BSU 04-01-21

N D DAILY NEWS

BALL STATE STAFF SHARES ONE BALL STATE DAY PLANS 06 A different type of game: Members of Cardinal Esports describe the parallels between their routines and that of student-athletes.07

Wings, paws and claws: Muncie local photographs the city’s wildlife.09

say can you sing Ball State assistant professor of music reminisces on his time in the Singing Sergeants of the U.S. Air Force Band.

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Aaron Paige, assistant professor of music, poses for a photo March 28, 2021, at the Indiana War Memorial in Indianapolis.

Although most members of the Singing Sergeants leave after four years, Paige said, he stayed for an additional two years because he wanted to get his student loan repayment and use his GI Bill to pay for his doctorate degree. JACOB MUSSELMAN, DN

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Did you miss it? Catch up on the news from March 25-29 on ...

BallStateDailyNews.com UNSPLASH, PHOTO COURTESY

1 million Hoosiers fully vaccinated

Cardinals honor Walton, seniors

Department of Health announced more than 1 million people have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the state. Since December 2020, 1.5 million first doses have been administered in Indiana. Recipients of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which only requires one dose, were included in the tally of fully-vaccinated Hoosiers.

season home finale, Ball State Men’s Volleyball bid farewell to head coach Joel Walton, who will retire after this season — his 23rd. Ball State also honored its four seniors: outside attackers Ben Chinnici, Ryan Dorgan and Blake Reardon and libero Nick LaVanchy. Loyola Chicago defeated the Cardinals 3-1, sweeping the two-match series.

March 25: The Indiana

Women’s tennis extends win streak

Jurors in Chauvin trial hear testimonies

defeated Toledo 4-3, extending their win streak to 14 matches after dropping their first two of the regular season. Ball State split its six singles matches but outlasted the Rockets by winning two out of three in doubles play.

The Cardinals remain the only undefeated team in Mid-American Conference competition this year.

Minnesota brought criminal charges of murder and manslaughter against former police officer Derek Chauvin for the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd. Second-degree murder is the most serious count against Chauvin, which carries up to 40 years in prison. Twelve jurors will deliver a verdict after deliberating following the conclusion of the trial.

March 28: The Cardinals

RYLAN CAPPER, DN

VOL. 100 ISSUE: 28 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.

March 27: Prior to its regular

EDITORIAL BOARD Zach Piatt, Editor-in-chief Taylor Smith, Managing Editor Grace McCormick, News Editor Nicole Thomas, Lifestyles Editor Ian Hansen, Sports Editor Jacob Musselman, Photo Editor Elissa Maudlin, Interim Opinion Editor Josh Bennett, Video Editor June Cooper, Social Media Editor John Lynch, Copy Director CREATIVE SERVICES Elliott DeRose, Creative Director Maggie Getzin, Print Design Editor Kamryn Tomlinson, Web Design Editor

Mach 29: The state of

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CORRECTION

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

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

4-DAY WEATHER

FORECAST Rachel Stinger, Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

WINDY/ CLOUDY

MAINLY SUNNY

WARM-UP/ SUNNY

CLEAR SKIES/SUN

Hi: 38º Lo: 21º

Hi: 51º Lo: 35º

Hi: 64º Lo: 44º

Hi: 71º Lo: 50º

THIS WEEK: Moving into next week, temperatures will warm up. Highs throughout the week will remain in the lowerto-upper 70s. Most of the week will be clear and dry with some rain chances in the beginning of the week.

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Indiana

Vaccinations offered to Native tribes

PUSHING

POLITICAL LIMITS Ball State students found Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter.

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The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi hosted a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Indianapolis for state-recognized and historical Native American tribes March 27. The second vaccine dose will be delivered April 24. To be eligible, Native tribe members have to be at least 18 years old.

Community

Heeter reappointed to MCS school board The Ball State Board of Trustees voted to reappoint Dave Heeter to a four-year term on the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) school board expiring in 2025. Heeter has already served three years on the school board, and Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns said Heeter led the board in balancing its budget since the partnership between Ball State and MCS began.

Campus

University offers new nature preserve

KAMRYN TOMLINSON, DN

The Ball State Board of Trustees voted to designate a 161-acre forest in Delaware County as an Indiana nature preserve. The university has owned Ginn Woods since 1970 and has used the space for environmental education. The vote to designate the forest now goes to the Indiana Natural Resources Commission for approval, where Gov. Eric Holcomb will sign an order to finalize the dedication.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: BALL STATE STUDENTS REFLECT ON WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

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A CU$TOMIZED CHOICE Indiana 529 college savings plans increase in 2020.

Grace McCormick, News Editor Mackenzie Rupp, Reporter As many college students worry about paying off student loans, the average cost of college tuition in the United States has consistently risen at two to three times the rate of inflation each year, according to the College Savings Plans Network. The majority of federal financial aid comes in the form of loans, which increases the burden of student loan debt for graduates and families.

To incentivize saving for college, the U.S. Congress created Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code in 1996, which stated qualified tuition savings programs used for higher education expenses would be exempt from taxation.

The state of Indiana offers its own tax incentives for CollegeChoice 529 direct savings plans in which account owners earn a state income tax credit of 20 percent of all contributions to a 529 account up to a $1,000 credit per year.

Despite the financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indiana saw an increase in its total 529 savings during 2020. According to a Jan. 26, 2021, press release from Treasurer of State Kelly Mitchell, savings in 529 plans passed $6 billion for the first time last year.

Ian Hauer, communications director for the Indiana Treasurer of State, said state 529 plans have continued to offer positive investment performance.

“CollegeChoice 529 Saving Plans have continued to enjoy solid growth, even during the challenges of the past year,” he said. “We have

found that savers save, and CollegeChoice 529 is a helpful tool for families to meet their education savings goals.”

Dagney Faulk, Ball State director of research in the Center for Business and Economic Research, said she opened 529 plans for both of her kids — Delaney, 16, and LJ, 14 — when they were younger.

