ANDREW BERGER, DN
ISABELLA KEMPER, DN
JESSICA BERGFORS, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
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VOL. 105 ISSUE: 03
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Linnea Sundquist, Associate News Editor
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Katherine Hill, Lifestyles Editor, Copy Editor
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Charlotte Jons, Associate Opinion Editor
Channing Matha, Copy Editor
Isabella Kemper, Multimedia Editor
Jeffrey Dreyer, Associate Multimedia Editor
Jessica Bergfors, Visual Editor
Brenden Rowan, Social Media Editor
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CORRECTION
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ICE arrests rise in Western Pennsylvania
Aug. 25: ICE and local agencies in Pennsylvania have continued to “surge” throughout the region, according to Tribune News Service (TNS). Across Western Pennsylvania, there has been an increasing number of local agencies helping in the federal government’s deportation push, according to reporting from TNS, with ICE arresting more than 3,250 people, three times the number of people deported in the same period last year. Since President Donald Trump took office, ICE has taken at least 538 people in the region into custody since the end of July, nearly triple the number of arrests the agency made during the same time period last year.
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.
Noah Gordon, Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group 4-DAY WEATHER FORECAST
Zelenskyy Says Trump Key to Ending Conflict
Aug. 24: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that his country’s negotiations with the United States have yet to yield an agreement with Russia on potential peace talks, according to Tribune News Services (TNS). After speaking at a news conference with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), saying, “[President Donald Trump] is currently the only person who can stop Putin,” according to TNS, in regards for Zelenskyy’s readiness for a bilateral leaders’ meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as U.S. President Donald Trump.
Soccer game EIU recap
Aug. 24: The Cardinals flew west along I-70 to take on Eastern Illinois following a hard start to the season. Ball State dominated on the field, bringing home a 4-0 win. Senior forward Addie Chester took control of the game as the first and last point on the scoreboard. Senior midfielder Tori Monaco was not far behind, placing another goal on the scoreboard shortly after halftime. Senior forward Emily Roper took an assist out of the left side of the box from Chester, bringing the score to 3-0. Closing out the game, senior midfielder Fiona Kilian assisted Chester in scoring the final point. From her efforts, Chester won Mid-American Conference (MAC) offensive player of the week.
GENARO MOLINA, TNS
AL DRAGO, TNS
ANDREW BERGER, DN
Meet Your
Student Representative
With a new school year starting, here’s what to know about the Board of Trustees’ new student representative.
Shelby Anderson News Editor
Gov. Mike Braun appointed third-year Ball State biochemistry major Aidan Davis as the new student representative on Ball State University’s Board of Trustees. Davis replaced the last student representative, Hope Churchill after his term started on July 10. He will be in this position until June 30, 2027.
In this position, one of the main things Davis is in charge of is weighing in on issues from the student perspective.
He’s also a voting member of the board, which helps him to represent the student body. With this position, Davis has a good amount of influence on the board, with a total of nine members voting along with him. Davis said that even though he is new and young, the other board
members still take him seriously.
Previously, Davis had no clue that there were student members allowed on the Board of Trustees. He was drawn to apply to this role because he had no prior leadership positions at Ball State, and he felt like that part of him was missing. He saw the email inviting students to apply and knew he couldn’t pass it up.
Even though he had no government experience before this role, Davis has been involved in other organizations throughout high school and college, some of which include Ball State’s Student Honors Council and being head of a research project he is working on, which is about the synthesis of isothiocyanate.
Sam Allen, Vice President of Feminists for Action, understands that being a student representative may make it really easy for Davis to “alienate” himself from students, which means staying transparent and public is important.
Local
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana
“If they want to talk, then I do want to hear it, because I only know the things that I know.”
Second Harvest Food Bank announced tailgate food distributions from Sep. 1 to Sep. 7 at 10 a.m. for multiple counties in East Central, Ind. Delaware County’s tailgate date will be on Saturday, Sep. 6, at 10 a.m. in the Second Harvest Food Bank warehouse, located at 6621 N Old SR 3 in Muncie, Ind.
State
State targets DEI, cancels minority business conference
A new policy has been enacted for companies seeking to partner with the state of Indiana. Any wishing to partner must affirm that they don’t have any “diversity, equity, or inclusive practices,” according to Indiana Capital Chronicle (ICC). Attorney General, Todd Rokita, said in a news release that the policy is part of a push to eliminate “discriminatory” DEI practices, according to ICC.
