DN
Good’ ‘Do SomethingGood’
Ball State thirdyear organizational communications major Ty Ransburg wants to change the stigma around alopecia.
Ball State thirdyear organizational communications major Ty Ransburg wants to change the stigma around alopecia.
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Third-year organizational communications major Ty Ransburg has shaving cream applied to his head by his roommate Tom McGovern before having his head shaved Dec. 2, 2024, at the Ball State Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house. Ransburg, who has alopecia, shaved his head for the first time in high school. ANDREW BERGER, DN
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Israel-Hamas reach ceasefire deal in Gaza
Jan. 15: Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire deal to pause fighting and free some Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, according to U.S. officials. The war — which destabilized the Middle East and unleashed protests across the U.S. — began Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas invaded southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped some 250 others. Under the deal, the parties agree to an initial six-week halt to fighting. About a third of the 100 hostages remaining in Gaza would be freed, and Palestinians held by Israel would be released, according to Tribune Content Agency.
Gov. Mike Braun eliminates DEI
Jan. 15: Indiana’s new Governor Mike Braun signed multiple executive orders into action just days after his inauguration. One of the executive orders will no longer allow for executive branch state agencies to utilize resources to support many common diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. The order is based on the decision made in the Supreme Court case of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, a court decision that decided race could not be considered for college admissions, ending affirmative action. The order also states that employees who are not meeting “satisfactory performance” cannot be eligible for remote work, and all remote work has to be performed inside the state of Indiana unless travel is permitted for job-related functions.
MAC/Sun Belt Challenge second round begins
Jan. 13: Ball State men’s and women’s basketball second-round game schedule was announced for the Mid-American (MAC) and Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Challenge. The men’s team will play Southern Miss (8-9, 3-2) in their second game against a Sun Belt opponent. The game will take place at home Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. in Worthen Arena. The women’s team will hit the road to play James Madison University (13-4, 5-0) Feb. 8 as well. The Dukes are the top team in the Sun Belt and beat Kent State in the first installation of the MAC vs. SBC challenges. The Cardinals are 1-0 against the Dukes, beating them 72-57 last season in Worthen Arena. The women look to remain undefeated in the MAC vs. SBC Challenge.
PHOTO BY AMIR LEVY/GETTY IMAGES/TNS
PHOTO BY NATHAN GOTSCH / FORT WAYNE POLITICS
KATE TILBURY, DN
An Increased Need An Increased Need
Local warming center workers discuss their services and solutions for those enduring homelessness.
from Muncie Folk Collective, a nonprofit group focusing on harm reduction, many encampments for individuals experiencing homelessness exist across Muncie; and eviction is common for tenants in these encampments in the area.
Each winter, multiple locations in Muncie serve as warming centers for people seeking shelter. It’s a temporary solution to one of the many issues surrounding the local population of individuals enduring homelessness.
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) provides shelter to women and children struggling to find housing amid freezing temperatures. A human resources specialist with the group, Angie McKillip, said a solution to Muncie’s homelessness issue should be increased funding to the YWCA facility.
and talk to someone as an individual, you will learn that, maybe, all your assumptions about them are completely incorrect.”
-
LEIGH EDWARDS, Muncie Mission Vice President of Community Engagement
its “complimentary, overnight, temporary shelter stay” (COTS) program. This is an emergency shelter for individuals during extreme temperatures to stay the night in a cot until it’s stable enough to go back outside.
“COTS program is for the person who may not necessarily need to — or even sometimes want to — get a job or do anything differently. They’re just out on the street, and they need to be warm. COTS is to get them into a safe place,” McKillip said.
YWCA receives heavy foot traffic from homeless individuals, and even if they aren’t looking to spend the night, people can look through the shelter’s “blessing box,” which contains food and toiletries.
4See NEED, 04
Firefighters battle Los Angeles fire threats
Firefighters in Los Angeles are preparing for flare-ups as dry winds and drought create a “particularly dangerous situation,” according to the Associated Press and a warning issued by the National Weather Service. About 88,000 people have evacuated; officials say 84,000 more may need to leave if fires spread.
New bill targets minnow fishing
Indiana Senate Bill 121, would allow anglers to collect the small freshwater fish but only a quantity that can be used with a fishing pole as bait. The measure sustained bipartisan support from the Senate Natural Resources Committee Jan. 13 and now heads to the full chamber, according to Indiana
National
FDA bans Red Dye No. 3 from foods
U.S. regulators banned Red Dye No. 3 dye from the nation’s food supply Jan. 15, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk, according to the Associated Press. The ban removes it from the list of approved color additives in foods, dietary supplements and oral medicines, such as cough syrups.
Muncie Mission Ministries is photographed Jan. 15 in Muncie, Ind. Muncie Mission Vice President of Community Engagement Leigh Edwards said the organization sees a dramatic uptick in sheltered clients during cold months. ANDREW BERGER, DN
NEED
Continued from Page 03
McKillip said men can also come into warming stations, but YWCA checks to ensure they haven’t committed crimes against women and children and vets everyone before permitting them into the building.
