BSU 11-07-19 by The Ball State Daily News

N D DAILY NEWS

News

Muncie’s 2019 mayoral election

REDUCE

REUSE

RECYCLE Green Action Team works to promote recycling on campus. 04

Mayoral candidates reﬂect on their campaigns following elections. 03

Photo Gallery

Fall at Ball State

Autumn colors from deep red to golden yellow can be seen across campus.10

Opinion

Perseverance in the face of tragedy With great challenge can come unexpected opportunity and growth.12

11.07.2019

FREEPICK, GRAPHIC COURTESY, MEGAN MEGREMIS, DN

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DNNews

11.07.19

Did you miss it? Catch up on the news from November 1-5

BallStateDailyNews.com UNSPLASH, PHOTO COURTESY

Group counseling sessions begin

House approves impeachment rules

began scheduling group sessions this week for new appointments due to the increase in demand for its services. Since Aug. 1, it has seen more than 1,100 students request its services — more than half of those seen all of last year. These sessions will see groups of 10 to 15 students meeting with two therapists to develop a Personal Care Plan.

Representatives passed the rules package to be used in the impeachment probe of President Donald Trump. The package passed 232-196, with two Democratic and all Republican lawmakers voting against it. The rules require the House Intelligence Committee to issue a report and release transcripts of its closed-door interviews.

Nov. 1: The Counseling Center

JADEN WHITEMAN, DN

Women’s volleyball Men win home opener victorious in 2 straight over Deﬁance College Nov. 3: Back-and-forth scoring, the Cardinals’ come-from-behind set victories and career highs by freshman outside hitter Natalie Risi and redshirt freshman setter Esther Grussing highlighted Ball State’s victory over Toledo Thursday. Saturday almost looked like an exact copy, as the Cardinals had to come back to win in ﬁve sets over Buffalo. They improved to 13-11.

VOL. 99 ISSUE: 13 CONTACT THE DN Newsroom: 765-285-8245 Editor: 765-285-8249, editor@bsudailynews.com

The Ball State Daily News (USPS144-360), the Ball State student newspaper, publishes Thursdays during the academic year, except 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.

Nov. 1: The House of

EDITORIAL BOARD Brooke Kemp, Editor-in-chief Tier Morrow, Managing Editor Rohith Rao, News Editor Nicole Thomas, Features Editor Jack Williams, Sports Editor Eric Pritchett, Photo Editor Demi Lawrence, Opinion Editor Jake Helmen, Video Editor Alyssa Cooper, Social Media Editor Zach Piatt, Copy Director CREATIVE SERVICES Emily Wright, Creative Director Elliott DeRose, Design Editor Will English, Web Developer

Nov. 5: Halfway through the

second half of Ball State Men’s Basketball’s season opener against Defiance, all five players on the court had seen little to no playing time last season. The young core of six combined for 32 points on the night, helping the Cardinals to their first win of the season, 87-43, over Defiance. Ball State improves to 1-0 and will face Evansville Saturday.

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4-DAY WEATHER

FORECAST Liz Szewczyk, Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

CHANCE OF SNOW

MOSTLY SUNNY

MOSTLY CLOUDY

Hi: 39º Lo: 23º

Hi: 36º Lo: 26º

Hi: 43º Lo: 34º

Hi: 46º Lo: 28º

THIS WEEK: Cold conditions lock in to the Midwest for the rest of the week, allowing any chances of precipitation to turn into snow. Snow chances are likely for Thursday, and we could see another brief chance Sunday night.

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CORRECTION

The Ball State Daily News is committed to providing accurate news to the community. In the event we need to correct inaccurate information, you will ﬁnd that printed here. To submit a correction, email editor@bsudailynews.com.

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DNNews

11.07.19

‘A different direction’ Muncie’s mayor-elect reflects on victory, the road ahead.

Community

Muncie’s MutualBank to be acquired Pennsylvania-based Northwest Bancshares and Muncie-based MutualFirst Financial announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement Oct. 30, according to a Mutual Bank press release. Northwest will acquire MutualFirst via an all-stock transaction valued at $346 million, providing it with 39 additional banking locations.

Elections

Indiana governor visits Muncie

Muncie’s Mayor-elect Dan Ridenour (R) celebrates his election victory Nov. 5, 2019, during his watch party at Knights of Columbus. Apart from winning the mayoral election, Republicans also won a majority in the City Council and the city court clerk seat. JOHN LYNCH, DN John Lynch, Bailey Cline, Charles Melton and Rohith Rao Reporters, Assistant News Editor and News Editor Openness, honesty and transparency are what Muncie’s soon-to-be mayor promises to implement when he takes office. “We’re going to seek input from the public, from our notfor-profit partners, from our businesses. And we’re going to help Muncie get back to where it needs to be,” said Dan Ridenour (R), who will be inducted in January 2020. Securing over 60 percent of the popular vote, Ridenour will be the first Republican candidate to hold the position in eight years. “I’m thrilled that the voters in Muncie decided to make this change — change in style, change in opportunities — I think that will come to our city,” Ridenour said at his watch

party held at Knights of Columbus. “It’s very humbling, and I’m excited to have some new faces on the Council.” Victor Whitehead, chairman of the Delaware County Republican Party, said this was the first time in 35 years the Republicans have taken back the majority on the City Council. “I think we just need to go a different direction,” Ridenour said. “Not a major change — but enough to where four years from now, I think you can see a difference; 10 years from now, I think you will be able to see a difference — and that’s what I intend to see happen.” Ridenour’s victory was part of a sweep of many of Muncie’s city government positions by the Republican party — with Jeff Robinson and Ray Dudley being the only Democrats winning their City Council races. Democrats Jerry Dishman and Anitra Davis both ran unopposed.

