Since the beginning of Ball Bearings, it has published a range of stories. However, it wasn't very well-known until Miranda Carney took leadership in the fall semester of 2015 as editor-in-chief, alongside her Executive Editor, Kaitlyn Arford.

"A lot of what I did that senior year was educating people about our magazine. Both in terms of 'Hey, this [magazine] is pretty cool,' and also, 'Hey, you should get involved, because we really need your help,'" Kaitlyn said.

Kaitlyn said the previous process had been really unorganized, describing it as "disjointed in vision." She said it hadn't seemed like anyone had the necessary resources or oversight they needed for success.

Alex Kincaid, the Editor-in-Chief for the following school year, said sticking to specific themes had not been as huge a "local interest." With the magazine's revamp, they hoped to focus on national issues.

Miranda said they intended to overhaul the process. She had a specific vision for Ball Bearings, stating that if anyone across the country were to pick up this magazine, "they should be interested in it, whether or not they know what Ball State is."

For the Fall 2015 edition, the theme was Millennials. Executives wanted to expand from Ball State's campus, still hoping to highlight relatable stories for both an on- and off-campus audience. At the time, millennials were the next generation heading into the workforce, according to Miranda.

"Obviously, we don't want to leave the community out of it completely," Miranda said. "It was just less reporting on college trends and more 'Here's the bigger national trend and here it is through the lens of Ball State students and [Muncie's community].'"

Ball Bearings' members worked on several stories for that semester, as they produced weekly digital stories alongside the printed magazine. Digital themes would often branch into smaller topics beneath the theme of Millennials, touching on topics like sexuality, gender, finance, and education.

As the digital themes kept evolving, Miranda wanted to prioritize the theme of Millennials. Members began changing the magazine's process, introducing new concepts of magazine production and design into the edition.

"We developed a 'front of book' section," Kaitlyn explained, as one of the examples. "Some of our younger journalism members could do a lot more reporting, and then the features went to more upperclassmen."

For the following semester, the theme was "Our Money, Their Secrets." This theme focused on college spending; taking a deeper dive into select programs benefitting from students' tuition. Kaitlyn recalls researching Ball State's mental health facilities and finding financial struggles. The department hadn't been doing as well as the athletic program, an effect mirrored by several other programs.

"We knew that 'Our Money' was going to be the biggest edition," Kaitlyn said. "That's the one we want[ed] to win awards. We want[ed] it to be ironclad. We want[ed] to know all the details."

Despite the magazine's broader stories during the previous semester, Ball Bearings's executive team decided they needed to intensify the magazine's audience on campus. They had to gain students' interest in reading the magazine.

For the first time, Miranda and Kaitlyn worked together to produce something unique.

Ball State's president had stepped down at the time, which shifted the discussion from university spending to finding a new president. Using this topic, they set up a Q&A with the interim president of Ball State, in front of a live audience.

"For me, it was culminating," Miranda said. "That was a big area of growth for me, because I never would have imagined that I would have done something like that."

Brad King, Ball Bearings' advisor at the time, recommended the idea. It was something that national magazines did regularly, and there wasn't any reason Ball Bearings couldn't do it, Kaitlyn said.

Brad had just started working as Ball Bearings' advisor when Kaitlyn and Miranda took control, having experience in teaching long-form journalism and even writing for WIRED, a well-known online magazine focused on technology, business, science and culture.

He no longer works at Ball State, but Miranda and Kaitlyn would often go to Brad for suggestions and advice for magazine production.

"He worked really hard with us," Kaitlyn said. "For us to understand exactly what we needed to do."

Alex Kincaid took over as editor-in-chief the following semester in 2016. With this change in leadership, direction fell toward a national topic: political division.

This edition was inspired by the upcoming 2016 presidential election, something executives felt was being discussed across campus. This issue was known as "Why We Think We're Right."

"Our entire time focused on this newfound division that the country was seeing with the campaigning for the election," Alex said.