“It was mainly for the tax advantage, to be honest. That was a really good incentive for us,” she said. “It’s very easy to set up. There is an array of options that you can choose in terms of how that money is invested once it’s in the account.”

529 plans offer curated “year of enrollment” portfolios that range from more than an 80-percent concentration in stocks to an 80-percent concentration in bonds and capital preservation investments.

“The stock market on the whole has been doing very well this year — that is one of the options you can choose for 529 accounts,” Faulk said. “You can choose the degree of risk that you take.”

Faulk said she thinks 2020 stimulus checks were a likely reason for the increased savings in 529 plans. “[For] a family where both earners were able to maintain a job and get this extra stimulus money, it would make sense to try and save some of that to pay off debt or save,” she said.

Faulk said she would encourage families who want to save for their children’s higher education or families who have children already in college to open 529 accounts. Students have the option to open an account for themselves as well as long as they are at least 18 years old.

If students earn taxable income, Faulk said she would recommend they open 529 accounts for themselves because of the potential tax credit.

She said students can save money for their own beneficiaries in the future if they don’t use all the funds for themselves.

Sharon Kelly opened 529 savings accounts for both of her children, one of them for Ball State sophomore exercise science major Logan Kelly when he was 6 months old.

“Being able to help them pay for college was important to us,” she said. “We started the plan right after both kids were born and [have] been contributing to it ever since.”

Kelly said the process of signing up for and using a 529 plan was simple.

“Everything was automatically deducted from our bank account,” she said. “I didn’t have to write a check every month.”

Kelly stopped contributing to the account once her son graduated from high school and paid for his tuition and apartment rent through the 529.

“It’s a nice way to have that money available to you when your child does reach college age,” Kelly said. “I don’t have to quite panic yet.”

Theresa Lindsey, parent of Ball State junior anthropology, Spanish and Japanese triple major Larsen Lindsey, opened a 529 savings account when her daughter was a newborn. Theresa Lindsey used a financial advisor to help open the account.

“I had to sign some forms, and they explained to me about the contributions,” she said. “I will say that the one thing that did not get conveyed to me as well as I would have liked it was what the

penalty is to get the money out.”

If account owners withdraw 529 funds for non-qualified expenses, the money withdrawn is subject to income tax and a 10-percent penalty on any capital gains. Lindsey said her daughter received scholarships to pay for school, so she wanted to withdraw 529 funds.

“Everybody wants their kid to get scholarships, but it doesn’t always happen,” Lindsey said. “I’m very thankful she has. She’s a junior right now and has zero debt, and we’ve used very little out of her college fund.”

Lindsey said, while the 529 plan has several benefits, account owners “need to be good with paperwork.”

“You [have to] keep all your receipts,” she said.

“When you draw money out of it, you have to be able to prove what you use those funds for and that they were for school expenses.”

Lindsey said the remaining funds in her 529 plan will help pay for Larsen Lindsey’s graduate school.

Hauer said 529 plans can be customized by account owners to the investing timeline that makes the most sense for them.

“It’s never too early or too late to start saving for future education,” Hauer said. “Every dollar saved is one less that potentially has to be borrowed in student loans and paid back with interest.”

Contact Grace McCormick with comments at grmccormick@bsu.edu or on Twitter @graceMc564. Contact Mackenzie Rupp with comments at msrupp@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @kenzieer18.

HOW TO OPEN A COLLEGECHOICE 529 SAVINGS PLAN 529 plans can be opened and monitored online through the website collegechoicedirect.com.

Enrollment forms can also be mailed to P.O. Box 219418, Kansas City, MO 64121.

Call the Indiana Education Savings Authority for help opening a 529 account at 866-485-9415.

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

STEP 3:

STEP 4:

STEP 5:

Fill out enrollment forms with identification information about the account owner and beneficiary.

Choose certain investments, usually an agebased portfolio, that fits the beneficiary’s needs.

Pick a funding method to open the savings plan — check or direct deposit from a bank account.

The minimum contribution to open a 529 plan is $10.

Account owners can change their investment portfolios up to twice per year.

Savings can be used, without being taxed, on qualified higher education expenses, including rent costs, for any approved college or apprenticeship program in the U.S.

Source: Indiana Education Savings Authority and collegechoicedirect.com ALEX HINDENLANG, DN

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The Ball State Young Democratic Socialists of America’s Instagram page is pulled up on a phone March 31, 2021, outside of the Atrium. The new political organization has used social media for outreach early in its development. JADEN WHITEMAN, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Ball State’s newest political organization looks to establish itself by educating students about socialist policies and community action.

John Lynch Reporter Editor’s Note: Two sources for this story are members of the Ball State speech team. Grace McCormick, news section editor for The Daily News, is also a member of the speech team.

If you were to ask Eddie Osburn what they thought of the Biden administration’s first 100 days, they’d probably express some disappointment.

Osburn, junior English creative writing major and chair of the newly formed Ball State chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), founded the chapter with some help from fellow speech team member and sophomore political science and English rhetoric major Parker Abrell.

Osburn applied to the YDSA’s chapter program and took a brief training course on running a chapter while Abrell handled social media outreach to attract members for a callout meeting.

On Jan. 26, the first meeting of the new chapter was held virtually in compliance with COVID-19 safety recommendations. Osburn said the organization now stands between 10 and 15 members strong at any given meeting.

“I started this chapter because I saw a need for it at Ball State and in colleges and universities across the country,” Osburn said. “There’s a need for free college and university within this nation because our academia is often filled with affluent people, and the working class often can’t afford education because of its cost. At Ball State, I saw a need for us raising the minimum wage of student workers, a better response to COVID-19 and many other reasons.”

In keeping with many of the core values of YDSA, Ball State’s chapter will pursue political-

and community-based action while advocating for socialist ideals like free healthcare, a $15 minimum wage and student debt forgiveness.

