BSU 03-02-23

N PARTY D ‘The Campus

DAILY NEWS

DNWomen’s History

Gender bias in covering sports

Third-year elementary education major Bill Pawlak cheers for the Ball State Men’s Basketball team before a game against Northern Illinois Feb. 14 at Worthen Arena. AMBER PIETZ, DN

How Michael Lewis led a student section revolution at Worthen Arena this season03

PLANNER’

Women in sports media on the negative treatment they face in the industry10

Ball State feminist group The history of the first feminist group on Ball State’s campus 11

A century of sisterhood The Tri Kappa sorority in Muncie gives back to the community. 12

Identities of Black women Black women should not be tone policed. 16

03.02.2023

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DNNews

03.02.23

02

Did you miss it? Catch up on the news from Feb. 27-28...

BallStateDailyNews.com Student hit by bus near Emens

Feb. 27: Around 10 a.m., Ball State University Police Department confirmed a student was hit by a bus on campus. They did not receive emergency medical services, therefore a report was not filed.

The accident was classified as “nothing serious,” and there were no witnesses.

KWATASHEA MARFO, DN PHOTO

JEMAL COUNTESS, TNS PHOTO COURTESY

Norris placed on administrative leave

Feb. 28: Ball State Athletics issues the following statement on the matter: “Ball State University has placed the women’s head tennis head coach Max Norris on administrative leave pending the completion of an internal review.

Because this is a personal matter, the university cannot comment further at this time.”

Supreme Court begins student loan plan hearings Feb. 28: President Joe Biden’s plan involves canceling up to

$20,000 in student loan debt for millions of Americans. It would cancel up to $10,000 in debt for students earning less than $125,000 annually and would cancel up to $10,000 for those who received or are receiving a Pell Grant, a loan given to students with the most dire financial need. The plan has previously been blocked

by Republican judges in lower courts, as arguments are now being heard by the 6-3 conservative majority high court.

VOL. 102 ISSUE: 24

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.

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

EDITORIAL BOARD Elissa Maudlin, Editor-in-chief Evan Chandler, Print Managing Editor Angelica Gonzalez Morales, Digital Managing Editor Kyle Smedley, News Editor Hannah Amos, Associate News Editor Daniel Kehn, Sports Editor Corbin Hubert, Associate Sports Editor Lila Fierek, Lifestyles Editor and Copy Director Mya Cataline, Associate Lifestyles Editor Grayson Joslin, Opinion Editor KwaTashea Marfo, Associate Opinion Editor Amber Pietz, Photo Editor and Visual Editor Jacy Bradley, Associate Photo Editor Jacob Boissy, Video Editor Olivia Ground, Social Media Editor Alex Bracken, Visual Editor Josie Santiago, Visual Editor Lisa Renze-Rhodes, Adviser

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4-DAY WEATHER

FORECAST Ryan Hill, Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

PARTLY CLOUDY

THUNDERSTORMS

PARTLY CLOUDY

MOSTLY SUNNY

Hi: 54º Lo: 39º

Hi: 53º Lo: 32º

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THIS WEEK: A storm system is expected to strengthen as it heads into our area Thursday night through Friday. This will cause windy and stormy conditions, where we look to receive 1-2 inches of rain. We cool down but remain above average with more pleasant conditions through our weekend.

START CHECKING, FROM DAY ONE.

CORRECTION

In the Feb. 23 edition, the story on page 5 had inaccurate information regarding the Center for Survivor Support and Counseling Center.

Both resources provide confidential support. On page 11, a name was misspelled. Charlotte Brown is the person who provided two photos on the page.

In the Feb. 9 edition, the story on page 6 miscredited photos. The photographer’s name is Eve Green.

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

Waking Up with Cardinal Weather is Ball State University’s first and only morning mobile show focused on getting your ready for the day through local news, weather and lifestyle trends. Waking Up with Cardinal Weather airs every Friday morning at 8 a.m. at @cardinalwx live on Facebook.

DNNews Indiana

Eli Lilly announces cuts to insulin prices

03.02.23

03

Third-year elementary education major Bill Pawlak and others watch the Cardinals effort against the Buffalo Bulls Jan 24 at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals fell to the Bulls 65-91. KATELYN HOWELL, DN

Eli Lilly will cut prices and immediately expand a cap at $35 on costs insured patients pay to fill prescriptions, the company announced March 1.

Lilly said it will cut list prices on its most commonly-prescribed insulin, Humalog, and Humulin by 70 percent in the fourth quarter, which starts in October. Lilly did not say what the new prices will be.

National

Pennsylvania unseals warrant for Idaho killings suspect Records made public Feb. 28, two months after Pennsylvania State Police arrested Bryan Kohberger at his parents’ home in eastern Pennsylvania, stated what was found in the home. Kohberger, charged with the murders of four University of Idaho students, had dark clothing, medical gloves, a flashlight and other items. Police also swabbed Kohberger’s DNA.

International

Greece train collision kills 32, injures at least 85 A passenger train carrying hundreds of people collided with a freight train in northern Greece, killing 32 and injuring at least 85, officials said March 1. Just before midnight Feb. 28, multiple cars derailed and at least three burst into flames near the town of Tempe. Rescue workers arrived before dawn March 1. As of March 1, the cause of the collision is unclear.

Michael Lewis wanted to see The Nest grow this season, so he set out to accomplish that with a ‘Nest Voucher’ promotion for students.

Daniel Kehn Sports Editor It all started on a whim.

At a preseason get-together in Indianapolis, Michael Lewis was talking with a group of alumni and donors about the upcoming Ball State Men’s Basketball season, which would be his first as head coach of the program.

A question was posed to Lewis, one that would kick off a revolution in the 2022-23 season: How can the Cardinals get butts in seats at Worthen Arena and build ‘The Nest,’ Worthen Arena’s student section?

His idea, one he admitted may have made University President Geoffrey Mearns and Ball State Legal Services a little nervous, was pretty simple: free beer.

Well, it was a little more complicated than that, but free beer really catches the eye of a majority of college students.

It plays in huge. It brings our energy up from the jump, so it’s definitely a very big difference since my freshman year, these are the biggest crowds I’ve ever played in at Ball State.”

- LUKE BUMBALOUGH, Junior guard

Lewis debuted the ‘Nest Voucher’ Nov. 5, giving the first 300 students in The Nest their choice of a free hot dog, pizza slice, fountain drink or, for those 21 and older, a beer. What started as a whim, paid off with the largest attendance for a home opener since 2018.

The self-appointed “Campus Party Planner” was born.

In the home opener, the Cardinals scored their largest victory in program history over Earlham, with The Nest, or student section, showing out.

“Hats off to the students,” Lewis said days after the season-opening win. “I don’t know what’s normal here, but a lot of people said it was an over-the-top turnout. I challenged the students, make me get more money. I won’t run out. I’ll keep fundraising, keep doing things, you guys just keep showing up.”

True to his word, Lewis upped the ante to the first 400 students, challenging them to continue building the attendance levels brick-by-brick at each game.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: BALL STATE SGA VOTES IN NEW AT-LARGE SENATOR

4See VOUCHERS, 04

DNNews

03.02.23

04 “It just seems like it would be too risky of a proposition,” Griffin said. “That’s not something we want to align ourselves with as far as departmental values and things like that. We obviously will encourage people to partake, if they so choose, in our specials. But we would never fully discount and give away product like that on an alcoholic level.”

The Daily News reached out to Ball State’s Office of Risk Management for its perspective on the promotion. Cody Voga, a content and media strategist for Ball State Marketing and Communications, responded for risk management, with a statement from Greg Fallon, chief digital marketing and communications officer at Ball State.

“Ball State University’s Office of Risk Management routinely reviews university alcohol service rules, which are the same regardless of their application,” the statement read via email. “This particular promotion — the offering to provide food or beverage to age-eligible student basketball ticket holders — did not call for any change to our regular alcohol service rules. Members of leadership who oversee risk management did review the promotion before it was introduced.”

The View From The Nest Ball State fans attend a men’s basketball game between Ball State and Buffalo Jan. 24 at Worthen Arena. Ball State lost to Buffalo 65-91. AMBER PIETZ, DN

VOUCHERS Continued from Page 03

With one fewer game played at home (Ball State faces Toledo in the season finale at Worthen Arena March 3), the Cardinals have seen an increase of 8,848 total fans at home this season compared to the 2021-22 season, averaging about 1,000 more fans per game. Ball State hit its largest attendance of the season, 6,068, in an overtime thriller against Eastern Michigan Feb. 3. It was about 1,500 more than last season’s top and the highest in Worthen Arena in 14 years.

“We played with a different energy. We played with a different approach, a different intensity, a different focus than we did in the exhibition,” Lewis said. “When you run out and have that type of support and energy in the building, it helps out a great deal.”

The money for the promotion comes from a fund via the Alumni Association, Ball State Athletics Communications and Branding Manager Chad Smith said in an email, after talking with Lewis and Interim Director of Athletics Ken Bothof.

After a request for the specific amount of money being spent from the fund on the promotion, how many vouchers were being used per game and what percentage of vouchers were being used on different items at the consession stand. Smith said the athletic department could not share the information.

“We’ve had supporters provide funding to enhance the student experience at basketball games. As part of that experience, [students] are provided a voucher for optional food and beverage items,” Smith said via email.

Lewis said he wanted to see The Nest grow this season to encourage students to support the team and have an amplified experience for the student body.

“Just as I raised the money through donors, I’m also a contributor,” he said in November. “We’re gonna continue to roll that thing. And let’s just see what we can make it.”

It was unclear the total amount of the fund, if Lewis financially contributed to the fund and, if he did, how much he contributed. The Daily News followed up with Associate Director of Communications Brad Caudill about Lewis’ financial contribution and, in response, was referred back to the initial statement that said “supporters provide funding.”

Lewis said the college experience is in the students’ hands — they only get one shot to be in college.

“I look back at my college experience, and I went to college with a bunch of friends from my community and in the state in general,” Lewis said in November. “Just hearing how they talked about how much fun the games were, just being a part of [it], there’s no reason why I don’t believe we can replicate something similar here.”

In the Mid-American Conference (MAC), nine of the 11 schools with basketball programs have said a promotion including free alcoholic beverages for legal-age students has never been done (Miami (Ohio) and Ohio University did not respond to a request for comment).

Northern Illinois’ director of marketing and game experience Ryan Mai-Do said his department is looking into promotions that include free alcoholic beverages after the idea was recommended by a student advisory committee.

“One specific example brought up was for like a few games next season for basketball potentially doing a voucher system for students,” Mai-Do said.

“So again, they could get checked and wristbanded for the appropriate ages and whatnot to give out those vouchers for like X number of students coming in the door first.”

