Ball State Daily News Vol. 104 Issue: 03

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More Than a

Beauty Pageant

DAILY NEWS

DNNews

After five years of pageant competitions, a Muncie local is headed to Miss America.

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KATE FARR, DN

Memorial service held for beloved professor Michael Elliott is remembered by students and colleagues. 406

DNSports Preseason debut and aiming high Ball State women's volleyball approaches new season.407

DNLife

HANNAH AMOS, DN

Music and its affect on the mind Music therapy activates the mind in a different way than traditional talk therapy. 409

08.29.2024

Kalyn Melham receives her crown and sash from Miss Indiana 2023, Cydney Bridges, June 29 in Zionsville, Indiana. Melham’s service initiative as Miss Indiana is Advocating for Change through Theatre. ROGER MANNING, PHOTO PROVIDED

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DNNews 08.29.24

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BallStateDailyNews.com

AP: RFK Jr. suspends his presidential bid, backs Trump

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.

VOL. 104 ISSUE: 3 CONTACT THE DN Newsroom: 765-285-8245 Editor: 765-285-8249, editor@bsudailynews.com EDITORIAL BOARD Kate Farr, Editor-in-chief Trinity Rea, Print Managing Editor Olivia Ground, Digital Managing Editor Katherine Hill, News Editor Meghan Braddy, Associate News Editor Zach Carter, Sports Editor David Moore, Associate Sports Editor Derran Cobb, Associate Sports Editor Ella Howell, Lifestyles Editor, Copy Editor Maria Nevins, Video Editor, Podcast Editor Layla Durocher, Social Media Editor Andrew Berger,Photo Editor Isabella Kemper, Associate Photo Editor Jessica Bergfors, Visual Editor Brenden Rowan, Visual Editor Corey Ohlenkamp, Adviser

Aug. 23: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suspended his presidential campaign Friday and endorsed former president Trump at a rally in Phoenix, Ariz.

A Pew Research Center poll from July found that about half of voters who were supporting Kennedy said the main reason they backed him was because he was neither Biden nor Trump. The endorsement is “a late-stage shakeup of the race that could give the former president a modest boost from Kennedy’s supporters,” according to the Associated Press (AP). The endorsement also followed public criticism from Kennedy’s own family members. Kennedy reminded supporters his campaign is suspended, not terminated.

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

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AP: 2 dead, 1 injured in Delta Airlines facility explosion

Aug. 27: Two workers were killed and another seriously injured in an explosion Tuesday at a Delta Airlines maintenance facility near the Atlanta airport, according to the AP. Delta said the explosion occurred while wheel components were being disassembled for maintenance at a wheel and brake shop. The airline is working with local authorities to investigate what happened at the maintenance shop, as parts were not attached to a plane at the time, according to AP. The airline released a statement expressing condolences, and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it opened an investigation.

CORRECTION In the Aug. 22 issue of the Ball State Daily News, Michael Lewis’ season as head men’s basketball coach was incorrect on pg. 2. Lewis is entering his third season as head coach, not second.

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To submit a correction, email editor@bsudailynews.com.

Ball State begins first road trip of the 2024 season

4-DAY WEATHER FORECAST

Aug. 29 - Sept. 1: After starting the season with a win against Purdue

National Weather Service

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MOSTLY SUNNY

MOSTLY SUNNY

MOSTLY SUNNY

SUNNY

Hi: 88º Lo: 70º

Hi: 94º Lo: 68º

Hi: 83º Lo: 59º

Fort Wayne and a loss to Indiana University, the Cardinals begin their first road trip of the year as they head to Butler Aug. 29. The game with the Bulldogs will begin at 7 p.m. Butler leads the all-time series 6-3-1 over the Cardinals and have won four out of the last five matches. Ball State will then travel and face Michigan Sept. 1. That match will begin at 1 p.m. This will be the first time the two universities face each other in women’s soccer. Ball State is second in the Mid-American Conference with 18.5 shots per game and 2.5 goals per game.

Hi: 83º Lo: 59º TITUS SLAUGHTER, DN

DNNews Scheidler Apartments

Laundry

Scheidler Apartments

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Getting Around

Collegetown Take a look at different transportation services offered by Ball State and the surrounding Muncie community.44

Scheumann Stadium

Baseball Fields

03

State

Former Indiana sheriff pleads guilty Jamey Noel, a former Clark County sheriff, pleaded guilty Aug. 26 to 27 of 31 felony charges, according to Indiana Capitol Chronicle. Noel faces a 15-year prison sentence, with three of those years suspended to probation if the deal is approved by the judge, according to the plea agreement.

Alumni Center

Oakwood

Local

Oakwood house catches fire A private residence caught fire on Sherman Drive located behind the Ball State University Oakwood Building. According to a Facebook post, the owner of the home and her mother were the only two in the house at the time of the fire. The fire leaves six people displaced, but no injuries have been reported.

Anthony Apartments North Bus Shelter

North Dining LaFollette Field

Key

Recreation Center

Red Loop Green Loop Blue Loop Purple Loop

Architecture

Letterman

Shafer Tower

Kinghorn Neely

Studebaker West

New York Garage

Arts & Journalism

Wayne

Bracken Library

Cooper Science

Health Professions

Linden

Burkhardt McKinley Garage Foundational Sciences

IU Ball Memorial Hospital Elliot Hall

South Bus Shelter

BRENDEN ROWAN, DN ILLUSTRATION

Campus

Applications open for Ball State’s Top 100 The Ball State Foundation announced Aug. 27 applications for the university’s Top 100 Students are now open through Oct. 13.

Qualifying Ball State third and fourth-years can apply to be named a Top 100 Student. Those looking to apply will need to fill out an online application and submit a letter of recommendation.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: TILLOTSON AVENUE CLOSED FOR RECONSTRUCTION

DNNews

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Ball State’s campus offers students a variety of ways to get around, as does the Muncie community.

