Sept. 25: Ball State soccer defeated Eastern Michigan 5-0 at home to win their first match of the 2022 Mid-American Conference (MAC) campaign. First-year forward Delaney Caldwell lead the Cardinals with two goals while putting up five shots on goal. Staying home, Ball State takes on Northern Illinois University Sept. 29 at 4 p.m.
Sept. 26: Redshirt junior quarterback John Paddock has been named Mid-American Conference (MAC) Offensive Player of the Week after his performance in Ball State’s 34-23 loss to Georgia Southern Sept. 24. Paddock threw for 338 passing yards and two touchdowns with 70% completion.
Sept. 26: Monday, a Muncie Central High School (MCHS) student was “immediately detained” by school security officers after a handgun was found in their locker, according to Andy Klotz, Muncie Community Schools (MCS) chief communications officer. No one could enter or exit the school for an hour.
Sept. 28: According to AP, Hurricane Ian has now been categorized as a Category 4 storm and around 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate. Ian is expected to move inland in Florida, however, the effects aren’t expected to be as severe as the southwest. Ian first made landfall in Cuba Sept. 27, reportedly killing two people.
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In the Sept. 22 print edition of the Ball State Daily News, there was an incorrect spelling of a name in one of our news stories. The source’s name was Christiana, not Christina.
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Hi: 65º Lo: 43º
SUNNY Hi: 70º Lo: 44º
PARTLY CLOUDY Hi: 72º Lo: 51º SATURDAY MOSTLY CLOUDY Hi: 74º Lo: 50º SUNDAY
THIS WEEK: Going through the end of the work week and into your weekend, temperatures will gradually warm up as the 70s will return. Temperatures will still be below normal for this time of the year.
START CHECKING, FROM DAY ONE.
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.
HOPE KLEITSCH, Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group
AMBER PIETZ, DN PHOTO
AMBER PIETZ, DN PHOTO
Monday, NASA slammed a spacecraft into an asteroid to practice defense in case of an asteroid hitting Earth. The crash happened 7 million miles away from Earth with the spacecraft, Dart, flying into it at 14,000 mph. The mission cost $325 million, and the goal was to change the path of the asteroid.
Ball State University and Indiana Immunization Coalation partnered to host two immunzaiton clinics open to students, employees, spouses and dependents. The clinic will be held in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Ballroom, offering the Flu, COVID-19 and Meningitis B vaccines. The clinics are open Sept. 29 at noon to 6 p.m. and Sept. 30 at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ball State University Police Department is hosting “Lunch with a Cop.” The event is intended to provide “positive social interactions” between Ball State students and officers. Active students may sign-up and bring three guest students with them. The meal is free, but the lunch total shouldn’t exceed $10 per student.
Betsy Mills, 2008 Ball State University graduate and 2010 master’s graduate, serves as the president of the Ball State Young Alumni Council and chair of the College of Communication, Information and Media Alumni Council.
Mills just paid off her student loans a few months prior to September, but her romantic partner of 15 years, a Ball State graduate, is still paying off her loans. Her partner took out “10’s of 1000’s of dollars in student loans” to acquire her undergraduate, masters and two doctorate degrees.
Ben Yoder, 2007 Ball State graduate, was a founding member of the Young Alumni Council, and he later served as the organization’s president from 2019-21.
Yoder, like Mills, paid-off his loans prior to Biden’s announcement and the COVID-19
pandemic. However, Yoder just entered his first semester for his master’s degree.
“I will definitely expect to take out loans again, at some point,” Yoder said. “I think it’s something that now I’m a little bit more equipped to plan for because I understand a little bit more about how that works now that I’ve been through it once and understand it now.”
Yoder advises students to be informed and educated about loans as well as staying engaged with politics.
“You agree to take out a loan, you pay back the loan,” Mills said. “They can’t strip you of your degrees. If I don’t pay for my car payment, well, they can come and take my car. I don’t pay for my mortgage, they can come and take my house, but they can’t – you can’t – be stripped of your college degrees.”
To pay off Mills’ partner’s loans, $600-$700 a month is not coming into their household. Mills’ sisters, who also attended Ball State, paid off their loans within 10 years.
The student loan forgiveness plan won’t help Mills’ sisters, but it could potentially help Mills and her partner with their loans. Despite Mills seeing the use in Biden’s student loan forgiveness for her, she disagrees with the philosophy of it.
She believes interest-free loans would help students more.
student loan forgiveness plan.
He also believes larger amounts of loans can be forgiven, instead of the current $10,000. Both Yoder and Mills said there isn’t a general consensus of opinion on Biden’s student loan forgiveness. Both agree it’s a “mixed bag,” some agree with the forgiveness loan and some disagree.
For 13 years, starting in 2010, Mills has been working at Penn State University teaching communications. Seven out of the 13 years, Mills worked on the Pennsylvania campus, and for the last five years, she has worked remotely in Indiana.
