“Too bad there are lots of betrayed americans on this app”
GOING GOING DARK DARK ? ?
“So what happens after the 90 days?”
“I don’t want
another countdown”
“This is so dystopian”
“OMG ITS BACK!?”
TikTok was restored by President Trump hours after the app “went dark” in the U.S. 04
“They didn’t even unban it at the right time!”
“Honestly,
its a bit more peaceful for my fyp”
“So its leaving again after this week?
“This is scary”
BallStateDailyNews.com
VOL. 104 ISSUE:
CONTACT THE DN
19
Newsroom: 765-285-8245
Editor: 765-285-8249, editor@bsudailynews.com
EDITORIAL BOARD
Kate Farr, Editor-in-chief
Trinity Rea, Print Managing
Editor
Olivia Ground, Digital Managing
Editor
Katherine Hill, Co-News Editor
Meghan Braddy, Co-News Editor
Zach Carter, Sports Editor
Logan Connor, Associate Sports
Editor
Ella Howell, Lifestyles Editor, Copy Editor
Jayden Vaughn, Associate
Opinion Editor
Layla Durocher, Social Media
Editor
Andrew Berger,Photo Editor
Isabella Kemper, Associate Photo Editor
Jessica Bergfors, Visual Editor
Brenden Rowan, Visual Editor
Julian Bonner, Associate Visual Editor
Corey Ohlenkamp, Adviser
EDITOR’S NOTE
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.
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.
Quotes on the front cover design are direct quotes found in TikTok comments. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ball State Daily News.
For comments, email editor@bsudailynews.com.
States sue over birthright citizenship order
Jan. 21 Attorney generals from 22 states, Washington D.C., and San Francisco sued to block President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for U.S-born children of non-citizens, according to the Associated Press (AP). Set to take effect Feb. 19, the order challenges the 14th Amendment’s citizenship guarantee. Critics have argued it’s unconstitutional, with New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin stating, “The president cannot, with a stroke of a pen, write the 14th Amendment out of existence, period.” AP reports immigrant rights groups also sued with long legal battles expected.
Trump pardons Jan. 6 defendants
Jan. 21: President Donald Trump pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers. Trump used his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the “unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy,” according to the Associated Press (AP). He also ordered the U.S. Attorney General to seek the dismissal of roughly 450 cases that are pending before judges stemming from the largest investigation in Justice Department history, according to AP. Among those pardoned was former Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio and Stewart Rhodes, the head of the Oath Keepers.
Cardinals finish Hoosier Horsepower Classic
Jan. 18: The Ball State indoor track and field season continued with the team’s third meet Jan.18 in Indianapolis. The meet began with the weight throw where sophomore Brooklyn Taylor hit a personal best: 15.13 meters. Senior Jenelle Johnson finished third in the long jump, also pacing the Cardinals with a 5.88 meter jump. Senior McKenna Cinotte led with a triple-jump of 11.79 meters and another third-place finish. Senior Carly Spletzer was third in the mile with a time of 5:01.05. Senior Jenna Oriani finished second in the 400m with a 56.06. The 4x400m relay team of Oriani, Emma Potter, Allison Valladay and Tori Jackson placed second with a time of 3:54.57. The Cardinals compete again this weekend at the Bellarmine Open meet in Louisville, Kentucky.
K.C. ALFRED/SAN DIEGO U-T/ZUMA PRESS WIRE/ DPA/TNS
PEDRO PORTAL/MIAMI HERALD/TNS
KATELYN HOWELL, DN
Indiana’s Black Legislative Caucus criticized Gov. Mike Braun’s executive order replacing “diversity, equity, and inclusion” with “merit, excellence, and innovation,” according to Indiana Capital Chronicle. The caucus argued the move harms minority communities and detracts from critical issues like health care and housing.
Power outage at The Haven
A power outage was reported around 9:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at The Haven, according to records from Indiana Michigan Power. The apartment complex issued an official statement assuring residents the staff was “aware of the outage” and “actively working to restore power.” Power was restored around 11:30 p.m., according to status records.
State Local Campus Black Caucus criticizes anti-diversity order
Participants needed for health study
Ball State University’s Communications Center released a statement Jan. 21 requesting volunteers for an anthropology department 15-minute survey about self-reported, positive changes to physical, mental and spiritual health that occur through psychedelic experiences. Volunteers must be 18+ and are not compensated.