Meghan Braddy, Katherine Hill Associate News Editor, News Editor Ball State University is one of the few college campuses that does not prevent underclassmen from having cars on campus, regardless of graduating class.

Despite the option for all to have a car on campus, it is not a feasible reality for everyone.

According to a 2016 U.S. News & World Report, 48 percent of students have a car on campus — enforcing the belief that on-campus transportation offered by colleges and universities is still valued among student populations seeking higher education.

Anthony Schuette, a research associate at Trellis Strategies, briefed in a July 2023 study that a lack of adequate transportation posed a barrier to many students obtaining higher education.

Using evidence from the 2022 Trellis Company Student Financial Wellness Survey, Schuette found that students who can’t reliably commute to their college campus “stand to fall behind in school or drop out altogether.”

Schuette said college campuses have a responsibility to ensure their students have a safe way to attend class. Ensuring such is “crucial to both helping keep higher education affordable and accessible and making sustainable transportation decisions at a campus-wide level,” Schuette said.

College is a period of transition involving many questions for every student, the least of which is, “How will I get to class on time?”

Understanding this, Ball State offers four different bus routes that travel throughout campus: the red, green, blue and purple loop. All loops follow an independent schedule, with variations between weekdays and weekends. Information for the schedules can be found online through Ball State Transportation Services.

Students can wait at corresponding bus stops found across campus. The shuttle service is available at no cost and with no ID required for Ball State students, according to the university’s Transportation Services webpage.

Although there is a schedule in place for each corresponding campus bus loop there is no longer a way to track the buses while they’re in use.

Students used to be able to monitor routes via the TransLoc app, an app that monitors bus transit stops and services within a certain area, according to the company’s website.

But, with the increase in shuttles and loops offered throughout Ball State’s campus, the app is believed to no longer be necessary, according to an Aug. 23 press release from Ball State’s Communication Center.

“TransLoc will no longer be offered in order to meet the growing need of additional shuttles and loops to better serve the transportation needs of students,” according to the press release.

The red loop bus prepares to stop for students on McKinley Avenue Aug. 28 at Ball State University. Red loop is one of four bus loops on campus. ANDREW BERGER, DN

Students who are unable to reliably commute to their college campus stand to fall behind in school or drop out altogether.”

- ANTHONY SCHUETTE, Research associate at Trellis Strategies

Reagan Helmholz, a third-year vocal music education student, disagreed with the university’s decision to revoke students’ accessibility to the TransLoc app calling it “not in the best interests of students.”

“I use the app when I am going far distances, need to be somewhere fast or when the weather is nasty,” Helmholz said. “I have already struggled this semester to get to events on campus that are far

from where I live.”

She isn’t just frustrated for herself. Helmholz is concerned for international students, students who do not use English as a first language, and students who are new to or otherwise unfamiliar with Ball State’s campus and the surrounding Muncie community.

She said the inability to track campus buses via the TransLoc app has resulted in herself and many other

students resorting to the Muncie Indiana Transit System (MITS) Bus as their preferred mode of transportation.

Helmholz, who lives at a university apartment complex, said it took her a while to learn her route home from class because only certain bus loops visit certain apartment complexes. To learn the most efficient way to get to and from class, she used the TransLoc app. While the TransLoc app still exists, students can’t see live feed of bus locations.

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DNNews

While transportation may pose a barrier to higher education, school policy can have a drastic impact on alleviating student transportation problems.”

- ANTHONY SCHUETTE,

Research associate at Trellis Strategies “This is one of the many ways Ball State continues to cut costs, and instead of saving some money on a useful app, they choose to spend this money in other areas,” she said.

Though campus bus shuttles only operate on weekdays, the university also offers Charlie’s Charter. This shuttle service is offered SundayThursday from 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. as a safe transportation alternative once campus buses stop running at 11 p.m., according to the Ball State Office of Parking Services website.

Students can request a ride via (765) 760-7433.

Ball State is one of the leading accessibility institutions in Indiana. In 2023, the university was ranked in the top 10 of “wheelchair-friendly colleges” in the Wheels on Campus edition of New Mobility magazine.

Keeping with the title, the university has an ondemand shuttle available to students with disabilities who are registered with Ball State’s Office of Disability Services (DS). To learn more or confirm eligibility, stop by their office in the student center, call (765) 285-5293 or email dsd@bsu.edu.

Apart from traditional campus routes, the Muncie community is also home to the MITS bus system.

The bus system offers accommodating services to those with disabilities called the MITS Plus program. This is another on-demand shuttle service, similar to the one offered by Ball State.

Students with disabilities looking to tour the city of Muncie can also register for the MITS Plus program through DS. “While transportation may pose a barrier to higher education, school policy can have a drastic impact on alleviating student transportation problems,” Schuette said. “Making other forms of transportation, beyond personal vehicles, easily accessible for students is the most direct way to incentivize their usage.”

Although there seems to be options in place for every student, many students do not know what their options are due to the elimination of TransLoc. “Ball State needs to take a step back and look at how these decisions affect all their students, faculty and staff instead of how much money they are saving on things that may not fully affect them,” Helmholz said.