“‘I’ve had people call here in areas that we don’t even serve necessarily, but they’re scared to go to some of the shelters in, say, the Indianapolis area [because of a] bad reputation,” McKillip said. “That’s one of the biggest things — especially for women with children — making sure they’re in a safe place, and no harm will come to them.”
The Center Township Trustee Office in Muncie doesn’t allow overnight shelter, yet people experiencing homelessness can still come into the lobby during regular business hours while it acts as a warming station. The office is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and closed on weekends.
Lindsey Campbell, a supervisor at the office, said her role consists of helping those needing monetary housing assistance, encompassing individuals unable to pay their monthly bills for any reason.
cold months. Due to such an influx in those needing assistance, she said the shelter typically needs more coat donations in all sizes as the winter season progresses since many individuals enter the shelter without a practical coat, if any.
The organization houses a donation center for items like clothing, houseware and appliances, and they give away free clothes through their programs and services while storing any leftover donations in one of their five retail stores.
“We see a population on a tight, fixed budget, and so for those people, they’re able to come into the retail stores and buy a coat that, maybe if it was at a department store, would be $75, but they’re able to buy it from the attic window at our thrift store for $5,” Edwards said.
Edwards described her role within the Muncie Mission as an educator to inform people about the realities of the population and individuals they serve. This is because she’s often seen individuals create their own stigmatized stories about the local homeless population.
The need [for housing assistance] has increased so much. We still get funding, and we still get donors, but it’s never quite enough to reach as many people as we would like.”
- ANGIE MCKILLIP, Muncie Mission YWCA Human Resources Specialist
To qualify for assistance, one must provide proof of income and regular spending habits through rent, a utility bill or other related living expenses.
“We like to see their bank statements, [and] we have to have a copy of their lease or residency letter,” Campbell said.
Despite the office not serving as a direct housing location for those struggling with homelessness, they work with Muncie Mission to assist sheltered men with monthly bus passes and the YWCA to help women with their rent payments, if they qualify, and the shelter charges them rent for staying for a certain period.
Even if those struggling don’t have proof of income, Campbell said clients must follow through with places that can refer them, such as the food stamp office, Medicaid or locations like Muncie HUB, which is a daytime center associated with the Muncie Mission for those facing homelessness.
Muncie Mission Vice President of Community Engagement Leigh Edwards said the organization sees a dramatic uptick in sheltered clients during
“We, as a public, create our own narrative for a person, and so there might be a perception that someone is lazy, or they don’t want to work, or that every single homeless person is an addict,” Edwards said.
While Edwards said she’s met with multiple individuals confirming the narrative the public pushes out, many other clients contradict it.
“It’s very hard when you are a nice [person], who doesn’t directly ever interact with someone who is actively homeless, to imagine all sorts of things,” Edwards said. “But when you sit down and talk to someone as an individual, you will learn that, maybe, all your assumptions about them are completely incorrect.”
Contact Zach Gonzalez via email at zachary. gonzalez@bsu.edu.
Map of Warming Centers in Muncie
1 2 3 4 5
1. 1015 Wheeling Ave., Muncie, Ind. 47303 - Salvation Army
2. 1200 E. Main St., Muncie, Ind. 47305 - Center Township Trustee Office
3. 403 1/2 E. Main St., Muncie, Ind. 47305 - Christian Ministries of Delaware County
4. 310 E. Charles St., Muncie, Ind. 47305 - YWCA Central Indiana
5. 318 W. 8th St., Muncie, Ind. 47302 - Muncie Mission Ministries
The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) is photographed Jan. 15 in Downtown Muncie. The YWCA provides shelter to women and children struggling to find housing amid freezing temperatures. ANDREW BERGER, DN
DelCo preps for the county tournament
Teams across the county are ready to compete in the DCAA basketball tournament. 08
Men’s Volleyball Cardinals host top 25 match against BYU
No. 6 Ball State men’s volleyball will host No. 5 Brigham Young (BYU) Jan. 16 and 17 at 7 p.m. This is the second time in three seasons the teams have played. In February 2023, Ball State and BYU split two matches with both teams winning 3-1 each match. BYU comes into the match with two straight sweeps over No. 11 Ohio State and St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Women’s Basketball Becki makes Becky Hammon Watchlist
Senior Ally Becki was named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist. Becki is fifth in the nation in triple-doubles, 15th in assists with 91 and top-20 in assists per game with 5.7. She leads the Mid-American Conference in four categories: assists, assists per game, assist/turnover ratio (2.33) and triple-doubles.
Women’s Basketball
Stuck named MAC Player of the Week
Ball State graduate student Elise Stuck was named the Mid-American Conference’s (MAC) Player of the Week. During the week of Jan. 5, she averaged 18.5 points per game and nine rebounds as the Cardinals picked up wins against Eastern Michigan and Buffalo. The red and white are the only undefeated team left in the MAC.
(Top) Delta senior Cooper Bratton looks to pass to a teammate Dec. 21, 2024, against Muncie Central at the Muncie Central Fieldhouse. The Eagles defeated the Bearcats 49-46. ZACH CARTER, DN; (Bottom) Wes-Del freshman Kaydence Whitehead is guarded by Monroe Central freshman Brynlee Patterson Nov. 19, 2024, at Monroe Central High School. Whitehead averaged 3.3 points per game. TITUS SLAUGHTER, DN; AMBER PIETZ, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Ball State gymnastics Ball State gymnastics hosts its first home meet
Winning their first meet of the season, Ball State gymnasts reflects on how they wish to improve.