A second-year acting major Kat Hawthorne is photographed recording a TikTok video Jan. 10 at her apartment in Muncie, Ind. Hawthorne has been invested in media content from a young age, asking her parents to record her doing household tasks for fun. KATHERINE HILL, DN
The uncertanity of TikTok’s future looms over its current content creators.
Katherine Hill News Editor
TikTok, the popular social media platform was restored in the U.S. Jan 19, nearly 12 hours after a national ban on the social media platform went into effect. The restoration is a product of President Donald Trump’s “efforts,” according to a message displayed on TikTok to all users upon logging back into the app after its presumed ban.
The app has faced threats of an impending ban since July 2020, when then-acting President Donald Trump first considered banning the app as “retaliation for China’s alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to the Associated Press (AP).
By August of that year, Trump issued a “sweeping but vague” executive order, banning American
companies from any “transaction” with ByteDance and its subsidiaries, including TikTok. Days later, he issued a second order, demanding ByteDance divest itself of TikTok’s U.S. operations within 90 days, according to AP.
The company failed to comply, instead suing the Trump administration for allegedly violating due process of executive orders.
Efforts to ban the app nationally were seemingly halted when Trump lost re-election in November 2020. Following the Jan. 17 2025 U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision to uphold the ban, it was not enforced by President Joe Biden during his last few days in office, leaving President-elect Trump to decide the app’s fate, according to the AP.
Trump pledged to save the app upon returning to office. He did so less than 24 hours before taking his second oath, despite having called TikTok a threat during his last presidential tenure.
I’m no politician, but, personally, do I think [TikTok’s] a threat? Probably not. It’s just for fun videos.”
- KE’JUAN SMITH, Third-year cybersecurity major and student ambassador at Ball State
TikTok’s official message to users, which thanked Trump by name, elicited strong feelings, with some users taking to the platform and pledging Trump “saved us” as its latest trend, according to AP.
The app underwent a brand resurgence from its former title, Music.ly, when the platform was bought by China’s ByteDance in Nov. 2017. TikTok, a merger between Music.ly and ByteDance, was first introduced to the public Aug. 2, 2018, according to a timeline of the app’s history released by AP in May 2024.
Since its rebranding in 2018, the social media platform has been credited by many users as a way to network as a small business owner or find a target audience as a content creator. TikTok Shop, an e-commerce feature of the platform, generated $17.5B in 2024 for small businesses nationally.
Kat Hawthrone, a second-year acting major at Ball State University, is a content creator on
Second-year acting major at Ball State University Kat Hawthorne scrolls on TikTok at her desk Jan.10 in her apartment in Muncie, Ind. Hawthrone has amassed a TikTok and Instagram following of over 70,000. KATHERINE HILL, DN
The internet, as a whole, has so much you can be deceived with. So, yes, I do think TikTok does [deceive its users], but I also think anywhere online does that.”
- KAT HAWTHORNE, Second-year acting major and content creator
campus and part of the generation who grew up around the same time TikTok’s popularity dominated mainstream media.
At age 15, Hawthorne was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that prompted a slew of other disabilities.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began around the same time as her diagnosis, Hawthorne turned to various social media outlets as a way to cope with quarantine isolation and make sense of her new identity as a disabled person.
She found support through TikTok, specifically, and the online disabled community on the platform.
“TikTok has always been, I feel, like a nice safe space. I love posting on TikTok [because] I end up on the algorithms of people who are interested in the type of content I post,” she said.
Hawthorne, in light of the app’s resurgence, said she now feels differently.
“If, in order to use this app, I have to thank [Donald Trump], then I will just give up. I’d rather never use TikTok again than have to thank him for this,” Hawthorne said. “Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but a lot of this seems like he wants to be a hero. It feels like a ruse to get people to like him more.”
Ke’Juan Smith, a third-year student at Ball State, is a student ambassador for Ball State Bound, the university’s communications program with the primary objective to engage with prospective or newly admitted Ball State students.
Smith said TikTok’s purpose as an outlet for short, fun videos — alongside its user-curated algorithm — served as a way for the university to offer “a sprinkle of college life to aspiring and incoming Cardinals.” Without it, Smith and his team of ambassadors were prepared to be flexible.
“There’s always another app on the horizon,” he said.
As the TikTok ban loomed, many Americans were turning to supplementary apps, including Lemon8, RedNote and Instagram’s Reels feature.
RedNote, known in its homeland as Xiaohongshu, is the Chinese variation of TikTok. When the U.S. Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold TikTok’s ban, RedNote became the top downloaded app in the U.S., according to AP, with the hashtag “#tiktokrefugee” trending inapp Jan. 13.