Campus
See STUDENT, 14
New Charlie’s Charter Hours Beginning
Beginning on Aug. 24, Charlie’s Charter, which provides free transportation on University-owned or controlled property, will now operate from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., Sunday through Thursday.
Aidan Davis poses for a photo with Geoffrey Mearns Aug. 12 on the first floor of the Administration Building. Davis hopes to bring the voice of the students to the board. GAIL WERNEW, PHOTO PROVIDED
-AIDAN DAVIS Board of Trustees student representative
A new price to drive in Indiana?
Interstate US-35 Aug. 25 around Muncie, Ind. The Indiana toll road could potentially cost traditional motorists over $15 for the 157-mile span.
DN
Linnea Sundquist Associate News Editor
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed House Bill 1461 on May 5, 2025, allowing tolls to possibly be put on all interstate highways in the state. Author of the bill, Rep. Jim Pressel, who is the representative for district 20 in Indiana, enacted the bill due to fuel efficiency standards, electric vehicle adoption and inflation that are complicating efforts for the state to pay for roads and bridges, according to a Feb. 21 article from Indiana Capital Chronicle (ICC).
The gas tax, a tax that, according to the Tax Foundation, is commonly used to provide funds for highway repair and maintenance, originally worked as a highway funding source, according to a June 19 article from NBC Chicago. However, it has no longer become sustainable funding for the state. Due to the increased use of electric and hybrid vehicles, this will lead to decreased gas tax revenue annually, according to NBC Chicago. Due to the signing of the bill, the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is now allowed to request waivers from the Federal Highway Administration to implement tolls on
any interstate highway within the state without requiring additional legislation, according to NBC Chicago. While INDOT is now allowed to implement these tolling booths, there are still other options for funding.
The House Bill would decrease the amount of available funding for the Community Crossings matching grant program, which is a grant program that provides funding to cities, towns and counties in Indiana to make improvements on local roads and bridges.
Since the bill is decreasing funding for the Community Crossings grant, this would require municipalities to impose a wheel tax and a vehicle excise tax in order to receive Community Crossings funding, according to a March 4 article from the Daily Journal.
According to Indiana Economic Digest, the Legislative Services Agency estimates that the tolling booths could raise about $4.2 billion over the course of the first five years of implementation, and in 2050, the tolls could raise up to $38.2 billion.
A statement released by Natalie Garrett on Aug. 22, 2025, strategic communications director at INDOT, claimed that no decisions have been
made in regard to Indiana establishing all interstate highways to have toll booths.
“Alternative funding sources have to be considered to maintain current and future infrastructure, and we are exploring all potential options,” Garrett said.
With the possibility of toll roads being established, Hoosiers could face more difficulties driving to locations that require an interstate.
According to Indy Liberation Center, approximately 204,000 vehicles travel on Indiana’s interstates every day. This accounts for semi-trucks and other work vehicles, along with other drivers who are commuting or need to access places that people cannot get to, further claiming that in Indianapolis, “driving isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity,” according to the Indy Liberation Center.
With the number of people traveling day to day on the interstate, there is also a concern from college students who drive in and out of campus monthly or sometimes daily.
Landyn Shaw, a Ball State student majoring in sports communication, lives on campus, but drives to Indianapolis once a week. Shaw expressed frustration over the possibility of
having to pay tolls on interstate highways.
“We already pay taxes to create the roads, we shouldn’t have to pay to drive on them,” he said via email.
With the possibility of interstates being tolled, traffic could heavily increase, especially in the Northwest Indiana region, according to an April 18 article from the Indy Star. If increased tolling were to happen, drivers would not only have to be paying tolls, but would also have to endure traffic delays.
According to a May 19 article from ICC, driving the Indiana toll road’s 157-mile span could cost a motorist more than $15 and could approach $100 for six-axle vehicles. Along with motorists driving on tolled bridges, such as Abraham Lincoln Bridge (I-65 North) or John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge (I-65 South), they could cost between $2.61 and $15.61, depending on payment and vehicle type, according to reporting from ICC.
Gov. Braun’s administration is still “serious” about implementing toll roads on Indiana’s interstate, according to ICC, but no decisions have been formally made in response to road funding for Indiana.
Contact Linnea Sundquist via email at linnea. sundquist@bsu.edu
ISABELLA KEMPER,
DNSports
BALL STATE WVB GEARS UP FOR A HOPEFUL 2025 SEASON.
