DN TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2015
CULTURAL VISTAS Students with international dreams prepare for internships in India
: ‘Mario Party 10’
New Bowser Mode highlight of game
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Ferguson echoes diversity stance
N O I T C FI
Ball State added to list of Indiana universities opposing RFRA ALAN HOVORKA CHIEF REPORTER | eafhovorka@bsu.edu
WEIGHING IN
Ball State President Paul W. Ferguson announced in a statement Monday the university “will not tolerate discrimination” in response to the religious freedom law, signed last week by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. It also follows statements issued Sunday by Indiana, DePauw and Butler university presidents. Purdue University announced its stance against the law shortly after Ball State. A Ball State spokesperson said Ferguson was not available for comment on the announcement PAUL W. FERGUSON President of because of his full schedule. The law says governments Ball State can’t intrude on a person’s religious beliefs unless the government can give a “compelling interest” in imposing a burden and do so in the least restrictive way. In this case, “person” refers to both individuals and businesses or organizations. But the new statute won’t have any impact on Ball State’s mission as an organization. “In the context of the current state and national conversation related to Indiana’s recent legislation, it is important to reaffirm that Ball State University has long been committed to a vibrant and diverse community and will not tolerate discrimination,” Ferguson’s statement read. Ferguson cites the university’s diversity commitment in its “Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy.” The policy states that the university will provide equal opportunity to facilities without regard to “race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, physical or mental disability, national origin, ancestry or age.“
Students, professor question accuracy of ‘freshman 15’ stereotype
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The good news is that the “freshman 15” may just be a convenient alliteration. “I think it’s very common that freshmen gain weight,” Haroldson said. “I don’t think that they necessarily gain fifteen pounds; it’s usually a little less than that, like five to 10.” According to a study by Ohio State University, the average weight gain for students in their first year of college is only between two-and-a-half and threeand-a-half pounds. Ten random Ball State University students, both male and female, were asked if they gained the “freshman 15.” Although none of them gained more than seven pounds, the majority believed the “freshman 15” rule was true. Rachel Given, a sophomore at Ball State who didn’t gain any weight in her first year, said she still bought into the idea of the
DN FILE PHOTO ALAINA JAYE HALSEY
The Ball State softball team used the home run ball to earn a 2-0 start in Mid-American Conference play as it looks for a fourth consecutive title. “The girls just relaxed and didn’t worry about scores and just played the game,” head coach Tyra Perry said. The team produced three homers in its two weekend wins over the Central Michigan Chippewas. Senior Hanne Stuedemann and junior Emily Dabkowski each hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning of an 11-7 comeback win over Central Michigan in game one. Stuedemann hit another over the wall in the second victory of the day. “The wins definitely gave us some momentum going forward, and the team feels confident,” Perry said.
See SOFTBALL, page 5
MUNCIE, INDIANA
THE BENEFICENCE DIALOGUE TO DISCUSS DIVERSITY IS TODAY AT 5 AND 7 P.M. IN THE STUDENT CENTER.
|
alutz@bsu.edu
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Senior Hanne Stuedemann hit a three-run home run in the seventh inning of the game one against Central Michigan. Ball State currently leads the Mid-American Conference in home
Ball State scores 3 home runs during Central Michigan series ZACH CAINS CHIEF REPORTER | @ZPC1329
ABBY LUTZ GUEST REPORTER
our energy drinks, a bag of Doritos, Easy Mac and a whole pizza at 2 a.m. Welcome to the diet of a college freshman. Foods like these make up the recipe for the “freshman 15,” the amount of weight college students are expected to gain their freshman year. But the first mention of the term wasn’t in scientific journals. The headline “fighting the freshman 15” appeared on a 1989 cover of Seventeen magazine right as the theory began to pick up steam. Still, as high school graduates break away from their family dinner table and begin to make their own decisions about health, they may not start by making the best ones. Amber Haroldson, an assistant professor of human nutrition, said some students gain weight because they are free from their parents, who may have given them restrictions on what they could eat.
See RFRA, page 6
Cardinals 2-0 in MAC after wins
FACT
“freshman 15.” “I think when college students go off to college, they have freedom. So they think they can eat whatever they want, so, therefore, they choose to eat stuff that’s not as good for them because its easy or cheap compared to healthy food,” she said. None of the interviewed students gained a significant amount of weight, but they still defended the “freshman 15” myth. Some, like freshman Trevor Holland, based their reasoning off of their personal college experiences. “You’re very overwhelmed with school, so coming to college and not being used to the workload really weighs on your body, and it weighs on your stress,” he said. Haroldson said a couple factors influence weight gain in the first year of college. The stress of new classes, students being on their own and balancing busy schedules are the biggest causes of
AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH STATISTICS FRESHMAN YEAR WEIGHT INCREASE
Men: 3.7 lbs Women: 1.7 lbs
VARIATION IN WEIGHT
Participants ranged from losing five pounds to gaining more than 20 in their freshman year. Around 50 percent of participants gained weight Average gain of those who gained weight: 7.4 lbs 33 percent saw no weight change weight gain, Haroldson said. Freshman Braven LaVigne has only gained about two pounds since being at college, and even those have come from lifting weights.
See FIFTEEN, page 3
VILLAGE PROMENADE TO RAISE RENT IN 2015 Rates set lower at first to gauge local interest, market for apartments |
TAYLOR WEDDLE STAFF REPORTER tcweddle@bsu.edu
Village Promenade is raising rent for next year as the complex continues to work on completing amenities after seven months of renting apartments. Anna Kelsey, the Village Promenade’s general manager, said the company originally set rent low to gauge local interest. “We started out lower than it usually would be [to] look at the market in Muncie,” Kelsey said. “We let the market deCONTACT US
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cide for itself.” For current residents or residents who already have leases prepared for next year, the prices are locked into the figure they signed with. Kelsey said the prices would vary depending on when a resident signs a lease and what unit they request. “It’s not a dramatic increase. Anywhere you go, the market fluctuates,” she said. Darcy Gunn, a freshman communication studies major, plans on living in the Village Promenade in August. She said the signing process was rushed. “I had to sign up and figure it out really quickly and it happened so quickDN FILE PHOTO ALAINA JAYE HALSEY ly,” she said. “We did it right then. I The Village Promenade is raising its prices next school year after only being open for didn’t like that.” THE PULSE OF BALL STATE
THE PULSE OF BALL STATE
seven months. The housing complex kept its prices low at the beginning to look at the
See PROMENADE, page 6 market in Muncie.
THE PULSE OF BALL STATE
VOL. 94, ISSUE 105 TWEET US
Receive news updates on your phone for free by following @bsudailynews on Twitter. 1. CLOUDY
2. MOSTLY CLOUDY
FORECAST TODAY
Mostly sunny
High: 56 Low: 36 3. PARTLY CLOUDY
4. MOSTLY SUNNY
Temperatures will steadily rise until Thursday. Following the thunderstorms will be a cold front, which will lower the temperatures pretty drastically from 70. But still not too bad. -Evan Brosman, WCRD weather forecaster 5. SUNNY
THE PULSE OF BALL STATE