Hannah Amos, Ella Howell Reporter, Lifestyles and Copy Editor
The Ball State Gymnastics team hosted the “Taylor Swift Eras Day” meet Jan. 12 at Worthen Arena, marking their first home meet.
Going against Illinois, Southeast Missouri (SEMO) and Wisconsin Eau-Claire, the Cardinals came into the arena with high energy coming from the “Beauty and the Beast” meet, which was held in Columbia, Missouri, Jan. 3, where the team scored 194.925.
“As a team, I think today, everybody had each other’s backs really well, and we didn’t let one little slip-up stop us from following through till the end of that event and to the end of the meet,” Hannah Ruthberg, an all-around graduate student on the team, said.
Following the conclusion of the meet, the Cardinals won the event with a score of 194.450.
“I love feeding off of their energy,” junior allaround Zoe Middleton said. “I love looking into the audience and seeing smiles, so it really gives me a lot of energy when I see them having fun.”
Starting off on vault, all-around senior Carissa Martinez, started the Cardinals off with a 9.725. All-around sophomore Lindsay Girard followed up with an 8.925. All-around senior Cai Afalla and all-around freshman Karli Mercer scored 9.675 and 9.700, respectively.
The two highest scores from the team came from Middleton and Ruthberg with 9.800s.
After the first rotation, the total scores — comprised of the top five scores — were Ball State with 48.700 on the vault, Illinois with 48.475 on the uneven bars, SEMO with 47.375 on the balance beam and Eau-Claire on the floor with 44.550.
to work really, really hard to save that and bring that back, but I felt like I remained composed and trusted my training and finished that routine exactly like I know how. I was really proud of the rest of that routine and the stuck dismount at the end,” Ruthberg said.
All-around freshman Jordana Phillis ended the bars rotation with a 9.600.
After the second rotation, the event total on the uneven bars for Ball State was 48.175, Illinois on the balance beam with 48.175, SEMO on the floor with 48.375 and Eau-Claire on the vault
On the third rotation, the Cardinals moved to the balance beam, with Molina, Sumner, all-around sophomore Delany MacMahon, Middleton, Ruthberg, Szymanski and Mercer competing. Molina started the team off with a 9.775. Following, Sumner received a 9.800, MacMahon an 8.625, Middleton a 9.350, Ruthberg 9.700 and Szymanski a 9.800. Mercer finished at the beam
During warm-ups, Ruthberg split the beam, but instead of taking the stumble with her in the performance, she followed the theme of the night and took Taylor Swift’s advice of shaking it off.
“If you know gymnastics, you know splitting the beam. That’s the nightmare that everybody has about beam — is you split it right down the middle, and that is what I did during warm-up. But I mean, you just gotta ‘shake it off,’ as Taylor Swift says, and just keep moving. We have a pretty good mindset on the team, where it’s the goldfish kind of mindset, … like take what you need and leave the rest,” she said.
On the second rotation, the Cardinals took flight on the uneven bars, starting with all-around senior Grace “Sumi” Sumner with a 9.600. Middleton stuck her dismount and scored a 9.800, gaining her the highest score on the bars for Ball State.
All-around sophomore Ava Molina received a 9.600, all-around junior Mary Rose Bellan a 9.350 and all-around sophomore Ashley Szymanski a 9.525 on the uneven bars.
Ruthberg, fifth in the line-up, started her routine with a springboarded glide kip onto the high bar, sticking her dismount with a 9.650.
“My first handstand on bars, I definitely had
As a team, I think today, everybody had each other’s backs really well, and we didn’t let one little slip-up stop us from following through till the end of that event and to the end of the meet.”
- HANNAH RUTHBERG, All-around fifth-year
The third rotation ended with Ball State receiving an event total of 48.425 for the beam, putting them in the lead for that event. SEMO on vault received 48.450, Ball State maintaining the lead on vault. Illinois received 48.575, putting them in the lead on the floor, and Eau-Claire received 45.125 on the uneven bars, keeping Illinois in the lead.
For the fourth and final rotation, the Cardinals hit the floor. Leading the charge, Martinez scored a 9.800. Also competing were Molina, scoring 9.775; all-around junior Alauna Simms, scoring 9.825; Afalla, scoring 9.750; and Ruthberg, scoring 9.850.
Graduate student Hannah Ruthberg jumps while competing against Illinois, Southeast Missouri State and Wisconsin-Eau Claire Jan. 12, 2025, at Worthen Arena. She was 2023 NCAA Regional Individual Participant (All-Around). JAYCE BLANE, DN
Simms’ performance was one of the many head coach Joanna Saleem said she was “proud” of, especially seeing the rest of the team plugging into her performance and supporting her.
Closing for Ball State was Middleton, who received the highest floor routine score, with a 9.900, and Girard with 9.750.
Middleton felt her high score bolstered her confidence for the rest of the season.
