your face is weathered with wrinkles and blemishes.

When I’m on my deathbed, I won’t be thinking about my wrinkles. I’ll be thinking about the time I had with the people I love and the memories I made. A person who is loved in a well-lived life will show the passage of time in their changing beauty.

That will be enough for me.

Contact Kate Farr with comments at kate.farr@bsu.edu.

JESSICA BERGFORS, DN ILLUSTRATION

I’m tired of being scared to live, or of something as simple as stepping out into the sun. I’m tired of buying retinol when I haven’t even hit 20 years old.

DNNews

11.30.23

14

HEAD START Continued from Page 03

“The state of Indiana has been pushing for a long time for more folks to get some type of degree…and really encourage them to seek higher education. So that’s exactly what we try to do in the dual credit program,” Hendrix said.

Hendrix said the ICC also helps students transition from high school to college. This is because the new opportunity to receive up to 30 college credits while still in high school gives them a good idea of the expectations they’ll face in their classes when enrolled in a university.

The growing popularity of high schools offering dual credit courses through colleges and universities is due to various benefits, the most significant being the amount of money students and their families will save on a college education.

“We started with $25 per credit hour for Career and Technical Education (CTE) and liberal arts courses, which students will need in high school and college,” Hendrix said. “Then there’s another level of $250 per course…if the course is not on the CTE list. Then there’s the third level…

Ball State University professors teach the course online. They are $350 per course. So lots and lots of savings.”

The ICC was recently approved by the State of Indiana to offer the core in April 2023.

According to Hendrix, they have one school that has committed and has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU): The Indiana Academy on Ball State’s campus.

Meg Wright, assistant director of academic advising and guidance at Indiana Academy said via email that the ICC benefits students because they already have college-level experience in more than just math, sciences or languages.

“The addition of the ICC should further improve dual credit students’ readiness for college and make the transition easier: they can hopefully now

DOJO

Continued from Page 11 Richard’s family does martial arts and even instruct classes at the dojo, including his 20-yearold son Brayden. Unlike White and his father, Brayden was surrounded by martial arts and character discipline his entire life.

Richard’s philosophy with parenting when raising kids was to expect his children to take the path of least resistance, so he believed it was beneficial to raise them to practice martial arts.

Brayden was raised on what he claims to be an overwhelming level of discipline compared to people his age.

“Starting so young, I don’t have any thoughts of anything besides being a martial artist,” Brayden said.

Despite living life knowing nothing but how to be disciplined in a martial arts setting, Brayden still relates to fellow martial artists he teaches, who might not share that same discipline from experiences of his own and experiences he’s witnessed in others.

Jessica Edrington teaches a duel credit class Nov. 17 at the Indiana Academy. Indiana Academy High school students can receive up to 30 Indiana College Core credits through Ball State’s dual credit program. OLIVIA GROUND, DN

Having the college credit that this dual credit program will give me makes those goals more achievable…I can focus on the areas of study that will best help me prepare for my future, or maybe even allow me to graduate college a year early.”

- ELLA ROBINSON, Indiana Academy junior

“As an instructor, I am a friend to everyone here,” Brayden said. “Most people I do talk to will, because I am a person you’re supposed to trust, spill it all out to me, so I’ll get a lot of people give me a whole rundown on what’s going on.”

In a dojo where various walks of life are trained, according to Brayden and Richard, ranging from different races, economic standings, people experiencing homelessness, older people who are not mobile and more, practicing martial arts brings a community Richard describes as a family.

“Even in the dojo, the underprivileged kid doesn’t get treated better than the kid who came from a wealthy background,” Richard said.

“Everybody’s the same in the dojo, everybody’s held to the same standards.”

A purpose of bringing martial arts to all walks of life in Muncie from White’s perspective, is encouraging discipline and growth to a community severely needing it.

“The community needs martial arts in those schools, worse or more than they know because there’s a lot of kids we keep from getting incarcerated,” White said.

take more of the major-focused courses they are interested in,” Wright said.

She also emphasized the fact that the program itself gives students a head start on finishing their degree, as it gives them more time to take a variety of courses to discover their true interests.

“Our students already start ahead of the game in college, but this ICC allows them to be guaranteed all those credits…transfer that they have in math, science, arts and humanities, social science and English,” Wright said. “This will be positive for those students who take advantage of it.”

Previously, state universities and colleges could pick and choose what they gave credit for based on the core transfer library, according to Wright.

One student who has already seen success with the Indiana College Core through the dual credit program is junior Ella Robinson from The Indiana Academy. She decided to attend The Indiana Academy and enroll in dual credit classes after she wasn’t feeling challenged enough at her old school.

“My old school had many AP classes but only a few dual credit classes, so this was a new experience,” Robinson said via email. “Getting a jump on and being more prepared for my college classes and maybe even getting a year of college

Despite retiring from the business side of martial arts and teaching at the dojo, White teaches private sessions and works out constantly, as he claims he’ll never retire from martial arts. Richard currently prepares his son Brayden, so when he gets older he’ll have a bigger leadership role in the dojo.

