BSU 04-14-22

From Humble

Beginnings Local outreach starts an Orthodox Christian church in Muncie.  04

Partnership Project

SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS

11 News

Campus Closures03 Lifestyles

Inspiring to Persevere16 04.14.2022

Michele Calache poses for a photo in the basement of Urban Light Community Church April 4 near Madison Street. RYLAN CAPPER, DN

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DNNews

04.14.22

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From the Easterner to The Daily News

7 athletes inducted into Hall of Fame

As the Student Government Association election was called April 13, 1988, the Elections Board fined each slate for “violations of the Election Code.” The board found the slates guilty of tearing down posters and other violations.

If you have any Daily News memories you’d like to see highlighted, email news@bsudailynews.com.

April 11: Ball State Athletics announced its next group of inductees into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame. The group includes Justin Beriault (football), Kris Burdine (softball), Kevin “KJ” Kinnee (football), Jada Phelps (track & field), Shayne Ridley (baseball), Greg Romano (men’s volleyball), Bob Thomas (contributor) and the entire 1994 field hockey team.

Katey O’Connor Cardinals’ close weekend against Ohio terminated by MCS

AMBER PIETZ, DN

April 11: After losing both games of its doubleheader April 10, Ball State Softball beat Ohio 5-4 in its final game of the series.

Sophomore infielder Kayla Lissy hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Lissy paced the Cardinals with four hits and three RBIs while senior outfielder Faith Hensley led Ball State with two runs scored.

VOL. 101 ISSUE: 25 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.

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

April 12: Katey O’Connor, former Muncie Central High School teacher, was terminated by Muncie Community Schools (MCS) April 12. O’Connor’s student-created posters assignment last November led to a “disruptive discussion between a student and School Resource Officers,” according to MCS. O’Connor was previously suspended in January.

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.

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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.

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CORRECTION The April 7 edition of The Daily News incorrectly credited kinship placement in a story. Only Tracy Walters was given placement of her step-grandson.

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

4-DAY WEATHER

FORECAST Lance Huffman, Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

SCATTERED SHOWERS

MOSTLY SUNNY

PARTLY CLOUDY

MOSTLY SUNNY

Hi: 57º Lo: 42º

Hi: 61º Lo: 41º

Hi: 59º Lo: 34º

Hi: 55º Lo: 36º

THIS WEEK: Variable sunny skies are expected throughout the week. Cooler temperatures are expected and multiple chances for showers will exist, mostly occurring in the morning or overnight hours.

START CHECKING, FROM DAY ONE.

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

DNNews

04.14.22

DINING

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Campus

DEPARTURES

Noyer Dining and Quiznos to close in favor of convenience areas, students react.

University gets high marks in broadcast education Ball State’s College of Communication, Information and Media placed seventh out of 101 ranked institutions in the Broadcast Education Association’s “School Rankings — Recognition of Institutional Excellence in Media” program. The university was also named “Television School of the Year” for the fifth consecutive year by the Indiana Association of School Broadcasters.

National

Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed to court The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court April 7 with a 53-47 vote. The vote makes Jackson the first Black woman in the court’s history to sit on the bench.

President Joe Biden had previously promised to appoint a Black woman should a vancancy occur. Jackson was nominated in the wake of former Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement.

National

Ten shot in Brooklyn subway station

Jackson DiVincenzo poses for a photo at a table in Noyer Complex April 12. The all-you-can-eat dining option will be converted to a convenience store after the spring 2022 semester. JACY BRADLEY, DN

A man filled a subway station with smoke and shot at least 10 people in Brooklyn, New York, April 12. The shooting occurred at the 36th Street and Fourth Avenue station around 8:30 a.m., with the man firing at least 33 times, according to the New York City Police Department. Police took Philadelphia-native Frank R. James, 62, into custody.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: BALL STATE REPORTS 21 POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES

DNNews

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Father Joel Weir of Crawfordsville, Indiana, starts Muncie’s first Orthodox Christian church.

Richard Kann Reporter On April 4, Father Joel Weir began a lengthy drive from Crawfordsville, Indiana, to Muncie. He was preparing to lead the first full liturgy of presanctified gifts at St. Photini’s Orthodox Outreach.

Weir is a part of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and has been the serving priest of St. Photini’s Christian Orthodox Outreach and rector of St. Stephen’s the First Martyr Orthodox Church in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

He arrived in Muncie early before the service, not at an Orthodox church, but at a local evangelical church — Urban Light Community Church. From there, he walked down to the church’s basement, to a small conference room he and a small group of Orthodox Christians had managed to convert into a full Orthodox service.

The conference room was full of iconography, candles and an altar, as well as many other traditional elements of an Eastern Orthodox liturgy. This small conference room is St. Photini, a small Orthodox outreach and the only known Orthodox Christian outreach in Muncie that currently hosts evening prayer vespers, following ancient Orthodox tradition.

“There’s really no Orthodox presence within a half hour of the greater Muncie area,” Weir said.

One of St. Photini’s earliest members, Michel Calache, said, “There’s a void of Orthodoxy in east-central Indiana, and I’d like people to know more about this faith and this denomination.”

Michel Calache kisses an icon before attending a service April 4 in the basement of Urban Light Community Church. Icons serve as a reminder of the calling to love Christ and others. RYLAN CAPPER, DN

(Top) Urban Light Community Church sits in the afternoon light April 4 near Madison Street. Urban Light was founded in 2005. (Bottom) Michel Calache points to an icon of Saint Philoumenos April 4 on the basement of Urban Light Community Chuch. According to Eastern Orthodox teachings, Philoumenos was the guardian of Jacob’s Well.

RYLAN CAPPER, DN

We like that idea of St. Photini because it’s that idea of going to where people already are and establishing a presence there.”

- FATHER JOEL WEIR, Leader of St. Photini’s Orthodox Outreach Orthodox Christianity is one of the oldest Christian faiths, alongside Catholicism, and the ancient traditions and liturgy has been passed down and largely unchanged since it was canonized in the 4th century — the same time period the Bible itself was canonized.

Orthodox services are rooted in Eastern practices rather than Western, so they differ from most other American church denominations. Services still include the earliest and most ancient practices, such as burning incense throughout the service, the

Emily Wilson holds her daughter, Ada, before a service April 4 in the basement of Urban Light Community Church. Wilson’s Patron Saint or personal guardian is Cecilia of Rome.

RYLAN CAPPER, DN

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There’s a void of Orthodoxy in East Central Indiana, and I’d like people to know more about this faith and this denomination.”

- MICHEL CALACHE, Member of St. Photini’s Orthodox Outreach use of iconography, chanting prayers and psalms, as well as many other Eastern elements that have “a sense of the sacred and an embrace of mystery,” Weir said.

Some of nearest Orthodox churches to Muncie are St. George Orthodox Christian Church in Fishers, Indiana, and Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church in Indianapolis.

“I really appreciate Fr. Joel driving down here from Crawfordsville,” Eli Sparks, Ball State sophomore economics major who regularly attends St. Photini, said. “I also appreciate Pastor Andrew’s kindness and hospitality. The opportunity to worship in continuity with the earliest Christians in my hometown means everything to me.”

St. Photini began its outreach in 2018.

However, its beginnings aren’t in Muncie, but in Gas City, Indiana.

“Our first meeting place was in an old building called Jacob’s Well,” Weir said. “Coincidentally, Jacob’s Well is where Jesus met St. Photini, so we thought that’s a good connection, right?”

The inspiration behind St. Photini’s name is rooted in scripture.

“In the gospel, St. Photini is the Samaritan woman at the well who meets Jesus,” Weir said.

“They had an interaction, and by the end of it, she really recognizes who he is, and she goes to tell other people about him.”

Weir said his congregation chose the name St. Photini because they liked the “idea of going to where people already are and establishing a presence there.”

Roughly a year after its founding, St. Photini’s parishes were disrupted and, eventually, halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a year of dormancy, Weir and the members of St. Photini needed a new place to worship. The search ultimately led Weir to contact Pastor Andrew

Draper at Urban Light Community Church.

“He was very open to allowing space [at Urban Light] to be used by different faith communities,” Weir said. ”Pastor Andrew was very supportive of us and is just very friendly to Orthodoxy.”

In September 2021, Weir and the St. Photini congregation personally chose a small conference room in Urban Light Community Church’s basement to hold their services.

“We got a core group of people together willing to meet, pray and fellowship twice a month,” Weir said. “For now, we’re hoping that there will be local interest in seeing it grow.”

Weir said the Orthodox Church “has a lot of entrance points for people, whether they are looking for a place of peaceful meditation, want to experience something different within Christian Michel Calache lights a candle on the altar April 4 in the basement of Urban Light Community Church. In the Eastern worship or are just curious and want to learn about Orthodox faith, candles represent the temporary nature of life. RYLAN CAPPER, DN this church that has such a rich history.” Weir is hopeful St. Photini will not just be a resource for spiritual prayer but will also offer a helping hand to the Muncie community.

“We are first seeking to just be faithful about being an ongoing worship presence within the community,” David Dunham, member at St. Photini and professor at Taylor University, said.

“A big part of this, at this point, is just letting the community know that we are here.”

Weir expressed interest in working in conjunction with Urban Light Community Church to better “plug in” to Muncie and make a positive impact in the community.

“Pastor Andrew has been so welcoming, so accommodating and supportive,” Weir said, “but also, I love the work that Urban Light does for Muncie. We look forward to plugging in more with the amazing ministry Urban Light is.”

Contact Richard Kann with comments at richard. kann@bsu.edu or on Twitter @RichardKann.

Emily Wilson glances up to an icon painting of a saint April 4 in the basement of Urban Light Community Church. Icons are viewed as windows to heaven in the Eastern Orthodox faith. RYLAN CAPPER, DN

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!

Michele Calache holds a prayer booklet during a service April 4 in the basement of Urban Light Comunity Church. The booklet includes prayers, hymns and pieces of scripture. RYLAN CAPPER, DN

DNNews

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Ball State closes Noyer Dining and Quiznos due to “lack of sales.”