“I love floor so much. So, when I can just soar high and just do my job, it just feels so good,” Middleton said.
Ball State ended the fourth rotation with a total of 49.150 on the floor, putting them in the lead.
Eau-Claire ended their fourth rotation on the balance beam with a 44.200, SEMO with 45.550 on the uneven bars and Illinois with 48.950 on the vault, putting them in the lead.
winning all-around with 194.450. Trailing behind
We just felt super together, and I think that is the only way that we really have fun is when we’re all in it together.”
-
ZOE MIDDLETON, All-around
junior
was Illinois with 194.175, SEMO with 189.750 and Eau-Claire with 181.500.
The top scoring gymnast was the Cardinal’s Ruthberg with 39 points in total.
Saleem said the team had a “strong ending,” but to improve and grow, the team will be focusing on the little things.
Though Ball State was solid on bars last meet, with 49.050 total, the coaching staff aims to focus more on the team’s comfortability with the event and anxiety to compete overall, Saleem said. Going along with the team’s philosophy of focusing on performance rather than scores, Saleem noted the team will continue to learn to let go of errors.
Middleton hopes to continue working on her cues and what she says to herself before she performs.
which carried on to the team.
“We just felt super together, and I think that is the only way that we really have fun is when we’re all in it together,” Middleton said.
Ruthberg shared Middleton’s sentiment.
“The scoring was pretty, pretty tight today, but we were really focused on chasing performance and investing in each other and trying to ignore the numbers. So, regardless of where the final scores lied or event scores lied, we were all really, really proud of each individual performance and team performance that we gave today,” Ruthberg said.
The Cardinals’ next meet, the “Golden Girls Classic,” will take place Jan. 17 in Eastern Michigan as they go up against Eastern Michigan, Winona State and Northern Illinois at 6 p.m.
Contact Ella Howell via email at ella.howell@ bsu.edu, and Hannah Amos via email at hannah.
Sophomore Lindsay Girard poses at the Ball State Quad vs Illinois, Southeast Missouri State, and Wisconsin-Eau Claire Jan. 12, 2025, at Worthen Arena. Girard won the vault (9.550) and floor (9.450) competition at the 2023 Michigan Level 10 State Championships. JAYCE BLANE, DN
Delaware County’s annual basketball tournament is here.
Logan Connor
Associate Sports Editor
Every January, Delaware County high school teams prepare for the Delaware County tournament.
Six of the eight high schools in the county, excluding Muncie Burris and Central, compete in the three-round tournament. Two first-round matchups, with the winners moving on to play one of the two teams receiving a bye to the semi-finals, culminate in the championship game.
The games on the boys’ side of the bracket will be hosted by Delta, while the first two rounds of the girls’ bracket are hosted at Yorktown. The championships of both brackets take place at Delta.
DCAA Boys’ Bracket
Last season, Wapahani and Delta made postseason runs with the Raiders finding themselves in Gainbridge Fieldhouse at the class 2A state championship game. Those teams will play each other in the opening round.
Delta (9-2) and Wapahani (10-0) hold the best records and the Raiders are the No. 2 team in class 2A. Delta head coach Mark Detweiler knows his team will have to perform at a high level if they want to take down the Raiders. After losing to New Pal Jan. 11, Detweiler saw things he wanted his team to tune up.
“We have got to be better than what we were in the first half against New Pal,” he said. “We have to play like we did in the second half. We have to trust each other, and I hope we come in with a little more focus and more sense of urgency.”
Wapahani is one of the best shooting teams in the field, shooting the ball at an impressive 52 percent from deep. Defending that offense is a challenge for any team, and Detweiler’s Eagles know that.
“They put a ton of shooters on the floor,” he said. “They can spread you out, and so, that’s a team that you’ve gotta be there on the catch, and you gotta stay in front of guys and stay attached to guys.”
Wapahani is a talented team, but Delta has its fair share of talent on its side of the court. Wapahani
head coach Matt Luce anticipates a competitive opening game.
“Delta has a great program,” he said. “They returned some guys that have waited their turn, and they’ve got another outstanding team. I’ve watched them play for years, and they play well together. It’ll be a great opening-round game.”
Luce sees the tournament as a challenging midseason check-up on his team — being able to compete for a county title while also seeing where his team stands against a competitive field.
“Winning in the Delaware County tournament is very difficult,” Luce said. “It’s a true mid-season test to go to Delta and play the host school. Our guys will have to continue to do the things that we’re good at. We’re excited to have a mid-season test that will make our team better win or lose.”
The first-round match-ups include Delta defeating Wapahani 43-38 Jan. 15. Yorktown (4-7) beat Wes-Del (5-6) 64-50. The winners will now play Daleville (2-6) and Cowan (0-10) respectively. Semi-final games will tip-off at the same times Jan. 17. The championship game is Jan. 18 at 8 p.m.
DCAA Girls’ Bracket
Only two of the area girls’ teams have records below .500. Four have at least ten wins.
Based strictly on record, Yorktown and Wapahani are the top two teams. Yorktown sits at 11-4 and Wapahani at 15-2 with Delta (10-4) and Daleville (10-5) close behind. Cowan (3-12) has struggled this season, and Wes-Del (0-16) has had its share of hardships as well. The Warriors are coming off a season in which they were unable to complete due to not having a full roster.
