Ball State’s Financial Wellness Dept. launch a week-long event March 17-21 to help students develop competency with money. 06 How Broadway shows have changed a columnist’s life. 12 Ashlynn Brooke talks about her return from injury. 10 Weekly ceramics classes at Cornerstone Center for the Arts gives locals a creative outlet. 08
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Four students and one nonstudent were arrested durng a Board of Trustees meeting. 04
VOL. 104 ISSUE: 25
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4March 11: The Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine, and Kyiv signaled openness to a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, pending Moscow’s agreement, American and Ukrainian officials said March 11, following talks in Saudi Arabia, according to the Associated Press (AP). The administration’s decision marked a sharp shift from only a week ago, when it imposed the measures in an apparent effort to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to enter talks to end the war with invading Russian forces, following a “tense” White House meeting Feb. 28, according to AP.
4March 12: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is ending two pandemic-era programs that provided more than $1 billion for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farmers and producers, according to the Associated Press (AP) March 12. About $660 million of that went to schools and childcare centers to buy food for meals through the Local Foods for Schools program. A separate program provided money to food banks, according to AP. The cuts will hurt school districts with “chronically underfunded” school meal budgets, said Shannon Gleave, president of the School Nutrition Association.
4March 11: Ball State baseball head coach Rich Maloney remains the winningest baseball coach in university history, as he earned win No. 1,000 after the Cardinals topped Purdue Fort Wayne University March 11. Maloney has coached for 30 years and is the 10th active Division I head coach to reach the milestone. The Cardinals are on a six-game win streak and will next play Toledo in a three-game series at home March 14-16.
Four students and one alumnus were arrested protesting at a Board of Trustees meeting.404
A March 11 statement from Ball State’s Communication Center confirmed the Fulbright Scholarship competition is now live for college and university faculty to register. The scholarship offers 400 awards in more than 135 countries to teach and conduct research, according to a university statement.
Muncie City Council and Delaware County’s Democratic leadership expressed mixed feelings about the State of the City address in a March 9 press release. Harold Mason, President of Muncie City Council, said he wants to hear more about plans to combat issues like poverty, which “nearly a third of Muncie’s residents face,” according to the press release.
The U.S. Department of Education sent out a warning March 10 to 60 colleges and universities that they could face repercussions if they fail “to protect Jewish students on campus.” Indiana University’s Bloomington campus was one of the colleges warned, according to Indiana Capital Chronicle. No consequences have been detailed.
Olivia Ground, Trinity Rea, Katherine Hill
Digital Managing Editor, Print Managing Editor, Co-News Editor
Editor’s note: Two of those arrested use names that differ from those on the legal documents shared. In order to follow journalistic ethical standards while also providing accurate news, the Daily News will be using the preferred names of those arrested, which do not align with legal documents.
Five protesters were detained and arrested by University Police (UPD) for “disorderly conduct” during the Feb. 28 Board of Trustees meeting in Cardinal Hall A at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.
Outside the room, a sign detailed public attendees’ expectations, including a bullet point asking to “not disrupt the meeting of the Board of Trustees.”
Greg Fallon, associate vice president of university communications and digital strategy, confirmed the arrests and said via email Feb. 28 that approximately 30 people “exercised their right to protest peacefully and in accordance with university policies concerning the conduct of a public board meeting.”
“… Five of those individuals, four students and one other person, loudly disrupted the meeting by yelling. They were warned to stop by the board chair, and they persisted in disrupting the meeting. Because they did not stop, University Police removed those five people and arrested them for disorderly conduct,” Fallon said.
Joseph Souza, Cooper Archer, Kiwani Bassett, Jaina Dodds and Zoe-Rose Dieguez were the five arrested for disorderly conduct. Dieguez was the only one arrested who was not a Ball State student.
Those arrested, who were coined “The Ball State Five” by their peers on social media, said they attended the meeting for a number of issues, including concerns of alleged connections of Ball State and its donors funding the war in Gaza, alleged concerns of redlining and inequitable housing in the surrounding campus area, an alleged lack of transparency from trustees and concerns about Vice Chair Brian Gallagher, who was the past CEO of United Way Worldwide. United Way Worldwide is currently being sued following allegations that Gallagher fired multiple women after they came forward about experiencing sexual misconduct.
All five arrested were charged March 7 with two counts of disorderly conduct each — one for disorderly conduct and one for disorderly conduct with “unreasonable noise,” according to charge documents sent to the Ball State Daily News via email.