Hawthorne, whose content has evolved throughout the years to include a variety of
baking techniques, LGBTQ+ advocacy, fashion inspiration and disability representation, has met many through TikTok who are “uplifting” and “embracing.”
Although she recognized her niche audience, it has helped Hawthorne feel more confident in her disability. She credited her curated viewers to the TikTok algorithm, as opposed to the algorithms of similar social media platforms like Instagram reels.
“I feel like Instagram Reels’ algorithm is a lot less specialized on what you want to see, so that is where I’ve gotten hundreds of hate comments,” she said.
Hawthorne strives to produce authentic content but has adapted through the years to sustain a sense of privacy online. Because of that, she said hate comments do not affect her in the same capacity they did at a younger age. In fact, Hawthorne now encourages them.
“I am monetized on Instagram Reels, so I do make money from posting reels — not that much — but that means every comment gives me a little bit of money. So, comment hate; you’re paying me,” she said.
Instagram, the American-owned social media platform for sharing photos and videos, first introduced its reel feature in August 2020 — nearly two years to the day after TikTok’s rebrand. Instagram reels allow users to “create multi-clip videos up to 90 seconds, and get creative with easy-to-use text, augmented reality filters and audio,” according to Instagram’s website.
During TikTok’s 12-hour shutdown, Instagram introduced “Edits,” a new video editing app the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, said in a video that is set to launch in February 2025. However, users were quick to point out that the new app is strikingly similar to TikTok’s video editing companion, CapCut.
Simultaneously, Facebook — which owns Instagram — began asking users to link their TikTok account to their profiles the morning the app was banned.
As a cybersecurity major, Smith struggled to understand why lawmakers viewed the app as a threat to national security in the first place.
“I’m no politician,” he said. “Personally, do I think [TikTok]’s a threat? Probably not. It’s just for fun videos.”
becomes more mainstream.
“In the world of cybersecurity, you never know,” he said.
While it is unclear what influence Meta Platforms, a multinational technology company, had over the TikTok ban, the sequential events beg the question of its involvement. TikTok’s CEO, Shou Zi Chew, attended Trump’s inauguration following the message that praised the president by name for its nationwide restoration.
Smith and Hawthorne agreed a TikTok ban never should have been the priority of government officials and policymakers. Hawthorne traced the responsibility of recognizing online deception back to the user, underscoring the importance of media literacy in today’s digital age.
“The internet, as a whole, has so much you can be deceived with. So, yes, I do think TikTok does [deceive its users], but I also think anywhere online does that. Social media should not be your source of news. It’s a cool way to learn about something, but further research is so important,” she said.
As of a Jan. 20 executive order from Trump, TikTok will remain “open” for 75 days, until early April, while his administration determines “the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown” of TikTok.
Despite the reprieve, a host of questions remain including whether Trump has the authority to issue such an order and if TikTok’s China-based parent would be amenable to selling the popular social media platform, according to AP.
“Nothing is perfect,” Hawthorne said. “I know our government controls things, but [TikTok] is so directly linked to Trump now, and I don’t trust it. It makes me want to step back from TikTok,” she said. “I don’t like the level of control our
However, Smith acknowledged the gray area of the ban as technology advances and digital media
INAUGURAL STANCES INAUGURAL STANCES
Ball State students voice their opinions after Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, making him the 47th U.S. President.
Shelby Anderson Reporter
Donald Trump claimed victory in the 2024 election and was sworn in as the 47th U.S. President —a result that has garnered mixed reactions from Ball State students. Some have expressed happiness, while others are scared.
First-year finance major Elijah Conderman said he feels excited that Trump won, though he was initially shocked. However, Conderman described the way he feels about the future of America in just one word: worried.
“There is a mindset in this country that if this person votes differently from you, [then] they are a horrible person and you shouldn’t interact with them. It is driving our country further apart to the point where I am worried about a civil war,” Conderman said.
Conderman compared his reaction to Trump’s win to what he felt after his previous win in the 2016 presidential election. Back then, Conderman said he was “much younger” and didn’t understand politics as well as he does now. Even so, Conderman saw Trump as “rude and unprofessional” but acknowledged he has since “done good to help the country.”
Emlyn Vo, a second-year public health and nursing student, said she was following live updates on her phone during election night.
“I woke up at 3 a.m., checked my phone and saw [the called race]. I felt the hope drain from my body,” Vo said. “ I closed [my phone] and went back to sleep. I’m just numb.”
Vo, who identifies as a queer person of color, was shocked Kamala Harris did not clench the victory.