Of the schools that responded, Ball State is the only school that has had a promotion including free alcoholic beverages for students this season.

“We’ve never done anything like that,” Cliff Bonner, Toledo’s coordinator of marketing, sales and fan experience, said. “I just think that, for the university side, it’s a dangerous, dangerous idea.”

Dan Griffin, an assistant athletic director for athletic communications at Kent State, said the university has advertised happy hours for sales of beer, other MAC universities have done a similar promotion, while partnering with local breweries. But Kent State has never given away alcoholic products.

Lewis, a sports management major who played under Bob Knight at Indiana University, has been around big crowds for most of his life from playing at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall to stops in his coaching career at Butler and UCLA. Against Miami (Ohio) Jan. 14, Worthen Arena saw its third-largest crowd since 2013. The Nest kept showing up and the Cardinals kept winning.

With one home game left to play this season, Ball State is 12-1 inside Worthen Arena. Only Toledo remains undefeated at home in the MAC this season.

“It’s a big difference; I think everyone’s noticed that,” junior guard Luke Bumbalough said. “It plays in huge. It brings our energy up from the jump, so it’s definitely a very big difference since my freshman year, these are the biggest crowds I’ve ever played in at Ball State.”

4See VOUCHERS, 22

7000

Men’s Basketball Attendance Numbers

Source: Ball State Athletics

6000 5000 4000 3000 2000

6,068 4,576 *avg. attendance

*avg. attendance 4,130

3,203

2,628

3,012

1000 0

2022 Season

2023 Season

DNLife

03.02.23 Jeff Brubaker (left) and Brian Carless (right) mix soil for their business Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse Feb. 24 in Muncie, Ind. Some of their current spring crops include pansies, snapdragons, salvia, periwinkle and more. ELLA HOWELL, DN

05

Campus

Picture Ball State over the years Jim Lowe, associate vice president of facilities management at Ball State, will be presenting on the changes that have occurred at Ball State in the last few years, and he will also speak about upcoming plans. The event will be held March 7 from 1-3:30 p.m. at the Alumni Center.

The event is open to the public.

Local

Reel it in with Trout Fishing

MEGHAN HOLT, DN ILLUSTRATION

A songwriting collaboration of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet, also known as Trout Fishing in America, is coming to Pruis Hall March 10 at 7:30 p.m. For the past 45 years, the collaborators have been performing in art centers, clubs and music festivals all over the country with a vibrant percussion sound and a multi-generational fan base.

Campus Ella Howell Reporter

The two men behind The original building that housed Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse was relatively small, but now Sparky’s Corner it is an expanded building in vibrant shades of pink, Greenhouse prioritize green and yellow. Inside there are various hues of green stretching from floor to ceiling for Muncie minimizing the residents to choose from.

Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse aims to better impact of inflation the community by making affordable plants and produce accessible while working against inflation. on local residents.

Brian Carless is a co-owner and became comfortable in Muncie through his work in the Avondale Community Garden.

“The community garden is a project that I did when I was at Ball State. I did a class where we surveyed the neighborhood, which is the Thomas Park/Avondale neighborhood,” Carless said.

“After the class, I proposed to the board of Habitat, ‘Why don’t we build a community garden in the neighborhood?’ because it would help increase access for food and provide something for people to do and a way to meet your neighbors, and they were like ‘Hey, that’s a great idea.’”

The garden was completed in 2016, during Carless’s fourth year in school. After graduation, he moved back home to Lafayette, Indiana, leaving the community garden behind. But not for long.

See VALUE, 6

Celebrate orchids over break The Rinard Orchid Greenhouse on campus will be hosting a celebration for National Orchid Day March 11. The greenhouse houses more than 2,000 orchids; it is the largest university-based collection in the United States. The greenhouse is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: BSU THEATRE PROFESSOR MICHAEL RAFTER SHARES LIFE JOURNEY

DNLife

03.02.23

06

VALUE

Continued from Page 05 Three years after the completion of the project, Carless bought a home in Muncie. Upon his return, he was curious about his impact and the success of the garden, so he began volunteering. This is where he met the man who took care of the garden in his absence, Jeff Brubaker, his future business partner.

Brubaker has worked in multiple greenhouses in Indiana and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He got into his line of work by dumb luck, and after 23 years, he still feels at home in a greenhouse.

“I was looking for a job when I was in Richmond and applied at a greenhouse that specialized in roses,” Brubaker said. “From there, I fell in love with the craft and went on to work at Heartland Growers in Westfield.”

Carless said his business partner is very knowledgeable in horticulture and growing, helping teach him before they started Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse.

“He taught me how to start everything from seed and grow all kinds of different vegetables because he had a greenhouse in his yard,” Carless said. “Through the learning process and through growing so much produce that we didn’t know what to do with it, we talked to each other about ‘Well, why don’t we try to make this into a business and see if we can start a local neighborhood greenhouse?’”

Brubaker, also known as Sparky, explained that he woke up early one morning to drop off produce at Blood-n-Fire, a local food pantry.

This led to a realization, which ultimately factored into the decision to open the business.

“I originally thought that they were planning on cooking the vegetables up, but when I noticed they weren’t, they were giving them out, I thought, ‘Well, I can do that and not have to get up at 6 [a.m.], but I still get up at 6 a.m.,’” Brubaker said.

In 2021, Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse opened to the public, conveniently just across the street from the community garden.

Brubaker and Carless began selling a considerable variety of produce and plants, specializing in vegetables.

“One thing that we like about this is anything that we don’t sell, we will just go out to the garden across the street and plant everything we have leftover,” Carless said. “And then we can start giving produce away in the neighborhood, repurposing what we otherwise don’t use.”

Necessary supplies for the greenhouse are becoming more expensive due to inflation, but Brubaker and Carless are prioritizing keeping prices reasonable for consumers.

Produce prices notoriously skyrocketed in 2022, and they aren’t expected to change anytime soon. While the increase is projected to be slightly less this year, the United States Department of Agriculture, predicts prices will continue to be at above average rates with an expected increase of 7.9 percent for all food.

Brian Carless, co-owner of Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse, mixes soil in the garden Feb. 24. ELLA HOWELL, DN “We’re trying our hardest to keep everything at a low, competitive price because a lot of times houseplants are for sure overpriced, or it seems like you’re spending a lot more money than it should be worth,” Carless said. “We like to provide quality but at a really good price, so we haven’t really affected what we charge so much as the cost that we’ve incurred. All of our products, pots, soil, everything’s gone up double.”

You know everything that’s happened to that plant from start to finish. You know the people who grew it, you know the place that it was grown in, maybe you helped grow it too, and I think that that personal touch is what really makes it different.”

- BRIAN CARLESS, Co-owner of Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse Seed hasn’t been too expensive, but there are also concerns of scarcity.

“Finding stuff and getting stuff on time if people even have the product, that’s kind of a bigger obstacle that we’ve come into,” Carless said. “There’s been crop failures too, so finding seed on certain varieties of plants is near impossible right now. For sure, it’s costing us.”

Despite these setbacks, Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse continues to grow. Carless said due to the current state of the economy, some wholesale options are becoming more expensive than the local “mom and pop” shops, increasing demand for smaller businesses like theirs.

“I definitely see this trend of supporting local, shopping local and supporting people you know increasing right now,” Carless said.

“I think that that’s a big key to help us through this time. People

Jeff Brubaker, co-owner, uses his shovel to break up the substrate Feb. 24 in Muncie, Ind. ELLA HOWELL, DN understand how much a dollar means. They want to go and spend that within the community or give that to a local business owner as opposed to going to Walmart or Lowes. Especially if the quality can be better, it’s a no brainer.”

Jena Ashby is head of the 8twelve Coalition, a nonprofit organization in Muncie aimed at bringing people together to achieve change. Brubaker and Carless both serve on their beautification action team, and as a customer of the greenhouse herself, Ashby values the work being done by the two men.

“Sparky’s is always improving how their business looks. They are also helpful and participate in many community events, taking their products to other areas like the $2 Tour of the Village,” Ashby said.

“We love supporting local businesses while encouraging others to do the same.”

Carless is also a resident leader within the 8twelve coalition. He has contributed a lot of his time to help bring residents together. Ashby remembers Carless’s impact with the garden and how it brought the community together.

“The Avondale Community Garden project was a great example of how residents, Ball State students, Lowes Corporation and the 8twelve Coalition worked together to increase community space in the neighborhood,” Ashby said.

According to Carless, plants purchased locally often have a better chance at thriving because there’s less of a transplant shock. He has a few additional benefits to purchasing your plants from a place like Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse.

“You know everything that’s happened to that plant from start to finish,” Carless said. “You know the people who grew it, you know the place that it was grown in, maybe you helped grow it too, and I think that that personal touch is what really makes it different.”

He feels Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse positively impacts the community in a few different ways.

“In an area that has seen a lot of disinvestment, there’s a business that’s investing. The tax revenue that we generate goes right back into the schools and roads and the area that we live in, so any kind of positive investment is generating money coming back into the area, so no matter how big or small the impact, that is happening,” Carless said. “There’s a sense that this area is growing, and there’s opportunity emerging from it.”

Contact Ella Howell with comments at ella.howell@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ella_rhowell.

Sparky’s is always improving how their business looks. They are also helpful and participate in many community events, taking their products to other areas like the $2 Tour of the Village. They also do a great job helping out the Avondale Community Garden on the adjacent corner. We love supporting local businesses while encouraging others to do the same.”

Brian Carless (right) rolls up his sleeves to join Jeff Brubaker (left) mix the soil for Sparky’s Corner Greenhouse Feb. 24 in Muncie, Ind. ELLA HOWELL, DN

- JENA ASHBY, Head of the 8twelve Coalition

DNWomen’s History

03.02.23

07

ALWAYS WORKING The history of women making room for themselves in male-dominated fields, then and now

Susan McDowell, Miami (Ohio) University’s vice president for research and innovation, poses for pictures with former Ball State students. The notes are messages left from McDowell’s former students to her. SUSAN MCDOWELL,

PHOTOS PROVIDED; ALEX BRACKEN, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

DNWomen’s History

03.02.23

08

Pulling up a Chair Women from male-dominated fields and professors discuss women’s role in the workplace then and now.

Hannah Amos Associate News Editor When Susan McDowell was 6 years old, her older brother taught her the periodic table.

McDowell collected rocks and read science books. She idolized Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel prize. She converted her father’s work bench in their garage into a research bench, just like Curie’s.

Now Miami (Ohio) University’s vice president for research and innovation, McDowell has been in many different positions: biology student at Thomas More University in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, technician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Research Foundation, postdoctoral fellow at Eli Lilly and Company, assistant director of Ball State University’s biotechnology program and Ball State’s vice provost of research.

