Local candidate for Congress funds his campaign through constituent donations.04
Llewellyn family legacy
Marlon and Bryce Llewellyn have a close father-son relationship.06
My role in my friend group has influenced who I am today. 12
Roller skating
Ball State’s “8 Rollers” club offers students a respite from coursework.14
VOL. 105 ISSUE: 14
CONTACT THE DN
Newsroom: 765-285-8245
Editor: 765-285-8249, editor@bsudailynews.com
EDITORIAL BOARD
Meghan Braddy, Editor-in-chief
Andrew Berger, Digital Managing Editor
Linnea Sundquist, News Editor
Shelby Anderson, Associate News Editor
Kyle Stout, Sports Editor
Trinity Rea, Associate Sports Editor
Katherine Hill, Lifestyles Editor, Jayden Vaughn, Opinion Editor
Charlotte Jons, Associate Opinion Editor
Channing Matha, Copy Editor
Isabella Kemper, Multimedia
Editor
Kyle Ingermann, co-Associate Multimedia Editor
Kadin Bright, co-Associate Multimedia Editor
Jessica Bergfors, Visual Editor
Brenden Rowan, Social Media Editor
Corey Ohlenkamp, Adviser
The Ball State Daily News (USPS-144-360), the Ball State student newspaper, is published Thursdays during the academic year except for 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.
TO ADVERTISE
• (765) 285-8256 or dailynewsads@bsu.edu
• Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri. • ballstatedaily.com/advertise
TO SUBSCRIBE
Call 765-285-8134 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mon. -Fri.
Subscription rates: $45 for one year. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Daily News, AJ278, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306
JOIN THE DAILY NEWS
Stop by room 278 in the Art and Journalism Building. All undergraduate majors accepted and no prior experience is necessary.
The Ball State Daily News is committed to providing accurate news to the community. In the event we need to correct inaccurate information, you will find that printed here.
To submit a correction, email editor@bsudailynews.com.
Nov. 12: Corporal Blake Reynolds died the morning of Nov. 12 after assisting a stranded motorist on I-69, according to a press release from the Delaware County Sheriff’s office. At the time of the collision, Reynolds was helping a broken-down semitruck when his patrol car was struck by a semitruck going northbound. Multiple emergency response agencies responded to the scene and attempted “life-saving measures” on Reynolds, but were ultimately unsuccessful. “The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office would like to extend its gratitude to its emergency personnel for their quick response,” according to the press release.
Nov. 11: Pressure has been put on Indiana Republican lawmakers again after the Washington-based anti-tax Club for Growth supported a new round of congressional redistricting, according to Indiana Capital Chronicle (ICC). The organization announced Nov. 11 that it would be airing a 30-second ad on TV network stations and Fox News in Indianapolis. The new TV ad leads with a news video about Gov. Mike Braun calling for redistricting and mentions the redistricting in other Democratic-led states, while the video does not mention President Trump starting the push by pushing Texas Republicans to redraw its lines, according to ICC.
and men’s basketball
Nov. 12: Ball State’s men’s and women’s basketball programs announced the signing of three recruits. 6’4 guard Amari Barrett will be joining men’s basketball next season. Barrett was a second-team All-State selection as a junior at Millwood High School. Women’s basketball will welcome Lillian Barnes, a two-time winner of The Times Girls Basketball Player of the Year award, holds the Valparaiso Vikings all time scoring record with 1,485 career points. Klaske Miedema follows Barnes. Miedma played for the Dutch FIBA European championship U16 division B, U18 and U20 teams. She helped her team earn two Dutch championships the u16 MBCA (2021-22) and most recently the Dutch championship u21 OLA (2024-25).
‘No one else is going to do it’
Muncie resident Jackson Franklin is running for Congress against incumbent Victoria Spartz.04
RYAN
Funding his campaign solely with donations from his constituents, Franklin is turning to his community for help.