Dieguez, an alumnus of the university, was issued a letter stating their name, picture and description were being kept in UPD records, and as the letter reads, if they are “found on any university property, [they] will be subject to arrest.”
According to the charge documents, UPD Corporal Cody Schnurr was dispatched to 2011 W. University Ave, the student center, around 1 p.m. about “subjects causing trouble at the trustee meeting.”
Upon his arrival, Schnurr was “advised by UPD Chief Foster and Chief Bell that there were protesters at the trustee meeting. They were allowed to be there but not interrupt the meeting.”
The charge documents stated that those charged were making “unreasonable noise, disrupting an assembly of people and continued to do so after being asked to stop.”
The charge documents also stated that the protesters were then arrested for disorderly conduct.
Disorderly conduct — a Class B misdemeanor as it has been charged to the five — is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Under Indiana Code IC-35-45-1-3, disorderly conduct at the level or be charged of a misdemeanor includes: “A person who recklessly, knowingly or intentionally: engages in fighting or in tumultuous
conduct; makes unreasonable noise and continues to do so after being asked to stop; or disrupts a lawful assembly of persons.”
In videos and witness statements collected by the Ball State Daily News, a warning was given to protesters who began to speak out during the meeting by a chairperson at the trustees meeting.
“It’s really shitty that the administration went straight from us disrupting and instead of asking us to leave like normal, they arrest us,” Diequez said upon their release from the jail. “… They could have taken us out of the building, talked to us or put us in detention at the police station that they have a couple of blocks away. But instead, they took us, booked us all and took us all to the county jail, which I think is kind of ridiculous.”
I am an ardent believer in the freedoms and rights embodied in the First Amendment. However, as our courts have ruled, those freedoms and rights are not absolute. A person does not have a right to disrupt a lawful assembly of persons. Law and order will be upheld.”
- ERIC HOFFMAN, Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney
Archer, who was one of the first to be arrested, said he felt the arrests were “insulting.”
“It’s kind of eye-opening; it’s pretty insulting,” Archer said. “I just wanted to ask some questions, get some answers because everything else we’ve tried has been no answers or just denial, and that kind of shows where they are aligned. They’re just really trying to protect themselves.”
Archer, as shown in a video published by the Daily News, was removed after speaking during the meeting and had his phone taken during the arrest, which he said he was using to read a statement during his protest.
Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Hoffman said in the charge documents that he is “an ardent believer in the freedoms and rights embodied in the First Amendment. However, as
our courts have ruled, those freedoms and rights are not absolute. A person does not have a right to disrupt a lawful assembly of persons. Law and order will be upheld.”
A preliminary hearing for the five cases will be held April 23 at 1:00 p.m. Judge Amanda Dunnuck in the Muncie City Courts will hear the cases. According to the progress of the cases online on the Indiana Public Courts website, Louis Wade Denney and Eric Michael Hoffman are listed as those representing the state.
This story will be updated online on the Ball State Daily News website when more information becomes available.
Contact the Ball State Daily News via email at editor@bsudailynews.com.
They could have taken us out of the building, talked to us or put us in detention at the police station that they have a couple of blocks away. But instead, they took us, booked us all and took us all to the county jail, which I think is kind of ridiculous.”
- ZOE-ROSE DIEGUEZ, A protester who was arrested
Ball State University’s Financial Wellness Department offers financial resources and services to students.
latest
advising
Shelby Anderson, Linnea Sundquist Reporters
Ball State’s Financial Wellness Department has launched a program designed to help students better understand financial concepts. According to the department’s website, services include budget planning assistance and financial strategies for financing larger purchases, such as an apartment or car.
An April 2021 report from the National Library of Medicine revealed that 75 percent of U.S. college students experienced moderate to high financial distress that year. Richter said he thinks the high rates of distress might be because of the societal stigma around talking about money.
“[Students] want to hide [financial struggles] because if it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. If they don’t talk about it, they don’t have to deal with it. But that only makes it worse,” Account Management Evan Richter said.
Assistant Director of Financial Wellness and Richter started the financial wellness program just over two years ago because he said he and his team wanted Ball State students to be better able to manage their finances post-graduation.
“What we’re doing is teaching a life skill. [Financial literacy] is something you can have the
This is free [and] unbiased an amazing benefit to have. I was here 11 years ago, and this wasn’t a thing, so it is a new, fresh service that provides reallife skills and real-world results.”
