Ball State Daily News Vol. 103 Issue: 10

N D DAILY NEWS

DNNews

Israel-Hamas War

How students are affected and what to know 06

DNSports

Faith beyond the field

Finding Footing Ball State football players discuss the significance of homecoming and balancing the season with other areas of life. 14

Garrett Bova has mentored past and present Ball State football players on and off the gridiron11

DANNIE BOVA, PHOTO PROVIDED

DNLife

Thriving plants

Ways to protect houseplants during colder months19

10.19.2023

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DNNews

10.19.23

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Did you miss it? Catch up on the news from Oct. 15-17...

BallStateDailyNews.com BALL STATE UNIVERSITY CREATIVE SERVICES, PHOTO PROVIDED

Men’s tennis continues preseason

Oct. 15: The Cardinals competed at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Ohio Valley Regional Oct. 12-15 in Chattanooga, Tennesse, with the duo of Mason Tran, junior, and Jacks Lancaster, sophomore, advancing as far as the semifinal round. Tran, a transfer from Pacific University, has placed highly in every meet of the fall season.

New chief of University Police

BALL STATE MARKETING, PHOTO PROVIDED

Oct. 17: John Foster is the new assistant vice president for public safety and chief of police.

He suceeds James Duckham, who retired Aug. 30. Al Williams, who served in an interim capacity after Duckham’s retirement, will return to his role as associate director of public safety and assistant chief of police.

VOL. 103 ISSUE: 10 CONTACT THE DN Newsroom: 765-285-8245 Editor: 765-285-8249, editor@bsudailynews.com

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

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

Kennedy earns conference honors

Oct. 16: This is the third time Aniya Kennedy of Ball State women’s volleyball has been awarded the Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Offensive Player of the Week award this season. The redshirt freshman led the Cardinals with a 5.43 kills-per-set average in their contests against Akron, racking up 13 kills in the first game and a careerhigh 25 the next day.

Max Engling launches campaign for congress

Oct. 17: Following Victoria Spartz’s announcement that she is not seeking reelection for Indiana’s 5th congressional district, Max Engling has announced a campaign to fill the spot. Engling, a central Indiana native, is running as a conservative and has experience volunteering with the Republican Party and on campaigns in Indiana.

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

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CORRECTION

In the Oct. 12 issue of the Daily News, a source error resulted in the miscredit of a photo on Page 5. The photo was taken by Elyse Timpe.

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

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DNNews

Cardinal

Courtships Ball State alumni to come to campus for vow renewal ceremony.

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Local

Temporary closure for Walnut Street Construction is being done for the new Downtown YMCA facility, which will cause a section of Walnut Street to be closed beginning the first week of November. The closed section starts at Columbus intersection, and moves southward to the Social Security Administration building. Detours will route around the construction using Wysor, Elm and Myrtle.

National

AP: Jim Jordan rejected for speaker Rep. Jim Jordan lost his second bid for House speaker with an additional two more holdouts from the original 20 in the first vote. The first bid had 200 votes for Jordan and 212 for Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, neither reaching the votes needed. For two weeks, the spot has been vacant after the removal of Sen. Kevin McCarthy.

International

AP: Ukraine claims major strike in war

JESSICA BERGFORS, DN ILLUSTRATION

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On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials claimed nine Russian helicopters after two airfields in a Russianoccupied region were destroyed.

There was also claimed damages to military equipment, an air-defense system, ammunition warehouses and runways. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the longerrange ballistic missiles used were donated by the United States.

DNNews

10.19.23

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Vow renewal ceremony celebrates couples connected by Ball State.

Abigail Denault News Editor

Alumni couples will be coming to campus for the inaugural Vow Renewal Ceremony held at the Brown Family Amphitheater Saturday, Oct. 21. The event is a part of the announcement of the campaign “Our Call to Beneficence,” which will fundraise for Ball State University’s future.

Couples like the Atkinsons will be in attendance.

Lucy and Chris Atkinson met in the summer of 1977, when they both found each other at Noyer Complex, where Chris was an attendant for disabled students, and Lucy was a coordinator for the orientation program.

“We were under the supervision of Richard Harris, who is now retired and still living in the Muncie area,” Chris said. “He happens to be the godfather of our daughter.”

Over the summer, they got to know each other and started dating their senior year.

After graduation in 1978, they did not end up getting married because each had their own plans for life.

Lucy, who grew up in Lawrenceburg, wanted to go to the “big city” after graduation.

She moved to downtown Chicago in 1978 with her sorority sister.

Despite their distance, fate seemed to bring them together.

“I remained at Muncie [and] started on some graduate work under Rich Harris, actually,” Chris said. “Ironically, my family during the time I was in college had moved to the northwest suburbs of Chicago. There was still [an] opportunity to see each other.”

Lucy said after a couple of years of an off-and-on relationship, they married in a Chicago suburb in 1985 before moving to Cincinnati in 1988.

Now, 38 years later, they return to renew their vows.

When he first heard about the renewal, Chris said he was skeptical.

“I saw the email and I’m like, ‘Well, okay, I’m not sure how that works,’” Chris said as Lucy chuckled beside him.

AMBER PIETZ, DN ILLUSTRATION

As the couple is already involved in many of the homecoming festivities, the renewal seemed like a given to Lucy.

“So, I said ‘I’m gonna sign up for this’ and he was rolling his eyes, but we did and I’m excited,” Lucy said.

She said it reminded her of a tradition near them at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

According to the Miami University website, the tradition is called Miami Mergers.

University President Geoffrey Mearns came up with the idea of the vow renewal.

“When I travel on behalf of our university, I often hear people say they met their spouse at Ball State,” Mearns said via email. “I thought this vow renewal ceremony would be a welcome opportunity for some of our ‘Cardinal Couples’ to return to campus during homecoming and to express their gratitude not only for each other but for what our university means to them.”

Kate Webber, senior director of volunteer engagement and special programs, said the ceremony will be nondenominational and officiated by Mearns. Pre-registered couples will be given custom gifts to celebrate the event and a button to wear to show their participation.

Another element of the event is an “anniversary dance,” which involves dancing

My wife and I have tremendous respect for one another. We support each other regardless of what neither one of us happens to be doing. And we certainly had great respect for personal things that we do.”

- DON MIKESELL, Vow renewal participant

Lucy and Chris Atkinson pose for their wedding photo in Glenview, Illinois, April 20,1985.

KRAMER PHOTOGRAPHERS, PHOTO PROVIDED

until the longest married couple is left, then receiving a prize, Webber said.

While Webber is also part of a Cardinal couple – married for 24 years – she will not be participating in the event, however, she is still excited to celebrate the couples.

