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N ‘A new D DAILY NEWS

DNNews

KYLE INGERMANN, DN

2025 news recap

Revisit past news stories from 2025. 04

Five Hoosier politicos Five politicos to be on the lookout for in 2026. 14

DNSports

normal’ Third-year Ball State student Austin Elliott is rebuilding his life on campus one year after a house party shooting left him paralyzed.06

BALL STATE ATHLETICS, PHOTO PROVIDED

Men’s volleyball preview Men’s volleyball will be led by new head coach Mike Iandolo. 10

DNOpinion Healing while hustling The emotional and physical toll of being strong all the time, and why it is not sustainable. 13 Ball State third-year construction management major Austin Elliott poses for a photo Dec. 9 in the Applied Technology Building. KADIN BRIGHT, DN

01.08.2026

ballstatedailynews.com

@bsudailynews

DNNews 01.08.26

BallStateDailyNews.com VOL. 105 ISSUE: 17 CONTACT THE DN Newsroom: 765-285-8245 Editor: 765-285-8249, editor@bsudailynews.com EDITORIAL BOARD Meghan Braddy, Editor-in-chief Katherine Hill, Managing Editor and Lifestyles Editor Linnea Sundquist, News Editor Kyle Stout, Sports Editor Rylan Crum, Associate Sports Editor Jayden Vaughn, Opinion Editor Charlotte Jons, Associate Opinion Editor Channing Matha, Copy Editor Kyle Ingermann, Multimedia Editor Kadin Bright, Associate Multimedia Editor Brenden Rowan, Visual Editor Jessica Bergfors, Associate Visual Editor Raquel Rufﬁn, Associate Visual Editor Corey Ohlenkamp, Adviser

Trump fears impeachment if Republicans lose midterms

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.

Jan. 6: President Donald Trump told Republicans to “turn around their

political fortunes” ahead of November’s midterm election, according to Tribune News Service (TNS). Trump warned that if the Democratic Party retook control over Congress, he could be impeached for a third time. He claimed that Republicans “got to win the midterms” and that Democrats will “ﬁnd a reason” to impeach him, during a Jan. 6 retreat for the party’s House caucus in Washington. Trump offered pointed advice to the Republican Party lawmakers to urge them to aggressively tout his policy priorities, according to TNS.

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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JOIN THE DAILY NEWS Stop by room 278 in the Art and Journalism Building. All undergraduate majors accepted and no prior experience is necessary.

INDOT cancels, postpones projects

Jan. 6: The number of nixed roads and bridge plans is rising due to

“funding constraints,” the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) told state lawmakers on Jan. 5, according to Indiana Capital Chronicle (ICC). Legislative Director Aaron Wainscott said projects have continued to be canceled, according to ICC, with many projects also having to be postponed. INDOT had planned an interchange improvement project northwest of Indianapolis, but had to break down the project into three different segments to be carried out at different times, Wainscott told ICC. INDOT reported 300 projects that were postponed this time last year, according to ICC.

CORRECTION The last printed edition of The Ball State Daily News was incorrectly listed as “Vol. 104 Issue: 15.” The correct issue number is “Vol. 105 Issue: 15.” To submit a correction, email editor@bsudailynews.com.

INDOT/ICC

Men’s basketball falls to Eastern Michigan

4-DAY WEATHER

Jan. 6: Ball State Men’s Basketball fell to Eastern Michigan Tuesday

FORECAST

night 74-52. It was the Cardinals third Mid-American Conference (MAC) loss on the season, and the second to come at Worthen Arena. A strong start to the game put the Cardinals up by six points through ten minutes of play. But bad turned to worse quickly for the Cardinals, as they saw their 20-14 lead evaporate and turn into a 14-point deficit going into halftime. “We did some really good things early,” Head Coach Michael Lewis said. “Then when they flipped the game with some good pressure, we struggled to get the ball down the floor.”

THE WEATHER CHANNEL

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

CLOUDY Hi: 60º Lo: 57º

MORNING SHOWERS Hi: 62º Lo: 40º

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

RAIN

MOSTLY CLOUDY

Hi: 47º Lo: 24º

Hi: 31º Lo: 25º

AYSLIN BOWMAN, DN

DNNews

01.08.26

ANDREW BERGER, DN MEGHAN BRADDY, DN JEFFREY DREYER, DN WILL BAKER, DN ADAM JONES, DN KRISTINA RAINWATERS, PHOTO PROVIDED KYLE INGERMANN, DN

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: DOLLYNE SHERMAN APPOINTED TO BOARD OF TRUSTEES

DNNews

01.08.26

Take a look at past 2025 news coverage from the university and Delaware County. Sept. 17

Linnea Sundquist News Editor

The Ball State Daily News has compiled a list of stories from various reporters throughout 2025, focusing on the happenings of Ball State University and the surrounding Muncie and Delaware County communities.