Contact Meghan Braddy and Katherine Hill via email at meghan.braddy@bsu.edu or katherine. Ball State students board the red loop bus on McKinley Avenue Aug. 28 on Ball State University. The red loop is available Monday through Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. and Friday hill@bsu.edu. from 7:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ANDREW BERGER, DN

DNNews

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Memorial held for Ball State professor

Kate Elliott, a lecturer for the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication at Ball State University, looks over her eulogy. Elliott read the eulogy at the memorial for her late husband Michael Elliott, who was a coordinator for the musical theater program at Ball State’s Department of Theatre and Dance. KATE FARR, DN

Students and alumni from the Department of Theatre and Dance sing “Song of Purple Summer” from the musical “Spring Awakening.” The performance occurred at Michael Elliott’s memorial service, held Aug. 24 at the David and Mary Jane Sursa Performance Hall. KATE FARR, DN

Students and alumni from the Department of Theatre and Dance sing “Song of Purple Summer” from the musical “Spring Awakening.” The performance occurred at Michael Elliott’s memorial service Aug. 24, held in the David and Mary Jane Sursa Performance Hall. KATE FARR, DN

Kate Elliott, a lecturer for the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication at Ball State University, reads her eulogy for her late husband, Michael Elliott. Kate and Michael were married for 15 years and have two children, Rose and William.

KATE FARR, DN

Jeff Pierpoint, a 2016 Ball State musical theater graduate, sings a rendition of “One More Day” from the musical “Arthur” at Michael Elliott’s memorial Aug. 24 at the David and Mary Sursa Performance Hall. Pierpoint was also a cast member in Elliott’s production of “Merrily We Roll Along.” KATE FARR, DN

DNSports

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Field Hockey

Ball State women’s volleyball players listen to head coach Kelli Miller Phillips during practice Aug. 26 at Worthen Arena. ANDREW BERGER, DN

Cardinals begin 2024 campaign Ball State opens the 2024 season with a home match against Saint Francis Aug. 30 at Briner Sports Complex. The game will begin at noon. The Cardinals will return to the field Sept. 1 when Stanford visits Muncie. That contest will start at 1 p.m. and will also be “Meet the Team Day.”

Women’s Volleyball

Make a Statement Pretty Early Ball State women’s volleyball aims high after a disappointing end to the 2023 season.

Daniel Kehn Reporter In the last competitive match Ball State women’s volleyball played, the Cardinals fell in five sets to Bowling Green in the quarterfinals of the MidAmerican Conference (MAC) Tournament.

After finishing the regular season 13-5 and earning the 10th MAC Regular Season Championship in program history, a quarterfinal exit felt like a disappointing encore to a stellar performance.

“We all know that last year was not our best year,” senior setter Megan Wielonski said.

Head coach Kelli Miller-Phillips said the focus is always to keep looking ahead, and it has served her well while returning Ball State to its “Volleyball School” glory over her eight-year tenure.

With a 17-15 overall record and an appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, Ball State’s 2023 season was in no way a failure but one that could have gone differently in another universe.

“We knew that we could go so much further, and we had a lot of obstacles, but we’re not trying to make that an excuse as to why we couldn’t push

ourselves to go the extra step,” redshirt sophomore outside hitter Aniya Kennedy said.

Early in the 2023 season, Ball State lost thensenior middle blocker Lauren Gilliland to a careerending injury, which provided a major obstacle for the Cardinals.

While looking to replace Gilliland’s production and that of the now-graduated Marie Plitt, Ball State will need to replace the veteran presence the two had off the court. Entering her fourth season in the red and white, Wielonski may help with that.

“I think Megan certainly brings a ton of experience, a ton of poise [and] a ton of intellect,” Miller-Phillips said. “She’s just seasoned and knows how to do things and go about it the right way. We are going to look to her to be that staple to keep the group together.”

Kennedy, who had a team-high 470 kills in 2023 (4.12 kills per set) and was named MAC Freshman of the Year, brings some young, experienced energy and helps lead the line.

“I do think she’s definitely looked upon as somebody that we’re counting on to do a lot of things for the team, but at the same time, I don’t think anybody is expecting her to just lead the team all by herself,” Miller-Phillips said. “We can’t do that. You’re not going to win at our level with just

one player … Hopefully, with the depth that we have, she’s not going to feel pressured to do it all herself.”

While Kennedy’s superb 2023 season puts her in the driving seat for one of the starring roles in attack, junior opposite hitter Madison Buckley, who had 290 kills and a team-high 96 blocks, makes the trouble to name a starting lineup a good problem to have.

“We have way higher expectations for her production on court, and I think she has those for herself too,” Miller-Phillips said. “So, on the right side, I think Anaya, and then we return several pins that are going to be in the mix for that other left side position.”

Acknowledging the freshened-up squad with six new players, Miller-Phillips said the goal is always to “win another MAC championship, regular season and tournament.”

In addition to its league goals, Miller-Phillips wants the Cardinals to rank in the top 40 nationally in the Rating Percentage Index (RPI), which ranks teams on their strength of schedule.

Miller-Phillips doesn’t shy away from talking about that goal, saying an informational, educational approach to the season will help clear the path.

See STATEMENT, 14

Ball State competes in first 2024 event The Cardinals will officially kick off the 2024 season as Ball State plays in the Florida Atlantic Invitational, starting Aug. 30, with a match against Seton Hall. The game will begin at 10 a.m. The Cardinals will face Bryant at 4:30 p.m., and Ball State will finish the invitational Aug. 31 at 1 p.m. with a match against Florida Atlantic University.

Cross Country

Cardinals run in first race of the season

Ball State heads to Valparaiso University to compete in the Winrow-Valparaiso Open. The event will begin at 5 p.m. After the event, the Cardinals will not compete until Sept. 14 when they host the We Fly Championship Preview in Muncie. The women’s event begins at 3 p.m., and the men’s starts at 3:45 p.m.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: MUNCIE BURRIS TAKES DOWN ALEXANDRIA IN THREE SETS

DNSports

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GOING OUT WITH A

BANG

We’ve talked about it since freshman year, wanting to make an impact and be the team that turns things around for Ball State field hockey.”

