Ball State Daily News Vol. 105 Issue- 23

Payton Kelly has been in the water her whole life and has shattered records in the process. 06

BallStateDailyNews.com

VOL. 105 ISSUE: 23

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Kyle Stout, Sports Editor

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Jayden Vaughn, Opinion Editor

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CORRECTION

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The Ball State Daily News recognizes the “Bill or Barrier?” story from issue 22 contains several errors. They have all been corrected online. To submit a correction, email editor@bsudailynews.com.

Republicans revive push to shorten Indiana’s early voting period

Feb. 16: Indiana’s early voting period would be cut from 28 days to 16 days, according to Indiana Capital Chronicle (ICC), which is being revived by Republican state senators after being “killed” by the Senate last year. The proposal for fewer early voting days was added Feb. 16, according to ICC, by the Senate Elections Committee through a proposed amendment, HB 1359 #2, with no public testimony allowed. Committee Chair Sen. Mike Gaskill (R-District 25), said the change he proposed would still allow for three weekends of in-person early voting ahead of Election Day, according to ICC.

Daphne Gibaud, Weather forecaster, Benny Weather Group

Broadway’s ‘The Barricade Boys’ coming to Emens Auditorium Feb. 24

Feb. 17: Direct from London, the up-and-coming Barricade Boys are set to perform in Ball State’s Emens Auditorium Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. From “Les Misérables” to “Jersey Boys,” the four Barricade Boys “will take you on a musical journey like no other,” according to a Feb. 17 press release from Ball State’s Communications Center. Students can pick up tickets in advance at the Emens Box Office for free with their university ID, according to the release.

Ball State Men’s Basketball falls on the road to Ohio, third consecutive loss

Feb. 17: Ball State Men’s Basketball fell to Ohio, 69-57 in the rematch of the two teams. The Cardinals won the first meeting with the Bobcats, but were dominated in the second matchup. The Cardinals started off hot, jumping out to a 13-9 lead with just under nine minutes to go in the first half. But the Cardinals only found the basket once more after that mark, ending the first half with only 15 points. A bright spot for the team was senior guard Devon Barnes, who scored 17 points, and also reached 1,000 career points in the game. Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament hopes dwindle for the Cardinals, as they now sit at the bottom of the standings.

Universities close doors on DEI

The Martin University closure highlights the loss of DEI programs at universities.

Kyler Effner Reporter

Martin University has been part of the Indianapolis community since 1977, according to its website, with the sole mission of providing a quality education for “low-income individuals, minorities and adult learners.”

The initial vision was to bring light and education to those who have been historically and systematically disenfranchised, disregarded in public spaces and denied the opportunity for a quality education that would help them achieve their future goals, according to its website.

However, at the end of the 2025 fall semester, the only predominantly Black university in Indiana was forced to cease operations and close its doors due to a lack of funding after its removal from the state legislature’s 25-27 budget — the latest change in legislature to disproportionately affect students of color at Indiana universities.

Faculty, alumni and students alike have expressed their remorse and dismay over the loss of this institution and the opportunities and community it provided to the Indianapolis area.

Dwight McGill, president of the Martin University Alumni Association (MUAA), said members of the alumni association were not expecting anything this devastating for the university’s future.

“With Martin University trustees having control and [one] hundred percent power over the university, there’s nothing we can do,” he said.

McGill said the MUAA’s current focus is on caring for staff who were laid off just before the holiday season and ensuring that the necessary individuals receive payment.

“But my biggest concern,” McGill said, “because I’m alumni and I’m [the] alumni president, is the students.”

Annette Johnson, former adjunct professor and current secretary of Martin University’s Alumni Association, had similar concerns due to the closeknit nature of the campus culture.

DEI

Continued from Page 03

“It was such a very, very close-knit family. Everybody was … devastated. I get to still see a lot of people because we still [have] been having meetings, trying to figure out how we [are] supposed to make it well,” she said.