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) has released its schedules for men’s basketball, according to an Aug. 21 press release from Ball State Athletics. Ball State will begin conference play on Dec. 20, when they host Miami (OH) at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals will have 16 total conference matchups and will close out play on March 6, when they host Central Michigan.
WBB non-conference schedule released
The reigning Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular season and tournament champion Ball State women’s basketball team has revealed its 2025-26 nonconference schedule, according to an Aug. 19 press release from Ball State Athletics. The Cardinals will host Northern Kentucky on Nov. 12 for their home opener, before going on the road to Memphis on Nov. 15. Other notable teams on the schedule include Louisville and Cincinnati, as well as a tournament in Naples, FL.
Podcast MBB MAC schedule released
Ball State sports podcast
“This Week in Ball State Sports Podcast” will return Aug. 28, according to an Aug. 25 press release from Ball State Athletics. The podcast will feature football radio host Mick Tidrow, along with Ball State Athletic Director Jeff Mitchell, each week. The podcast runs Thursday mornings from 9 to 9:30 am on WMUN Muncie, and this week’s episode will feature head football coach Mike Uremovich.
BRENDEN ROWAN, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION; MEGHAN SAWITZKE, DN; BALL STATE UNIVERSITY, PHOTO PROVIDED
Back For More
Ball State faces Cedarville in exhibition match.
(Left) Junior middle hitter Camryn Wise blocks the ball during a game against Cedarville University Aug. 23 at Worthen Arena. MEGHAN SAWITZKE, DN (Top) Junior middle hitter Camryn Wise spikes the ball during a game against Cedarville University Aug. 23 at Worthen Arena. MEGHAN SAWITZKE, DN (Bottom) Sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter passes the ball to setter Reese Axness Aug. 23 at Worthen Arena. CHLOE BAILEY, DN
Graduate student outside hitter Noelle VanOort dives for the ball against Cedarville University Aug. 23 at Worthen Arena. MEGHAN SAWITZKE, DN
Graduate student opposite hitter Christyn Ashby reaches for the ball against Cedarville University Aug. 23 at Worthen Arena. MEGHAN SAWITZKE , DN
Sophomore outside hitter Carson Taylor passes the ball during a game against Cedarville University Aug. 23 at Worthen Arena. MEGHAN SAWITZKE,DN
Graduate student outside hitter Noelle VanOort cheers during during a game against Cedarville University Aug. 23 at Worthen Arena. MEGHAN SAWITZKE, DN
Junior middle hitter Gwen Crull (left) and graduate student opposite hitter Chrisyn Ashby (right) block the ball against Cedarville University Aug. 23 at Worthen Arena. MEGHAN SAWITZKE, DN
With fresh talent and seasoned leadership, Ball State sets its sights on the MAC title after last season’s championship run.
Rylan Crum Reporter
The Ball State Women’s Volleyball team is looking to make an impact this year after their 2210 campaign last season. In 2024, the Cardinals had a solid 13-5 Mid-American Conference (MAC) record, along with making it to the conference championship game.
After the Cards’ 0-3 loss in the MAC Championship, the mentality this year isn’t to just make the conference championship - it’s to win it.
“Every year, irrelevant to what happened the year before, we’re thinking about how do we win the [MAC tournament] and how do we get back to the NCAA tournament,” Head Coach Kelli Miller Phillips said.
The Cardinals are set to welcome three freshmen to the team after losing four players from last year’s roster: freshman setter Reese Axness, defensive specialist and libero Kendall Eden and middle hitter Alana Bailey.
The focus isn’t just on the new faces, though, as the Cardinals have a slew of familiar faces coming back for 2025, including two former MAC freshman of the year players Aniya Kennedy and Carson Tyler. Some other players include senior outside hitter Katie Egenolf, who was awarded Academic All-MAC in 2024, junior middle hitter Camryn Wise, who was awarded 2023 MAC AllFreshmen Team, and senior Madison Buckley, who was named MAC offensive player of the week in October 2024.
“This year we’ve set even bigger goals, and being able to work towards them every single day makes me excited every day in practice because I want to achieve those goals as a team,” sophomore outside hitter Tyler said.
In their 2024 campaign, the Cardinals racked up a total of 1,525 kills, with 374 of those coming from then-freshman Tyler and 279 of them coming from then-redshirt sophomore Kennedy.
The squad ended up recording over 150 more kills than their opponents last year and 33 more aces. 24 of those aces came from Tyler, and 22 came from junior Lindsey Green, leading the rest of the returning players in that category.