- RACHEL BOHN, Graduate student forward/ midfielder

Junior midfielder Emma van Hal hits the ball upfield against Miami University Aug. 24 at Briner Sports Complex. Van Hal was named to the Academic All-Mac squad as a sophomore during the 2023 season. ANDREW BERGER, DN

It’s MAC Tournament or bust for these 5 Ball State Field Hockey fifth-years.

Kyle Smedley Reporter It was never a question whether these five Ball State University field hockey graduate students were going to return to the program for a fifth season. They could have begun their careers, varying from exercise science to computer science and nursing to advertising.

Some have plans to continue playing back in their home country, and they could have gotten a oneyear head start on doing so by leaving the Cardinals.

After missing the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament last season with a 7-11 (2-5 MAC) record, these five knew that couldn’t be their last memory of college athletics. Beginning their tenures in the midst of a global pandemic, ending their stay in Muncie couldn’t end on a sour note too.

“We’ve talked about it since freshman year, wanting to make an impact and be the team that turns things around for Ball State field hockey,” graduate student midfielder Rachel Bohn said.

“We’ve had some ups and downs, but this year, we have come in so strong.”

Bohn was an integral piece in helping the 2022 Cardinals punch their ticket to the MAC

I want to go out with a bang.

We’re gonna really make something out of this season.”

- HANNAH JOHNSTON, Graduate student goalkeeper Tournament for the first time since 2019. Along with her was graduate student Michaela Graney, a defender from South Africa.

In Ball State’s first-round MAC Tournament game against Miami (OH), Graney made one of two defensive saves for the Cardinals in a 2-0 loss.

Although Ball State failed to make the tournament in the next season, Graney was named 2023 MAC Defensive Player of the Year.

“At home, you don’t really get awards as a defender, so it’s like you were working, working and working for something you’re never going to

get,” Graney said. “ … I was so shocked, but I was so grateful for it.”

And she’ll never forget the feeling of making the conference tournament — or missing out on it.

“We don’t want anything less,” Graney said. “I think last year was a little bit of a wake-up call …

We know what it’s like, it got taken away from us for one year, and now we want it back. This is what we’re here for.”

The five graduate students are soaking in their final months on Ball State’s campus, but as Graney said, they came back first and foremost to make the MAC Tournament. But more importantly, they came back to do damage in it.

“This is really the year to do it,” graduate student Emma Hilton, a midfielder from New Jersey, said.

“I know me and the other fifth-years didn’t come back just to play around. I want a ring at the end of the year.”

It takes all 11 student-athletes to win every game and ultimately make it to the pinnacle of the MAC, but Hannah Johnston plays a big role in determining who wins or loses each game. Heading into her third season as Ball State’s starting goalkeeper, the Virginia native knows she is the last line of defense.

She knows her performance is what ultimately decides whether Ball State’s opponents score or not.

Team defense leading up to a shot on goal is crucial, but the high stakes that come every time an opponent takes a shot is something Johnston feels she thrives off.

The stakes may be even higher to make the MAC Tournament, especially with the introduction of a new team in James Madison, expanding the tournament field to six of nine teams.

“It’s kind of lit a fire, and I want to go out with a bang,” Johnston said. “We’re gonna really make something out of this season.”

Paloma Gomez Rengifo may have the most to gain out of all five fifth-years. Though she had been a part of the program for two full seasons, Rengifo missed the Cardinals’ 2022 MAC Tournament run with a season-ending injury.

Coming into the 2024 season recovering from yet another knee surgery in the offseason — her fourth total — Rengifo understands more than anyone that the road back to peak performance requires baby steps rather than giant leaps.

The Madrid, Spain, native earned a start for the Cardinals in their unofficial scrimmage against Miami (OH) Aug. 24, proving her offseason surgery should not take away from her perfomance during her graduate student year.

“After all the surgeries, it just makes you want to come back stronger,” Rengifo said. “It gives me more motivation to get back, so as much as it’s not the best at times, I think it helps out a lot too.”

Due to a broken right pinky finger, Graney did not play in Ball State’s preseason scrimmage.

Despite Graney still sporting a cast six days before the Cardinals’ first official match against Saint Francis Friday, Aug. 30, head coach Caitlin Walsh feels confident the Cardinals’ most-accomplished defender will be healthy within the first week or two of the season.

The third-year head coach made news during the offseason, earning a contract extension that runs through 2026. Although she was hired by former Director of Athletics Beth Goetz, her extension was made final by current Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell, a decision that Walsh feels proved the current regime’s pride in the field hockey program in general – the same pride Walsh holds in the Cardinals’ group of fifth-years.

“It says a lot that they took their fifth year and wanted to stay at Ball State for it,” Walsh said.

“They’ve gained our trust, but they’ve also gained our respect.”

Contact Kyle Smedley via email at kyle. smedley@Bsu.edu or on X @KyleSmedley_.

DNLife

‘We can speak through music’ Music therapy specialists’ strategies to make the practice more accessible. 11

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CAMPUS

First e-bill due Payments are due on the first of every month, making Sept. 1 the deadline for the first e-bill of the 2024-25 school year. The total or the minimum amount must be paid by that date or a $20 late fee will be assessed. E-bills can be paid through the self-service banner on MyBSU by authorized payers using their username and password. Guest payers can log in using a student’s Ball State ID and last name.

COMMUNITY

Pride shuttle bus Ball State University will have a shuttle bus for Muncie Pride, which takes place Aug. 31 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Canan Commons. The annual event will feature food vendors, live music and performances. The shuttle will stop at North Dining, Health Professions Building and The Caffeinery near Canan Commons. It will run on a continuous loop for the duration of Muncie Pride.