The semester's stories focused on a range of political topics, even looking into the cognitive processes and reasoning for the reported division within the country.

"I would say the biggest transformation happened with the transition to [Miranda and Kaitlyn]," Alex said. "We had a new advisor, and he really helped us take [Ball Bearings], which was always more of a local interest, and mirror what a national magazine would look like; localizing [a national theme] to [our] audience."

She explained that they carried on with the process that the previous executive team had put into place.

"I wish we had that structure in place before my senior year," Kaitlyn said. "Looking back, I think I would have benefited as an undergrad to have that opportunity to do some of the reporting Ball Bearings was doing at a young age."

Similar to the live-audience event that Ball Bearings hosted for "Our Money, Their Secrets," the fall's political issue advertised the magazine through a panel discussion about civility and politics. With around one hundred people attending this panel, Alex explained that they drew people to this event for the political discussion. They took that chance to advertise Ball Bearings, as everyone left with their own physical copy of the magazine.

Soon after, changes in technology began impacting the magazine. The Spring 2017 issue was titled "Our Digital Destiny," which looked into the impact of social media. Staff even reported on AI, a topic people didn't know much about at the time.

"It's kind of interesting that more than about ten years ago, we were looking toward that, and now we're kind of living it," Alex said, discussing their story that looked into when artificial intelligence would cross the threshold into becoming human.

Currently, Ball Bearings magazine continues to focus on stories that can direct national trends towards a local audience. Fall 2024, the Civil Issue touched on community homelessness, addiction and more. Spring 2025, the Elemental Edition covered topics like food insecurity and recycling in Muncie.

According to Ball State University's School of Journalism and Strategic Communication, the online versions of Ball Bearings have won National Pacemaker Awards from the Associated Collegiate Press in 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2024.

The Ball Bearings website archives published content dating back to Sept. 2009, and will continue to serve as Ball State's student-run magazine for news, trends, features, photo essays and more.

This article is a part of Ball Bearings Fall 2025 magazine: The Archival Edition. Read more stories online atballbearingsmag.com and pick up the print edition of the magazine across Ball State's campus now.

Open Mic Night

Step up to the mic at Open Mic Night, where local talent and first-timers share the stage for an unforgettable evening of live performance. Arrive early to secure your spot before the music kicks off by 8:00 p.m. Hosted by Dylan Jones, this welcoming, laid-back night is the perfect place to try new material, cheer on friends, and discover your next favorite artist.

• Price: Free
• Location: Room 5 Piano Bar
• Date and Time: Tuesday, November 25 from 7:00 p.m - 10:00 p.m.

Queers Who Lunch

Join the Muncie Queer Alliance for a warm, come-as-you-are lunch gathering at Common Market. Buy a pizza or bring your own meal and settle in for genuine conversation, connection, and community care. This is a safe, affirming space to take off your armor, relax, and simply be yourself.

• Price: Free
• Location: Common Market
• Date and Time: Wednesday, November 26 from 12:00 p.m - 2:00 p.m.

Cardinal Greenway Turkey Trot 2025

Turkey Trot begins and ends at the Cardinal Greenway Depot. Walk or run along the beautiful Cardinal Greenway and scenic White River Greenway. After your time on the trail, sip hot cider and enjoy light refreshments with friends and family inside the Depot. Please bring toiletry items to benefit Isaiah 117 House's mission to help children in foster care.

• Price: Single Ticket $10 | Family Ticket $25
• Location: Cardinal Greenway Wysor Street Depot
• Date and Time: Thursday, November 27 from 8:00 a.m - 11:00 a.m.

3rd Annual Holiday Market

This festive, public event is a favorite community tradition at Westminister Village. The halls will be decked, and the residents, staff, and guests will be ready to shop, snack, and celebrate.

• Price: Free
• Location: Westminister Village
• Date and Time: Friday, November 28 from 10:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m.

Cookies with Santa & Holiday Market

If you want to share the joy this holiday season, consider volunteering with the "Cookies with Santa & Holiday Market" event! 20 volunteers needed, photographer wanted. Also looking for a volunteer to dress up as Santa for the event.