“I’m just excited to go out and play and know what’s coming forward or coming at me because I’ve kinda done it before,” Green said. “I have all the little things, I know the details now, so I get to just go out and play.”
On Aug. 23, the Cardinals stepped onto the court for the first time this season when they faced
Cedarville University for an exhibition match in Worthen Arena.
The squad had a nice showing on their home court in this exhibition, beating the Yellowjackets 3-1 before non-conference play kicks off.
“We have so many new people, so many new players, people in different roles, so to get an opportunity to just play in front of somebody, wear the jersey, and kind of dust some of those nerves out, … I think it’s super helpful,” Phillips said.
2025 marks Phillips’ 15th year being a part of the Cardinals, starting in 2010 as an assistant. She then became head coach in May of 2016. In her five years as head coach here in Muncie, Phillips has an overall record of 171-98 and a MAC record of 105-44, giving her a 63.57 winning percentage while leading the Cardinals.
Along with a solid win percentage, coach Phillips also received the MAC coach of the year honor in 2021 and 2022, the same two years the Cardinals won the MAC regular season championship. She was also named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Midwest Region coach of the year in 2021.
Not only has she racked up some team accolades, but she’s contributed to player accolades as well after Kennedy won the MAC Freshman of the Year award in 2023, and Tyler won the same award in 2024.
In her Freshman of the Year campaign in ‘23, Kennedy ranked second in the MAC with 4.56 kills per set and achieved double-digit kills in 17 out of 18 conference matches, along with recording 20plus kills in six of those conference games.
Tyler is the Cardinal’s most recent MAC Freshman of the Year, though she was crowned that award just a year ago in 2024. Tyler led all MAC freshmen in kills with a total of 211 and an average of 3.35 kills per set. Tyler recorded doubledigit kills in 14 out of 18 of Ball State’s conference matches, with her career high being 23 kills against Central Michigan.
The Cardinals haven’t won the MAC tournament since 2021, and haven’t won their division since 2022, but with two former conference Freshman of the Year players returning alongside the experienced head coach, the Cardinals are poised for a successful year.
The season kicks off on Aug. 29 at 4 p.m. as they face off against St. Thomas in the Minnesota Tournament.
Contact Rylan Crum with comments at rylan. crum@bsu.edu or on X @RylanCrum
Sophomore middle hitter, Tiffany Snook spikes the ball during a game against Cedarville University Aug. 23, 2025, at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals won 3-2. MEGHAN SAWITZKE, DN; BRENDEN ROWAN, DN ILLUSTRATION
Campus
A Flavorful, Family Endeavor A Flavorful, Family Endeavor
Bracken Library to celebrate 50 Years of women at Ball State
Sept. 2, The E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center will honor “notable women [who] have worked behind the scenes to make Bracken Library the research and learning center of campus” from 6 - 7:30 p.m., according to an Aug. 25 press release from Ball State Communications Center. To RSVP, email ebball@bsu.edu.
Campus
Cardinal Kitchen announces new location
Cardinal Kitchen, Ball State University’s campus food pantry, announced its new location in the university’s L.A. Pittenger Student Center room 152 via Instagram Aug. 24. The pantry is open every Tuesday 5 - 7 p.m., Wednesday 11a.m. - 1 p.m. and Thursday 1 - 3 p.m. Visiting students only need to bring their Ball State ID, according to the post.
Community
‘Hairspray’ showing at Muncie Civic now through Aug. 31
There’s still time to catch Muncie Civic Theatre’s production of “Hairspray,” Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical, according to Muncie Civic’s website. The show, “perfect for all ages,” offers evening performances at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available through Muncie Civic’s website.
Rachel Longsang, owner of Little Snack Stop in The Village of Muncie, Ind., poses for a portrait inside the shop Aug. 17. Longsang said hearing how much customers love the offerings of the shop feels “very rewarding.”
KATHERINE HILL, DN; KAI HARRIS, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
Katherine Hill Lifestyles Editor
Rachel Longsang did not have any business or entrepreneurial experience upon graduating from college in 2016. The Ball State University educational psychology alumna was, instead, keenly aware of her surroundings as a member of the Muncie community: bars, vape shops, “not a lot of fun stuff to do, especially as a freshman,” she recalled. Longstang sought to change that, now owning Little Snack Stop in The Village since March.