COMMUNITY

Flags of Honor

Music therapist Kirby Gilliam holds her guitar on the couch in her office Aug. 15 at Plainsong Music Services. Gilliam says her music therapy patients each have a unique plan based on their goals. ELLA HOWELL, DN

There will be a “sea of red, white and blue” on Minnetrista’s lawn next to the White River Greenway. The flags are to honor and remember local veterans, current service personnel and fallen heroes. The complete display will be up on Sept. 4 and remain until the closing ceremony Sept. 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: LGBTQ+ PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURE AND PRESERVE IDENTITIES

DNLife

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Miss Indiana welcomes people who want to get involved in pageantry.

Ella Howell Lifestyles Editor, Copy Editor Standing center stage at STAR Bank Performing Arts Center in Zionsville, Indiana, Kalyn Melham nervously gripped the hands of Hadley Abrams and pressed their foreheads together as they found themselves to be the final two competitors in the 2024 Miss Indiana pageant.

When Melham heard her name called over the speakers, she recalled that she could only make out faint silhouettes of the audience as they erupted into applause.

Being crowned in June and graduating in July, Melham walked across the stage to receive her master’s degree in information and communication sciences from Ball State University as a state titleholder.

The Muncie local is now on her way to the Miss America competition in January.

Melham got into pageants when her mom, who competed in pageants herself, encouraged her to compete for the Miss Ball State title in her first year of undergrad.

“I looked around at some other competitions that were happening leading up to that competition and decided to just see what it was like because it’s a whole entire community and culture that I didn’t know,” Melham said.

When competing at a state level, every competitor represents a local title. For Melham, this was Miss Southern Heartland, the same as Ball State musical theater alum Elizabeth “Eliza” Hallal, who won Miss Indiana in 2022.

Despite graduating the same year and having similar interests, Hallal and Melham didn’t cross paths on campus until their final year of undergrad.

They met when Hallal was the state titleholder and Melham was competing for Miss Ball State.

Hallal recognized a similar apprehensive feeling in Melham as she had when she entered the pageant world. She said she didn’t know what to expect from the other women competing, but Melham became someone who eased that experience for others.

“She’s the perfect example of somebody who is so welcoming and kind, and she’s truly everybody’s friend,” Hallal said. “That was my first impression of her and, I think, why her and I were able to get so close.”

Melham said part of her nerves stemmed from the misconceptions portrayed in television surrounding pageants. But in the last five years, she hasn’t experienced anything like that.

“We are represented by all different walks of life, which means different body types, different styles, different backgrounds. So being able to live that in every pageant I competed in, which is about 15 at

We are represented by all different walks of life, which means different body types, different styles, different backgrounds.”

- KALYN MELHAM, 2024 Miss Indiana this point, I can confidently say that that’s been disproven,” Melham said.

Cheering her on, Hallal was in the audience when Melham was crowned Miss Indiana. Being in her shoes just two years before, she gave Melham some advice.

“It’s still more than that one week of competition; you really have 365 days that you have the opportunity to make an impact,” Hallal said. “My advice to her was, ‘Take every opportunity that you can, make sure that within that you’re allowing time for yourself, and making sure that what you’re doing aligns with who you are and your core values as a person.’”

Melham’s dedication to the pageant circuit led her to win the title of Miss Ball State in 2023. This year’s Miss Ball State is Kayla Julian, a fourthyear marketing student. When Julian won, Melham was there to pass on the crown.

In a full-circle moment, just five months after being crowned by her, Julian witnessed Melham’s win from the stage. Miss Ball State is a preliminary pageant for Miss Indiana, so Julian competed alongside her. She said she was inspired by Melham’s win as the current Miss Ball State titleholder.

“Having the experience of being crowned by someone who now holds a state title, as well as someone who is competing for the title of Miss America, is amazing,” Julian said.

Being a theater-lover throughout her life, Melham fell in love with the performance aspect of pageants. Each competitor has the opportunity to display a talent for the judges, and Melham said she showcases her vocal abilities when she competes.

She won Miss Indiana singing “They Just Keep Moving the Line” from the television show SMASH. She has already selected her song for the Miss America competition in January, but she’s keeping it a surprise.

4See PAGEANTRY, 14

Kalyn Melham performs “They Just Keep Moving the Line” from the television show SMASH June 29 in Zionsville, Indiana.

Before she accepted her title as Miss Indiana, Melham was Miss Ball State in 2023. ROGER MANNING, PHOTO PROVIDED

2024 Miss Indiana Kalyn Melham poses for a photo Aug. 7 outside of Emen’s Auditorium. Melham is a Ball State alumnus with both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the university. OLIVIA GROUND, DN

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Indiana music therapy specialists discuss what the practice is and how to make it accessible.

Hannah Amos Reporter The strum of a guitar, the hum of a voice and the steady beat of a drum makes more than just music.

It provides a way for people to work through their emotions.

Kirby Gilliam, owner and founder of Plainsong Music Services in Anderson, Indiana, said she noticed music creates a safe space.

Before she became a music therapist, she taught choir and music education at Madison-Grant Jr./ Sr. High School in Fairmount, Indiana, and Holy Cross School in Anderson.

While teaching, Gilliam said that students approached her about teenage pregnancy and abusive families. These interactions inspired her to pursue a career in counseling.

“I [was] 22 years old,” Gillian said. “I have no idea how to handle any of this. I thought, ‘I need to go get more education.’ I went, thinking I was going to do a counseling degree, and then I learned about the field of music therapy, and was like, ‘Wait a second! This is counseling but using music.’”

After finishing her education, Gilliam decided to start Plainsong Music Services, a music therapy provider. At Plainsong she helps those diagnosed with mental disabilities, mental health issues, rehabilitation and geriatric dementia. Each patient’s care is unique and focused on their goals.