4See MAYOR, 05

Gov. Eric Holcomb visited Muncie on a statewide tour in which he met with Republican mayoral candidates in 10 cities, including Lawrence, Fort Wayne, Elkhart, Valparaiso, Kokomo, Terre Haute, Washington, Jeffersonville and New Albany. Holcomb endorsed the now Republican Mayor-elect of Muncie Dan Ridenour at an event at the Elm Street Brewing Company.

Campus

Greek Life director steps down Ball State’s Greek Life Director Kari Murphy stepped down from the role Oct. 25. Murphy served in the position since 2017 when the department split from the Office of Student Life. Since 2014, she served in two other positions that worked closely with Greek Life. Her position will be temporarily run by the director and assistant directors of Student Life.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: FIVE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK

DNNews

11.07.19

RECYCLE

Recycling at Ball State

Continued from Page 01 Taylor Smith Reporter

During the 2018-19 academic year, a member of Ball State’s Green Action Team (GAT) admitted to having little understanding of what items are recyclable at the university, said Hannah Jones, treasurer of the organization. Since then, Jones, along with other members of the club who work to promote sustainability on campus, began working on a campus-wide project to design a universal label that specifies what can and cannot be recycled. While Ball State teaches students about sustainability by hanging posters near trash and recycling bins, Jones said much of the information is outdated and difficult to understand. GAT’s goal is to make recycling signs that are easier to understand and can be read quickly. If successful, Jones said, GAT hopes to “create a more knowledgeable campus” where students will recycle more, do so more efficiently and pay attention to their daily consumption. In the past few years, Ball State has recycled between 19 to 22 percent of all trash, said Michael Planton, associate director of environmental management. Both Planton and Jones said one thing many students do not realize about recycling is that they should clean what they recycle before putting them in the bins. Oftentimes, Planton said, many bags of recycling are contaminated because students tend to recycle products that are not recyclable. “We get contamination with people placing trash into recycling bins,” he said. “Most times, this means the entire bag must be landfilled instead of sorted and recycled … If a manufacturer has to add steps to clean up recycled materials, it cost them money. If the cost is greater than using virgin materials, they will use virgin materials first.” Planton also said plastic water bottles and bags are often made of “plastics nearing the end of their useful life,” so even though these products can be recycled, they are often not reused. To combat this issue, Planton recommended using reusable water bottles and tote bags, which are all products sold by Ball State Dining at various locations on campus. “The biggest thing students need to understand is that recycling is not the best thing you can do for the environment.” Jones said. “Although it is better than throwing stuff in the trash, the best thing to do is to reuse your stuff.” Although much of the recycling process occurs off Ball State’s campus, she said, students are the ones who start the process. “If you want to be better on campus, I would say increase your understanding of sustainability,” Jones said.” If you start doing it repeatedly, it will become a habit.” Contact Taylor Smith with comments at tnsmith6@bsu.edu or on Twitter @taynsmithh.

In 2018, the university recycled 19.9 percent, or 674.05 tons, of trash, as compared to 2,710.20 tons of trash that couldn’t be recycled. 1

Ball State recycles mixed ofﬁce paper, cardboard, newspaper, plastics Nos.1-7, aluminum and metal cans and green, brown and clear glass using a co-mingled recycling system. Recycling collection points and containers can be found in ofﬁces, hallways and doorways along campus sidewalks, residence halls and dining facilities.

From there, custodians and landscape employees collect the items and place them into dumpsters behind campus buildings. Ball State uses blue bags for recyclable materials and black for trash, allowing both to be thrown into the same dumpsters.

The materials are picked up by the waste-hauling company and Ball State partner Best Way of Indiana. The bags get taken to the East Central Recycling facility in Muncie.

At the facility, crews use equipment and hand labor to separate black trash bags from the blue ones. Trash is pushed into a large packer truck and taken to the landﬁll. Recyclables are pushed onto conveyor belts.

Once the blue bags are separated, they are torn open, and the materials are sent through a series of conveyor belts where the various items are separated. There are employees stationed along the belt who are assigned a particular type of recyclable material to pull.

6 Source: Michael Planton VECTEEZY, FREEPIK, GRAPHICS COURTESY; MEGAN MEGREMIS, DN

When the bins are full, they are compacted, baled, stored separately for sale and transported to various manufacturers.

When the employee pulls the material, they dump it down a chute located directly in front of them, which feeds into a large bin. Metals are separated with a magnet.