Jamie Strouts Reporter For many students, Noyer Dining and Quiznos have been popular stops over the years, as they offer many different foods that may seem like healthier options compared to other dining halls and are conveniently located in or near the Jo Ann Gora Student Recreation and Wellness Center. However, current financial difficulties the university is facing are preventing Noyer from continuing to operate under its arrangements, Karen Adkins, senior director of auxiliary services for dining, catering and events, said.

“Maintaining Noyer Dining and Quiznos would require additional resources to supplement the lack of sales and increase the food costs for all,” Adkins said via email.

Ball State University Dining Services is self-operated and purely auxiliary, meaning the university runs dining solely through the revenue generated through food sales. Most of that revenue comes from the meal plans students pay for to eat meals weekly at dining locations across campus.

Adkins said the contract between Ball State and Quiznos was due for renewal in 2022. Because university administrators agreed to renovate Noyer, they agreed a non-renewal would be the best option.

Jackson DiVincenzo, freshman telecommunications major, said his favorite thing to eat at Noyer is stir-fry, especially because “there’s nothing like it on campus.”

“It’s not fried, it’s not heavily processed [and] it doesn’t come in a bag,” DiVincenzo said. “It’s made right there in front of you — custom order — there’s a ton of vegetables and greens.”

DiVincenzo also said he appreciates Noyer’s buffet after working out often throughout the week.

“I know a lot of people say that Noyer doesn’t have the best food, [but] there’s a lot of options because it’s all-you-can-eat,” DiVincenzo said.

“I can pick from those options to make sure I’m getting the nutrients and protein I need for the day because I also track my calories.”

Due to the closures, the university will be replacing Noyer with a convenience store with goals to provide a variety of fresh and healthy options.

“Items include fresh fruits and vegetables, a variety of hot soups, f’real shakes and smoothies, household items, grocery and supplies, bottled beverages and snacks,” Adkins said.

Adkins said she realizes this decision will upset many students but said these steps are necessary for the university to continue on the correct financial tracks.

Lily Bushey, freshman architecture major, created a petition for Ball State students to sign to raise awareness on how students feel about the closures of Noyer and Quiznos. Bushey has worked to advertise the petition and make it more known to other Ball State students who feel the same way as she and her friend group.

She said her friends assisted her in posting the

petition to social media platforms, helping make it public.

“I also created my own posters with a QR code people could scan that would take them directly to the petition and hung them on the bulletin boards around campus,” Bushey said.

Bushey said she’s concerned about Ball State’s food options and thinks the university needs to expand healthy options offered on campus.

She said replacing Noyer and Quiznos with a convenience store is not the best move.

“I really believe that we need to have more healthier options, and Noyer is also one of the only places that offers tofu options for vegans,” Bushey said. “There’s not enough for people with allergies or vegan options.”

One reason DiVincenzo said he thinks Dining Services is closing Noyer and Quiznos is because not enough students and staff eat at those locations.

“I feel like even though Noyer doesn’t attract a ton of people, I still feel like it could be renovated into something that maybe does attract a ton of people,” DiVincenzo said. “There’s already a few convenience stores on campus; it doesn’t make sense to add more.”

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

The Noyer all-you-care-to-eat buffet sits empty April 12. The facility is the only buffet-style option on campus. ELI HOUSER, DN

I really believe that we need to have more healthier options, and Noyer is also one of the only places that offers tofu options for vegans.”

- LILY BUSHEY, Freshman architecture major

Lily Bushey poses for a photo in front of Quiznos April 11 in the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.

Bushey started a petition to raise awareness of students’ opinions of the new closures. RYLAN CAPPER, DN

DNSports

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Men’s Volleyball

FAMILY

as a

A third-generation college athlete, junior Haley Wynn is continuing her family’s legacy. 4 08

Ball State wins regular season MIVA title The Cardinals won the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) regular season championship under first-year head coach Donan Cruz after defeating Purdue Fort Wayne 3-1 April 9. Ball State holds home-court advantage throughout the MIVA Tournament and enters as the No. 1 seed. The Cardinals open postseason play against No. 8 Quincy April 16.

Baseball

Ball State takes 1 of 4 in weekend series against Oregon In its first series against a nationally ranked opponent this season, the Cardinals fell in three of four games against No. 13/21 Oregon April 8-10. In Ball State’s 3-2 win against the Ducks April 9, junior outfielder Zach Cole recorded his third home run of the season and went 3-for-7.

Ball State returns to action April 15 against Akron.

Women’s Tennis

Cardinals defeat RedHawks, win 3rd straight match

Junior infielder/outfielder Haley Wynn poses for a photo after Ball State Softball’s win over Kent State April 1 at the Varsity Softball Complex. ELI HOUSER, DN

Ball State won its third straight match against Miami (Ohio) April 10. After taking the doubles point, the Cardinals won the singles point to defeat the RedHawks 6-1. Ball State improved its Mid-American Conference record to 6-1. The Cardinals return to competition April 15 at Western Michigan, who they defeated 5-2 March 20.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: CARDINALS FALL TO KENTUCKY IN FINAL SPRING CUP MATCH

04.14.22

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Junior Haley Wynn is carrying on a heritage that started long before her.

Nate Grubb Reporter The uniforms tell a story.

When Haley Wynn’s grandmother, Lynn, put on her Dana College basketball uniform, women’s collegiate athletics was still in its infancy. Short, silk uniforms with zippers in the front, long striped socks and Converse seemed to be the norm. It’s hard to know whether the women competing in these sports knew the paths they were forging for future generations.

Haley Wynn is the product of her grandmother’s path. The third generation of Wynn women in collegiate sports has continued the path that her grandmother started and her mother, Laura, continued paving. From the basketball nets that Lynn shot on to the volleyball nets that Laura hit over to the nets around the batting cages that Haley hit at, the Wynn women have each blazed a trail that the others have continued. Sports have been a way for the Wynn’s to spend time.

“Sports has, honestly, brought us together,” Haley said. “It’s always been a way that our family can connect.”

Junior infielder/outfielder Haley Wynn sings the Ball State fight song after the team’s win over Kent State April 1 at the Varsity Softball Complex. ELI HOUSER, DN

This is an opportunity a lot of people don’t have. If you play a sport you love to play, play it as long as you can. It’s not going to be there forever. If God reached out and gave you the ability to do something, then you should do it.”

- ERIC WYNN, Haley Wynn’s father

Sports are what helped form the Wynn family.

Lynn Wynn met her husband, Knight Wynn, who competed in football and track and field at Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, through sports. Laura Wynn met her husband, Eric Wynn, who competed in football and track and field at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville through sports. The opportunity to compete in collegiate sports across three generations is special to the Wynn’s.

“This is an opportunity a lot of people don’t have,” Eric said. “If you play a sport you love to play, play it as long as you can. It’s not going to be there forever. If God reached out and gave you the ability to do something, then you should do it.”

Haley had the opportunity to play two sports at the collegiate level. She was a four-year starter in volleyball at Whitnall High School in Greenfield, Wisconsin, earning Woodland Conference Player of the Year honors as both a junior and senior and

Junior infielder/outfielder Haley Wynn fields for the ball against Ohio April 10 at Varsity Softball Complex. Wynn had three hits during the game. AMBER PIETZ, DN was a three-time all-conference first team member.

However, Haley pursued softball heading into college. She always appreciated the competition the sport brought during her early days playing and loved watching her parents’ slow-pitch games growing up. Despite playing many sports during her childhood, softball always stuck with her.

Haley graduated from Whitnall in 2019, receiving Southwest Athlete of the Year honors (multi-sport) in 2018, but she said her accolades meant nothing when she stepped foot in Muncie.

As soon as Haley came to Ball State, she met many people just like her — athletes who dominated at their high schools and in their respective sports.

“I thought, ‘Wow, OK, I’ve got to work a lot harder here. I’ve got to earn my spot. I’ve got to show everyone what I got,’” Haley said. “It’s been

good, working hard, giving 110%. Each year, I’ve continued to work just a little bit harder. When I came in as a freshman, it was intimidating, with all these girls who have played softball their entire lives. And the game is faster, so adjusting to that has been very interesting. ” For Haley, her family and its support has helped her tremendously in where she is now. She said her mom always brought a “positive environment” to competitions while her dad coached her and helped her develop skills. Even though they live in Nebraska, her grandparents would also travel around with her to every preseason game, which became a yearly tradition.

Laura said sports have helped create lasting connections among the Wynn family, as they’ve built “so many memories and so many relationships.”

“We’ve built so many friend groups by just going to ball games,” Laura said. “Sports are just so important. They help to establish teamwork; they help you to build friendships and relationships that last.”

Eric said he and his family have built their vacations, spring breaks and summer breaks around what sport Haley or her younger brother, Carter Wynn, Saint Xavier University Football commit, were participating in at the time. He knows sports are just games but understands the bigger picture outside the competition.

“You have the chance to play the game,” Eric said, “to have fun, to meet new people, and that’s what it’s all about — [having] fun doing it.”

As a second-generation athlete, Eric has taken what he learned from his father, Knight, into his teachings with Haley.

“Sports has always been in our family,” Eric said.

“We’ve always been encouraged to participate.

Whether you’re the best or the worst, make sure you can contribute in the best way possible. My parents always encouraged my brother and I to try new sports. We’ve always encouraged our kids to do different things.”

Whether it was Lynn and Knight at Dana, Laura and Eric at Wisconsin-Platteville or Haley at Ball State, the Wynn family has revolved its lives around sports. The jerseys they have worn have told the stories of the paths each Wynn has carved. Even when they aren’t competing, sports will always be around, connecting the family just like it has time and time again.

“Sports just bring us together,” Haley said. “We play games together and get so competitive. We sit down on Sunday and watch NFL football. In the summer, we’ll go to the diamond, and we’ll hit balls together. It’s always been a way that our family hangs out.”

Contact Nate Grubb with comments at nathaniel. grubb@bsu.edu or on Twitter @GrubbNate43.

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DNLife

04.14.22

Following

Path

the

Two Anderson witches discuss their small business, spirituality and social media success.