What is so cool about music is I can have somebody that doesn’t speak come in, and we can speak through music. We can have full conversations through different sensory inputs.”

- KIRBY GILLIAM, Owner and founder of Plainsong Music Services Plainsong uses different techniques: expressive, receptive, recreated and the ISO principle.

Expressive music therapy is when the patient makes music. The receptive technique is when the therapist makes music and the patient listens.

Recreated is when patients sing songs made by other artists. Finally, the ISO principle is when the music matches the patient’s mood, and through music, they shift the mood in a positive direction, Gilliam said.

Owner and founder of Plainsong Music Services Kirby Gilliam sits in her office holding a ukulele March 26 in Anderson, Indiana. Her background in music education inspired her to become a music therapist. HANNAH AMOS, DN “Music therapy is an evidence-based field, based and rooted in science and research,” Gilliam said.

“If it didn’t have the evidence base, it would be more like hippie-dippy and anecdotal … The why is [that] music opens up your entire brain — all of the pathways.”

Along with the evidence behind it, Gilliam said music therapy is rising in popularity due to it being “less invasive than some of the therapies that are out there,” as well as being a form of therapy that focuses on the patient’s abilities, not their disabilities.

“A lot of kids come to music therapy because traditional talk therapy doesn’t work because the kids come in, and they don’t want to talk about things — they’re resistant,” she said. “What is so cool about music is I can have somebody that doesn’t speak come in, and we can speak through music. We can have full conversations through different sensory inputs.”

Listening to music activates the outside and inside parts of your brain, according to a 2011 study published by the National Library of Medicine.

“We have three parts of our brain. Sometimes, if you have an intellectual disability, your frontal lobe is disconnected from your limbic system, and that sucks because your limbic system is your emotions,” Gilliam said. “With music, it connects that middle part of your brain to the front part of your brain so that you can process and have more executive functioning.”

Another worker at Plainsong is Hospice Coordinator Kinsey Lavy, who primarily works with geriatrics and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“Music therapy can sometimes look like talk therapy, but, usually, music is used as a tool to address non-musical goals,” Lavy said via email.

“For example, someone who needs to increase their gross motor skills may use the beat of their favorite song to increase their gait by walking to that beat.”

In her work, music can be used as a distraction

for pain management or a tool to relearn and learn differently. Besides verbal communication, music becomes a different form of conveying emotions

So it is literally from pregnancy because we use music therapy [in] assisted childbirth … So, from pregnancy all the way up to endof-life care and hospice.”

- KAITLYN KEMP, Little Star Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy waiver services director or to help broach memories for dementia patients.

Amy Hourigan, an associate lecturer of music education at Ball State University and music therapist, comes from a different background in music therapy. For Hourigan, she utilizes the practice with children, specifically those with disabilities.

Hourigan, a mother of sons diagnosed with autism, was first introduced to music therapy after taking them to therapy five days a week.

Before becoming a music therapist, she was an elementary music teacher. Discovering music therapy helped her reconnect with her love of music, as well as how it can help people.

Currently, Hourigan works at an autism clinic, Advanced Behavioral Consultation (ABC), in Muncie. She works with around 16 children while also teaching at Ball State.

At Ball State, she teaches education majors how

DNLife

to best teach students with disabilities. At ABC, a clinic that uses applied behavior analysis (ABA) — a type of therapy where the focus is increasing positive behaviors and decreasing negative behaviors — Hourigan works with her clients oneon-one, focusing on different goals.

“A basic tenant of music therapy is that everybody likes different things,” she said. “Everybody likes different styles of music, so we use what motivates them. A lot of the sessions are very different from each other.”

For example, Hourigan works with a boy who loves The Beatles. She incorporates music by the band into his sessions while working on him making choices with limited options.

In Indiana, there are currently over 250 boardcertified music therapists, according to the Association for Indiana Music Therapists (AIMT).

AIMT is a non-profit organization focused on continuing education, spreading awareness and improving access to music therapy. Through its website, the organization helps people find music therapists with a “Find a Music Therapy Provider” service.

Kaitlin Kemp, AIMT treasurer and Little Star ABA Therapy waiver services director, has experienced different sides of music therapy.

Kemp’s used it in the neonatal intensive care unit and when treating neurologic traumatic brain injuries among her patients.

Indiana Medicaid provides three waiver programs through Home and Community-Based Waivers, managed by the Division of Disability and Rehabilitation Services: Developmental Disability Waiver, Autism Waiver and Support Services Waiver, according to the American Music Therapy Association.

Most people in Indiana use waivers or private pay. When it comes to patients using insurance, they must pay out of pocket and apply for reimbursement, which isn’t guaranteed, Kemp said.

However, like Gilliam, she believes music therapy’s versatility — compared to other therapies like talk — is a strength.

“It is literally from pregnancy because we use music therapy [in] assisted childbirth … from pregnancy all the way up to end-of-life care and hospice,” Kemp said.

Contact Hannah Amos via email at hannah. amos@bsu.edu or on X @Hannah_Amos_394.

Music therapy books and the piano stored in the corner of Kirby Gilliam’s office Aug. 15 at Plainsong Music Services.

Music therapy allows a patient and therapist to communicate without speaking. ELLA HOWELL, DN

DNOpinion 12

08.29.24

The rapid and unregulated advancements of Generative AI threaten the artistic integrity of society.

BRENDEN ROWAN, DN ILLUSTRATION

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: AMC MUNCIE 12 IS WHERE I RELEASE MY EMOTIONS

13

Olivia Ground

Digital Managing Editor, “Liv, Laugh, Love”

Olivia Ground is a fourth-year advertising major and writes “Liv, Laugh, Love” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

Art is a constant in the lives of everyone.

Art is in the clothes you wear, the building you go to work in, the phone you look at — it quite literally surrounds us in every capacity of our lives.