Yorktown, one of the top teams in the county and the Hoosier Heritage Conference, has been strong as of late. The Tigers have won six of their last seven and five consecutive games. If the Eagles can beat Wes-Del, the table is set for the Eagles to avenge the loss they suffered earlier this season and halt the Tigers’ win streak.
“We’ve just been working on ourselves — things that we’re not so good at,” Delta head coach Tryonda Benning said. “So, we feel pretty good going into the next week. I feel pretty confident about it, and as long as we execute everything that we’ve been doing, we will be fine.”
Yorktown has momentum on its side. Head coach Leigh Ann Barga wants her team to take that momentum into the tournament and take the trophy back to Yorktown with them.
Winning in the Delaware County tournament is very difficult. It’s a true mid-season test to go to Delta and play the host school.”
- MATT LUCE, Wapahani boys’ head coach
“It’s nice to have some momentum going into county,” Barga said. “The girls want to play well, and it’s probably the second biggest thing for us this season behind sectionals and postseason play.”
The bracket is lined up for a rematch of Delta and Yorktown. If the Eagles can handle Wes-Del, the rivalry will be renewed. Being in the same county and conference, Yorktown vs. Delta is a big game no matter the sport. For Barga and the Tigers, it will be business as usual.
“Come Monday, it all changes,” she said. “The focus is on county and preparing. We’re just going
to do what we do. We go in, work hard every practice and just start preparing for whoever our opponent may be on Thursday.”
The girls’ bracket opened with games at Yorktown High School Jan. 14. Delta beat Wes-Del 92-9 and Daleville defeated Cowan 55-25. Delta plays Yorktown Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. and Daleville
plays Wapahani at 7:30
Jan. 18 at Delta
at 7 p.m.
Contact Logan Connor via email at logan. connor@bsu.edu or via X @_loganconnor
p.m. The championship game will be played
High School
Muncie Central senior LJ Strange dribbles Dec. 14, 2024, during the Fieldhouse Classic at Muncie Central Fieldhouse. Muncie Central fell to Hamilton Heights. ZACH CARTER, DN
Junior point guard Carly Culberson tells her teammate to get open Feb. 7, 2020, at Yorktown High School. Yorktown beat Delta and moved to the next stage in the NCAA 3A Girls’ Basketball State Tournament. JACOB MUSSELMAN, DN
A BALL STATE STUDENT’S JOURNEY WITH ALOPECIA
Ty Ransburg opens up about dealing with alopecia and the mental struggles around it.
Campus
UPD personal selfdefense session
The Ball State University Police Department is teaching a lecture and physical training for participants to improve awareness and their ability to defend themselves against physical assault. The session will be Jan. 28 in the forum room in the Student Center from 9 to 10 a.m. Physical participation is encouraged, and training will be geared toward individual abilities.
Community
Jar and bottle convention
The Midwest Antique Fruit Jar and Bottle Convention is being held in the Horizon Convention Center through Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. Entrance is $2 a person and includes workshops, club meetings, seminars, activities and more. The event will wrap up on the final day with the Midwest Antique Fruit Jar and Bottle Convention Annual Show. The schedule for the three-day convention is available online.
Campus
MyBallState Information Session
There will be a MyBallState information session for students and faculty. The learning session will be on Zoom Jan. 22 from 10 to 11 a.m. and is intended to help Cardinals maximize their use of new online resources. The hourlong session will cover university services, daily applications, faculty and staff resources, and campus announcements.
Third-year organizational communications major Ty Ransburg looks downward as his roommate Tom McGovern shaves his head Dec. 2 at the Ball State Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house. Alopecia is the partial or complete absence of hair from areas of the body where it normally grows. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Hair falls around third-year organizational communications major Ty Ransburg’s shoes Dec. 2, 2024, as his head is shaved due to an alopecia flare-up at the Ball State Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house. Ransburg had his first sign of alopecia at age 4, when his mom found a bald spot on his head. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Zach Carter Sports Editor
Ty Ransburg couldn’t get out of his 2007 Toyota Camry.
He just sat in the driver’s seat, looking in the rearview mirror at his hair. The then-senior at Roncalli High School couldn’t get over how patchy his hair had become after his alopecia flared up again.
“I just felt kind of ugly in a way,” Ransburg said. “My confidence was so beaten down because of it. I think a lot of that was because I did that to myself, but it was really hard to look at myself and see all those imperfections.”
Alopecia, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, is a disease where hair follicles are targeted by the immune system, leading to hair loss.
On multiple occasions, he just gave up and drove home. Though she wasn’t pleased to see her son skip school — and would try to discipline him — Ty’s mom, Debbie Ransburg, knew he was hurting and stopped trying to force him to be comfortable.
“For months, I got a call from the parking lot,” Debbie said. “[He’d say] ‘I’m here. I’m not going in [because] I can’t go in.’ That’s hard for him, but I would say it’s not easy for a mom either.”
Currently, Ty is a third-year organizational communications major at Ball State University and is a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE). At the start of his third year in university, his alopecia became active again. However, his mindset and attitude about the disease have drastically changed.