However, the many relationships Johnson built with her students across a variety of classes, including sociology, freshman reading and leadership development, have deepened her concern.

members] gain access [and] bringing awareness to them about what’s happening on campus,” he said. As director of community support initiatives, McCurdy has helped schools at both the elementary and college levels secure transportation to take students to learning opportunities at both a factory in-state and a STEM day at Kings Island in Ohio.

He has also helped implement digital bulletin boards that keep the community informed about campus, create opportunities for community members to earn certification in American Sign Language and host events in Ball State’s facilities to bring people from across Muncie to campus for recreational events.

“We’re constantly demonstrating that, no, this is about the community. Ball State wants to help the community to rise as it rises,” McCurdy said.

“I have concern[s] for students that are on the educational journey and ... what [that] means to them, just [to] abruptly have their education, just kind of interrupted at the moment,” she said. “So [I am] more concerned about the students and how they would maneuver through, what’s come before them.”

So, while the university’s change in verbiage surrounding their support of McCurdy’s “people in the shadows” caused alarm among many on campus, he said the level of support has not changed.

Ball State has also provided an opportunity for students to celebrate prominent Black figures within the community by renaming its Multicultural Center to honor local Muncie civil rights activists.

Indiana State House Rep. John Bartlett (DDistrict 95), a member of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus and another Martin University alum, was also mournful of the loss of his alma mater.

According to a statement released by the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus (IBLC) Dec. 9, he said that “to see Martin University go would be an atrocity for the state of Indiana.”

He went on to explain that he “hope[s] the community is able to save Martin University; [as] it’s a vital part of our city and state.”

While universities such as Marian University and Indiana Wesleyan University have accepted Martin students with 100 percent credit transfer, there are also concerns about those students’ ability to afford the rest of their education to complete their degrees.

The school’s closure also comes at a contentious time, when many programs and initiatives designed to assist historically underserved students are being removed from other university policies.

Ball State University recently disbanded its Office of Inclusive Excellence to comply with new state legislation enacted through Senate Bill 289, restricting and removing the university’s ability to uphold or fund any program that was based on the principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Some Ball State employees who worked in this office were moved to a separate office under different titles within the university’s Office of Strategic Plan Support.

Paris McCurdy, former director of community diversity initiatives, now director of community support initiatives, is one of the university employees affected by the office and title change.

McCurdy’s role has traditionally been to “[connect] the people in the shadows,” as he calls it, creating avenues and meaningful connections with underserved and underrepresented members of the Muncie community.

Despite the university’s changes to the language used in the office’s statements and proposed programs and initiatives, McCurdy said that not much has changed in the work he does.

“I’m not out in the community turning my back, saying, ‘Oh no, I can’t help you do that anymore. Or I can’t do that.’ It’s the same way that I’ve been going at it, with helping them [community

The Vivian V. Conley and Hurley C. Goodall Jr. Multicultural Center offers many programs for students at Ball State regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or ethnicity, according to their website.

The programs are designed to provide support and community to the many diverse people groups on campus. Programs and organizations supported include a first-generation students celebration, mentorship programs in both summer and fall and many student organizations, such as the Outlet Hip Hop Dance Troupe, Latinx Student Union and Man 2 Men.

According to Man 2 Men’s president, Angel Esquivel Vazquez, the organization’s primary focus is on both the professional and personal lives of men of color on campus. Their meetings are designed to give their members both networking and socializing opportunities through a variety of events such as community service projects and resume-building workshops.

“We prioritize brotherhood and accountability. We want every member to walk away with a better sense of how to lead their own life,” Esquivel Vazquez said.

He also expressed remorse over the loss of institutions like Martin University and the Office of Inclusive Excellence.

“Institutions change their structures based on state and federal directives, and that’s the reality we’re in,” he said. “My focus isn’t on the office’s closing, but on the students. When administrative support systems change, student organizations like Man 2 Men become even more essential. We have to be the ones providing that community and guidance for each other now.”

Student organizations, such as Man 2 Men and the work of McCurdy as director of community support initiatives, continue to provide the support and services needed by minority populations around Ball State’s campus.