That is what is so beautiful about art — it is universally felt in society. You don’t have to visit an art museum and look at paintings to appreciate art. Art is all-encompassing and moves society.

This is why it is ever more concerning that the unregulated advancements of Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), are threatening the artistic integrity of society by offering “easy alternatives” to art. In reality, those alternatives are stealing jobs, stealing art, and encouraging the erasure of creative fields of study and work.

I have personally been incredibly moved by art for the majority of my life.

I grew up watching animated shows like most kids do, but I never really outgrew animation as a form of entertainment. Shows like “Dora the Explorer” and “Blue’s Clues” melted away and shows like “Gravity Falls” and “Steven Universe” became my main form of entertainment in my teenage years. Now, as an adult, my comfort shows are adult animations like “Bob’s Burgers” and “Smiling Friends.”

That love for art extended into a love for artists like Monet, Van Gogh, Keith Haring and Georgia O’Keeffe.

This love has pushed me into a career that is largely creative and art-based, with my absolute dream job being a creative director for literally any company that would take me.

And yet, it wasn’t until I started hearing conversations about an animators strike from artists I have grown to love — like Alex Hirsch, Michael Rianda and Rebecca Sugar — that I learned that there are currently little to no regulations around the use of GenAI in art. GenAI negatively impacts artists in all forms, ranging from music to animation to graphic design.

GenAI is likely what you think of when someone asks you what AI is. It’s the ChatGPTs of AI — the kind where you give a prompt and the AI gives you a response.

It is important to understand that difference because AI isn’t new to us but GenAI is.

AI is in things like your car navigation system, search engines and apps like UberEats. It’s required for technology to advance and is debatably less harmful than GenAI. When you type in a prompt like “Give me a picture of a cat on the first day of school” or run a selfie through a

filter to see how you would look in 1800s England, you probably don’t know that AI is stealing from the work of other artists to produce this AI art.

Artists such as Sarah Anderson, Kelly McKernan and Karla Ortiz have filed suits against popular GenAI companies, citing that the “training” companies feed their AIs are stealing artists’ work and training AIs to mimic their work. At the very least, these companies are making and storing copies of artists’ work without permission.

While a lot of these cases don’t yet have a conclusion or decision, the concern artists are sharing is a call to consider regulation and reform. The call isn’t coming from just artists. Executives have admitted to cutting artists’ jobs, or at the least considering cutting jobs, in favor of AI. The Animation Guild created a task force to monitor the use of AI and consider how areas of AI can fit into future studio negotiations.

I will always argue AI cannot and will not ever replace the work of a human being.

Human creativity is irreplaceable.

The union’s task force surveyed 300 C-Suite leaders — senior executives and mid-level managers across six key entertainment industries — in the winter of 2023 to gain an understanding of where the entertainment industry is going with GenAI. 75 percent of survey respondents indicated GenAI tools, software and/or models had supported the elimination, reduction or consolidation of jobs in their business division.

75 percent of executives and managers agree that GenAI is creating the elimination and reduction of art and creative jobs.

The same survey found that 47 percent of business leaders felt that over the next three years, GenAI will be effective in generating 3D assets, as well as realistic sound design for film, television and video games.

Another 44 percent believed GenAI would be able to generate realistic and convincing foreign-language dubbing for film and television dialogue, and 39 percent believed GenAI would be generating music mixes and masters by 2026.

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Those are hundreds of jobs potentially replaced by AI. The real knife-in-the-back is that it is likely the work of artists being used to train these AIs. Their work would be used to create the computer systems that would one day replace them — and they wouldn’t have a say in it.

As deeply upsetting as this is to me, it doesn’t feel farfetched, even as a Ball State student.

In my many public relations, advertising and graphic design classes, I have had teachers tell me not to bother learning how to write blog posts in AP style or create social media design posts because one day AI will do it for me.

I am being encouraged to not learn and to opt for the easy solution. I cannot stress enough how upsetting this is.

I am being told by the teachers who are supposed to be preparing me for my future that I will not have a job because of AI’s ability to replace my job and should therefore give up now and learn how to operate AI. To be fair, I do support the continuing advancements of AI. I see where AI can be beneficial, especially for work in search engines, digital assistants, geo-targeted advertising, etc.

Regardless, it is incredibly disheartening and upsetting to be encouraged to use AI to replace more artistic and creative work like graphic design and copywriting in my classes.

This is not a mythical idea that could be happening in the next three to five years — it’s happening now.

A simple search on social media would show you dozens of examples of big-box stores selling art that is AIgenerated. We can tell it’s made with AI because we can see the extra fingers, misplaced hands and missing toes.

I will always argue AI cannot and will not ever replace the work of a human being. Human creativity is irreplaceable.

Without the creativity of artists whose art is being fed to AI interfaces, there would be no AI art.

AI will never be able to achieve the work of artists. It will never be able to capture the humanity and vulnerability that goes into works of art.

It poses a threat to the creative professionals that we need as a society.

Currently, there is little to no legislation or regulation around the use of GenAI, AIs or the use of artists’ work utilized in training.

To anyone who reads this and feels compelled to engage in the democratic process of protecting the work of artists — and ensuring aspiring creatives like myself can have a job — please contact your local legislators and politicians to ask what they plan to do to encourage conversations around AI regulation as it continues to advance.

If you feel so inclined, engage in the works of creative unions like the Animators Union, SAG-AFTRA, National Writers Union, Writers Guild, and so many more to learn how you can ensure the work and voices of creatives aren’t left out of the conversation.

Contact Olivia Ground via email at olivia.ground@ bsu.edu.