- EVAN RICHTER, Assistant director of financial wellness and account management
rest of your life,” Richter said, adding that the program now has two accredited financial counselors and two certified financial peer mentors since it first began.
All of the services and resources the program offers are free to students.
“This is free [and] unbiased — an amazing benefit to have,” Richter said. “I was here 11 years ago, and this wasn’t a thing, so it is a new, fresh service that provides real-life skills and real-world results.”
The department even offers personality testing, which allows accredited financial counselors like Jon Mock to gain a better understanding of a student’s history with money management.
“[A student’s financial standing] could have to do with financial trauma. It could have to do with how you were raised and how you were taught how to handle money,” Mock said.
Mock said that while students who are struggling financially will not always seek help, he hopes the department’s financial wellness program will change things.
“If a student is financially stressed, generally, their academics are going to be affected too,” he said. “It’s going to be really hard to enjoy your experience at Ball State when money is always looming in the back of your mind.”
Students can meet with peer mentors through this
service as well. Similar to financial advisers, peer mentors can meet with students one-on-one to go over any financial concerns that students may have.
Financial peer mentor and third-year business administration student Eva Bott said her job as a peer mentor can make it easier for students to talk about their financial concerns.
“I’m just another person for students to come to if they’re not comfortable going to one of our advisers. They can talk to another student,” Bott said.
Financial Wellness will be hosting “Cardinal Financial Wellness Week” March 17-21, a weeklong seminar of events and workshops, including a showing of “Legally Blonde” March 21 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. in Pruis Hall.
Other events during the week include a trivia night at Brother’s Bar & Grill in Muncie March 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
To book an appointment with the Financial Wellness Department, email the department at financialwellness@bsu.edu, call 765-285-3939, file a form online or visit the department in Lucina Hall, room LU B32.
Contact Shelby Anderson via email at sanderson9@bsu.edu. Contact Linnea Sundquist via email at linnea.sundquist@bsu.edu.
Cornerstone Center for the Arts offers a ceramics class for aspiring
The 55th annual Pellegrini Festival of New Music will be held March 14 and 15 in Sursa Performance Hall. The event includes three concerts and a talk and master class with this year’s guest composer, Zae Munn, as well as features additional guest artists. The event is free and open to the public, and all concerts are in Sursa unless otherwise noted.
David Owsley Museum of Art is hosting a Hollywood Portrait Photoshoot March 14 and 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. Local photographer and guest curator of the “People and Places” exhibition Ronn Brown will be taking portraits in the style of film and television stars. The event is free and open to the public, and participants will receive a digital copy of their photo, but spots are limited.
The Zokawa studio is holding a live music and yoga event at Community of Hope Church March 14 at 5:30 p.m. The event is for ages 14 and up and costs $25 per person. The event will focus on gentle and restorative yoga with themes of “divine feminine and goddess energy.” Tickets for the event can be purchased online through Zokawa studio’s website.
Savana New Reporter
The whirring of pottery wheels hum through the room as students work diligently on their pieces. Water splashes as hands quickly dip into the bucket before applying pressure onto the clay. Chunks of clay will eventually be formed into cups, bowls and plates.
Shelves line the walls of the studio with drying creations displaying a range of skill levels. Students return to the art on the shelves each week or pick up a new chunk of clay to begin something new. The sounds of hands slapping onto the clay and the thud of each chunk hitting the table or wheel to prepare it for the new piece echo around the room.
Cornerstone Center for the Arts is a small community in Muncie that houses many different classes, 8-week classes and individual workshops in dance, martial arts, music and voice, visual arts and ceramics.
Ceramics is one of the most popular sections of classes offered. Nighttime ceramic instructor Jason Combs has been teaching classes for 22 years.
“It’s fun to see the growth in people. See them create something,” he said. “We start out with a chunk of clay, and they are able to make something tangible. It’s this medium that’s a great way for expression and making stuff move and come alive.”
Student Hannah Ryker said she enjoys creating at Cornerstone’s ceramics classes due to the personal enrichment of having less pressure when crafting something. Without prior experience, she enjoys the freedom of “recycling clay as much as you want.”
“I like this because you can recycle the clay pretty much as much as you want until it’s fired. So it seems like less pressure, I guess,” she said.
Sarah Puller enjoys creating ceramic pieces at Cornerstone because the instructors are “very nonjudgmental.” She said she has learned that her creation “doesn’t have to look the way it looks on Pinterest … for it to still be worth something.”