Ryan Fleek Reporter
Muncie local Jackson Franklin is not interested in taking “corporate dollars” in his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Muncie’s 5th district of Congress.
Franklin’s campaign for the Congressional seat of Indiana’s 5th District is funded entirely by small donations directly from his potential constituents. According to the Federal Election Committee (FEC), as of Sept. 30, Franklin has gathered $16,768 in contributions, all of which are individual contributions.
“You’re not going to see a million-dollar ad made up by the ‘Franklin for Congress’ committee paid for by Exxon Mobile and Wallstreet. Where other campaigns get their funds from Wall Street, this campaign gets their funds from Main street,” Franklin said.
Franklin can often be found at community events in downtown Muncie and at protests held on Ball State’s campus, such as the recent demonstration against the firing of former Director of Health Promotion and Advocacy Suzanne Swierc
due to comments she made on her private Facebook account.
Twenty-five-year-old Franklin said he makes himself known to Ball State students as a “voice” for younger generations. Through participating in protests hosted by activist groups on Ball State’s campus, Franklin said he has direct access to advocate for issues most concerning to students.
Teri Lightning, a Ball State 2021 alumnus and resident in Muncie, is a community member who has dedicated their time to Franklin’s campaign, joining in the spring of 2025. Lightning has been a member of “Jackson Franklin for Congress” since the campaign launched earlier this year.
Lightning, a Ball State graduate with a master’s degree in journalism, accrued a significant amount of student debt. For Teri, their support for Franklin stems from his willingness to advocate for students, as he has promised to support universal education.
“We have someone who is representing students’ voices in our district. There’s Ball State University, but there are other students in the district who would like to know someone’s fighting for us in Congress,” Lightning said.
Franklin’s most recent career has been in the military, where he has served as a Staff Sergeant in the Indiana Army National Guard for the past six years, serving as a combat medic and deploying overseas in 2023. Before that, Franklin worked for Heartland Ambulance service and Indiana University Health on an ambulance team.
It was during his time as a paramedic that Franklin found his most driving cause for his campaign.
When he witnessed a recurring scene where veterans and citizens needed critical medical services, they would constantly refuse care because they knew they could not afford the medical debt that would follow.
“They risked their lives for their friends and family, and here they were again, risking their lives for their families for the sake of financial reasons,” Franklin said.
As a member of the National Guard, Franklin found it especially troubling to witness struggling veterans forgo essential medical services to save their families from financial hardship.
A 2009 study from Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance found that uninsured,
working-class people have a 40 percent higher risk of death than those who can afford private health insurance plans. Another study conducted in 2023 by the Federal Reserve found that 27 percent of adults in 2023 did not seek medical care because they could not afford it.
The struggle against unaffordable healthcare that Franklin witnessed in the Muncie community inspired his campaign, and it is why nationalized healthcare became one of his most crucial policies.
“There should not be a corporate paywall between you and your doctor,” he said.
Franklin was interested in politics for the better half of 10 years. His initial spark came when he was 15 and witnessed Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, speak in Lafayette.
“My main passion is politics. All I do is research, study, stay up with the news and educate others,” he said.
Franklin is part of a bond that has formed since birth. He is one of a set of triplets, as his brothers, Julian and Jared, are huge inspirations for him.
Former Ball State Cardinals safety Marlon Llewellyn has walked through life with his son, Bryce, becoming a role model for him on and off the field. 06
Kyle Stout Sports Editor
Senior Eastern Michigan University defensive back Bryce Llewellyn said that he and his father, Marlon, are “dang near twins,” and that if you met them — you would say the same thing.
Bryce plays safety for Eastern, while Marlon played the same position for Ball State Football from 1996-1999. He was a part of the last Cardinals team to win the Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship and led the team in tackles for multiple seasons.
Born and raised in Jamaica, where he said he learned the importance of family early in life, Marlon lives by the motto, “family over everything,” and applies it in his relationships with Bryce and his daughter, Emerson.
He described what a full-circle moment it is to experience with Bryce what he experienced with his family.
