BSU 03-17-22

ACHIEVING more together Disability Awareness Month

Ball State’s wheelchair basketball provides an outlet for people with disabilities to participate in something aiming for a bigger purpose.

08

Alyssa Strahm (left) passes the ball as Olivia Vecchiolli (right) guards her in a game of wheelchair basketball March 15 at the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Vecchiolli is a graduate assistant in the Office of Disability Services and helps oversee wheelchair basketball. JACY BRADLEY, DN PHOTO; AMBER PIETZ, DN DESIGN

03.17.2022

ballstatedailynews.com

@bsudailynews

DNNews

03.17.22

02

Did you miss it? Catch up on the news from March 10-13 ...

BallStateDailyNews.com From The Easterner to The Daily News

The Ball State News reported

DIGITAL MEDIA REPOSITORY, PHOTO COURTESY

GREGORY BULL, AP PHOTO

that former Gov. Roger Branigan signed a bill March 11 establishing the College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State. The school met with the Indiana Society of Architects for help in organizing the college. If you have any Daily News memories you’d like to see highlighted, email news@bsudailynews.com.

March 10: MLB players and

owners ended their 99-day lockout and agreed on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Players reported to spring training March 13, and games start March 17. The 162-game regular season begins April 7. Some of the deal’s components include having a 12team expanded postseason and six-pick draft lottery.

Brady announces his Can you find the lucky return for 23rd season four-leaf clover? March 13: Tom Brady will

return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 23rd NFL season after initially announcing his retirement Feb. 1.

Brady led the team to a Super Bowl championship in 2020 and won six Super Bowls during 20 seasons with the New England Patriots. Brady threw for 5,316 passing yards and 43 touchdowns in 2021, helping the Buccaneers reach a 13-4 record.

VOL. 101 ISSUE: 24 CONTACT THE DN Newsroom: 765-285-8245 Editor: 765-285-8249, editor@bsudailynews.com

The Ball State Daily News (USPS144-360), the Ball State student newspaper, publishes Thursdays during the academic year, except during semester and summer breaks. The Daily News is supported in part by an allocation from the General Fund of the university and is available free to students at various campus locations.

MLB ends lockout after 99 days

EDITORIAL BOARD Taylor Smith, Editor-in-chief Connor Smith, Managing Editor Grace McCormick, News Editor Maya Wilkins, Lifestyles Editor Ian Hansen, Sports Editor John Lynch, Opinion Editor Adele Reich, Video Editor Rylan Capper, Photo Editor Emily Dodd, Social Media Editor Emily Hunter, Copy Director CREATIVE SERVICES Maggie Getzin, Creative Director Kamryn Tomlinson, Visual Editor Alex Hindenlang, Visual Editor

March 17: Happy St. Patrick’s

Day from The Ball State Daily News. To celebrate, our designers have hidden one four-leaf clover somewhere in this week’s edition of The Daily News. Once you think you’ve found it, take a photo, post it to your story and tag us on Instagram @bsudailynews for a chance to be featured on our story. Good luck!

Lisa Renze-Rhodes, Adviser 765-285-8218, lrenze@bsu.edu The Daily News offices are in AJ 278, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306-0481. Periodicals postage paid in Muncie, Indiana.

TO ADVERTISE Call 765-285-8256 or email dailynewsads@bsu.edu between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday - Friday or visit ballstatedaily.com/advertise.

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Subscription rates: $45 for one year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Daily News, AJ246, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306.

TO DONATE Visit BallStateDailyNews.com.

JOIN THE DAILY NEWS Stop by room 278 in the Art and Journalism Building.

CORRECTION

The Ball State Daily News is committed to providing accurate news to the community. In the event we need to correct inaccurate information, you will find that printed here.

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

4-DAY WEATHER

FORECAST Eric , Segbor Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MOSTLY SUNNY

RAINY AND CLOUDY

SHATTERED SHOWERS

VERY SUNNY

Hi: 70º Lo: 53º

Hi: 57º Lo: 36º

Hi: 50º Lo: 36º

Hi: 58º Lo: 43º

THIS WEEK: Spring-like temperatures and sunshine may return early in the week before more shower chances arrive by midweek. Cooler temperatures and peaceful weather will follow the shower chances to close out the week.

APPRECIATING

OUR PAST

TO INSPIRE OUR

FUTURE

Special Anniversary Edition

Coming March 31, 2022

DNNews

03.17.22

Leaving the

LANES

Cardinal Lanes in Ball State’s Student Center closed until further notice 406

03

Campus

Ball State announces addiction program Ball State announced the Center for Substance Use Research and Community Initiatives (SURCI) March 9. The new program in the College of Health will research addiction and enable interventions to address substance misuse. The program also hopes to partner with Delaware County-based organizations to address this issue in Muncie and surrounding areas.

Community

Muncie Community Schools receives grant Muncie Community Schools (MCS) received a $75,000 STEM Acceleration grant from the Indiana Department of Education to increase students’ access to STEM courses, programs and resources in the 2022-23 school year. Fortyeight school districts and charter schools across Indiana received similar grants, and only four more schools received more than MCS.

Indiana

Emergency SNAP allotments to end

PEXELS, PHOTO COURTESY

Beginning in June, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits a household receives will be based on eligibility factors like household size and income, as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. While under a public health emergency, many households received the maximum amount of SNAP benefits, but the end of the public health emergency March 3 will also bring an end to those changes.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: BALL STATE REPORTS THREE COVID-19 CASES OVER BREAK

DNNews

03.17.22

04

RESTORING THE PAST

Professor Jonathan Spodek led graduate students in an award-winning historic documentation project.