“Ball State is that common link with all of these couples, and so what better time than at homecoming during a special weekend to celebrate,” Webber said.

Don and Carolann Mikesell will also be in attendance. Don has fulfilled various roles at the university, such as associate dean of students in 1981 and dean of students in 1986, and was director of the graduate program for 30 years.

Carolann was involved in supervising student teachers in Germany in 2008, where she worked for several years. It remains a program that allows student teachers to teach in Germany over the summer.

Their story began much earlier; in 1961 with a cup of coffee.

Lucy, who came to Ball State in 1960, met Don, who worked in housing and graduated from Ball State in 1960 from Culver, as her friends had been from Culver, and she remembered the connection to her friends.

After one of her friends was in a bad spot during their sophomore year, she said she came to Don for advice. Don made coffee and they sat down and talked. Later on, she continued what became a tradition of sorts by asking about Don’s plans for spring break.

“He was going to Wisconsin to see some friends and he would be traveling up,” Carolann said. “And he was traveling up through my area on the way, so I said, ‘Well, it’s my turn to serve coffee.’ So I gave him my address” Over the next couple of years, their friendship grew and eventually turned to

I thought this vow renewal ceremony would be a welcome opportunity for some of our ‘Cardinal Couples’ to return to campus during Homecoming and to express their gratitude not only for each other, but for what our University means to them.”

- GEOFFREY MEARNS, Ball State president

love in Carolann’s senior year.

The pair said their relationship is a product of its time and would not fly today. However, the pair like to joke back-and-forth with each other.

“He didn’t exploit me or anything,” Carolann said.

“No, it’s the other way around. She exploited me,” Don said, causing the pair to laugh.

“I tease him, and I say, ‘Well, I thought you were rich,’” Carolann said.

The pair got married in 1964, and said “life has been wonderful ever since.” In their 59 years together, the pair have shared many moments, such as when they lived behind Riverside Avenue and a Ball State fraternity stole their Christmas tree from the backyard.

4See VOWS, 22

DNNews

10.19.23

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Israel-Hamas war affects students Decades-long conflict in the region continues to impact current war in its second week.

Abigail Denault, Olivia Ground News Editor, Digital Managing Editor Headlines and coverage about the Israel-Hamas war may seem like just another conflict on distant shores. Ignoring it is not an option for Eyal Rawitz.

For Rawitz, a Ball State student-athlete from Tel Aviv, Israel, the conflict and death toll is all too real.

“My entire (social media) feed is mourning,” Rawitz said.

Rawitz said a former teammate of his was killed in combat; Rawitz himself served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in a non-combat role.

Rawitz, a men’s volleyball sophomore, said his opinion on the war separates Hamas from the people of Gaza and the West Bank.

“I want to make it clear that the enemy is not Muslim, or Palestinian,” Rawtiz said. “It’s a small faction that is operating from Palestine and identifies as Muslim, but they do not adhere to the Muslim religion nor to the beliefs of most of the Palestinian people. Most of the people everywhere are peaceful and want peace and have love.”

Other members of the Ball State community see the war as much more than headlines, too.

On Oct. 12, the campus Hillel community hosted

The Hamas terrorist attacks were horrific, while at the same time, recognizing that the human rights situation in Gaza over the last several years has been appalling. There’s no justifying the murder of all those Israelis. Just similarly, it’s very hard to justify rampant human rights abuses that are heaped upon the Palestinians.”

- MARK GOLDBERG, Host of Global Dispatches, editor-in-chief of UN Dispatch

a “Prayer Gathering for Israel.” The gathering attracted 28 people who sat in a semi-circle around a collection of tea-light candles. The Mourner’s Kaddish (a prayer for the deceased) was read and several shared their stories and mourned for lives lost in the war.

Steven Hall, associate professor of political science and international relations at Ball State, said a major part of the conflict is a perceived right to inhabit historical and ancestral land in presentday Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. Depending on which side is asked, there is a different answer of

who belongs where or has a right to what.

“There’s huge waves of Jewish migration into the area,” Hall said, following a 1917 political move that attempted to form a ‘Jewish homeland.’

But the move wasn’t welcomed by everyone.

“There’s anti-semitism and persecution of the Jews historically throughout the world. And so, people say, ‘Oh, we can get away from this and we can go to a Jewish homeland,’” Hall said.

The region was affected by another ruling in 1947 when the United Nations passed Resolution 181, which divided up the state into portions for

Left: Professor Galit Gertsenzon stands embraced with her son with her eyes closed as the last prayer is said Oct. 12 at Ball State Honors House. Above: Ball State University students, staff and faculty gather in solidarity for those who were lost in the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel this past weekend Oct. 12 at the Honors House. Right: A student grows emotional as the congregation faces east, as is tradition, to pray for peace in the Gaza Strip Oct. 12 at Ball State Honors House. ANDREW BERGER, DN

Israelis and Palestinians.

“We’re going to give this portion of the land as a Jewish homeland, and that’s the space we think of as Israel right now. The borders don’t exactly line up,” Hall said. “The West Bank [of the Jordan River] and the Gaza Strip, the area that’s in the news right now, are gonna be given to the Palestinian population.”

The resulting land divisions were not accepted by the Palestinians who refused to give up the land they perceived as theirs, Hall said. Not to mention, Gaza and the West Bank are separated by over 20 miles with Israel between them.

“PLO was more secular [and] Hamas has religious commitments,” Hall said. “Hamas is opposed to any form of negotiation [and] opposed to any form of compromise.”

The 2023 attack and response On the day of the initial attack Oct. 7 by Hamas, rockets were fired before dawn near the Tribe of Nova music festival in Kibbutz Re’im, Israel, just 3.3 miles away from the wall separating Gaza from Israel, according to the Washington Post and Associated Press. The day was also Sukkot, a Jewish holiday.

4See WAR, 10

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Israeli-Palestinian 1917 conflict timeline Nov. 2: Balfour Declaration

Conflict in the region surrounding Israel and Palestine has lasted for decades, impacting the war that started after a surprise attacks, killing thousands.

Nov. 29: Resolution 181

Israel begins building a security barrier in the West Bank, cutting some Palestinians off from Jerusalem and cutting some Palestinian villages in half.

June 7-15: The Battle of Gaza

Hamas seizes Gaza. Israeli authorities isolate the Gaza Strip from the rest of Palestinian territory, cutting it off from land, sea and air, and limiting goods in and out.

Israel declares independence from British rule. The first Arab-Israeli war begins.

1987

A terrorist attack kills 30 people at a Passover celebration at a hotel in the Israeli city of Netanya. As a result, the Israeli military reoccupies portions of the West Bank.