Contact Kyler Effner with comments at kyler. effner@bsu.edu.

KELLY

Payton Kelly has set records for Ball State in her four years and has experienced growth along the way.

Kyle Stout Sports Editor

In the summer of 2012, Payton Kelly was at her aunt’s lake house in Canada, watching the Olympics with her family. She watched in awe as Missy Franklin, a five-time Olympic gold medalist, set the world record in the 200-meter backstroke at age 16.

“I looked over, and I was like, ‘Mom, that’s what I’m gonna do,’” Payton, now a senior swimmer at Ball State, said.

She tried a slew of different sports growing up, but from that moment on, she said she knew that swimming was for her.

“We got back to my hometown and we [found] the community pool and the swim club that’s there and started lessons right away,” Payton said. “I just haven’t stopped.”

She joined the North Calgary swim club, for which she swam for nine years in her middle school and high school years, and began competing in local meets. Her mother, Laurie Kelly, said that during her first meet, Payton was nervous to even get off the block.

But Laurie knew Payton wanted to be in the water “all the time.” Although Laurie said that Payton’s first meet did not go very well, she said she was proud that Payton was getting out of her comfort zone and trying something new.

“Swimming never came easy for Payton; it was always hard,” Laurie said. “She just worked and worked and worked at it.”

Payton said she had many rough years growing up because she was not very good at swimming at a young age. But what she did have was love for the sport. Her love for the water and her desire to keep progressing and getting better at the sport are what made her fall in love with the process.

What always made Payton push through any mental struggles she faced in swimming was how she felt being in the water. The senior described it as “serenity” being in the water with herself and being able to tune out the outside world.

“No one can bother me there,” Payton said. “Any problems that I had, I could put on pause and just really let myself be in the water.”

Laurie saw the unexplainable love Payton had for the sport, even when she was struggling. She said Payton always asked her why she would never have let her quit, and her answer was always meant

to reassure Payton of her love for the sport.

Laurie said Payton was always the one to get up at four in the morning to make her or her husband coffee before practices. To Laurie, it was always about helping Payton reach her goals, and all Payton had to do was love it.

“Watching her grow and thrive and just become successful at it, just makes my heart burst,” Laurie said.

Even though Laurie had no swimming background, Payton credits her mother with being one of her biggest supporters.

“My Mom’s always had my back, and she’s always really taught me how to be a strong kind of woman and hold my own,” Payton said. “I think it’s really brought me [to] a lot of places.”

Once Payton found her flow in club swimming, her coach soon realized her potential. Despite her initial struggles in the sport, Payton started breaking barriers and getting the times she always knew she could.

While competing in high school in Canada, Payton got multiple opportunities to compete on the biggest stages. In 2019, she was given the opportunity to compete in the Canadian Junior Nationals. She not only competed in them, but she also won a gold medal in the 4x100 medley relay.

Payton said the experience was “surreal” and that she still remembers her walkout song: “Temperature” by Sean Paul.

“I still get body shivers [thinking about it],” Payton said.

Payton said her first opportunity at the Junior Nationals showed her a lot about herself as a swimmer. She said it showed her that it could not be all about her, giving her a glimpse of what the team environment looked like in college.

She said her club coach at the time told her she had an opportunity to swim at the collegiate level, and Payton jumped at that. She started signing up for various recruiting websites, and once 30 Division I schools reached out, she knew what her next four years would look like.

However, one school in particular really stood out. Payton was set on swimming for a Big Ten school like Indiana, but once she saw how much Ball State Head Coach J. Agnew sought her out through the process, she knew Ball State was for her.

“J. really saw me through the whole process, and I came out a lot better on the other side of recruiting,” Payton said. “[It] took someone having some faith in me and trusting what I wanted to do.”

I looked over, and I was like, ‘Mom, that’s what I’m gonna do,’”

- PAYTON KELLY, Swim and dive captain

Agnew said recruiting international players can feel like “fishing” at first. But after the head coach got to know Payton beyond her title as a studentathlete, he was all in on her.