“I am a professor, I care about higher education,” Mills said. “I’ve chosen to work in this realm, as has my partner. This is not the way to support it. If we want to really support students, we stop raising tuition, we find ways to keep tuition low. We stop administrative bloat.”
Current students are eligible for this relief plan. Dependent students’ eligibility is based on parental income, instead of student income.
At Ball State, more than 80 percent of students qualify for financial aid, Paula Luff, vice president for enrollment planning and management, said via email.
This plan forgives up to $20,000 of student loans for Pell Grant recipients and $10,000 to non-Pell Grant recipients.
Borrowers are eligible for this relief if their individual income is $125,000 or less and $250,000 or less for married couples.
The pause on federal student loan repayment will be extended one final time through Dec. 31, 2022.
Payment is expected to resume January 2023.
Source: White House Press Release• Consulting with the University’s financial aid advisors
• Coming prepared with requested or necessary documentation
• Protecting yourself and your money”
If I don’t pay for my car payment, well, they can come and take my car. I don’t pay for my mortgage, they can come and take my house, but they can’t – you can’t – be stripped of your college degrees.”
MILLS, Ball State alumna
“There’s too much interest on student loans, [and] there’s predatory student loans,” Mills said. “Instead of wiping away the debt, we still have that exact problem.”
Like Mills, Yoder agrees that interest-free loans would help students, but he also agrees with Biden’s forgiveness loans.
“I think that it is an investment in people,” Yoder said.
He talked about the loans given out for businesses during the pandemic, PPP (publicprivate partnership) loans and how those were forgiven. He equated those loans to Biden’s current
“The University offers a variety of services and programs designed to help students find ways to meet the costs of education, including scholarships, need-based grants and employment opportunities,” Luff said.
According to Luff, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships has tips to help “maximize” financial aid:
• “Completing federal tax returns early
• Filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Frequently checking and responding to correspondence
• Searching for additional aid [and] accepting loan offers
• Understanding responsibilities
• Keeping personal information current
The cumulative federal student loan debt is $1.6 trillion, the White House said in their statement, and this debt is rising for more than 45 million borrowers.
These debts make it harder for borrowers to accrue wealth by buying homes, putting away for retirement and starting small businesses, the White House said.
Ball State does offer “financial wellness resources to students through external financial partners,” Luff said. These resources are intended to help students understand credit, balance a budget, buy a home, learn about inflation and decrease financial stressors.
Contact Hannah Amos with comments at hannah.amos@bsu.edu or on Twitter @Hannah_ Amos_394.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Hunter Luzadder is a member of NewsLink Indiana, which is a part of Ball State University’s Unified Media Lab.
The Delta Kappa Chapter of Theta Chi at Ball State University was shut down Oct. 3, 2018.
Ball State’s oldest fraternity was closed due to “confirmed violations,” according to a statement from Theta Chi’s national headquarters.
The fraternity couldn’t return until at least three years after their closure.
John O’Dell served in three positions during his time in Theta Chi. He was the recruitment chair for the chapter, recruitment chairman for the campus within Interfraternity Council (IFC) and president in his last year.
The suspension was “bittersweet,” O’Dell said.
Theta Chi started at Ball State in 1922 as the Triangle Club, according to its website. The name was changed to Theta Chi Jan. 20, 1951, when it became a chapter at Ball State.
Theta Chi originally lived in Elliot Residence Hall, the first men’s dormitory on campus. For the next 50 years, Theta Chi lived in six different houses.
O’Dell pledged for Theta Chi in fall 2006 because of the “brotherhood.” At the time, Theta Chi was a dry house, and according to O’Dell, it was full of “laid back guys.”
Theta Chi alumni were unaware of the national headquarters’ and Ball State’s investigations while it was happening. Alumni and the 2018 members had monthly calls where members didn’t acknowledge the investigations or the claims against them.
“That was really it for us,” O’Dell said. “The straw that broke the camel’s back was the complete unwillingness to want to own up to what they did and then try to fix it and use resources like the university, us as alumni, our international headquarters. They just showed a complete
unwillingness to accept help.”
Ball State informed the alumni of the suspension, and Theta Chi national headquarters made the decision to suspend the chapter. The 2018 members were evicted from Theta Chi’s house at the time and were forced to find other housing, according to a previous Ball State Daily News article.
Despite the members leaving the house, Theta Chi still owns the home. At this time, it’s being leased out to Alpha Tau Omega (ATO), said Hunter Luzadder, current Theta Chi president.
Three years later, in fall 2021, Theta Chi International Headquarters (IHQ) sent representatives to Ball State’s campus to recruit men interested in reestablishing the fraternity, Luzadder said via email.
Ball State’s Theta Chi gained recognition as a colony from IHQ Nov. 21, 2021. Ball State’s Office of Student Life approved Theta Chi as an official student organization March 2022. They have also rejoined Ball State’s IFC.