2007

May 14: Israel Declares Independence

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) passes Resolution 181 calling for the partition of present-day Israel and Palestinian territories.

The British Government shares a letter supporting the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people,” in what became the current state of Israel. This was the first international recognition of a Jewish homeland.

March 27: The Passover Massacre

Dec. 1: First Palestinian Intifada

President Donald Trump formally recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

1967 June 5-10: The Six Day War

An Israeli driver kills four Palestinians in a car accident. From the resulting protests and riots, Hamas, an offshoot of The Muslim Brotherhood, emerges.

Israel wars with neighboring countries.

Israel emerges with control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, an area mostly inhabited by Palestinians.

2022 2023

2017 Dec. 6: U.S. Recognizes Jerusalem as Israeli Capital

DNNews

1947 1948

2002 June 23: Israeli West Bank Barrier Building Begins

10.19.23

April 15: Attacks at Al-Aqsa Mosque

Israeli police used force to remove Palestinian worshippers inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, adding to already escalating tensions in the region as Ramadan and Passover celebrations overlapped.

Oct. 7: Israel-Hamas War

Hamas launches surprise attack on Israel, leading to an explosion of violence.

MEGHAN HOLT, DN DESIGN Source: Associated Press, Council on Foreign Relations, Anti-Defamation League

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DNNews

10.19.23

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Securing Funds for Secured Schools Governor Holcomb approves a near $30M Secured School Safety Grant.

Katherine Hill Reporter Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb approved a nearly $30 million grant to enhance Indiana school security— The Secured School Safety Grant. The grant, funded through House Bill 1492, was enacted Sept. 1.

Its record-breaking sum was divided among 474 K-12 schools across the state and allocated in various categories, two-thirds of which went to increasing the number of school resources and law enforcement officers within local school systems. No Indiana schools applied for post-incident counseling, yet seven applied for firearm training for staff members.

Muncie Community Schools received $100,000.

Chief Communications Officer Andy Klotz said via email the money “goes toward the salaries of our School Security Officers (SSOs), and we’re grateful for those funds.”

Director of School Security for Delaware Community Schools, Scott Blakely, said the corporation’s funds will go towards preventive measures to keep anything unsafe from happening, which includes: updated public address systems, security cameras and an increase in security officers.

Blakely, who oversees school resource officers at Delaware Community Schools and works in coordination with local law enforcement, said the proposed increased number of officers under his direction is a welcome one.

“It’s a blessing for us to have our school resource officers…They’re just a part of our school family,” he said.

A sentiment echoed by Klotz via email.

“Our SSOs do a great job of building relationships with our students and staff as well as responding to any situations that arise,” he said. “They have become friendly faces to our students who know they can go

to them for help with various needs.”

Future elementary educator and current student at Ball State University’s Teachers College, Claire Hapner, agreed focusing on prevention is best to provide “peace of mind in the first place.”

A peace of mind that is needed in a reality, like what Hapner said her professors have warned her

Our SSOs do a great job of building relationships with our students and staff as well as responding to any situations that arise. They have become friendly faces to our students who know they can go to them for help with various needs.”

- ANDY KLOTZ, Muncie Community Schools Chief Communications Officer

and her classmates about, where the chance of gun violence is high.

“My professors [keep] telling me, ‘This is a problem that you probably have to deal with’…From the teacher’s standpoint, where the world is going is very scary… All I know is that it’s gotten worse.

Students could very easily find a way to have access to those weapons,” Hapner said.

694 students In Indiana,

on average are assigned to one school counselor Source: Education Week

You can call the Ball State’s Counseling Center Crisis line at

765-285-4673

The New England Journal of Medicine reported “Gun violence and school shootings are a uniquely American epidemic… Each day, 12 children die from gun violence in America. Another 32 are shot and injured.”

She said her response comes from the prominence of gun violence in recent years, which she said could be lessened by an increase in government regulation.

Hapner said the “freedom” has only led to loss and suffering.

A solution for some to the problem is firearms training, which Hapner did not agree with. “[It] is never the way to address any problem— especially dealing with kids,” Hapner said.

For Hapner, the possibility of having to fire a firearm in such a situation is not one she would like to consider. She said shooting a gun is too dangerous for her to “ever, ever do.”

Delaware Community Schools, however, are not following that path. Blakely said while other school districts have applied for firearm training with their staff members, Delaware County Schools will not.

“Teachers have a hard enough job right now to manage the stuff that is on their plate, so it’s part of my job and my team’s job to make sure that they don’t have to worry about that,” Blakely said.

Hapner made it clear she has never experienced anything threatening in school—but has thought about it—and feels, while the problem was being talked about, not enough was being done to solve it.

It’s not uncommon for those who have experienced something threatening in school to have difficulty opening up about it. Counseling can be seen as an effective resource in those types of sensitive situations.

According to Education Week, “In Indiana, the state with the worst numbers, there are 694 students to one school counselor, whereas in Vermont, there are 186 students per school counselor.”

Blakely said each one of their buildings has a counseling office, but if outside counseling is needed, Delaware Community Schools do have a memorandum in partnership with a counseling agency.

While Delaware Community Schools seems to have a plan for counseling, the question remains of what will happen in other districts around the state.

Something that will tell with time, but stays in mind like the zero listed in the column for post-incident counseling.

For students at Ball State seeking similar help, the Counseling Center is open 8a.m.-5p.m. MondayFriday with professionally trained staff inside Lucina Hall. Students can call to make an appointment at 765-285-1736 or use the 24/7 crisis hotline: 765-2854673.

Contact Katherine Hill with comments at katherine. hill@bsu.edu or on Instagram @cool_kate_04 .

From the teacher’s standpoint, where the world is going is very scary… All I know is that it’s gotten worse.”

- CLAIRE HAPNER, Elementary Education major

It’s a blessing for us to have our school resource officers...They’re just a part of our school family - SCOTT BLAKELY, Director of School Security for Delaware Community Schools

children die from gun violence in America each day.

Source: New England Journal of Medicine

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DNNews

10.19.23

10

WAR

Continued from Page 6 The attack came as a surprise to the partygoers as Hamas militants with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades moved onto the site, according to initial reports by the Associated Press.

The death toll of the festival is at least 260 while over 120 people, of various nationalities, have been taken as hostages, according to initial reports by the Associated Press. The attack is believed to be the “worst civilian massacre in Israeli history.”

Recent reports on the death toll place the number at more than 4,000 as of Oct. 18, according to the Associated Press.

The actions of Hamas and Israel’s response have led to outcry and the polarization of the public as protests clash over different sides of the war.

Around the world, the discussion seems to sway back-and-forth as one side calls for the destruction of Gaza, while another says Israel deserved the attack after their treatment of Palestine.