“She struck me as somebody who had a passion for the sport [and she] loved what she was doing,” Agnew said.

Payton said the first time she received a call from Agnew, her initial reaction was, “Yeah, I’m not gonna go there, but whatever, I’ll call him.”

But she noticed something different about Agnew: every other recruiting call she had lasted 15 minutes max, but she and Agnew spoke for around 45 minutes.

The two talked about her training during COVID-19, her passions and what drove her as a swimmer, among other things that showed Payton how much Agnew cared about her as a person.

“He really just cared about me as a person and not just a number on [Ball State’s] spreadsheet, and I think [that] really set them apart [from other schools],” Payton said.

Agnew has not just been a coach for Payton, but also one of her biggest supporters, as he’s been with Payton every step of the way. The head coach not only coached her at Ball State but has also been by her side at Payton’s Olympic trial runs.

“When she got to go to Olympic trials, and J. came to watch and be her coach on the deck, I think that was a full-circle moment for me,” Laurie said. “J. believed in her.”

Moving to an entirely new country can be a

culture shock for anyone, but Laurie recalled the exact moment that she saw Payton realize that Ball State was where she wanted to be.

“When we went on her recruiting trip, we turned the corner onto Ball State, and I looked over, and she’s crying,” Laurie said. “She was like, ‘Mom, I’m home.’”

Despite feeling a brief sense of comfort in finding her new home in Muncie, Payton said she still struggled her freshman year. She said she dealt with sports anxiety as she tried to fit in.

She said she remembers every panic moment, every feeling of homesickness and every time she threw up before meets out of anxiety. Still, even as she dealt with those initial struggles, she began to perform at a high level.

In her freshman year, she was awarded second team All-MAC and broke three program records. After that, she kept climbing up the rankings at Ball State. Fast forward to her senior season, and she now holds nine separate program records.

Laurie said on her initial visit to Ball State, Payton stood on the pool deck looking at all the program records up on the wall. All Payton said was, “I’m coming for you.”

Payton described her freshman self and senior self as two completely different people. In her senior season, Payton is a captain for this year’s Ball State team, and she said she feels lucky to be in that position.

The role Payton wants to play for the team as a captain is something beyond performing well in

the water. She wants to be there for her teammates and create a culture that is built on each other.

Payton said she hopes her teammates know that she would be the first person to give them a shirt off her back.

“I always try to lead by example; there’s nothing that I would tell the girls to do that I wouldn’t be the first one to do,” Payton said.

Agnew has seen firsthand the effect Payton has had on the team as a captain. The head coach said that what the swimmers do is hard, and as the years go on, he said swimmers can sometimes lose passion and enthusiasm.

But it has been the complete opposite with Payton, who Agnew said has the exact same excitement as her freshman self.

“To watch her come as a senior [and] just be like that freshman [who’s] wide-eyed, wants to see how fast they can go, [and] wants to bring her teammates along with her,” Agnew said. “That’s what you want in a captain.”

The Cardinals hosted a meet against Indiana State Jan. 30 for their last home meet of the season. For Payton, it was her last home meet as a Cardinal, and emotions were high.

“I got out [of the pool], and I was crying that it was over,” Payton said. “I don’t want [it] to end.”

Payton will have one more guaranteed tournament in her career at Ball State. The Cardinals will compete in the MAC championships Feb. 2528. It provides one last opportunity for Payton to finish her career at Ball State on a high note.

“I want to put the final pages in the book before closing it,” Payton said. “But even if it doesn’t happen, I’m really happy with everything.”

Payton said that if she could go back in time and talk to her freshman year self, she would give her a hug. Payton has grown tremendously in her four years at Ball State, and the senior’s impact has left a remarkable impact on the program.

“I want the legacy to be that I still care for my team and I was a really big part of the team and that I led us in a direction that we want to go,” Payton said. “And that they can build off of the culture we built this season.”

Agnew said it has been exciting to see Payton grow from her freshman to her senior year, and he credits a legacy left to her.