Ty wanted to work with SAE which would take his negative feelings about his disease and turn them into something positive. With help from his
‘What the heck is going on?’
It started when he was just 4 years old and in preschool. Debbie found a bald spot that was almost the size of a quarter. Though he was diagnosed with alopecia, Ty didn’t initially care about it; he wasn’t a stranger to chronic disease. He also has eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), which is a chronic disease of the esophagus. It’s a genetic disease he shares with Debbie, though hers is not as severe.
“I always say to him, ‘Do something good for future Ty today.’ He’s using what he learned from senior year of high school, and that’s just helpful.”
- DEBBIE RANSBURG, Ty’s mom
fraternity brothers, Ty and others raised $100 after they shaved their heads together.
“It’s definitely scary because you don’t know how [others are] gonna think or react,” Ty said. “They could not have been kinder, so it made it a lot easier.”
“He had his first reaction to something, which was strawberries,” Debbie said. “He ate a little, tiny bite when he was one, and everywhere the juice came out, he turned into hives.”
After doing research and seeing multiple doctors, Debbie was told to take Ty to the Cincinnati Center
For Eosinophilic Disorders — one of the world’s leading facilities for EoE care. The trip never phased Ty. Debbie said he was a favorite around the building and had fun with the experience.
“The nurses loved them, and he would faux hawk his hair,” she said. “He’d wear camo pants and just kind of owned [the look].”
Finally, in middle school, Ty agreed to get a feeding tube. After making the decision, he gained 20 pounds and grew four inches in three months. Due to more pressing concerns with EoE, there was not as much worry about the alopecia. He lost eyebrows and eyelashes in elementary school, but Ty adapted with ease. That all changed in high school.
“It started at the end of my junior year of high school,” Ty said. “That’s when I first was like, ‘What the heck is going on?’”
It didn’t matter what he did; Ty was losing his hair. On multiple occasions, he woke up and noticed his pillow was covered. As it got worse, Ty tried to use different sprays to hide the thinning spots. But after a while, it became too hard to hide.
“When you only have 20 percent of your hair, you can’t really cover that up,” Ty said.
Anxiety can affect the amount of hair an individual loses, including those with alopecia, according to Mayo Clinic. While trying to be an
Friends of
and have
everyday teenager, Ty’s emotions began to spiral as his mental health began to take a turn for the worse.
“We couldn’t wear hats in school. We had uniforms, and I couldn’t really cover [the bald spots] up,” Ty said. “That was really hard, and I would just kind of be vulnerable all day. High schoolers are kind of immature sometimes.”
Debbie was in and out of the building and making phone calls, but the Roncalli staff would not let him wear a hat. Finally, they made an exception, but going into the second semester of his senior year, the Champion-branded beanie was not enough.
After going to therapy, completely shaving his head was on his mind more often. Finally, Ty decided to pull the trigger. He still recalls the feeling of the first day at school after getting the haircut.
“That’s definitely when everything kind of took a turn for the better,” Ty said. “I remember the first day I showed up for school after I shaved my head — I didn’t stay. I walked in and walked out, just because it was pretty scary. But after that, I realized people just don’t care. Like, it’s just hair at the end of the day. It’s not that big of a deal.”
But it wasn’t just the fact he lost the pressure from his peers. Ty began joking about his alopecia and was even OK with his friends doing the same.
“Once I started embracing it, I would make fun of myself,” he said. “It was easy to get people to
because they didn’t know if they could laugh or not. I’m like, ‘It’s OK, it’s funny.”’
It wasn’t just Ty that thought he was changing. Debbie watched her son, who at one point couldn’t even get out of his car some mornings, regain pride in his image. To her, people have to take moments like that as a victory.
“You celebrate every milestone,” she said. “Even the little ones.”
‘Do something good for future Ty today’
Two months after he shaved his hair for the first time, it all grew back after taking a new medication. For a while, he didn’t lose any hair, and it seemed like Ty might have been in the clear. But it returned last year with just one spot.
“It’s scary every time for me once [bald spots] start coming back,” Ty said. “At first, I was like, ‘I can do this. This is fine.’ And then my spot started getting bigger, and I started noticing it more. Then, I started losing my confidence, and I just started falling apart … My whole mentality of who I was just kind of fell apart again, and I was not in a good place.”
Ty would call Debbie every day, and the two would discuss what to do this time. For Ty, the timing could not have been worse.
“I was going through some other things in my life at the same time,” he said. “My alopecia got way worse. I started losing way more hair than I
probably should have been at the time. I was like, ‘Something needs to change because I’m going through a lot right now, and I need to either just shave this off or I don’t know [what else to do].’”
Though he was anxious for a while, an idea dawned on him. It came from his family’s association with Tyler Trent, a former 20-year-old Purdue student who passed away from a rare form of bone cancer in 2019.
“Our daughter was president of the dance marathon at Purdue,” Debbie said. “Tyler had cancer as a 15-year-old [the first time], and when it came back right before he went to Purdue, he said, ‘I don’t want to waste this time.’”
With that in mind and the notion that Ty was already going to shave his head, he wanted to do something with it. Not just for himself but as a way to help others and spread awareness.