However, the situation is more complex than one side or the other.

“It’s possible to have two simultaneous thoughts in your head,” said Mark Goldberg, host of Global Dispatches and editor-in-chief of UN Dispatch.

Locating Israel and Palestine in conflict

A member of the congregation wears Tefillin, two black leather boxes that are tied together and worn by adults for prayer, Oct. 12 at Ball State Honors House. ANDREW BERGER, DN “The Hamas terrorist attacks were horrific, while at the same time, recognizing that the human rights situation in Gaza over the last several years has been appalling. There’s no justifying the murder of all those Israelis. Just similarly, it’s very hard to justify rampant human rights abuses that are heaped upon the Palestinians.”

The state of affairs in Gaza “The Gaza Strip has a wall, literally concrete walls, built by the Israeli government,” Hall said.

“It has no airport. It has no sea … It’s on the coast right there, but it’s patrolled by the Israeli Navy.

They don’t let anything en route.”

The conditions in Gaza and the internal power struggle of Fatah and Hamas are some of the reasons that could be behind the attack, Hall said.

“It’s a place of terrible, miserable poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, lack of electricity,” Hall said. “Conditions there are particularly bad, so this might be seen as a means of maintaining their legitimacy with a population by continuing armed struggle against the Israelis.”

According to the Associated Press, an Oct. 17 blast at the al-Ahli hospital killed at least 500 people.

TRICK or TREAT?

Next Steps “I think we have an obligation to do the research necessary to fully understand this conflict so that we know what its historical roots are,” Hall said.

“You’re going to see images of violence in the next couple of weeks, and you’re gonna see images of awful outcomes. And if you are inclined to view those from one side of the conflict point of view or the other side of the conflict point of view, you can, but I think it’s important to understand the history … and nature of the different side’s claims.”

Contact Abigail Denault with comments at abigail.denault@bsu.edu and Olivia Ground with comments at oliva.ground@bsu.edu or on Twitter @liv_ground_25.

MEGHAN HOLT, DN DESIGN

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10.19.23

Faith Beyond the Field Garrett Bova mentors Ball State football players to help them prepare for life outside of the gridiron. 12

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NFL Football

Colts’ star QB out for the season Rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson is out for the remainder of the season, the owner of the Indianapolis Colts Jim Irsay announced Oct. 18. Richardson sustained an injury to the AC joint in his right shoulder during the second quarter of a week 5 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Colts will start Gardner Minshew behind center now.

Soccer

Fenchel earns offensive player of the week The Cardinal senior forward, Avery Fenchel, has been named the MidAmerican Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Fenchel had two goals in the 2-1 win over Akron and also had a goal in the 2-2 draw against Ohio. With her three goals last week, Fenchel now sits at 11 for the season total, ranking her 13th in the nation.

Swim and Dive

Both teams head to Purdue

Ball State alumni Garrett Bova watches Ball State football warm-up with his son Brody Bova on his shoulder Oct.1, 2022 at Scheumann Stadium. DANNIE BOVA, PHOTO PROVIDED

Both men’s and women’s swim and dive are heading to Purdue for the Indiana Intercollegiate Oct. 21. The men’s team is coming off a 187-113 win over the University of Illinois Chicago, a meet that saw the Cardinals win 12 out of 16 events on the day. The women are going to start their season off at Purdue. The meet will start at noon.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: FOOTBALL FACES CENTRAL MICHIGAN ON HOMECOMING

DNSports

10.19.23

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Passion, leadership, faith and football are pillars of Garrett Bova’s life and mentorship.

Mya Cataline Photo Editor Passion. Leadership. Faith. Football.

These are descriptors often heard when describing Ball State football alumni Garrett Bova, as he brings forth these qualities every day in his life.

Garrett, a multi-generational football player for the Cardinals, mentors players in the program to help them find faith in God and prepare them for the world outside of football.

Family Legacy

Garrett, a former fullback and special teams player, was fulfilling his dream of not only playing college ball but playing for a Division I school as a true freshman. From 2003-2006, he played for the same university his mother and father graduated from.

“I’m just so thankful for the opportunity to play the sport. So thankful to God for the opportunity to play the sport, and especially to have the opportunity to play at the Division I level,” Garrett said. “I praise God for that every day. It is definitely a blessing and a privilege to have experienced that.”

Following a line in his family that goes back to 1956 when his grandfather, Gene Stroes, played for Ball State for one season before switching to wrestling full-time. The next person in Bova’s family to play at Ball State wouldn’t be until 1977 when Garrett’s dad, Ron, started to play, eventually becoming a Mid-American Conference (MAC) Champion with the rest of his teammates.

Redshirt senior linebacker Cole Pearce (left) and Ball State alumni Garrett Bova (right) pose for a photo Sept. 9 in Athens, Georgia. GARRETT BOVA, PHOTO PROVIDED

I’m just so thankful for the opportunity to play the sport. So thankful to God for the opportunity to play the sport, and especially to have the opportunity to play at the Division I level.”

- GARRETT BOVA, Ball State Football mentor Despite an almost 30-year gap between their Ball State football playing days, there is one person Garrett and Ron have in common.

Brady Hoke

“Brady and I were recruited in the same class together,” Ron said.“[Garrett playing for Brady] reconnected us again and it was pretty awesome.”

While Garrett played for former head coach Brady Hoke all four years of his college career, Ron didn’t have the same circumstances. After Hoke was announced as coach for the Cardinals going into Garrett’s freshman year, the connection between Ron and Hoke strengthened.

While playing at Ball State was in Garrett’s blood, he wasn’t pushed into having to play for the Cardinals.

“My father never pushed Ball State or football onto my siblings or myself,” Garrett said. “I would never push it onto my son either. He can play [for] who he wants to play for or doesn’t even have to play football at all.”

Garrett is the oldest of three siblings in his household. All of them went to separate universities but still keep football as a central part of their lives.

Football has always been at the heart of the family, especially to Garrett, throughout his whole life.

Now that love for football has been passed down to his daughter Lillian, 11, and son Brody, 9. In between all of his work, Garrett still spends a lot of time with his family.

“He has a full-time job, leads a ministry full time, mentors the guys at Ball State, he’s a chaplain for our local fire district and the list goes on; but he loves his family first, and that is something that I am so thankful for it with him,” said Dannie Bova, Garrett’s wife and Ball State alumna.

While the family goes on many trips, the kids’ favorite always tends to be to Muncie, Indiana, to watch Ball State football. The trip is the best for Brody, as he wants to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps and play for Ball State in the future.