Mar. 29

Feb. 26

Ball State takes preemptive measures to anti-DEI legislation

Victoria Spartz hosts hostile

Students target President Mearns during hunger strike rally

Ball State Students for Justice in Palestine, now referred to as Students for Justice in Palestine, started a hunger strike to protest Ball State’s alleged involvement in the conflict with Israel and Palestine. The group protested Nov. 12, claiming President Mearns and Ball State’s investments in firms such as Mercer Ventures, Common Fund Capital and Carlisle Group support Israel. The Ball State Daily News cannot independently verify these claims. Protesters gathered at the Scramble Light before walking to the Frank A. Bracken Administration Building, whilst shouting “Free, Free Palestine,” among other chants. The protesters also tried to enter Mearns’ office, only to find it locked, and were met by Ro-Ann Royer Engle, vice president of student affairs, who asked them to leave. The protesters refused to leave, wanting to leave a message for Mearns, to which Engle told them to leave an email. The group ended up waiting outside the administration building for Mearns, who was later escorted out by university police to his vehicle that evening. The strike ended on Nov. 30 due to medical reasons, according to a post on Students for Justice in Palestine’s Instagram.

Mar. 7

Ball State charges five protesters for disrupting BOT meeting

Ball State released a statement Sept. 17 regarding comments the former Director of Health Promotion and Advocacy, Suzanne Swierc, made on Facebook following the Sept. 10 assassination of CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk. According to a statement from Ball State, the administration reviewed her comment and determined that the post “caused significant disruption to the University.” The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is currently seeking an injunction that would expunge any record of Swierc’s termination from the university’s archives, according to Indiana Capital Chronicle. Swierc filed a lawsuit naming President Mearns in an official capacity.

Nov. 13

At the beginning of the year, changes were made to Ball State’s town hall diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, including the cancellation of a faculty development session named LGBTQ+ 101 Victoria Spartz, (R-District 5) speaks during a Town Hall March 29 at Muncie City and a week’s worth of planned events to honor Trans Day of Visibility Hall that she hosted. Topics discussed included Medicaid and Social Security in March. benefits, the Department of Education and the state’s involvement in Ukraine. Multiple students, faculty and community members voiced their JEFFREY DREYER, DN PHOTO. frustrations with the university. At the time, Vice President Micah Peck of Feminists for Action Victoria Spartz (R-District) hosted a March 29 town hall meeting argued that the university was “abusing their power” and that the at Muncie City Hall. Spartz welcomed opposition with a hope for university’s “true nature” was coming to light. a “vibrant conversation,” after being met with boos and jeers from Changes in Ball State’s DEI programs stemmed from Indiana’s attendees and protesters. proposed Senate Bill (SB) 235, which, as of Feb. 10, has been Chants of “do your job” and “tax the rich” rang out throughout withdrawn from the Senate. The bill initially sought to limit DEI the crowd, as Spartz mentioned President Donald Trump and the initiatives at state-funded educational institutions. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk. Ball State’s Office of Inclusive Excellence is currently closed, Protesters of Spartz gathered outside the town hall, where a small according to the university’s content and media strategy manager, group of counter-protesters also gathered in support of her. Andrew Walker, with no mention of a possible reopening. The The counter-protesters shouted at the group of protesters, ending Office of Strategic Planning and Support has replaced the Office of with a protester punching a counter-protester in the face. Cops Inclusive Excellence. arrived at the town hall shortly after and remained there for the rest of the protest. A senior adviser for Spartz’s campaign told IndyStar he “fully expects her to announce she is running for reelection,” according to the July 17 article, with a formal legal announcement coming later.

Ball State fires Director of Health Promotion and Advocacy

Students host protest over Office of Inclusive and Excellence closing Student protesters march in protest of recent Ball State DEI cuts April 18 at Ball State University. ANDREW BERGER, DN

After the April 17 BOT meeting, Ball State students held a protest at the scramble light April 18 in response to the board’s changes to DEI efforts. The reasoning for the protest was to mobilize “against the recent email confirming [that] BSU will comply with Trump’s attacks on DEI and Ball State’s Board of Trustees’ unanimous approval of the changes,” according to an Instagram post from Feminists for Action. Not only did students gather for the protest, but Jackson Franklin, a candidate running for the 5th district congress seat, attended as well. Franklin wants Ball State’s President Geoffrey Mearns and the BOT to see that students will “not take this,” and that community members agree.

Nov. 17

Five protesters were arrested at a Feb. 28 Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting after “loudly” disrupting the meeting by yelling, according to associate vice president of university communications and digital strategy, Greg Fallon. Those five protesters—Joseph Souza, Cooper Archer, Kiwani Bassett, Jaina Dodds and Zoe-Rose Dieguez—were charged on March 7 with two counts of disorderly conduct for disrupting a lawful assembly and making “unreasonable noise,” according to charge documents sent to The Ball State Daily News via email. A preliminary hearing for each case was held on April 23 at 1:00 p.m., with Judge Amanda Dunnuck presiding in Muncie City Courts. Archer was the only protester, as of now, who has been sent to trial. The remaining court dates for the other protesters can be found on the Indiana Public Courts website. Louis Wade Denney and Eric Michael Hoffman have been listed as those representing the state for the future cases.

Apr. 18

Ball State students are allegedly detained for disorderly conduct while protesting Brian Gallagher during a Board of Trustees meeting Feb. 28 at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. ANDREW BERGER, DN

Muncie local runs for Congress

Candidate for Indiana’s 5th congressional district, Jackson Franklin, speaks in front of a protest Aug. 22 at Ball State University. Franklin is a candidate for the 2026 election cycle. ADAM JONES, DN Muncie local Jackson Franklin is running a grassroots campaign for the Democratic nomination in Indiana’s 5th District of Congress. He can often be found at community events in downtown Muncie and at various campus protests. Franklin said he makes himself known to students at Ball State as a “voice” for younger generations. By attending campus protests, he said he has “direct access” to advocate for student issues. Muncie residents will be able to decide who they want to represent them in Indiana’s 5th District of Congress on May 5 for the midterm elections.