• Price: Free
• Location: Hamilton Township Volunteer Fire Company
• Date and Time: Saturday, November 29 from 8:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m.

The Round Table Talk was open to all students and served as a way to gain new insights before the end of the semester.

President Chelsea Murdock started the Roundtable by explaining to everyone how it works and how SGA is based on the federal government.

"Our treasurer, Caroline [Emerick], took a lot of diligent time and wrote down every single post-it note that students wrote during our [first] Round Table talk…whether that be positive, negative or indifferent things," Murdock said.

She said that many of the students' ideas inspired a few of the senators to draft legislation or amendments that are currently being worked on or have been passed by SGA.

"We have a variety of resolutions and amendments that are in progress or that have been brought through now...including minimum wage legislation, legislation coming from our safety committee on blue lights and UPD Officer Michael O'Connor, bike lanes on prominent streets, disability and safety advocacy…and even legislation on various elections that impact our campus and [student] body," Murdock said.

After the announcements, the room broke out into "senator break-outs," where the students and SGA senators would be able to talk to each other on issues or ideas that they have for Ball State University. Along with talking to the students, the senators were also able to start drafting their legislation ideas.

After break-outs, students and senators wrote ideas on sticky notes and put them on posters.

The posters covered topics ranging from transportation and sustainability to serious issues of safety and transparency. Many people began to get up from their conversations to discuss their ideas and write them down, sharing their thoughts and issues.

Many of the ideas that are put up on the posters speak to a wider range of more specific fields of education, better safety and security at dorms, a price change for the SpeedQueen laundry machine app, more bus tracking accuracy, better separation of buses for their routes, and more engagement and respect in the classroom.

SGA ended the Round Table Talk at 7 p.m., thanking everyone for their participation.

SGA will meet again at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center in Cardinal Hall B for their scheduled meeting at 3:15 p.m. on Dec. 3.

Contact Landon Jones via email landon.jones2@bsu.edu.

Tait, an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication, is also a faculty fellow for the university's honors college.

Currently serving his last semester as a faculty fellow, Tait said he proposed to former Honors College Dean, Dr. Emily Rutter, an idea that was "a little funky."

"We didn't know the climate of education was going to be a bit tenuous-and so, the notion was, 'let's go with it,''' Tait said.

With Rutter's help and enthusiasm, Tait embarked on a journey to build a curriculum for his Afrofuturism class.

"I started thinking about, 'How can we create a class that really gives this survey of ideas and thoughts, but in the same way, hits on what the honors college really tries to present for its students?'" he said.

Ball State's Honors College historically offers classes at the university that are more discussion-based.

According to the university's honors college webpage, this interdisciplinary approach "provides an environment for personal transformation where students see themselves from a fresh perspective at Ball State."

When establishing the course's direction, Tait said he pulled a few strings with a "dear friend," fraternity brother Kwame Dow, and the so-called "pioneer of punk music," George Clinton.

While pulling said strings to try and make a meeting between Clinton and the Afrofuturism class possible, "I learned a valuable lesson," Tait said. "Don't tell the students what you're doing until you have it locked down, because you will be judged the whole semester."

The Afrofuturism class, Tait shared, came about largely from a trip he took with his wife and daughter to the African American History Museum in D.C., which prompted discussions to try to answer the questions, "What is Afrofuturism as an idea and concept, and how is that portable for students?"

With the course, Tait said that throughout the semester, "We use[d] this definition of Afrofuturism as an aesthetic, cultural and intellectual movement that merges both the African and African American diaspora histories, science fiction, speculative thought and technology to reimagine black futures," honing in on how people tell stories through their lens of identity.

Students and faculty prepared questions for Clinton, who was later joined by "Black-ish" star Anthony Anderson for a thoughtful conversation regarding the evolution of funk music, style and cultural identity.

Clinton is known in the music industry for his colorfully meshed fashion combinations of various prints and eye-catching performances for songs like "Mothership Connection."