The shop offers a variety of Asian candies, beverages and salty snacks. While her personal favorite in-store treat varies from week to week, Longsang said the shop’s ice cream is a continued favorite among customers like Claire Seal, a second-year urban planning student at Ball State, who said she usually visits the shop twice a month, specifically for its fruit-flavored ice cream.
Seal—who had an ice cream treat in-hand—was visiting the shop with fellow Ball State secondyear urban planning students Natalie Walker and Brooke Wagner.
“I like how the food[s] here are novelt[ies]. It’s unique from the other places and makes it so that Muncie people don’t only have pride and chain [restaurants] like Pizza King—which didn’t even start in Muncie,” Walker said.
Longsang was born in Burmese, India and grew up in Indianapolis. She fondly remembered places from her childhood in the state’s capital that offered authentic Asian cuisine.
“I know [Ball State] ha[s] international students, so I really wanted to give them some type of food they can also enjoy, because I know not everyone is going to like American food,” she said. Accessibility and authenticity have remained fundamentally important factors to Longsang since the beginning, when her business was nothing more than a blueprint.
“In Muncie, you can’t really get a lot of Asian stuff, especially if you don’t have a car. A lot of the food here is pretty whitewashed,” she said.
The snack shop’s location along University Avenue—about 12 minutes from Ball State’s campus on foot—is what keeps customers like Seal coming back.
“I like that I can make small, cheap purchases and that [the snack shop] is walking distance [from campus],” she said.
Throughout her business venture, Longsang has used the internet to her advantage. While many of the shop’s offerings are the very same snacks she grew up eating, others, she said she found through TikTok, a popular social media platform, to ensure her business stays up-to-date on the latest culinary trends.
The strategy has worked well, eliciting strong enthusiasm and retention from customers like Walker.
“[The food items are] definitely stuff that I’ve seen on the internet and been like, ‘Oh, wow! That’s something I’ve always wanted to try!’” she said.
Another crowd snack favorite among customers like Wagner is the selection of ramen noodles the shop has to offer. Customers can cook, flavor and eat their noodle creations all in-store.
“I think it brings a really good uniqueness factor [to the area], and when you have niche, unique things, that brings people to the community more and more,” Wagner said.
Longsang recommends the ramen to all firsttimers looking to get a taste of Asian authenticity, as she believes it’s what “differentiates” the shop from other ethnic food places in the area and even in Indianapolis.
“I always tell people to try the ramen first, because you can make your ramen here, and you can decide what you like and what you don’t like. We have a variety [of flavors] and individual packs—if you don’t want to buy a whole pack,” Longsang said.
Even though it was Walker’s first time visiting
the shop, the industrial design left a lasting impression and she said she’s likely to return.
“I think it’s a good spot to come and hang out with your friends when you want something new to do,” she said.
Longsang said the positive feedback she’s received from visitors and community members over the last few months is what makes the risky endeavor worth it—since the store didn’t always have the industrial design that caught Walker’s eye.
“Seeing customers happy makes me happy— that’s what I find really rewarding. In the beginning, I had so many doubts about this store [because] this store had nothing. It was an empty place. There were no walls, no flooring,” Longsang said.
Every aspect of the business is something she’s “kept in the family.” The first-generation owner quickly learned the truth behind the adage “it takes a village,” and relied on the people closest to her.
“Honestly, if it wasn’t for the people that I have, I don’t think I would have continued with this store,” Longsang said.
Her fiancè, a Ball State communication studies alumnus, handles the bookkeeping, and “everything here was built by my uncle,” she said. “My dad and my uncle basically built this whole place.”
In totality, the shop took about six months to restore. During that time, Longsang said it was difficult to continue with the project because she was pouring every penny she and her fiancè had into it—without making any money from it.
In spite of financial hardships, her love for her family is what pushed her to see the endeavor to its fruitful end.
“I have to retire my parents,” Longsang said. “My parents are getting old, so I [made] this [store] as an investment for my parents to retire. They worked so hard raising me; they came [to the United States] from Myanmar without anything, and they were really supportive of the store,” Longsang said.
Contact Katherine Hill via email at katherine. hill@bsu.edu.
I know [Ball State] ha[s] international students, so I really wanted to give them some type of food [that] they can also enjoy, because I know not everyone is going to like American food.”
- RACHEL LONGSANG,
Fully-stocked shelves inside Little Snack Stop Aug. 17 in Muncie, Ind. Owner Rachel Longsang said she uses TikTok to help her find the latest food trends for her business. KATHERINE HILL, DN
‘Muncie Made ME’ ‘Muncie Made ME’
Katherine Hill Lifestyles Editor
It’s a quiet Tuesday for Jarius Newman as he relishes the one day off weekly. The muted tones and neutral colors of his Hershey, Pennsylvania apartment act as the perfect respite to revitalize him to return to the stage’s colorful spotlights the next day.