“I was the first grandchild [in my family] to graduate college,” Marlon said. “Fast forward [to] now, I get to watch Bryce graduate next May, and also get to watch him play on the same football field I played on.”
Bryce said that he and his father are really close, and that they “talk about everything.” Beyond the bond they share as father and son, both Llewellyns played safety for their respective schools. Bryce leads Eastern Michigan in tackles this season, just like his father did at Ball State.
Bryce started as a running back at Cathedral High School, but eventually transitioned to safety, which gave Marlon a chance to teach him about the position from a young age.
“I played so long in defense, and me and him really bonded,” Marlon said. “I could tell him the importance of that position, [how] I can look at things faster, and I became his second coach. I could read offenses with my eyes closed, and [then] he started reading [them too].”
Bryce said that Marlon was the one who helped him understand reading defenses and how the defense functions as a whole. Shifting from offense to defense was a huge change in how he had to approach the game, and Bryce said having his Dad as a role model was a huge help.
“He helped me understand the process and go through all the growing pains with me on being a better player overall,” Bryce said. “The biggest thing is his experience and his knowledge of the game has helped me kind of take over what he’s known, and put it into my day-to-day actions.”
Bryce described Marlon as a “great support system,” not only as a football player, but also as a father.
“My dad has been through it already, so he’s able to guide me through the entire process, which has been one of the best blessings throughout my entire college career,” Bryce said.
With Marlon’s Jamaican roots, soccer was all that he really played growing up. He saw those soccer roots in Bryce and said he thought Bryce would be a “super soccer player.”
Marlon did not expect Bryce to pursue football, but he said when he saw Bryce start to get into the sport, he knew he was going to be special.
“One day he just gravitated to football,” Marlon said. “He knew [that] I played football, but it was never a push for football, it was like, ‘just find something you love to do.’”
At Marlon’s home, he has a picture up on the wall of him embracing his son after Bryce made a game-winning interception in a game played for Cathedral. Bryce described moments like that with
his dad as “euphoric.”
“During that time, I had been through so much, and it was just such an uphill battle to get to the point where I was,” Bryce said. “Having my father right there on the sideline to embrace me and be in that moment with me, it’s an unshakeable feeling.”
Past football, Marlon and Bryce share one of the most important things to them: their faith. A verse from the Bible that the two often quote is Hebrews 10:35: “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.”
instilled that confidence and reassurance in me that I found with him that I have also been able to find in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as well.”
Marlon said that his faith in God was something he wanted to show Bryce at a young age because it had helped him in his life. He said it has been special to watch Bryce grow in his personal faith outside of school and football.
...I became his second coach. I could read offenses with my eyes closed, and [then] he started reading [them too].”
- Marlon Llewellyn, former Ball State Football safety
Bryce said the verse his father shared with him has helped him tremendously on his football journey and in life in general.
“He gave me that scripture during the time in high school when I was making that transition from running back to safety and was iffy on football, and uncertain in myself,” Bryce said. “He’s always just
Outside of faith and football, Marlon had the idea one day of tapping into his Jamaican roots and opening a Jamaican restaurant, and he said he brought the idea up to Bryce as soon as he got it. The restaurant is called “Scotchy Jamaican Grill,” and is based out of Anderson.
“I left church, and I called Bryce. I said, ‘Bryce, what if you and I created a restaurant?’” Marlon said. “He was like, ‘Let’s go!’ We started creating a concept, [and] a business plan.”
In less than a year in business, the restaurant has become one of the most popular Jamaican restaurants in the Midwest. The Indiana Pacers hosted Marlon and Bryce’s restaurant as a guest chef at the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosted them as guest chefs as well.
Bryce said he learned to cook from his mother and father, and that he has always loved cooking since then. So he said that when his father had the idea, he was all in.
“I know my Dad needed help, and I will always be there for my family too, to make sure [that] everything they want to do to be successful, they’re able to do,” Bryce said. “When my Dad came to me with the idea, I was all in open arms to join alongside him.”