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Kinsley Elsten (left) and Brytneigh Burgess (right) pose for a photo at their shop, Twisted Twigs, in Anderson, Indiana. The two have owned the shop for around four years. NATHAN ABBOTT, BALL BEARINGS, PHOTO PROVIDED

ON BALLSTATEDAILY.COM/BYTE: DENZEL CURRY MELTS EARS WITH WELCOMING MELODIES

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John Quiñones talks with reporters in the Unified Media Lab April 11 before speaking at Pruis Hall.

Quinones earned his master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University. RYLAN CAPPER, DN

for the

TARS John Quiñones visits Ball State as part of the Letterman Lecture Series.

Maya Wilkins, Krystiana Brosher Lifestyles Editor, Reporter As a young boy on the west side of San Antonio, looking around and reading stories about his community in the newspapers, John Quiñones always knew he wanted to be a storyteller.

“I grew up in a very Hispanic community,” said Quiñones, award-winning broadcast journalist, TV show host and author. “[The stories] are all very negative, right? I knew there were positive stories in my community that need to be told … and I knew I was the person to tell those stories.”

Now, Quiñones has worked as a correspondent for ABC News, reported for shows like “20/20” and “Nightline,” and hosted “What Would You Do?”, a popular hidden camera show examining how people behave in certain situations.

Quiñones said he believes it was important for him to get a

journalism education, especially in graduate school, which is why he received his master’s degree from Columbia University in 1979 after graduating from St. Mary’s University in 1974.

Because he is Hispanic, Quiñones said he felt “no one would hire” him at TV stations in Texas without more of an education.

“Sometimes, people of color have to be twice as good as the other folks,” he said. “Maybe other people don’t have to try as hard, but I certainly did. And in the end, it made me better qualified.”

As a reporter, Quiñones covered Latin America, and he was able to go to places in South America like Nicaragua, El Salvador and Panama. At the time, Quiñones said news stations wanted people who could speak Spanish, which he grew up speaking.

Quiñones also said being Latino helped him cover issues others may not have been able to, such as a story he did on 300 children who lived in the sewer systems in Colombia, where he said the kids were more receptive to him because they did not see him as an outsider.

Sometimes, people of color have to be twice as good as the other folks. Maybe other people don’t have to try as hard, but I certainly did. And in the end, it made me better qualified” - JOHN QUIÑONES, Broadcast journalist, TV show host and author

It wasn’t easy for Quiñones to get to where he is, and he said his mother’s advice kept him going. He also surrounded himself with friends who believed in building a better future for themselves.

“I chose to go to high school outside my district after middle school,” Quiñones said. “I should have gone to … an all-Hispanic school, but I knew if I went there, I would be speaking Spanish all the time, which is a beautiful language. But I wanted to go into broadcasting, and I knew with an accent, I wouldn’t be able to get into television.”

Quiñones said he also got involved with drama club in high school because he was “painfully shy,” and getting involved helped him slow down his speech and enunciate more.

While in high school, Quiñones said his 10th grade English teacher encouraged him to go into journalism and work for the school newspaper because she loved his writing. Within a month, he was chief of editorials.

“I was doing what I thought were big investigative stories like, ‘why are teachers parking in students’ parking spaces?’” he said.

“And I loved it.”

While working for “20/20,” Quiñones began hosting “What Would You Do?,” a segment seeing what people would do when encountered by different situations, with hidden cameras in public.

While doing the segment, people began asking him to do more scenarios until “What Would You Do?” became its own show.

“I love to be able to do that because, in the end, that’s the true test of character,” he said. “Like, what do you do when no one is watching?”

See STAR, 22

DNPartnershipProject

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M O O R S S A CL S N O I T C E N CON

News

Letsinger’s Legacy

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Lifestyles

Teaching Excellence

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Sports

Craving Competition

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DNPartnershipProject 04.14.22 12 Rahmed Paige poses for a photo in his office April 7 at Grissom Elementary School. AMBER PIETZ, DN

‘The future of

STUDENT SUPPORT‘

Muncie Community Schools introduces family navigators to improve children’s educational experiences.

Grace McCormick News Editor While some teachers may consider a student who can’t sit still in class a distraction, Rahmed Paige tries to understand the root of that student’s behavior.

In August 2021, Paige conducted classroom reviews with teachers at Grissom Elementary School, including short reports on the students to understand their individual backgrounds and needs. These classroom reviews are part of Paige’s job as a family navigator, a new position at three Muncie Community Schools (MCS) elementary schools introduced to provide holistic student support.

“I think behavioral support is huge,” Paige said.

“A lot of our students need behavioral support.The biggest one overall, I would say, is our SEO groups — social and emotional learning — detailing some of that behavior, coping skills and different things.”

Paige said he runs five different social and emotional learning groups at Grissom to help students understand and cope with their emotions. Because the students are in elementary school, Paige said making the activities enjoyable is his priority.

“They really like games and enjoy the interactive portion, so you [have] to keep it fun for them to keep them engaged — they’re elementary kids,” he said. “We’ve played ‘Mad Dragon,’ and I could find anger management bingo or something. They like little things like that.”

As a family navigator, Paige is responsible for student support plans for about 500 students. At this point in the school year, Paige said he is following up with teachers on how different student support

plans are working regarding classroom success.

Though he has only been in his position since August, Paige said he is excited for the future of City Connects at Grissom and other MCS schools.

Even when he has changed or adapted student support plans, he said he is prioritizing student wellness, especially in his social and emotional learning groups.

Family navigators, also known as site coordinators, were formally introduced at Boston Public Schools (BPS) in the 1990s. BPS partnered with Boston College to practice what the college had been researching about emerging student support practices that brought principals, teachers and community agencies together.

Now, according to the Boston College website, this practice is known as City Connects, which has been implemented in more than 100 public, charter and private schools in Massachusetts, Ohio, New York, Connecticut, Tennessee, Minnesota and Indiana.

In Indiana, Marian University in Indianapolis is leading the City Connects practice from its Center for Vibrant Schools. Jessica Morales Maust, executive director of K-12 for the Center for Vibrant Schools, said City Connects Midwest

has implemented practices in 34 schools across the state, primarily in Indianapolis, Muncie, South Bend and Gary, Indiana.

Ken Britt, senior vice president of strategic growth and innovation at Marian University, piloted City Connects Midwest after working at a private school in Ohio that implemented the practice. The Center for Vibrant Schools hosts the City Connects Midwest Technical Assistance Center, which provides service and support to City Connects schools across Indiana and Ohio, with plans to expand to other states.

Morales Maust said City Connects isn’t something schools can implement in the middle of the school year, as she usually expects about three conversations with school leadership to create an implementation plan. She said Britt knew MCS Director of Public Education and CEO Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, so Britt reached out to her asking if MCS would be interested in trying the City Connects practice.

“Dr. K was the ultimate champion,” Morales Maust said. “She just took it and said, ‘We’re doing this, and here’s why.’ That is just so important. We’re so grateful to her for the work that she’s done to help get City Connects

implemented in the school.”

MCS received $450,000 to fund City Connects over the next three years, Tony Sandleben, director of communications for the City of Muncie, said.

These funds came from the city’s income tax EDIT funds that Mayor Dan Ridenour controls.

“The City Connects factor gets to the root cause of how students act, behave, succeed [and] struggle,” Morales Maust said. “The way they do this is they implement the practice with the start of putting a City Connects coordinator into a school, and they’re the ones who are truly leading and mobilizing the practice.”

Coordinators receive training on the MyConnects database, which they use to input student information and support plans, before they begin their job. Family navigators must have a master’s level training in social work, mental health or school counseling. This background is required to ensure employees are familiar with community services and can organize and lead their own counseling groups within the school building, Jillian Lain, director of City Connects Midwest at the Center for Vibrant Schools at Marian University, said.

“Every student could use something, and at what level is different for everyone, but every student

Every student could use something, and at what level is different for everyone, but every student is getting something. At the end of the year, every student should have some kind of support plan in place, as great or small as it might be — everyone is getting one.”

- JILLIAN LAIN, Director of City Connects Midwest at the Center for Vibrant Schools at Marian University

VICTORY FOR VETERANS 13

CONTACT CITY CONNECTS MIDWEST To discuss implementing the City Connects practice in new schools and to see open site coordinator positions, visit the Center for Vibrant Schools web page.

Source: Marian University Center for Vibrant Schools

getting something,” Lain said. “At the end of the year, every student should have some kind of support plan in place, as great or small as it might be — everyone is getting one.”

Morales Maust said City Connects emphasizes efficient communication among student support staff at schools through the MyConnects database managed by the school’s family navigator.

Navigators input information about each student’s academic and classroom behaviors, socioeconomic status and home life, as well as additional details where needed. This MyConnects database information is stored on a secure, cloud-based server and can transfer from school to school and classroom to classroom so teachers and navigators don’t have to restart the process of tailoring support services to each student over again.

“We feel that this needs to be the future of student support,” Morales Maust said. “It’s not fair to only put this in public or charter or private schools.

Every single student, no matter what school you go to, has out-of-school factors impacting their education, so we don’t discriminate. We want to put it in every school as possible.”

While Center for Vibrant Schools staff are confident the City Connects practice works, Lain said she can understand why some districts would be scared to try something new, especially if certain teachers have already developed close relationships with families and would find it difficult to hand off responsibilities to another staff member.

“It’s a lot of new for everybody, and we know that change is hard,” Lain said. “It’s changing dynamics

in school buildings as well, so all of that takes time.

But as folks become more and more comfortable and informed about the practice, I think the schools that have implemented it in a really strong way have immediately seen some of those results.”

Paige said one of his proudest accomplishments as a family navigator was looking at his needs assessments for students’ families in the MyConnects database to determine which families might benefit from extra food donated during an MCS food drive.

“They would have missed out if I wasn’t able to make those extra calls,” he said. “On top of that, I even delivered it to them, so that was really nice to get out to different homes and say, ‘This is available — I thought you might have needed this.’”

Paige grew up in Muncie, so he said he appreciates being able to offer students holistic support that he didn’t see when he was growing up.

“There were guidance counselors, of course, but there’s so many — there’s 300 to 400 students — so it’s hard to keep track of one,” Paige said.

“With the database, we have all of this information already collected [and] rolling over into the next year, so we got information that we can build off of … now that data collection is happening, it can be used across schools.”