McDowell said she’s grateful for where she is now. When she joined Ball State’s biology department in 2003, she had the “unusual” experience of having a science department be equally distributed among faculty based on gender.

Though the biology department was equal, McDowell’s position as the vice provost at Ball State and her current position at Miami have been male dominated until the last five years, and that hasn’t been by chance, she said.

Predecessors, like Marilyn Buck who served as Ball State’s vice provost of academic affairs, “put a great deal” and “continue to put a great deal of effort and are very deliberate in trying to make sure that [they] are encouraging women to come into these leadership roles,” McDowell said.

When McDowell accepted the position as the vice provost, she said it “changed the trajectory of [her] professional career” and has enabled her to help more people than she previously could in her research labs and classes.

“The way I would characterize where I landed in history was I didn’t have it as rough as some women before me, but I also would say that there were some struggles along the way,” McDowell said.

When it comes to the history of women in the workplace, Rachael Smith, assistant lecturer of women’s and gender studies, and Shiau-Yun Chen, assistant professor of history and women’s and gender

Susan McDowell is a biology professor at Ball State University that leads Ball State students in research. The research is centered around the use of alternative medications to antibiotics that treat bacterial infections. MADELINE GROSH, DN studies, both highlight the fact women have always been working, but their work wasn’t recognized.

Though women were working prior to the Industrial Revolution, which started in approximately 1760 and ended around 1840, Smith said due to the new factories, there was a need for workers, a gap women filled.

During the revolution, women were paid less than men due to the justification women would get married and pregnant and have to leave the workforce. Pregnant women in the workforce got fired because of this.

“There is this one-time justification that men needed to be paid more because they had wives and children to take care of, and therefore women got paid less,” Smith said.

After the revolution, the next major boom of women in the workforce was during World War II, starting in 1939 and ending in 1945. After Pearl Harbor, many men felt it was their “patriotic duty” to serve, which opened factory jobs for women, Smith said. Women started to work in munition and in the military as nurses and pilots, and though they weren’t on the front lines, women were completing missions for the war effort.

“Now, again, women of color have always been working,” Smith said. “They were usually doing some type of domestic work, kitchen work, you know those types of things, but even now, now that those factory jobs came open, even women of color moved in to fill those vacancies as well.”

Smith noted for women of color, especially Black women, entering the workforce during the war was the first time they felt tied and patriotic to their country.

According to the United States Census Bureau, starting in March 1940, the percentage of employed women 14 and older in all social classes was 86.7 percent of the population.

“They’re everywhere that society will allow them to be,” Smith said.

A large part of why women were working was not only due to the need but also Rosie the Riveter.

“Rosie the Riveter, the woman, was chosen out of a group of women who were on the production line, and so she was basically one of them,” Smith said. “She actually was doing the job, but the whole idea was that it was propaganda to get women into the factories.”

09

Women in the Workforce

03.02.23

DNWomen’s History

Women have always been working, however recently they’ve been able to be more active and recognized as valued workers in the traditional workforce.

100

Percent of Labor Force

90 80 70

COVID-19 pandemic

60 50

“The Feminine Mystique” published

40 30 20

ALEX BRACKEN, DN DESIGN

10 0

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics

1900

1910

1920 WWI

Rosie’s message to women was, “We can do it!” She was telling women they can make their own money, they can be both mothers, wives and daughters and work at the same time, Smith said.

When the 1950s rolled around, white women and wealthy women of color were pushed back into the household, while poorer women went back to domestic work.

The 86.7 percent of women in the labor force in 1940 dropped down to 29 percent in 1950, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s report.

“The damage was done because for years these women had access to their own money,” Smith said. “They didn’t have to ask anybody for money.

They didn’t have to ask anybody to pay their way into this or that. They were earning their own money, and they were deciding how they spent it.

That level of independence, the minute that you take that away, it’s going to be problematic In 1963, Betty Friedan published “The Feminine Mystique,” which focuses on American housewives who were once working turning to alcohol and drugs “because they could not cope with their losses,” Smith said.

“The Feminine Mystique” brought about the second wave of feminism and lasted from the early ‘60s to the 1970s. Other factors in play during this second wave were the civil rights movement from 1954 -1968, the Vietnam War protests from January 1965-March 1973 and other countercultures of the time, Smith said.

During this wave, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, which protects employees and job applicants from discrimination based on race, sex, religion, sexual harassment, pregnancy and national origin.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was also passed and protects people from sex-based wage discrimination and is based on performance of “substantially equal work in the same establishment.” This

1930

1940

The Great Depression

1950

WWII

act bases pay off of experience, skill, effort and responsibility. The difference of pay is allowed based on seniority, merit, quantity or quality of work and other differing ways not based on sex.

The women involved in these movements were the daughters of the housewives in Friedan’s book. They witnessed firsthand their mothers’ reactions to losing their independence, and these movements showed they could have it all and not be like their mothers, she said.

It honestly makes me empowered. I think that me just being in that class can show that these guys aren’t the only ones that can pursue this career type, and I feel like ... I can show them that I can do just exactly what they do.”

- BROOKE BONEK, Third-year computer technology major

“‘I can have the marriage, I can have the children, I can have a career and I can use my brain, and it’ll be good,’” Smith said. “As they started doing that, then that also became a problem and became an issue, and one of the big issues was that ‘You’re a bad mom because you’re not at home with the children.’”

Smith and Chen said women get striked on pay due to maternity leave, and when it comes to promotions, men are picked over women. This goes back to the justification of women becoming pregnant, and they aren’t a permanent employee.

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This is reason for how the pay gap shows up in women aged 25 to 40, which Chen said is the average marriage and pregnancy age.

Chen said this model of the work environment hasn’t been updated. Because it follows a masculine model, women sometimes have to fit into “the norm.” Women will sometimes sacrifice elements of their femininity to assimilate.

Being authentic to herself is important to McDowell, but she also found on occasion she would need to sacrifice femininity, and she would advise students, particularly females, to pay attention to their voice inflection. She said an “up inflection,” a more feminine trait, could undermine how one is coming across.

“I probably am cognizant of some ways that I think it’s important to come across in order to meet some common ground, but as long as I’m being authentic, I’ve been able to reconcile that,” McDowell said. “So, I wouldn’t say that I sacrifice or disregard my femininity, but I also would say I’m very deliberate in how I present myself.”

Brooke Bonek, third-year computer technology major, and Allysa Britting, third-year architecture major, are both students in male-dominated fields.

Bonek, as a computer technology major, is used to being one of two to three women in a classroom, and she’s used to those numbers dwindling in her classroom after others dropout.

“I think it’s so few because since it is male dominated, they think they can’t really stick through it,” she said.

In her three years at Ball State, Bonek hasn’t had a female teacher for her major, and there are four women faculty members in the computer science department.

“It honestly makes me empowered,” Bonek said.

“I think that me just being in that class can show that these guys aren’t the only ones that can pursue this career type ... I can show them that I can do just

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Third-year computer technology major Brooke Bonek works at the desk in the Ball State Esports production room Feb. 24.

AMBER PIETZ, DN

exactly what they do.”

Britting, on the other hand, feels more equal in the classroom but not in the workforce. According to the 2022 U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 29.8 percent of architects, excluding landscape and naval, are women.

The classroom isn’t the only space Bonek and Britting have operated in. Bonek is a production lead for Ball State University’s Varsity Esports team, and Britting was a member of her high school’s robotics club.

For Bonek, she is on a production team of five with four being women, the most women to be on the production team, but in years previous, she’s been one of two or three. The players she produces over have been predominantly men, with one or two women sprinkled through.

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Paving

the Way Women in sports media reflect on their time and subtle mistreatment in the field.

Lila Fierek Lifestyles Editor While the experience of every woman is different, Dana Benbow, Betsy Ross and Elyse Timpe, three women in sports media, all shared one circumstance in common: having to prove themselves to men.

According to Zippa, as of 2022, 20.9 percent of sports journalists are women.

Timpe, second-year digital sports production student, is a member of Sports Link at Ball State University and interns for Sports Girls Club, a social media brand devoted to empowering women in sports.

The Carmel-native said she has been lucky regarding her experience as a woman in sports so far, but sometimes when she is talking with guys, they assume she doesn’t know about sports because she is a woman. She has to spit out random football facts before they realize she knows what she’s talking about.

“And I know that’s been the experience with a bunch of girls in my internship as well because we’re all able to talk about how guys basically think down on us,” Timpe said.

She feels empowered when she is the only woman working in a group of men. But as one of the only women in Sports Link, she sometimes worries about only being there for diversity reasons.

“It’s also like that internal battle of ‘Okay, am I actually good enough for this job, or is it because I’m the girl that I’m getting this job?’” Timpe said.

Her participation in Sports Link has allowed her to work Monday Night Football games and the opportunity to work alongside some of her role models: sports reporters Lisa Salters and Rachel Hopmayer.

“I was working the [Buffalo] Bills versus [Cincinnati] Bengals game where they tried to kick out the media, and [Lisa] stood her ground, and it was just so cool to see her not let them walk all over her,” Timpe said.

Having female journalists to look up to hasn’t always been the case for the sports industry.

An illustration of an envelope given to IndyStar sports reporter Dana Hunsinger Benbow at a hotel booked for a block of sports writers for the AFC Championship game in January 2015. Her press pass envelope also said Mr. Dana Benbow. ALEX BRACKEN, DN ILLUSTRATION

IndyStar sports reporter Dana Hunsinger Benbow interviews Patty Tatum, a women’s softball player in Indianapolis in March 2022.

MYKAL MCELDOWNEY/INDYSTAR, PHOTO PROVIDED

According to ResearchGate, the first female sports journalist for a newspaper was Margaret Goss. She wrote for the New York Herald Tribune in 1924 and 1925, about 70 years after Henry Chadwick, the first male sportswriter, started writing stories on baseball.

The first female sportscaster on a local and national level in the United States, Jan Chastain, didn’t start her career until 1963.

According to the American Sports Association, the first televised event broadcasted by a male was in 1933, 30 years before a woman stepped onto the scene.

Growing up, Benbow said due to a lack of females, her role models in the sports world consisted of old, white men. Benbow, a sports enterprise reporter for IndyStar, was born in 1974, a different time for women in sports media.

In 1987, Gayle Sierens became the first woman to call play-by-play for an NFL game, and it didn’t happen again until Beth Mowins in 2005.

Though it has gotten better over the years, Benbow said it’s still rare to have a woman in print at the sports desk, as she is the only one at the IndyStar.

“It may be 2023, but still things do happen,” she said.