Sarah Olsen Reporter When visitors first arrive at Newfields, an Indianapolis art museum and garden, they are greeted by approximately half a million blooms that line the cobblestone and dirt paths. These winding trails criss-cross the 152-acre campus, allowing guests to admire the nearby White River while they enjoy a craft drink or snack from the Beer Garden on the premises.

Just northeast of the art museum and the nearby Lilly House and Gardens, which was pharmacist and Civil War Colonel Eli Lilly’s former home, is the Canal Pump House, an Indiana historic site used for moving water down the White River Canal. The house is in the former part of Newfields, which is nicknamed “Oldfields” to differentiate it from recent extensions to the property.

With Newfields’ extensive size and subsequent additions to the facilities since the museum’s establishment, the property requires frequent maintenance, according to museum staff. The Canal Pump House had never been

formally documented when Ball State Professor of Architecture Jonathan Spodek, along with students in his historical restoration graduate class, ARCH 606: Documentation Studio, set out to Oldfields to overhaul the building.

“We had been working with Oldfields on a number of projects,” Spodek said. “We needed to find a building that our students could work on that was not occupied and where we could social distance, and this was the one that they were interested in working with, and it just worked out.”

Spodek led the project while Ball State graduate students Grace Bartko, Caitlin Lehman, Bei Liu, Abby Marshall, Jade Moore, Lawrence Neumann and Haley Swindle worked together to formulate a plan for the house’s documentation.

Bartko, a dual master’s student in architecture and historic preservation, was in her first year of her graduate degree when she joined the project in 2020. Prior to joining the architecture master’s

The front of the Canal Pump House sits with teal blue accents March 12 in Indianapolis. Jonathan Spodek, professor of architecture, led a documentation of the house with master’s students during the fall 2021 semester. SARAH OLSEN, DN program, she completed her Bachelor of Science in architecture at Ball State and finished her undergraduate degree in spring 2020. She said she has been dedicated to the field ever since.

“I have always been interested in learning the history of buildings and how they came to be,” Bartko said via email. “Throughout our history as people, the way that we lived, where we lived and innovations of certain time periods all influenced how architecture has evolved and become what it is today. [This project] is an opportunity for us to gain real-life experience while also helping the community.”

Following a semester of work on the Canal Pump House, the team was awarded second place and $3,000 in the 38th annual Charles E. Peterson Prize Competition, hosted by the National Park Service through its Heritage Documentation Programs in September.

The yearly competition measures student

drawings with the intention of raising awareness for work in historical preservation. More than 3,000 students from 75 colleges and universities have participated so far, according to the competition’s website.

“They put in a lot of work,” Spodek said.

“Our goal was to teach students methods of documenting and research of historic properties. It was a meaningful product to the people who own these sites, and then they can use that information and that documentation in their day-to-day work as stewards of these historic places. I’m really, really pleased the students [were] recognized.”

This is not the first time students have won an award in the Peterson Prize competition. In 2019, a Ball State graduate class received an honorable mention for a project they completed in Dayton, Ohio. Another group was awarded second place in 2018 for a project they did in Franklin County, Indiana, on a one-room schoolhouse.

Despite facing obstacles along the way, including learning how to use complicated technology like a laser level during the project to ensure precise measurements of elevation, Bartko said continuing the award-winning work was worth the trial and error.

“I was pleasantly surprised that we placed [in the competition], especially since we did a smaller structure that was modest in design,” Bartko said. “But I think it was because of those same reasons that we did place. We were able to really dive in, get into the fine details and make the pump house shine in its own way.”

Contact Sarah Olsen with comments at snolsen@bsu.edu.

The award-winning original plans of Ball State historic preservation graduate students in 2021.

JONATHAN SPODEK, RENDERINGS PROVIDED

A team of seven students led by Professor of Architecture Jonathan Spodek won $3,000 in the Charles E. Peterson Prize Competition.

05

2 x SCHOLARS SUCCEEDING AS

Behind the scenes of 21st Century Scholars’ progress in Indiana

Though college-going rates in Indiana have been decreasing over the past five years, 21st Century Scholars are on track to close that gap by 2025, according to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE). The scholarship, which covers up to four years of tuition for eligible students at participating state universities, has helped more than 45,000 students earn a degree since it was introduced in 1990, said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers in a Dec. 15, 2021, press release.

Nearly 10 percent of Indiana high school graduates are 21st Century Scholars. However, there are many more students who could access the program, as approximately half of eligible students enroll each year.

Students must enroll in the program between their seventh and eighth grade years and must meet income requirements depending on family size.

- Staff Reports

INCOME

REQUIREMENTS Household size

2 3 4 5 6 7

or more

Maximum annual income

$32,227 $40,626 $49,025

Parents or guardians can enroll their children

by June 30 before their eighth grade year of public or private school. Additional application requirements regarding documentation and contact information can be found at scholartrack.in.gov.

REQUIREMENTS FOR 21ST CENTURY SCHOLARS •

Students sign up between their seventh and eighth grade years if they meet income requirements.

•

After enrolling, students must keep a 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA in high school and earn at least a Core 40 diploma.

•

•

$57,424 $65,823 For each additional person,

$8,399

Source: Learn More Indiana

•

•

Students must enroll in a college or university within one year of graduating from high school.

Students must sign and follow the Scholar Pledge, which includes promising to not use illicit drugs or consume alcohol before reaching the legal drinking age.

While enrolled in a participating Indiana college or university, students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid by April 15 each year, maintain satisfactory academic progress — as determined by the college — and earn at least 30 credit hours each academic year.