“[It’s] just a great tribute to a captain, to a leader,” Agnew said.

Looking forward to her career past Ball State, Payton said she wants to still compete and give swimming her all. She said she wants to keep moving up in the rankings in Canada and eventually compete in the 2028 Olympic Trials.

Payton also said she is hopefully looking to graduate school after she graduates at Ball State. The star swimmer is nowhere near done and is only looking forward to her swimming career.

“There’s no stopping me yet,” Payton said. Contact Kyle Stout with questions via email at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdailyn.

Hometown: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Year: Senior

Position: Freestyle, Backstroke

SEVEN-TIME CAREER MAC SWIMMER OF THE WEEK

Oct. 26. 2022

Nov. 9, 2022

Oct. 25, 2023

Nov. 8, 2023

Dec. 11, 2024

Nov. 11, 2025

Jan. 27, 2026

ACCOLADES

‘DIDN’T MISS A BEAT’

Ball State Cardinals Baseball looks forward to the 2026 season with a revamped roster.

Kyle Stout Sports Editor

The 2026 Ball State Baseball team is not the same team they were last season. The Cardinals welcomed in 23 new players in the offseason and only returned 15 players.

Last year’s team ended with losses to Kent State and Toledo in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament to round out a 36-22 campaign under Head Coach Rich Maloney.

Despite a high volume of new players on the roster, Maloney has been encouraged by the returning group.

“It’s been very encouraging because the guys that were on the roster from last year’s team really accepted [their roles] and we really didn’t miss a beat,” Maloney said.

The head coach also said the new group of Cardinals’ that came in have adapted to the culture very quickly, which he said has helped the group overall. One of the positions that was shaken up the most was the pitching unit.

Out of the 16 pitchers listed on the roster, 10 of those were either transfers in or freshmen entering their first year. Junior pitcher Keegan Johnson is one of the Cardinals’ highlight returners on the team, and he believes what has happened to the Cardinals roster is a “common theme” in college baseball.

“Coach does a good job picking guys that he thinks will gel together well, and I think so far, we’ve done that through the fall and winter,” Johnson said.

The junior said the pitching group has only grown closer together entering the new season, and he believes it is something that will help the team down the line. Johnson said that the level of closeness a team has usually indicates their success down the line.

“[The] pitching group is really close.

I think that’s a key indicator of how strong your team’s gonna be, especially late in the season,” Johnson said.

“[Just] how strong that comradery is, especially between the pitching staff.”

Then-freshman infielder Connor Hutchinson slides into third base against Ohio March 2024 at First Merchants Ballpark Complex. Hutchinson had one run in the game. MYA CATALINE, DN

we’re definitely gonna have a big offense.”

A big thing for Griffiths to do, especially as a senior leader within the group, has been building relationships with his new teammates. The senior said the amount of practices in the offseason as well as some fall ball games have helped the team get used to each other and get to know each other.

I want to see passion, enthusiasm, fire in the belly, not taking a backseat to nobody, expecting to win every time you go out there,”

- RICH MALONEY

Ball State Baseball head coach

A big strength of the 2025 Ball State squad was their offensive performance. The team ranked third in the MAC in batting average (.309), and were first in home runs (61). Senior infielder Brett Griffiths is a key returner from last season, and he believes the 2026 squad will also have strengths on the offensive side of the ball.

“I think our biggest strength right now is definitely our hitting,” Griffiths said. “I don’t know if we’re gonna hit as many home runs, but I think

“I think we blended very well together,” Griffiths said.

“I think being together every single day has helped us a lot.”

Maloney has seen many different returning players step up into big leadership roles within the roster. The head coach said he felt as if it was a “seamless transition” of many different returners stepping up into new roles.

But the head coach has not only seen leadership with the returners, but also with some of the new guys. The Cardinals brought in junior first baseman Jacob Gillis from the transfer portal, who slashed .388/.522/.544 in his sophomore year at Bossier Parish Community College.

Maloney has instantly seen Gillis step up as a leader even in his first year with the squad, which he said he is encouraged by.