Growing up in the Midwest as a gay Black man, Newman knows all too well the fear of being one’s true self. Today, Newman said his fear has manifested into his strongest motivator to keep pursuing the fine arts industry.
“I think the more stages that a face and a voice like mine can get on, the more youth and the more people from communities like the BIPOC community or the LGBTQ+ community I can inspire to reach their full potential and to chase after their dreams,” he said, “because I know [what it’s like to be] the kid who was gay and afraid of coming out—afraid of being authentically himself.”
The Ball State University 2025 musical theatre alumnus accredited his rapid post-grad success to the university and the handful of professors who taught him how to turn his individuality into his greatest asset through fearless actions and making bold choices—including his four-year vocal coach, Johnna Tavianini, an associate professor of musical theatre voice at Ball State.
“She absolutely changed my life. She is one of the people at Ball State who believed in me
no matter what, and stopped at nothing to get me to believe in myself the way she believed in me. I greatly attribute my drive and determination… to her and the way that she instilled so much confidence in me,”
Newman said, fondly remembering the weekly, private voice lessons he had with Tavianini in her studio space.
Tavianini remembers Newman with reciprocal adoration.
“My first impressions of Jarius, he was a young artist with, in my estimation, huge potential… We really took off flying in our work together, and he was such a joy to teach every week,” she said.
- JARIUS NEWMAN, Ball State Musical Theatre 2025 alumnus Community fosters integrity, who you are, and it fosters the belief in good humans… Without community, we are nothing.”
Newman, credits his post-grad
Ball State alumnus, Jarius Newman, credits his post-grad success to the university.
work routine and that after a “doozy of a day” between departmental meetings, rehearsals, or seas of emails, she would purposely schedule Newman’s voice sessions near the end of the work day, as it was a guarantee the “well-matched” pair would “do great work together,” a positive way to end an otherwise tumultuous day.
it opened the door for us to have really great conversations that led to an even stronger rapport and even stronger communication between the two of us,” she said.
Tavianini jokes with all her graduating students to thank her while they’re on stage at the Tony Awards one day, but she said Newman promised her he would long before she made the joke.
Although semesters tend to fluctuate with bouts of uncertainty, Tavianini said the rapport she and Newman built overtime became a reassuring constant in her
Though their relationship was never animus, Tavianini remembers the two “pushed each other’s buttons a little bit in the beginning,” as their two performance styles collided, a common resistance among young artists who first enter the studio space.
“I think he trusted me, but he wasn’t always sure if he trusted the process. It was a gift, in a way, for us to start in that way [because]
“He’s expressed his level of appreciation, and I’m always pleased to hear it,” she said, but Tavianini reiterated a synergistic message she tries to instill in all her students when creating something as objective and intimate as music, “It’s not me; it’s us.”
Another person Newman said will be receiving a shoutout in his Tony’s speech is Bill Jenkins, the department chair of theatre and dance at Ball State. Jenkins spearheaded the university’s production of Kinky Boots during Newman’s senior year in Sept. 2024, which Newman said was “the best thing that’s ever happened to me, because Bill allowed me to explore so many different parts of myself, and he made me unafraid to make choices and to make them big. The biggest thing I’ve taken away from Bill is how to hold and stay true to myself, while also dealing with other people in new places.”
See MUNCIE, 14
Jarius Newman performs in the Ball State BFA New York Showcase March 2025 in the Theatre Row Studio. DOTD MEDIA INTERNS, PHOTO PROVIDED
When moving onto campus as a college freshman, many emotions and thoughts are sure to arise. Yet, as parents say goodbye and exit newly half-decorated dorm rooms with floors hardly visible beneath unpacked boxes, one question is sure to move to the front of that student’s mind: “What now?”
As a Ball State Student Life Ambassador and Early Start program leader for new freshmen on campus, I have talked with a lot of worried first-year students. Obviously, while working with the Office of Student Life, I know that no two people are the same. Yet, after experiencing the traditional hometown high school experience, almost everyone is afraid of starting from scratch in a brand new place.
With The University of Health, Sciences & Pharmacy detailing that over 70 percent of college students feel nervous about the transition, just about every student could testify that the feeling of being dropped off to live in an entirely new city is an intimidating one.