The legacy White left behind in the White and Rymer’s Bushido Karate was starting a family of martial artists continuing to grow and educate others in a family-owned business. To White, the Rymers exhibit a family of martial artists spanning current and future generations.

“They exemplified what I’ve always wanted to see in a martial arts family: dad, son, wife, daughter, grandkids and it goes on and on,” White said. “That’s where the legacy lies; not just me, but the legacy lies in those forefathers of those people that went before you.”

Contact Zach Gonzalez with comments via email at zachary.gonzalez@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ zachg25876998.

done motivated me to participate in this program.”

Currently, Robinson is enrolled in AP Physics 1 this semester through the Indiana College Core as a part of Ball State’s dual credit program. She also plans on enrolling in AP Statistics and a Ball State University public speaking class next semester.

“Having the college credit that this dual credit program will give me makes those goals more achievable; I will have many of my general credits already completed…I can focus on the areas of study that will best help me prepare for my future, or maybe even allow me to graduate college a year early,” Robinson said.

According to the Academy’s Executive Director, Dr. Dain Kavars, the Indiana Academy offers approximately 40 dual credit courses to students through Ball State, which adds up to over 140 college credit hours. This encourages students to earn more college credit during high school and enroll in Indiana Colleges and universities after high school.

The addition of the Indiana College Core to Ball State’s dual credit program has significantly changed the impact of the program, as it’s granted students a multitude of opportunities for career and academic success that haven’t been presented to them before.

The hope is to motivate students to obtain a degree, interest them in the idea of a higher education and influence them to take advantage of the dual credit courses that will most benefit them when transitioning over to college in the future.

If a student is interested in enrolling in the dual credit program, they can do so via email at dualcredit@bsu.edu.

Contact Meghan Braddy with comments via email at meghan.braddy@bsu.edu or on X @ meghan_braddy.

BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM Read the full story online.

Master Richard Rymer tests the strength of a student’s block during a class Nov. 28 at White and Rymers Bushido Dojo.

ANDREW BERGER, DN

Crossword & Sudoku

Across 1 Produce duds?

4 “I’ll show you!”

9 Graphic novel genre 14 __-locka, Florida 15 Speak from a lectern 16 In progress, quaintly 17 Teaching surface for an ornithologist?

19 Source of some overhead footage 20 Org. co-founded by Helen Keller 21 __-ball pens 22 Creamsicle flavor 23 Writer Anais 25 Challenging words 27 Lecture given by an arachnologist?

31 Not hard 34 Obsess over 35 Spanish “these” 37 “That’s all __ wrote” 38 Private aid gp.

39 “Is that it?”

41 GOP org.

42 Relations 43 AOC’s political party 44 Spa feature 46 Proxy 48 Sidewalk stand drinks 50 Demonstration given by a herpetologist?

52 Roof support beam

54 PD dispatch 55 “It’d be my pleasure!”

57 Sign of puppy love?

59 Fresh 63 Repetitive musical piece 64 Classroom icebreaker for a marine biologist?

66 __-Saxon 67 Edited, with ‚“down” 68 Female sib 69 Scrooge, at first 70 Dental visit freebie 71 Sculpture, e.g.

DOWN 1 Buckwheat noodles often served chilled 2 Mind-blowing 3 Safe spot 4 Ear piece?

5 Circa 6 Flatbread served with saag paneer 7 Takes steps 8 Ref. work whose “Concise” version has more than 1,700 pages 9 Nina’s mother 10 Angular abode 11 “We don‚‘t care what you think!”

12 Big bell 13 Suit to __ 18 Like the Igbo calendar

22 Director Welles 24 Brainstorms 26 __ projection 27 Sykes of “The Upshaws” 28 Trimmed, in a way 29 Australian hunting tools 30 Cut back 32 Perform well 33 Streisand directorial debut 36 Mischief maker 40 Mean-spirited 45 Tusked Arctic swimmer 47 Portable emergency kit 49 Jockey’s seat 51 Philadelphia team 53 Trapdoor locale 55 Mono- and sono- follower 56 Love of “The Real” 58 Nestle bar with a bubbly texture 60 Hubble org.

61 Gulf States dignitary 62 Basketball legend Jerry 64 Letters on a sunscreen bottle 65 Mormon letters

SOLUTIONS FOR NOVEMBER 16

FRESH, FLAVORFUL

Authentic visit us at 509 S. TILLOTSON AVE. or order online! puertovallartamuncieonlineorder.com

15

11.30.23

DNPuzzles

LEAVE THE SHOPPING

TO US THIS YEAR.

scan the qr code to enter!

Participants can receive a total of two (2) entries into the contest. Contest is run on Instagram and Facebook. To enter, participants must like the entry post, follow @ballstatedaily and The VP and tag a friend in the comments. Doing this on one platform grants one (1) entry into the contest.