Emily Grant relishes creativity and time to breathe while creating at Cornerstone. She likes that the instructors walk students through the process.
“[They] do a really great job of showing you the basics, being there if you need support or extra guidance; otherwise, just really letting you run free and letting it be your creative time,” Grant said.
These students did not have much experience before attending classes at Cornerstone. In the ceramic workshop classes, Combs said the daytime and nighttime instructors teach students “the basic fundamentals of the medium.”
“If they decide to come back, then we might want to say, ‘Hey, I want to do more wheel throwing,’ and we just focus on that. And once they
Deanna Buck paints her gnome Feb. 25 at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. The gnomes were constructed from low-fire clay.
JEFFREY
DREYER, DN
start getting better at that, we start tweaking their stuff,” Combs said.
Once the students return for future classes, the technique the students favor will then be focused on. Combs said Cornerstone’s ceramics classes are not like university classes because there isn’t as much structure.
“We work with them individually and tweak what they need. I like that we start everybody out on the same page so that we’re all together,” Combs said.
Regardless of what class is attended throughout the week, Combs said the instructors teach “the same lesson. It’s the same procedural stuff.”
At Cornerstone, students get to see their work move through each step of the ceramic-making process. Students get to form their clay, bisque fire, glaze and glaze fire their piece in a span of about two to four weeks before taking their finished projects home.
Ceramic classes at Cornerstone are “reasonable compared to other areas,” Combs explained. He said, “It’s a great place [in] the community to try out new things.”
“If you’re worried about price, prices are really reasonable compared to other areas that went to another art class that might be a lot more money. A lot of these people are here in the community,” Combs said.
Ryker likes that Cornerstone is “a really good community organization.” She explains how Cornerstone makes art accessible, while other places have expensive startup costs.
“It’s nice to be able to experiment with hobbies and find things that you’re interested in,” Ryker said.
Similarly, Grant feels connected with others in the class and appreciates the community Cornerstone has to offer.
“It’s a really nice way to connect with other people, and I feel like everyone in the classes is always really kind and welcoming. We get inspired by each other,” Grant said. “ … [These classes are] something everyone should try, should take a shot at because it does do a lot to show you there’s always something more to learn and unlocks that little inner kid who’s just playing in the mud.”
Combs encourages people in Muncie to get out and do something creative when they have the opportunity.
“Other art and other activities that happen in Muncie to check out and experience something like it … It’s just fun to get out instead of just being stuck at home all the time. It’s very important to experience life,” Combs said. “[Cornerstone] brings awareness of the arts to the community, people that have never known that Cornerstone existed.”
Contact Savana New via email at savana.new@ bsu.edu.
Ball State women’s basketball player Ashlynn Brooke is working to get back on the court.
Ball State women’s basketball won its first game in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament March 12 against Western Michigan University. The Cardinals won 82-53 and were led in scoring by seniors Alex Richard, who had 17 points, and Madelyn Bischoff and Ally Becki, who had 14 each.
Ball State softball swept the weekly MAC awards, as redshirt senior McKayla Timmons earned the Player of the Week award and junior Ella Whitney earned Pitcher of the Week. Both helped the Cardinals go 5-0 in last weekend’s Bellarmine Challenge, which moved the red and white to 13-6 overall on the season.
For the third time in four weeks, Cardinals gymnasts swept the MAC Weekly Honors. Suki Pfister earned Specialist of the Week and Zoe Middleton won Gymnast of the Week. Pfister won the honor after she took home the vault title at Kent State with a 9.925. Middleton won her fourth award of the season after turning in a 39.300 in the all-around.
Elijah Poe Reporter
Ball State women’s basketball sophomore Ashlynn Brooke is used to having things taken away from her.
Lengths of her season at the high school level, a scholarship to play at her once-dream school, the end of her first season in collegiate basketball, and her second season of collegiate basketball were all taken away or prematurely ended due to her injury.
Brooke has torn her ACL once and torn her meniscus twice, and she also had a tumor in her leg in middle school. But she had worked through lengthy rehab processes over and over again. Brooke has been able to work herself back to form from every situation. Ball State women’s basketball head coach Brady Sallee said her current injuries are temporary, and it’s how she comes back from them that tells the story.
“I think her story is going to be pretty cool,” Sallee said.