While the chapter is not yet officially a part of YDSA due to some holdups in registration, Osburn said it intends to endorse the Supporting Tenants Across Indiana (STAI) campaign soon, which involves teaching tenants about the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s moratorium on evictions during COVID-19, informing tenants about rental assistance and helping with eviction trials.

I just realized I could not stand by anymore. I, at least, had to be a part of something, an organization working toward the socialist ideals.”

- PARKER ABRELL, Sophomore political science and English rhetoric major and Ball State YDSA co-founder “We want to do that because people getting evicted is obviously bad and shouldn’t happen,” Osburn said. “Housing is a human right but also because evictions contribute to issues related to the pandemic —it makes the pandemic worse when you evict people.”

The pandemic, Osburn said, may have heightened public awareness and support for socialist economic and social ideals. 2020 saw racial turmoil, a historic pandemic and the

largest economic downturn since the 2008 Great Recession, which may have provided incentives for many Americans to seek alternate political ideologies, they said.

The inverse of that statement is also true, Osburn said. As more people reach class consciousness, they begin to realize there are also policies in the United States that are designed to benefit the upper class and society’s elites.

“All these awful things started happening to people because of this pandemic, and it showed us how almost frail and weak capitalism is,” Osburn said. “American people are noticing when you implement a mask mandate, that’s a government policy, and it helps people to not get infected. So, they notice other policies as well — things like their working wage. They’re like, ‘Oh, this isn’t enough to live in a pandemic.’”

Abrell, who was initially introduced to more leftist policies while crafting arguments on the speech team, said the events of 2020 similarly motivated him to help found a YDSA chapter at Ball State. “[Exposure to leftist ideals] started my gears turning,” Abrell said. “I just realized I could not stand by anymore. I, at least, had to be a part of something, an organization working toward the socialist ideals. With my lessons in political science as a political science major, what I see is that some systems work for some citizens, and some systems don’t work for others.”

Economic issues like a $15 minimum wage

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DNNews

and a $2,000 stimulus check for most Americans, which Biden and many other Democrats publicly supported during the 2020 campaign, have yet to be realized by Congress.

While Democrats were able to retake control of the executive branch and both houses of Congress by a slim majority, Abrell is concerned about their ability to live up to promises made on the campaign trail.

“We’re going to have to take a stand and be more vocal, both to Biden himself as well as the more moderate Democrats in Congress, to not compromise with conservatives and not compromise on the social values that we say we have high priorities on because we already, with compromises, were not able to get that support,” he said.

Osburn echoed Abrell’s willingness to challenge the political establishment in future elections like the 2022 midterms.

“Obviously, we’ll want to replace the Republicans and whatnot, but we also want to replace established Democrats who don’t uphold the ideals that we support,” they said. “This means supporting candidates who don’t take big money from corporations, who don’t take corporate PAC money. This means supporting candidates who are supporting grassroots movements and supporting candidates who are very adamant about socialist policies.”

Contact John Lynch with comments at jplynch@ bsu.edu or on Twitter @WritesLynch.

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CHARLIE’S CHIPS One Ball State Day returns in 2021 with a new twist.

Editor’s note: One Ball State Day is a universitywide fundraising event, and The Ball State Daily News will be participating.

Plush cardinals will be scattered around campus, cardboard cutouts of deans will stand in their colleges and organization members will strategize what times to ask people to donate to their crowdfunding projects. This is what One Ball State Day will look like April 6.

“I Spy Charlie” is a campus-wide treasure hunt and a new One Ball State Day event. Brittney Grim, advisor of the Philanthropy Education Council and director of Student and Young Alumni Philanthropy, said clues will be posted to the Ball State Foundation’s Instagram account 10 minutes before each treasure hunt round.

Students who find plush cardinals can bring them to the David Letterman Communication and Media Building lobby to claim prize packs or designate money to a participating crowdfunding project,

whichever the scroll attached to the plush says.

Grim said three rounds of “I Spy Charlie” will occur the day of the event at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and students can only win one round each.

The “I Spy Charlie” treasure hunt is one of many activities promoting engagement with One Ball State Day 2021, said Lola Mauer, associate vice president of strategy.

Mauer said one idea Grim proposed for One Ball State Day 2021 was the dean cutout challenge. Life-size cardboard cutouts of each college’s dean will be located around campus April 6, and a cutout of President Geoffrey Mearns will be in the Letterman lobby. Students and staff can take a selfie with their dean’s cutout and post to social media with the hashtag #OneBallState for a chance to win a prize pack or designate additional dollars to a fund project of their choice.

The few other in-person events will include socially distanced tabling by the Philanthropy Education Council in the Letterman lobby. There will also be a photo booth and space to write thankyou cards to donors.

In 2020, Ball State organizations raised $470,970 through donations on its website during One Ball State Day, breaking the fundraising

PARTICIPATING GROUPS IN ONE BALL STATE DAY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Online student support fund Take Flight student grants Division of Student Affairs Discovery Women’s Group College of Fine Arts Miller College of Business University Libraries Parents Fund Ball State Fund Athletics Department Honors College Office of Inclusive Excellence College of Health Emens Auditorium Teachers College Rinker Center for International Programs Student Scholarships Fund Alumni Association College of Architecture and Planning College of Communication, Information and Media College of Sciences and Humanities Office of Community Engagement Graduate School Learning Center

Source: One Ball State Day 2021 website

MAGGIE GETZIN, DN ILLUSTRATION

record in its second year. Mauer said the main goal for One Ball State Day 2021 is to outraise last year’s record to financially help more students.

To meet this goal, Mauer said the foundation is sponsoring many social media challenges and posting promotional videos throughout One Ball State Day. Mearns will also host three virtual events with guests, including faculty members and former Ball State President Jo Ann Gora.

The events will welcome One Ball State Day ambassadors, deans, student leaders and alumni.

Participants in the events will have a chance to win money to designate to participating funds of their choice.