Benbow loves her position and editors at the IndyStar. She said while they do a great job of putting male reporters on women’s sports, she still thinks they have a bit of a tendency to give her stories about women. For example, she was assigned a story on how the uniforms for women’s beach volleyball are “nothing” compared to the men’s.

“Maybe it’s just because it looks better coming from a woman discussing women not wearing any clothes in beach volleyball, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I do think, sometimes, you’re given those types of stories because you’re a woman,” she said.

Benbow said this can be an advantage though since she is able to write important pieces about women, and women often feel more comfortable talking about big issues with other women.

Though she enjoys covering serious, long-form stories, because she is a woman, other reporters and sources don’t always take her seriously.

“Sometimes sources will talk to you as if you don’t know the game. They’ll kind of talk elementary,” Benbow said. “It’s rare. All these circumstances are pretty rare but still there in certain scenarios.

That’s why I want people to know it’s not a given that people just accept you as a woman in sports media.”

At games, she has had male reporters ask her why she was there, mock her and ask if she is writing some “little feature.” She has been told that women don’t know anything about sports and cannot possibly cover them, yet she is still doing it nine years later.

Benbow said she doesn’t usually get blatant comments about her gender, it’s more insulations and small things.

When she was covering the infamous “Deflategate” AFC Championship Game in 2015, she went to the hotel and sitting in her room was an envelope titled “Mr. Dana Benbow.”

She once called the Indianapolis Colts for a story, and they called the male beat writer to ask what Benbow wanted to speak to them about.

“Would you do that if I were a man?” she said. “Little things like that, and I don’t want to be oversensitive, but then again, you do have to ask yourself sometimes, ‘If I were a man, would this be happening?’”

She said she has to make sure people take her seriously as a female sports writer and that they know she understands the sport.

Benbow has won multiple awards in the Associated Press Sports Editors contest, and while she is grateful, she sometimes wonders if she gets it because they need to award a female writer.

Would you do that if I were a man? I don’t want to be oversensitive, but you do have to ask yourself sometimes would this be happening?”

- DANA BENBOW, IndyStar sports journalist “I shouldn’t think that, but I think that’s the stuff women do,” she said. “We sometimes question that.”

Despite this, Benbow is living her dream job, and she hopes that by putting her name out there, young women can look up to her and see that they can live their dreams too.

Ross, an Emmy Award-winning sports reporter, did not think about the idea of being a sports journalist until Phyllis George graced her TV. In 1975, Phyllis George became one of the first women to have an on-air position in sports broadcasting.

4See PAVING, 18

Women in

ACTION

How Ball State’s Feminists for Action has evolved from 1992 to now Meghan Braddy Reporter

In 1992, five students in the women’s and gender studies program at Ball State University started an organization dedicated to empowering women, men and children through advocacy and education. Since then, Feminists for Action (FFA) has continuously encouraged members to have thought-provoking discussions and has organized events to benefit feminist causes.

FFA became an official campus student organization in February 1993 after founding members Jayne Martin, Jennifer Dill, Andrea Klausing, Debra Myers and Rachael Winters came up with the idea. Their ultimate goal was an organization where students could feel comfortable coming together to work on women’s issues.

“Feminists for Action started when women working in the offices of women[‘s] and gender studies decided they wanted to educate themselves and their peers more by coming together and talking about feminist issues,” Rachael Smith, current faculty adviser for FFA and assistant lecturer for women’s and gender studies at Ball State, said. “They wanted to develop a greater understanding of the topic and convey that feminism is not a bad word, it’s not just for women, and it’s not just for white women.”

Over the years, the organization has succeeded in its mission by organizing various events in support of women to combat the multitude of feminist issues

they’re presented with daily.

These include prevalent problems in today’s society such as equal pay, rape culture, reproductive rights, etc. If anti-abortion activists were out protesting on Ball State’s campus, FFA students would advocate for abortion rights on the same day.

If it seemed like students were practicing unsafe sex consistently, FFA would host an event with free hot cocoa and condoms.

The organization grew substantially from what it was, as there was a time when it consisted of only white women. In recent years, they’ve acquired more membership from men, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.

“Feminism is about equality for everybody.

At the same time, it recognizes that women are underrepresented,” Smith said. “They don’t have positions of power and are frequently survivors of violence and abuse. A student-run organization like this is important in this sense.”

In 1993, FFA published its first feminist newsletter, “The ‘F’ Word.” It accepted student submissions of women’s writings, poetry, short fiction, journal entries and essays. The goal was to discover what was on the minds of college women at Ball State while learning how they could impact the community with responses to these thoughts.

By 1995, FFA had new student coordinators and hosted themed meetings each month. It added the Clothesline Project, a display of clothing that demonstrated the impact of violence on women, to their program and a “Yes, We Can Cook” bake sale.

Students from Feminists for Action host an abortion-rights event in 2011. The organization’s goal was to advocate for reproductive rights. ALY AUSTIN, PHOTO PROVIDED

11 The group has consistently offered various influential programs since it began. It organized trips and candlelight vigils, film screenings on campus and hosted regular educational meetings.

“When I advised it, for a long time, the executive board would have weekly or monthly meetings.

Even if there wasn’t an event to do, they would have an educational topic of ‘Feminism 101’ or talk about bills that might be threatening to be passed in the State House,” Courtney Jarrett, Office of Disability Services director at Ball State and previous faculty adviser for Feminists for Action, said. “They sometimes even had people come from Health Promotion and Advocacy to talk about safe sex or any updates to the rules and regulations of Title IX. The organization has always been educational, which is my favorite.”

In 1999, FFA co-sponsored a “Party for the People” with another student group, Anti-Racist Action, featuring music and food worldwide.

A hallmark of FFA has been the “Slut Walk,” an annual event started in 2014 to protest victim blaming and “slut shaming.” This was done to reclaim the word “slut,” a word at times used to degrade women.

Feminism is about equality for everybody. At the same time, it recognizes that women are underrepresented. They don’t have positions of power and are frequently survivors of violence and abuse.”

- RACHAEL SMITH,

Adviser for FFA and Ball State assistant lecturer for women’s and gender studies Students would meet at the Quad and wear whatever they wanted, which included pasties, speedos, bralettes, etc. They would then march with posters stating, “It doesn’t matter what I’m wearing!” and “No catcalls!”

Additionally, Smith said this was done to combat the stereotype that women are seen as objects and show men should not be applauded for their sexual conquests while women are called “slut” and “whores” for theirs.

“People would get up and share stories about experiences they’ve had based on what they were wearing, which was powerful,” Jarrett said. “The crowd that gathered was very supportive every year we did that.”

“Take Back the Night” programming was another event frequently organized by FFA for a time before sororities on campus used it as a part of their philanthropy. The event is similar to the “Slut Walk” but instead occurs at nighttime.

The group planned the first march on campus in November 1992 and continued the tradition into the early 2000s. This was done to show that women should be able to safely walk through campus without having to carry their keys, talk on the phone with somebody or own mace just because they could potentially be in danger of getting abused by men.

“Those identifying as women are told they shouldn’t go out alone at night. They’re told to have

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As a group that’s focused on feminism, FFA will always be focused on working to center the voices of more marginalized populations and especially making sure that women of color are central to the work that they do,” - ALY AUSTIN, Former Ball State student and president for FFA from 2013-15

mace or pepper spray if they go out alone. They’re told they need to have their roommate or someone who identifies as male to walk them home because that way they will be safe,” Smith said.

“Quite frankly, it’s BS. As humans, people who identify as female should be able to walk around at night and not be afraid. That’s the purpose of ‘Take Back the Night.’”

FFA has also served as an organizing unit for protests and activism. This proved especially true when the group started protesting against unjust proposed bills and legislation. In 2011, the group rallied in downtown Muncie to oppose Rep. Mike Pence and the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act. Today, the group continues to pursue feminist values — social, political and economic equality of all people. They do this by exemplifying intersectionality in their activities and committing to enhancing the feminist community on campus with opportunities for education, leadership and action.

“Women are a marginalized group, which is why feminist groups are so important to campuses,” Aly Austin, former Ball State student and president for FFA from 2013-15, said. “It allows students to unite, find community and figure out how to put our frustrations and anxieties to work to make a difference.”

Currently, FFA is in the rebuilding stages of its organization. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization hasn’t been able to organize the events or educational talks it traditionally has. Now that school is back in person, FFA is figuring out how to reach more people and be more representative of the student body.

“As a group that’s focused on feminism, FFA will always be focused on working to center the voices of more marginalized populations and especially making sure that women of color are central to the work that they do. This is how they can ensure they’re being very inclusive and seeing who has a seat at the table,” Austin said. “This is important because, historically, feminism has not had a very intersexual lens and has been predominantly white, straight women.”

FFA’s first general assembly meeting of the year was officially held Feb. 23, but it will continue to have these meetings every Thursday from 5-6 p.m. in room 103 in the Burkhardt Building for the rest of the semester. After the executive board is rebuilt, the organization will be planning some of the traditional events it held in the past while working to incorporate new ones on campus in the coming years.

Contact Meghan Braddy with comments via email at meghan.braddy@bsu.edu.

DNWomen’s History

03.02.23

12 Earrings, necklackes and bracelets hang near the entrance of the YWCA’s Twice as Nice resale shop in Muncie, Ind. Feb. 25.

Gena Coers, a volunteer and member of Tri Kappa, said jewelry is one of the store’s most popular items. ALEX BRACKEN, DN

Selfless Sisterhood

Tri Kappa members reflect on their time in the sorority and helping out at the Twice as Nice store.

Mya Cataline, Lila Fierek Associate Lifestyles Editor, Lifestyles Editor

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uchre nights, cemetery visits, ax throwing, aerial aerobics, glass blowing workshops and community volunteering. This is what it’s like to be a part of Tri Kappa Muncie.

“It’s a place where you can socialize with people, but you also feel like you’re doing a service to the community,” Diane Frye, president of Tri Kappa Muncie, said.

According to Tri Kappa Muncie’s website, Tri Kappa is a philanthropic organization of women who come together in an unselfish relationship for charity, culture and education.

The first chapter of Tri Kappa, the Alpha chapter, started Feb. 22, 1901, in Bloomington, Indiana. The founders were seven women who attended the Girls Classic School, a secondary school that offered two years of college level education, according to Tri Kappa’s website. The first meeting happened in a founder’s room where officers were elected and wrote their constitution, vowing their purpose to charity and kindness.

While the first chapter was founded in 1901, Frye said via email, the Muncie Tri Kappa chapter, also known as the Delta Phi chapter, was founded Aug. 15, 1942, by the 1942-43 president Marianne Long.

Throughout the years, Tri Kappa has given back to the Muncie community by endowing grants and scholarships through the money raised from their fundraisers.