"In the beginning, I was a Star Trek freak," he said, noting that while watching Star Trek as a kid, the show did not feature many Black people.

He wanted to change that.

"And at the same time, Motown music was the sound of the day. So once we got out hit records, we had to figure out a way on [to] the stage…I decided I was going to take us to outer space. I was going to get the biggest prop, the biggest spaceship, and do something not only Blacks, but not even Whites, had a prop that big. That was my intention of trying to be worthy of Motown," Clinton said.

Throughout the duration of the 75-minute class discussion, it was clear Clinton never knew he'd be as iconic as he became-but staying true to himself is the key to his success.

"[Culture] is at the root of everything you do," Clinton said. "Black-ness is the root of most music [in the United States]."

He remembered spending many days at his local barber shop, the place where many of his lyrical and funkadelic rhythms came from.

"The barber shop is that educational place in the community where healing [and] information comes," Clinton said.

In the class discussion on the concept of Afrofuturism, the class ended with a discussion of technological advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and their impact on the sustainability of the music industry.

"A lot of people are paranoid about AI…but it don't scare me as much as it do most people… You just gotta figure out a way to make it dance. It ain't got a booty, but you can make it shake something," Clinton affirmed.

He pointed out that advancements do not always have to be the grand-scale technology society uses today.

"We was paranoid from '65 on about synthesizers taking jobs away from horn players. We made synthesizers really famous-especially in the Black community. I learned then the future was always going to bring new stuff in to take out old stuff," Clinton said. "Progress is never going backward. It's going forward. I've embraced it-cause it's here. I think you can work with it. It can be funky."

Contact Katherine Hill via email at katherine.hill@bsu.edu.

Imagine you are back in your elementary school classroom. The door is decorated with a colored construction paper sleigh and warm-tone rainbow lights surround the white boards at the front of the room. Remember how you played in the snow with your friends during recess, if you were lucky, donning puffy snowpants that made swishing sounds when you walked.

Your teacher poured hot chocolate into foam cups to pass out to you and your peers, which you drank slowly to avoid burning your tongue with the hot sweetness. Later in the day, your teacher put on "The Polar Express" and watched the film with you on a colorful, fluorescent carpet at the front of the room.

Decades later, that scene is only a memory - one that is impossible to return to.

Nostalgia, or a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, is a widespread emotion, with 60 percent of Americans worldwide reporting nostalgic feelings for past events, according to a 2025 article from the Human Flourishing Lab.

Often, nostalgia is a bittersweet connection to our childhood. Other times, it is a desire to return to a previous location or missing friends or family that we used to know.

Recently, a plethora of nostalgia-based content has found its way to my social media algorithm, highlighting technicolor classroom decor, pajama day during spirit weeks and other sentimental standouts from the grade school experience. These videos typically showcase a range of sounds meant to tug at the heartstrings, from sappy songs about longing to the sounds of a child's laughter.

This content almost always goes viral. The shared experience of growing up, no matter where, when or how, is something that connects our entire population.

The connection between these reactions to nostalgic content is the emotion - a mix of joy for what it was and sorrow for the loss of that reality and the inability to return.

The current popularity of nostalgia conversation comes with another trend: minimalism.

Minimalism is an artistic movement that centers on the intentional removal of unnecessary visuals or busyness. In a blog post, minimalist interior designer, artist and psychologist Mia Danielle explains the aesthetic as spanning multiple platforms that began as a clear lifestyle choice, one that prioritizes gratitude for what we have rather than leaning into consumerism and overconsumption. Danielle shows the importance of creating a neutral environment, one that is not overstimulating, with just enough to be happy.

From that original definition of the aesthetic, the minimalism style has skyrocketed, transforming into something with new values and purpose altogether.

Now, minimalism is an advocate for replacing that vibrant Christmastime grade school classroom with beige snowflakes and simple white lights in favor of appearing aesthetic.