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MAYOR Continued from Page 03

Councilperson-elect Richard Ivy said Ridenour’s personality and character has been the same since the day he first met him in February. “For nine months, I’ve not seen a chink in his armor,” Ivy said. “I haven’t seen him waver. I haven’t seen him get out of character.” Ball State College Republicans President Sabrina Kilgore said Ridenour’s history in the banking industry qualifies him to handle Muncie’s financial problems, and his personality would make him a good leader. “I think he brings honesty and experience,” Kilgore said. “When people talk to Dan, they relate to him really well. He’s a down-to-earth, easy-totalk-to guy, and I think people see that.” After his victory was announced, Ridenour said fixing Muncie’s roads and infrastructure would be one of his highest priorities, starting with sidewalks near schools. Ridenour also congratulated his opponents on the races their campaigns ran over this year. “I appreciate both of the opponents, and I know how grueling it can be,” Ridenour said. “They’ve done a great service for our city, and I appreciate that service.”

Opponents’ reflections: Terry Whitt Bailey (D), who placed in second, told her volunteers and supporters that, while she wasn’t going to be mayor, she was still their Democratic mayoral candidate. “What I have always said [is] that God is preparing us for great things [and] that he has prepared our community to move forward,” Bailey said during her speech at her watch party. “We’re going to do what we should be doing, and that is lifting up our community. We’ve got to continue to do positive things for our community, not to sit back.” Bailey said her group will let people know it is a “diverse and inclusive group of individuals” — something people wouldn’t find “at the other place.” The purpose of her run for mayor, Bailey said, wasn’t because she was African American, but because she was qualified. “If that’s the only reason that people wanted me to be in office, then that would be the wrong reason,” she said. “It’s because of my qualifications, not because of the color of my skin or the fact that I’m a woman.” When she first heard her daughter would be running for mayor, Janice Whitt, Bailey’s mother, thought she would “make a great mayor.” “How I felt about the whole thing was that whatever was supposed to happen today would happen,” Whitt said. “I believe that whatever God had planned is what was going to happen today, and if she won, she won. If she didn’t win, she didn’t win. It’s in the plan.” Moving forward, she said, she wanted to see her daughter “just be herself” and continue to work for the community. Steve Smith (L) said he knew the election would result in a Republican sweep, but he did his job “being the voice for the people” and said he would continue doing what he can to help the Muncie community.

“Now, we just have to endure what the Republican Party is going to do,” he said. “I just don’t want to hear excuses.” From what Smith has seen from the Republican Party, he said, “it hasn’t been in our best interest in the past.” “I have to see with open eyes — see if it’s going to be better or if it’s just going to be another smoke screen, and they continue to do the process we’re already seeing in place,” he said. “They got their wish to be in total control, so now we’re going to see what they’re going to do with that.” Congratulating his opponents and winning candidates, Smith said he encourages Muncie citizens to not only vote but “step up to the plate” and consider running for office like he did to get “integrity back into politics.” Contact John Lynch with comments at jplynch@ bsu.edu or on Twitter @WritesLynch. Contact Bailey Cline with comments at bacline@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @BaileyCline. Contact Rohith Rao with comments at rprao@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ RaoReports. Contact Charles Melton with comments at cwmelton@bsu.edu or on Twitter @Cmelton444.

2019 MUNCIE MAYORAL ELECTION RESULTS 1.72%

36.81%

61.47%

Dan Ridenour (R) - 7,120 votes Terry Whitt Bailey (D) - 4,264 votes Steve Smith (L) - 199 votes Source: Delaware County General Election Unofficial Results ELLIOTT DEROSE, DN

Top: Terry Whitt Bailey (D) tells her supporters she didn’t believe she would be elected mayor after seeing the unofficial results Nov. 5, 2019, during her watch party at 425 N. High St. Bailey lost the mayoral election with 4,264 votes. CHARLES MELTON, DN Middle: Muncie’s Mayor-elect Dan Ridenour (R) holds up a poster board with signatures during his watch party at Knights of Columbus. Ridenour won the mayoral election by securing more than 60 percent of the votes. BAILEY CLINE, DN Bottom: Steve Smith (L) interacts with his friends and supporters at Uggly’s Bar and Grill. After losing the election, Smith said he encourages other Muncie citizens to consider running for office. ROHITH RAO, DN

11.07.19

DNNews

11.07.19

MUNCIE VOTES RED

Winning all the at-large seats and two out of four district races, Republicans will now hold a 5-4 majority in the City Council, according to Delaware County’s unofficial election results. The Democrats lost the 7-2 majority they held in the City Council for at least the past two elections, it states. Three out of the four incumbent Democratic city councilpersons running in this election lost their races. The one incumbent Republican candidate running this year will

retain his seat. However, Mayor-elect Dan Ridenour’s previous city council seat in District 2 was lost to the Democratic candidate. Republicans also won the city court clerk seat, previously held by a Democrat. The voter turnout this election was 26 percent — higher than the 9 percent turnout in 2015 but lower than the 28 percent turnout in 2011.