4See RECAP, 14

DNLife

01.08.26

‘Striving for something better’ One year after a shooting left him paralyzed, thirdyear Ball State student Austin Elliott is back on campus, determined not to let the accident define him. 406 Ball State third-year construction management major Austin Elliott presents his class project after his final Dec. 9 in the Applied Technology Building. KADIN BRIGHT, DN

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: 3 MINDFUL HABITS TO KICK OFF 2026

DNLife

01.08.26

Austin Elliott refuses to slow his plans for the future.

Ball State third-year construction management major Austin Elliott poses for a photo Dec. 9 in the Applied Technology Building. KADIN BRIGHT, DN

Trinity Rea Reporter The house on West Carson Street in Muncie was packed. It was Nov. 2, 2024, and the house party had spilled out onto the front yard, where then 20-yearold Austin Elliott stood socializing with people he’d just met. In the front yard of a stranger’s house, Elliott’s chatter was forcibly interrupted. Two gunshots. He fell instantly. A bullet had entered his back and lodged in his spine. The party erupted into chaos as attendees scattered in every direction. Elliott remembers how cold he felt lying on the lawn, overcome with confusion. He doesn’t remember being as scared as he knows he should have been. When police arrived, they asked Elliott what had

happened. One officer mentioned something he did not realize: He had been smiling. “Obviously, there’s nothing really to smile about,” Elliott said. “But I guess that was my trauma response.” Nick Zehr, Elliott’s friend of over a decade, was with him earlier that night before the pair would become separated and end up at different parties. Zehr’s phone started blowing up with messages from friends asking where Elliott was. Tracking his phone’s last known location, Zehr found Muncie Police Department and Ball State University Police Department officers surrounding a taped-off front yard on Carson Street. After speaking with an officer, Zehr left his contact information and headed home. While sitting with his roommate, they heard a knock on their door half an hour later. “We opened the door and [an officer] told us that Austin had been shot and then he had been taken to IU Methodist Hospital,” he said. “I was just kind of sitting there, I didn’t really know what I was feeling.”

One year later, the 21-year-old third-year construction management student has just completed his ﬁrst semester back on campus at Ball State, living independently and navigating campus in a wheelchair, determined not to let one night deﬁne his future.

‘I’m awake and alive’

The night of the shooting, Elliott spent an hour at Ball Memorial Hospital before being airlifted to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Upon arrival, he called his parents Jessica and Travis Elliott. “I was like, ‘Please just drive safe. I don’t want anything to happen to you guys.’ I’m awake, I’m ﬁne — well, not really ﬁne — but I’m awake and alive, and I’ll be here when you get here,” Austin said. Travis called the phone call “gut-wrenching,” but said Austin’s humor, asking them to drive safely and not “95 miles per hour,” was reassuring and brought them hope. Zehr and his friends made their way to

Indianapolis at the same time, texting Jessica on the drive down. By the time they arrived around 3 a.m., Austin’s aunt and a few other friends and family members were already in the waiting room. Zehr recalls them all sitting in silence. Eventually, one of his friends suggested they pray. Gathered in a circle in the waiting room of IU Methodist, they did just that. Soon after, Austin’s parents and youngest brother walked in. Travis said arriving at the emergency room and seeing Austin for the first time was difficult. Watching as the nurses asked Austin to move different parts of his body, which he could not, produced an emotion Travis said hit him and his wife “like a truck.” “I just couldn’t process it at first,” he said. After being with Austin for a little while, his parents returned to the waiting room and had the hard responsibility of telling the group that Austin was paralyzed. “You never expect that your child is going to get shot by a gun. It’s so surreal. I mean, it happens too

07 01.08.26

Third-year Ball State student Austin Elliott poses for a photo during his time in Ancon Construction during Summer 2025 in Goshen, Indiana. AUSTIN ELLIOTT, PHOTO PROVIDED

much here in this country, but you never think it’s going to be you,” Jessica said. Despite everything, Jessica said she was surprised by how positive and funny Austin was, cracking jokes and making everyone laugh. The medical staff met and decided not to remove the bullet. Austin had sustained a T3 ASIA A complete spinal cord injury, one of the most serious injuries on the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale. Removing the bullet from Austin’s back had the potential to cause severe damage. “They collectively determined that it wasn’t worth the risk of doing more damage, and that it was a blessing that he can use his hands, his arms, his ﬁngers,” Travis said. “I mean, my simple mind is like, ‘No, we gotta get that out of there so that it can heal … [but] it just doesn’t work that way.” The bullet remains in Austin’s back today.

