DN WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 2015
ALUMNUS REFLECTS ON NAACP SITUATION
DIY: CAT TOYS
Save some cash by making your own toys for your furry feline friends
Spokesman editor explains story behind NAACP leader’s resignation
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THE DAILY NEWS
BALLSTATEDAILY.COM
MEN’S BASKETBALL
NCAA speeds up play with new rules
Coach says changes will help game move in right direction JAKE FOX SPORTS EDITOR | @fakejox3 There are naysayers to all the rule changes in the men’s college basketball game. Ball State head coach James Whitford is not one of them. Whitford said the rules were well thought out and will help move the game in a good direction. He praised shortening the shot clock to 30 seconds, and said they will help college basketball become more consistent with the NBA and the International game. Some of the less notable changes are just as important as the primary altercations, he added. “I think a lot of the other rules that don’t get as much publicity are good changes,” Whitford said. A specific change that Whitford favors is the removal of a timeout from the coaches. Also, a timeout called within 30 seconds of a media timeout will take the place of JAMES WHITFORD the media timeout. Head coach Prior to the rule change, there were four media timeouts per half during a college game. Only three timeouts will carry over instead of four next season. The fewer timeouts will help increase the flow of a game that was, “quite frankly not very fun to watch.” “We don’t need [the extra timeout] as coaches, and it just makes us adjust a little bit differently,” Whitford said. “But I think it rewards teams that understand how to play without the coach, and that’s the way it should be.” Whitford is looking for his team to improve following a 7-23 campaign in his third season at the helm.
See RULES, page 5
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
DAUGHTER OF NBA CHAMPION TO JOIN BALL STATE IN 2015-16 The Aguirre name is familiar to many basketball fans. Mark Aguirre was the No. 1 pick in the 1981 NBA draft and went on to play for the Detroit “bad boys” Pistons. His daughter has a new basketball home. Alana Aguirre has committed to play at Ball State for the 2015-16 season. A 5-foot10 guard, Alana transferred from Abilene Christian University. “We couldn’t be happier than to welcome Alana to our women’s basketball program,” head coach Brady Sallee said in a statement. “She brings a skillset at the wing position that we simply do not have. Her ability ALANA AGUIRRE to make plays and create for Guard not only herself, but her teammates, was something we were looking to add to our roster.” Alana attended Justin Wakeland High School in Texas. She was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and a top-25 recruit in the state. She was named to the First Team All-Region in 2013 and 2014 at Justin Wakeland, and averaged 15 points, 9.2 rebounds and four assists per game in her high school career. Alana joins Destiny Washington, Cat Wells, Nakeya Penny, Carmen Grande and Lucia Fernandez as signees for next season. “I chose Ball State because the university offers a great education and college environment that will allow me to grow both academically and socially,” Alana said. “I also love what this coaching staff and team stands for. Coach Sallee truly believes in me and my abilities and I know that he will put me in a position to succeed both on and off the court.” –
STAFF REPORTS
SEE PAGE 4
‘REFINING YOUR VOICE TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE’ DN ILLUSTRATION TYSON BIRD
Ball State speech team to use national tournament to take stand on LGBT issues
T
CHRISTOPHER STEPHENS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
he National Forensics Association has decided to host its National Tournament at Ball State after pulling the event from campus when state legislators passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act last March. The 2016 event will bring around 1,200 students and faculty members from across the country to campus and rake in anywhere between $1 and $2 million for the Muncie community, Director of Individual Events, Mary Moore, said. NFA, which hosts speech and debate events, was unable to find another suitable venue for the event when the organization reopened bidding for other venues after Governor Mike Pence signed RFRA into law. The legislation caused uproar both locally and nationally as some interpreted the law as allowing businesses to discriminate against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
editor@bsudailynews.com
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRIANNA KIRKHAM
The National Forensics Association will host its National Tournament at Ball State after previously cancelling the event when the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed in March. For members of the Ball State speech team, this will be the first project the group has advocated for together.
EXPECTED BENEFITS FROM NFA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT
1,200
$1-2 million
student/faculty expected revenue participants for Muncie
See NFA, page 4
SUMMER CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON CAMPUS Facility improvements include library steps, geothermal project ROSE SKELLY STAFF REPORTER | rmskelly@bsu.edu The steps to Bracken Library are being repaired for the first time in “a number of years,” said Suzanne Rice, assistant dean for public services. Rice said the steps have been worked on almost annually for the past few years, but on a smaller scale. The condition of the steps led to the major construction that’s going on now. “If you’ve been on campus for a little while at all prior to this summer, you’ll know that the stairs were not in perfect shape, the library on both the north and south sides there, it’s hightraffic area,” Rice said. “Between
MUNCIE, INDIANA
‘JURASSIC WORLD’ SMASHED IT IN THE BOX OFFICE WITH $524.4 MILLION IN OPENING WEEKEND.
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the amount of foot traffic we get with over 6,000 visitors a day and the weather, with freezing, raining, snowing, shoveling, all of that, there’s just normal wear and tear over a period of time.” Rice expressed her appreciation for the construction, and said she was grateful to facilities for making the library more inviting. Director of engineering, construction and operations, Jim Lowe, said many repairs and projects are taking place this summer around campus. Aside from the repairs at the library, some of the athletic facilities are being worked on, along with the installation of geothermal piping on Riverside Avenue. Lowe said summer is the ideal time to do construction, due to the lower student population. “The repair and rehabilitation projects, [including] rough projects, parking lot repairs, exterior, we try to do the vast majority of 1. CLOUDY
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Receive news updates on your phone for free by following @bsudailynews on Twitter. 6. RAIN
7. PERIODS OF RAIN
DN PHOTO BREANNA DAUGHERTY
Ball State takes the summer to do repairs and projects around campus. One of the projects includes installing pipes beneath Riverside Avenue for the geothermal plant. The project is expected to be finished by the end of the summer. THE PULSE OF BALL STATE
our projects during the summer … it’s the best time to get in and not disturb the operation of the campus,” Lowe said. “Even though we have a low occupancy of students on campus and faculty and
3. PARTLY CLOUDY
4. MOSTLY SUNNY
FORECAST
staff, we still have a lot of activities under way, so we try to coordinate that, and everybody’s really wonderful to work with.” THE PULSE OF BALL STATE
See CONSTRUCTION, page 4
5. SUNNY
Showers and possible thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, with some of the storms producing heavy rain. - Weather.gov
TODAY
Scattered showers
High: 77 Low: 69 9. SCATTERED SHOWERS
10. DRIZZLE
THE PULSE OF BALL STATE
VOL. 94, ISSUE 125
THE PULSE OF BALL STATE