City Council District 1:

City Council District 4:

Douglas A. Marshall (46.59%)

Ralph (Jigger) Smith (53.41%)

City Council District 2:

Jeff Robinson (52.96%)

Monica James (20.73%)

City Council District 5:

Brandon Murphy (47.04%)

City Council District 3:

Jerry D. Dishman (100%)

City Council District 6:

Brandtley Spicer (5.64%) Scott Paluch (45.80%)

Ray Dudley (48.57%)

-Staff Reports

Anitra Davis (100%)

Republican candidates gain seats on City Council. City Council 2020 makeup: Republican: 5 Democratic: 4

**City Court Clerk: Bradley (Brad) Polk (79.27%)

Melissa Peckinpaugh (48.72%)

Belinda Munson (51.28%)

**City Court Judge:

Amanda Dunnuck (100%)

*City Council At-Large: Nora Evans Powell (15.13%)

Richard M. Ivy (19.04%) Aaron Clark (17.40%)

Linda Gregory (15.20%) WaTasha (Barnes) Griffin (16.40%)

Troy A. Ingram (16.83%)

*Top three win **Doesn’t sit on the City Council Source: Delaware County General Election Unofficial Results FACEBOOK, PHOTOS COURTESY; ELLIOTT DEROSE, DN

DNSports

11.07.19

Football

Broncos get revenge from 2018 matchup If you showed up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to watch the two highestscoring offenses in the Mid-American Conference go at it, you got your money’s worth. The game was reminiscent of the same matchup between Ball State and Western Michigan a year ago in Muncie where the Cardinals walked away with a 42-41 victory in overtime. Tuesday, it was the Broncos who got the best of the Cardinals, 35-31.

Cross Country

EXTERNAL PERSPECTIVE

Cardinals with best MAC ﬁnish since 2007

Freshman goaltender Wietske Overdijkink blocks a shot Oct. 4, 2019, at Briner Sports Complex. The Cardinals lost to Kent State 1-0. BALL STATE ATHLETICS, PHOTO COURTESY

Wietske Overdijkink’s Dutch background brings valuable element to Ball State Field Hockey. Drew Pierce Reporter The history of field hockey in the Netherlands is vast. Through the Koninklijke Nederlandse Hockey Bond, there are more than 300 hockey clubs with more than 250,000 members, according to Expat Holland. This year, the rich history of the game has found its way 4,000 miles west of northwest Europe to the flatlands of Indiana through freshman goaltender Wietske Overdijkink, adding another to the Cardinals’ arsenal of young goalies. Part of Overdijkink’s upbringing was learning the extensive history of field hockey and the ins and outs of the sport. She said almost every citizen plays at some point in their lives, and the Netherlands is known for being extremely technical and efficient during play. “There is a lot more running involved here,” Overdijkink said. “In the Netherlands, we are a lot more technical, so we do a lot more stickwork.”

Overdijkink was raised by parents who both played field hockey and a grandfather who played for the national team. She started her own career when she was 6. With the lack of school field hockey teams in the Netherlands, she spent many years playing on club teams. Then, Overdijkink decided she wanted something more. This past summer, Cardinal head coach Stephanie Bernthal called Overdijkink on Skype and hooked her on Ball State. “Coach Bern said in our Skype conversation about how she wants the team to be all together,” Overdijkink said. “Also, for me to be a goalkeeper to coach everybody. This is a program for me because I could really see myself here.” Overdijkink’s first time in America was the day she set foot on Ball State’s campus. When she arrived, Muncie welcomed her with blistering heat, but the Midwestern climate was just one challenge Overdijkink faced when coming to the States. “The first two days, I was jet-lagged, and it was so hot,” Overdijkink said. “I only knew like two people, and it was pretty hard. We couldn’t stay on campus back then, so I stayed with a teammate at her house. It was so much fun, and it really helped [me] get to know my teammates before the preseason even started.” The first two collegiate starts in Overdijkink’s Ball State career were shutout victories over Davidson and Saint Louis in the first week of September. She said this helped give her and the team confidence as the season got underway.

See DUTCH, 08

Ball State placed sixth out of 12 teams at the Mid-American Conference Championships Saturday. Its placement greatly improved upon last year’s performance of 11th place and is also the teams best ﬁnish at the MAC Championships since 2007. The top ﬁnisher for the Cardinals was junior Cayla Eckenroth, who placed 11th overall out of 101 runners.

Soccer

Ball State eliminated in MAC Quarterﬁnals Despite Ball State’s impressive regular season stats, the No. 2 Cardinals were upset by No. 7 Eastern Michigan Sunday in a 2-1 loss in the Mid-American Conference Quarterﬁnals. With the loss, Ball State was eliminated from the MAC Tournament snapping the team’s four-game win streak.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: NEW CASTLE’S SEASON ENDS IN SECTIONAL SEMIFINAL

DNSports

11.07.19

DUTCH

Continued from Page 07 “I think it was nice to get two shutouts,” Overdijkink said. “It’s a team effort, and I obviously couldn’t have done it without my team. Those were two really good games. I learned a lot and took everything to my next games to improve.” Before Oct. 10, Overdijkink led the Mid-American Conference in save