“[Harris] was so qualified with her history in the government, law school and over a billion dollars of funding, I was sure she had it in the bag,” Vo said.
First-year architecture and planning student Haley Ayres was less shocked about the election outcome than her peers.
“[Harris] had four years to campaign as a comprehensive leader with the few positions she headed; she didn’t,” Ayres said.
“… Even though he’s a terrible, horrible man, you find me someone more capable to get in the headspace of a high stakes role, and I’ll vote for them. I’m glad he can’t run again,” Ayres said Vivian Bostick, a firstyear media student, was watching the live results come in over the newscast on election night.
We may very well disagree on things, but at the end of the day, we are all Americans, and we all deserve love from one another.”
- ELIJAH CONDERMAN, First-year finance major
She also said that even after Trump was declared the projected president-elect, her opinion of him hasn’t changed that much.
“It felt like we were going backward. My family texted me apologies, but apologies can’t change the election. Those Googling, ‘What is a tariff?’ and ‘How can I change my vote?’ can’t change their vote. I felt depressed, however, that’s a feeling I’m used to when it comes to politics, from both parties,” Bostick said.
Second-year preveterinarian student Alex Ardizzone said he has stayed “very excited” for Trump’s second term, citing the economic improvements Trump enforced during his first term that make him feel “very hopeful for our future.”
Gabriel Simons, a second-year pre-engineering major, shared Arfizzone’s excitement for a second Trump presidency.
“[Trump] is a good leader and [has] shown he can do the right things to improve the country. People just believe the wildest propaganda I’ve ever seen,” Simons said, adding that political propaganda through the years has repeatedly distorted and “blown out of proportion” the power of the presidency.
“I’ve never seen [a country] so divided, and it had to be the most dramatic election in history,” he said.
According to April 2024 data from the Pew Research Center, voters are roughly evenly split between both Republican and Democrat political affiliations: 48 to 49 percent.
In the wake of drastic political division and opposition, Conderman has a solution.
“I think everybody just needs to be loved, whether you are a Republican, Democrat, man, woman, gay or trans[gender]. We may very well disagree on things, but at the end of the day, we are all Americans, and we all deserve love from one another,” he said.
Contact Shelby Anderson via email at sanderson9@bsu.edu.
DNSports
Men’s Vollyball
‘Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else’
Ben Hendriks has never thought about leaving Ball State basketball.
Ball State will host two matches to close the week. The first match will take place Jan. 23 as Lees-McRae visits Worthen Arena, and then, Maryville will make a stop in Muncie Jan. 24. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. Ball State is currently 3-3 on the season and in the middle of a threegame losing streak.
Men’s Tennis
Webster MAC Singles Player of the Week
Ball State senior Nathaniel Webster was named the Mid-American Conference’s (MAC) Singles Player of the Week. This comes after he picked up his first singles win of the spring season as he defeated Indiana University’s No. 1 player Jip van Assendelft 2-0 (6-3, 7-5). The Cardinals will next face Illinois State University on the road Jan. 25.
Women’s Basketball Cardinals host two home games
Austin hits 1,000 career points
During the Cardinals’ 77-63 win over Toledo, senior Lachelle Austin hit the thousand-point mark. Austin began her career at Eastern Michigan, where she played for three seasons. Austin helped propel the Cardinals to their nine consecutive win and a 7-0 MAC record. The Cardinals next contest is a Jan. 25 road tilt with Northern Illinois at 2 p.m.
Graduate student and Ball State University men’s basketball center Ben Hendriks is photographed Jan. 21 at Dr. Don Shondell Practice Center on Ball State’s campus. Hendriks is the longesttenured player on the team. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Ben Hendriks is the Cardinals’ longest-tenured player.
Zach Carter Sports Editor
When Michael Lewis first spoke to Ball State fifth-year student and men’s basketball center Ben Hendriks, it was via a phone call in March of 2022, when he was first hired as the Ball State men’s basketball head coach.
The now-third-year Cardinals’ coach was sitting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, waiting to help coach UCLA in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA’s March Madness basketball tournament. He remembers the conversation vividly.
“He just wanted to be a part of this, and I wasn’t going to take away that opportunity from him regardless of what his past performance was or injuries were,” Lewis said. “I wanted all those guys to have a clean slate when I came in, and from the day that I’ve come in, he’s just worked.”
Hendriks — who was coming off of a shoulder injury — was worried that Lewis wouldn’t want him to be apart of the program. Three years later, the Canadian is still in Muncie and is the longesttenured player on the team.