Their most popular fundraiser is their “worldfamous” Tri Kappa nuts, which are sold before the holidays. This is used to fund the scholarships they offer to three high school seniors in Delaware County.

The group meets once a month to talk about community volunteering and to have fun nights together. The only times the group of 95 women don’t meet is during the summer months.

The sorority puts together community events, fundraisers and has a store, Twice as Nice, which helps raise money to donate to Muncie’s Young

Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). “[Tri Kappa] is a place where it means that there are still good people in this world that want to help others and put others before themselves,” Jan Richard, head of Twice as Nice at Tri Kappa, said. “It gives people a sense of pride in what we can do for our communities, and that’s what I enjoy about it.”

Twice As Nice is Tri Kappa’s resale store.

Though it is inside of the YWCA in Muncie, for the most part, it is run by Tri Kappa. The chief executive officer of the YWCA, WaTasha Barnes Griffin, said the store opened in 2010 after the YWCA began getting more donations than they could handle. Tri Kappa and the YWCA decided to partner up for the store to raise money to give back to YWCA in other ways.

The store sells a large range of items from clothing to cards to jewelry to bread makers. The store’s items are priced cheaply, going from 25 cent mugs to clothing items only costing a few dollars.

Tri Kappa decides the pricing of the items, and the women make sure to only sell quality products.

[Tri Kappa] is a place where it means that there are still good people in this world that want to help others and put others before themselves. It gives people a sense of pride in what we can do for our communities, and that’s what I enjoy about it.”

- JAN RICHARD, Head of Twice as Nice at Tri Kappa

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Glassware is illuminated by the front door of Muncie

YWCA’s Twice as Nice resale shop Feb. 25. Sarah Demaree, one of the store’s volunteers, said that some people buy the mismatched glassware for use at smaller, more eclectic wedding receptions. ALEX BRACKEN, DN

Sarah Demaree, a volunteer and Tri Kappa member,

Sarah Demaree, a volunteer and Tri Kappa member,

poses for a portrait in front of clothing racks at Muncie YWCA’s Twice as Nice resale shop Feb. 25. According to Tri Kappa’s website, they commit 50 hours of service to the store each month. ALEX BRACKEN, DN

Richard said the store makes her feel like she is “doing something that helps not only the women and children at the Y[WCA] but the people in the community because our prices are phenomenally cheap, especially compared to other thrift stores in the community. Our area is so much smaller, so we need to sell our things more cheaply in order to have turnover.”

All items sold at Twice as Nice are donated, and the donations they don’t take are given to the Muncie Mission. The purpose of the store is to help people who can’t go to expensive stores, and the store has goods for all ages and sizes.

The women and children living at the YWCA are given a voucher once a month that allows them to purchase a few items in the store, usually clothing, free of charge.

“A lot [of women] like to shop there, and they like to have money to come in and spend. It gives them a sense of ownership and pride to be able to buy rather than be given it,” Richard said. “The people that work at the Y[WCA] will go into the store … and get this for people who desperately need things right now, not just when the store is open. I’ve even had a policeman come in once.

He picked up a child with nothing but a T-shirt, so we brought him in and clothed him.”

Though the store is only open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, Barnes Griffin said the store usually makes between $450-$500 a week.

completes a transaction for a customer at the Muncie YWCA’s Twice as Nice resale shop Feb. 25. ALEX BRACKEN, DN

The YWCA takes donations every day, so women at Tri Kappa often work throughout the week to prepare for the days the store is open.

Barnes Griffin said the women usually end up volunteering around 25 to 30 hours a week. The days the store is open, the women arrive an hour early to set up.

Barnes Griffin said there is usually a line out the door at 10 a.m. on Fridays, and they often have to restock throughout the day.

Over the 13 years Twice as Nice has existed, Richard said they’ve made around $150,000.

“That is a lot considering how cheaply we sell things and how few hours we’re actually open,” she said.

Along with the store, Tri Kappa has an annual spring and fall rummage sale. They take over the community room at the YWCA, and Barnes Griffin said it’s a “big success.”

The YWCA building in Muncie has been in the same spot since 1925, and though Barnes Griffin said it’s a beautiful building, the YWCA wants to raise money to increase the size or move locations.

The Twice as Nice store would be a part of this.

Clothing racks at the Muncie YWCA’s Twice as Nice resale shop are stocked with children’s clothing Feb. 25.

ALEX BRACKEN, DN

She said she wants to increase the size of the resale shop, so it can hold more items and be open for longer hours. While the times may work for some, since it is only open six hours a week, the organizations want to enhance opportunities for customers.

“It’s a hidden secret, but we want [the volunteers] to be well known, so we want to give to them and highlight them and the due diligence they deserve,” Barnes Griffin said. “The work of YWCA is to have that new location to provide adequate space to add more to their shelves.”

She said she really appreciates the volunteers from Tri Kappa, so the YWCA gives them a break and runs the store during the month of July.

“I enjoy the conversations with them,” Barnes Griffin said. “I love laughing with them, talking about family, community, talking about ‘Oh my gosh, look at this beautiful Michael Kors bag.’ It’s the camaraderie. They’re respectful of us; we’re respectful of them. They’re a part of our family.”

This communal feeling is an integral part of the Tri Kappa sorority.

Sarah Demaree, Tri Kappa member, said she didn’t know a lot of people when she moved to Muncie, but Tri Kappa helped her meet people of all ages and get to know her community. She said the members of Tri Kappa range from women aged 18 to in their 90s.

“It’s a wonderful resource. Say somebody needs a lawyer, and they don’t know anybody, well, there’s lawyers in our group,” Richard said.

Frye said Tri Kappa helped her meet people she wouldn’t have known in her regular life, and the more time the women spend together, the more they go through with each other.

The women make meals for one another and clean each other’s houses. Demaree called it one big friend group, saying the sisters may have a fun night where they go out and wine and dine.

Tri Kappa has helped these women build lifelong friendships.

“Everybody’s going to have a time in their life when they need something … You’ve always got a sister to call you; you’ve always got somebody to call. Somebody is going to have your back,” Demaree said. “And that’s the selfish part of it, but nonetheless, you get to be that for somebody else too.”

Contact Mya Cataline with comments at mbcataline@bsu.edu or on Twitter @mcata_20.

Contact Lila Fierek with comments at lkfierek@ bsu.edu.

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Why are the great women always behind the great men, and why are we being left behind in representation?”

What Movies Taught Me About Femininity There was a lot I had to learn, and often unlearn, about the power dynamic with the portrayal of women in film.

Kate Farr Columnist

Kate Farr

Columnist, “Face to Face”

Kate Farr is a first-year journalism major and writes “Face to Face” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

“Behind every great man, there’s a great woman.”

The expression has been thrown around, adapted and tirelessly used since its origin in the first half of the 20th century.

Dustin Hoffman’s character uttered the phrase in 1982’s “Tootsie,” a movie about an out-of-work actor disguising himself as a woman to secure a job on a soap opera but only to be exposed to the misogyny and injustice women face.

Through a series of twists, turns and sexist tropes, a man whose eyes are opened to the complications of being a woman begins to challenge misogyny in the workplace and urge feminist messages, so women can be taken more seriously.

All it took was the hard work of a man to call out and open the dialogue of sexism while the women of the film were still overshadowed.

While this is just one example in film and media, the many variants of the phrase center in on one idea: A man is being credited but owes his success to the woman in his life.

Why are the great women always behind the great men, and why are we being left behind in representation?

That’s something I really began to notice before I even reached my pre-teen years. Media greatly shapes adolescent and social identity. Movies teach us how to aspire, how to dress and talk and what to yearn for, but I yearned to see myself as more than a character that had to stand behind a man.

To put it plainly, I was one of those kids that fell in love with movies.

I watched Tim Burton films on repeat, being the neurotic child I was — fascinated with gothic fantasy plots and horrific themes centered around death. The many voices of Johnny Depp swirled in my head before I was even 5 years old, enamoring me with scenes of undead femme fatales whose overarching story was seeking love and securing marital vows.

I would sit down excitedly and watch old Westerns with my dad where I was faced with the epitome of masculinity: John Wayne — smoking a cigar and sporting his widebrimmed cowboy hat — with his rugged, frontier heroes attempting to save, and sometimes sire, female leads like Joanne Dru. I remember putting on tapes, planting myself in front of the television and watching as the princess got woken from her slumber because of true love’s kiss, or a prince bravely rescuing the damsel in distress from her evil stepmother or a daunting dragon she possibly couldn’t overcome on her own — the tape within the plastic VHS shell whirred.

In “Gone With The Wind,” I saw the vain and self-centered Scarlett O’Hara, portrayed by Vivien Leigh, be roughly pulled into one of the most “romantic” kisses in cinema history with Clark Gable’s Rhett Butler while the orchestral music soared in the background.

I got used to the idea that being a woman meant being saved, married by the end of the film or possibly being the prize driving the film. Before the credits rolled, the woman was finally in the arms of the main male protagonist — a standard ingrained into my subconscious.

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JOSIE SANTIAGO, DN ILLUSTRATION; FREEPIK, PHOTO COURTESY

I was movie-struck, and I became so greatly fascinated with the stories and characters presented before me. I learned a lot from my starry-eyed stares at the television screen. I absorbed a lot about the paradigms of men and women — some things I’ve had to learn to dismiss or unlearn all together.

As I’ve grown out of adolescence and understood a lot more — especially about the treatment and stereotypes put on me and other women — I’ve reflected on what I saw on the silver screen.

I watched “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” a few days ago. Besides the blatant racism — as seen with Mickey Rooney’s incredibly cringy performance — the movie caused me to reflect a lot on how women and femininity were often portrayed.

Holly Golightly, a character played by Audrey Hepburn, is the epitome of mysterious, alluring and intriguing. She is fascinating, an object of lust for male roles in the film. While she represents so much for female empowerment — using sexuality to advantage, liberated and unrestrained in her actions — she is still so heavily reliant on social hierarchy built and propelled by men. At the end of the film, she gives up on her refusal to be the domestic ideal, living on the terms of a man.

Even with two women driving the plot of a film on balancing one’s life and career, “The Devil Wears Prada” — a film that came out almost a half-century after “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” — taught me to consider giving up careers and aspirations, so I don’t step on the toes of my boyfriend. It vindicates the toxicity of the modeling world, couture and even diet culture but leaves us with an ending that reaffirms worn out gender stereotypes.

When your boyfriend becomes resentful of your success in a fiercely competitive industry, apparently, it’s best to give up on your ambitions to appease your partner.

Instead of perpetuating these lessons movies instilled in me, I’d rather recognize them and, one day, hopefully move past them.

Women can transcend the stereotypes placed upon them.