DNOpinion

DNNews

08.29.24

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PAGEANTRY Continued from Page 10

As Miss Indiana, Melham’s primary form of service is through Advocating for Change through Theatre. Melham started this service initiative in 2019 at Muncie Civic Theatre. She asked audience members to bring canned goods to the show.

“Anytime I’m on stage performing, I want to either ask audience members to bring canned goods or ask the theater board if a cut of the show, the funds, could go to Riley, or anything of that sort,” Melham said.

As a former heart patient at Riley’s Children’s Hospital, Melham encourages donations to the organization and was personally impacted when she learned Miss America Opportunity was partnered with them.

All three women encourage those interested in the pageant circuit to get involved. Hallal wants to make sure people interested know that they can compete with almost any talent or initiative.

Having the experience of being crowned by someone who now holds a state title, as well as someone who is competing for the title of Miss America, is amazing.”

- KAYLA JULIAN, Fourth-year marketing major and current Miss Ball State

“The current Miss America is Madison Marsh,” Hallal said. “She’s in the Air Force, she [was] in the Air Force Academy. Her talent was, they call it a “herstory,” like history … It was a story about her learning how to fly a plane. Your talent doesn’t have to be something that you can present on stage.”

Julian encourages those wanting to get involved in the Miss Ball State pageant to reach out to her.

Like Melham, she had no prior experience when she competed for her current title.

“You do not have to have experience to compete in a pageant. Miss Ball State was my first pageant,” Hallal said. “Pageantry can seem really daunting, but all the women involved are incredibly kind and welcoming.”

Also embracing the community she discovered during her time at Ball State, Melham encourages young women to remember that you don’t have to be “perfect” to win a state title.

“I’m someone who’s not perfect at all, and I’m Miss Indiana now, so it’s been so apparent to me that pageants are an opportunity, and that means an opportunity to make friends too, and just be yourself,” Melham said. “That is something that I’m really excited to share more on as Miss Indiana.”

Contact Ella Howell via email at ella. howell@bsu.edu.

Kalyn Melham receives her crown and sash from Miss Indiana 2023, Cydney Bridges, June 29 in Zionsville, Indiana. Melham graduated from Ball State in July 2024. ROGER MANNING, PHOTO PROVIDED

STATEMENT Continued from Page 7

“I want the team to know what we’re doing, I don’t think it adds extra pressure,” she said. “I think that the more we frame it and understand what our goals are and what we’re working to achieve, the more we’re on the same page and not just hoping we get there but working to get there.”

The key to a high RPI is to play tougher opponents, especially those out of conference.

Ball State faces tough opponents like Penn State, Kentucky and

Indiana in non-conference play this season.

“Our goal is to beat those people,” Miller-Phillips said. “In order to be in the conversation of a top 40 team, you’re going to have to play high and heavy competition like those guys and win.”

Miller-Phillips traditionally looks for the toughest competition in Ball State’s non-conference schedule.

Partly to aid the RPI conversation but also to see where the Cardinals are at.

“I tried to schedule people

that are going to put us in a position where it’s going to be challenging, [and] it’s going to help us reach our goals,” she said.

Ball State faces Seton Hall in the Florida Atlantic University Tournament Aug. 30 to kick off the 2024 season and begins MAC Conference play Sept. 27 at home against Bowling Green.

Contact Daniel Kehn via email at daniel.kehn@bsu.edu or on X @daniel_kehn.

Sophomore outside hitter Aniya Kennedy practices sets Aug. 26 at Worthen Arena. Kennedy earned a nod on the Preseason All-MAC team for the first time in her career.

ANDREW BERGER, DN

Crossword & Sudoku ACROSS 1 Vodka cocktail, familiarly 6 Land area unit 10 Lose one’s footing 14 Surfer’s place 15 Word after sonic or baby 16 Most common number in a data set 17 The shady lawyer tried to __ a client’s eyes, ...

20 Street in a Wes Craven title 21 Ships’ frames 22 Store for folks who like to assemble 23 Jeweled ornament 25 Healer of all wounds, so they say 27 John Quincy __ 30 Exodus figure 33 ... and was confident nobody would __ the scheme ...

37 Curmudgeon 39 Expect 40 2016 Olympics city 41 Operate a car 42 Migratory bird 43 ... and sure the client would __, ...

45 Not-to-bequestioned beliefs 47 Smooth and

confident 48 Sounds of grief 50 Musician with pipes 54 Food that might be soft-shelled 56 Ice dancer Virtue 59 Single-stranded molecule 60 ... but I saw everything, so I’m the __!

63 Noodle variety 64 “La Bohème” character 65 Evaluate visually 66 Intent look 67 Event for seniors 68 Guys DOWN 1 Got by 2 Eyes, in Latin 3 Alabama River city 4 Bad start?

5 Precisely 6 Brother of Cain 7 Billowy cloak hood 8 Bird’s perch 9 Mopey rock genre 10 Deceptive tactic 11 Lyricist’s subject, often 12 Possible solution 13 As ordered by 18 Dog’s best friend 19 67-Across conveyance

15 08.29.24

24 Milieu for single people 26 Texter’s qualifier 28 Seconds or thirds 29 Huffy moods 31 “The Boys” developer Kripke 32 Goalie achievement 33 “__ got your tongue?”

34 Was in a red state?

35 Edible purple corn 36 Stir-fry protein 38 Cot, for one 41 Colored outside the lines, say 43 Talk on and on 44 Cold yogurt drink 46 Habitat for heather 49 Help on the way to the top?

51 Generosity opposite 52 Come after 53 Shop class tools 54 “Behold my brilliance!”

55 The whole shebang 57 Muppet host of “The Not-Too-Late Show” 58 Do laps in a pool 60 Make silly faces, maybe 61 Nanny’s handful 62 Tisch Sch. of the Arts home

Solutions for Aug. 22

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