To him, leaving Ball State has never been in the cards. It’s never even crossed his mind.
“I didn’t feel any need to leave the team, nor have I in the past couple of years,” Hendriks said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
His first sport wasn’t basketball; It was hockey. But being tall since he was a kid in his hometown of Mississauga, Ontario, injuries started to pile up as taking hockey sticks to the knees took a toll. There was one instance that solidified the decision to quit playing on the ice.
“I went to chase a puck that went into the corner and didn’t see his guy on the guy,” Hendriks said. “He took my legs out … and I woke up on the side of the ice. They were like, ‘Yeah, you knocked yourself out.’”
After giving up the skates and pads, he focused on his second sport: basketball. The Hendriks family was no stranger to the court as his parents, Rob and Leslie, played college basketball. After playing for The Orangeville Prep and CIA Bounce — one of Canada’s best AAU programs — he realized he wasn’t too bad at the game.
After competing in a tournament his senior year, Ben was contacted by Ball State men’s basketball assistant coach Ben Botts. He was offered a scholarship right then and there.
“I got a call after one of [our] tournaments,” Ben said. “Coach Botts said, ‘We’d like to offer you a scholarship to Ball State.’ It was the first time I ever talked to them.”
There were some culture shocks when he first moved to the United States. Though he had been in the country a plethora of times, living there was different. His first trip to Walmart was memorable, as he saw a man carrying a gun on his hip in the check-out line.
According to AdvocateDaily, Canadian law states you cannot openly carry a gun and have to have a special license or a reason to have the weapon. But in the United States, that is not the case.
I didn’t feel any need to leave the team, nor have I in the past couple of years. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
- BEN HENDRIKS, Ball State men’s basketball fifth-year student
“I didn’t understand the whole open carry [law],” Ben said. “... I was in the checkout line and sort of terrified.”
But to get through some of the adjustments in his 2019-20 freshman season, he looked up to multiple teammates. Former Cardinals, like Miryne Thomas, took Ben under their wing.
“He was awesome. When I first got here, he invited me into his apartment,” Ben said. “We hung out a lot. He was really good at introducing me to people, and it was awesome. Everybody followed suit after that.”
Now, Ben is considered one of the guys that other players have looked to for guidance. Redshirt senior forward Mickey Pearson Jr. said he’s never seen his teammate without a smile on his face.
“I’ve never seen him upset. He’s always smiling, always cracking jokes,” Pearson said. “I feel like that’s important to have around. He’s a consistent guy … I [always] know he’s gonna work his ass off.”
When Pearson transferred to Ball State ahead of the 2021-22 season, Ben welcomed him with open arms. The two spent a lot of time off the court, which has helped them become more than teammates over the last few seasons.
“Over the years, we’ve gotten closer,” Pearson said. “We just hang out and stuff. [He brings] that family environment.”
Even though Ben is said to never get down about anything, there have been difficult times at Ball State throughout his career. Ben’s had multiple injuries during his time in Muncie, he’s seen teammates come and go, and he’s been through a coaching change.
Former Ball State head coach James Whitford is someone Ben is still close with, and Ben tries to call him on Christmas and other important dates. When Whitford was let go, Ben had no clue since he wasn’t an active person on social media.
“Everybody saw the news the day before because it was leaked,” Ben said. “At the end of the year, he brings us all in, he’s up there [speaking] and something looked a little bit off. He said he was released. I’m looking around at everyone, and everyone’s already had time to understand. I’m like, ‘Am I the only one that didn’t know?’ It was a massive shock to me.”
Fifth-year student and men’s basketball center Ben Hendriks goes for a lay-up against Miami University Jan. 7 at the Worthern Arena. Hendriks teammate, senior forward Mickey Pearson Jr., said he’s never seen his teammate without a smile on his face. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Fifth-year student and men’s basketball center Ben Hendriks is photographed Jan. 21 at Dr. Don Shondell Practice Center. Hendriks is originally from Mississauga, Ontario. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Fifth-year student and men’s basketball center Ben Hendriks warms up before facing Dayton University Nov. 13, 2024, at the University of Dayton Arena. Hendriks received a scholarship to Ball State his senior year of high school. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Project Paradise was established in 2024 and brings local youth together. 10
MORE THAN THE MUSIC
Campus Show Choir Championships
The Mid-America Show Choir Championship will be held Jan. 24 and 25 in Emens Auditorium. University Singers is hosting the event for high school and middle school choirs, and there will be a solo competition in Sursa Hall, as well as a performance by Ball State’s University Singers. Tickets will be on sale in advance at the door.