Ball State women’s basketball’s thenfreshman Brooke went down just a minute into her playing time Feb, 21, 2024, during a game against Central Michigan.
Brooke said she instantly knew something was seriously wrong.
“I was just mad in general,” Brooke said. “… It never really hit me that I had torn it.”
She had torn her ACL and meniscus in her right leg.
Once she found out it was torn, she said teammates and coaches called her to tell her they were sorry. Brooke was in disbelief.
“[It was] honestly devastating. There were a lot of lows because the tricky part was the meniscus repair. You can’t walk,” Brooke said. “There were six weeks of me being in a locked brace, not walking. It was a tricky time.”
Brooke was aware of the next steps, as her previous injuries in high school were similar and stemmed from her other leg.
To make things worse, her injury could not have come at a more difficult time, Brooke said. The Ball State women’s basketball staff wanted to get her into surgery as soon as possible, but it couldn’t be worked into the surgeon’s schedule.
Nearly a month later, Brooke went into surgery March 11, 2024. The next morning at 7 a.m., Ball State assistant athletic trainer Brad Bunten picked her up and got to work in rehab. The same day, the Cardinals departed Muncie and headed to Cleveland for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament. Bunten said Brooke worked with a physical therapist back home while the staff was away.
While Brooke has been away from the court for an extended period, the sophomore grew up with the sport of basketball.
Brooke’s father was a coach, and she also had three older sisters whom he coached. Brooke said
she never got anything handed to her with her father as the coach; if anything, he made her work harder.
“I miss playing for him because I would show up at school, and [my] dad’s there and my family’s there,” Brooke said. “My uncle is a math teacher at my high school. So my entire family was at my high school, and I got to see them every day.”
While her dad no longer coaches, he is now the school’s principal. Brooke played out her high school career at Pioneer High School in a “one stoplight” town roughly ten minutes north of Logansport.
Associate head coach Audrey McDonaldSpencer recruited Brooke starting in the eighth grade. Brooke went to an elite camp, and Brooke said it was an instant click.
“They were one of my first ‘this is real’-type offers,” Brooke said.
Brooke’s dream school was Purdue. Her parents, aunts, uncles and more all root for the Boilermakers. When Purdue women’s basketball made her an offer, she said it was almost like a dream come true since her family had been preaching “play at Mackey Arena” since she was ten.
However, as Brooke went through injuries in high school, colleges dropped their offers. One of those schools was Purdue.
“They did not even contact me,” Brooke said.
Through it all, the Ball State staff reassured Brooke they had her back, always keeping their
offer on the table.
Sallee said he always tried to make decisions for the team where he could lay his head down at night. He said he knew Brooke was a Ball State type of kid.
“If you take the injuries out of the equation, which none of us ever can, I think everyone would have seen it by now,” Sallee said. “It is still there. We just have to be patient.”
Patience is what Brooke and Bunten worked on through their rehab session five to seven times every week since she was first injured over a year ago. Although she can get tired of training with Bunten regularly, Brooke said the pair has fun together.
“He tries to see the positive side of things, but he has also been super respectful when he knows I am having a mental day,” Brooke said.
Bunten said it is a hard task to have any athlete put full trust into a trainer, but Brooke went in full steam ahead and has seen the benefits from rehab.
“Some of those early days we were spending an hour and a half, two hours just in one rehab session,” Bunten said. “What has been good about it is that we are not having two-hour conversations just about her knee. The stuff we talk about every day makes it more enjoyable.”
Sallee said it is a real mental grind to recover from an injury of that magnitude. Although the team has great doctors and trainers, the mental
work is on the athlete.
“Gosh, can you imagine the mind tricks that go on with something like this?” Sallee said. “We knew, just with the timing of everything last year, that losing [the 2024-25 season] was going to be a possibility.”
Brooke said she and Sallee have had many discussions on whether to take a medical redshirt and continued to have conversations throughout the season.
“He hears me out. He’d listen to me,” Brooke said. “It’s the same thing with Brad. The three of us, we communicate.”
Sallee said there was never really a time frame for Brooke to get back by a certain date. Instead, they focused on getting Brooke back to 100 percent.
The classification of medical redshirts happens after the season, Sallee said. The staff documents how much playing time is given to each player, and that documentation is submitted to the NCAA. The classification for a redshirt or medical redshirt has to be submitted to the NCAA, and they then approve or disapprove.
Sallee also said redshirtting gets looked at during the end of her eligibility. Ball State might apply now for the year, but it might not be granted until her normal four years of eligibility are up.