Students must complete the College Scholar Success Program each year they are enrolled in college, which includes one additional activity per year such as networking, being in extracurricular clubs, creating portfolios and other programs listed among required activities.

Source: Learn More Indiana

WOMEN W ARE AS LIKELY

as men to be 21st Century Scholars and are more likely to enroll in colleges at large.

BLACK

24%

HISPANIC

23%

WHITE

60% OF

FOUR

IN TEN high school graduates are eligible to be 21st Century Scholars

31%

RATES IN INDIANA

As of 2021, a higher percentage of 21st Century Scholars are enrolled in universities than higher-income students. This data was measured by high school graduates currently enrolled in higher education.

Statewide average

59%

Source: Indiana Commission for Higher Education

farmers market at minnetrista: indoor market Every third Saturday now through April; 9 a.m.–Noon Connect with local vendors and discover fresh produce, plants, baked goods, and more!

50%

LESS THAN

COLLEGE-GOING

36%

MAGGIE GETZIN, DN

complete all the requirements of the 21st Century Scholars program.

Black and Hispanic/Latino Hoosiers are more likely to come from low-income homes, but a greater percentage of low-income students who are Scholars are white and Asian.

Lowincome nonScholars

DNNews

SCHOLARS

34%

ASIAN

03.17.22

Higherincome students

64%

ARE ENROLLED 21ST CENTURY SCHOLARS

88%

DNNews

03.17.22

06 Bowling lanes sit unused March 16 at Cardinal Lanes in the basement of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.

The bowling alley formerly had 16 lanes but eventually was downsized to eight.

RYLAN CAPPER, DN

Cardinal Lanes temporarily closes doors after obstacles prevent easy operation.

Jamie Strouts Reporter Walk into Cardinal Lanes at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center at any given time. Chances are, you will find a group of students playing billiards or bowling at the lanes. It has been a staple of Ball State events like Late Nite, University Program Board and team bonding for student groups and clubs.

However, Travis Peters, associate director of the Student Center, said the attraction has been experiencing some technical difficulties. This has led to many obstacles in allowing the location to stay open for students and faculty. About four years ago, the mechanic Peters and his staff had hired for several years died. On top of that, Peters said, the equipment used at the lanes was getting old. “[The equipment] is original to the facility, from the 1970s, so finding parts and then having someone repair it is becoming very difficult for us,” Peters said.

Peters and Maureen Baker, director of the Student Center, had discussed possible repair alternatives and what the space could be used for if Cardinal Lanes were permanently closed. He said they agreed on the temporary closing of the attraction midway through the fall 2021 semester, and it officially closed in December during finals week. They are unsure when it will open again.

In addition to repair difficulties, Peters said, COVID-19 has taken a toll on the operation of Cardinal Lanes.

“About 100,000 visits [per year] were recorded by door counters pre-COVID of the facility, but once COVID hit, that number obviously took a pretty significant hit,” he said. “Last year [postCOVID], we were a little over 60,000 to the number of visits in that space.”

Kristin Mckeen, junior elementary education major, was a former student employee for Cardinal Lanes October 2020 through September 2021. She said she expected the lanes to close because most of the time she was there, only two or three lanes would be working out of eight.

“I think it is best that the Student Center decided to close the lanes temporarily because there were so many complaints from customers,” Mckeen said. “Low staffing and technical difficulties

were the main causes of why we could not run a majority of the lanes.”

Wednesday Cunnington, Cardinal Lanes customer and 2005 Ball State general studies alumna, said her experiences with Cardinal Lanes are memory-filled. She hosted a few birthday parties and her best friend’s annual family reunion three times at the lanes in the early 2000s.

Cunnington said it also felt the most safe compared to other local bowling alleys.

“I chose Cardinal Lanes over the others because of the size. It’s perfect for parties and friendly gettogethers,” Cunnington said via email. “Not to put the other [bowling alleys] down, but it just felt safer, especially for a younger crowd and for those bringing young children.”

Cunnington also said she is sad to know Cardinal Lanes is temporarily closed because her son, Matthew Williams, now 31, enjoyed the attraction when he was younger. Also, when Cunnington was a Ball State student, she said she loved going with her friends.

“I’m sad that it’s closed because as a former BSU student, it was a place my friends and I could go to that was close — we didn’t have to go off campus to bowl,” Cunnington said. “It was clean and never got rowdy. It’s something different for students, besides a bar or restaurant to hang out at.”

Contact Jamie Strouts with comments at jdstrouts@bsu.edu.

I think it is best that the Student Center decided to close the lanes temporarily because there were so many complaints from customers. Low staffing and technical difficulties were the main causes of why we could not run a majority of the lanes.”

- KRISTIN MCKEEN, Junior elementary education major and former Cardinal Lanes employee

Two named and decorated bowling pins sit on the service desk March 16 at Cardinal Lanes in the basement of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the bowling alley operated with a staff of around 15 student workers. RYLAN CAPPER, DN

A rack of bowling shoes sits collecting dust March 16 at Cardinal Lanes in the basement of the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. The bowling alley has experienced numerous staffing and mechanical issues, which led to its closing in December 2021. RYLAN CAPPER, DN

DNSports

03.17.22

CREATING

07

Men’s Basketball

CULTURE

Sparks selected for District 14 Second Team

The National Association of Basketball Coaches announced its Division I All-District Teams March 15, and freshman center Payton Sparks was named to the District 14 Second Team. Sparks averaged a team-high 13.5 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per contest.