‘I just have to go for it’

After about a week in the hospital, including a short stint in the ICU, Austin was transported to the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago for rehab, ranked No. 1 in the United States for spinal cord injury rehabilitation. When Jessica’s friend suggested Shirley Ryan, she researched it immediately and knew it was where Austin needed to be. “When we found out that they had room for him, I just cried because I knew they would help him so much,” she said. Doctors planned six weeks of rehabilitation. Austin worked with occupational and physical therapists daily, learning how to transfer from his wheelchair, navigate daily tasks and build the strength and skills he would need to live independently. The facility also arranged a room for Jessica at the Ronald McDonald House nearby, where she

stayed throughout Austin’s rehab. While Austin said he had not thought much about the permanence of his situation, he remembers a specific moment in time when he processed his new reality. Alone in a silent room in the Willis Tower overlooking Lake Michigan, he looked out a large window at Lakeshore Drive, watching people run, bike and walk alongside the water. It was then that he realized his life would never be the same. “Things are not going to be easy, things are not going to be the same,” he said. “It was time to decide whether I let what happened to me rule my life and my feelings and decision making and everything around that, or if I just own it and make what I can with it, whether that’s good, bad, ugly — whatever. I just have to go for it.” In early December 2024, after Austin had been at Shirley Ryan for about three weeks, Zehr and a few other friends drove to Chicago to visit. Upon arrival, they found Austin competing in a bocce ball tournament with Chicago firefighters, one of many scheduled events at the lab designed to help patients adjust to life after injury. That night, the group went bowling at a facility where Shirley Ryan takes wheelchair users to practice navigating the real world. When Zehr first visited Austin at IU Methodist, Austin could not even sit up in bed without assistance. Now, just weeks later, he was competing, joking and showing his friends around the facility, something Zehr described as taking a weight off his shoulders. “It was amazing to see,” Zehr said. “... He’s a very resilient person. He’s faced adversity that I’ve never even thought about or have been around before. Seeing how he’s handled it in the last year is beyond inspiring to me.”

Third-year Ball State student Austin Elliott practices putting golf balls while in physical therapy at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab December 2024 in Chicago. AUSTIN ELLIOTT, PHOTO PROVIDED

DNLife

01.08.26

It was time to decide whether I let what happened to me rule my life and my feelings and decision making and everything around that, or if I just own it and make what I can with it, whether that’s good, bad, ugly — whatever. I just have to go for it.” - AUSTIN ELLIOTT, Ball State third-year construction student On Dec. 22, 2024, Austin’s 21st birthday, he was discharged from Shirley Ryan and came home, just in time for the holidays. By March, he was driving again with hand controls installed in his truck. “He attacks everything with a lot of gusto,” Jessica said. “He’s super brave … He astounds me with his courage.”

‘Trying to get my life back’

This past fall, one year to the date after the incident, Austin was among the more than 2,000 participants who took part in Shirley Ryan Ability Lab’s 17th annual SkyRise Chicago event, the tallest indoor stair climb fundraiser in the United States, raising over 1.2 million dollars toward the lab’s mission. Austin said the experience was “amazing,” noting that his family and friends raised a grand total of a little over $4,000. “[SkyRise] fell directly on the date when this all happened to me. I just felt like, I don’t know, it was meant to be,” he said. Austin also returned to Ball State for his third year of undergrad, living independently in an offcampus apartment. “I was just trying to get my life back,” he said. “I didn’t want to miss any more time than I already had.” Austin’s younger brother, Drew, a second-year student at the university, lives nearby, and Austin’s close friends remain a constant presence in his life. Jessica said she and Travis worried about him being able to do small things, like taking out the trash, a task they’d helped him with during recovery. But knowing Drew and Austin’s friends are nearby gave them peace of mind. Austin now navigates campus in his wheelchair. He has had to learn which buildings have accessible entrances, which routes are fastest and how to advocate for himself when spaces aren’t accessible. Zehr, who lives just down the block from Austin, said they’ve developed a “symbiotic relationship.” Austin provides rides to the grocery store while Zehr helps with tasks around the apartment. Most days, Zehr walks over to Austin’s place to do homework together or just hang out. “There’s a learning curve that comes with it. Things take more time naturally,” Zehr said. “... But [Austin has] helped me a lot more than he realizes. He’s been such a big help [to] me in multiple aspects of life this semester.” Despite everything that has happened, Austin has not stopped living his life. He still goes

out with his friends on the weekends, though it requires flexibility. For example, if Brothers Bar and Grill in The Village is manageable, they stay, but if it’s packed wall-to-wall and hard for Austin to maneuver around, they leave. He has been carried down the stairs into The Village dive bar, The Chug, multiple times, as well. Austin is now looking ahead. This summer, he is considering an internship in Nashville, a chance to live independently in a new city, far from the support system that has helped him rebuild his life. He is on track to graduate with his construction management degree in 2027 and enter a career he is passionate about. For his parents, watching him navigate this new reality with determination has been both heartbreaking and inspiring. “I know that he will be able to hold down a job and have a good life, because he’s already doing that right now,” Jessica said. “... It is a great relief as a parent [that] we’ve kind of continued how we were before. It’s a new normal, but it’s normal now.” Zehr said he wants Austin to find contentment in whatever path he chooses. “He’s [always] striving for something better and more for himself, which I admire,” he said. “My biggest hope for him is that he gets to a place where he feels content, confident and comfortable with himself.” For Austin, the past year has reinforced a lesson that extends beyond his own experience. “The climate that we experience between each other [today], it’s a lot. We’re all going through something, we all experience life differently, we all have different wants, dreams and things we want in the future,” he said. “... I think if we all were a little kinder to each other, a little more compassionate and realized that we are all going through it, the world would be a lot better of a place.” The bullet is still a part of Austin. But he goes to class, meets friends and works toward graduation. Tomorrow, he will wake up and do it again. Contact Trinity Rea via email at trinity.rea@bsu. edu or on X @thetrinityrea.