Community
Vinyasa yoga at Minnetrista
The first class of the year for Yoga is for Everybody, an event series at Minnetrista, is Jan. 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. The series will focus on Vinyasa yoga and is open to people of all skill levels. The events are free, and participants are encouraged to bring their own yoga mat, wear comfortable clothing and “come with an open heart.”
Campus
Guest artist recital at Sursa Hall
Professor Raymond Kilburn is performing with his daughter, Maya Kilburn, Jan. 26 in Sursa Performance Hall. Maya is a member of the principal pool at The Juilliard School and recently performed in Stern Auditorium in Carnegie Hall. Raymond is a pianist and has held multiple tenured university positions. The duo’s recital begins at 5:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
A sound board in Paradise Productions Recording Studio is photographed Jan. 10 in Muncie, Ind. Marquiese McClendon is the owner and creator of Project Paradise. ELLA HOWELL, DN
Rainna Yarborough Reporter
Eight-year-old Olivia Nethercutt soars when she can stand on a stage with a microphone in her hand, looking toward her dream of becoming a singer. Her participation at Project Paradise, a non-profit in Muncie, puts her one step closer to that dream.
Project Paradise was established in June 2024 by Marquiese McClendon with the help of Habitat for Humanity Muncie. The program provides free access to music education, music engineering, studio recording and photography for youth and young adults in Muncie.
“I’ve heard through research that one of the most impactful, receptive forms of communication of input that we can get is music,” said Amy Hourigan, Ball State associate lecturer of music education.
Hourigan believes music can help alleviate some of the isolating feelings of adolescents by imparting skills applicable to their lives in addition to providing an outlet for kids.
“I think that’s usually the first step for kids that struggle, in general, that just being able to be part of a group, I think that’s one of the biggest skills I see,” Hourigan said.
Susannah Nethercutt, mother of Olivia, said programs like these are what enrich communities and provide an outlet for kids.
“Some kids may not know how to express themselves otherwise, or they may turn to other things that aren’t good for them,” Nethercutt said. She said the program has also opened her eyes to the possibilities that life has to offer, noting that the impact the program has had on her daughter has transferred to her.
“You know, it’s not over for me. I still can make goals for myself and think outside the box and out
It’s ingrained in us and it’s a way we can communicate with each other without having to have conversations, but it’s something that we all feel.”
- AMY HOURIGAN, Ball State associate lecturer of music education
of my comfort zone. And I can be an inspiration to others,” she said.
The struggle to find one’s identity while trying to situate oneself in the world is a common issue for adolescents, which can make them more susceptible to other types of pressures, according to Clearfork Academy.
“I can identify with these kids, you know? I got into a lot of trouble as a kid,” McClendon said.
The development of emotional intelligence is important for kids to learn, according to the educational nonprofit Understood for All. Using music, Project Paradise works with kids to help them process some of the things they’re feeling that they can’t express otherwise.
“There’s a kid I work with who lost his uncle, and he wanted to talk about that, so I would ask him, ‘How did that make you feel?,’ and I helped him put that in song form,” McClendon said.
This is an example of social-emotional learning which is an educational method that integrates the
Marquiese McClendon started his nonprofit Project Paradise to provide Muncie youth and young adults a creative, musical outlet.
development of social and emotional skills into school curricula, according to Helpful Professor, an information provider for students and teachers.
In Hourigan’s experience, this is becoming a large component of learning in schools with state guidelines for what kids should talk about in classrooms.
“[It] also allows you to have a conversation with someone else about that topic [who] might not have been comfortable in another way. That might lead you to be able to have a conversation because you can have that shared experience of a particular song,” Hourigan said.
Hourigan sees ways in which music has strengthened and brought communities together. She has seen music bring together students at a sports game and the country together when tragic events, like 9/11, happen in the United States.
“It’s ingrained in us, and it’s a way we can communicate with each other without having to have conversations, but it’s something that we all feel,” Hourigan said.
McClendon said he’s seen the impact of community involvement after Paradise Productions Recording Studio’s opening. Community members donated furniture, artists offered their services to paint on the walls and the mayor made an appearance at the grand opening.
“It was just seeing everybody come together. It just shows you teamwork really does make the dream work. And I couldn’t have done it alone,” McClendon said.
McClendon had never really considered the aspect of turning Project Paradise into a fullfledged business. For him, the impact of this program was what made it worth fighting for.