While that anxiety is a nervousness without evidence before entering campus life, it can be supported with fact. 1,100 United States college students were surveyed by Active Minds and TimelyCare in 2024 and the results found that 64.7 percent of college students report feeling lonely on campus — that is nearly twothirds of college students nationally.
With a clear problem behind college jitters identified, the easy solution lies within the campus itself: participation and finding a sense of belonging in a newfound community.
And yet, many students don’t ever get involved.
The connection between increased loneliness and lack of involvement at a new school isn’t hard to draw. In the 2023 Student Voice survey, where 3,000 college students were asked about their participation in extracurricular activities and campus events, it was revealed that
nearly one-third of students spend no time on extracurriculars each week.
The answer to that problem is as simple as it sounds: getting involved on campus.
Unfortunately, getting to that answer is the hard part. The obstacle? Students worrying more about their external perception as opposed to their genuine personal health and happiness.
Being seen as “cool” and “nonchalant” has always been seen as a trendy and high priority, especially for younger people. But with mental health in jeopardy during the emotional time of new impressions upon the college transition, that reach for an effortlessly cool personality can become a downfall.
David Robbins, behavioral expert and media analyst, tells SheKnows on May 14, 2025, “Today’s teens are growing up in a world where curiosity is often seen as a weakness. They try to appear calm, uninterested, and show less emotion. As a result, they are afraid to ask questions, thinking it will show they don’t know something.”
This need for a nonchalant external image extends beyond just seeming knowledgeable. It reduces passion, interest and participation — all to gain an aesthetic appearance that is meant to show others just how cool and easy-going an individual can be, leaving their true self in the dust in favor of something more visually appealing.
At the end of the day, when that person is done performing for others, they are only left with one person who they aren’t taking care of — themselves.
SheKnows also shares that Google searches for “how to be nonchalant” have spiked 241 percent in May of this year, per Movchan Agency. This trend is skyrocketing, and so are its extremely negative outcomes.
My journey with the Office of Student Life began in the spring of last year, when a job posting for a leadership role landed me in an interview seat and an early move-in time to work with new students that would be attending Ball State University in the fall. For me, a returning student who adores my school, I saw it as
an opportunity to help others to take full advantage of the campus I have gotten extremely involved in.
I have always been a passionate person — someone who adores what I love to the fullest and hopes to share it with others. My college is no exception. For others in the thick of this “nonchalant” trend, everything is an exception.
Having school spirit has fallen out of fashion.
During the 2024-2025 season, Ball State football games had an average home attendance of 9,841. With 11,637 fans per game in 2022, that number has dropped by thousands of people in just two years.
But it’s not just athletics. Public enjoyment for the campus students applied to, paid for and ultimately chose to attend is being sacrificed for public perception through lower attendance in all on-campus experiences.
Getting involved in school spirit based on general on campus activities is never uncool. Minimizing yourself to increase a pretend perception is doing more than destroying your genuine personality, it is destroying your mental health through a lack of something everyone needs — community.
to students with lower school spirit, showing that students are able to achieve more within the communities they fi nd on campus.
When left in a new dorm room for the very first time, it is completely normal for a student to ask that big starting question: “What now?” The answer doesn’t lie in blending in, shrinking back or perfecting an image of being effortlessly cool. The answer is to lean in. To get involved. To care about everything and to love the school experience — even when it’s scary. Ask questions. Join the club. Show up to the game. Caring about everything loudly. Passion has never been something to be ashamed of- it is courageous. And it’s the first step in turning a campus into a place that you love, not just a place where you live. If asked to pick one of two options, perfecting an image of nonchalance or building upon my own joy and mental health through involvement I genuinely enjoy, I know what my choice would be. And I bet you know the easy answer too. Contact Charlotte Jons via email charlotte.jons@bsu.edu.
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Campus involvement isn’t just a solution to the loneliness epidemic either. Varsity Brands research from June 2024 found that throughout various levels of education, students with higher levels of school spirit also have higher average GPAs. Those students are additionally more likely to plan to further their education compared
Associate Opinion Editor , “ The Peanut Gallery”
Charlotte Jons spirit
to further
STUDENT
Davis said if students wish to give him feedback or have any concerns, they can go to Board of Trustees meetings since they are open to the public. The upcoming meetings are Sept. 26 and Dec. 12. However, he understands that students may have class during that time so he encourages them to email him any questions or concerns at aidan.davis@bsu.edu.