Ball State alumni Garrett Bova (left), Lillian Bova (center left), Brody Bova (center right) and Ball State alumna Dannie Bova (right) pose for a photo in the stands Oct. 1, 2022 at Scheumann Stadium. DANNIE BOVA, PHOTO PROVIDED So much so, that on the top of his school papers throughout elementary school, he would put ‘Ball State 40’ instead of his name.

“That’s how his teachers identified his work,” Garrett said.

Garrett’s children love Ball State trips so much due to the connection he has to the university. A connection that brought Garrett an opportunity he could not pass up.

Faith and Mentoring

Three years ago, Garrett was offered an opportunity to be a mentor at the university he played for and graduated from. Now, he is mentoring his third player, redshirt senior linebacker Cole Pearce.

This isn’t just a relationship about on-field performance, but one centered on not only finding positivity on field but finding faith off the field and after football is over.

“He’s shown me so many great things of how faith should be prioritized, especially during times of being a student-athlete,” Pearce said. “How I can use my platform to spread His light and [it is] making me more spiritually mature than I was in the past.”

When it comes to Garrett’s mentorship, he didn’t accept the role of mentoring just the football side of things; he wanted to teach them to enjoy their time while playing. He wanted to help players learn to not stress about the sport but to enjoy the privilege they were given by God.

4See FAITH, 22

Garrett’s brother Drew Bova (left), Ball State alumni Garrett Bova (center), Garrett’s dad Ron Bova (right) and Garrett’s son Brody Bova pose for a photo Oct. 2019 in DeKalb, Illinois. GARRETT BOVA, PHOTO PROVIDED

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DNSports

10.19.23

14

Ball State football players discuss homecoming game traditions and balancing life as a student, athlete and person.

Zach Gonzalez Reporter Jack Sape plays most games without his entire family sitting in the bleachers. Growing up in Michigan, it’s difficult for his extended family to make consistent trips to Ball State to watch him play on the defensive line. Each homecoming game, however, is an exception.

For the past five years and counting, it’s been a tradition for Sape’s family to go out to dinner after games and spend time in Muncie together with Sape and his friends. Beyond his parents, who attend almost every game, his sisters and some extended family also visit him on Ball State football’s homecoming game day.

“It means the world knowing that people will drive five to six hours to come see you play on homecoming,” Sape said.

Sape also enjoys seeing Ball State University alumni return for the homecoming game and always looks forward to reconnecting with past players.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play with six different groups of seniors; this being the last one,” Sape said. “Seeing those guys that I came up with

It means the world knowing that people will drive five to six hours to come see you play on homecoming.”

- JACK SAPE, Ball State defensive lineman

when I was younger in the program, it’s cool.”

Sape described the relationships he’s made with players over the years as lifelong bonds between brothers. Ones so strong that even when alumni walk away from the field for good, they’ll return to see their past teammates play at Scheumann Stadium in a significant home game.

“Age is just a number in football because you can be playing with someone when you’re younger; you can be 18 and they can be 22,” Sape said. “It’s always good seeing them come back and show support and try to get a win for them because they laid the groundwork for where our program is today.”

Redshirt senior defensive lineman Jack Sape and his family pose for a photo after a game Oct. 7 at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan. LYNN SAPE, PHOTO PROVIDED As both a player and graduate student studying business administration, Sape said he takes life one day at a time, which helps him stay disciplined and manage time as an athlete, student and person. As a veteran of both college academics and football, he’s discovered his main priorities at Ball State.

During his earlier years, he experienced the fear of missing out on other social activities he couldn’t do due to football. But knowing having fun with friends outside of the season will always be around after Sape finishes football helps him remain focused on playing.

“You can party whenever you want,” Sape said.

“You only get one shot at playing football.”

Similarly to Sape, junior business administration major and offensive lineman Ethan Crowe learned through being a student athlete the importance of managing school and athletics effectively.

“The last thing you want to be doing is be up late at night because of homework assignments, and you go into practice with less sleep at night,” Crowe said.

Crowe said he usually finishes his homework right before the end of the week, which helps him focus his mind and body on each big game. When it comes to homecoming, he said he treats it as another opponent Ball State needs to beat to reduce the pressure heading into the game.

After the homecoming game, Crowe normally hangs out with friends and goes to a restaurant in Muncie with his family. He also spends time with past players after the game, and during it, he uses their attendance as motivation to perform at his best as a football player.

“Playing in front of colleagues, it’s fun, so they can see ‘Hey, this kid’s gotten a lot better,’ and they can see how I’ve grown since the last time I’ve seen them,” Crowe said.

For fifth-year general studies major and defensive lineman John Harris, his biggest focus each homecoming week is on winning the game.

Right afterward, however, it’s about spending quality time with his family and seeing his infant nephew.

Traditionally, families, including his, tailgate together, and some of Harris’ friends and teammates join him after the game in tailgating with familiar faces.

“I’m blessed to be from an hour and a half away, but a lot of us on the team are from hours and hours away,” Harris said. “So for them to have a meal and have a conversation [and] catch up with people that you might not have seen in months because we’re playing ball [is great].”

When it comes to loved ones, Harris claimed it’s important to separate football from family. He also believes there is time for players to focus on all areas of their lives depending on what’s most important at the given moment.

“Once you walk into the facility, there’s nothing more important than football, and once you leave the facility, it’s whatever is most important… whether that’s family, school or getting back into the facility to take care of yourself,” Harris said.

While players might be too busy with football to enjoy consistently hanging out with others during homecoming week, Harris seeks more fulfillment through victory anyway.

“What’s more fun, and what’s better, is winning on Saturday,” Harris said.

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

Redshirt junior defensive lineman John Harris celebrates a sack against Kentucky Sept. 2 at Kroger Field. MYA CATALINE DN

DNLife

10.19.23

Taking The Risk Youth in the Delaware County community share how theatre has impacted their lives.16

15

Campus

Free event at the David Owsley Museum of Art To celebrate Halloween, “DOMA After Hours” will be held Oct. 27 from 5-8 p.m. The event will have refreshments and a cash bar, along with art-making activities, games and a live-storytelling competition.

The three-hour event is open to anyone, and the museum is encouraging costumes.

Community

Muncie Civic Theatre to perform “The Addams Family” The musical comedy will be performed at Northside Middle School. The musical is general admission. The dates of the performances are Oct. 20 to 22 and Oct. 26 to 29. The Thursday, Friday and Saturday showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday matinees are at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available on Muncie Civic’s website with adult tickets priced at $20 and children and students at $5.

Community

Minnetrista encourages growth in gardening skills

Katie Shue (left), Ellie Nolan (center) and Kennedy Lovelace (right), who play three sisters, perform in “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” Sept. 17 at Muncie Civic Theatre. All three students are in high school. OLIVIA GROUND, DN

Minnetrista offers Horticulture Volunteer Days each Tuesday and Thursday of October from 8-11 a.m.