In a March 25, 2021, press release, Mearns said he appreciated community support shown during One Ball State Day in previous years.

“Last year’s One Ball State Day demonstrated how Cardinals help Cardinals, especially during challenging times,” Mearns said “I am grateful to everyone who participated last year and those who will help this April 6. The generosity of our supporters helps us achieve our mission of preparing our students to have fulfilling careers and to lead meaningful lives.”

-Staff Reports

DNSports

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Field Hockey

Cardinals split series at home Ball State broke even in its two-game series against Longwood. After falling 3-0 March 26, the Cardinals defeated the Lancers 1-0 March 27 off of redshirt senior defender Rachel Pereira’s third-quarter goal.

Sophomore goalkeeper Wietske Overdijkink also recorded four saves in the win, improving her record to 3-2. The Cardinals return to action April 2-3 against Bellarmine.

Cardinal Esports members give an inside look on what goes on beyond the screen.

Charleston Bowles Reporter While the public viewing of esports takes place almost exclusively in weekly live competitions on streaming platforms, there is so much more that happens behind the scenes.

Members of the Cardinal Esports program spend most of each week participating in practice sessions and team meetings — just like other athletic teams. Both esports teams, varsity and club, meet five days a week for a total of 15 hours.

In these practice sessions, teams focus on a single aspect, such as reviewing film of their previous matchup or improving mechanical training and skill work.

“We try to bring our work as close as we can to traditional sports,” Ball State Director of Esports and varsity head coach Dan Marino said. “Obviously, there’s no real physicality, but we’re developing our own play as individuals and working as a team by reviewing film. It might not be a direct one-to-one between esports and traditional sports, but we’re bringing that as close as we can.”

Julian Thomas, varsity “Rocket League” head coach known by his gamertag “GatorMelon,” has been in the program for nearly five years and transitioned into the head coaching role in the fall 2020 semester after he stepped down from playing. Thomas said he still benefits from practices in his new position just as he did when he was a player.

“The most helpful thing is when players are open about their issues,” Thomas said. “This way, when I go into [videos on demand], I can have a stronger focus on how to build a better practice plan and strategy for the team. I have found

Baseball

the more open a player-and-coach relationship is, the better.”

Marino said he is proud to see Thomas seamlessly transition into the head coaching position and hopes others can follow in his footsteps. “[Thomas] has contributed so much,” Marino said. ”His team knowledge is immense, so having students like him is really important to the development of the program.”

Ball State participates in weekly competitions against other schools in games like “Rocket League,” “League of Legends” and “Overwatch.” In each game, individual teams consist of three to six players. The Cardinal Esports program is a part of the Esports Collegiate Conference, which formed last fall and consists of all 12 traditional Mid-American Conference schools and Northeastern University.

“The ECC is one of the most competitive conferences in the country for collegiate esports,” Marino said. “There are a lot of high-powered programs, and it motivates our players to get better because we want to be in one of the tournaments in this conference, but that requires being one of the top teams in the country, which is what we all want.”

Thomas said there is no better experience than being thrown into the fire of formal competition. He sees parallels between the mentality of an esports player and that of a student-athlete.

“The same concentration and focus that players put into football and basketball — it’s the same for esports,” Thomas said. “The best players eat, sleep and breathe their games. If you want to be the best, learn how to accept failure, and be a team-first player. Most teams are three to five players, so there is absolutely no room for a player to have an ego.”

See PIXEL, 14

MAGGIE GETZIN, DN

Peltier, McDermott win weekly awards Pitcher Chayce McDermott and third baseman Ryan Peltier won awards for their performances in Ball State’s series win over Toledo. McDermott earned NCBWA Pitcher of the Week honors, and Peltier took home the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week Award. McDermott tied his career high in single-game strikeouts while Peltier hit .467 with six RBIs over the four-game series.

Women’s Golf

Moritz, Kim lead team at Colonel Classic Junior Hadley Moritz guided the Cardinals to a ninth-place finish in the Colonel Classic, as she ended the final round with a score of 74.

She finished in 23rd with an overall score of 224. Senior Liz Kim was Ball State’s top finisher at the end of the first two rounds, tying for 17th place individually with a score of 224.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: MEN’S GOLF TIES FOR FIFTH PLACE AT CRAFT FARMS COLLEGIATE

DNSports

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Where

CLAY

No, I’m not a faculty member, and I don’t teach classes, but all of us have some role in helping students learn and helping them enjoy their years at university.

I think that’s really the big part of it.”

meets

DIRT For half his life, Phil Clay has kept Ball State’s athletic grounds in fresh condition.

- PHIL CLAY, Manager of physical education athletic grounds and facilities

Evan Weaver Reporter If the fields could talk, they and Phil Clay would probably be best friends.

Clay, manager of physical education athletic grounds and facilities, has tended to the fields and helped Ball State prepare for athletic events for 29 years. He remembers his first month on the job, December 1991, when Worthen Arena’s construction took place and Irving Gymnasium hosted men’s basketball games. He also remembers a month later — Jan. 15, 1992 — when Ball State Men’s Basketball hosted its first home game at Worthen Arena.

“It was snowing to beat the band,” Clay said. “Every seat in the arena was filled, and the place was high energy, rocking and rolling. I remember standing down on the corner floor working and looking around thinking, ‘Wow, this is a lot of fun.’”

Clay is an alumnus of Miami (Ohio) University. Since the 1970s and before graduating high school in 1980, he has worked for athletic and sportrelated facilities.

“I worked as an usher for sporting events,” Clay said. “I worked on crews that took care of the field at one point, and I worked on game day setup crews. It just kind of became a little bit of a natural flow.”

Clay said he has overseen too many events to count in his career. Despite servicing all of

Phil Clay, manager of physical education athletic grounds and facilities, looks through the netting of the dugout March 24, 2021, at Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark Complex. Clay is in charge of Ball State’s outdoor athletic facilities, including softball, baseball, soccer and field hockey. JACOB MUSSELMAN, DN athletics, Clay is not employed by the athletics department.