We couldn’t stay on campus back then, so I stayed with a teammate at her house. It was so much fun, and it really helped [me] get to know my teammates before the preseason even started.” - WIETSKE OVERDIJKINK, Ball State Field Hockey freshman goaltender

percentage and average goals against. Although her numbers have cooled off as the season has progressed, Overdijkink set the tone early in the season for the Cardinals. “It’s kind of a cool thing, but I think that it comes naturally with the type of personality and the hard work she has put forward,” Bernthal said. “I don’t think she is focused at all [on leading the MAC], which is cool.” Bernthal said Overdijkink adds depth when it comes to goaltending. The Cardinals haven’t had three goalies since 2014 — they only had one in 2015 — and she gives the team options at the position. Bernthal added that Overdijkink also offers a sense of hope for the future of the team and a “stabilizing presence” on defense. Although Overdijkink said her adrenaline and excitement is through the roof at game time, Bernthal said she handles this rush professionally. “She is very much controlled in her demeanor,” Bernthal said. “You can see in the game that she just plays. She puts it all out there and does great. I think that she is really smart as a competitor.” Overdijkink has led the Cardinals to a three-game improvement from 2018 and the four seed in the MAC Tournament. Ball State will play fifthseeded Longwood Thursday. Contact Drew Pierce with comments at dlpierce2@bsu.edu or on Twitter @dpierce3cc.

Cardinals splash their way to victory in home opener

Ball State Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving competed at the John Lewellen Aquatic Center against Eastern Michigan and Wabash this past weekend. While the men’s team remained undefeated following the meet, the women’s team could not keep up with Eastern Michigan. Both teams will be back in the pool Nov. 16 at home against Grand Valley State. PAUL KIHN, DN

BALL STATE SPORTS NOV.

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NOV.

FOOTBALL VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN Scheumann Stadium, TBA • Watch on CBS Sports Network

SWIMMING & DIVING VS. GRAND VALLEY STATE Lewellen Aquatic Center, 1 p.m. • FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL

NOV.

MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NORTHERN KENTUCKY Worthen Arena, 7 p.m. • FREE ADMISSION FOR STUDENTS

BALLSTATESPORTS.COM 888.BSU.TICKET #CHIRPCHIRP

DNLife

11.07.19

Feels like home Residence Hall Association members say the organization has done as much for them as it has for those it aims to serve.

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is an organization mainly focused on serving students who live on campus. Because of this, members must live on campus as well. ERIC PRITCHETT, DN

Online

Alumna to speak about ﬁtness journey Rachael Heffner, a 2014 Ball State graduate, will talk about health, wellness and her career as a bodybuilder at 2 p.m. Nov. 11 on ‘The Dr. Oz Show.’ During the 10-minute segment, Heffner will describe her transformation from weighing 300 pounds during her freshman year at Ball State to now competing in bodybuilding shows. BallStateDailyNews.com

Byte

Quidditch team heads to regionals The Ball State Quidditch Team is competing in the 2019 U.S. Quidditch Great Lakes Collegiate Regional Championship against 14 opposing teams. The team’s head coach, senior architecture major Max Jolly, said the team has improved a lot throughout its season, and they will bring 21 players with them to regionals. ByteBSU.com

Byte

Brooke Kemp Editor-in-chief Growing up in Fremont, Indiana, senior biology education major Jackie Weisenfelder said she experienced a “shift in community” when she came to Ball State. “Muncie felt huge,” Weisenfelder said. “I have lived in [DeHority Complex] all four years of college now, and there are more people in my residence hall than were in my entire high school.” As Weisenfelder adjusted to campus life during her freshman year, she said, she struggled to ﬁnd a community that felt like the right ﬁt for her. Because of this, she didn’t get involved and “shortchanged” herself. The next year, however, Weisenfelder decided to “push the

boundaries” of her comfort zone and became a mentor in Ball State’s summer program Accelerate. During that time, she met the then-president of the Residence Hall Association (RHA). When the president tapped Weisenfelder on the shoulder and suggested she apply for one of the openings on the RHA’s executive board, Weisenfelder decided to once again expand her comfort zone. “I wanted that sense of belonging — I wanted to feel like there was a spot for me to make something of myself,” Weisenfelder said. “Even if something is scary for me personally, I don’t want fear to hold me back from making decisions. We jump to the conclusion like, ‘What if this decision is a bad decision?’ but we don’t often think that there is an equal chance that there is a good decision.

See HOME, 11

ON BYTEBSU.COM: THE COVEN S6E2: TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS IN THE MEDIA

Kanye West releases album, ‘Jesus is King’ Rebranding himself as a born-again Christian, Kayne West has led many Sunday services and eventually took part in traveling services throughout 2019. After being delayed, his newest album, “Jesus is King,” debuted Oct. 25 alongside a short ﬁlm, which shows his Sunday service choir. ByteBSU.com

DNLife

11.07.19

It’s f ll, y’all FREEPIK, GRAPHIC COURTESY

Every year, starting around Sept. 23, temperatures begin to drop, the days get shorter and the leaves on trees change color. These transformations also foreshadow the coming holidays from Halloween to Hanukkah. JOSHUA SMITH, DN