Davis also wishes to try to make it to the Student Government Association (SGA) meetings to hear what students voice concerns about. He’s also open to talking to different student organizations about his position if they reach out to him.
SGA President Chelsea Murdock, Vice President Shaina Miller and President Pro-Tempore Hunter Case gave a shared statement via email concerning Davis’ appointment.
“We congratulate Aidan on this achievement, and are looking forward to working with him to best benefit and advocate for our student body. We wish him the best in this endeavor! ”
Ivy Summerlot, a fourth-year Ball State fashion industry major, is one of many students on campus that Davis will be representing.
Her advice to Davis is not to “let the people who
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Jenkins remembers Newman for his “engaging personality” and “extraordinary vocal abilities” that were not only inspiring to audience members, but to Newman’s peers as well.
“[Newman]’s somebody I think is really passionate about [acting] in a way that ultimately honors the material, and I always appreciated that about him. He’s somebody that I always had great fondness and affection for,” Jenkins said.
While Newman is secure in his abilities as a performer, he is keen on acknowledging those who helped him hone his talent and develop the necessary confidence to shine under the stage lights.
“I have not walked into this [profession] blind because of all of the foresight that they’ve given me,” he said, referring to mentorship he received from Tavianini, Jenkins and others like Michael Rafter, an associate professor of theatre and dance, and New York Showcase’s Casting Director, Rachel Hoffman, while attending Ball State.
After all, Newman said it was through Hoffman he found an agent and has been able to land the roles he has now, including work with OFC Theatre Creations and Charles Casting Company’s Dec. 2025 production of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” His unwavering sense of gratitude and ability to recognize the blessings in his life amid success stem from growing up as a pastor’s child. As an adult, Newman has paired his devout Christian faith with a love of community.
“Community fosters integrity, who you are, and it fosters the belief in good humans… Without community, we are nothing,” he said. “The true
don’t know about what it’s like to currently be a student diminish [his] plans.”
However, Davis wants all students to know one simple thing.
“If they want to talk, then I do want to hear it, because I only know the things that I know,” Davis said.
In this sense, Davis hopes to bring the voice of the students to the board, especially since some of the members haven’t been to college in over 20 years.
Davis went on to say how the board members are a bit “removed” from what goes on day to day on campus at Ball State, which means they may think they are making a good decision for students, but once it’s implemented, it might not be.
Summerlot said, given the two choices of whether the representative should represent student opinions or find compromises with the board, she believes it should “represent the students.”
To Summerlot, having a student representative is very important since it allows someone to share the students’ ideals.
Summerlot’s biggest hope is that the new student representative updates students on what is being done to help new and current students, and the biggest issue that Ball State students face in Davis’
eyes is fitting in and finding their place.
“I think that’s one of the things that I’d like to be [is] the biggest voice on the board. I would like to see a spot for everyone at Ball State,” Davis said.
When his term does end, Davis hopes to keep the reputation of the student representative, as well as to do something with the Living and Learning Communities at Ball State.
With this new role comes many exciting moments for Davis, but there’s also some fear.
Despite this, Davis said he is most excited about “learning and taking in new information.”
“I’ve been excited to get started. I’m excited for the first board meeting. I’m excited to meet all these new people, and excited to learn all these new things. I’m excited to represent all the students,” Davis said.
Contact Shelby Anderson via email sanderson9@ bsu.edu.
definition of community [is] a group of people coming together for one mission, and I believe Ball State fosters that and fosters it well.”
He added that Ball State’s suburban Indiana location did not serve as a hindrance to his career— but was instead the biggest blessing of all.
“Muncie made me…Without distractions, without a big city readily available [to] you, I believe you have no other choice but to lean on the people that are to the right and the left of you. You have no other choice but to focus…and the people around you become your family,” Newman said.
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Contact Katherine Hill via email at katherine. hill@bsu.edu.
Aidan Davis poses for a photo Aug. 19 on the 5th floor of the Foundational Sciences building. Gov. Mike Braun appointed Davis as the new student representative on Ball State University’s Board of Trustees. MEGAN NEAL, PHOTO PROVIDED
Jarius Newman performed in Kinky Boots Sept. 2024 in University Theatre on the Mainstage. KIP SHAWGER, PHOTO PROVIDED
Jarius Newman performed in Kinky Boots Sept. 2024 in University Theatre on the Mainstage. Newman is keen on acknowledging the people who helped him hone his talent. PEYTON KISTLER, DN; AVA BOWER, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
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