Volunteers will work to maintain the gardens located at Minnetrista.

Volunteers will clean and prepare soil, dig holes for new additions and plant vegetation.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: FASHION STUDENTS STYLE FALL MANNEQUINS TO DISPLAY.

DNLife

10.19.23

16

Youth in the community share how theatre has impacted their lives.

I like that you can step out of your day-to-day and be a different person or character for an hour or two; it’s very fun and calming.”

- KENNEDY LOVELACE Sophomore at Yorktown High School, participate in the The Youth Education program at Muncie Civic Theatre

High schoolers perform in “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” Sept. 17 at Muncie Civic Theatre. The show is a part of the Encore Youth program. OLIVIA GROUND, DN Olivia Ground Digital Managing Editor Bodies rush around a set stage, placing props at the top of the show. Giggles reverberate through the black box theatre as busy hands braid hair and place finishing touches on costumes.

Jokes are exchanged, crushes are talked about, questions are asked about assigned English homework, and glimmers of hope and young ambition float across the eyes of the young performers in “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” as they prepare for opening night.

“This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” directed by Emma Taylor, is one of many shows in the Youth Education Program at Muncie Civic Theatre. The show covers the adult themes of grief, broken hearts, growing up and losing a sense of self— all told by actors in middle school and high school.

Bridget Duggleby, who grew up doing various theatre clubs in her middle school and high school experience, is the education director at Muncie Civic Theatre and the person behind these youth productions. She double-majored in theatre and elementary education at Ball State University, and first found herself acting and volunteering before eventually directing productions at Civic while still teaching elementary school.

During this, the education program at Civic was slowly growing.

“Three years before the pandemic we went from having 30 kids in one or two shows a year to having about 200 kids that were involved in the year, and at that time, we just had a lot of growing room,” Duggleby said.

When the opportunity arose to become the education director at Civic, she left teaching and

Even though the shows in the mainstage season— took on the Civic full-time.

The Youth Education program at Civic is broken ones often for older adults —have longer rehearsals up into two types of shows: Saturday programs and that span across 10 weeks, both of the Collins Encore shows. The Saturday programs are normally children expressed theatre is something they enjoy.

BRENDEN ROWAN, DN ILLUSTRATION tailored to a younger audience.

For these youth shows, anyone who registers can get in —there isn’t a traditional audition process like there would be for an adult show, Duggleby said. The only auditions are for main roles.

The audition process for the Saturday programs is not the same as a normal show, as the directing (765) 284–4900 •greekspizzeria.com and creative team “audition” for students first, letting the students involved in the production cast the adults in roles and explain their reasoning— providing them with a real-life example of how casting works, in hopes of softening the blow and anxieties that often come with casting.

“We don’t all have the same gifts, but that doesn’t mean we can’t [all] be part of telling a really great story,” Duggleby said.

Adrian, seventh grade, and Declan Collins, sixth grade, have been involved in shows at Muncie Civic Theater for years— both in the child and adult programs.

Muncie locals would likely remember seeing Adrian on buses and billboards in the Muncie community for promotional material for “School of Rock,” in spring 2023. However, between the two brothers, they have participated in productions at Muncie Civic Theatre such as “Newsies,” “Seussical,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and many more.

Their work at the Civic Theatre has allowed both Adrian and Declan to feel more connected with their communities and other schools.

“You get to interact with all kinds of people; and the way it all comes together, all the roles just practice [at] a different time,” Adrian said. “And in practice, it doesn’t seem as good as it will when everything’s put together for the show.”

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17 10.19.23

High school sophomore Kennedy Lovelace, who plays Carmen in “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl does Nothing,” performs Sept. 17 at Muncie Civic Theatre . OLIVIA

GROUND, DN

While working on “School of Rock,” Adrian was waking up at 7 a.m., going to school until 3 p.m., sometimes having rehearsals until 10 or 11 p.m., then going to bed and waking up to do it again the next day.

“It’s a lot, but it’s worth it,” Adrian said.

As for the Encore shows, these are productions normally geared toward middle school and high school students who are familiar with theatre and are more passionate about pursuing professionallevel theatre, Duggleby explained.

The shows for the Encore program tend to explore more mature themes with shows like “Mean Girls Jr.” and “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” being two of the shows for this year.

Ellie Nolan has been involved in over 20

productions, to her memory, despite being just a freshman at Delta High School. Her favorite part is that theatre is “whimsical, but it’s also really, really serious.”

Nolan plays Beatrix, one of the three sisters who act as protagonists in “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing.” Nolan’s character has to face the idea of losing youthful joy as she grows, as well as having to face the idea of forgiveness head-on.

In the span of the show, the audience watches the three sisters grow up over 20 years— the characters being played by the same high schoolers the whole time.

“It’s really cool to experience something that can stretch your age a little bit and playing with the ages, especially in the show, is a big thing,” Nolan said.

Kennedy Lovelace, a sophomore at Yorktown High School, plays another one of the three sisters.

The sister she portrays spends her life unlearning her people-pleasing nature and learns to put what she wants first.

“I like that you can step out of your day-to-day and be a different person or character for an hour or two; it’s very fun and calming,” Lovelace said.

The ability to step out of real life and step into a character does not negate the effect the storytelling of theatre has on the audience and actors alike.

“I don’t know, it makes it more real and less like a fairy tale, and more like something that could actually benefit and teach the audience,” Lovelace said.

Across both programs, learning and growth at a personal level are at the forethought of the creative team’s mind.

“They become your kids. To watch them grow and just be comfortable in their own skin, it’s so cool,” Duggleby said. “[They] take risks when they aren’t comfortable, [and] it’s really awesome to watch.”

Contact Olivia Ground with comments at olivia. ground@bsu.edu or on X @liv_ground_25.

High schoolers perform in “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” Sept. 17 at Muncie Civic Theatre. The show is a part of the Encore Youth program. OLIVIA GROUND, DN

DNLife

We don’t all have the same gifts but that doesn’t mean we can’t [all] be part of telling a really great story.”

- BRIDGET DUGGLEBY Education Director at Muncie Civic Theatre

High school student Katie Shue, who plays Beatrix in “This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing,” performs Sept. 17 at Muncie Civic Theatre. OLIVIA GROUND, DN

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19 10.19.23

DNLife

Save Your Plants This Winter Adjusting your care depending on the season is important.

Scarlet Gallagher Reporter

Give it as much sunlight as possible

During the fall and winter months, reliable indoor sunlight can be hard to come by. Maximize your plant’s sun exposure by keeping it near a window that has a lot of sunlight each day, if possible. South-facing windows provide the longest and brightest light during the winter, so if you have a window in that direction, that would work well.