He recorded 12 double-doubles, leading all freshmen in the MidAmerican Conference.

Baseball

Klein named MAC CoPitcher of the Week

Ball State Women’s Basketball players stand for the national anthem before their game against Northern Illinois Feb. 26 at Worthen Arena.

The Cardinals placed fourth in the Mid-American Conference standings and finished 20-12. ELI HOUSER, DN

Ball State Women’s Basketball reflects on its cultural development and close bonds after earning WNIT berth.

Kyle Smedley Reporter As confetti fell from the ceiling of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ball State Women’s Basketball’s hopes of winning its first Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship since 2009 were erased. So too were their hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament.

However, despite falling short of their ultimate goal, Ball State head coach Brady Sallee said he was pleased with the progress he saw in his players this season and the foundation he set for future teams. In his 10th season as head coach of the Cardinals, Sallee initiated a new offensive system, abandoning the labels of “guard,” “forward” and “center” and rather implementing a five-out offense. None of the Cardinals were labeled by position.

“For me, the fun part has been how [the offense] has continued to build this year,” Sallee said. “If it’s possible, I’m even more of an advocate for the way we played and the way we’re going to play than I was this fall.”

Despite the changes, Sallee thinks the Cardinals “bought in” to the system from top to bottom, as well as the culture he was trying to build.

“Whether you’re in athletics or anything else,

if you commit to the right things and buy into a culture, you can accomplish incredible things,” Sallee said. “We have a really good concoction of players with high character, good leaders and great teammates. I think it all mixed together where you saw us play at a very high level.”

This is a storied year that revolves around 20 people’s self-belief. Instead of adopting everyone else’s narrative about what we were going to be, we chose to write our own story.”

- BRADY SALLEE, Ball State Women’s Basketball head coach Before the season began, Sallee said the commitment he received from his players taught him something about coaching.

“When you pour yourself into a group, they’re going to pour it out for you,” Sallee said.

In the MAC preseason coaches poll, Ball State was predicted to finish ninth, but the Cardinals exceeded their projected finish by winning 20 games and finishing fourth in the standings.

Sallee said his team heard all the noise during the preseason and remembers his players looking around the locker room thinking differently. He said Ball State turned inward to find success.

“This is a storied year that revolves around 20 people’s self-belief,” Sallee said. “Instead of adopting everyone else’s narrative, we chose to write our own story.”

Ball State’s roster fluctuated throughout the offseason and regular season. Three freshmen joined the Cardinals, three seniors graduated, multiple players transferred and players got injured, including redshirt junior Anna Clephane. Sallee said the Cardinals’ ability to adapt and overcome adversity was one of the stories of the season.

“If you can’t handle that, it’s going to bury you,” Sallee said. “I think our team adopted the nextman-up mentality and took it to the next level where it was, ‘I’m not playing instead of you — I’m playing for you.’”

4See BASKETBALL, 14

Sophomore pitcher Sam Klein earned Co-Pitcher of the Week March 14. Klein collected three saves over the weekend in three wins against Eastern Michigan. He retired all seven batters he faced and added two strikeouts. Ball State returns to Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark Complex March 18 against Bowling Green at 3 p.m.

Gymnastics

Pfister secures 2nd MAC Specialist Honor

After scoring 9.950 to win vault against Central Michigan March 11, sophomore Suki Pfister was named the MAC Gymnastics Specialist of the Week March 15. Pfister became only the fifth gymnast in school history to register a routine of 9.950 or higher and ranks first in the MAC on apparatus with four vault routines of at least 9.900 this season.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: BALL STATE PARTS WAYS WITH WHITFORD AFTER NINE SEASONS

DNSports

03.17.22

08

Ball State wheelchair basketball is spreading positivity through sport for Elizabeth Love and other players.

Charleston Bowles Associate Sports Editor Elizabeth Love walked through the doors of the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center curious and intrigued.

She headed downstairs into the gymnasium, where the hardwood squeaked as full-court pickup games occurred and basketballs shot through the air.

However, one court was reserved for wheelchair basketball. This was the then-freshman’s first time attending, and she wanted to watch and see if it was something of interest.

It was the final time she would be a spectator at a wheelchair basketball game.

“After I saw it, I kind of was sitting there like, ‘Why am I not playing? I shouldn’t just be here watching. I should play,’” Love said. “Ever since that first experience, I went back every week.”

Now a junior, Love is an active participant in wheelchair basketball and said it’s helped her build relationships and empower herself after undergoing extensive surgery at 16 years old because of her spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy diagnosis.

“After losing the independence that I did after surgery, I felt like I kind of have a little bit of that back,” Love said. “It’s also been a great way for me to connect with people on campus, whether they’re disabled or not. I’ve met people who have gone through similar struggles at that moment, and it’s always good to have them around because they keep me mentally sane throughout the semester.”

Love was born three months earlier than expected. She couldn’t breathe at birth, causing a lack of oxygen to the brain. After her parents noticed she couldn’t crawl or walk at a normal age and she favored the right side of her body, Love was diagnosed with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy tightens Love’s muscles and limits her mobility.

Before surgery, Love was told she would return to normal functioning within two years, but it never happened. Following surgery, Love taught herself how to walk, get dressed, go down the

2 in 5 adults age 65 years and older have a disability

Source: Pew Research Center

stairs and have adequate balance to prevent falling.

She didn’t play sports growing up, but Love said wheelchair basketball has given her the chance to reclaim some freedom.

“I had to relearn all of these basic life skills to get to the point where I could be independent,” Love said. “I’ve been through a lot, and wheelchair basketball has kind of allowed me to take a little bit of that back. There’s something about being able to play a sport, whether you use a wheelchair or not.