Business Affairs operates the Department of Sports Facilities, which provides services to other university areas, including LaFollette Field, Ball Gymnasium and the Health and Physical Activities Building.

Clay’s boss, Gonzo Barajas, senior director of auxiliary services for facilities and events, was once Clay’s subordinate.

“It was a very small department, so I worked for Phil and Phil’s direct supervisor at the time, and I was just an extra person,” Barajas said. “I started off doing labor, and, then, as an undergrad, they gave me more and more responsibility.”

Barajas’ favorite memory of working with him was when Clay stressed the importance of graduation to him.

“Even though we are sport facilities, [graduation] is a reminder of what we’re all really here for,” Barajas said. “I think that was my first kind of eye-opening moment with Phil where I realized, ‘Wow, this guy is not just about turf and sport — he’s about the mission

Phil Clay, manager of physical education athletic grounds and facilities, supervises while one of his employees rakes the softball field March 24, 2021, at Ball Diamond at First Merchants Ballpark Complex. Prior to his groundskeeping position, Clay worked as an usher for sporting events. JACOB MUSSELMAN, DN

of the university.’ I’ve learned a lot of stuff like that from Phil over the years.”

Bill Lynch, former Ball State Football head coach, also has fond memories of working with Clay. Lynch worked as Ball State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 199092 before serving as head coach from 1995-2002.

“The day-to-day interactions were my favorite,” Lynch said. “He was such a guy you could trust, and he was not only hardworking, but he also always had a positive attitude.

He would take that extra step to do whatever he could to make it easier for us to run our program, and that’s what I always appreciated.”

In his time at the Cardinals’ helm, Lynch said, he would constantly rely on Clay for his turf and weather knowledge.

“I think the value of working on the same team, with the football program and the staff working on facilities, can sometimes go in separate directions and not get along,” Lynch said. “That was never the issue with Phil. I always enjoyed

working with him.”

Barajas said Clay’s love for the outdoors comes in handy for his job and described him as the department’s unofficial weatherman. For years, Barajas said, Clay has played a vital role in helping decide whether commencement ceremonies and other events will take place outdoors or indoors.

“Whenever anyone on campus has a weather question, they reach out to him because he has that much knowledge about it,” Barajas said.

Clay said he wasn’t sure if he would return and retake his position because of his other interests and hobbies, such as fishing, backpacking, canoeing and hiking. He said he considers himself an outdoorsman and recently received his Indiana Master Naturalist certification.

However, he doesn’t regret for a second the time he has spent as a member of the Ball State community.

“I like being at the university, and I like working at a university,” Clay said.

“I think our overall mission — graduating students and sending them out — is a noble mission. No, I’m not a faculty member, and I don’t teach classes, but all of us have some role in helping students learn and helping them enjoy their years at university. I think that’s really the big part of it.”

Contact Evan Weaver with comments at erweaver@bsu.edu or on Twitter @evan_weaver7.

DNLife

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Byte

POINT, CLICK, SHOOT Muncie local shares his wildlife photography across social media.

20th Century Fox franchises join MCU With Disney taking over the “X-Men” films from 20th Century Fox, Disney is considering changing the name of the franchise. Fans suggest the franchise’s name should be changed to “The Mutants,” as this is a nod to Stan Lee’s original idea for the characters.

4ByteBSU.com

Ball Bearings

Instagram thrifters sell clothes across US Julia Haslett and Katie Clamme run Indiana-based thrifting accounts on Instagram to sell the items they no longer wear from their closets. Valuing the importance of shopping sustainably, Clamme said she participates in thrifting so she doesn’t contribute to fast fashion.

4BallBearingsMag.com

PATRICK CONNER, PHOTO PROVIDED

Savannah Jordan Reporter On a rainy fall day two years ago, Muncie local Patrick Conner was driving around Muncie’s Prairie Creek Reservoir when he spotted an eagle flying over the water.

“I jumped out of my car because I had never seen one in person,” he said. “At that time, I didn’t have a good camera to take its picture.

So, I went out and bought a camera. The next day, I started taking pictures every day from then on.”

With his Sony a6000 camera and Sigma 150-600 or 55-210 lenses on hand, Conner photographs birds, deers, squirrels and more around Prairie Creek Reservoir, Summit Lake State Park, the Wabash River, the White River and throughout Peru, Indiana.

What Conner loves most about wildlife photography, he said, is showing his family members his work. Because his mother doesn’t

get out much, he said, he wanted to be able to show her the pictures he takes to share what kind of animals are in Muncie that are “just awesome to see.”

Conner posts his wildlife photography on his personal Facebook account, his photography page — “PDConner Photography” — and other Facebook groups, such as “What’s Up Muncie,” “Indiana Images,” “Indiana Nature & Wildlife” and “Backyard Birds and Critters.”

This way, he said, people know they don’t have to travel far to experience seeing animals they have never seen before. Conner also takes requests to find and photograph animals his photography page’s followers wish to see.

One of the most challenging things about photographing wildlife is sitting outside for seven or eight hours and seeing absolutely nothing, he said. Although it can be aggravating, he said, he believes it’s also peaceful to sit and observe the nature around him.

4See WILDLIFE, 11

Byte

There is just the surprise of everything — you can just be sitting there, and an eagle will fly up or over.”

- PATRICK CONNER, Muncie wildlife photographer

ON BYTEBSU.COM: THE COVEN S7E10: INEQUALITY IN THE WORKFORCE

Life experiences inspire musician After young artist AJ Mitchell was discovered on social media in 2015, he released his first single in 2017 and is currently working on his first album, “Skyview.” Mitchell has since collaborated with artists such as Meghan Trainor, Ella Henderson and Cheat Codes.4ByteBSU.com

DNLife

04.01.21

10

Before Ball State, Aaron Paige joined the Singing Sergeants of the U.S. Air Force Band.