11 11.07.19

DNLife

HOME

Continued from Page 09 “I was like, ‘If I don’t get that, I’m not going to feel comfortable at Ball State. I’m not going to feel like I want to be here anymore,’ and I really, really wanted that.” After Weisenfelder filled out an application, presented to the RHA why she felt she would be a good fit for the position and interviewed with members of the organization’s executive board, Weisenfelder was offered the position of vice president of administration. Not long after taking on her new position, Weisenfelder said, she knew she had found the sense of community she was looking for. Now, she is the president of the RHA and works alongside other members to host events and help students feel like they, too, are part of a community that fits their needs. “We represent 6,000 students — everyone who lives on campus. We advocate for what students want, [and] we provide programs to help make Ball State feel like home,” Weisenfelder said. “If you are going to school here for four years, this could just be a place you pass through on your way to somewhere new — whether that’s grad school, a job, professional life, whatever — or if you are here at Ball State for a year and then you transfer, we still want that experience to be a positive one. “We don’t want Ball State and Muncie to just be a place you pass through. We want it to be an important part of your story, like the pin on the map.” Like Weisenfelder, Parker Gray, sophomore political science major and vice president of programming for the RHA, said the community aspect is one of his favorite things about the organization. “When you’re at a university, you really are out on your own for the first time, and you are in a point in your life when you are trying to find a sense of belonging,” Gray said. “What we try to do [at the RHA] is create spaces, events and other ways in which people can connect and feel more at home at Ball State.” Beyond its eight-member executive board and four advisors, the RHA has representatives from each residence hall who are part of both the RHA and their respective hall’s councils. RHA also has three committees — public relations, activities and issues and facilities — and open meetings so students can voice their concerns or ideas. Weisenfelder said this approach has allowed the RHA to respond to a wide variety of issues students notice on campus and has led the group to take action on topics from gender inclusive housing to the lack of cell service in the DeHority Complex’s lobby. “We help serve as a go-between, too, because housing and residence life is big, and it can seem really intimidating to a student who has a concern,” Weisenfelder said. “We help to kind of point them in the right direction.” Weisenfelder said an important part of making students’ voices heard is allowing a diverse group of people to raise their voice — which is part of the reason why the RHA tries to gauge the

Senior biology education major Jackie Weisenfelder sits at a desk in the Residence Hall Association’s (RHA) office. Weisenfelder joined the RHA’s executive board as a sophomore and has since become the organization’s president. ERIC PRITCHETT, DN needs of all students on campus, not just those who live in the residence halls, by working with the Student Government Association. This also added to the organization’s decision to not allow members to be Resident Assistants (RAs).

We don’t want Ball State and Muncie to just be a place you pass through. We want it to be an important part of your story, like the pin on the map.” - JACKIE WEISENFELDER, president of the RHA “One of the things that we have really discussed is that RAs already get the opportunity to voice their own concerns and voice concerns of people that they work with — their residents — and we wanted to hold the microphone to someone else so just ‘regular students’ could have the opportunity to also get involved,” Weisenfelder said. As the organization gains more notoriety, Gray said, more and more people are able to come forward. He added the RHA has helped him gain “a larger field of view on what people actually

want to see on campus.” He and Garrett McCracken, vice president of administration for the RHA, said this collaborative aspect of the RHA is one of its strengths. “I think what I enjoy most about RHA is that we bring all of these communities together to make ideas [and] continue to come up with new things that we can bring to Ball State with a fresh perspective, and that’s something that as a person I really enjoy seeing,” McCracken said. The junior psychology studies major said he was first introduced to the organization through its partnership with another group he was involved with. McCracken attended a few RHA meetings and said he was quickly persuaded “to give back to RHA because I saw how much it was giving to the housing community that I live in.” From his first introduction to the RHA, he said, he felt “it was a very inclusive environment,” that “no matter who came in those doors, anybody could feel like they had a part in that meeting.” Like Weisenfelder, McCracken said if he didn’t get involved in the RHA, there is no way he would be as involved on campus as he is now. While McCracken and Weisenfelder have been involved for different lengths of time, they both said they enjoy watching the change in new members as they learn the ropes of the organization and grow as individuals. “I think, as a senior, my favorite part right now is being able to see all of the people I work with

grow and sort of have those small self-realizations that I’ve had over the years,” Weisenfelder said. “Being able to have those ‘ah-ha’ moments where they realize, ‘Oh, I can do this,’ and seeing people come to our programs and leave really excited and really happy — for me, that fills my cup every single time.” Contact Brooke Kemp with comments at bmkemp@bsu.edu or on Twitter @brookemkemp.

WHAT IS THE RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION? The Residence Hall Association is an organization made up of students who live on campus. The group “works to provide a representative voice for all residents, unify and improve the on-campus living experience and collaborate with other campus organizations,” according to its Benny Link page. The RHA holds a variety of different events, including “Holiday Bash,” “Ball State Bash” and “Chirp Factor,” which are open to all Ball State students. They hold general assembly meetings at 5 p.m. Thursdays. Jackie Weisenfelder, president of the organization, said the RHA also works with other campus organizations to further their understanding of what students’ needs are and respond accordingly. Source: Benny Link, Jackie Weisenfelder

DNOpinion

12 11.07.19 Jimbo-laya

THE POWER OF HOPE People can handle so much more than they think they’re capable of.