“Starting fresh would be exciting,” O’Dell said. “Being able to start something from scratch and put your own mark on it and be basically a founding brother of an organization that we’ve got thousands of alumni brothers, and we got decade’s worth of experience to help [them].”
In fall 2022, Theta Chi returned with five members, and by September, they had nine, said Luzadder.
Theta Chi’s current goal is to be recognized as a chapter. The average chapter size for the 2021-22 academic year ranged from 14 members on the low end to 60-70+ members, Luzadder said.
Luzadder met with Zachariah Brumfield, associate director of the Office of Student Life, to discuss Theta Chi’s possibilities on becoming a chapter and on the average chapter size. According to Luzadder, the average chapter size is expected to be lowered for the 2022-23 academic year due to COVID-19.
Once Theta Chi becomes reinstalled as a chapter by the Office of Student Life and when ATO’s lease is up, Theta Chi will move back into their original home on W. Riverside Ave., Luzadder said.
Theta Chi members are focusing on doing
- HUNTER LUZADDER, Theta Chi Presidentmore one-on-one meetings and smaller events with prospective members, and they’re cautious of who they bring into the group due to Theta Chi’s past.
Prior to Theta Chi being shut down, there was a “social pause” put on all fraternities, signed Oct. 23, 2017, and it was effective until Jan. 31, 2018, according to email records from a previous director of Greek Life Kari Murphy and vice president for student affairs and enrollment services Ro-Anne Royer Engle. All 13 presidents in IFC at the time signed this social pause, including Theta Chi’s president at the time.
During this pause, all active fraternity members were required to attend an “alcohol skills training workshop” and a “sexual violence and bystander intervention workshop.”
Second-year meteorology and geoscience major Hunter Luzadder stands by a tree in University Green Sept. 19.
JACY BRADLEY, DNmedical expenses, future pain and suffering and for all other relief just and proper in the premises,” June 12, 2018, due to being slapped in the face. According to the lawsuit, members would frequently slap each other in the face as a greeting.
Luzadder and the new members are dealing with these allegations currently, attempting to shed their past reputation. Luzadder said new members will be learning sexual assault prevention and hazing prevention, along with focusing on drug and alcohol awareness.
“We want good, outstanding people in our Ball State community to be part of this group,” Luzadder said. “Especially to build it. We are starting something brand new.”
Contact Hannah Amos with comments at hannah.amos@bsu.edu or on Twitter @Hannah_ Amos_394.
We want good, outstanding people in our Ball State community to be part of this group, especially to build it. We are starting something brand new.”Second-year meteorology and geoscience major Hunter Luzadder sits on a bench in front of Frog Baby Sept. 19.
lecturer of Computer Science, believes his senior year at Willowbrook High School (Villa Park, Illinois) in 1974 – 75 was the first year a computer programming course had ever been offered in his school. Though he said he enjoyed this course, Largent attended Manchester University where he eventually graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in social work.
However, Largent also graduated with an Associate of Arts in computer applications. Looking for work, he moved to Muncie and found a job as a computer programmer at N.G. Gilbert Corporation, later merging with Townsend Tree Service.
Largent spent 28 years there, eventually becoming Information Services Manager. That all changed in 2008 when the position he held was eliminated and suddenly, after almost 30 years, Largent was without work.
“I enjoyed those nearly three decades getting a computer to do what the company needed,” Largent said via email. “After a few months of job/ soul searching, I decided to go back to school.”
He didn’t go back to Manchester. Instead, he decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Computer Science at Ball State University at the age of 50. In spring 2010, just prior to his graduation, Largent was offered a “non-tenure line teaching position” in the Computer Science department.
Thirteen years later, Largent has been awarded
support the nomination. There are lots of deserving faculty—more so than I am—that need to be nominated and recognized.”
Dr. Jennifer Coy, Ball State department chair of the Department of Computer Science and associate professor of Computer Science, is in her second year in the position, only having known Largent
students and to assist students in their success. He works with the Office of Disability Services as a student advocate … he’s done so many different things, it’s hard to list them.”
Largent serves on a variety of department, college and university committees, such as being the chapter advisor for the Golden Key International
Honour Society and a member of the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion taskforce. He also plays a role in ensuring the youth of Muncie are
In fall 2016, Largent began working with Muncie Central High School (MCHS), helping teach an immersive learning course focusing on science, education and diversity. Then, he began to work with Northside Middle School to try to introduce more Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math courses into the school’s curriculum.
In 2017, Largent began to teach another fall course, Computer Science for Middle Schoolers (CS4MS) at Northside, and he eventually expanded it into MCHS and Burris Laboratory School. In 2020, Largent introduced Computer Science for Muncie schools and surrounding schools (CS4MS+).
Largent said while not everyone needs to be a computer programmer, he does think everyone should have an understanding about technology due to the increasing reliance on it. He believes introducing these ideas to those who are still in grade school is the best way to do so.