When you haven’t been able to do that for a long time, it feels really good.”

There’s something about being able to play a sport, whether you use a wheelchair or not.

When you haven’t been able to do that for a long time, it feels really good.”

- ELIZABETH LOVE, Junior public relations major and wheelchair basketball member Wheelchair basketball has been off and on at Ball State for several years. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was an official recreation team and traveled to compete against universities.

Ball State Director of Disability Services and 2004 Ball State graduate Courtney Jarrett said wheelchair basketball’s purpose is to create an inclusive environment.

“I think it helps that it’s for everyone, no matter if the person has a disability or not,” Jarrett said.

“We want anyone who is interested to come and participate. I want students with disabilities to be Ball State students first and foremost and have the same experiences as everyone else on campus.”

Before she applied to Ball State, Love didn’t know about the Alliance for Disability Awareness (ADA) and said she was hesitant about transitioning from high school to college. However, Love was surprised when completing her application.

“I remember on the application, there was like a little check mark that you could hit and it said, ‘When you go into campus, do you want to meet with somebody of the Office of Disability Services?’” Love said. “I’ve never seen that on a school application or tour sign-up, and that immediately made me feel like they cared. Then I came to campus, and it just felt like the right place to be.”

Sophomore music education major Catherine Shepherd works for the Office of Disability Services and began playing wheelchair basketball this semester after one of her coworkers asked if she was interested in joining after low attendance during the fall 2021 semester. Shepherd said she was excited to join even though she is not disabled.

“I thought it was a great kind of playing field to help integrate the disabled community along with the rest of the community,” Shepherd said. “We’ll see people walking around through the balcony and just stop and watch us for like 10 minutes.

Olivia Vecchiolli (right) shoots the ball in a game of wheelchair basketball March 15 at the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center. Wheelchair basketball meets every Tuesday from 6:30-8 p.m. JACY BRADLEY, DN It provides a positive outlook to the disabled community and the advocacy community.”

Love, a public relations major, worked as a social media coordinator for the Alliance for Disability Awareness her first two years and is currently involved with the Public Relations Student Society of America. She said wheelchair basketball serves as a channel for her to embrace being a student and not necessarily an adult.

“You can just go and have fun,” Love said.

“Nobody cares if you’re good at playing. We don’t care if you are disabled or not, just go and have fun.”

Shepherd said the biggest lesson she has learned in her time with wheelchair basketball is she can relate to the participants and engage with them even through their differences.

10.8%

of people with a disability have a cognition disability with serious difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions Source: Pew Research Center

“These people have the same experiences as you, just in a different way,” Shepherd said. “You don’t realize how similar yet different your experiences are in life. It’s almost a humbling experience for me.”

Love finds wheelchair basketball more exciting than traditional basketball and said it serves as an opportunity for the non-disabled to gain perspective.

“Sometimes, it’s like human bumper cars — I swear we just ran into each other,” Love said. “We have a lot of people who will watch us play, and

Aaron Manning shoots the ball March 15 at the Recreation and Wellness Center. People with and without disabilities participate in wheelchair basketball. JACY BRADLEY, DN they’ll be a little bit skeptical because they may have never seen wheelchair basketball. Sometimes, people are nervous to try it out, and then they try. It becomes something they come back for.”

Moving forward, Love said, she hopes to expand the wheelchair basketball club and continue raising awareness for disabled people.

“There’s not as many people of minorities on college campuses, and they need to go where they can find people that have been through similar experiences,” Love said. ‘It’s greatly important in just learning awareness overall and making non-disabled people more aware that disabled people can do the same thing, it might just look a little bit different.”

Contact Charleston Bowles with comments at clbowles@bsu.edu or on Twitter @cbowles01.

DNLife

03.17.22

FEMALE Finesse THE

Women’s History Month

Dorica Watson poses for a photo March 15 in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. Watson is the current president of Women in Business Unlimited (WIBU). RYLAN

CAPPER, DN; KAMRYN TOMLINSON, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

How expressive Muncie businesswomen are empowering the next wave

Creative Project Manager Amy Leffingwell had a similar experience when she was invited to

Grace Bentkowski Reporter The first time Women In Business Unlimited (WIBU) President and Open Door Health Services Director of Community Engagement Dorica Watson attended one of the organization’s luncheons 12 years ago, she was greeted by colorful hair and artificial fish heels. What she learned that day is anything can mean business.

“I started seeing people who, naturally, I didn’t identify as professional because I had been told what professional was,” Watson said.

“I didn’t really have the opportunity to see what professional was.”

WIBU Vice President and Farmhouse

It is a place that supports and encourages women with relationship-building. We’re dedicated to providing that professional development.”

- WATASHA BARNES GRIFFIN, Women in Business Unlimited secretary and YWCA Central Indiana CEO join an event by a prior president four years ago.

“I looked around, and it was such a diverse group of powerful, respected women, and that got me very interested in more networking and serving for other women to join,” Leffingwell said.

WIBU, a volunteer-based organization, is centered around giving all women networking opportunities in Muncie and the rest of East Central Indiana, per its website. The group hosts monthly luncheons, calendar events and more.

“This is a space for all women, no matter what walk of life they are on,” Watson said.

As Watson and Leffingwell continued their involvement in WIBU, they took the time to find out what the organization personally stood for. Along with empowerment, growth and experience for Leffingwell, WIBU is also about supporting other women, she said.

“I’ve learned, within this group, that it is OK to throw your hat in the ring,” Leffingwell said.