“I really just did it out of love, just so kids could have somewhere, something to do, a sense of direction, something to focus on and know they got somebody to believe in them,” he said. “That’s
why I am where I am because somebody believed in me and put me in a studio.”
Hourigan believes that there should be more music programs available to help kids work through their feelings and strengthen their sense of community with other kids.
Nethercutt appreciates all of the work McClendon has done to make a program like this available to her daughter and to all of the kids in Muncie. Her daughter has gained confidence from participating in the program.
“I know it has helped my daughter, and I know it’s helped a lot of other kids as well,” she said. “... [It’s] something positive that he’s doing for the community, for the kids; the kids are our future.”
McClendon hopes for the program to continue to grow and become a global success to “plant that seed” and impact communities around the world.
“Music saved my life,” McClendon said.
Contact Rainna Yarborough via email at rainna. yarborough@bsu.edu.
It was just seeing everybody come together. It just shows you teamwork really does make the dream work. And I couldn’t have done it alone.”
- MARQUIESE MCCLENDON, Founder of Project Paradise
A keyboard in Paradise Productions Recording Studio Jan. 10 in Muncie, Ind. The studio’s nonprofit, Project Paradise, was established in June 2024 by Marquiese McClendon with the help of Habitat for Humanity Muncie. ELLA HOWELL, DN
Rally on Monument Circle
Rally on Monument Circle
Activists gather during President Trump’s inauguration to discuss American occupation in foreign lands, immigration, workers’ rights and more.
(Left) A protester picks up a sign during a protest of President Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20 at Monument Circle in Indianapolis. The protest was organized by the Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America. ANDREW BERER,DN
(Right) Riley Park speaks at the protest organized by Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America organized Jan. 20 at Monument Circle in Indianapolis. JEFFREY DREYER, DN
Protesters hold banners and signs while listening to speakers Jan. 20 at Monument Circle in Indianapolis. ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
A protester holds sign above their head during a protest Jan. 20 at Monument Circle in Indianapolis. ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
Protesters hold signs during a protest of President Trump’s inauguration Jan. 20 at Monument Circle in Indianapolis. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Opinion
ANDREW BERGER, DN PHOTO
JESSICA BERGFORS, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Disability doesn’t mean you can’t achieve great things.
Isabella Kemper is a third-year photojournalism major and writes “Adventures Await” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
Read Re-read
What’s that word?
Re-read again
40 minutes later
Only five pages in Re-read
I still don’t understand
Hours upon hours of tears, stress and anxiety all started with a spelling test. Then came multiplication and division. Next was states, capitals and elements from the periodic table.
And it never stopped.
Just by looking at me, you would never be able to tell I have a disability. Since kindergarten, my teachers always told my mom I would “catch up” to my classmates and that we had nothing to worry about.
I remember countless nights of not only me getting frustrated because things were hard and weren’t working but also my mom getting frustrated at the thought I may not be trying or not knowing what was wrong.
The tests started with my eyes. I went to two years of eye therapy. It helped, but, of course, not with my spelling. The next step was talking to my school. The school said there was nothing wrong with me and nothing for me to get tested for because I was an A/ B student and getting good scores on standardized tests.
Of course, my mom wouldn’t believe that. Testing for dyslexia is not covered by most insurance, so I got tested through a dyslexic tutor. I was told that dyslexia was the root of my struggles. Later, I was also tested for several other learning disabilities that we learned amplify my dyslexia.
This was hard for me to understand at first. I am a perfectionist and always have been, so with this diagnosis came the reality that I could never be “perfect.”
The things people say about dyslexia immediately shaped my view of my disability.
As soon as someone learns about my disability they immediately jump to conclusions and their perspective on
me shifts. People have said to me, “But you’re smart?” “If I write bigger, does that help?” “Really? I never would have guessed,” and so many more.
These comments, to many, may seem small, but to me, a person experiencing learning disabilities, they are most defi nitely not. These comments are often made due to a lack of knowledge and misconceptions surrounding what dyslexia actually is.
People commonly think that dyslexia is simply flipping and mixing up your letters. While this is a struggle, dyslexia affects spelling as well as reading speed, fluency and comprehension, test taking and memorization of things such as rights, lefts, directions and names.
For me, my dyslexia has created a strong work ethic, and whenever I set my mind to something, I will find a way to make it happen. On top of this, the empathy from my dyslexia leads me to connect with people better than some can. I have also been super creative since a young age. So, even though words and numbers can be hard, if you give me a hands-on activity of anything that uses my imagination or problem-solving, I can produce something at a top-tier standard.