“If you think back to your middle school, my guess is you had science, you had math, you had English, you had gym, [but] you probably didn’t have computer science,” Largent said. “So, even if you ended up being someone that would have excelled at computer science, if you never even knew it was a possibility, you’re not likely to choose it.”
2022 Ball State Outstanding Faculty Award winner Dave Largent looks to instruct both college level and K-12 students on the importance of computer scienceDave Largent poses for a portrait in his office Sept. 26. AMBER PIETZ, DN
When we’re working on improving the curriculum or making changes to different departmental policies, he’s always viewing it from the side of the student and helping us see some of the student perspective that is not always obvious. So, he’s always trying to make sure that barriers for the students are knocked down,”
- JENNIFER COY, Ball State department chair of the Department of Computer Science and associate professor of Computer Science
The Ball State University Women’s Golf team has seven players on its roster – four of them are international players.
Second-year Payton Bennett, first-year Sarah Gallagher and first-year Madelin Boyd are all from Ontario, Canada. First-year Jasmine Driscoll is from the ‘land down under,’ coming all the way from Sydney, Australia, to play collegiate golf at Ball State.
“In Australia, college sports is really not a thing,” Driscoll said. “So if you wanted to go play at a high level, you’d just be playing by yourself. You’d be
The Cardinals attended the twoday James O’Connell Memorial Tournament hosted by the University of Dayton Sept. 25. Ball State went 11-7 in singles play and 8-1 in doubles, while secondyear Nathaniel Webster (3-0) and first-year Jacks Lancaster (2-0) remained undefeated in individual competition.
Since making his Major League Baseball debut Sept. 15, former Ball State Baseball right-handed pitcher Drey Jameson has featured two more times for the Arizona Diamondbacks. In three games in the majors, Jameson has pitched 18.1 innings, given up 14 hits and struck out 17 batters. Jameson won the 2021 Minor League Baseball Gold Glove with the Hillsboro Hops – the High-A affiliate of the Diamondbacks.
People are excited about it but in a different way. High school golf is nowhere near competitive to anything I have seen here [compared to Canada]. High school golf here is comparable to college golf here.”
- PAYTON BENNETT, Ball State Women’s Golf playerenrolling in tournaments by yourself, traveling by yourself and practicing by yourself. Whereas here, you do everything as a team.”
In Bennett’s sectionals, there was only one other girl she competed with and players got to state very easily. Here in America, getting to state in golf is a bigger deal.
“People are excited about it, but in a different way,” Bennett said. “High school golf is nowhere near competitive to anything I have seen here [compared to Canada]. High school golf here is comparable to college golf here.”
Gallagher played for Team Ontario, and multiple other Canadian series for golf.
Clay Murray and João Mescolote have been tapped to join head coach J. Agnew as coaches for Ball State Swimming & Diving in the 2022-23 season. Murray came from John Carroll University where he spent one year as an assistant coach focusing on distance swimming; Murray also spent time at Westminster College, his alma mater, as a sprint coach.
AMBER PIETZ, DN ILLUSTRATION
Ball State Soccer put five goals past Eastern Michigan Sept. 25 to earn their first win of the 2022 MAC campaign
Second-year forward Lexi Fraley goes for the ball in a game against Eastern Michigan at Briner Sports Complex Sept. 25. Fraley had one shot during the game. AMBER PIETZ, DN
Third-year defender Jordyn Jeffers chases after the ball in a game against Eastern Michigan at Briner Sports Complex Sept. 25. Jeffers was on the field for 73 minutes during the game.
AMBER PIETZ, DN
First-year midfielder Kira Verburg goes for the ball in a game against Eastern Michigan at Briner Sports Complex Sept. 25. AMBER PIETZ, DN
Ball State and Eastern Michigan players jump for the ball at Briner Sports Complex Sept. 25. Ball State shutout Eastern Michigan 5-0. AMBER PIETZ, DN
First-year midfielder Kira Verburg kicks the ball in a game against Eastern Michigan at Briner Sports Complex Sept. 25. Ball State shutout Eastern Michigan 5-0. AMBER PIETZ, DN
Thursday, Oct. 6 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., the 2022 ArtsWalk festival will take place in the Canon Commons at 600 S. Walnut Street and spread along Main Street in downtown Muncie. This is a special edition of the monthly First Thursday event where art vendors will bring their work for display and sale; every piece sold will be less than $40.
The City of Muncie’s second IRONMAN triathlon is Saturday, Oct. 1. Athletes will swim 1.2 miles through the Prairie Creek Reservoir, bike 52 miles through Delaware and Henry Counties, and finish with a 13.1-mile-long run, according to the IRONMAN website.
At the Astronomy Slam, astronomy students take over the Planetarium and its visuals to give engaging presentations and compete for the title of Astronomy Slam Champion for best presentation. The event takes place Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m.; tickets are $4 per person.