Plants can be great companions for college students, especially low-maintenance ones such as the snake plant. However, it is often forgotten that houseplants need differing care during the winter, just like their outdoor counterparts. Here are a few things you can do to ensure your plants stay happy and healthy:

Beware of cold drafts by windows

Keep an eye out for pests

During the winter, houseplants are more vulnerable to pests due to stress from lower humidity, less light and slowed growth. You can find many treatment guides for every variety of pest online. Always quarantine any infested plants if possible, and new plants you bring home should also be quarantined. Increasing the humidity in your home can also be beneficial to reduce infestations by relieving some of the stress on your houseplants.

Plants next to the window can suffer from cold drafts during the winter. Try placing a thick, dry towel in between the pot and the wall by the window it sits near, as the towel works as an insulator. Making sure to close curtains or blinds in front of the window at night can also help mitigate cold damage to plants nearby.

Don’t fertilize during winter

Reduce watering outside of growing season

As growing season comes to an end, plants stop creating new leaves and stems. Plants need less water while not actively growing, and so continuing to water them the same amount as during the growing season can lead to root rot and other issues like fungus growth. You should make sure to reduce your watering frequency until growing season begins again in the spring.

Don’t repot plants during the winter

Before you start with the, “But what if,” in an emergency, you should still repot a houseplant.

However, it is a very unideal time of year, due to slowed growth and a lack of light and nutrients.

Repotted plants during the winter are more likely to have problems or go into shock, so avoid doing so unless absolutely necessary.

Fertilizing your houseplants during the winter will encourage growth the plant cannot support. Plants have limited energy during colder months since they have less sunlight. You should reduce your fertilizer, if not entirely stop it, for the duration of winter, giving your plants a break from growth.

MEGHAN HOLT, DN DESIGN Source: Salisbury Greenhouse, Iowa State Horticulture News, U.S. Department of Energy.

DNOpinion 20

10.19.23

Being OK With Not Being OK: Invisible Illnesses Accepting the difficulties that come with conditions that aren’t outwardly visible.

Kate Farr

Opinion Editor, “Face to Face”

Kate Farr is a second-year journalism major and writes “Face to Face” for the Daily News.

Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

During my senior year of high school and first year of college, I had a headache almost every day. Their persistence wasn’t the only issue — my head throbbed more violently than any headache I’d ever experienced.

There’s still the weighty baggage of pain that is oftentimes shouldered by those with invisible conditions.”

AMBER PIETZ, DN ILLUSTRATION

It felt like every day was a different struggle.

Sometimes, my contacts or the light from my laptop led to dull pangs of aching in the crown of my head. Other times, I doubled over from nausea caused by the pain, unable to open my eyes long enough to get my schoolwork done.

I’d convince myself it was nothing — that this just had to be something “normal.” A normal occurrence that didn’t require a doctor’s visit or necessitate adding to my list of medications, which I so desired to subtract from instead.

I’ve been taking prescriptions for both asthma and IBS since high school. And those are on top of my concoction of daily allergy medications and

vitamins, like the iron supplements that keep me from passing out from the anemia caused by my deficiency.

It felt like a continuously growing pile, and I was adamant to keep it from growing — at least for a while.

I tried to stave off headaches with over-thecounter pain meds, like the ones that got me through leg injuries during my cross country days.

But the amount I was taking grew every day as I tried to drown out the pain. Eventually, they stopped working all together.

While my illnesses and disorders didn’t always make me look outwardly ill, I was suffering inside.

I knew I couldn’t keep acting like nothing was wrong. I was waking up with headaches that kept me in bed for hours with the curtains drawn, suppressing my appetite and making me feel like a prisoner to my own body. Yet, I continuously tried to convince myself pain wasn’t enough of an excuse or explanation.

It wasn’t until a few weeks before this semester started that I was able to get in with a neurologist.

I was diagnosed with migraines — on the cusp of being completely chronic. The new prescriptions I tried desperately to avoid changed my life so drastically that I no longer minded adding to my pill intake.

Along with pain meds and pills that relax my blood vessels in the midst of a migraine, I was given a pill that prevents migraines in the first place. The pill is an antidepressant that has saved me both from debilitating migraines and my depressive flare-ups.

My chronic disorders don’t define me. However, having dealt with them has led me to become a more appreciative person. I feel fortunate to have access to doctors and medications that have improved my well-being, especially when nearly half of American adults under 30 don’t have a primary care system, according to data from KFF (previously known as The Kaiser Family Foundation).

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: OVERCOMING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS SURROUNDING BODY IMAGE

21 I was lucky enough to have doctors that actually listened to what I was saying. They heard me, acknowledged my pain and sought to fix it.

I’m at a point where I feel whole and healthy again even with my invisible illnesses. The pills and preventative measures I take for my conditions are worth it since I’m no longer struggling to get through the everyday.

Everyone deserves to feel that way. Everyone should receive the healthcare that allows them to live their life to the fullest potential. Even when the suffering isn’t always outwardly visible, there’s still the weighty baggage of pain that is oftentimes shouldered by those with invisible conditions.

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

Elaine Ulsh

Associate Opinion Editor, “The Occasional Observer” Elaine Ulsh is a second-year computer science and physics major and writes “The Occasional Observer” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

Sometimes I forget about it. You would think such a major part of my life would weigh heavy on my brain. But with the way my condition fluctuates, I sometimes forget I even have it.

I have neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS). It’s a mouthful, I know. You’ll sometimes hear it called vasovagal syncope, but there’s a slight difference between the two. NCS affects the everyday life of those who suffer from it much more than vasovagal syncope does.

There are many triggers that can cause episodes of syncope — better known as fainting — for me. I usually pass out or feel like I will if I stand up too fast or if I’m struggling with sickness.

However, it can also be caused by sudden anxiety, intense pain or the sight of blood.

The biological aspects of NCS before an episode are attributed to a spiking heart rate which suddenly drops, causing a fainting spell.

It’s hard to explain the exact feeling, but it feels as if I’m melting away from reality, slowly being tunneled by my vision. Sometimes it can be scary, but other times it’s so fast I don’t have time to be scared.

Often when I stand up, my vision “cuts out.”

It’s not unusual for me to say “I can’t see” to the nearest person while continuing what I’m doing.

However, having lived with it for so long, I know my triggers, and I know simply standing will not cause me to pass out most of the time. I have become more than accustomed to it.

NCS is most common in teenagers and older adults. According to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, it is common for people suffering from the condition to grow out of it after several years.

Having been diagnosed at 13, my parents and

I were hoping this would be the case for me.