“It is OK to toot your own horn because we’re all tooting each others’ horns.”

See FEMALE, 11

09

Byte

Anxiety and the Stage In “Tall Girl 2,” Jodi Kreyman has a loving relationship, popularity and becomes the lead of her school play. However, when Kreyman’s relationship falls apart, her confidence follows suit. Kreyman’s struggles with anxiety also give audiences something relatable, director Emily Ting said, since some people won’t relate to being tall.

Byte

‘The Book of Boba Fett’

Teased as “The Book of Boba Fett” in the after-credits scene of season 2 of the Mandalorian, a new show, labeled as “The Mandalorian Season 2.5,” premiered Dec. 29, 2021, and had seven episodes, ending Feb. 9, 2022. Taking place after Fett and Shand’s ascension, they experience struggles and triumphs while discovering a problem that is harming the planet.

Ball Bearings

Sharing Art Positivity on Social Media According to a survey by Pew Research, over 80 percent of 18-29 year olds have at least one social media platform in the United States, but 41 percent of Americans have encountered negative behavior using social media, like namecalling, threats and other forms of harassment. However, some social media users share positivity on the platform through art.

ON BALLSTATEDAILY.COM/BYTE: MARVEL SHOWS LEAVING NETFLIX | CHECKPOINT

DNLife

03.17.22

10

BRIDGING

Women’s History Month

A statistical breakdown of the differences in wages between men and women in the U.S.

the wage gap

&

Employment PAY BASED ON GENDER OCCUPATIONAL GROUP

Maintenance & Repair

WOMEN EARNED

$39,321 $47,222

Education & Childcare

$60,398 $76,445

Food service manager

$35,417 Women who $45,775 are parents

KAMRYN TOMLINSON, DN

experience a larger pay gap than men who are parents.

DESCRIMINATION 23%

BECAUSE OF THIS,

44 Years

—

for women to reach equal pay and defeat the gap.

women

Earned less than male coworkers

men

men

men

25%

5%

6%

5%

women

$45,856 $70,623 $67,133 $83,924

Men

EXTRA DAYS

it will take until 2059 — nearly

Sales & Retail

Women

To keep up, women would have to work an average of

84% 42 of what men earned.

Administrative service manager

THE Gender BY NUMBERS WORKPLACE

According to a 2020 Pew Research Center analysis

16%

women

Were treated as not competent

Experienced repeated slights

FOR EVERY

White man’s dollar White women earn Black women earn Latina women earn

84% 68.8% 63.5%

$0.84 women earn 84 cents for every dollar a man earns.

1 CENT

DIFFERENCE in recent years

$0.77 2014

$0.78 2015

$0.79 2016

Sources: 2015 Census, The White House blog, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, Pew Research Center, Payscale

11 03.17.22

FEMALE Continued from Page 09

For Watson, WIBU also stood for representation among women of color.

“There is no one that has ever looked like me before that has held this role,” Watson said.

“As a Black woman, I know how important representation is. I know that if I am the first, I don’t ever want to be the last.”

As a group, WIBU members have worked together to implement these elements throughout the years in their meetings. Now, as a president and vice president duo, Watson and Leffingwell have begun 2022 with these same expressive women in mind.

“I want to work alongside women to embolden them so they can really become their best selves,” Watson said. “Sometimes, we don’t become our best

I looked around, and it was such a diverse group of powerful, respected women, and that got me very interested in more networking and serving for other women to join.”

- AMY LEFFINGWELL, Women in Business Unlimited vice president selves because we weren’t given permission to.”

Providing members a welcoming space to network, learn and expand their reach is WIBU’s priority, Watson said. The organization gives each member permission to shine.

“It can be a weird space because we don’t get to say, ‘We are proud of us,’” Watson said. “Then, we stand in the background and watch other people be proud of others.”

To kick off the year and highlight women in the community, WIBU adopted “Warrior Women Wednesday” as a way to share projects being completed by women or give congratulations to women who are continuously making their mark via Facebook.

“Not just amazing things [for the business community], but also for themselves,” Watson said. “It’s important for us to honor and acknowledge all sorts of women.”

WIBU board member and Ball State Director of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation Lindsey Speer also appreciates the organization’s new approach to giving women of any age in the area a platform on their social media.

“We’re trying to empower even young people to know that you don’t just have to be empowered as a professional — you can be empowered in what you’re capable of,” Speer said.

“Warrior Women Wednesday” also allows members, businesswomen and women alike to virtually stay in touch with WIBU and its accolades while maintaining community awareness.

“I will always be connected as the organization grows and diversifies,” said WaTasha Barnes Griffin, WIBU secretary and YWCA Central Indiana CEO. Along with social media, Barnes Griffin said in-person WIBU events are “a place women should be” as it supports and encourages relationshipbuilding, and WIBU is dedicated to providing professional development. Speer noted how every event gives members an opportunity to reintroduce themselves as they grow within their careers.

“Every event we have, you do an introduction,” Speer said. “And you own that introduction … like ‘who am I?’ [It’s about] empowering yourself to empower other people.”

Speer recalled her first form of involvement in WIBU through its annual ATHENA Awards Program, which “celebrates the potential of all women as valued members and leaders of our community and recognizes those who support them,” according to the website. Speer received the Young ATHENA Award in 2014 for her work as a young professional within the community.

“That brought me to WIBU in terms of opportunities, resources, networking and what the organization had to provide and offer,” she said.

Speer attended multiple WIBU events and started making connections, which led to her wanting to serve on the board during summer 2021.