Third-year Ball State student Austin Elliott poses for a photo with his friends at Shirley Ryan Hosptial during its annual “SkyRise Chicago” fundraiser Nov. 2, 2025 in Chicago. AUSTIN ELLIOTT, PHOTO PROVIDED

Third-year Ball State student Austin Elliott poses for a photo before being transported to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab for physical therapy Nov. 8, 2024 in Chicago. AUSTIN ELLIOTT, PHOTO PROVIDED

DNSports

01.08.26

Men’s volleyball head coach Mike Iandolo looks to lead the Cardinals in his ﬁrst year. 10

Freshman outside hitter Wil Basilio bumps the ball Feb. 27, 2025 at Worthen Arena in a game against Ohio State University. Basilio had 11 total attacks throughout the game. MEGHAN SAWITZKE, DN; AVA BOWER, DN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: BALL STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL FALLS TO EASTERN MICHIGAN

DNSports

01.08.26

Freshman outside hitter Wil Basilio gives his teammate a high-ﬁve Feb. 27, 2025 at Worthen Arena in a game against Ohio State University. Basilio had 7.5 points throughout the game. MEGHAN SAWITZKE, DN

01.08.26

DNSports

Ball State Men’s Volleyball team look to avenge last season’s woes with new head coach Mike Iandolo. Kyle Stout Sports Editor Ball State Men’s Volleyball’s 2025 campaign did not end the way that they envisioned it would. The Cardinals team that had high hopes of ending the season with a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) title and a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament appearance fell in the ﬁrst round of the MIVA tournament last season to Lewis University. The Cardinals’ offseason then took a turn when longtime head coach Donan Cruz abruptly decided to step away from the program, leaving Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell with a decision to make regarding who would lead the team going into 2026. Mitchell chose Mike Iandolo, who spent four years as an assistant coach for Ball State men’s volleyball before being promoted to head coach. Before his four years as assistant for Ball State, Iandolo has led a storied career, holding either an assistant or head coach role at three other schools. The head coach was an assistant coach at Lewis University, a head coach at the University of Charleston and was an assistant at Grand Canyon before leaving for Ball State. Iandolo said that despite the new position, the team did not have to rewrite the book; building a new culture came naturally. “A lot of what we have been doing is stuff that I believe in and have been a part of as an assistant,” Iandolo said. “We are putting a lot of focus on details and accountability [and] just doing things the right way.” The Cardinals previously had a turnover of talent in the offseason, headlined by the graduation of star seniors Rajé Alleyne and Tinaishe Ndavazocheva. Despite this, Ball State welcomed seven new players and a freshman class of four to the team. This semester, the Cardinals are also welcoming back senior middle blocker Eyal Rawitz, who is returning from a lower leg injury that occurred at the beginning of last season. Iandolo said a big goal of the offseason, especially with the seven new players and two new coaches, was to ensure everyone was on the same page and ready to go. However, Iandolo said the team has been able to spend time with each other all offseason, resulting in team chemistry being built easily. “I think it actually happened pretty quickly,” Iandolo said. “They spend a lot of time together, they live together, they eat together, a lot of them have classes together and they lift and practice together.” Iandolo also talked about the personality of the team and how close the team is with each other. “It’s a really close-knit group,” Iandolo said. “We like to have a good time and joke around and we’ll have fun, but there’s been a little more emphasis on the details and accountability.” Sophomore outside hitter Wil Basilio said he has

seen chemistry grow very fast with the new group and credits a lot of that to the mixture of cultures between the players on the team. Basilio is one of the leaders of the underclassmen group, as he is moving into a starting role this season after being a rotational player in his freshman campaign. The outside hitter recorded 83 kills in his freshman season, with a single-game season high of ten. The outside hitter previously trained in the summer with Canada’s U21 team, and he said it kept him “fresh.”

Not worrying too far in advance, if we practice hard each day and translate what we are doing in practice into the game, I think it’ll work out good.” - PATRICK ROGERS, Senior outside hitter

“In terms of on-court skill stuff, I’m pretty conﬁdent where I’m at physically and where my level of play is at,” Basilio said. “Mentally, [I’m] not making the opportunity bigger than it is, at the end of the day I’m just playing volleyball and getting on the court with my buddies.” Last season’s team rode a lot on the senior leadership of Alleyne and Ndavazocheva, but also on the then-junior captain, Patrick Rogers. The now-senior outside hitter is one of the team’s biggest leaders and headlines a very talented offense.