Having the opportunity to open a restaurant with his son is something Marlon always looks back on, and he said that all the restaurant’s success has come from a father and son having fun.
“It was pretty cool to watch it, from being invited to the Pacers to being invited to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Marlon said. “All these amazing opportunities because I get to do [it] with my cool son.”
See MARLON, 08
Continued from Page 07
He said that it has been a blessing to sit back and watch them use their authority in life, as his lived experiences have allowed him to look at things from a different perspective and help guide them on “their path in life.”
Marlon said that one of the biggest blessings has been watching Bryce grow on his own and making his own decisions for good.
“Bryce has done a really amazing job on us[ing] his authority for good,” Marlon said. “And so to watch him do it is definitely a blessing, but also to watch him inspire his sister [to] do the same thing is pretty cool as well.”
Reflecting on the two’s relationship, Bryce said he will never have to question whether his dad will be there for him.
“I just know that one person in my life that will always be there for me is my dad,” Bryce said, “That’s one person that I never have to wonder or be surprised by if he’s gonna be there by my side through thick and thin.”
As Bryce’s senior season with Eastern Michigan is coming to a close, he will take the field at Scheumann Stadium on Nov. 15 to face Ball State and play on the field his father played on for the first time.
“I think when I do walk on the field, it will be a huge reflective moment for me,” Bryce said. “I will have maybe 50 people in the stands, all my family is going to be there, and I haven’t played at home since high school, so it’s going to be a great moment for my family to see me play live.”
Contact Kyle Stout with questions via email at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdailyn.
I just know that one person in my life that will always be there for me is my dad. That’s one person that I never have to wonder or be surprised by if he’s gonna be there by my side through thick and thin.”
- BRYCE LLEWELLYN,
Eastern Michigan safety
Ball State’s rollerskating club offers students an escape from schoolwork with the opportunity to skate.
students gliding across the linoleum floor on their roller skates learning new tricks.
After a long day of classes, Ball State students can swap out their textbook-ridden backpacks for a pair of roller skates by joining “8 Rollers,” Ball State’s only rollerskating club on campus.
Formed in March 2022 out of a desire to create community through skating, Secretary Ashton Cook said the club provides an outlet for students to take a break from their coursework.
“[Our mission is] to build unity through skating, teach people how to skate and [teach] the dance techniques [of skating]. We also like to describe [the club] as something for students to take their mind off of school and meet new people,” he said.
With workshops scheduled roughly every other Wednesday, room 310 of the university’s L.A. Pittenger Student Center is often filled with
The workshops typically begin with some form of a warm-up exercise, and from there, members can spend the meeting time as they see fit.
“We just let [students] skate, and then we’ll start doing our own routine or dance moves that we’ve already practiced,” President of “8 Rollers”
Aubrey Myers said. “The skaters will ask us, ‘Teach us this,’ or ‘Show me how you do that.’ It’s really up to the skater and how they feel. We don’t want to force them to learn anything. They can just come in and do their own thing.”
Marissa Wadleigh, a member of “8 Rollers,” shared why she joined the club and what she enjoys about it.
“I really like rollerskating, and I hadn’t really learned [in] this type of style before,” Wadleigh said. “It gives me a way to skate and to try
new things.”
The executive board members said they believe their workshops are what their members value most about “8 Rollers.”
“Even if [students] don’t have their skates, they can come in, sit down. There’s some people that do that all the time. We always just say ‘come vibe,’” Cook said.
This style of learning skating techniques and flexible meeting times is appreciated by first-year club members like Aimee Martinez.
“I like how [“8 Rollers”] is not like other clubs where you always have to be there. With [“8 Rollers”], [you] just come out and have fun, that’s the whole point of it,” Martinez said.
“8 Rollers” occasionally practices outside the campus’s Multicultural Center when the weather is nice. Myers said the center’s outdoor space is also ideal for the club to host its fundraising
events, the most recent being the club’s October bake sale.