While the minimalism movement began as a purposeful pattern of thinking to prioritize our current belongings without buying anything we do not need, its meaning has quickly changed. From its original way of frugal purchasing and gratitude setting, minimalism has moved into a sleek aesthetic that is without a moral purpose, existing only to look clean and empty, focusing on style over the initial intention of thankfulness.

Now, where there was formerly style and color, that branding has been removed in favor of a minimal appearance devoid of character.

This new iteration of minimalism is everywhere. The saying "less is best" became a new saying from marketers in the 21st century. Branding became simpler and simpler, appealing to the new stylistic majority.

Art by Frank Stella, Donald Judd and similar minimalist artists began to resurface, taking the place of busy, colorful works that formerly hung in living rooms.

Minimalist music began to go mainstream, characterized by repetition, a steady pulse and often a gradual change. Large key changes and music without a main chorus or verses fell out of popularity, losing to more steady, consistent pop. Songs like Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" and "Sunflower" by Post Malone and Swae Lee are well-known songs that follow the minimalistic pattern.

The most noticeable change was in architecture. The clean, sleek look has been one of the biggest trends of our modern world, exhibiting clean lines and simple, repetitive patterns. This began in homes with a quieter color palette, containing beiges, grays and whites. Now, new homes built with minimalism in mind are often entirely square, designed to look more stylish and chic in comparison to more complex house designs. IKEA-inspired interiors have trumped the maximalist housing designs of the 60s and beyond, with neutral colors and simple shapes replacing funky patterns and bright colors.

Restaurant designs have followed suit, with chains that were once colorful and characteristic becoming sterile. Chains like Starbucks, McDonald's and Chipotle have moved away from their previous characteristic interior design toward something far more clean.

Minimalism has become a defining influence in many areas of modern life. Unfortunately, this is more trouble than it sounds.

While minimalism started as that intentional thinking about our spending and possessions, the meaning has almost entirely vanished from the aesthetic. Not everyone who likes minimalism follows the intentional anti-consumerist practice, and while the two concepts can still overlap occasionally, as they initially did, the priority of minimalism has shifted entirely from gratitude to only the style of the movement.

Not only that, but minimalism has become a consumerist luxury. Where there is glamor in showing how little you own, there is also an extreme privilege in having so many possessions. Intentionally removing or not showcasing all of them can also be an aesthetic choice. A 2024 article published by Becoming Minimalist claimed that creators boast about the freedom of deciding to live a consistent, simple life, and they rarely disclose that there is an inherent opulence in being so well-off that not having enough is a blessing, not a struggle.

The most common critique of minimalism is deeply tied to nostalgia. Many people reflecting on nostalgic content often remark that everything seemed more vibrant when they were growing up. The colorful, maximalist Christmas trees that were once adorned with a jumble of homemade ornaments, ribbons and twinkling LED lights have gradually been replaced by sleek white garlands and uniform red bulbs.

As a result, the past does not just feel more colorful - it was more colorful.

When brands, music or interior design remove style and character in favor of something exceedingly simple, the color and emotion of the former design are lost.

In my childhood, color and busyness were everything. Childhood color palettes are often more vibrant, showing immaturity and youth. Yet, grade school classrooms filled with colorful lights before winter break are not solely immature, they are full of joy, innocence, hope and life. As a young adult, I still find value in colorful decor and rooms filled with things I love, bringing me back to a nostalgic time and reminding me of the life I have always felt excited to live.

Minimalism tells us that less is more, but I cannot help but miss the more. The morals of minimalism and nostalgia-based thinking can go hand in hand. We can be thankful for what we have while also putting it on full display, living a life that is chaotic, real, colorful and bright.

Nostalgia is not just looking back - it is a reminder of the vibrancy of living a life authentically.

Contact Charlotte Jons via email charlotte.jons@bsu.edu.

Atlic created the Happy Hideaway Gym after her four-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Autism. She had one goal in mind: making the gym a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive space for all children.