MARE CASTNER, PHOTO PROVIDED
MARE CASTNER, PHOTO PROVIDED
JOSIE SANTIAGO, DN DESIGN; FREEPIK
MARE CASTNER, PHOTO PROVIDED
MARE CASTNER, PHOTO PROVIDED
Jason Michael shows off his 3-year-old Cuban rock iguana to guests at the Muncie Indiana Exotic Pets, Oddities, and Tropical Plants show at the Delaware County Fairgrounds Sept. 25.
ALEX BRACKEN, DN
Visitors peer into glass and plastic containers with snakes, geckos, and other reptiles at the Muncie Indiana Exotic Pets, Oddities, and Tropical Plants show at the Delaware County Fairground Sept. 25. ALEX BRACKEN, DN
Josh Smith holds a gecko behind his booth at the Muncie Indiana Exotic Pets, Oddities, and Tropical Plants show at the Delaware County Fairgrounds Sept. 25. ALEX BRACKEN, DN
Carissa Snyder and Michael Clyatt pose behind their booth while holding a monitor lizard and a snake Sept. 25. ALEX BRACKEN, DN
Josh Smith poses a gecko for a picture at the Muncie Indiana Exotic Pets, Oddities, and Tropical Plants show at the Delaware County Fairgrounds Sept. 25. ALEX BRACKEN, DN
Carissa Snyder holds a puppy over her booth to let a child pet it Sept. 25. ALEX BRACKEN, DN
Mare Castner, a tall brunette with a resonating voice from the U.S., and Susan Smith, a shorter, soft-spoken ginger from the U.K., are physical and cultural opposites. However, their pen pal connection has kept them friends for over 47 years.
Castner, who is originally from Columbus, Ohio, has been living in Muncie for 26 years. Smith, on the other hand, is from the Southwest region of England, near a small town called Glastonbury. The two have stayed connected since 1975 despite much adversity, they said.
At 11 years old, Castner often watched the children’s television program, Big Blue Marble, which was known for exploring the lives and homes of children all over the world. The show has connected many children all over the globe through penmanship. This is how Castner became a pen pal.
Smith, also 11 at the time, was reading the back of a teen magazine and filled out an attached form to get an American pen pal. The two each had three pen pals, but only their friendship stuck.
“We just found a kindred spirit very early on.” Castner said.
Smith said that they would write “twelve pages every two weeks.” When they first met in person, they had the same hairstyle, drove the same car and wore the same perfume, she said.
“Clinique Happy, -- how weird is that?” Castner said, referring to the perfume’s name.
Castner and Smith agreed that the connection impacted their lives by helping in getting over the hard times. When Smith lost her husband,
Castner was one of the main people in her support system.
“There are times that you don’t always agree, of course,” Castner said. Despite this, they still have “tremendous respect and connectedness” with each other.
Smith’s visits to Indiana have always happened in the late summer, July and August, they said.
“The first time Susan [Smith] was here, she just laughed about the corn,” Castner said about Smith’s first visit to Muncie. “She said there’s corn pouring out of here left and right.”
On Castner’s first visit to England with her family, Castner said Smith’s brother told her she was “more inquisitive, not as stupid” as he thought Americans were.
Smith said she and Castner lost touch for nearly four years when she was in the Women’s Royal Naval Service in her younger years. Castner moved about 14 times in the period they lost touch, and this was at a point in their friendship where they still corresponded through letters. The only way the two got back in touch was due to the fact that Smith remembered where Castner’s mother lived, they said.
“What we discovered is that we’d both been through a divorce, and we were kind of ashamed to admit it,” Castner said about their reconnection.
At the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Smith and Castner were still adamant about visiting
one another. “I think we both have experienced the highs and lows of COVID[-19],” Castner said. Though feeling restrained and restricted, the two still felt a pull towards each other, they said.
“[Smith] was determined; she was coming, whether she had to mortgage her home or not,” Castner said on Smith’s most recent trip to the U.S. “It’s very expensive for her to be here right now.”
Their continued connection, they said, has been and still is the most important relationship they have ever had. “She’s wanted a newspaper to pick up our story for years,” Smith said.
22 years after that meeting, these women still play major roles in each other’s lives, showing the true power of penmanship.
Contact Elaine Ulsh with comments at elaine. ulsh@bsu.edu.
[Smith] was determined; she was coming, whether she had to mortgage her home or not. It’s very expensive for her to be here right now.”
- MARE CASTNER, U.S. pen pal
farmers market at minnet rista: Out door market
Every Saturday through October; 8 a.m.–Noon Connect with local vendors and discover fresh produce, plants, baked goods, and more!
Mare Castner (left) and Susan Smith (right) in the comfort of Castner’s home Sept. 19. Castner and Smith love to travel and make many trips to each other’s home nations, they said. MIGUEL NARANJO, DN
Allison Wright is a second-year psychology major and writes for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
s I write this, I sit in the same dorm room, in the same bed as I did last year, where I stayed up all night, slept all day, had PTSD nightmares and panic attacks.
I anticipated writing this, knowing that going through the documents of my sexual assault case again would bring back triggers. I know how important it is, though, to make my story known, because it isn’t just my story.