Lain said City Connects Midwest is growing beyond classrooms as well with community practices.

“There are some groups that are reaching out to us that are working on coalitions, and they’re wanting to address learning loss but also create an opportunity to make educated decisions about the types of things that we want to implement at a community level,” Lain said. “So there’s also those kinds of inquiries that are starting to come in because they want to create more systemic change serving people and residents.”

While it makes sense for City Connects to expand strategically by school district or state, Morales Maust said, City Connects Midwest staff are willing to take unique opportunities to implement the practice with any interested organization.

Contact Grace McCormick with comments at grmccormick@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ graceMc564.

Rahmed Paige completes a classroom observation with Natalie Gariety’s second-grade class April 7 at Grissom Elementary School. Classroom observations are one of Paige’s responsibilities as a family navigator at Grissom. AMBER PIETZ, DN

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Muncie Central High School awarded Purple Star for veteran and military family service.

Muncie Central High School (MCHS) was one of 35 Indiana-based schools awarded the Purple Star Nov. 9, 2021, just two days before Veterans Day, for its programs and services designed to honor and serve veterans and their families.

The Purple Star is an award bestowed upon schools that “have displayed a significant commitment to service members, veterans and students and families connected to our nation’s military,” according to a Nov. 9 Indiana Department of Education press release.

In Indiana, of the 682 state-recognized high schools, there are currently only 60 designated with a Purple Star, with MCHS being one of them.

“We’re proud to be recognized as a Purple Star school because of what it does for those families of veterans when we are needed to support their child in our school system,” Robert Harber, retired master sergeant and Junior ROTC instructor for the Marine Corp at MCHS, said.

MCHS supports military families through veteran community service and support, such as Stand Downs to prevent veteran homelessness.

Through these services, the Muncie Central JROTC directly aids veterans and participates in events to honor them.

“We take these veterans, get them haircuts, get their shots updated [and help with] clothing issues, food bags and hygiene items,” Harber said.

The Muncie Central JROTC also annually participates in the Color Guard United States Marine Corp (USMC) Birthday Celebration and 9/11 Remembrance Day demonstrations including flag retirement, Painting and Field Day and Field of 1000 Flags.

MCHS also serves military families by helping to employ military service members and their immediate families, often by assigning them a point of contact (POC). A POC is a trained individual who acts as a link between the school and the military family.

“These kids may have experienced something at home — maybe their parents are deployed, or maybe they’re just getting moved a lot because mom or dad keep getting deployed,” Harber said.

“Even if they’re not in a military family, that’s going to disrupt a kid. The main reason [POCs] are here is to be the advocate for that kid.”

All POCs are required to successfully complete a nine-week training program designed to prepare POC applicants to properly care for and empathize with students in military families.

“I encourage any school in any city to be a Purple Star school,” Harber said. “It should be

REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A PURPLE STAR SCHOOL Assigned point of contact (POC) for military families There is a designated staff member at the school who serves as the liaison for service members, veterans and students and families.

Training requirement for POC The assigned POC has completed the required grade-level training.

Dedicated webpage The school has a dedicated webpage to provide recognition and resources for service members, veterans and students and families.

Host an annual military program The school hosts a military recognition event that demonstrates a military-friendly culture.

Public military display The school has a display recognizing service members, veterans and/or students and families.

School Board passed a resolution publicizing support for military students and families Evidence of board resolution representing school support for military students and families is uploaded to application

Employment of military service members and their immediate family members The assigned POC has completed the required grade-level training.

Source: Indiana Department of Education

their patriotic duty to support military families.

It might be a reason for someone choosing your school corporation if you have this reward.”

-Staff Reports

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Letsinger’s Legacy After 22 years teaching at Muncie Central High School, Lisa Letsinger is retiring and leaving behind a legacy.

Many of Letsinger’s classroom decorations are from or related to her students, she said, and they often share moments in which Letsinger taught them valuable lessons about life outside of the classroom.

To decorate her classroom and keep her students motivated, Letsinger tapes colorful art projects to the walls that she encourages students to participate in.

Students traced their hands and wrote career goals on their fingers for Letsinger to tape to one of her classroom doors.

Lisa Letsinger poses for a photo in her classroom April 5 at Muncie Central High School. Letsinger is retiring in 2022 and plans to spend more time with her daughter and grandchildren, who live in Australia, when they visit in June. RYLAN CAPPER, DN Letsinger keeps every letter, card, note and invitation her former students have sent her over her 22 years teaching at Muncie Central High School. She has piles in office drawers and cabinets, as well as a stack of them she carries with her everywhere in her purse.

Taylor Smith Editor-in-Chief The artwork-lined hallways of Muncie Central High School (MCHS) have been Lisa Letsinger’s second home for 22 years. Since January 2000, when she rolled textbooks classroom to classroom on a cart to teach accounting and personal finance, Letsinger has rooted herself at the heart of MCHS and in the hearts of her students.

At the end of the school year, Mrs. Letsinger’s classroom door will close for the last time when she retires from MCHS. But while room 258 may not be plastered with colorful handprints when students return next fall, Letsinger said she doesn’t want her students to feel as though she is leaving them because they have become her family.

Letsinger taught accounting and finance in her classroom for years, she said, but her students left with more than notes on math lessons and a better understanding of taxes. She taught them the value of respect, she said, and how to reach their highest potential and believe they could.

At her feet below her desk sits Letsinger’s purse, big enough for her to stuff binders of lesson plans and students’ assignments inside. Right next to it is a

stack of thank you cards, graduation party invitations, wedding invites and personal, handwritten letters from hundreds of students she’s taught over the past two decades, all with a story to tell about how Mrs. Letsinger changed them for the better.

‘The Guinea Pig’ Letsinger graduated from Ball State in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. For 10 years, she worked as an accountant in corporate accounting for Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. in Tipton, Indiana, before starting her family and moving back to Muncie, where she began substitute teaching accounting and finance classes.

When the principal of one of the schools Letsinger was substituting at approached her and told her to get her teaching license, Letsinger said she told the principal it was something she had always wanted to do, but it was the ’80s, and the job market was saturated.

Letsinger took a leap to pursue her dream anyway, and in 1997, she became the first Ball State student to transition to teaching by taking courses at the graduate level to earn a teaching degree.

“I was actually the guinea pig,” Letsinger said. “I graduated in the winter in 1999, and five days later, I signed my contract [at Muncie Central]. I’ve been here ever since, and now, hundreds of thousands of students have gone through to transition into education [at Ball State].”

The Cart Teacher Letsinger set her passion for teaching aside for 10 years while she did accounting, she said, but when she graduated from Ball State in 1999 with her teaching degree, she said the timing couldn’t have been better.

“I think that God aligned me with the right people at the right time,” she said.

Dick Daniels was principal of MCHS at the

time, and he conducted Letsinger’s interview when she applied and sent her name to the board for approval. The only concern anyone had, she said, was how high school-aged students would accept a 37-year-old teacher and connect with her. But, within a few months, Letsinger officially became a teacher at MCHS. “I had absolutely no problem with my connection with my students,” Letsinger said. “I’m very proud of all my students.”

But she didn’t have a classroom to teach them in.

For her entire first semester of teaching, Letsinger carried her stack of textbooks up and down hallways between class periods.

“Finally, one of the ladies that worked in here went, ‘Let me see if I could find a cart,’ because I had to go upstairs,” Letsinger said. “I’m carrying all these textbooks around with me … It was crazy.”

Pursuing Potential Letsinger sets high expectations for every student, she said, and she makes sure they are aware of every one of them. It’s her philosophy to reach a level of mutual respect in the classroom, as it’s one of the most effective ways to help her students see what they are capable of achieving.

15 community members to come in, and the kids would come all dressed up. I want the kids to learn; it was all teaching.”

After hosting her first etiquette dinner, however, Letsinger said she realized something she was shocked she didn’t think of sooner.

“Some of these kids have never even been to a nice dinner,” Letsinger said. “I’ve never seen anything like that, so not only did I invite people, I also then started asking people to donate dress clothes.”

Before she knew it, Letsinger had two to three closets in MCHS filled with suits, pantsuits, dresses and shoes to give to students in need of nicer attire.

“People were like, ‘Oh, I’ve got some extra things that I’m not wearing,’” Letsinger said. “The clothes might not be their style, but at least they get an idea, and now all these kids are getting dress clothes.”

Cultivating Connections Lisa Letsinger points out former Muncie Central High School valedictorians April 5, expaining each of their careers along the way. Letsinger worked as an accountant for 10 years before becoming a teacher. RYLAN CAPPER, DN “I demand respect. I have high expectations for all my students, and I harp on them and harp on them and harp on them until they conform, so to speak, and then we can become friends,” she said.

“But I have to gain their respect, and they have to gain mine. It’s a two-way street, but when I demand that they do these things, then they say, ‘Oh, my gosh, I can be something. I am going to be something.’”

I demand respect. I have high expectations for all my students, and I harp on them and harp on them and harp on them until they conform, so to speak, and then we can become friends.

But I have to gain their respect, and they have to gain mine.

It’s a two-way street, but when I demand that they do these things, then they say, ‘Oh, my gosh, I can be something. I am going to be something.’”

- LISA LETSINGER, Business education teacher at Muncie Central High School Daniels often teases Letsinger for being the “best hire he’s ever had,” but there are distinct reasons he says so, and one of them, he said, is the control she had over her classroom.

“She made an immediate impact in several different areas, and she’s a great teacher,” Daniels said. “She’s just very organized and well-versed in her subject area of business and got along great with students, but didn’t let them get away with anything, which is a hard balance to make for a teacher, but

Lisa was very good at that. She pressed them to do their best and held them to high standards, but they liked her, and that’s a good combination.”

Fashion Forward In her second year, Letsinger transitioned from teaching off of a cart to a workplace split between two rooms. When she had her own classroom to teach in, Letsinger said, she made more of an attempt to dress like a teacher and not so much like an accountant.

“I had bought pants because I didn’t really know how to dress,” Letsinger said. “I didn’t know what the expectation was. I knew that you should dress nice, but I didn’t know because I was used to wearing suits.”