Movies placing female writers and editors at the forefront of green lighting productions can shape sublime female characters with rich backstories, riveting passions and memorable dispositions that exceed male-dominated patterns of women only being the lovers, the mothers or the two-dimensional objects.

This can be seen with Sophia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides,” Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” or Patty Jenkins’ 2017 adaptation of “Wonder Woman.” Instead of allowing Hollywood to remain by and large a boys’ club, pushing toward equitable film sets unfurls these stories of women being represented by women.

Women can be the heroes, and women can be dangerous.

Whether it be Bette Davis’ temptresses or the complex, desirefilled leads of Thelma and Louise, the portrayal of femininity doesn’t always have to be delicate. Women can also save the day or win the struggle for power.

Women don’t have to be complicit, and we aren’t there to be kissed. We don’t have to fantasize about the princes that will come. Our sexuality, saunter or adoration by men don’t have to be at the forefront of our depiction. We’re allowed to be more; we are more than forced kisses and intimate grabs, being told to stay behind the hero or being the quiet caretakers.

Movies entertain, they educate and they let us delve into critical social ideas. They make us howl with laughter and weep with sorrow. Characters ingrain in us their stories and imprint us with ideologies.

It’s time to let the power dynamic fully fall.

Women deserve more than a second-rate status in the art of filmmaking.

Contact Kate Farr with comments at kate.farr@ bsu.edu or on Twitter @katefarr7.

Women can transcend the stereotypes placed upon them.”

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The Fact of the

JACY BRADLEY, DN PHOTO; JACY BRADLEY, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Matter

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DNWomen’s History

America needs to address their implicit bias before they can understand my identity as a Black woman.

KwaTashea Marfo Associate Opinion Editor, “Imperfectly Perfect”

KwaTashea Marfo is a second-year public relations major and writes “Imperfectly Perfect” for The Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

This phrase has walked beside me since I could talk: “If you keep on, your attitude will get you in a world of trouble.”

The sentence has now become a nerve-racking, long-standing pet peeve of mine, resurfacing anytime I dare to question an authoritative figure.

What seems like a calming phrase is actually words of conviction — terms dictating how and what I should feel when I express any emotion other than being positive, calm or servile.

Words that were never about the phrase to me but about the death-glaring stare, negative connotations and guilt trip associated with it.

The statement was intended to calm me down but angered me more than before.

With no intent of having someone dictate my emotions, I would respond with, “I don’t have an attitude.” However, without fail, my response would result in consequences.

It didn’t help that although I wasn’t intentionally saying anything with my body, my face held a world of emotions my eyes couldn’t hide. I was confused, but the outside world perceives it as anger.

That confusion turned to understanding this year, seven months shy of my 20th birthday. I finally received the answer to the question that had plagued me since I was a little girl: “Why is everyone assuming how I feel as opposed to asking me how I feel?”

The fact of the matter is intersectionality and the angry black woman (ABW) trope are significant factors that unconsciously clog the minds of people who take it amongst themselves to reiterate microaggressions surrounding my demeanor and presence.

Intersectionality is a concept defined as a social collision of identities – race, gender and socioeconomic class. Coined by civil rights advocate Kimberlé Crenshaw in a 2016 TED Talk, it encompasses an individual’s background and how they choose to show up in the world. The problem of intersectionality lies when my identities are grouped to fathom microaggressions and force assimilation upon me — the implication of the Sapphire caricature.

According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the term Sapphire caricature was coined from the 1950s CBS television show “Amos ‘n’ Andy,” with the character Sapphire Stevens. The show’s main character is the wife of George “Kingfish” Stevens, a character portrayed as ignorant and lazy — fueling Sapphire’s rage. The effect of this stereotype became more effectively

known as the ABW trope, which portrayed Black women in direct violation of social norms as loud, angry, emasculating and domineering when they desired to have their emotions respected and heard.

It’s not to say other races of women do not experience resistance when they fight to uplift their voices. Black women fight to be heard but also against people policing the tone of their voice. I cannot express my discontent in any given situation without the risk of being seen by those around me as an ABW. With intersectionality and the Sapphire caricature co-existing with each other, I have two phenomena punishing me as a Black woman for expressing negativity or passion. These tainted perceptions strive to cage my Black femininity into a nice, subservient attraction palatable to the masses.

It’s okay to express my concerns but only if it sounds soft and pleasing.

I experience emotions like sadness and anger not because of the functionality of my race or gender but the functionality of my humanity.”

Research from Harvard Business Review published in 2022 discusses the attribution theory, a psychological theory attributing causes of behavior to either internal or external characteristics. This can explain why some people are likely to attribute anger to a Black woman’s personality rather than an inciting situation.

In a controlled experiment of women, participants listened to an audio clip. The recordings portrayed either Lakeisha, a Black actress, or Claire, a white actress. It required participants to determine whether or not their tones were aggressive. Both Lakeisha and Claire expressed a stern, hostile tone and raised their voices pretending to be upset about a circumstance.

After answering a series of questions about attribution, performance evaluations and leadership capabilities, the participants were more likely to attribute Lakeisha’s anger to internal characters because “the behavior brought to mind the stereotype of an angry Black woman,” according to the study.

Even in a controlled environment, research indicates that bias causes individuals to activate the stereotype and internal attributes of an ABW.

The truth is America has never welcomed Black femininity, and for these reasons, I was baffled with the confusion as a little girl. I found myself subject to disrespect and oppression from the prism of racial and gender discrimination against my personality.

This effect extended into other experiences in my life, including when I would be told on numerous occasions that I looked intimidating at first glance but down to earth when others got to know me. The reality is Black women are met with an inability to be seen as nuanced compared to their counterparts. So, when I exist in my natural state and not in alignment with societal norms of womanliness, I am susceptible to become the ABW trope.

But why can’t I just be? Why can’t I speak in my God-given tone with all of its bass and passion?

I should be able to be seen as strong-willed, resilient and passionate without the fear of coming off as aggressive, irrational or sassy. I experience emotions like sadness and anger not because of the functionality of my race or gender but the functionality of my humanity.

I should not have to subjugate my identity for society’s respectability and assimilation. I do not need an explanation or owe anyone an apology for my agency but know I am not a threat.

Even so, my assertive personality should not be misconstrued into emasculation when discussed upon my passion of pursuing a career in communications.

My main objective for entering communications has always been driven by the desire to create a platform that encourages a positive outlook of diverse perspectives often overlooked and prohibited from receiving awareness.

However, entering a field with gender barriers, my personality comes with some triggers. If I come off as too emotional, I will be perceived as weak or whiny.

And if I come off as too strong, I will find myself conflicted with the dilemma of whether to illuminate my voice at all.

There’s a double hurdle for me that I will have to strategically surpass if I want to be taken seriously in my career. Regardless of my efforts, opinions will be formed whether I choose to speak up or suppress my sentiments.

For the sake of preserving my sanity, it is up to me to take control of the narrative utilizing Black femininity as a toolkit. This will allow me to overcome prevailing attitudes that I am an aggressive African-American woman.

America, hear and aim to understand the feelings of Black women. Address your implicit bias to become aware that the Sapphire caricature makes people less likely to take Black women seriously.

Our emotions should not pose a threat to you or your positioning. Let us be us, without apology.

Contact KwaTashea Marfo with comments at kwatashea.marfo@bsu.edu or on Twitter @mkwatashea.

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PAVING

WORKFORCE

Continued from Page 10

“There is such strength in seeing someone doing what you want to do because now that makes it possible. There is someone putting two things I love together and making a career out of it,” Ross said in reference to George. “That was really the first time that I got in my head I could do this.”

Ross has known she wanted to be a journalist since sixth grade. She started volunteering at the South Bend Tribune to get experience, covering local high school games and Notre Dame from time to time.

She said in the beginning of her career, she gained experience by going to sports directors and asking if they needed help. Ross said sports often needed people, so it allowed her to “dip her toes” in the sports section.

And I know that’s been the experience with a bunch of girls in my internship as well because we’re all able to talk about how guys basically think down on us.”

- ELYSE TIMPE, Second-year student, member of Sports Link, intern at Sports Girls Club Ross is grateful for the help she had along her media journey, but Billie Jean King was the one who told her to pay it forward.

After interviewing King for a moment before she went back onto the court, Ross told King how thankful she was for King’s involvement in sports, opening the doors for many women.

King told her, “That is great, but how do they treat you here?”

Ross told King that since she’d grown up with the guys she worked with, they treated her well, so King told her to pass it on.

Ross said it’s really important to recognize the opportunities you were given and help the next generation see what is possible as well.

“I think that if you see what is possible in social media, online media for good or ill, it has opened up so many other avenues for work, especially in the telecommunications business,” she said. “It’s just so important to let people know, especially the girls and young women, to let people know the opportunities that are out there now for them to pursue what they want to pursue.”

At one Chicago White Sox game, Ross looked at the male broadcasters on the field and realized she wanted to be in their spot someday.

At the time, it didn’t occur to Ross that she’d never seen a woman cover baseball before, let alone on the field.

Now, whenever she has the opportunity to broadcast in a ballpark, she chuckles at the reminder of her original audacity.

Continued from Page 09 Ross said she was so naive she didn’t think about how her male counterparts were being treated compared to her.

“Was I treated differently? Probably. Did it stop me? No. Did I really notice it? Not that I could remember,” she said. “Were there people along the way who said you’ll never be an anchor, you’ll never do it? Of course there were. We all face that.

As we get in our career, someone will tell us we can’t do that or can never do this, but it doesn’t stop you, that just gives you fuel to your fire.”

Ross said the biggest challenge as a woman is making sure she is respected and that her work is credible. Sometimes, she has to do a little extra homework or “pregame work.”

She said she once “butchered” the name of a Russian hockey player, and she got multiple messages after telling her she was an idiot and that women shouldn’t do sports because they can’t pronounce names.

She had to work harder to study the history and the names of the players she covered. She had to do the extra work to be respected and prove to herself she could do it.

Ross is now a former ESPN reporter, professor and the president of Game Day Communications, a sports entertainment company she founded. She is looking forward to expanding her company by going into esports.

Ross said her experience in sports public relations has been most rewarding, and Benbow feels similarly with her time in sports.

“It’s the best job in the world,” Benbow said.

“Sometimes, I can’t believe I get paid to watch games and talk to really cool athletes and coaches.”

Benbow said sports have been a leader in many other ways like racial equality and social equity.

She said it’s not just jocks. Benbow was able to make an impact through her story on the effects of merging the ABA with the NBA by bringing racial disparity to light.

“I’ve just learned that you can take so many lessons from what you’re writing about and make it so much more serious than the scoreboard at the end of the game,” she said.

Contact Lila Fierek with comments at lkfierek@ bsu.edu.