Apart from meetings, workshops and events, “8 Rollers” also performs and showcases — both on and off campus. In April, Myers said three of the club’s members participated in the Royal Elite’s Annual Spring showcase.
“8 Rollers” has also been invited by Ball State’s RedPrint Step Team to perform in their upcoming “Lights, Camera, STEP” showcase Nov. 9 in Pruis Hall.
Executive board members of “8 Rollers” said they have also considered hosting a skating party or their own performance showcase in the near future, possibly collaborating with other campus clubs to expand outreach in the coming years.
“I’d love to try to do more showcases and performances and just different types of events that bring more people out,” Myers said.
After having an interest in the Lewis and Clark expedition since childhood, Chris Smith was able to experience it firsthand this past summer.
Linnea Sundquist News Editor
Chris Smith discovered his passion for exploring after staying at his grandfather’s self-made log cabin in Kentucky — a place that had access to electricity but lacked running water. Surrounded by nature, he recalled picking up a book at night detailing the journals of Lewis and Clark, despite not being a “big” reader.
The Lewis and Clark expedition, an expedition that began in 1804 after President Thomas Jefferson tasked Meriwether Lewis with exploring lands west of the Mississippi River, according to a November 2009 article from History.com, has stuck with Smith since he was a kid. This past summer, he was able to live out his childhood dream by walking a portion of the trail that the very same explorers did.
Over time, Smith developed an interest in the expedition and the time period.
“I would always go to that book and look through the same five or 10 pages,” he said.
Currently, Smith is a teacher at Muncie Central High School, with almost 30 years of teaching experience. He explained that he does not teach a specific subject and only works with students in alternative education programs.
Smith said the podcast “reinforced” his interest in the Lewis and Clark expedition and became something he wanted to do. But when he was unsure how he would come up with the funding for the trip, Lilly Endowment Incorporated made it possible.
According to the Indiana Department of Education, the alternative education program is designed to meet the needs of public school students in grades six to 12 who have “not been successful in the traditional setting.”
Smith said he decided to pursue teaching because he has always wanted to make a difference in the lives of others.
“[Teaching] was a natural fit for me,” he said.
About seven to 10 years ago, Smith started listening to a podcast called “The Thomas Jefferson Hour,” now called “Listening to America.” The podcast, hosted by Clay Jenkinson who portrays himself as Thomas Jefferson, was a weekly program dedicated to the “search for truth in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson,” according to “The Thomas Jefferson Hour” website.
Elizabeth “Liz” Eagle, part-time tour coordinator of the Listening to America tours, said the “Listening to America” podcast has evolved into a nonprofit organization, adding that Jenkinson likes to talk to different people about what’s happening in the country.
“The main thing is for Clay [Jenkinson] to be able to reach out to people and talk about America,” Eagle said.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation based in Indianapolis that specializes in supporting causes such as community development, education and religion, according to its website.
The organization renewed the 2025 Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program for teachers in grades K-12, according to a press release from Lilly Endowment’s Judith Cebula, allowing Smith to become eligible for the grant to participate in this trip.
Lilly Endowment approved up to $15,000 in grants for 129 educators across Indiana, with the purpose being to fund projects that educators design themselves in order to restore their commitment to their profession, according to the press release.
To receive this grant, Smith said he had to write a proposal outlining his itemized budget for the trip, in which he included his plans to take what he learns and incorporate it into his curriculum, or even his daughter’s second-grade curriculum.
“I wanted to be able to go into her classroom [and] share my experience with her students,” he said.
the group finished for the day, they would set up placards on the ground to serve as “authenticated camps” for the night.
Smith and his group drove four hours to reach the mountain portion of the trip, where they hiked along Wendover Ridge. He explained that it was a 7.5-mile hike, during which the group could stop to eat lunch and take a break.
With support from Lilly Endowment, Smith received a grant to walk the path Lewis and Clark took centuries ago.