Letsinger wore her new pants early in the school year to both dress appropriately and display professional workplace attire for her students to learn how to properly dress. When she walked into school that day, she said, one of her students, Randy Ruble, stopped her in the hall.

“He goes, ‘Oh, look at Ms. L! She’s sporting some new trousers,’” Letsinger said. “I looked at him — I forgot to take my tags off.”

To this day, Letsinger said, she remains in contact with Ruble, and she received a Facebook message from him in January.

“He said, ‘You always played a huge part in my life, and I would not be the man I am today or the person I am today without you,’” Letsinger said, “‘and I want you to be a part of my wedding.’”

It is moments and relationships like those with Ruble, Letsinger said, that make leaving MCHS so difficult.

“I’ve done so much in the building to encourage my students to be better people,” Letsinger said, but she has made sure her desire to teach students the importance of workplace professionalism stays even after she is gone.

During her time at MCHS, Letsinger started hosting etiquette dinners for her students to provide an opportunity to learn professional manners, improve their workplace attire and develop communication and networking skills.

“We called it a mocktail,” Letsinger said. “We’d have a cocktail party down in the student center, and all of the staff here would dress up as the waiters. They would all have trays, and we would make hors d’oeuvres and drinks. I would invite

Whether her students know she cares about them from day one or it takes a few weeks to develop a relationship, Letsinger said she prioritizes making sure every student knows she cares about them just as much as she does teaching.

“Every kid knows that I care about them,” Letsinger said. “Sometimes, it might take a little bit for them to figure things out, but they finally do … and some of the things that I’ve done outside of the classroom built the rapport that I had with a lot of kids.”

One student, in particular, built a strong connection with Letsinger, so much so they consider one another family. He was one of Letsinger’s students, and every day during lunchtime, he came down to her classroom, sat at the chair she always

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keeps beside her desk and told Letsinger “his story.”

“His name is Michael … and he was basically living on the streets,” Letsinger said. “So, I would go home, and I talked to my husband about him all the time. Finally, Pete says, ‘Why don’t you just see if that young man would want to go out for pizza with us tonight?’”

Letsinger asked Michael to join her and her husband, Pete, for dinner, and Michael told her he would meet them at the restaurant. He didn’t want them to know where he was living, Letsinger said.

“He and Pete hit it off, and, next thing I know, Michael’s coming to live with us,” Letsinger said.

“When he came, he said, ‘I don’t want your money.

I just want somebody. I just want to know that I have family and people here in Muncie that love me and care about me when I’m in the military.’”

Michael stayed with the Letsingers until he joined the military, and Letsinger said she and Pete “are still mom and dad to him.”

“He’s 38, and he lives in Michigan,” Letsinger said. “He went from selling drugs on the south side of town, and he is now, I’m proud to say, an attorney. He is a [Judge Advocate General’s Corp] officer for the United States Government and works for the Defense Department.”

Michael has three boys, the oldest of which — a sophomore in high school — still calls Letsinger “Grammy.”

Contact Taylor Smith with comments at tnsmith6@bsu.edu or on Twitter @taywrites.

BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM Read Letsinger’s full story online.

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DNPartnershipProject 04.14.22 16

TEACHING TO TEACH

Susanna Benko, Ball State director of English education and associate professor of English, assists in one of the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) classrooms. Benko works as a PDS liason at three MCS school. SARI HARRIS, PHOTO PROVIDED

Ball State professors help Muncie Community Schools teachers grow professionally.

Maya Wilkins Lifestyles Editor Susanna Benko, Ball State director of English education and associate professor of English, only had one answer when she was approached by representatives of the Teachers College asking her if she would want to help teachers in the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) district.

“Oh, my gosh — I am more than interested. I’m excited … I think this is exactly what I’ve been wanting to do.”

Benko, a professional development (PDS) liaison at Northside Middle School, Southside Middle School and Muncie Central High School, works alongside MCS teachers, co-teaches in classrooms and helps them with problems they’re working on.

Each semester, Benko meets with her teachers to tackle a problem they’ve been focusing on.

This year, it’s been teaching struggling readers, but each semester and each year comes with a different challenge.

“I found [the teachers] to be really committed and

willing to open up, and just wanting to keep learning, so that’s been super, super cool,” Benko said.

Ball State has eight PDS liaisons at the nine MCS schools, with those at the elementary schools focused on the school as a whole, and those at middle and high schools being more curriculum focused. Benko said she focuses on English and language arts, and Andrew Gatza, assistant professor of mathematical sciences, focuses on math.

“And though I’m English, I’ve really been working with — especially at Northside —teachers outside of the English department as well,” Benko said, “because one of their school goals is focused on writing instruction and … improving students’ ability to read informational

on schools in the area outside of MCS, said Jon Dee, director of the Office of Teacher Education Service and Clinical Practice.

However, because of Ball State’s partnership with MCS and to “keep PDS sustainable,” the focus shifted solely to MCS. “It does cost money,” he said. “We wanted to keep our PDS liaison’s work on student achievement, and who better to do that with than people in their own backyard? We really want to be a spark within teacher education, and we want to be a way that teachers can explore ideas.”

Dee said people from his office — including himself and Sari Harris, assistant director of the Office of Teacher Education Services and Clinical

We have had other principals and superintendents who have asked about this program and said, ‘Wow, we would love to get back into that kind of relationship with you.’”

- SARI HARRIS, Assistant director of Office of Teacher Education Services and Clinical Practic texts and write in response to them.”

The PDS program at Ball State began in 1998, but prior to 2019, liaisons focused

Practice —- met with LeAnn Kwiatkowski, MCS superintendent, and Chuck Reynolds, MCS associate superintendent, to talk about how they could focus

on the schools and grow in their partnership.

For the first time, Dee said, the program was focusing more on a single district’s goals and supporting them. At the time, its goals were improving social and emotional learning, literacy, mathematics and English.

“It was very exciting to make that switch and work with schools and administrators we had not worked with in the past,” Harris said.

Leaders in the Teachers College work in conjunction with each of Ball State’s departments to choose people they feel are good at being able to form a relationship with MCS. Halfway through the school year, principals at each of the schools evaluate their liaisons, which Harris said has been very positive and beneficial.

Benko said her time as a PDS liaison has been an “awesome opportunity” because it’s allowed her to give back and support the Muncie community.

“It’s a really, really unique opportunity to have part of my day job and be in the community, and I just consider myself so fortunate to have that opportunity,” Benko said. “I know that Ball State is a university that really prides itself on its community engagement … and I feel like my role is really an opportunity to put that commitment to practice and see what it really means to be committed.”

Being in the classroom with teachers has allowed Benko to understand more about challenges teachers face, and she said she has had “total failures in the classroom” as well. She thinks this is validating for teachers because she said teaching is “so difficult right now,” especially with the COVID-19 pandemic.

All around, Benko said she’s benefited tremendously from being a PDS liaison. Her work has kept her relevant in the field she began working in.

“It helps me make sure everything I’m teaching is super relevant,” Benko said. “It also helps me when I do work with our Ball State students; it helps me translate some of what they observe when they are out in the field.”

Dee said he believes PDS is an important program for the university to keep up with because it’s strengthened the relationship between Ball State and MCS. He is excited to see what the future of the program looks like.

“PDS is something I hope continues because it is an intersection between higher education and public education,” he said. “It would definitely behoove us to strengthen those partnerships … because in terms of a win-win scenario, we are able to understand what’s happening in the field.”

Harris also said she is excited to see what the future of PDS looks like, and in the coming years, she would love to see the program expanded to work in other schools and districts. However, Harris said even if the program doesn’t expand further, she is excited to see what it can do with the schools it’s partnered with now.

“We have had other principals and superintendents who have asked about this program and said, ‘Wow, we would love to get back into that kind of relationship with you,’” Harris said. “I completely understand that — it’s a great benefit from their perspective.”

Contact Maya Wilkins with comments at mrwilkins@bsu.edu or on Twitter @mayawilkinss.

17

Ray McCallum played basketball at Ball State from 1979-83 with Al Brown on the coaching staff. Brown and McCallum have since both been inducted in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

BALL STATE ATHLETICS AND DIGITAL MEDIA REPOSITORY, PHOTO COURTESY

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Craving

COMPETITION

Along with his former coach, Ray McCallum reflects on his journey to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Derran Cobb Reporter Growing up in Muncie looking for pickup basketball games anywhere he could, Ray McCallum sought out competition from an early age. He’d go to the Muncie Boys and Girls Club and the Muncie YMCA while also traveling outdoors to Heekin and McCulloch Parks.

“I just went wherever I could go to play,” McCallum said. “Where there was competition, I found it.”

Even at different times of the day, McCallum would find ways to hone his basketball skills. Instead of waiting for practice, McCallum created his own time for training and worked out early in the mornings while remaining on the court for the rest of the day. He said it wasn’t uncommon for him and his friends to get up as early as 5:30 a.m. and shoot hoops or even run a few miles before his day started.

“It wouldn’t be unusual for me to be in the weight room early at eight o’clock in the morning and on the court from noon until 10-11 o’clock at night,” McCallum said.

While in high school, McCallum stood 5 feet, 9 inches tall and was continuously told he didn’t have the athleticism and measurables to play at the collegiate level.

However, McCallum said he was able to overcome challenges and stereotypes to reach success.

“I couldn’t do this, I can’t do that — a lot of people doubted my ability, which was motivation for me,” McCallum said. “I just made sure that nobody outworked me.”

In the 1979 Indiana High School Athletic Association

(IHSAA) Boys Basketball State Championship against Anderson High School, McCallum, thenMuncie Central senior guard, hurt his ankle. His coaching staff thought he had turned it. However, Rick Peckinpaugh, former Muncie Central assistant coach, said McCallum displayed much determination that day — which separated him as a competitor.

“He wasn’t going to sit out at all,” Peckinpaugh said. “He got up, and he came right back in to play, and that’s just how competitive he was then.”

Al Brown, Ball State Men’s Basketball head coach from 1982-87, served as an assistant coach during McCallum’s recruitment and first three years with the Cardinals. Brown said Ball State’s coaching staff knew they needed McCallum as soon as they saw his winning traits on display at Muncie Central.