First-year digital sports production major Elyse Timpe poses in the broadcast booth in Ball Communication Jan. 23, 2022. DANIEL KEHN, DN

Bonek has been with the team since her second year.

Britting was one of seven girls on a team of 50 for her robotics team in high school. In high school, she took an architecture and civil engineering class where she was the only woman in a class of 15.

Britting said it’s never bothered her to be with more men in the field, but she did note the differences between experiences make hard for her to feel heard and get her point across.

The advice McDowell, Bonek and Britting have for women reflects the history of what women did before in the workplace.

“I think the world is changing and trying to get better at it, but also [women need] to just not be afraid of it, to [not] be afraid of that challenge because I think there are a lot of good things that I’ve gotten from those experiences,” Britting said.

McDowell advises women in these fields to find strong, successful female mentors and to be “picky” with them.

“I would tell them just to make sure you stick up for yourself and that you don’t try and hide yourself away from the guys that obviously try and see if they can overpower you,” Bonek said. “I would say always stick through it and make sure you’re pulling yourself up.”

Contact Hannah Amos with comments at hannah. amos@bsu.edu or on Twitter @Hannah_Amos_394.

MORE NEWS, DAILY.

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Track and Field

DESTINATION:

CLEVELAND

Four Cardinals awarded MAC indoor honors Following the conclusion of the 2023 indoor Mid-American Conference (MAC) season, fourth-year Charity Griffith and third-year Kayla Jones were named to the All-MAC First Team while third-year Jenelle Rogers was named to the All-MAC Second Team. Additionally, assistant coach Matt Bigelow was named Assistant Coach of the Year.

Gymnastics

Pfister named MAC Co-Specialist of the Week As the Cardinals defeated Central Michigan Feb. 26, third-year Suki Pfister has been selected as the Mid-Ameican Conference (MAC) Co-Specialist of the Week. Pfister stood out on vault with a career-best, and league-leading, 9.950 to win the event. The win included a 10.00 from the head judge and the third-best individual score in program history.

Men’s Tennis

Ball State Men’s and Women’s Basketball look back on their season as they prepare for next week’s MAC tournament.20 ALEX BRACKEN, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION; BRAYDEN GOINS, DN; AMBER PIETZ, DN

Ball State named top 75 in the nation The Cardinals were ranked 74th in the NCAA/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) list announced Feb. 28. The only Mid-American Conference (MAC) program to be listed in the rankings, Ball State is 8-3 this season, riding a five-game win streak and is undefeated at home.

The Cardinals begin play in the Pacific Coast Doubles Championship March 2.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: MUNCIE BURRIS WINS FIRST SECTIONAL GAME IN 11 YEARS

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BACK FEET ON HER

lot of what happened in Cleveland, although she has watched it back since. However, she does remember Sallee by her side on the floor holding her hand, she remembers Bunten’s reassuring words and she remembers her teammates crying as she made her way to the trainer’s room.

Bunten remembers during halftime, he and Puiggros were in the trainer’s room dealing with her injury when Sallee walked in. The head coach put his arm around the player to encourage her.

Bunten said that meant a lot to Puiggros because during the limited 15-minute halftime, Sallee and other coaches took that time to check on the wounded Cardinal.

Sallee made his way to the locker room not only to make adjustments before the second half, looking to secure victory and punch Ball State’s ticket to the MAC Championship game, but to reassure Puiggros’ teammates. Puiggros, too, left the trainer’s room and approached the doorway to the locker room, wanting to be with her teammates.

of out of it,” Bunten said. “But she knew she had to show up and put that work in on the first day.”

During the time she was preparing to miss a significant chunk of the season, she was mentally preparing herself to be the best teammate and leader possible, something she didn’t lose sight of even after being cleared three months ahead of schedule.

“I will say that I have a high IQ level in basketball, so I try to make [newcomers] and the people that have always been in the team understand some other parts of the game that they might not be able to see,” Puiggros said. “I’m trying to help them as much as I can … even though sometimes I don’t play. I am not playing as much as I was, but it is what it is. I’m just coming back from an injury, but I’m just trying to be positive about it.”

After the emotional halftime of the Ball State vs.

Toledo semifinal in 2022, the Cardinals completed the upset, defeating Toledo 71-66 to advance to the MAC Championship game. Without Puiggros, Ball State fell to Buffalo 79-75 the next day.

Our goal is to win the MAC Tournament, and I know that we’re more than capable to do that.

We all believe in it,” - ESTEL PUIGGROS, Ball State Women’s Basketball senior

Senior Estel Puiggros reacts to a teammate being fouled in a game against Toledo Feb. 25 at Worthen Arena. AMBER PIETZ, DN

As Ball State Women’s Basketball heads to the MAC Tournament, Estel Puiggros remembers the heartbreak that came in 2022.

Kyle Smedley News Editor “Not again!”

After tearing her ACL in her first season with the Cardinals in 2019-20, Estel Puiggros only played in 11 games the next season. Her third season, in 2021-22, Puiggros played 17 minutes per game through 30 games, feeling the best she had in her entire time at Ball State.

It was March 11, 2022, at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. Ball State Women’s Basketball was taking on Toledo in the semifinal of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament.

The Cardinals were beating the No. 1 seed

Rockets, and Puiggros was on her way to playing for a MAC Championship the next day against Buffalo. That was until she fell to the hardwood floor with a non-contact injury.

Brad Bunten, assistant athletic trainer for Ball State, said “you don’t ever forget that feeling” of tearing your ACL. Even though he was on the opposite end of the court, he could tell by Puiggros’ reaction that she knew she tore her ACL for the second time.

“Not again,” Puiggros yelled, smacking the floor with tears running down her face.

Another season-ending injury on the same leg.

Head coach Brady Sallee said whenever a player goes down with an injury, it’s a “wind out of the sails feeling.”

Puiggros said it’s hard for her to remember a

“She looks back at me, and she’s like, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ I said, ‘Go in there, be with your team.’ And I can remember [Sallee] stopping what he was saying and telling the team, ‘Take a deep breath, we’re whole again. Our family is whole again because someone in that locker room was missing,’” Bunten said. “For those few minutes, they didn’t know what was going on with [Puiggros], she wasn’t there with the team, and for him, just in the moment, he stopped what he was doing, stopped making his adjustments in this big game and helped the team to appreciate, ‘Hey, our family’s whole again, she’s back with us.’”

Puiggros said when she went down with her second injury, there was a moment where she was worried she may never play again, having now experienced the same injury twice. One of the things she did to get her mind away from negativity was spending time with family or teammates she has close relationships with.

If she wasn’t spending time with those closest to her, Puiggros gained comfort from journaling.

She said she writes everything in her head and processes different scenarios through this, and when she doesn’t have a pen and pad, she talks to herself to achieve the same results.

Puiggros’ initial diagnosis outlined a 10-month recovery period, putting her back in action in January. Bunten said he remembered Puiggros attending rehab less than 24 hours after her surgery because she knew that’s the dedication it would take to rehab as quickly yet efficiently as possible.

“I can remember she was still hopped up on painkillers, and she had a nerve block in, and I turned my back on her, and I look back, and she’s kind of falling asleep on the table just because she was kind

Throughout the entire 2022-23 season, Ball State has been driven by that loss.

“Our goal is to win the MAC Tournament, and I know that we’re more than capable to do that,” Puiggros said. “We all believe in it. I just know that we’re gonna go out there, and I’m gonna have my mindset of ‘I don’t care who is in front of us.’

We’re gonna play the best we can, and we know that if we put out our best, it’s very hard to beat us.”

The 2023 MAC Tournament is set for March 8, 10 and 11 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland.

Puiggros said emotions are still triggered when Ball State visits Western Michigan, where she tore her ACL the first time. She is counting on those emotions being brought up when the Cardinals travel to Cleveland.

If the Cardinals make it to the championship game in 2023, it will come one year to the day of Puiggros’ second ACL tear. For her, a MAC Championship would mean even more.

“I don’t think there’s words to describe it,” Puiggros said. “I think it would just be amazing because we also know that it hasn’t happened in a long time, and last year, we were right there, and it just came down to the last seconds, and it was just very upsetting. But we’ve been working on it, [and] we’ve been working our asses [off] through every single game.”

Contact Kyle Smedley with comments via email at kyle.smedley@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ KyleSmedley_.

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21

HEADING TOWARD the

FINISH LINE

Following the hire of new head coach Michael Lewis, the Cardinals are a contender for an eighth MAC championship.

Ball State Men’s Basketball head coach Michael Lewis talks to the team from the sidelines in a game against Kent State Feb. 21 at Worthen Arena. Ball State defeated Kent State 82-70. AMBER PIETZ, DN Derran Cobb Reporter As a young basketball player in Indiana, Michael Lewis grew up seeing Ball State Men’s Basketball win the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship. After 23 long years, he has them positioned to do it again.

This season, the Cardinals won their 20th game Feb. 21 in a highly anticipated matchup with Kent State, who was first in the conference at the time. It is the first 20-win season in the last six.

“I think as we head into Cleveland, this just reminds these guys that on any given night we can compete with anybody in this league, and you just gotta go string it together for three days,” Lewis said.

Succeeding a 14-win season, Lewis’ first year as a head coach following nearly 20 years as an assistant, he has Ball State sitting fourth in the conference and contending for a title.

Prior to Ball State, Lewis was an assistant coach under Mick Cronin at blue-blood UCLA for three years. From 2019-22, the Bruins were 68-29 and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen twice and the Final Four once.

In addition to Cronin, Lewis played for and coached under Hall of Fame Indiana inductee head coach Bob Knight. However, he remains his own person and his own coach, setting an example for the Cardinals.

“I think you take a little bit from everybody, but I don’t try to be any one of those particular people,” Lewis said. “I just try to be who I am and true to myself while using the things that I’ve picked up from each one of those guys and my experiences, both as a player and coaching for 18 years.”

Redshirt junior Jarron Coleman explained that Lewis is a very knowledgeable and capable coach who has put in many years to the game of basketball, and that experience is going to help guide them through March.

“He’s been around the game a lot. You can tell the way he coaches [that he’s] been around winning, so he knows what it takes to win games and especially around this time,” Coleman said. “[He’s] coming from UCLA, a school that went to the Final Four. So he knows how to win games and he’s bringing that experience to us [by] trying to win this MAC Tournament.”

With his father being a head coach, Lewis had access to the ins and outs of the game. He would

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This is not a job to me … it’s a game played by kids. We get to use it to try to use it to get these guys better and better prepared for life because life’s not easy. Life is hard, you’re gonna deal with adversity, disappointments … but I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

- MICHAEL LEWIS, Head coach go to practices, tag along with his father to scout opposing teams and just be around.