“There is a lot of red tape that goes into it, but in her instance, it is just a matter of paperwork. She will get the year back,” Sallee said. “I think that was one thing for her. She wanted a full year, and she did not want to waste any more years. I certainly agree and back that up 100 percent.”
Although Brooke has not been seen on the court during games this year for the Cardinals, she has been working daily on the practice floor to improve her game. She said she’s been able to play some scout team and participate in as much practice as she can — all the while she is still rehabbing her knee back to full health.
The sophomore said she is trying to get better every day for the 2025-26 season ahead instead of lying back.
Bunten said Brooke is still rehabbing by design, and he is working with her to stay on top of everything. He said she entered the “maintenance” part of rehab, where she has gotten to a good spot. Now, the focus is on staying on top of it to prevent something from ever happening again.
“I don’t know that you could go through rehab any better,” Sallee said. “She’s worked so hard on the floor.”
While injuries may have derailed her high school career, Brooke said she is currently finding her way to get back on track after dealing with an injury at the collegiate level.
“There is not a day that goes by that I cannot wait to play,” Brooke said.
Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu. edu or on X @ElijahPoe4.
Ball State women’s basketball won the first round of the MAC Tournament after defeating Western Michigan.
ABOVE: Ball State senior Ally Becki dribbles the ball against Western Michigan March 12 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Becki scored 14 points for the Cardinals. ANDREW BERGER, DN
RIGHT: Ball State senior Marie Kiefer blocks Western Michigan junior Artemis Kouki during the first round of the Mac Championship on March 12, at Rocket Arena at Cleveland Oh. Ball State won 82-53. TITUS SLAUGHTER, DN
BELOW: Ball State senior Lachelle Austin dribbles the ball against Western Michigan March 12 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Austin had seven assists for the Cardinals. ANDREW BERGER, DN
Shelby Anderson
Columnist, “Shelby’s Scribbles”
Shelby Anderson is a first-year journalism major and writes “Shelby’s Scribbles” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
From a young age, it was obvious to me that sports were never my thing, but music and acting were. I first started acting in the seventh grade, making my debut in “The Music Man.” Although I had never acted before, I knew then that theater was my true calling.
I learned how much I loved the stage, the feeling of the lights shining down on me and, most of all, opening night. Opening night did cause me some anxiety, but once the curtain opened and the music began, my fear faded away as the show began to unfold.
Musicals can affect all of us in different ways. It can make us feel emotions and stimulate the heart.
According to GotAED, when we feel emotionally engaged with a musical, our brains release chemicals like dopamine, which contribute to “feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.”
When I go see these shows, my heart races with excitement, and once the show starts, I feel a sense of euphoria and happiness that’s indescribable.
All the shows I have seen live on Broadway have made me feel more than any music playlist has in the past, and they have helped me become the person I am today.
Broadway makes me really feel something. I haven’t acted for a while, but I’ve still been listening to music and watching live shows.
One of the first shows that shaped me was “Hamilton.” I first saw this musical in 2020 when I was only 14. It wasn’t just the music or choreography that inspired me but the main character himself, Alexander Hamilton.
His musical character was passionate and had a love for writing. That same passion inspired me to try it out for myself. It wasn’t long before I discovered my own love for writing, and I began to tell stories on my own.
Once I was in high school, I knew I wanted to grow my skills as a writer. This led me to join a handful of clubs that would eventually change my life. I had decided to join not only the writer’s club, which fueled my love for writing, but the yearbook club too. There, I was able to share real stories about real people.
This newfound passion of mine made me wonder if I could make a career out of it.
Now, as a first-year student in college, I am a student journalist who can tell stories. Because of Hamilton’s character in the musical, I can tell these stories and allow myself to be creative and embrace my writing talent. Another show that affected me was “Wicked.”
All the shows I have seen live on Broadway have made me feel more than any music playlist has in the past, and they have helped me become the person I am today.
I saw this show in 2021 when I was 15 years old, and the experience left a lasting impact on my life. The actors were talented, the stage was colorful and the show solidified the fact that live performances felt like a dream. I was also able to connect with one of the main characters, Elphaba.
Elphaba was different; she didn’t fit into the social norms of Shiz. Much like Elphaba, I was never popular in school, as I was both a choir and a theater kid, so I fell under the “unpopular” categorization.