However, my teenage years are coming to an end and episodes are as frequent as ever.

I have given up hope of “growing out of it.”

It is very easy for me to forget not everyone deals with NCS. When I was not feeling well during a class this year, I was reminded of this. I explained the situation to my professor, who then chided me for not having registered my condition with Ball State’s Disability Services.

Honestly, the idea of registering for these services hadn’t even occurred to me. Yes, it’s something I deal with on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean it “disables” me, does it?

I haven’t considered my condition to be a disability, but rather an illness that affects my everyday life. Still, it’s an illness I have never heard of anyone else having. And that can be rather lonely.

According to the Invisible Disability Association (IDA), an invisible disability or illness is an ongoing “physical, mental or neurological condition that is not visible from the outside, yet can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses or activities.”

One of the main things the IDA is known for is Invisible Disabilities Week, which has been the third week of October for the last decade.

Having a week of awareness for those who are not obvious in their suffering brings an awareness that may never have happened otherwise. It allows those with invisible disabilities or illnesses, like myself, to not feel so alone.

You never know what others are going through, and it’s even harder to know when they are struggling with invisible disabilities. It’s important we keep an open mind so the people who are already feeling alone don’t become more isolated.

Contact Elaine Ulsh with comments at elaine. ulsh@bsu.edu.

You never know what others are going through, and it’s even harder to know when they are struggling with invisible disabilities. It’s important we keep an open mind so the people who are already feeling alone don’t become more isolated.”

10.19.23

DNOpinion

DNNews

10.19.23

22

VOWS

FAITH

Continued from Page 04

As a pair that has been married so long, they said the key is friendship, respect and alone time.

“My wife and I have tremendous respect for one another,” Don said. “We support each other regardless of what either one of us happens to be doing. And we certainly had great respect for personal things that we do.”

Couples like the Fishers found connection through their activities on campus.

Penny and Adam Fisher met at the Ball State Daily News, but their story started after they left the newsroom. They reconnected after graduation and had their first official date at Adam’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity formal.

The connection to the Daily News did not leave them, as it played a special role in their wedding, which took place Sept. 10, 2011.

“We walked down the aisle to the fight song and we used the Ball State Daily News as our ring bearer with the rings tied around it,” Penny said. “I just wanted to bring all those Ball State details into our wedding, just because that’s where we met. That’s where our love story began.”

While they now live in Florida, Ball State has remained a part of their family’s lives as their children participate in the festivities.

Penny said their eleven-year-old daughter,

Continued from Page 12

Audrey, was the first-ever homecoming princess in 2017, and now their eight-yearold son, Alec, will be the prince.

“I thought ‘Well, if that’s where they are, we might as well do everything,’” Penny said. “So, we’re gonna do the whole experience. We’re actually going to have them skip school on Thursday and Friday because we’re flying in. They’re excited about it.”

The ceremony is set to be held Oct. 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the Brown Family Amphitheater. Couples interested in participating can register through the QR code below.

Contact Abigail Denault with comments at abigail.denualt@bsu.edu.

Register for the Vow Renewal Ceremony

“It's a serious sport, but we have to have fun with it. There are aspects of the sport where it is a full-time job and it can be really heavy, mentally, on you,” Garrett said.

Pearce said Garrett has mentored him in how to be a better man and what to expect in the real world after football, in addition to the lessons learned through faith.

“Playing football at the Division I level can be mentally tough,” Garrett said.

Garrett is a mentor who understands that.

He aims to help his mentees find joy in playing football instead of focusing on the stress.

Mentoring Garrett does not only reach the players but his own family, too. The mentoring program has given the Bova family an amazing experience and connection to the university, Dannie said.

She said when Garrett takes in a new player, they “become a part of the family” with the Bovas rooting for them, inviting them to their house for visits and even praying for them.

Each player being mentored gets talks every week from Garrett and receives advice on faith outside of the field. But at the end of the day, all Garrett wants is for the player to experience football with joy.

“Not everybody has that opportunity,” Garrett said. “I found that playing when I want to have fun, and to experience joy in the moment and not

worry about the pressure, that's when I inevitably played my best.”

Contact Mya Cataline with comments on X @ mcata_20 or via email at mbcataline@bsu.edu.

Garrett’s Daughter Lillian Bova (left), Ball State Alumni Garrett Bova (center) and Garrett’s son Brody Bova pose for a photo Sept. 23 in Naperville, Illinois.

DANNIE BOVA, PHOTO PROVIDED

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13 In the past 14 Sale rack abbr.

16 Linda Ronstadt’s “Blue __” 17 “Misery” co-star 19 Like most tennis shots 20 In full view 21 “My turn to bat” 23 Cruise with a big price tag 24 Equine control 25 Merged comm. giant 26 On 28 Versatile award-winning Indian film star known by his initials “SRK” 33 Starting gun 36 Move slightly ... like a mouse?

37 Hullabaloo 38 Cut (off) 39 Water source 41 Pachuca pronoun 42 URL ender 43 Cycle starter 44 Red letters in a dark theater 46 Fly over Africa 48 Oscar-nominated actress for “Paper Moon” and “Blazing

Saddles” 51 Ultimatum word 52 Big noise 53 “Cornflake Girl” singer Tori 57 Obama __ 58 Spoken 60 Food recall cause 61 Cop to 63 Swindler ... or, phonetically, what each of three puzzle answers is?

65 Rachmaninoff’s instrument 66 Celebrity chef Eddie 67 Yellow or Red follower 68 Group’s belief 69 Places to relax 70 Explosive letters DOWN 1 Collegian’s choice 2 Tequila source 3 “My Cousin Vinny” Oscar winner Marisa 4 Suffix with craigs 5 “LOTR” menace 6 Eerie apparition 7 Two-__: fastballs named for the grip used to throw them 8 Undetermined: Abbr.

9 “Bluebeard’s Castle” composer Béla 10 Toady

11 Dickinson work 12 South of France?

15 Animal that sounds fresh 18 Dadaist Max 22 India neighbor 25 Star systems 27 Wallop 29 Monopoly miniatures 30 Sport-__: off-road vehicle 31 Fruit drinks 32 A or E, but not I, O or U 33 Horner’s surprise 34 New Rochelle college 35 Doctor Octopus foe 40 Bowler’s target 45 Boring 47 Sign into law 49 Friend of Jerry and George 50 Abduct 54 Damp 55 Elizabeth of “WandaVision” 56 Occupy, as a table 57 Actress Falco 59 German gripe 60 Bits of work 61 Fitting 62 Two-year-old, say 64 NHL’s Ducks, on scoreboards

SOLUTIONS FOR OCTOBER 12

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10.19.23

DNPuzzles