“He’s immediately one of our leaders, which is kind of cool that you can come right into the program and not feel like you couldn’t lead,” Maloney said.

The Cardinals have a tough non-conference slate before opening up MAC play against Central Michigan March 6. The team kicked off the season with two big offensive wins against St. Johns, a win against Stetson and a loss to Minnesota to conclude their four games in DeLand, Florida.

The team carries a 3-1 early-season record, and the narrative of the team being a strong offensive team while not hitting many homers has proved true so far. The team has scored 17 runs through four games, but have not hit a homer.

The slate only gets harder for the team looking forward. They will travel to Charleston, South Carolina to take on Merrimack twice, Seton Hall and George Mason. After that, the team will travel to Hawaii to take on the Rainbow Warriors in a four game set.

Maloney said that as non-conference play opens up, a lot of question marks surrounding the team will be answered. The head coach is focused on one thing for the team to do before opening conference play: compete.

“I want to see passion, enthusiasm, fire in the belly, not taking a backseat to nobody, expecting to win every time you go out there,” Maloney said. Contact Kyle Stout with questions via email at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdailyn.

Blessing’

‘Blessed

Local beauty supply store Be’s Beauty has provided hair and cosmetics services for over 20 years.

The struggles women and young girls on the neurodivergence spectrum experience after spending most of their lives undiagnosed.

Macey Kessler is a third-year political science and journalism major and writes “MindoverMac” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper.

I have experienced many different angles of being diagnosed with neurodivergence over the course of my life. It caused overwhelming emotions that I was not necessarily able to grasp.

My entire life, teachers had told my parents I was extremely gifted but had trouble focusing. Many teachers and professors later wrote it off as me being “chatty” simply because I did not fit the stereotype of being neurodivergent. It was not until I was 18 that I finally got my first diagnosis, and to this day, I am still unsure of whether or not it is the correct one.

For years, women and young girls who were struggling with attention, sensory overload or social exhaustion have been told they were being dramatic, anxious, lazy or overcompensating. Only recently have medicine and societal perceptions begun to acknowledge what many women facing these challenges already know.

Attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and high functioning autism have been hiding in plain sight and completely overlooked. This is not because they are rare conditions, but rather because they do not look the way clinicians were trained to expect.

According to a January 2025 article published by Understood, Kathleen Nadeau, the founder and director of one of the largest private ADHD specialty clinics in the United States, states that many women and young girls experience what is called inattentive ADD. The article states, “Girls and women with ADHD are more likely to have the inattentive type of ADHD.”

Inattentive ADD comes with many internal struggles, such as constant anxious thoughts, early issues of negative body image, the need to strive for perfectionism and extreme time awareness, according to a March 2025 article published by Cleveland Clinic. All of these major symptoms are ones that go unnoticed by many.

The prevailing image of ADHD remains a hyperactive young boy bouncing in a classroom chair, unable to keep still or be quiet. Meanwhile, autism is still commonly

associated with young males who exhibit obvious social difficulties or repetitive behaviors.

These stereotypes have shaped diagnostic tools and research samples for clinical judgment for decades. This results in the quiet, widespread underdiagnosis of girls and women, particularly those with inattentive ADHD, high-functioning autism or both, sometimes referred to as AuDHD.

According to research reported in a November 2024 article published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the gender gap in diagnoses does not reflect the true prevalence. ADHD affects an estimated 11.4 percent of children in the United States.

Boys are diagnosed at roughly twice the rate of girls in childhood, but that disparity shrinks dramatically in adulthood. However, a red flag is that many girls are being missed early on. A review published by The National Institute of Medicine notes that inattentive symptoms, more common in girls, are less likely to trigger referrals because they are quieter and less disruptive in classroom settings.

scrapbook of everyone I have ever loved. Sometimes it may feel daunting, but there are some beautiful aspects to it.

However, the long-term effects of masking have led to significant personal self-doubt and a constant need to be the best at what I do.

Societal expectations also play a powerful role.