November 2015 where she heard the U.S. Army Band perform, and their talent “blew her mind.”

Her audition for the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants was Feb. 29, 2016, in Washington, D.C., and Paige was on the panel of judges.

“He introduced himself — super friendly — and, if you’re familiar with music auditions, that’s not normal,” Holliday said. “A lot of times, you go in either for a jury or for an audition, and the faculty is like, ‘What’s your name? What are you going to play?’ Just very cold, very methodical. This group of people was not like that at all, especially Aaron. He’s just warm, bubbly and wonderful.”

Holliday said Paige is one of her role models because he sings beautifully and is great at teaching and encouraging others. As the two traveled the world together as members of the Singing Sergeants, Holliday said, she felt as though she had known Paige all her life.

“It was a tradition after I moved [to Washington, D.C.] because I didn’t know anyone else, [so] I’d go to his house for Thanksgiving every year,” Holliday said. “We’d eat this humongous meal and watch ‘The Wiz’ afterward.

I love him to death.”

Sumayyah Muhammad and Nicole Thomas Assistant Lifestyles Editor and Lifestyles Editor Raised in Detroit, the city where “everybody can sing,” Aaron Paige, Ball State assistant professor of music, said singing has been a prominent part of his life for as long as he can remember.

In high school, Paige’s choir director was the first person he met who showed him how serious singing could be, as she would often tell him, “How can you be breathing if you’re not practicing music?”

As her student, Paige realized he could enjoy music outside of performing at church and listening to the radio. He realized then he wanted music to change him for the better.

Joining the Singing Sergeants As a young musician, Paige said, he took any job he could get. While attending graduate school at The Ohio State University, Paige was leaving a wedding he performed at when he saw a poster advertising an open tenor vocalist position for the Singing Sergeants of the United States Air Force Band.

“Instead of taking one of the little slips, I took the whole flyer,” Paige said. “It was just on a whim.”

After sending a CD to the Air Force Band, Paige drove from Ohio to Washington, D.C. for his audition. It was one of the most difficult auditions he’d ever done, he said, as he sang opera, jazz, musical theater and pop music for most of the day.

When Paige was offered the job, he didn’t accept it right away.

“My brother had been in the military. I am a screeching, bleeding heart liberal, so I just didn’t know how I felt about getting in the military,” Paige said. “I talked to a couple mentors, and they explained to me how important the opportunity was, that it was not something I had to do forever but would give me the experiences that would propel me for what I wanted to do in the future.”

Paige took the leap of faith and enlisted into the U.S. Air Force July 10, 2012.

Performing around the world For six years, Paige was a member of the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants, where he sang with nearly 20 of “the best musicians in the world,” he said.

At 23 years old, he became the tenor section leader. He organized his section’s duties and scheduled visits to colleges, high schools and elementary schools around the globe.

With a master’s degree in vocal performance, Paige was accustomed to singing opera and classical music before joining the Singing Sergeants. For his first performance in 2012, Paige said he was startled when he had to sing multiple pop hits, including Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life.”

“I had sung pop music in the car and in the

Settling in Cardinal Country Aaron Paige, assistant professor of music, sits on the stairs of the Indiana War Memorial March 28, 2021, in Indianapolis. As a musician, Paige said, he wants to always elevate and push the boundaries of his art. As a professor, Paige said, he wants his students to have that same “hunger” for change as he does. JACOB MUSSELMAN, DN

Even after Paige separated from the Air Force to pursue other interests in July 2018, he and Holliday stayed in touch.

See SINGER, 14

shower, but I had never done it for important people before,” Paige said. “I was terrified to do my first gig because I knew that everybody was looking at me.”

I want to give somebody the opportunities that somebody gave to a young Aaron Paige.”

- AARON PAIGE, Assistant professor of music and former member of the Singing Sergeants of the U.S. Air Force Band Singing in front of presidents and heads of states never got easier, Paige said, as his performances felt similar to a tightrope act with no net. He said performing the “Star Spangled Banner” to pay tribute to veterans was also a stressful job.

“Everybody knows that song, so, if you mess it up, it is not just one song that you mess up — you’re messing it up because you’re in uniform, and this is literally your job to do it,” Paige said.

“When you sing well, it really is impressive, but if you fail, you will fall, and you will hurt a couple of people coming down.”

Developing friendships During Paige’s time in the Air Force Band, one of his best friends was Tech Sgt. Stacey Holliday, who joined as an alto vocalist in 2016.

She attended a music teacher conference in

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11 04.01.21

WILDLIFE

Sandhill Cranes have long and slender necks, which allow for the coiling of their tracheas into their sternums. This helps them develop low-pitch harmonics for their loud, rolling, trumpeting calls.

Continued from Page 09

6.5

feet

is

In comparison, the average wingspan of a Northern cardinal is approximately 12 inches.

is between 840 and 2,200 pounds, which is nearly equal to 4 to 10

The typical diet of a wild horse consists of grass and other plants on grazing areas. The average wild horse eats

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association, Bureau of Land Management, Eduscapes

5 TO 6 LBS.

of plant food every day.

6 7.5 to

The wandering albatross has the longest wingspan of any bird, with the longest measuring 12 feet.

As predators, one strength

BALD EAGLES have is their eyesight, as they can spot prey up to

Sources: IN.gov, Animal Welfare Institute, Wildlife Damage Management, American Bird Conservancy

Bald eagles build

THE LARGEST NESTS of any North American bird.

5 to 6 feet wide

2 feet deep

The average wingspan of a bald eagle is approximately

2

Source: The Cornell Lab, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

FULL-GROWN HORSE

NEVADA

MILES AWAY

Sandhill Cranes utilize their dancing skills by stretching their wings, pumping their heads, bowing and leaping into the air.