“[Lilly Endowment] wants teachers to do things they’ve always wanted to do,” Smith said. “Something that would energize you, create new motivation for you as a teacher and inspire you.”
Eagle said her role as a tour coordinator is to manage the essential information travelers need to participate in these expeditions, including flight details. Not only does she help manage any information regarding the tour itself, but she also attends the tours as a traveler.
While it is not in Eagle’s job description to state facts or other knowledge about the trip’s contents, she said that if she knows facts about the expedition, she will “share what she knows.”
“That was a learning experience,” Eagle said. “You do a little bit at a time, and you learn.”
While the trip was not exactly like the original, the experience was the same, Smith said, explaining that he and his team were not on horses carrying up to 1,000 pounds of equipment like Lewis and Clark were.
However, the once-in-a-lifetime trip was not without challenges.
Smith described a small rainstorm turned hailstorm, which caught them in a flash flood. The water reached up to Smith’s knees, an experience he called the “scariest time.”
He explained that while there were guides on the tour, he noticed they appeared “panicked.”
Even though this experience was “scary,” he recalled it as “pretty authentic” in totality because Lewis and Clark had experienced a similar situation of unpredictability.
According to Discover Lewis and Clark, the explorers encountered a flash flood, during which many were “bruised and bloody” due to the hailstorm. Along with injuries, other explorers were nearly “swept away” by the flash flood.
Eagle summarized that although the annual trip can be “strenuous” at times and certain days may be “grueling,” travelers can always “get something out of it” by going outside of their “comfort zone.”
“I think being there is such a rich experience rather than reading about it,” she said.
Smith echoed these sentiments and explained that the students he works with are in a “tough place,” with their main focus on graduating from high school. He said he hopes to prove to his students that there should always be a desire to learn and experience new things.
The trip started in Great Falls, Montana, consisting of 10 total days, where the expedition was divided into two portions: a water portion and a mountain portion.
Smith recalled that he and his group canoed down the Missouri River for “40 or so” miles over three days, covering 15 to 20 miles each day. After
Smith also said he wants other educators to learn about this opportunity, explaining that he wants to share his travels with “different communities, organizations and different places” because he never knew this opportunity existed in his 30 years of teaching.
“I want to be able to share that experience with them, and that opportunity with them,” he said.
Contact Linnea Sundquist via email at linnea. sundquist@bsu.edu.
LIZEAGLE,PHOTOPROVIDED
ChristopherSmithcanoesfromCoalBankforthewaterportionofhisJulytrekin Montana.
LIZEAGLE,PHOTOPROVIDED
InJuly,ChristopherSmithwalkedpartofthetrailthatLewisandClarkwalkedat WendoverRidge.
I want to be able to share that experience and opportunity with [students].”
- CHRIS SMITH, Muncie Central High School teacher
PROVIDED
Christopher Smith started at Coal Bank Landing and ended the water portion of his trek at Judith Landing July 22 in Montana. JOHN
hisChristopherSmithstartedatCoalBankLandingandendedthewaterportionof trekatJudithLandingJulyinMontana.LIZ EAGLE,PHOTO PROVIDED
Being a ‘mom friend’ has taught me many things, but it has also a ected who I am and who I turned out to be.
Shelby Anderson
Associate News Editor, “Shelby’s Scribbles”
Shelby Anderson is a second-year journalism major and writes “Shelby’s Scribbles” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.
Being the “mom” friend is not something I signed up for — it just happened. It started somewhere between making sure that people got home safely and carrying extra snacks for my friends in my bag at all times.
I slipped into the role easily. At first, it felt like a joke that my friends started. However, as time went on, I realized that being the “mom” friend has not only shaped the pressure I feel to take care of everyone else, but also how I see myself.
A 2024 article by Amendo claims that being the “mom” friend can be overwhelming for just one person to bear by themselves. Not only that, but being the “mom” friend can also make somebody feel like they are the only one holding their friend group together.