I didn’t know what the Red Zone was when I moved into my dorm last year for my freshman year. I don’t know if it was mentioned during orientation, and I just blanked it out or if it wasn’t mentioned at all. The #MeToo Movement defines the Red Zone as “the time spanning the start of the fall semester through Thanksgiving break when more than 50 percent of all college sexual assaults are statistically found to occur.”
The first time I was sexually assaulted, I was 13 years old. My boyfriend at the time sexually assaulted, raped and mentally abused me for two years. When I was 15, an 18-year old preyed on my sympathy about mental health issues and manipulated me into having sex with him. Later on, someone I thought was my friend took advantage of me while I was incapacitated.
As someone who already dealt with anxiety and depression, these situations made me even more vulnerable. I adopted many unhealthy coping mechanisms that I’m still recovering from to this day.
Last year, I met the person who sexually assaulted me through a Ball State freshmen Instagram page. We messaged back and forth on Instagram casually for a couple of days before we agreed to meet up and hang out. One night, around midnight, I convinced myself to be spontaneous and hang out with him.
I was trying to convince myself that not every man I met was out to hurt me.
His dorm was decently far from mine, so he walked to meet me. Then, we walked back and talked at Frog Baby for a while before I agreed to go back to his dorm to charge my phone. We talked for a while longer, sitting on opposite beds, until I asked him to walk me back to my dorm. It was getting late and our dorm buildings were too far for me to walk alone.
Now, I feel like I should’ve taken my chances. He refused to walk me back, and that’s when it started.
We all know the term “fight-or-flight,” but “fawn-and-freeze” are not as common. I, as well as many others, respond to fearful situations by fawning or freezing, which is characterized by reverting to people-pleasing behaviors in order to avoid further conflict, a coping mechanism I developed in my first abusive relationship. My brain turned to television static. I felt as though I was floating outside my body, watching myself. This feeling is called dissociation, a feeling which is common for sexual assault survivors who feel as though their bodies are not a safe place to be after they’ve been violated.
My state of dissociation got to a severe state months after the sexual assault took place. I reported the sexual assault to Ball State University, hoping the university’s system would bring more justice than state-level cases normally do.
I first was directed to the Office of Victim Services, which has recently been renamed the Center for Survivor Support. The women who helped me were very empathetic, caring and supportive. They went with me to talk to the university police officer in charge of handling sexual assault cases.
I felt more comfortable with them by my side. They made me feel like they believed me.
Once I had to recount the story to Title IX, though, I only had my
support person with me — my current boyfriend. I physically shook the entire time I told my story to someone whose job it was to be completely neutral, only focused on the facts. I felt as though I was a nuisance or that this person didn’t believe me.
I can’t be sure what they actually thought; it was just their job to record what I was saying and have me respond to some of what my assaulter had said. I was emailed a copy of both mine and my assaulter’s Title IX interviews. I put off reading them for several days, knowing that seeing my assaulter’s denials would send me into an even deeper mental spiral.
I stopped going to classes, stayed up at night and slept all day to the point where I barely saw the sun. After both of our interviews were completed, a hearing over Zoom was scheduled. It seemed to me like random faculty members were chosen to judge this case, like a jury system; one of them was a parking director.
These faculty members supposedly went through training for this situation, but I still felt insulted that there wasn’t a position exclusively for handling sexual violence cases. Both my assaulter and I were appointed an advisor who would ask the other questions during the hearing, and the panel would also be able to ask us questions while an additional person mediated and determined whether the questions were relevant.
anything. I felt as though the school I had loved and been involved with from a young age had given me a slap to the face when I trusted them to protect me.
My therapist at the time had me take the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, a tool used to help diagnose mental disorders. When we went over the results, he told me I was at risk for developing paranoid schizophrenia and psychosis because of how deep my distrust had become. I remember thinking to myself how much I had looked forward to a fresh start in college, how excited I was and how angry and distraught I felt that my first year was yet another replay of abuse.
I ended up going home early that year because there was no hope for me academically. I started an Instagram page, MeTooBallState, for people to share their own stories of sexual assault on campus. I needed to turn my pain into a way to help others. For a few months, I anonymously collected testimonies of students’ experiences with sexual assault, reporting or feeling like they couldn’t report, and with permission, I posted them.
I attended protests at other Indiana colleges, such as Hanover, about the handling of student sexual assault. I even tried to organize a peaceful, supportive protest at Ball State with the help of some friends from another college’s organization battling sexual violence. However, there were too many obstacles that prevented the protest from happening.
Survivors need to feel safe and supported. We need to feel listened to. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), 13 percent of all students experience rape or sexual assault; among undergraduates, 26.4 percent of females and 6.8 percent of males experience rape or sexual assault. 23.1 percent of transgender, genderqueer or nonconforming college students have been sexually assaulted.
Someone you know, probably more than just one person, has experienced sexual violence.