Elphaba stands up for what she believes in, even if it changes other people’s opinions of her. Despite everything, she still lived her best life. It was characteristics like this that made me love her character.
After I saw Wicked, I didn’t let people’s opinions affect me, and I stopped caring about what others thought. If Elphaba could stand up for what she believed in, then so could I.
A third show that shaped me was “The Outsiders.” I saw this show when I was 18, right after I graduated high school.
This is a newer musical, but I have always loved the classic book. This live show was breathtaking. Throughout the performance, there was one saying that was repeated, and it is a line that is still just as famous as it was when the book was released.
The line “stay gold” has many meanings, but the most important one is that you should always stay true to yourself, no matter how tough times get.
Both the show and the book taught me that even when times are tough, you have to stay true to yourself and do the right thing. This show is a simple story that anyone could understand and truly enjoy. Before seeing it, I was listening to the songs, and although they sounded amazing, I still could not wait to see them live.
It was worth the wait. It was just like how I had pictured it in my head, if not better.
Live Broadway shows not only influence us but also make us feel better overall. I can testify that seeing these performances live changed my life for the better. But a live performance is only a part of the magic.
Live Broadway shows not only influence us but also make us feel better overall. I can testify that for the better. But a live performance is only a
Broadway shapes people. It shaped me.
From my first Broadway show up to my most recent, all of them have molded me into who I am today. I am forever thankful for all the shows that I have been able to see and the lessons that I was able to learn from them.
Those lessons helped make me who I am today. There are shows out there for everyone that are just waiting to be heard.
Contact Shelby Anderson via email at sanderson9@bsu.edu. times are tough, you have to stay true to yourself and do could understand and truly enjoy. Before seeing it, I
Those lessons helped make me who I
Contact Shelby Anderson via email
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Today’s Birthday (03/13/25). Domestic bliss rewards this year. Dedication to regular self-care energizes you. Collaboration, partnership and romance flower this spring, before adapting personal finances around summer shortfalls. Glory and recognition illuminate your autumn path, inspiring a winter shift with shared financial strategies. Family connection fills your heart.
To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, and 0 the most challenging.
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Today is a 9 — Begin a physical health, work and fitness phase. Adapt practices for changing conditions over the next half year, illuminated by tonight’s Virgo Lunar Eclipse.
Taurus (April 20-May 20)
Today is a 7 — Express your heart, imagination and artistry. Tonight’s Full Moon Eclipse shines on a transition. Adapt directions with a romance, passion or creative endeavor. Shift perspectives.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Today is a 6 — Make repairs. Renovate, remodel and tend your garden. Adapt with domestic changes. Nurture your home and family over this six-month Lunar Eclipse phase.
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Today is a 7 — Start another chapter. A six-month Eclipse phase highlights communications, connection and intellectual discovery. Adapt around challenges. Keep channels open. Write, edit and share.
Today is a 9 — Make a shift around income and finances. Discover profitable opportunities in new directions under this Virgo Full Moon Eclipse. Redirect attention toward fresh potential.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Today is a 9 — A challenge reorients you. This Lunar Eclipse in your sign illuminates new personal directions. Expand boundaries over half a year. Develop an inspiring possibility.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Today is a 6 — Review priorities privately. This Eclipse illuminates the dawn of a six-month introspective phase. Balance old responsibilities with new. Process transitions. Consider the past and future.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Today is a 7 — One social door closes and another opens under this Eclipse. Adapt with community and team changes over six months. Share appreciation and salutations.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Today is a 7 — Consider an exciting career opportunity. Make professional changes under this Eclipse. Redirect efforts over the next half year toward your talents, passions and purpose.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Today is an 8 — Your exploration changes and adapts. The Full Moon Eclipse illuminates a shift in your educational direction. Experiment with new concepts over six months.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Today is a 7 — Collaborate for financial growth over the next six months following tonight’s Lunar Eclipse. Shift directions for changing conditions. Deepen bonds by pulling together.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Today is an 8 — Make adjustments together. Collaborate for shared commitments around changes over six months after tonight’s Full Moon Eclipse. Adapt for solutions. Love provides foundational strength.
(Astrologer Nancy Black continues her mother Linda Black’s legacy horoscopes column. She welcomes comments and questions on Twitter, @ LindaCBlack. For more astrological interpretations like today’s Gemini horoscope, visit Linda Black Astrology by clicking daily horoscopes, or go to www.nancyblack.com.)
©2025 Nancy Black. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