Ty was unsure what would happen if he approached the other SAE members about the idea and disclosed what he’d dealt with throughout his life. He thought they might think differently of him.
“I didn’t really know what the reactions would be,” Ty said. “Maybe they’d think I would be weird or whatever.”
But the opposite happened. Jacob Phelps, SAE’s vice president, was on board the moment Ty called him and explained the plan.
“One day, we got on a call, and he told me about
[his alopecia], and I had no idea,” Phelps said. It didn’t take long for other SAE members to join the cause. Multiple guys also shaved their heads with Ty Dec. 2, 2024, at the SAE house. While Ty wasn’t completely shocked due to his relationships within the fraternity, he wasn’t expecting them to jump in so quickly.
“It surprised me enough that I was definitely blown away by how many people did and the people that did it,” he said. “I was really grateful.”
To Debbie, seeing people who care about Ty step in to reinforce that fact is something every parent hopes for. Add in the way he’s grown since first battling alopecia, it’s another “milestone’” for her son.
“I always say to him, ‘Do something good for future Ty today,’” she said. “He’s using what he learned from senior year of high school, and that’s just helpful.”
Ty himself realizes where he’s come from. Once, he was just a teenager who was too terrified to step out of his car to go to school. Now, he’s shaved his head to raise money for a disease he’s battled since he learned how to walk. And he has advice for anyone who deals with alopecia:
“Don’t care what other people think,” he said. “If people aren’t gonna like you because of your hair, then you don’t want them in your life.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary. carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
(Top)
Ty Ransburg sit beside him
their hair shaved Dec. 2, 2024, at the Ball State Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house. (Bottom) Members of Ball State Sigma Alpha Epsilon gather to watch as some brothers shave their heads Dec. 2, 2024, for alopecia awareness at the Ball State Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Tom McGovern, roommate of Ty Ransburg, has his head shaved by Reid Philips Dec. 2, 2024, at the Ball State Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity house. Philips is Ransburg’s little at SAE. ANDREW BERGER, DN
JUNK JUNK JUNK
ANDREW BERGER, DN
BRENDEN ROWAN, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Elizabeth Pavey
Columnist, “On My Mind”
Elizabeth Pavey is a second-year marketing and business administration major and writes “On My Mind” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
In the past year, my grandma has gifted me dozens of boxes caked in dust. They held promises of memories that were easier forgotten than she could discard.
Just a few weeks ago, she called me over to her home.
“This belongs to you now,” she said to me with a warm smile, as though I had received something of great importance.
She smiled like she had done me a service and expected a reaction full of awestruck gratitude. I took the box kindly, but I silently judged its contents. Only living in my hometown part-time, I collected another forgotten box to sit in my room and wait for me to reach for it.
Except I know that I never will.
I am grateful for the opportunity to reflect on the items from my youth, but while there may be one or two items I remember and choose to cherish, the rest feel burdensome.
The items belong to me, but the value belongs to my grandmother.
A professor at the University of Technology Sydney, Elise van de Hoven, published a study titled “Possessions and Memories” with The University of Dundee. The study takes a look into the different connections between a person and their meaningful possessions.
“Each connection type either focuses on possessions or memories, and the connection between the two is either active or lost,” Hoven said in the study.
The first connection she discusses, type one, is what I believe grants a historical item value. It allows memories to be associated with a possession through “acquisition, usage, ownership or access.” Essentially, the item is integrated and experienced in everyday life, allowing people to create personal associations.
the richness of the cedar chest. While it doesn’t quite match, the chest is practical, providing storage and a childhood worth of memories.
I can see the value in one day placing the cedar chest somewhere in my home, and I don’t mind keeping it close to me.
Hoven’s study describes the second type of connection to heirlooms as memories intentionally cued by a possession. This includes items like souvenirs, photos, or other regalia that we keep to remember moments and people that are important to the original owner.
Type one resonates with me as I think fondly of a brown cedar chest that rested at the foot of my grandmother’s grand four-poster bed. Suddenly, I am 8 years old again, sleeping over at my grandmother’s house, ready to watch movies and eat ice cream.
My knees dig into her old floral rug as I rummage the cedar chest for my favorite blanket. I remember how carefully I would lower the hefty lid, afraid of slamming it on my small fingers or being reprimanded for my carelessness. I remember the chore of folding all the blankets I had used and making them fit alongside the pillows I had rested on the night before.
The cedar chest was old then, and more than a decade later, the piece of furniture continues to age in my closet, resting beneath hanging clothes.
My room is full of white shelves, a white dresser and a light-colored wooden bookshelf, which contrasts with
young adults from purchasing homes large enough to commemorate the past while maintaining space for new memories to be created.
I know what a home full of history could look like. My mother holds affection for deep brown furnishings that are older than her and I combined. My home is a mismatched collection of desks and China cabinets curated to the tastes of family members I have never met. Our personal style surrenders to decades-old furnishings that have earned their value in age, not beauty. The shelves are lined with books and relics, some old and some new. I know little about their origins, but I am meant to appreciate the notion of their historical, generational significance.