Girls are often praised for being compliant and empathetic, traits that can conceal inattentiveness or sensory overload. Teachers interpret female distractions as daydreams rather than a student who needs evaluation.

Clinicians may also unconsciously downplay them, especially when they do not align with traditional malebased diagnostic models.

According to a 2023 survey that was published in a March 2025 article by Frontiers, the survey found that many teachers overlooked girls’ struggles and that their female students were more likely than boys to go undiagnosed with ADHD, citing behavioral bias and limited training amongst faculty.

The consequences of missed diagnoses extend well into adulthood. If left untreated, ADHD is associated with difficulties in time management, employment stability and emotional regulation. Similarly, autism can go unrecognized until adulthood, when social and sensory demands increase and coping strategies begin to collapse.

Instead of having my own personality, I have become a scrapbook of everyone I have ever loved.”

One of the major reasons girls and women go undiagnosed is because of masking. At a young age, many of us learn to consciously suppress behaviors that might be seen as odd, impulsive or socially unacceptable.

We memorize conversation scripts, mimic peers and overcompensate for executive dysfunction through perfectionism and performance. Masking may reduce external disruptions, but it comes at a cost for the person internally.

Not only that, but according to an October 2024 article by Cleveland Clinic, studies link long-term masking to higher rates of anxiety, depression and burnout among autistic women.

This is something I have experienced most of my life. Instead of having my own personality, I have become a

I was not diagnosed until I was 18, and when it came to my personality, I always felt as though it was too much. I was constantly pretending, even when the racing thoughts refused to stop.

Ultimately, underdiagnosis is not just a medical failure, but a societal one.

When systems are built around narrow definitions of what is considered normal, those who adapt quietly are likely to be overlooked. Girls and women with ADHD and autism have always been here, excelling while struggling, masking and surviving without the proper terminology to name or validate their experience.

Although it may seem quieter, it does not mean the screaming voices in our heads shut off. Neurodivergence in women and girls is equally important to the stereotyped diagnosis they have for boys.

As a society, we need to take girls’ requests for help more seriously. It can cause significant emotional conflict if not diagnosed early.

Contact Macey Kessler via email at macey.kessler@ bsu.edu.

For over 20 years, Be’s Beauty has offered a variety of cosmetic goods and services to the Muncie community.

Over its 21 years serving the Muncie community, Black-owned beauty supply store Be’s Beauty has provided products and services to people of color with diverse hair types.

Bernisa Elliott, founder of Be’s Beauty, said she opened the business in 2006 when Muncie had only one other beauty supply store in the area. The store’s first location was near downtown Muncie, but after outgrowing the space, the shop relocated to McGalliard Road in 2013.

By 2024, just over a decade later, customer service and outreach had expanded to additional minority groups beyond just the Black community, and the business is now located on MLK. Jr. Boulevard to help serve those groups, as well.

Elliott described how the business’s relocation benefited the company’s evolution, especially since she was inspired to open Be’s Beauty because Muncie had only one beauty supply store while she was growing up as a Black woman.

However, before becoming a business owner, Elliott worked for General Motors. It was only after wanting to follow in her parents’ and brother’s footsteps that she decided to open her own beauty supply store.

“[My parents] actually own businesses. My dad owned [Pitts Barbecue], and my mom owned [Fancy Fashions], so that was more of my inspiration. Also, just because of the way customers, especially minorities, were treated not just in the beauty supply store but nationally,” Elliott said.

A June 2023 study from the Pew Research Center found that support for the Black Lives Matter movement has continually dropped since its peak across the United States in 2020, resulting in no substantial social change for Black Americans.

After officially opening Be’s Beauty to the public in 2006 to serve minority communities in Muncie, Elliott said customers were welcoming, but challenges arose because the community was not initially familiar with the business.

“[Muncie community members were] so programmed to go to the other [minority hair care] supply store because that was the only one in the area,” she said.

In addition to those concerns, Elliott said that

being denied the ability to carry certain products and having less stock at first were challenges upon opening.