“He was somebody we just needed to recruit because he was a winner,” Brown said. “It was a joy to coach him as an assistant, as well as head coach, because he was a winner in every sense of the word.

He just worked hard and loved the game and was a great competitor.”

Brown spent 38 years coaching NCAA Division I men’s and women’s college basketball. He won three straight Division I women’s national titles as an assistant coach for Tennessee from 1996-98.

Like McCallum, Brown enjoyed competition and said it encouraged his longevity.

“I just love to compete, and it was a chance to [do just that],” Brown said. “The coaching part of it was being able to analyze your team and the opponent and call a timeout and come up with the right play at the right time.”

Brown said his love for the game inspired him to coach.

“I just wanted to teach the game of basketball the way I had been taught so that people who played for me could love the game as much as I did,” he said.

“My main purpose was to give back to the game.”

After winning the 1978 and 1979 state titles at Muncie Central High School, McCallum played

varsity all four years as a Cardinal. Finishing his career with 2,109 points, he graduated as Ball State and the Mid-American Conference’s all-time leading scorer. He led the Cardinals to the 1981 MAC Tournament title and their first-ever NCAA tournament berth.

“To have the opportunity to stay in my hometown and be a part of the rise of Ball State basketball and help lead a team to our first NCAA tournament, it just doesn’t get any better than that,” McCallum said. “Right there in your hometown with friends and family and classmates … It was just a lot of fun and a great experience to just bring pride to our basketball program.”

Despite his accolades, though, McCallum kept Muncie at his forefront during his Cardinal tenure. He believes his success is a product of his community.

“I kind of started from the bottom … and achieved what I was able to achieve through that hard work,” McCallum said. “I think the sky’s the limit and that I’m a product of that — hardworking just like the Muncie community, blue-collar.”

In 1983, McCallum won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Award, which, until 2014, was given to the top collegiate basketball player in the country under 6 feet.

Peckinpaugh believes there are still a lot of people around who remember McCallum’s playing days at Muncie Central and then watching him at Ball State.

“It’s got to be a really big lift for the Muncie community to see a kid like that,” Peckinpaugh said.

“He was really humble, hardworking, and he was loved by everybody, so it’s great for the community to see him honored that way.”

McCallum and Brown are integral in the history of Ball State Men’s Basketball. They instantly connected from their desire for competition and were inducted March 23 into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

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

It was a joy to coach him as an assistant, as well as head coach, because he was a winner in every sense of the word. He just worked hard and loved the game and was a great competitor.”

- AL BROWN, Former Ball State Men’s Basketball head coach

DNPartnershipProject 04.14.22 18

$

THREE YEARS LATER CEO of Muncie Community Schools thanks community for helping improve school system.

Dr. Lee Ann Kwiatkowski Director of Public Education & CEO of Muncie Community Schools

Editor’s Note: The Daily News publishes Letters to the Editor and guest columns with minimal copy edits and provides a headline only if the author does not provide one.

The views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper. We reserve the right to withhold submitted letters depending on the content

Dear parents, residents and community members, It’s been nearly three years since the Muncie Community Schools (MCS) Board of Trustees entrusted me with the privilege of leading MCS into the future. At the time, House Enrolled Act 1315 allowing a new partnership between MCS and Ball State University had just been approved, and the newly appointed school board was making changes to reverse a bleak downward trajectory the schools had been on for many years. It was my job to execute those initial changes and come up with new ways to address declining enrollment, upside-down finances and poor academic performance.

Working in conjunction with the school board, we created a five-year Strategic Plan for 20202025 emphasizing a cradle-to-career approach to education based on five pillars: • High quality pre-K education • Recruitment, development and retention of educational leaders

• Student-centered teaching and active learning • Social and emotional learning • Family and community engagement All five of these pillars are supported by two foundational principles: culturally responsive practices and high quality professional development.

At the time of this writing – and not quite to the halfway mark of the Strategic Plan – it is rewarding to report significant progress in many areas despite the challenges presented by COVID-19 over the past two years. Here are some of the most significant gains:

We’ve come a long way in a few short years, but we still have a long way to go, and I’m confident we can get where we need to be.”

Enrollment – After 15 consecutive years of declining enrollment, MCS gained more than 100 students at the start of the 2021-22 school year.

Finances – In 2016, the MCS operational budget was more than $10 million in debt. By the end of 2018, the district had returned to a positive cash flow. Now, MCS boasts a positive cash balance of more than $35 million, including a “Rainy Day” fund of more than $12 million.

PARTNERSHIP

PRESERVATION

Academic performance – This is where MCS still has the most room for growth. However, we have laid the foundation for change by expanding our preschool program into all six of our elementary schools. These programs have also all been rated by the state at Level 3 – soon be at Level 4, the highest level – on the Paths to Quality.

In addition to these successes, we have also provided significant staff pay raises for the first time in more than a decade and we’ve increased the number of professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators.

Both of these changes has helped us improve our teacher retention numbers on a yearly basis.

We’ve come a long way in a few short years, but we still have a long way to go, and I’m confident we can get where we need to be. We will continue to expand our STEM learning through Project Lead The Way, and we’ll offer a vast amount of summer programs to address the learning loss of the past two years.

Of course, none of these gains would be possible without our community partners, especially Ball State University. Each MCS school has been paired with a different college within Ball State, which provides significant unique learning opportunities for our students. In addition, we receive generous support from several local foundations, community non-profits, the City of Muncie, volunteers, our students and their families.

Thank you to everyone who has played a role in turning around our schools. Let’s continue to work together to make MCS and Muncie better prepared for the future.

As in every community, MCS, Muncie and Ball State have seen their fair share of obstacles.

For every obstacle, however, there is a gem to be recognized, be it a person with a big heart and a passion for helping others or bold ideas and innovative solutions. While acknowledging both are

Former Daily News editor reflects on creation of the Partnership Project.

Brooke Kemp

Former Ball State Daily News Editorin-Chief and staff member The Daily News’ Partnership Project was launched in 2019 with a beautiful print edition and content that highlighted the relationship between Muncie Community Schools (MCS) and Ball State University. Those working behind the scenes, however, know that work on this project did not start mere weeks before the initial

launch, nor did it start with the passing of House Bill 1315, which gave Ball State responsibility for MCS. This project was multiple semesters (and editors) in the making and its roots can be traced to The Daily News staff’s practice of scrutinizing their work even after publication as well as how the work they publish reflects and serves the Ball State and Muncie communities. This practice — which was established long before my tenure on the paper’s editorial board began in 2017 — revealed to the staff who covered the bill from its creation to its passing that there was more work to be done when it came to how we reported on MCS.

Working on this project was incredibly humbling and reminded both The Daily News staff and readers that there are so many individuals pouring their heart and soul into improving the Muncie community.” important to the growth and success of a community, it became clear that, as worry surrounding the future of the schools increased, there was also an increased tendency to only focus on the negative.

In the letter I wrote to readers upon launching

MCS FINANCES

over the years

MCS has a “Rainy Day” fund of

$12 MILLION

Currently, MCS has returned to a positive cash flow of more than

$35 MILLION

The MCS operational budget in 2016 was nearly

$10 MILLION

in debt.

this project, I explained that the project was “a commitment to its [The Daily News’] readers and the community as a whole, to take notice of what is happening every day throughout MCS” and to “provide a full picture of the commitment to progress within the district.”

Working on this project was incredibly humbling and reminded both The Daily News staff and readers that there are so many individuals pouring their heart and soul into improving the Muncie community and its school district. These people can be easy to overlook – not because they are few and far between, but because they work quietly, without boasting or asking for recognition. However, it is in lifting the voices of these individuals who refuse to lose faith that journalists can help inspire and energize communities.

The Partnership Project was created in an attempt to do just that, and with each piece that is added to this project as it continues to grow, a more accurate picture of the spirit and perseverance of the Muncie community comes into view. And, as The Daily News makes history with its 100th year of operation, I am thrilled to see them continue to share the stories of those who are making a real impact in the community.

Shoot for Good

19 04.14.22

DNLife

Ball State students come together to spend a 24-hour period documenting and celebrating acts of volunteerism in the Muncie area.

Scan the QR code to see the full gallery online.

Boy Scouts from Troop 22 in Muncie deliver donated food to Center Chapel United Methodist Church April 9 near Royerton Road. The scouts dropped off empty bags at houses with instructions for donors to fill them with excess food items. Then, they walked through the neighborhood again to pick up the full bags. RYLAN CAPPER, CONTRIBUTOR

DNLife

04.14.22

20

Barb Arthur prepares a group of Ball State student volunteers for what will be expected of them from Habitat for Humanity April 9 in Muncie. NATHAN ABBOTT, CONTRIBUTOR

Ball State student Ethan Ayres spends his morning demolishing the walls of a house for Habitat for Humanity April 9. Habitat for Humanity was founded in Georgia in the 1970s and now builds homes in all 50 states and over 70 countries. MADISON DEL VALLE, CONTRIBUTOR

A quarantined canine peaks his head out to see the staff and visitors April 9 at the Muncie Animal Care and Services facility.

Dogs who require quarantine and isolation due to illness or behavioral issues are assigned their own rooms until they can be introduced to the other animals.

VICTORIA JOHNSON, CONTRIBUTOR

A worker for Muncie Animal Care and Services poses for a photo with Patrick, the dog, April 9. MACKENZI LESTER, CONTRIBUTOR

21 04.14.22

DNLife

(Left to right) Emmalee Kelley, Katie Smitson, Annie Hay, Aubrey Couch and Cadence VanAlst practice for their upcoming show “The Wizard of Oz” April 9 at the Muncie Ballet Studio. The show will open May 19. AMBER PIETZ,

CONTRIBUTOR

Pastor Simon Maina Mungai is handed premade salads to give to a community member April 9 at Morning Star Church. The salads are one of many food items that the church gives out to their community.

ANNA SEGO, CONTRIBUTOR

Red-Tail Land Conservancy employee Jake Gamble teaches volunteers about Indiana wetlands and how to assist in their growth April 9. Red-Tail Land Conservancy brought a group of volunteers through Munsee Woods. ALEX LAKES,

CONTRIBUTOR

A man scoops food into a container April 8 at the Muncie Mission. Those at the Mission requested to remain anonymous.