Even though it is a struggle, and some days are harder than others, I would never want my experiences to change. I have learned so much about myself and the unique things my brain can do that not everyone else’s can. Knowing and learning these facts helped me
understand exactly what my disability is and how to embrace it as my superpower.
Another big misconception is that people with dyslexia aren’t very smart, which is far from the truth and part of the reason why I was diagnosed so late in life. According to the University of Washington, students with dyslexia statistically have to work five times harder than other students to have the same outcome. Even though I was getting good grades, I was working on schoolwork to the point of exhaustion just to get those grades.
All of these stereotypes and misconceptions had me thinking for years that something was wrong with me. I wasn’t good enough, stupid and so many other things.
Dyslexia is something that I have had to learn to love about myself and embrace. When I was ashamed of it, I had so much anxiety about what other people would think, but the reality is, in a way, that dyslexia is my superpower.
Individuals with dyslexia rely more on the right side of their brain for left-sided tasks — dyslexic brains are just arranged differently.
Even though dyslexia is a struggle, there are many benefits of it which I have learned to love.
According to the University of Michigan, dyslexics tend to be abstract, critical, and outside-of-the-box thinkers, imaginative, empathetic and so much more.
These characteristics statistically help dyslexics be more likely to become rich and/or famous than the average person. About one out of five people have dyslexia so when looking at those who are famous there are so many who have dyslexia. Albert Einstein, Tom
Cruise, Walt Disney, Jennifer Aniston, Henry Ford, Tom Holland and Leanardo da Vinci are a few.
Associate Photo Editor, “Adventures Await”
Isabella Kemper
Even though dyslexia is a struggle, there are many
ANDREW BERGER, DN PHOTO
JESSICA BERGFORS, DN ILLUSTRATION
HENDRIKS
The recent addition of Name, Image and Likeness is still something Ben admits he doesn’t fully understand, and he really doesn’t want to.
“I don’t want to say the younger guys like I’m 50 years old or something, but the guys who are coming in … it all goes over my head,” Ben said. “People are talking about signing agents and stuff like that. I’m like, ‘I came to college, and I thought we just played basketball.’ But now, people are getting millions of dollars and whatnot.”
But given those circumstances, he’s never considered leaving. To Rob, his son has never been the type to run away from an issue.
“He makes a commitment and sticks it out,” Rob said. “It shows his dedication and his appreciation for getting an opportunity. Could there have been better opportunities? I guess, there always is, especially with how the transfer portal works now. But at the end of the day, that’s not who he is.”
Rob owns an outdoor construction company in Canada and is a seasonal worker. This means that, during the winter, he attends as many games as he can. With this being Ben’s last year of college basketball, the family is taking every moment with pride.
On Ben’s arm is a tattoo of a Dutch quote that translates to, “My family is my strength.” He said his family is a big part of his life, and he wants to remember everything his parents have given to him.
“The further I got away from my family, the more I realized that the more I talked to them, the better I felt,” Ben said. “I feel like it strengthened not only my resolve to be here and want to play college basketball but also strengthened my relationships with them. I realize that everyone thinks that family is this and that, but once you realize that family is a massive part of yourself, you can realize that’s a massive strength.”
Ben said he would like to play professionally
He makes a commitment and sticks it out. It shows his dedication and his appreciation for getting an opportunity.”
- ROB HENDRIKS, Ben’s father
if possible but also understands that not everyone gets that opportunity. With that in mind, he already has some ‘backup’ plans.
“[I want to] spend some time with my family,” Ben said. “I actually want to do a bit of a backpacking trip. I love going outdoors and I’m a big walking person as well … But after that, I want to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.”
But whatever comes his way, there’s one thing that is constant — his love for Ball State and Muncie. He said it’s something he’ll never forget.
“I feel like Muncie is pretty similar [to Mississauga],” Ben said. “Of course, there’s a rotten apple here and there, but that doesn’t mean the whole tree is bad. I feel like Muncie is a great place to be.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary. carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
Fifth-year student and men’s basketball center Ben Hendriks goes for a lay-up against Miami University Jan. 7 at the Worthern Arena. Hendriks was no stranger to the court as his parents, Rob and Leslie, played college basketball. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Crossword & Sudoku
Sp. miss
Upright part
Location with masks
“Impressive!”
Gulps
Boba tea option
Pluviometer measure
Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, for one
Abundance in Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni
56 “Be on the lookout” msg.
Crèche figure 59 Tree hugger?
__ factor
ACCESS ALL OF BALL STATE’S STUDENT MEDIA IN ONE PLACE