However, as Be’s Beauty continued to expand its product inventory and stock over the years, it eventually became Muncie’s only cosmetic supply store, and its clientele grew. Elliott said word of mouth was instrumental in marketing the business to the community and in building the brand.

“We have expanded our color selection, offering more variety, even including more products for men, and we do have a barber shop and salon next door … We’ve shifted with the market and what people are asking for,” Elliott said.

However, after the final relocation to MLK. Jr. Boulevard in just one weekend, Elliott said she was relieved the shop did not have to temporarily close and that customers remained loyal to the business. The purchase of a new, personal commercial space, Elliott said, is the business’s biggest accomplishment.

“Our customers have been very appreciative of the change and very thankful that [Be’s Beauty] chose to remain close to the community.”

Jasmine Smith and DeKayla Elliott, both employees at Be’s Beauty, agreed that their favorite parts about working at the shop are helping customers and seeing familiar faces from the community and Ball State’s campus.

Because Be’s Beauty is now the only beauty supply store in Muncie, Elliott said much of their business comes not only from Black communities but also from Asian and Latino communities. She said that it is a great way to connect with all the minorities who come into the shop.

Erin Ashley, who is of African American descent and a local Muncie community member, shared why she continues to shop at Be’s Beauty.

“It’s just convenient for me because I live down the street, [the store] has everything I need in here, and it’s very welcoming,” Ashley said.

Although Elliott said she plans to eventually retire, she intends to keep the business open to serve the Muncie community and stay current with cosmetic trends. Some of the shop’s most popular current products are its braiding formulas and gels, as well as wigs and extensions.

Elliott explained why she believes it is important for women of color to have a safe space for specific

hair care and cosmetic products.

“… In the Black community, your barbers and stylists kind of become your therapist because you go and sit in their chair, and they do more than just your hair. You’re sharing with them about life, and [Be’s Beauty] has that exact same vibe,” Elliott said.

After two decades of providing hair and makeup products and services to the minorities of the Muncie community, Elliott said her favorite part of being a business owner is the flexibility and freedom that she has.

In addition to being an entrepreneur in the Muncie community, Elliott also navigates motherhood with two children, noting that the opportunities and freedom to support them throughout their lives are deeply appreciated.

“Our family slogan is ‘blessed to be a blessing.’ Elliott said. “That’s just how I feel, that God has literally blessed [my family], not just to hold onto it for ourselves and my kids, but also to be a blessing to others.”

Elliott’s faith is integral to her livelihood and is something she said she always wants to incorporate into her future business ventures.

“[Be’s Beauty] is a warm, inviting, Christian environment, and I am just thankful that God has blessed me to be able to set that tone within the community,” she said.

Contact Gracie Parkhurst via email at gracie. parkhurst@bsu.edu.

Crossword and Sudoku

39 Stimulus

Marketed

Snowbird ski resort state

jump

Aykroyd of “Ghostbusters”

1 Native New Zealander 2 Torn asunder 3 Joined a mosh pit 4 Apple on a teacher’s desk, perhaps 5 Boxer Muhammad 6 Gimlet liquor 7 Muslim pilgrim’s destination

8 Name as a successor 9 Michigan in Chicago, e.g.: Abbr.

10 One who’s long in the tooth?

11 Pitiful interjection 12 High-protein bean 13 Bouncy gait

19 Miami-__ County 21 Like an otter’s fur 25 Not on board with 26 Gp. after millennials 27 Door fastener

30 Struggled to gain traction 31 Pros who cry “out” loud?

__-in first-out 33 Start of the day

Sound return 36 Actor Danson

Solutions for Feb. 12

Coherent 46 Premier seating area 48 Rapid growth period 49 Union suit? 51 Little terrier

53 Prestigious prize with six categories

54 Lotus pose, for one 55 Southernmost nation on the Arabian Peninsula 56 Ninny 57 Prefix with pad

58 Settled on a perch

62 Poem of homage

63 Bailiff’s first word

64 Greek letter X

Wednesday, February 25 10 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. in The Atrium

Apartments, houses, free swag and more!