The average weight of a

While Indiana lacks a wild horse population, there are 10 other U.S. states where wild horses roam public lands. The largest population of wild horses in the U.S. is in

- PATRICK CONNER, Muncie wildlife photographer and noticed they had a few mutual Facebook friends. As a photographer herself, she believes Conner captures Muncie wildlife perfectly. She shows appreciation for his work by liking and commenting on his photos frequently.

“I love nature pictures, but I am not great at getting all of the little details like Patrick is,” Cross said. “I appreciate the artistry that he provides with his photography.”

Another “Top Fan” of Conner’s photography is Jean Bright, who lives in West Yorkshire, England. One of the first photos Bright saw from Conner was of an eagle family he posted on his personal photography page. Because she and her husband are both huge lovers of eagles, Bright kept following Conner’s work.

On average, Conner takes around 300 to 600 pictures of one subject. He then looks over them to find the photos he thinks are most unique, such as the animals with their tongues out or with food in their mouths. The most tedious part of this process, he said, is looking through every single shot to see which ones he likes the best.

“A lot of people take photos for what other people will like,” Conner said. “I take photos for me and what I think is spot on. I then post them to my Facebook page, and, then, that is what makes people love it.”

Contact Savannah Jordan with comments at sjordan4@bsu.edu or @savmjordann.

During

COURTING SEASON,

200-pound men

A lot of people take photos for what other people will like. I take photos for me and what I think is spot on.”

The average wingspan of a

SANDHILL CRANE

feet

“There is just the surprise of everything — you can just be sitting there, and an eagle will fly up or over, or different birds or deer,” Conner said. “It is just amazing to know all of that stuff is right here [in Muncie]. I love the details that you can see up close, just by seeing an eagle, a bird or even a sunset. You can’t get a true grasp of all of the colors by just seeing it with the naked eye. With photography, you are able to see it up close. It is just awesome.”

As he has been taking pictures of Muncie’s wildlife, Conner has noticed eagles are entering more often into the city as well as along the White River, and they are beginning to become more comfortable around Conner as they approach his camera.

Andrea Cross, Yorktown resident and freelance photographer, is a designated “Top Fan” on Conner’s photography Facebook page, which has more than 1,800 followers.

Cross said she happened upon his work in the “Indiana Nature & Wildlife” Facebook group

DNLife

Bald eagles can carry 5 to 6 pounds of prey in their talons without the assistance of wind.

If they are flying into the wind or capturing prey on hillsides or cliffs, bald eagles can carry up to 12 pounds while flying.

BEFORE HATCHING,

Bald eagles incubate for 35 days in their eggs and leave their nests at 10 weeks old.

KAMRYN TOMLINSON, TAYLOR SMITH, DN; PATRICK CONNER, PHOTOS PROVIDED

DNOpinion

04.01.21

12 Keeping it Real

How COVID-19 worsened my mental health I was prepared to fight the virus, not my mind.

Delmy Hernandez is a senior journalism and telecommunications major and writes “Keeping it Real” for The Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

As reported by the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, more than 2.65 million people have died from COVID-19, and I am thankful to not be Delmy part of that statistic. Instead, Hernandez I am one of the 120 million Columnist, individuals who had the virus “Keeping it and, fortunately, one of the 67.9 Real” million who recovered.

One Monday in February, I began to experience cold-like symptoms. Two days later, I tested positive for COVID-19.

I remembered I wouldn’t be able to celebrate my birthday that weekend with friends — or even my boyfriend — and, seconds later, the tears came. I cried as I realized I was going to have to isolate in my small room for the next week. I had already been staying away from most friends due to the pandemic — then, I had to stay away from all of them.

I was entirely alone through one of the most challenging times I’ve experienced.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people experience their own set of symptoms when diagnosed with the virus. I, unfortunately, experienced all symptoms listed by the CDC minus nausea and vomiting. I had a sore throat, headache and cough like no other.

My voice was gone

ON BYTEBSU.COM: ARE THEATRES RECOVERING?

for almost a week, my sense of smell for a week and taste for three weeks.

My muscles and body ached simply laying in bed. I ran out of breath taking showers, and my fatigue took over my ability to continue to do coursework. My assignments were put on hold, my symptoms continued to develop, and, although I’ve recovered, my mental health deteriorated in the process.

It’s no secret COVID-19 has impacted the mental health of many in isolation or quarantine.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website has a tab solely dedicated to COVID-19 Information and Resources, including a guide with frequently asked questions from managing anxiety and quarantine to where a person can access health care and medications. NAMI also provides readers with resources on where to receive financial assistance, which happened to be one of my biggest stressors while I was sick and even now that I have recovered.

My last day of work before my leave was Feb. 18, and I returned more than a month later. Although I had two paychecks come in during my isolation, both were small and used to buy medicine, disinfectants and plenty of food deliveries. Because I lost my senses of smell and taste, my usual chicken soup, chicken nuggets and omelets were no longer enough. I began to lose my appetite as I could no longer taste my food, leading me to resort to getting spicier and saltier foods delivered to my front door.

Now, my taste is back, and I am out of quarantine but with little money to keep me going.

My hours have been cut short, and I have been given fewer shifts.

To add to my stress, I am struggling to catch JADEN WHITEMAN, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

13 up in school, which has made it difficult to find time to apply for summer internships in order to fulfill my last requirement to graduate.

However, nothing will compare to the stigma I faced as a result of having COVID-19.

Last April, the Mayo Clinic published an article regarding the stigma the virus causes and ways to reduce it. According to the article, “Stigma can make people feel isolated and even abandoned.

They may feel depressed, hurt and angry when friends and others in their community avoid them for fear of getting COVID-19.”

Fortunately, my coworkers felt comfortable seeing me outside of work a week after I got out of quarantine because of the extreme measures I took to disinfect everything, including the papers in my planner. Since the day I received my test result, I had been coming up with ways to make sure my home was free from COVID-19 after I was no longer contagious. I wanted to keep others safe, and, later, I realized I wanted to keep myself safe from the judgment. My small group of coworkers greeted me with love and open arms. In that moment, I felt like I wasn’t surrounded by a stigma or financial and academic worries. I felt accepted.