The author of the article states, “However, even as someone who often loves being the ‘group mom,’ it can wear me thin if I feel like I’m pulling more than my fair share in the friend group. It can sometimes feel like my work goes unappreciated — and yes, friendship is work.”
It can be easy for people to believe that maintaining a friendship with someone, especially someone in the same age group, is easy. In reality, when there is only one person responsible for making sure that everyone is happy, arrives home safely and has a ride to and from an event, that is far from the truth.
I am always there for my friends when they need me, no matter what. Even while away at college, I am still only a phone call away. Sometimes that can lead me to push my own emotions down just for my friends, and I never want my feelings to be what makes them more upset.
I do not mind being there for my friends, but after a while, it is mentally draining to always be there for both the good and the bad.
friend. It means I am always making sure everyone else is cared for while putting myself second. A 2020 article by Medium explains that this role can actually affect someone’s mental health.
According to the article, “The expectation you should always listen to, and in some cases literally fix, extremely complex emotional issues and traumas that require genuine professional help simply projects that individual’s personal responsibilities and stress onto another person.”
When my friends come to me with their problems, I always feel the need to fix them. Whenever there is something I cannot fix, I always tend to get worried — worried that they may get hurt mentally or physically, even if it is out of my control, and there is nothing I can do to help.
Being a people pleaser is a constant challenge for me. I want everyone to be happy, no matter the cost. I know that it is not healthy, but I cannot seem to stop. If I could, I would probably give my whole heart to my friends.
For the longest time, I was the only friend who had a driver’s license and a car. At first, I loved this; I was like the hero, but after a while, it stopped being as enjoyable.
I used to have to pick up my friends every day because they did not have a way to get to and from events, so I would make a pit stop to drop them off. After a while, it can get frustrating — especially when you have to plan around everyone else’s schedule just to get to where you need to be. While being a driver might seem easy, it also involves making sure everyone reaches home safely. Even if I do not drive my friends home, I always tell them right before we leave to “text me once you get home.” I always do this because it lets me know that once I get that text, I can finally relax.
full of items such as snacks, feminine products, chargers, and medicine.
Why do I do this? Because you never know when someone else’s phone will die or if one of them will need something for a headache. Always having these types of items with me prepares me for the worst when it potentially comes.
having these types of items with me prepares me
Despite how much I love my friends, being the “mom” friend has led to not prioritizing my own mental health. The title has led me to put my friends’ needs above my own, and I frequently ignore my limits to make sure they are taken care of.
Being the “mom” friend means I wear a lot of different hats, one of them being the “therapist”
after a while, it is mentally draining to always be “therapist”
If one of them gets hurt, my protective instincts kick in. If someone tries to make
on planes, where we are told to put our own
In a 2020 article by Medium, the author talks about this feels, stating, “Unlike flying on planes, where we are told to put our own oxygen mask on first, I’ve become accustomed to doing the opposite.”
car or up to their house if it is dark outside, just
I am the person who will walk them to their car or up to their house if it is dark outside, just to know they are safe. I will not leave until I see them go inside their home and close the door.
simple: it is true. In the end, I would rather make
The reason this quote hits close to home is simple: it is true. In the end, I would rather make sure my friends are okay than prioritize my own well-being.
But even if these reasons seem a bit pessimistic, they are not negative to me.
The truth is, I would never ask my friends for a better title. If doing these things allows me to show my friends the love they deserve, then all the consequences are worth it.
deserve, then all the consequences
being the greatest friends I could ask for. To those who feel the way
To my friends, thank you for being the greatest friends I could ask for. To those who feel the way I do, you are not alone and remember to take care of yourself.
Take it from a “mom” friend.
Contact Shelby Anderson via email at sanderson9@bsu.edu.
fun of them, I stand up for them. I ensure they remember how much they are loved, even when
others make them feel small. But if there is one thing that being the “mom”
But if there is one thing that being the “mom” friend has taught me, it is to always be prepared. To pack extras for everything. My bag is always
Continued from Page 4
“It’s been awesome having natural best friends,” Franklin said.