I stopped using the MeTooBallState Instagram page for my own mental health, but I am not done talking about this. I love my school too much to allow it to fail so many of its students like this. There is so much room for improvement in this system.
I thankfully recovered a lot over the summer. I’ve made a lot of friends, healed a lot and started a band called Mushroom Teeth. I still battle depression, anxiety and PTSD, but I’m doing much better than I was a few months ago.
My assaulter changed his story countless times, tripped over his own lies and tried to play the victim of a simple misunderstanding. I kept my story straight through my tears and extreme anxiety as the panelists asked me questions like if I was wearing a bra or if I kissed back. As if that would have made it okay for him to fondle me without my consent and physically put his hand over my mouth after being able to tell him I was uncomfortable.
After the hearing was over, we would wait for the decision of whether my assaulter would be declared responsible for what he had done. After a list of acknowledgments and even my assaulter agreeing to almost everything that I’d said he’d done without any consent, the phone call I received came with the news that he was declared not responsible. I remembered when I read in my assaulter’s interview where he’d said that I was “asking for it,” the biggest red flag phrase he could say.
This case should have been so simple, or so I thought. I was so angry with myself because I had told myself that if anyone tried to touch me without my consent again, I would be able to escape the situation. I couldn’t do that, so at least I tried reporting it, so my assaulter couldn’t do it to anyone else. What I thought was a solution, ended up making everything worse.
My mental state continued to deteriorate; I was constantly dissociating, I had lost almost all of my friends because of my erratic behavior and drastic moods. I didn’t really care about
Because of my academic performance last year, I lost my financial aid. Now, I have to work extremely hard to gain it back, but I’m up to the challenge.
I’ve since been able to use my experiences to be able to empathize with others and support them through their own healing journeys. If you are a survivor of sexual violence, you are not alone. You are loved and valued; please know the pain won’t last forever. You are so strong, and I’m proud of you for being here.
Contact Allison Wright with comments at anwright2@bsu.edu
After a formal complaint is filed and parties are notified, the Title IX coordinator designates an investigator to collect evidence regarding the alleged misconduct.
Upon the investigation’s conclusion, the university appoints a hearing panel that is in charge of determining responsibility for the allegations made in the formal complaint.
Once the hearing panel has made a decision, the chairperson will produce and provide a written statement to the parties, and the process will conclude.
Source: T.J. Brecciaroli, associate vice president, dean of students and Title IX coordinator. He was unable to provide further comment due to deadline constraints.
The story of my encounter with the Red Zone
You are loved and valued; pleaseknow the pain won’t last forever.You are so strong, and I’m proud ofyou for being here.”Trigger Warning: This story contains details of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
The Indiana Department of Education now requires each public school corporation in the state to include computer science in their curriculum for K–12 students, as made official in 2021.
MCHS Principal Chris Walker said Largent’s classes work on “instructional strategies and resources” that better incorporate computer science into Muncie schools. Though Largent and his students have been working with MCHS since 2016, Walker said the goals each side have for their partnership remain the same: have Largent’s students being mentors to MCHS students.
Walker said the partnership between Ball State, and more specifically Largent, has grown over the years. He said going from offering one course to offering multiple sections of the same course, along with Advanced Placement (AP) courses and partnerships like Project Lead the Way, is a credit to the work and resources Ball State has put into ensuring MCHS’s growth.
“I think the willingness from Dave to engage with our students and our faculty and to utilize his students and his expertise as a resource for us, it’s just been very welcoming,” Walker said.
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“The golf culture [in Canada] is a little like here in the U.S. The junior program is growing,” Gallagher said.
The distance between Muncie and Australia can also be seen as the level of difference between golf cultures.
“Golf is more accepted as a sport that is played by younger people [in America],” Driscoll said. “Back at home, if I told someone at my high school that I played golf, they would be like, ‘Why are you playing golf? It is for old people.’ Here everyone plays golf. You say you play golf, and people actually think that is cool. Here I find more women playing, whereas at home, it is still on the rise for women.”
Last year at the peak of the pandemic, the Canadian border was closed for entry and exit to America, and the border did not reopen fully until Sept. 7, 2021.
With the closure of the border, players at Ball State had trouble with family visitation.
really come down and see me if I needed anything. It had to be shipped to me. So that was difficult right at the beginning, and it really showed how much of a difference there was, even though it’s just Canada, you don’t think it’d be much of a difference, but then when the border was closed and they couldn’t come, it was a big struggle.”
As educating these young students about computer science is important to Largent, equally important is creating diversity in the field, he said. Largent said that about 90 percent of the computer science industry is dominated by white and Asian males.
He said he believes the way to change that is to make sure everyone knows that computer science is a profession and available to all. Coy and Walker each recognize how important this aspect of Largent’s job is to him, and they each said it shows in his work.
“I think knowing that when we did an initial look at where we’re at with what we had to offer to our students, we saw a need to obviously expand what we were doing, and then with the demographics and celebrating the diversity of our student body, it was something we could expose our students to that maybe they had not been exposed to before at all,” Walker said.