Rogers said the transition to his senior year has not been much different from his role last season, but he has still noticed the weight of being one of the senior leaders. “This year, being a senior, I feel a little bit more responsible for the leadership on the team and showing the younger guys what the right path to success [is],” Rogers said. He explained how important it is for the team to take everything game by game and practice by practice in the early season. The goal relayed by Iandolo is a MIVA conference title and an NCAA tournament appearance. Rogers said that if the team can focus on the now, then that goal will be even closer. “Not worrying too far in advance, if we practice hard each day and translate what we are doing in practice into the game, I think it’ll work out good,” he said. The Cardinals started off the new season on the right foot with a 3-0 sweep over Trine University. The game offered a glance at the new-look Cardinals and how exciting they can be in the Iandolo era. The head coach said he is excited with the “depth” the team brings, evident in the opening season win with ten Cardinals recording statistics. Iandolo discussed a slew of things that excite him about the team, but there is one thing he said excites him the most about the team’s upcoming season: their offensive ability. “The ability to score points is what wins you games, so us being able to pass and prevent other teams from scoring is very important, and I think it’s something we’re good at,” Iandolo said. ‘We have a lot of naturally talented guys.” Iandolo said that he comes from an offensive background, and the skill that the men’s volleyball team shares is what he has always been most comfortable with. The head coach was a setter for fellow MIVA school Lewis, and was an addition to the All-MIVA ﬁrst team in 2009 and 2010. The 2026 Ball State men’s volleyball team features a lot of excitement, with new young talent and a ﬁrst-year head coach. Even though last season did not end the way the Cardinals would have liked, Rogers said the team learned from it, and are looking forward to a different outcome this season. “It’s good what happened last year because we learned from that,” Rogers said. “We know how to not let that happen again.” Contact Kyle Stout with questions via email at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdailyn.

Ball State Men’s Volleyball coach Mike Iandolo in Worthen Arena during practice. BALL STATE ATHLETICS, PHOTO PROVIDED.

DNOpinion 12

01.08.26

Healing hustling WHILE

KYLE INGERMANN, DN

ON BALLSTATEDAILYNEWS.COM: THE DAMAGING EFFECT OF NEGATIVE MINDSETS

01.08.26

Being strong all the time is not sustainable — vulnerability is strength. Cristal Mariano

Columnist, “Breaking Barriers”

Cristal Mariano is a third-year journalism major and writes “Breaking Barriers” for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the paper. My alarm goes off before the sun rises. Before my feet even hit the floor, I scroll through my phone. Work shifts, class deadlines, unread emails and the quiet anxiety of everything I have not yet done all pile up at once. The day feels heavy before it even begins, but I take a deep breath, smile and keep going. That is what strength looks like, right? Somewhere along the way, being strong stopped feeling empowering and started feeling exhausting. Strength became something that was expected of me, not something I chose. It stopped feeling like a badge of honor and became a responsibility I could never put down. There was no clear moment when this shift happened. It built slowly, through long nights, early mornings and the constant pressure to prove I could handle it all. I learned how to minimize my own feelings, push discomfort aside and convince myself that rest could wait. In the Hispanic community, strength is deeply valued. I grew up watching the women around me juggle responsibilities without complaint. My mom worked long hours, handled stress quietly and still found ways to show up for others. That kind of strength was never announced or celebrated — it was expected. It lived in routine, in sacrifice and in the unspoken understanding that you do what needs to be done and can figure out the rest later. Watching that shaped how I understood resilience. I did not learn how to talk about exhaustion or fear; I learned how to work through it. Strength was not something you questioned — it was something you embodied. For a long time, I admired that kind of strength. I still do. It represents sacrifice, love and resilience. It reflects survival in a world that has not always been kind or fair. But as I have grown older, I have started to understand that there is another side to that strength that we do not talk about enough. One that comes with emotional cost. When strength is treated as a requirement instead of a choice, it can start to feel like a cage. Being a Latina student balancing school, work and family expectations, I have learned how to hold everything together even when I feel like I am unraveling. I have said “I am fine” more times than I can count. I have ignored exhaustion, brushed off stress and told myself I would rest later. After the deadline. After the shift. After

everything else was done. But later rarely comes. Instead, the exhaustion builds slowly and quietly. Emotionally, mentally and physically. You start running on autopilot. Even moments that should feel fulﬁlling can feel heavy. Strength, in that sense, becomes survival. Surviving is not the same as living. There are unspoken rules that come with being a strong woman.

When strength is treated as a requirement instead of a choice, it can start to feel like a cage.” “You do not fall apart. You do not complain. You do not let people see you struggle.” Vulnerability feels like failure. Rest feels undeserved. Asking for help feels like weakness. These ideas become so deeply internalized that even when no one is explicitly telling us to keep going, we pressure ourselves to do so. Studies published in Nursing Clinics of North America show that women experience anxiety and depression at signiﬁcantly higher rates than men. The research also highlights how social expectations, emotional labor and caregiving roles contribute to increased stress in women. Reading that research for the ﬁrst time felt uncomfortably familiar. That realization hit me hard because it explained so much of what I had been feeling but could not always put into words. It explained why I felt guilty resting, why opening up made me feel uneasy and why slowing down felt like I was doing something wrong — even when I desperately needed it. I did not realize how much I was carrying until my body and mind started pushing back. I had trouble sleeping, felt emotionally numb and was crying over small things because the bigger emotions had nowhere to go. I thought something was wrong with me. In reality,