Jessica Vanhook, Joshua Smith’s sister, carries a mattress across the Scramble Light in 2014 as part of Feminists for Action’s efforts to show support for a Columbia University student who was a victim of sexual assault. EMMA ROGERS, DN FILE

ON BYTEBSU.COM: ALTER BRIDGE’S ‘WALK THE SKY’ REEKS WITH BURNOUT

11.07.19 Joshua Smith is a freshman graphic design major and writes “Jimbo-laya” for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. “The power of hope” is a phrase you would imagine coming out of an inspirational movie during some overused, heartfelt situation where Joshua someone is told they can’t do something, but Smith through hard work and Columnist, determination, they actually Jimbo-laya do that thing and prove all the haters wrong. Even though it’s overused, it doesn’t make it any less true. The capacity we have for pain, both physical and mental, is astonishing. The fact that we can hit rock bottom and come back better, faster and stronger is incredible. On Sept. 26, my oldest sister Krystyn called and told me she and our parents were at the hospital. My other sister Jessica had been shot during a home invasion. She was shot through the shoulder, the bullet nicking her lung and hitting the base of her spine. She was paralyzed from the waist down. I went home to LaPorte, Indiana, that weekend, and while I was there, my parents told me she had a slim chance of walking again. Not only that, but covering the costs of the mountain of bills wasn’t going to be easy. We had to start a GoFundMe for my sister because otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to pay for what she would need to walk again. As grim as this was, I was trying to focus on the thin line of hope that was still there: that she would walk again, and she would be OK. After all, doctors will normally give you the worst-case scenario, so they don’t get your hopes up. This meant there was still a chance. As I thought about Jessica’s situation, I accepted the world was a bad place, and people do bad things. She always tries her hardest to put some kind of good into the world, yet this happened to her. I could have just stopped caring about everything around me and grown bitter toward the world, but I didn’t. Throughout my life, I’ve become more of a realist, but because of how I grew up, it’s second nature for me to still focus on the best possibilities. That was a personal experience that will always stick with me and remind me to question the impossible, just like Rocky Balboa did. Rocky is just a guy from Philly who wanted to be a boxer. He knew where he wanted to be and poured his heart and soul into everything he did to get there. He

Events

For more information on the events listed here, visit BallStateDaily.com/Events After Hours At Minnetrista • Friday, November 15, 6-9 p.m. • Oakhurst House

November Drink Specials • Nov. 1-30 at 12 a.m. • Brothers Bar and Grill

Pedrito Martines • Tuesday, November 12, 7:30-9:30 p.m. • Emens Auditorium

Indoor Farmers Market • November 1 through April 30 at 12 a.m. • Minnetrista

Men’s Basketball vs Evansville • Saturday, November 9, 7 p.m. • Worthen Arena

American Red Cross Blood Drive • Tuesday, November 19, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. • Pruis Hall

Six Guitars: The Story Behind the Style Jessica Vanhook waits with family at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago Nov. 2, 2019, where she learns how to adapt to a new daily routine. Vanhook was shot and paralyzed during a home invasion in late September and is currently going through physical therapy. JOSHUA SMITH, DN never gave up, no matter how many times something tried to stop him, and my sister has done the same. In the movie, Rocky is a hot shot boxer, and everyone knows his name. Jessica is just a girl from LaPorte; she moved away, got shot and now she’s doing everything she can to get back to where she was. She and Rocky are similar in one crucial way: They don’t give up. Jessica is a perfect example that we mainly see our strength when something extreme happens, like a natural disaster, an act of terrorism or a random event, like what happened with Jessica. The further we fall, the more obvious it is when we rise back up and fight. A star shines brightest in the darkness, just like my sister. Jessica’s lungs are completely healed at this point, and she sent a five-second video in a family group chat of her flexing her thigh muscles. As weirdly specific as that sounds, it’s a huge accomplishment for her to consciously and purposely move any muscles below her waist.

It was incredible to see because my sister had fallen so far and was given such a slim chance to walk again, and already she is moving a part of her leg. Jessica knows she has a long way to go, and I can tell she wants to. Any time someone pushes hard like her, it reminds me of my favorite quote from Balboa: “Let me tell you something you already know: The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are. It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving.” Regardless of what is thrown at you through life, as long as you can keep moving, you’ll make it eventually. It shouldn’t take a devastating event like this to bring out our strengths, but sometimes that’s just what we need, and that is OK. Contact Joshua with comments at jhsmith2@bsu.edu.

• Thursday, November 7, 7:30 p.m. • Pruis Hall

Neil Berg’s 50 Years of Rock & Roll • Wednesday, November 20, 7:30 p.m. • Emens Auditorium