Coy said she believes Largent’s emphasis on diversity creates a lasting impact.
“By educating the next generation of educators (and future parents) about the importance of inclusion and diversity and directly impacting current students in the surrounding K–12 school districts, he is affecting change on a basis broader than just the university itself,” Coy said via email.
Coy said Largent has a great understanding of the student, whether that be a K–12 or a Ball State student. She said this allows him to excel
more in what he does and allows the students to be more successful.
“When we’re working on improving the curriculum or making changes to different departmental policies, he’s always viewing it from the side of the student and helping us see some of the student perspective that is not always obvious,” Coy said. “So, he’s always trying to make sure that barriers for the students are knocked down. It’s easier for them to reach their goals.”
Largent said these three values highlight who he is as a teacher and could be used to better understand how he is able to connect with students.
“1. I am willing to explore and try different teaching methods
2. I try to understand what it’s like to be a learner in the course
3. I support the learners, especially those that are trying but struggling,” Largent said.
Whether he’s teaching sixth graders or college students, Largent is still passionate 47 years after taking his first computer science class. Now, he is focused on instilling that same passion in the next generation.
From working 28 years for one company, to being without consistent work for two years at the age of 50 to being awarded with the top faculty award at Ball State, Largent has run the gambit.
Contact Kyle Smedley with comments via email at kyle.smedley@ bsu.edu or on Twitter @smedley1932.
Golf is more accepted as a sport that is played by younger people [in America]. Back at home, if I told someone at my high school that I played golf, they would be like, ‘Why are you playing golf? It is for old people.’ Here everyone plays golf. You say you play golf, and people actually think that is cool. Here I find more women playing, whereas at home, it is still on the rise for women.”
- JASMINE DRISCOLL, Ball State Women’s Golf playerFor Boyd, learning about college golf in America sparked her interest to come to America and compete.
“I went to a golf tournament in the States, and there was a banquet and a lot of different university coaches came in and spoke about [college golf in the U.S.],” Boyd said. “That is when I decided that it was a lot bigger and a pretty cool thing. All my junior events were in
Driscoll said she was also inspired by a conference she attended on
“One day we had a camp and some person came and talked about college golf and their life in America,” Driscoll said. “[They spoke about] their life in America and how it was so much better than Australia. I started looking [into college golf in America] from there.”
Bennett’s original plan was to play hockey in America. She had grown up playing hockey at a highly competitive level, and her friends committed to play in the U.S. She talked about not having as many opportunities to be recruited since college coaches did not travel out of America, so her process was more “virtual.”
Whether it’s Australia or Canada, each player is now in the United States, away from their homes and family.
“This is definitely the longest I have been away from home and my parents,” Gallagher said. “I’ve been gone for two weeks at a time, but it’s not comparable to this long. Luckily, I have been able to get used to it well.”
Contact Elijah Poe with comments at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ElijahPoe4.
visit any of our 3 muncie locations or order online!
Third-year Kiah Parrott (left) helps first-year Sarah Gallagher (right) line up her shot at the Cardinal Classic at the Players Club Sept. 20. Ball State placed fifth at the tournament. ELI PIERSON, DN
1 Chocolate dogs
Culinary plants
“Ready for my cat treat!”
Zone
Prefix with -phobia
Surfer’s swell
“The Great Pottery Throw
material
Tag player’s cry
State firmly
*”I can’t capture how amazing that was!”
Form 1040 org.
Smell awful
Museum-funding org.
College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Doze
*Fallible in very ordinary ways
Enjoy with relish
40 Country star McEntire
Divided island of Southeast Asia
Actress Hatcher
With sincerity
*Spend extravagantly
Household skills class, for short
“That’s __-brainer!”
Kristen’s “The Good Place” co-star
“Mean Girls” screenwriter Fey
Egg cells
*Very rarely
Winter fabric
Water from France
“What fun!”
Periods of time
First responder
Lively, in mus.
URL destination
Coeur d’__, Idaho
“Carpe diem” acronym spelled out by the starts of the answers
the starred clues
DOWN
Full of frills
“Alice’s Restaurant” singer Guthrie
Sweetheart
Greet casually, with “to”
Distributes, as flyers
“Grand slam” earned by Jennifer Hudson,
21 Curved part of a foot
Boxing ref’s calls
Toward the Arctic Circle
Month before febrero
Photo book
Czech track legend Zátopek
Spreadsheet input
Out in the open
Make a fake of
Like tempura
Ivy League school in Connecticut
“__ dreaming?”
__ Scotia
Give up formally
Himalayan Bigfoot
Rom-com subject
Movie house
__ orange
Put up with 56 Multilevel marketing giant
Has bills to pay
Edible seaweed
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Alternatively
Reclined
Dismayed cry
Trompe l’__: optical illusion
Missing fish in a Pixar film