It got to a point where instead of getting on the bus to go home after elementary school, he would ask to be dropped off at the high school for their practice. This led to his advanced knowledge of the game. It was at Indiana University where Lewis felt his basketball future was solidified.

“I’ve been very fortunate to be able to turn something that I love into a career. I was a scorer in high school and then kind of changed my game at Indiana,” he said. “I think that’s really where I started to see the game through a different lens and started to understand, conceptually, the game in a different way, schematically and different things.”

At Indiana, Lewis was a floor general, amassing 545 assists and graduating as the all-time leader, a record held until 2016. There, he was also famous for standing up to Bob Knight after Knight yelled angrily in his face.

“I kind of got that [coaching] bug when I was in college because I knew I wanted to be involved with basketball, and I’ve always valued the impact of the coaches that I’ve had, what they’ve had on me and wanting to have that type of impact on the guys that I hoped to coach,” he said.

Lewis believes the change in culture comes from a successful team, but they are not the only factor.

It takes administrators as well as marketing, tickets, sports information, students, boosters, casual fans and the community.

“It can’t just be a basketball team. Obviously, we’re an integral part of it, but it takes everybody to build the type of program that we’re setting out to build,” he said. “It takes everybody to get it started. It’s been exciting to see some of that growth. We’re just trying to create an atmosphere that is fun, where people want to be a part of it.”

A fun atmosphere is exactly what this team has created, generating the largest crowds Worthen Arena has seen in years. On Feb. 3, there were 6,068 fans watching the Cardinals as they defeated Eastern Michigan in an overtime thriller, the largest attendance in 14 years.

“I think that’s why our team has kind of gained some excitement, it’s because the people of Indiana understand what good basketball is,” Lewis said.

“They grow up with it, they crave it. I think that’s part of why this job attracted me is because I knew if we can play basketball the right way, we could create an atmosphere here that is special.”

Three key players of this Ball State squad, sophomores: guard Jaylin Sellers (13.7 ppg), center Payton Sparks (12.6 ppg) and Basheer Jihad (7 ppg) all entered the NCAA transfer portal last season after former head coach James Whitford was fired, but Lewis was able to bring them back.

“Bringing those three guys back and getting them out of the portal were huge recruiting wins

for us … Especially [with] those sophomores being young, they can kind of provide a basic core of a program that you want to build around,” he said.

The Cardinals are a team with four different players averaging points in double-figures. Junior guard Luke Bumbalough believes everyone has put their trust into the team and its system at the right time.

“Everyone’s just bought in. When one guy does it, it trickles down. So I feel like there’s no exception not to buy when everyone’s doing it, we just want to win.” Bumbalough said.

In Cleveland, the team’s biggest point of emphasis will be to remain consistent and efficient on both sides of the ball at all times. They are still MAC title contenders who have an impressive resume, defeating other contending teams in Akron, Toledo and Kent State this season.

The Cardinals will look to leave Cleveland with their eighth conference title and first in 23 long years.

Contact Derran Cobb with comments at derran. cobb@bsu.edu or on Twitter @Derran_cobb.

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Ball State Men’s Basketball head coach Michael Lewis paces the sidelines in a game against Kent State Feb. 21 at Worthen Arena. Ball State defeated Kent State 82-70. ELI

PIERSON, DN

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03.02.23

VOUCHERS Continued from Page 04

Following the Miami game, Lewis upped the ante again, increasing the number of vouchers to the first 500 students who showed up.

For first-time students in The Nest, like secondyear psychology major Sam Seyer who attended the Feb. 21 Kent State game, it was a completely new experience.

“I had an absolutely fantastic time, it was electric in there,” he said. “Everyone cheering along with each other, it’s not like any sports atmosphere I’ve been in. I felt like I was a part of something.”

Returning fans like exercise science major and Muncie-native Sam Nealy highlighted the changes he saw this season in the student section.

they get in for free, they get a free meal with it and get to watch a basketball game. It helps encourage students to come a lot more because it’s less of a financial situation. They get to go and enjoy a basketball game for basically free which is a really, really good pull.”

When Lewis boils it down, he said it’s about creating a community for both the university and the athletics department.

“When I came here, our goal here was to win championships and go to the NCAA Tournament; to do that takes more than coaches and players,” Lewis said in November. “We’re pushing our program, holding it to more accountability, demanding more and just across the board within our athletic department. We need to continue to grow, [so] our university can continue to grow, and that includes our fan support, especially our students.”

I think I’m a big believer that if you can get an entire athletic department and an entire university moving in the same direction, then great things happened.

So, it’s my job as the leader of our program to get our program involved in things on campus and in the community, leading the charge.”

- MICHAEL LEWIS, Head coach

“I’m seeing a lot more positive energy, a lot more people being loud, and, most importantly, we’re all just having fun,” he said.

Nealy, who has been to all of Ball State’s home games this season and last, remains focused on the future of The Nest and what the culture can become.

“We’ve still got work to do, I just feel like we should invite more friends, invite more family,” he said. “Our job’s not done, we need that pop. We need that good vibe [and] a lot more energy.”

Dedication to the promotion has garnered praise and a cult-like following for Lewis from the student body and a rich connection on social media some of from Cardinal fan accounts. Seyer said students feel connected to the head coach of their basketball team. The Nest feels a sense of responsibility to show up for the team. Despite only attending one game this season, Seyer said he wishes he attended more games and plans to in the future.

“It shows that not only does he want to get more butts in seats, but it shows that he knows the students as well,” he said. “Students show up,

When he was hired in spring 2022, Lewis wasted no time getting involved in the Ball State community. Whether it was going to sporting events or riding around on a bus for One Ball State Day with women’s basketball head coach Brady Sallee, Lewis was there.

“How can I ask the students to come out and support us if I’m not doing the same? Who am I? I get an opportunity to be a basketball coach and make a living coaching a game, right? I have a ton of fun. I’m very comfortable with who I am. I’m not scared to put myself out there,” Lewis said. “I think I’m a big believer that if you can get an entire athletic department and an entire university moving in the same direction, then great things happened.

So, it’s my job as the leader of our program to get our program involved in things on campus and in the community, leading the charge.”

As long as students are making those connections, Lewis will be happy.

“You get one shot to be a college student,” he said.

“You get one opportunity to establish connectivity

53,684 Total Attendance for the Men’s Basketball 2022-23 Season

*

Source: Ball State Athletics

*as of March 2, Ball State Men’s Basketball play’s Toledo in its season finale at 6 p.m.

First-year journalism and criminology major Brynn Hensley holds up a sign before a men’s basketball game between Ball State and Kent State Feb. 21 at Worthen Arena. AMBER PIETZ, DN and a connection to where you go to school. Whether it’s coming to a basketball game, football game or it’s theatre, get involved. It can help you grow, you never know who you may meet or things you may pick up. It can help you evolve as a person.”

The mindset, the connections and the planning for his first season all paid off seconds before his first game as head coach. When the ball went up against Earlham, Lewis was locked into the game, but leading up to the tip-off of his first season as a head coach was a moment 18 seasons in the making.

“I’m not going to lie, it’s cool,” he said. “Because you’ve worked a long time to put yourself in this position. I’ve been pretty patient throughout my career for what I thought was a good job where I could be successful. This opportunity came up and was perfect for me. Very few times in anyone’s career do you ever feel like you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be at that time. I feel that way about my opportunity here. I feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be with an opportunity to lead this program.”

With the final home game of the season March 3 against Toledo at 6 p.m., the Friday that marks the beginning of spring break, Lewis focused on the Feb. 21 matchup against Kent State to end the season, going all in for The Nest. All students attending the game would receive a Nest Voucher as Lewis attempted to “throw the biggest party of the year yet.” That night, the second-largest crowd of the season saw Ball State beat the Golden Flashes, on a Tuesday no less.

“It’s very gratifying to see that,” Lewis said. “I hope we start something this year that not only the students but the community can support, and I’m going to do something for the community on the last game. I’ll come up with a silly gimmick again.

I’ll be party planner again if that’s what it takes, I don’t really care. I just want our team to play hard and compete and do what it takes to win. If we do that and the students show up and have a good time, and if we play good basketball, you’re in Indiana, they’re gonna support it.”

Contact Daniel Kehn with comments at daniel. kehn@bsu.edu or on Twitter @daniel_kehn.

Check out our Puzzles & Games page online: BallStateDaily.com/pages/Puzzles

Crossword & Sudoku CROSSWORD EDITED BY KURT KRAUSS; SUDOKU BY MICHAEL MEPHAM

ACROSS 1 Enclosure for changing into a swimsuit 7 One of the original Seven Sisters schools 13 Roused from sleep 14 French daily paper 15 Mostly shaved hairstyle 16 Commutes with co-workers 17 __-mo replay 18 Arm joints 20 Foolish sort 21 Like some GameStop merchandise 23 Units of wt.

24 Home screen array 27 __ and weaves 28 Issa of HBO’s “Insecure” 30 __ monster 31 Ad abbr. for “seeking” 32 Uses crayons 35 Travel discount provider 36 Courtroom fig.

37 Many a Woodstock attendee 38 Chant 40 Prompted on stage 42 Get on in years 43 “That’s cheating!”

44 The Hawks, on scoreboards 45 __ and proper 46 Greenlights 47 Numbered rds. in a city

48 Stirs in 49 Time off, briefly 51 Completeness 54 Rhythmic foot 56 Hebrew prophet 57 Relaxing resort 60 “I expect more from you” 62 Start, as a computer, and what each answer to a starred clue has?

64 Retired, as a professor 65 Orders for regulars 66 2022 documentary about actor and activist Poitier 67 Weed with stinging hairs DOWN 1 Pic takers 2 GI sought by MPs 3 __-chic: 37-Across-influenced style 4 Alias letters 5 Next gen 6 *Small child, facetiously 7 Song segment 8 Concert device 9 Chimney grime 10 *Endangered cat that turns white in winter 11 Improvise on stage 12 Takes five 14 Grassy yards 16 *Salad of corn and black-eyed peas

that originated in Texas 19 Helpful push upward 21 Anti-vaping spot, for short 22 Sci-fi robot 24 “Can you repeat that?”

25 Baby grand, e.g.

26 *Sleeping option that lacks a box spring 29 Swiss mountain 32 *Cinnamon roll with currants 33 Inflexible 34 Looks like 36 Licoricelike herb 39 Acorn tree 41 Wombs 45 Pick up the tab 47 Completely confused 49 Uber offerings 50 Model Campbell 52 __-gritty 53 That and that 55 Swiss capital 57 Sports fan’s data 58 Injure, as a muscle 59 Cathedral recess 61 Even score 63 Not at home

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