KATIE CATTERALL, CONTRIBUTOR

DNLife

04.14.22

22

STAR

Continued from Page 10 On April 11, Quiñones visited Ball State as part of the Letterman Lecture Series, something he said he looked forward to because he’s “always been a huge fan of David Letterman.” He had also never been to Ball State before.

Quiñones also said he looked forward to visiting so he could talk to young journalism students, something he always tries to do if he can. He felt all students, regardless of major, could learn from his talk.

“I think they’ll learn all about perseverance and believing in ourselves and not taking no for an answer,” Quiñones said. “When you see someone — especially when you see someone who looks like you — and you have been told that you’re not capable, you believe that you can make it, too. That’s my message — it’s very simple.”

Quiñones has spoken at multiple universities before, such as the University of Akron last week. Each time he has spoken, he said, the response from the student body and community has been positive.

“It’s very rewarding when you see these young faces who are touched by the stories I tell, which come from the heart,” Quiñones said.

Kylen Matthews, Indiana Academy junior, attended Quiñones’ talk Monday and said it was “very inspirational” and “a dream come true” because she grew up watching “What Would You Do?” For Matthews, Quiñones has been a role model for her for a while, and his show helped her

understand what wasn’t normal about the world and what needed to change.

“I think I have a very negative perception of the earth and what it is right now, but I think he actually restored some of my faith in humanity a little bit,” Matthews said.

Eris Robinson, freshman media major, attended Quiñones’ talk Monday because she said he is in the industry she has been wanting to enter for a long time and felt he could provide some more insight into what it’s like and getting started.

“He’s been in the business for a really long time,” she said, “and who better to listen to than [him]?”

Robinson said she heard Quiñones was coming to Ball State after someone ran into her classroom to tell everyone about the news, and her professors had talked about it as well. She also said Quiñones’ talk gave her more insight into what it was like for Hispanic people and other minorities to grow up, like her boyfriend, for example.

“It was so cool to see someone from his community who had come so far,” she said. “In that regard, it was really nice to see him and the students talk about that kind of stuff.”

Encouraging students from the same background as him was what Quiñones wanted to do while at Ball State and what he said he always aims to do with his talks.

“I want to meet everyone and hope that, somehow, I can inspire — especially young people — to shoot for the stars,” he said.

Contact Maya Wilkins with comments at mrwilkins@bsu.edu or on Twitter @mayawilkinss.

Contact Krystiana Brosher with comments at krystiana.brosher@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ Krystiana_21.

When you see someone — especially when you see someone who looks like you — and you have been told that you’re not capable, you believe that you can make it, too.”

- JOHN QUIÑONES, Broadcast journalist, TV show host and author John Quiñones speaks to a crowd of Ball State students and faculty April 11 at Pruis Hall. Quinones took part in the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series. ELI HOUSER, DN

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!

Learn more or donate by emailing cardkitchen@bsu.edu

Cardinal Kitchen

23 04.14.22

Two women aim to normalize witchcraft through their small business

DNLife

Every inch of the House of Earthen Goods is decorated.

From Tapestries hanging from the ceiling to bones and flora decorating the walls and tables, there is always something new to see as one peruses the store’s wares. NATHAN ABBOTT, BALL BEARINGS, PHOTO PROVIDED

Grace Duerksen Reporter

Witchy Women Cats have often been seen as symbols of magic and protection, especially for those who are practicing witchcraft. That’s why when customers walk into Twisted Twigs, they may be greeted by any one — or all — of the store’s eight roaming feline companions.

Since summer 2017, Twisted Twigs has sold crystals, handmade oils, dried herbs, incense and other homemade apothecary items to its customers. The metaphysical shop is nestled among residential houses on Main Street in Anderson, Indiana, and is owned by two witches: Brytneigh Burgess and Kinsley Elsten.

After meeting each other in ninth grade at Highland High School in Anderson, Burgess and Elsten had the idea of creating a business together.

It wasn’t until several years later the pair decided to stop talking about their idea and bring it to life.

“We had talked about it for a long time,” Burgess said. “We just pulled what resources we had together, and it was a very humble beginning.”

Twisted Twigs not only offers a unique in-store shopping experience but a website allowing customers to ship products directly to their front steps. The pair said while most of their online orders are shipping across the U.S., the few international orders they’ve received have been “exciting” milestones for their business.

Witchcraft and the use of crystals is experiencing a rise in popularity across the country. In 2008, Trinity College in Connecticut found there were around 340,000 people who practiced witchcraft. Thirteen years later, research from Brandeis University suggests there are an estimated 1.5 million practicing witches in the U.S. as of 2021.

Both Burgess and Elsten take pride in their “non-denominational” shop.

“I am a practicing witch and use whatever resources I can to help myself,” Burgess said. “I just don’t subscribe to any religion. I don’t use deities, but I’m all about [other] people using that.”

Spirituality plays a large role in both Burgess’ and Elsten’s lives and is something that connects them and subsequently diversifies them, they said. They explained the importance of practicing their craft in ways that work personally, rather than trying to do something that worked for someone else.

“I feel like it’s a spiritual experience, connecting with people and energy and that type of thing,” Elsten said. “I do believe in God, and people kind of look at me weird, even in the store.

I’m a firm believer that witchcraft is 100 percent how you want to take it. [Brytneigh’s path] is not the same as my path.”

Success in Spirituality Burgess and Elsten purchased their current location at 3504 Main St. in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, which initially caused a problem since they couldn’t process online orders at the time.

“We were open for a month or two before we actually moved here, and then we had to shut down for two to four months [due to the mandate],” Elsten said.

Despite the pandemic, the co-owners said they were fortunate enough to thrive in the unprecedented conditions. Although the pair did not qualify for the Paycheck Protection Program — a loan backed by the Small Business

for specific crystals they’ve seen online.

“I think that [crystals] are the initial attention grab,” Burgess said. “We’ve maintained our previous customers and have noticed how things have changed [based on trends] with new customers.”

The Twisted Twigs owners also have a TikTok account they use to advertise their business. Social media apps like TikTok are a popular choice for some practicing witches to share their work with others, and videos using the hashtag “#witchtok” on the app have more than 20 billion views, according to 2021 USA Today research.

When it comes to their social media presence, though, Burgess said she and Elsten tread lightly.

“It’s so easy to get yourself in trouble when

You have to follow your own path. You have to figure out what you feel comfortable with and what you feel good doing,” - BRYTNEIGH BURGESS, Co-owner of Twisted Twigs Administration that helped businesses keep workers during the height of the pandemic — since their shop was so small, many people were beginning to understand the importance of shopping locally.

“In the very beginning of 2020, we had to close down because it was mandatory,” Burgess said.

“But there was still this big [push] to shop locally, so I feel like we got really lucky because people really did adhere to that. We were actually busier with online orders than when we had been open.”

Since then, the shop has seen consistent levels of in-person traffic.

The co-owners said certain items in their store gain popularity due to social media trends.

Burgess said customers will often visit the shop

you’ve intended not to offend anyone or cause any harm,” Burgess said. “People get canceled, and they like to gatekeep, which is such a big thing now.”

Burgess said other TikTok users have commented on their videos, claiming they aren’t practicing their craft correctly.

“You have to follow your own path,” Burgess said. “You have to figure out what you feel comfortable with and what you feel good doing.

Just because you saw somebody do a spell to look cool or seem to have a cool outcome on TikTok, that does not mean that you should try it at home.”

However, they said they are thankful for the app, claiming they don’t know where they would be without social media.

Staying Close to Home Burgess and Elsten said many people often have preconceived notions about witches and witchcraft if they are unfamiliar with the practice.

Burgess said that is something she’s noticed around their community and even in their shop.

“People will then stumble upon our Facebook page or Instagram page and they’ll say, ‘Well, that doesn’t look so bad,’ or ‘Wow, that’s really pretty,’ or ‘Oh, my God, there’s cats!’” Burgess said.

“Then they can become more comfortable rather than thinking, ‘Oh, yeah, there’s that witch place down the road.’”

Burgess said witchcraft’s rise in popularity through online and social media platforms may help resolve some of the negative connotations surrounding their practice while allowing their community to grow.

The pair said while they’ve had a small amount of demand for opening a second location, the logistics of expanding their business would create several challenges. “[Having a small business] is an up-and-down,” Burgess said. “We’ve had people tell us all the time, you know, ‘We could use one of these in Florida,’ or ‘We could use one of these wherever we are,’ but we’re both control freaks. [A second location] would mean one of two things: that Kinsley and I would have to separate, or that we would have to relinquish most of the control to another person and trust that they would treat it the same way that we do.”

Twisted Twigs plans to remain exclusively in Anderson where their business is already wellestablished and known throughout the community.

With customers traveling from far and visiting from near, the owners feel confident about staying in the location they know is loved.

Contact Grace Duerksen with comments at gvduerksen@bsu.edu or on Twitter @gracie_duerk.

DNOpinion

24

04.14.22

NO CONFIDENCE

Soapbox

Three of the past five SGA executive board elections have been unopposed; this is the root of a larger set of issues with university governance.

AMBER PIETZ, DN

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: OPINION: BANNING BOOKS DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD

25

Grayson Joslin

Columnist, “Soapbox”

Grayson Joslin is a freshman political science major and writes “Soapbox” for The Daily News.

He is also a senator for Ball State’s Student Government Association. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

Since fifth grade, I have wanted to be a leader.

What started as a letter to former President Barack Obama in late 2013 turned into my passion: to help people’s voices be heard and understood.

Wherever I was, I wanted to motivate my fellow peers and make meaningful change.

When I arrived at Ball State last fall and joined the Student Government Association (SGA), I ran into something that I had not come across before in my time as a student leader: stagnation inside student government and disinterest from students.

In previous years, there has been unspoken animosity between SGA and the Ball State students at large. One prominent example occurred in December 2019, when SGA considered a resolution calling on the University Senate to change the student conduct code to adopt a zero-tolerance policy to fraternity and sororities on campus. This policy would penalize Greek life organizations by suspending recognition of a chapter if they were found to have committed sexual assult or hazing.

The amendment was passed and sent to the University Senate for further review, but as of now, they have not adopted the guidelines into the code.