“As a professional and as a woman, I am able to provide to others what WIBU provided to me,” Speer said.

As the organization continues to support, represent and empower future businesswomen, Watson wants the community to know WIBU will always have a space to do just that.

“Sometimes, we don’t know our power because we’ve never been given the permission to activate it,” Watson said. “We want to open those doors.”

Contact Grace Bentkowski with comments at gmbentkowski@bsu.edu or on Twitter @gbentkowski.

DNLife

Cardinal

Kitchen Hey, Ball State! Did you know there is a food pantry on campus? We’d love to help you if you need it. Here’s when, where and how:

Located in Ball State

Student Center, Room L-26

Open the last three

Tuesdays of every month

We have groceries and toiletries!

A group of participants pose for a photo during the 2021 ATHENA Awards. WIBU hosts the local ATHENA Awards luncheon every year. FARMHOUSE CREATIVE, PHOTO COURTESY

Learn more or donate by emailing cardkitchen@bsu.edu

Cardinal Kitchen

DNOpinion

12

03.17.22

Open-Minded

Sophie Nulph Columnist

Sophie Nulph is a senior magazine journalism major and writes “Open-Minded” for The Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

Under the

Information

Ocean

The impact of news coverage about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is negative in more than one way.

ON BALLSTATEDAILY.COM/BYTE: ‘TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE’ IS A MASSIVE DISAPPOINTMENT

13

03.17.22

DNOpinion

Taking a break from social media isn’t selfish, and prioritizing your mental health when consumed by negative news is important if we expect ourselves to stay engaged enough to continue supporting the cause in different ways.”

I

woke up to the news around 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, as Russian troops began to invade Ukraine. Numbness ran through my body at the thought of conflict, and after talking with a friend for an hour about the possibilities, I started my day confused and uncertain.

The reports raced through my mind on the 3-minute drive to Starbucks as I thought back to my brother and friends who have served. I stopped at the television to watch the news every time I got up at work — my eyes glued to the screen for information.

Then the terror set in.

Are the reports accurate? Are we being fed propaganda by the Russian government? What kind of international peacekeepers are stepping in? Was Russian President Vladmir Putin’s threat directed at the United States?

For the rest of the day, my body physically shook — not at the fear of potential United States involvement, but for the heartbreak I felt for Ukrainian citizens.

My soul became stuck in pain as I was consumed in watching the evacuations, patriotism and safe family members longing to hear from loved ones on every TikTok that appeared on my For You page.

And then, I quickly realized without social media, I’d be further in the dark.

After a week consumed in the news, it’s safe to say I felt guilty. If I had the opportunity, I would drop everything to right the wrongs that are happening every minute in Ukraine. The reality is, I don’t have enough funds to help financially, I am incapable of helping physically and the burnout from an overwhelming amount of bad news was begging me to avoid the news for a few days. But how can I justify avoiding a nightmare others are living?

For the last month, my eyes, ears, head and heart have been glued to my favorite news sources, without taking a break. As a journalist, I have written and read and met with professionals on how to deal with the burnout, yet here it is. Social media is a double-edged sword; it tempts you with the information you know will weigh down your soul.

It’s important to remember social media is a conduit, and not just for factual information. Social media acts as a channel for what can appear to be first-person accounts from Ukrainian citizens and people experiencing the terror firsthand, but also for the type of reliable information we try to acquire from journalists. Sifting through the harmful to find the helpful is a tedious process of exposing myself to images I never wanted to see.

Social media provides all of it — the good and the bad — because while anyone can provide information immediately, media outlets can and often are used as a propaganda machine.

During conflicts like Russia’s invasion, social media is crucial to close the distance between countries, keep the world informed and provide insurance of factual coverage of any and all events that may unfold as time passes. It helps emphasize the need for support, show the true implications of conflict on foreign soil and warn users of what to expect next. However, the gruesome consequences of this open communication also leads to highlighting the casualties with more detail than what has ever been shareable.

As distraught and terrified as I am when the news breaks each day, I must continue to remind myself that no matter where my feet are on this Earth, I am

being affected by what is happening — as is anyone who cares about humanity.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do is simply offer our best moral support.

Taking a break from social media isn’t selfish, and prioritizing your mental health when consumed by negative news is important if we expect ourselves to stay engaged enough to continue supporting the cause in different ways.

The Russian invasion amplifies the need for international news coverage, and freedom of press is a privilege and power held by few. Russian citizens do not have the outlets of education offered to Americans, but too much social media coverage and misinformation can cause outright panic. World War III rumors continue to spiral as Russian drops bombs closer to Poland, striking fear into citizens internationally.

These rumors exemplify the complex relationships the public maintains with social media. Russia’s citizens don’t have the ability to protest or speak out about their government’s unjust war.

Most Russian media are not independent from Putin’s government, which is currently cracking down on dissent from its citizens in the form of a newly signed law that could see Russians face 15 years in prison for speaking out on the war, according to NPR. As outsiders to the conflict, we don’t officially have personal stakes in the conflict, yet our access to social media gives us more of a platform to express dissent than the people immediately involved in the war. This consequently leads to stress and fear over situations we should be supporting and advocating for.

All our lives, we’ve been instilled with the values of free speech that our Constitution guarantees, and that can

manifest as a compulsion to comment on everything — to not only have a take about something, but to have the right take about everything. That need to be on top of the conversation and to be on the right side of the conversation is what social media apps like Twitter sell themselves on. “What’s happening” isn’t just Twitter’s marketing, it’s exactly what you get.