I was just tired of always being strong. I was tired of pretending I was okay. The National Institute of Mental Health emphasizes that emotional well-being is just as important as physical health. Their research shows that ignoring stress does not make it disappear. Instead, tension builds and compounds over time. Chronic stress can affect concentration, mood, energy levels and overall quality of life. These effects can interfere with daily functioning, academic performance and relationships. This reinforces the idea that constantly pushing through exhaustion does more harm than good, even though many of us are taught to see rest as optional. We live in a culture that gloriﬁes being busy. Being tired becomes a personality trait. Healing, on the other hand, is rarely applauded. Healing requires slowing down. It requires honesty, not just with others, but with yourself. It asks us to sit with discomfort rather than run from it. For people who have been taught that their value lies in productivity and resilience, that can feel terrifying. Slowing down can feel like failing. I am still learning how to let myself feel without judgment. Healing does not mean I am giving up strength. It means I am redeﬁning it. I have realized that so many women around me are carrying the same invisible weight. We do not talk about this enough, especially in communities where resilience has always been necessary for survival. Strength gets passed down like wisdom, but sometimes it comes with silence attached. And that silence can be isolating. It teaches us to endure rather than heal. Healing challenges that silence. It makes room for honesty, boundaries and humanity. It reminds us that worth is not measured by how much we can endure. Healing is not linear. Some days I still fall back into old habits, but now, I try to check in with myself more honestly. I try to recognize when I am overwhelmed instead of pretending I am not. That awareness, even when it is uncomfortable, feels like progress. Healing does not erase struggle, but it allows me to respond to it with care rather than selfcriticism. I attempt to keep in mind that slowing down does not mean failing. There is something powerful about choosing to heal in a world that constantly demands more from you. But we deserve to be seen as more than strong. We deserve to be seen as human. Maybe that balance between strength and softness is what real resilience looks like. Contact Cristal Mariano via email at cmarianovargas@ bsu.edu.

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Nov. 20

Liberty-Perry School Corporation faces financial disparity

The Liberty-Perry School Corporation district faced a “very public, unexpected financial challenge WHITNEY DOWNARD,INDIANA CAPITAL CASEY SMITH,INDIANA CAPITAL LESLIE BONILLA MUÑIZ,INDIANA CAPITAL LESLIE BONILLA MUÑIZ,INDIANA CAPITAL LESLIE BONILLA MUÑIZ,INDIANA CAPITAL that deeply affected the music department,” CHRONICLE CHRONICLE CHRONICLE CHRONICLE CHRONICLE according to Victoria Jones via email, a mother whose children were set to perform in “Legally Blonde Jr.” just before its opening night. Jones referred to the “unexpected financial challenge” as the Oct. 29 arrest of Amanda Ullman, former president of the Wapahani High School Music Boosters. She was charged with felony counts of fraud, theft and forgery, alleged to have stolen $45,000 from the school district’s music funds from May 2022. Ullman was released on $15,000 bail on Oct. 30, and online court records do not yet reflect an initial The race I’m most interested in this year is that hearing date for her case. final product was far afield from his original Niki Kelly proposal. And we all know how redistricting went. of Fort Wayne Republican Sen. Liz Brown. It’s a Indiana Capital Chronicle So, what can we expect from Braun in 2026? It’s fascinating look at how GOP politics have split This article is republished as part of a a little unclear. His office hasn’t unveiled a specific in Indiana — with longtime Republicans now collaborative content-sharing agreement between legislative agenda even as the session resumes. considered not conservative enough if they buck Judge acquits Ball State Ball State Unified Media and Indiana Capital And it’s ending in late February, meaning there the party line even a little. student on two charges Brown has been one of the most strident Chronicle, established to expand access to high- isn’t much time to get substantive proposals done. Braun told the Indiana Capital Chronicle he anti-abortion voices in the state and a reliable quality journalism and to better inform and serve Third-year Ball State student Cooper Archer wants to focus on health care costs but didn’t give Republican since she came to the Indiana Senate was acquitted on two counts of disorderly conduct the public through trusted, in-depth reporting. With 2026 already underway, there are a few any examples of how that would occur. Lawmakers in 2015. But she got crossways with a few GOP in Circuit Court 5 at The Delaware County Justice faces we are watching in state government. Will have been working on health care for several years stalwarts — including U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and and Rehabilitation Center. Attorney General Todd Rokita. That’s because she Indiana’s Senate Republican leader face pushback and have a bit of fatigue on the topic. Archer was one of five people arrested during The governor will likely face an interstate tolling refused to hear an immigration crackdown bill last the Feb. 28 BOT meeting for disrupting it. He was from his own caucus? Will Democrats break debate in 2026 as the state looks for more revenue year that she thought needed too much work. through in a statewide race? represented by defense attorney Vincent Walker, Before that she voted against a bill to eliminate with attorney Eric Overpeck representing the state. Here are five Hoosier politicos who could have to maintain and upgrade highways. One area he is poised for big wins is on the utility front. But only firearm licensing requirement and another banning an interesting year: The Indiana Attorney General’s office confirmed Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray: The if the new regulators he has named to the Indiana transgender Hoosiers from high school sports. in an email that an appeal has been filed regarding Banks and Rokita recruited a primary challenger Archer’s case. No court date has been scheduled leader of the Senate has taken national heat for his Utility Regulatory Commission come through role in the defeat of the redistricting bill. When — blocking rate hikes and generally tapping the — well-known Allen County politico Darren Vogt. yet to revisit Archer’s charges. Brown was among the most vocal in support of the president of the United States is taking your brakes on utility profits. For the first time in a decade, Hoosiers will see the recent move to redistrict Indiana’s congressional name in vain, it’s not a great day. So, the question is what happens next? He isn’t up for re-election the Bayh name back on a statewide ballot. But districts, and resigned a Senate leadership post until 2028, so the primary threats are mitigated it’s not Evan Bayh — Indiana’s former governor in frustration. Bray later took away her Judiciary Delaware County Sheriff’s in his case. But does he still control his fractured and U.S. senator. Instead, it’s his son Beau Bayh, Committee chairmanship. Office hosts funeral for The last B to watch for is Lt. Gov. Micah caucus? Theoretically anyone could challenge him a lawyer and Marine Corps captain running for Corporal Beckwith. That’s because he is always making for his leadership post but if the redistricting vote secretary of state. The 30-year-old Democrat has been on the news, but not necessarily for the best of reasons. is an indicator, Bray has the necessary support to In 2025, he had his share of controversy. From remain. A bigger concern is his relationship with campaign trail for months, meeting with potential Delaware County Corporal Blake Reynolds’ Gov. Mike Braun and House Speaker Todd Huston voters in diners and gyms around the state. And buying a luxury SUV to firing an employee who funeral took place the morning of Nov. 22 at Delta he’s been raising money — lots of it. Since he later alleged some members of the staff watched High School in Muncie, Indiana. — both big supporters of the map redraw. Braun has been especially upset that the Senate, formally launched his campaign in October, he has an AI-generated-porn video in the office. His Reynolds died on the early morning of Nov. employees regularly closed the Statehouse office 12 after assisting a stranded motorist on I-69, at least initially, ignored his special session call. already raised over $1 million in large donations. He must get past Blythe Potter at the Democratic in the summer, too. And his close friend and pastor according to a press release from the Delaware Bray reversed course and the public vote was a bit embarrassing for Braun given that Republicans state convention in June — a small businesswoman is facing a sex scandal at his church. County Sheriff’s office. He was a part of the Plus, Beckwith said the three-fifths compromise department for 22 years. have a supermajority in both legislative chambers. with her own military service record — if he wants If Braun wants his legislative agenda to move, he to take on Republican Diego Morales in November. was a good thing and received a reprimand from Reynolds’ funeral consisted of a public will have to temper that anger. Meanwhile, Bray If Beau Bayh doesn’t beat Morales, who has had Senate leadership. He often butts heads with Braun visitation on Nov. 21, followed by the funeral, the and Huston work closely on virtually every topic numerous missteps in office, Indiana Democrats — most recently saying the Trump administration processional and a cemetery ceremony. threatened federal funding for Indiana before going through the general assembly and must will be demoralized. All stories can be found on the Ball State’s Daily Beau Bayh does have one Achilles heel — while deleting his tweet. maintain that relationship to get past intraparty News website. It’s unclear what to expect from Beckwith in born in Indiana he has lived most of his life on the squabbles. Contact Linnea Sundquist via email at linnea. Speaking of Braun, he is our next person to East Coast. That was due to his father serving in 2026 because he doesn’t follow any government sundquist@bsu.edu. the U.S. Senate and then he attended college and or political norms. Which is just the way he likes it. watch. And he needs some solid wins. In 2025, he did secure some property tax relief law school at Harvard. Republicans will use that to for Hoosiers — up to $300 for many — but the label him an outsider.