My loved ones, on the other hand, were afraid to hug me at first

and backed away upon finding out I once had the virus.

I wanted to then, and still do, take precautions to ensure I was playing my part in stopping the spread of the virus, but there were times I felt like a rat no one wanted to be around. My mental health spiraled as I was in isolation, and, now, I continue to struggle with my mental health because of the stigma surrounding COVID-19.

My loved ones’ reactions were heartbreaking, and, although they are warming up to me now, the pain is still there. I felt neglected, as if I was still a threat to the lives of others. I didn’t feel accepted by the people I needed love from the most.

I thought to myself, “What if my loved ones never hug me again?”

I am thankful to be alive and recovered from COVID-19, but it will take a long time for my mental health to recover from the damage the virus did. For now, I’m focused on safely hanging out with friends and having small moments to relax my mind through coloring and watching “Catfish.” That’s enough for me.

I stayed strong while I was sick, and I’ll continue to do so as I work on strengthening my mental health one coloring page at a time.

Contact Delmy Hernandez with comments at djhernandez@bsu. edu or on Twitter @delmyy_h.

04.01.21

DNOpinion

Events

For more information on the events listed here, visit BallStateDaily.com/Events Giants, Dragons, and Unicorns: The World of Mythical Creatures • Monday, Feb. 22 - Sunday, May 9, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

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Farmers Market at Minnetrista: Indoor Market • Saturday, April 10, 9 a.m.- 12 p.m.

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WINNING THE

WEEKEND

Ball State Softball swept its four-game series against Bowling Green March 26-28. The Cardinals scored five runs in the sixth inning of the series finale to cap off the weekend with a comeback victory. JACOB MUSSELMAN, DN

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DNSports

04.01.21

14

PIXEL

Continued from Page 07 Club President Nate Valdez, whose gamertag is “RainShadow,” competes on the “Apex Legends” team. He stressed the importance of camaraderie and consistently developing relationships with his teammates. When their schedules allow, Valdez said, his teammates come over to his house and plug in their systems to play in the same room.

“Like any regular sport, it’s a team chemistry thing,” Valdez said.

“If you guys are teammates and friends at the same time, you are going to perform better. You want to not just support yourself, but your teammates.”

The players typically compete together in their home gaming setups through online lobbies. However, Marino said in-person interactions help his players become more familiar with each other, and team chemistry is the most important piece of a successful program.

“It is almost mandatory that everyone works toward a positive culture,” Marino said. “Being able to cultivate a team chemistry where, hopefully, everyone gets along, but, at the very least, everyone can work proactively with each other, is the most important thing. If you can’t do that, it doesn’t matter what your rank is — you won’t be a part of this team.”

Marino said proper recruiting is also essential to the team’s success.

He uses the concept of a “committed culture” as a selling point to attract new members.

“When it comes to conference strength, recruitment is rapidly getting more competitive with the amount of schools that have programs

and that are offering scholarships,” Marino said. “Participating in strong competitions and playing against strong players is a big piece for a lot of these prospective students, and it will only help our program get stronger by bringing in these talented individuals.”

Although his players compete virtually, Marino said his team has a greater purpose for the community. He estimates less than one percent of his players will play professionally, but one of his goals is to help them develop lifelong skills from the program.

“We’re going to have student coaches, students involved through broadcast and production,” Marino said. “Whatever angle students want to take with esports, this program is really good to help give them that exposure and that experience.”

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

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An Alienware mouse sits in the Esports center March 29, 2021, in the Robert Bell Building. Both the varsity and club Esports teams meet five days a week to review game film and practice for upcoming events. JACOB MUSSELMAN, DN

SINGER Continued from Page 10

“We’re such good friends, and I know we will be forever,” Holliday said. “It’s bittersweet — I’m happy for him, but I miss him a lot. I’m so thrilled that he’s loving what he’s doing now, but I do feel like the Air Force Band suffered a great loss when he left.”

While visiting students around the world, Paige said, he realized he was meant to lead a classroom. Whenever Paige would speak to students, magic would happen, he said, as they would pay attention to his every word.

“Singing is fun, but being a grown up, you realize, ‘I think I actually want to have an impact that outlasts when I am in a room,’” Paige said. “If I give you skills, encouragement and life tools that live even beyond you, my legacy starts to perpetuate, and I realized that’s what you can do as a teacher … I want to give somebody the opportunities that somebody gave to a young Aaron Paige.”

Because he valued the direction of Ball State’s School of Music, Paige said, the home of the Cardinals was “hands down” the best opportunity for him. Now, Paige is an assistant professor of music, and he gives vocal lessons to nearly 20 students.

“It is rewarding when I can see my students taking the passion that I’ve scraped up and try to make sure I throw at them at every lesson, and they infuse that in what they love,” Paige said. “We don’t need everybody doing music, but I think that I want them to reflect that passion in whatever they do.”

Every day, Paige works to be a good teacher and human, he said, because he wants to be a resource and role model to all Ball State students.

“I do not take the charge lightly to be not only a young professor at Ball State, but a young, Black, queer, cisgender man at Ball State,” Paige said. “I know I represent more than myself. I hope I can continue to be a role model in any and every way that I have available to me because I know how important that representation is on every intersectional front. That is my existence.”

Contact Sumayyah Muhammad with comments at smuhammad3@bsu.edu or on Twitter @sumayyah0114.

Contact Nicole Thomas with comments nrthomas3@bsu.edu or on Twitter @nicolerthomas22.

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Aaron Paige poses with then-Vice President Joe Biden and fellow members of the Singing Sergeants of the U.S. Air Force Band in December 2015 at Biden’s annual holiday party. When singing in front of prominent figures, Paige said, he barely notices when they are in the room. AARON PAIGE, PHOTO PROVIDED

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