His younger brother, Julian, is an avid activist alongside Franklin and directly assists him in his campaign. Jared, still supportive of Franklin’s campaign, is not as invested and serves as the “normi-meter” for him and his brother.
After years of active political participation through his positions as a policy adviser for previous campaigns, Franklin decided it was his turn to throw his hat in the ring.
He offi cially fi led his name for the 2026 midterm election on April 2. However, it did take encouragement from one of his twin brothers, Julian.
“He was just on my case for like a month straight,” Franklin said. “He was just like, ‘You’ve just got to do it. No one else is going to do it.’”
Franklin’s campaign is the newest installment of a growing grassroots movement across the country, which is, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, a strategic approach to political campaigning that encourages voters to engage in the political process by registering to vote or contacting their legislators to make their concerns heard.
These campaigns usually reach their constituents through smaller channels, such as face-to-face contact, direct phone calls or email chains, rather than through national media outlets like television appearances.
To Franklin, this means taking every opportunity he has to make himself known around Muncie and the other counties in Indiana’s 5th District.
Grassroots campaigns in Indiana are addressing one of the state’s most prominent democraticprocess issues: voter turnout.
According to the 2023 edition of the Indiana Civic Health Index, a collaborative document that examines voting results and population data compared to the rest of the country, Indiana turnout is among the worst in the nation, ranking 46th in the 2020 presidential election and last place in the 2022 midterms.
However, Indiana’s voter turnout percentage was even lower in 2024, according to Ballotpedia’s statistics.
Despite these shortcomings compared to the nation, Indiana’s voter turnout peaked in 2020, 12 years after its previous peak, when Barack Obama won Indiana in the 2008 presidential election.
Amy Courtney, the executive director of MADVoters (Mutually Assured Democracy), an Indiana nonprofit dedicated to voter education, said higher voter turnout is due to grassroots initiatives.
Courtney referenced the 2008 presidential race and the strategies employed that year.
She said that the focus Indiana received, despite not being a “swing state” or as defined by the U.S. Vote Foundation, a state whose political makeup is so closely divided that it could result in either party’s favor, aided the candidates who spent resources to campaign here.
“The evidence is there. If you do the work, if you connect with voters, doing the phone bank, [sending] the texts and knocking on doors, it can make a real difference,” Amy said. “That is unheard of today; to have candidates even care, to even notice that Indiana exists during the election.”
Franklin’s grassroots campaign draws its support directly from the Delaware County community, as he receives on-the-ground support from students at Ball State and from citizens of Muncie.
With the midterms steadily approaching, Muncie residents will soon decide on May 5, 2026 who they want to represent the Democratic candidate for Congress.
Contact Ryan Fleek via email at ryan.fleek@
Continued from Page 9
Vice President of “8 Rollers” Zanyah Seals and Myers both said they feel the team has progressed over the years due to an increase in campus popularity, more performance opportunities and overcoming challenges such as struggling to find spots on campus to rollerskate.
“It’s grown a lot because when I first joined, we were just going to workshops every Wednesday, and we probably did, like, one showcase a year — so we didn’t really have much exposure,” Seals said. “I’d definitely say we upped our game because people know us now.”
Students interested in joining “8 Rollers” or learning new skating techniques can check out the club’s Instagram page, the Ball State Student Organizations page or attend one of their workshop meetings, held bi-weekly on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the student center, room 310.
Contact Gracie Parkhurst via email at gracie. parkhurst@bsu.edu.
NewsLink Indiana is Ball State’s student-run news station. The stations produces a 30 minute newscast four days a week. Shows include: local news, national news, entertainment, weather and sports. Every show is live and broadcasted to all of Delaware County. Students can apply to be anchors, reporters and or in producing positions each each semester.
NewsLink’s main goal is to cover as many stories as possible and keep audiences informed.