There comes a time when people confronted with mounting quantities of heirlooms, like the ones that adorn my home, must make a decision. You can take on the possession and all of their legacy, or you can pass on it. Whether that means personally discarding it or allowing another member of your family to continue its legacy, this decision oftentimes is clouded by obligation. In an article titled “Keep, Chuck, or Donate: Why Not Repurpose Those Heirlooms?” published by Psychology Today, Dena Kouremetis writes that individuals are under no true obligation to maintain or preserve heirlooms. It’s unrealistic to expect that every item offered will find a new home within the one you have already created. Kouremetis shares why most heirlooms are passed down, stating, “In most cases, those who left them to you collected all of them because they loved them, finding it difficult to believe you wouldn’t love them too. Some were earned at great sacrifice, especially in immigrant families like my own. Others simply represent a memory of a time long past.”
She said significance is “nuanced” and remains a “personal process.” I would argue that significance is nontransferable.
The items belong to me, but the value belongs to my grandmother.”
While you can teach someone about what you believe or share your emotional connection to an heirloom, true meaning cannot be imposed and must be felt and determined by the individual.
You cannot benefit or contribute to the legacy of an heirloom if you feel unimpacted by its story. Without the
heirloom if you feel unimpacted by its story. Without the sentiment of memories, heirlooms become just stuff. Just because you let go of physical possessions does not mean the memories are lost.
While younger generations value their family histories, they’ve exchanged their obligated sentiment for practicality. I find it unreasonable to home the mementos of someone elses’ experiences.
Similarly, not every item from your childhood is meant to carry sentiment. Heirlooms can take up real estate, and the current market trends prevent
Contact Elizabeth Pavey via email at elizabeth.pavey@bsu. edu.
2025 Unity Week Calendar of Events
2025 Unity Week Calendar of Events
Ball State is holding its annual Unity Week celebration aiming to challenge perspectives on matters of diversity, inclusivity and solidarity in an evolving social climate.
MONDAY, JAN. 20
• MLK Breakfast: 9:00-11:00 a.m. at Cardinal Halls The annual MLK Celebration, hosted by the Muncie community and Ball State University, commemorates the life and contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr. A livestream will be available.
• MLK March: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. starting on McKinley Avenue
TUESDAY, JAN. 21
• Disability Justice Workshop: 2:00 p.m. at Student Center Forum Room
• MLK Speaker: 7:00 p.m. at Pruis Hall
Speaker: Brandon Allmon-Jackson, a New York-based assistant stage manager and Ball State alumni, will give a talk about his passion for social justice issues and supporting diversity and inclusion.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22
• Success in Sisterhood and Man 2 Men Collaboration: 5:00 p.m. at the Multicultural Center
• Spectrum Queer Monologues: 7:00 p.m. at Pruis Hall
THURSDAY, JAN. 23
• 100 Days Until Graduation: 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at Student Center Ballroom
• Housing and Residence Life Service Event: 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
• Asian Student Union Sushi Night: 5:00 p.m. at the Multicultural Center
Sushi – Japan’s National Dish. In Japanese culture, influenced by Buddhism, the fish represents freedom of will, fearlessness and happiness.
FRIDAY, JAN. 24
• Latinx Student Union Latinxpalooza: 6:00 p.m. at Student Center Ballroom
Latinxpalooza is a long-standing and annual non-competitive talent showcase hosted by the Latinx Student Union.
SATURDAY, JAN. 25
• Beneficence Leadership Conference: 10:00 a.m.-1:45 p.m. at Student Center Ballroom
SUNDAY, JAN. 26
Association
7:00
Black Student
Unity Pageant:
Marching along West University Avenue in Muncie, Ind., the communities of Muncie and Ball State symbolize racial equality and diversity. The march took place Jan. 16, 2024, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in tradition of Ball State’s Unity Week. ZACH GONZALEZ, DN
Ball State Unity Week shirts sit on display outside the Student Center Ballroom Jan. 20, 2024, at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. ELI HOUSER, DN
Third-year dance major Shanice Caldwell is crowned Miss Unity 2024 at the Black Student Association Unity Pageant Jan. 21, 2024, at Pruis Hall. KATE TILBURY, DN
Source: Ball State Multicultural Center
Crossword & Sudoku
22 Burro
Hash slingers 26 Very light brown 27 Nt. wt. units
30 Secretly include on an email
33 Steven who said, “When I grow up, I still want to be a director”
35 __ pool
38 Coy response to “You’re awesome!”
40 First number in most countdowns
41 Mind-altering drug
42 Lightweight Apple tablet
43 Wine served at a trattoria
45 Steak option at a seafood house
47 Illegally downloaded
48 Commonplace
Supreme Court justice Kagan 5 Autos with meters 6 Feel sorrow over
Fortunetellers
8 Place for a firepit
Utah’s capital, briefly
Crispy, nutritious snack
Solid yellow on a pool table
Aquamarine 13 QVC alternative 18 Move to a new house,
49 Nuclear treaty topic
51 Angsty rock genre
53 Analytics input
56 Foretell
58 Put a whammy on 61 “Enough!”
62 Org. with Angels and Dodgers
63 __ Moines, Iowa
65 TSA checkpoint needs
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