The awful truth is, our collective stress is nothing compared to the suffering of Ukraine’s citizens, who have shown the world the incredible depth of their bravery over the last month. While the true death toll in Ukraine is unclear, some estimates from the Office of United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights place the civilian death toll at 691, though the real number is likely higher. Ours is an inconsequential problem compared to the hell being visited on Ukraine, but it’s important to remember that suffering is relative and not worth comparing.

Stepping back can be so necessary at a time when everything feels like too much. The magnifying glass that social media holds over the issue of the day does as much to spotlight issues as to cook its users alive like ants on a driveway. While it’s our responsibility to be informed, participating members of our global community, we don’t need to drown ourselves in our echo chambers with every new development.

I stand with Ukraine, and my heart breaks for the unnecessary bloodshed brought on by a close-minded totalitarian politician. We must all stand in solidarity, even when it’s hard to look.

Contact Sophie Nulph with comments at smnulph@bsu.edu or on Twitter @nulphsophie.

ALEX HINDENLANG, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION; FREEPIK, VECTORS PROVIDED

DNSports

03.17.22

14

HOROSCOPE FOR MARCH 17, 2022 Written by: Nancy Black

ARIES March 21-April 19 Today is a 7 — Begin another physical health and fitness phase. Adapt practices for new conditions illuminated by this Virgo Full Moon.

Nurture yourself. Increase strength and vitality.

GEMINI May 21-June 20 Today is a 6 — Make repairs. Renovate, remodel and tend your garden.

Domestic changes require adaptation after the Full Moon. Begin a new home and family phase.

TAURUS April 20-May 20 Today is an 8 — Express your heart, imagination and artistry. The Full Moon shines on a turning point. Change directions with a romance, passion or creative endeavor.

CANCER June 21-July 22 Today is a 7 — Start a new chapter. A new two-week Full Moon phase highlights communications, connection and intellectual discovery. Consider news from another perspective.

Write and share.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22 Today is a 9 — Make a shift around income and finances. Discover profitable opportunities in new directions. Harvest an unexpended windfall.

Redirect attention to discover fresh potential.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22 Today is a 6 — Review priorities privately. The Full Moon illuminates transitions.

Begin a two-week introspective phase. Balance old responsibilities with new.

Meditate on dreams, past and future.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 Today is a 9 — A challenge reorients you. This Full Moon in your sign illuminates a new personal direction.

Expand your boundaries.

Turn toward an inspiring possibility.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21 Today is a 7 — One social door closes and another opens under the Full Moon.

Adapt with community and team changes over two weeks. Share appreciations, goodbyes and greetings.

BASKETBALL

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 oday is an 8 — Collaborate to benefit family finances after tonight’s Full Moon.

Shift directions with shared accounts over the next two weeks. Work out the next phase together.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 Today is an 8 — An exploration changes and adapts. Tonight’s Full Moon illuminates a shift in your educational direction.

Experiment with new concepts for the next few weeks.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 Today is an 8 — Adjust to changes. Reach a Full Moon turning point with a partnership. Compromise and collaborate for shared commitments. Adapt for new solutions. Love strengthens foundations.

The Marketplace

Continued from Page 07

Junior Annie Rauch said the Cardinals emphasized culture and open discussion about their aspirations this season more than she had experienced in prior seasons.

“I think talking about culture is really important,” Rauch said. “Goals are way easier to reach when you talk about them out loud, and that’s something I’ll take with me.”

During the offseason, Rauch said, the Cardinals improved their relationships with each other off the court, which brought her closer to her teammates. Every week before the season started, she and her teammates would face one another in one-on-one basketball, and it helped her better understand their roles and personalities.

Like Rauch, senior Blake Smith said changing roles and accepting a bench role was initially hard to deal with, averaging 4.9 minutes per game this season after recording 14.9 minutes per game in 2020-21. However, the transition became easier as the season progressed because of the relationships she developed with her teammates.

“It’s the girls — we’re like a sisterhood, like a family who hangs out all the time,” Smith said. “I can tell we all genuinely care about each other.”

Though the Cardinals’ hopes of an NCAA Tournament bid were over after their championship loss to Buffalo, Ball State was selected for the Women’s National Invitation Tournament and faced Marquette March 16.

Sallee said the Cardinals deserved their selection and was excited to continue coaching through the postseason.

“Everyone will say, ‘It’s not the tournament we want,’” Sallee said, “but you have to have a little bit of humility in this situation and understand, even though we felt we deserved to play in the big

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Today is a 7 — Make a professional change under this Full Moon. Redirect efforts toward your talents, passions and purpose. An exciting career opportunity has long-term benefits.

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Ball State Women’s Basketball players celebrate after senior Blake Smith hits a 3-pointer against Eastern Michigan March 5 at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals rotated their entire bench into the lineup on senior night.

ELI HOUSER, DN

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Contact Kyle Smedley with comments at kyle. smedley@bsu.edu or on Twitter @smedley1932.

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49 Go bad 51 Level 52 Winter festival 53 Huber of tennis 54 Neither lose nor gain... and a hint to four long answers 57 Ratings unit 58 Adjusted one’s schedule (for) 59 Villainous literary alter ego 60 Atypical DOWN 1 Nodded off 2 Not as straight, as hair 3 Milli Vanilli label 4 Bash 5 Common beach party, briefly 6 Non-pro sports org.

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47 Benchmark 48 Golfer nicknamed “The Slammer” 50 Article of faith 52 Apt cooler brand 53 Incomplete combustion product 55 Fruity cooler 56 Fred Savage’s “The Wonder Years” role, informallyabbr.

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