This is not just an organization despised due to the zero-tolerance amendment more than two years ago; this is also the same organization that had the president resign over derogatory tweets toward Chinese culture almost a decade ago. SGA has been on the decline due to these controversies and more that go back years.

This dissent has negatively affected both representatives and the represented, especially in regard to voter turnout in SGA elections.

Three of the past five elections, including the last two, have seen only one ticket run and win by default. The Elections Code states that if only one executive board ticket runs, then the option of no confidence is added. The no confidence choice states the student voting feels that the sole ticket is not qualified to lead SGA. The no confidence option has never received more than 30 percent of the vote when available.

Because of this, when one ticket runs, they are the only credible option.

The nadir came in 2021, when only 644 students voted in the SGA election, a single ticket affair.

Using the fall 2020 enrollment figures —which counted 15,780 undergraduate students— only 4 percent of eligible students voted in the election.

The voting turnout didn’t improve significantly

this year — only 724 students cast their votes in another single ticket election.

When students see the low voter turnout, they further lose faith in SGA. It feels like “Groundhog Day,” but this is not a laughing matter. In a democracy, it is healthy to have competition for elections. It allows the public to have choices and hold those in charge accountable.

Plain and simple, SGA is not a healthy democracy.

There may be many causes as to why SGA is distrusted, but the most pressing to me is the fact that, due to the increase in single-ticket elections, the choice on who to lead is already decided before the election season begins.

The SGA constitution states the purpose of this organization is “be the voice of the student body.”

However, when I have asked people across Ball State throughout this year about SGA, the most common response is, “We have a student government?”

There may be many causes as to why SGA is distrusted, but the most pressing to me is the fact that, due to the increase in singleticket elections, the choice on who to lead is already decided before the election season begins.”

That alone should be overly concerning.

However, SGA is not the only group at fault. The student body does not understand the functions of SGA or the limits of their powers. The student body’s lack of dedication to learning about SGA has also added to this issue. Each side needs to take blame and accept responsibility for the shortcomings that have happened in previous years.

I recognize why most students are oblivious to our student government. Most of what SGA has considered in the past few years have been amendments micromanaging its own governing documents, rather than resolutions calling on the University Senate for considerable change for students on campus.

Amendments establish changes in the governing documents for any number of reasons while a resolution voices SGA’s opinion or calls to action matters occurring at Ball State outside of SGA’s jurisdiction. An example of a resolution that actually works for SGA’s constituents came in December

04.14.22

2021, when the Student Senate passed a resolution calling on the University Senate to raise the minimum wage to at least $9 an hour.

Over the past two academic years, there have been 53 amendments considered in the Student Senate. On the contrary, only six resolutions were considered during the same period.

This is unacceptable when SGA’s flagship goal is to “advocate and bring attention to issues of concern on behalf of the Student Body,” per the SGA Constitution.

Worse, SGA’s leadership has reaped rewards while the campus remains underserved by its representatives.

The five executive officers of SGA — the president, vice president, chief administrator, treasurer and president pro tempore — receive stipends equal to two-thirds of current in-state tuition. The fact the executive board is being reimbursed for what some students might say is not enough done to help the student body might turn people away from SGA. Moreover, despite the governing documents stating the meetings from senate meetings and the yearly budget are supposed to be made public, they are not shown anywhere on the SGA website.

The fact that we have allowed SGA’s reputation to sink this low is embarrassing, disappointing and infuriating. Other Indiana schools such as Purdue and Butler have seen some of their highest election turnouts in recent memory the past two years, so what is stopping us from having these impressive turnout numbers too?

You, the students, have a voice. Be compelled to use it. SGA needs to listen to the student body’s concerns, and the student body needs to press SGA at every turn.

I propose to you this — be an outsider and run for SGA office.

Outsiders running in the SGA election is not a novel concept. In the 2020 SGA election, one slate stood out from the rest: Alliance.

The ticket consisted of students who did not have experience in SGA, and their approach to campaigning has influenced the previous two elections, as shown by executive tickets shifting from platform points to platform focuses. Alliance did not win, however, placing second in the runoff elections as the more experienced Bold slate took victory.

I do not want to stick with the status quo.

It is not working, and we must try something different to change student leadership for the better at Ball State.

I see a future for SGA, a bright outlook where we are the model student government organization, where other colleges want to be like us. There is a lot of work to be done to build back up the prominence of SGA at Ball State, but I am confident in the student body’s willingness to shape this university into a better place for all.

Contact Grayson Joslin with comments at grayson.joslin@bsu.edu or on Twitter @ GraysonMJoslin.

DNOpinion

DNSports

04.14.22

26

HOROSCOPE FOR April 14, 2022 Written by: Nancy Black

ARIES March 21-April 19 Today is a 7 — Clean old messes. Savor peaceful privacy, with Mars in Pisces for two months. Organize and prepare for what’s ahead. Tap into inspiration, passion and spiritual connection.

TAURUS April 20-May 20 Today is an 8 — Together, anything’s possible.

Collaborate with teams, groups and friends over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces. Push for a shared dream.

GEMINI May 21-June 20 Today is a 9 — Move forward boldly. Advance professionally, with Mars in Pisces for a few months.

Pour energy into your career.

Push past old barriers for rising status.

CANCER June 21-July 22 Today is an 8 — Open yourself to new views.

Explore and learn something new over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces.

Your wanderlust is getting severe.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22 Today is an 8 — Energize profitable plans with your partner over two months, with Mars in Pisces. Lucrative opportunities reward your collaboration. Budget shared finances for growth.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 Today is a 9 — Romance heats up over the next few months. Partnership surges forward, with Mars in Pisces.

Collaboration provides fun, ease and rewards. Connect and share.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22 Today is a 9 — Energize your workout. Physical action gets results, with Mars in Pisces. The next two months get especially productive.

Provide excellence. Your work is earning respect.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21 Today is an 8 — Love, romance and creativity flower over the next two months, with Mars in Pisces. Get playful and have fun. Express your passion. Energize your game.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Today is an 8 — Prioritize home and family. Pour energy into domestic improvement, with Mars in Pisces for two months. Repair and renovate.

Nurture and decorate. Apply physical action.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 Today is a 9 — Communication and transportation flow with greater ease, with Mars in Pisces. Research, write and brainstorm. Share information, data and resources. Energize a conversation.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 Today is a 9 — Grow your income, with Mars in Pisces.

Energize profitable pursuits.

Avoid reckless spending and stick to basics for two months. Self-esteem rises with your accounts.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20 Today is an 8 — Connect with friends and share support. Your team might even win. Contribute and participate to increase the odds. Strategize and coordinate. Link arms.

COMING IN CLUTCH Ball State Softball used a walk-off home run from sophomore infielder Kayla Lissy to earn lone win of the series against Ohio.

Left: Senior outfielder Faith Hensley prepares to hit during Ball State Softball’s doubleheader against Ohio April 10 at First Merchants Ballpark Complex. ELI HOUSER, DN Right: Sophomore infielder Kayla Lissy prepares to run to second base in a game against Ohio April 10 at Varsity Softball Complex. Lissy had two hits during the game. AMBER PIETZ, DN

fresh. flavorful.

authentic Mexican Cuisine

Ball State Softball players stand on the field during the national anthem before their game against Ohio April 10 at Varsity Softball Complex. The Cardinals lost 7-5. AMBER PIETZ, DN

visit any of our 3 muncie locations or order online!

Check out our new Puzzles & Games page online!

BallStateDaily.com/page/Puzzles

Crossword & Sudoku

CROSSWORD EDITED BY RICH NORRIS AND JOYCE LEWIS; SUDOKU BY MICHAEL MEPHAM ACROSS 1 Chesapeake shellfish 5 Swings at a fly 10 Perfect tennis serves 14 Can’t stand 15 Band whose debut album “Dreamboat Annie” was released in the U.S. on Valentine’s Day in 1976 16 Reclined 17 *__ day: on alternating days 19 Thought 20 Raised, as kids 21 What a vocalist may drop for emphasis 23 “What’s the __?”: “So what?”

24 Pallid 25 *Aussie’s “Well done!”

28 Historic period 30 Deluge 31 *One with the motto “Be Prepared” 34 Trait carriers 38 Brazenly obvious 39 Morton condiment 41 Determined to have 42 *Serves a prison sentence 43 Daily record, as on a ship 46 Almost on “E” 47 *Part of the contract where gotchas might be found 50 Mantra syllables

52 United 53 Talk incessantly 54 “You’re the One That I Want” musical 57 Bloody, as steak 59 The first words of the answers to starred clues are a mnemonic for this musical symbol’s staff lines 62 Back up, on a PC 63 Philadelphia NFLer 64 Winter wear 65 Extreme disorder 66 Struck down, biblically 67 Pantry pests DOWN 1 “Believe” singer 2 “Must-see” review 3 Eroded 4 Quotable Yogi 5 Not barefoot 6 Drenched, e.g.

7 “That feels good” 8 Seismic event 9 Long step 10 Comedian Wong 11 Escalade, casually 12 Kids’ song refrain 13 Big blunder 18 Hankering 22 Barrel-shaped drums

25 Joint ailment 26 Uneaten morsel 27 A-bomb tryout 28 Recedes to the sea 29 Part in a play 30 “An ounce of action is worth a __ of theory”: Emerson (probably) 32 Pilfered 33 Suspended cover above a bed 35 Place for a manicure 36 “Tickle Me” Muppet 37 Hearty entrée 39 Chimney sweep’s target 40 “A mouse!”

42 Cheadle who was Basher in “Ocean’s” films 44 Fireplace inserts 45 Yoga-as-exercise namesake 47 Roman place of assembly 48 Foolish 49 Brainiacs, maybe 50 Valuable deposit 51 Muslim holy city 54 Joy 55 Usher’s offering 56 Young newts 58 Dawn goddess 60 Alter __ 61 Three-letter sandwich

SOLUTIONS FOR APRIL 7, 2022

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ANYTIME BALL STATE STUDENTS RECEIVE A 10% DISCOUNT WITH BALL STATE ID (765) 288-5221 • Open 7 a.m.-9 p.m.

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04.14.22

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