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11.07.19

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Alex and Andy Davidson carry their mother’s legacy through Ball State women’s club soccer. Connor Smith Reporter Soccer is more than just a favorite sport for Alex and Andy Davidson. Currently the coaches of Ball State women’s club soccer, the brothers grew up playing competitively at a young age, consistently practicing and honing their skills. However, it wasn’t a professional superstar who was their biggest inspiration — it was their mother, Tracey Warren. “Growing up, I remember even well after my mom was out of college,” sophomore Andy Davidson said, “Going and sitting on the sidelines watching her play for fun at the ﬁelds. We’ve been involved since the earliest age we’ve been allowed to play.” In the late ’80s, Tracey Warren helped found the Ball State’s women’s club soccer program because Ball State did not have a team. She was inspired to spread the sport to students looking for an outlet to play competitively. Since Warren started the program, the team has had a multitude of coaches, but nearly 30 years later, her son, senior Alex Davidson, took over the head coach position in spring 2018. When he became head coach, Davidson said, his expectations were mixed, but that has changed over the past year. “[The team’s] past wasn’t necessarily great in terms of coaching,” Davidson said. “This year, I’ve come in with a lot higher expectations since most of these girls know me and have had a year under my belt. I understand the way they play, and they understand how I coach.” Following Davidson’s transition to head coach, his brother Andy joined him as an assistant coach the following fall. Growing up with their mother’s

guidance, the two look to not only represent her going forward but also bring a developed style of coaching to the table. “It allows [our players] to grow when you have coaches who understand the game and care about the program,” Alex Davidson said. “We put a lot of time into this team. When they succeed, it’s pretty rewarding.” Since he and his brother began coaching together, Alex Davidson said, the two have brought a greater sense of cohesion to the program. “I think we’ve instilled a lot of discipline,” Alex Davidson said. “In the past, we’ve had coaches who’ve showed up to practices or games hungover, or drunk or who have never played soccer before. We grew up playing soccer very competitively, so we understand the game a lot.” The team’s president, junior Danika Merrill, credited her coaches with making practices tough while also rewarding and motivating. Merrill said the duo has made the team more competitive than in years past. “Alex and Andy have brought a lot to the program,” Merrill said. “They give us some structure. We were kind of missing that until we had them. I think it’s pretty cool that their mom started this program.” For anyone looking to try out for the team in the future, Alex Davidson’s message is clear and simple: Hard work pays off. “I reward hard work,” Alex Davidson said. “If you don’t make the team the ﬁrst time, then come out again. We have several players who didn’t make the team at ﬁrst because they took a year to work harder.” Contact Connor Smith with comments at cnsmith@bsu.edu or on Twitter @cnsmithbsu.

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Ball State women’s club soccer head coach Alex Davidson poses with his players during a team banquet. Davidson and his brother, Andy, have followed their mother’s footsteps in coaching the team. ALEX DAVIDSON, PHOTO PROVIDED

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17 Many an animated Twitter pic 54 Runs 1 Astrological Ram 20 Picard’s counselor 55 Audit 6 Cleans out badly? 21 Stops up 58 Holstein sound 10 __-pitch softball 22 Vocally 59 Politically diverse ballot ... and an 13 Dry up 23 Marinated beef dish apt description of each set of puzzle 14 Old photo hue 25 Harmonize circles 15 Equivocate 27 Grammy category 63 New Haven alum 16 International waters 29 Game console letters 64 L.L.Bean headquarters locale 18 Scrabble vowel value 30 Member of the opposition 65 River in some Renoir paintings 19 Focus of a modern crisis 32 Attachment to a car or a boat? 66 “Voices Carry” pop group __ 20 Branch bit 34 Shy 21 “The Persistence of Memory” artist Tuesday 37 Result of Googling 67 Unaccompanied 24 Teleflora rival 40 Natural table 68 Lauder of cosmetics 25 Ice Capades setting 42 Heist units 26 Word with string or sing Down 43 “How to Get Away With 28 Washington post 1 Fitting Murder” lawyer Annalise 31 Ulaanbaatar native 2 Root word? 45 Quick looks 33 One concerned with bites 3 Hot temper 47 Clobber, biblically 35 South of France? 4 Bouncing off the walls 49 “Glengarry Glen Ross” 36 Trifling amount 5 Castaway’s salvation playwright 38 Former NBA exec Jackson 6 Lived 50 Garlicky spread 39 “Dumbo” (2019) director Burton 7 Slanted page 52 Tonsillitis-treating doc 41 Off-leash play area 8 Slant 55 Row 44 Like many courtside interviews 9 KLM rival 56 Parts of hips 46 Pine detritus 10 Locker room feature 57 65-Across feeder 48 New York Harbor’s __ Island 11 Red Square honoree 59 Texting format, briefly 49 “Mad About You” daughter 12 Luxury watch 60 Set for assembly 51 __ Zion Church 14 They’re poured at bars 61 Dallas-to-Memphis dir. 53 Actor Alan 62 Simple top

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11.07.19

DNPuzzles

UNIFIED MEDIA AWARD WINNERS

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

Riley Eubanks, Ball Bearings editor, and Tierra Harris, Daily News reporter Keating Awards Competition participants Only 10 students asked to participate in Indiana. Riley placed third.

Zach Piatt, Daily News assistant sports editor

Rebecca Slezak, Daily News photographer

Ernie Pyle Reporter of the Year award ﬁnalist

Award of Excellence in the College Photographer of the Year contest

Zach was one of 10 students in the nation selected as a ﬁnalist.

Ball Bearings Magazine 2019 Pinnacle Award from the College Media Association They were named the country’s best four-year feature magazine.

The Ball State Daily News 2019 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award

Ball Bearings Magazine, Byte Magazine and The Ball State Daily News 2020 Crown Award ﬁnalists, named by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association

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