The five Hoosier politicos to be on the lookout for this year

With 2026 already underway, here are the faces to watch in state government.

Nov. 21 Nov. 22

Crossword and Sudoku ACROSS 1 Insurance company with a gecko mascot 6 “What __ is new?” 10 Freeway exit 14 Heavy coat? 15 WhatsApp’s parent company 16 Gumbo pod 17 Sweetener used on a Providence campus? 19 See 12-Down 20 Restroom, to a Brit 21 Forearm bones 23 “__ dreaming?” 26 Horse that’s saddled up for a tour of a Philadelphia campus? 31 Hybrid orange fruit 33 Physician 34 Oft-grilled fish, on menus 35 Flirts (with) 38 Adventure novelist Cussler 39 Time for extracurricular activities, or where the ends of 17-, 26-, 52-, and 62-Across literally are 42 Basil-based sauce 44 Author Wiesel 45 Hot spot service 48 Toward the back of a boat 50 Supplied, as funds 52 Quad found on a

Portland campus? 55 “Totally!” 56 Australian marsupial 57 Provisos 59 With 27-Down, “The Substance” Oscar nominee 62 Kitchen appliance used at a Houston campus? 67 Wowed 68 Genesis grandson 69 Mediterranean oil source 70 Beseeches 71 Take a break 72 Sacred carving DOWN 1 Chitchat 2 Make a wrong turn, say 3 “Seems to me” shorthand 4 Monastic hood 5 Elaborately decorated 6 Australian bird 7 Boost 8 Horse stable unit 9 Brought home, as a salary 10 Performer in bull riding competitions 11 Letters between names 12 With 19-Across, salt-free seasoning brand

Solutions for Nov. 20

13 Dismissive sound 18 Gracefully slim 22 Gas brand with a torch logo 23 Spot for short people? 24 Barnyard bleat 25 Without bothering to be careful 27 See 59-Across 28 __ knife: handy kitchen tool 29 Thanksgiving mo. 30 Italian three 32 Naturally talented youngsters 36 French fashion monogram 37 Futuristic genre 40 Upper body 41 Brave and noble 42 __ for the course 43 Opposite of WNW 46 Extra charge 47 Docs with DOBs, often 49 Not as far 51 By walking 53 Country singer Patsy 54 Food truck fare 58 Without backup 59 Pat gently 60 Female sheep 61 Actress Ryan 63 Ballpark fig. 64 Baby beaver 65 Genesis matriarch 66 Sleep cycle letters

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