"The most beautiful thing that I don't think people see yet is just the support that the parents are going to have when they come here with their child, like they're going to know that they're in a safe and inclusive environment," said Behavior Analyst and family friend of the Atlic family Katie McDonald.

After hearing about the unexpected death of Atlic's oldest daughter, Brooke, it influenced her even more to bring the gym to life, honoring her daughter's dreams.

"Brooke's passing had a major influence on this; she was so excited to come to work at this gym…it really put a fire under us to get this going and to not give up," said Atlic.

With the gym being a non-profit, many organizations donate play sets and food which has helped the gym move up its opening date. The gym has also received lots of support from the community as well as from family and friends.

"This is genuinely going to be a safe place for kids to come and be who they are and express themselves beautifully, in unique ways," said McDonald.

The Happy Hideaway Sensory Gym is set to have a soft opening on November 30 and the grand opening on December 1. For more information about the gym, contact Crystal Atlic at happyhideawaygym@gmail.com

Contact Ava Lens with comments at ava.lens@bsu.edu.

Blake died the early morning of Nov. 12 after assisting a stranded motorist on I-69 near the 247-mile marker, according to a Nov. 12 press release from the Delaware County Sheriff's office. He had been a part of the Delaware County Sheriff's Department since 2022.

That day, whilst helping a broken-down semi-truck, Blake's patrol vehicle was struck by another semi-truck going northbound. He was outside of his patrol car at the time of impact. Emergency response teams arrived at the scene and attempted "life-saving" measures, according to the press release. However, they were ultimately unsuccessful.

"Corporal Reynolds currently serves his country in the Army Reserve, based out of Camp Atterbury. Blake was known for his unwavering dedication to duty, his compassion for others, and his deep commitment to serving the people of Delaware County," according to the press release.

A public visitation was scheduled the day before Blake's funeral Nov. 21 at Grace Baptist Church in Yorktown, Indiana, with visitors from all over the community paying their respects to Blake and his family.

Community members stood in long lines, wrapping around the interior of the building, to pay their respects. As visitors entered the church, coloring pages colored by children from the church lined the walls with phrases such as "thank you for your hard work" and "thank you, police officers" underneath cartoon images of police cars.

During the visitation, Sheriff Tony Skinner from the Delaware County Sheriff's Department made a brief statement as guests filed in. Outside of the visitation was the Salvation Army, passing out hot beverages and snacks to guests from their truck.

Billie Kay, divisional service extension and emergency disaster service director at Salvation Army, said her team attended the visitation to support the community and check in with people to make sure "everybody's doing ok." She explained that she wants the community to understand that there are people who are "caring" for them.

"We're praying for the community, and we pray that they have strength during this time," Kay said.

The following day, the funeral for Blake was held at the high school he graduated from in 2013. Community members, Ball State University President Geoffrey Mearns, police officers from Delaware County and other surrounding counties as well as friends and family were in attendance.

The service was held in the school's gymnasium, hosted by Meeks Mortuary and Ceremony, filled with rows of chairs on the court for family, friends and police officers, while the rest of the guests were seated in the bleachers. Upon entering the gym, photo slideshows were projected upon two screens behind the stage, showcasing Blake with his wife, Allison "Allie" Reynolds, and other photos of him with his family and friends.

Flower wreaths and bouquets were placed next to Blake's casket, with the American flag draped across it. His portrait was surrounded by flowers, with both the American and Christian flags standing on each end of the casket.

The funeral began with a processional led by the Honor Guard, followed by the welcome, scripture and opening prayer of the service, led by Pastor Brian White from Harvest Church in Muncie.

After the welcoming from Pastor White, civic eulogies followed. Sgt. Josh Maxwell from the Delaware County Sheriff's Office spoke first and described his first meeting with Blake, remembering how his "enthusiasm" would "shine" through his work. He continued by saying that Blake "always did what he thought was right."

Next in line for the civic eulogies was Sheriff Skinner, discussing how Blake was driven and smart in the workforce. He recalled Blake being professional toward him, saying "yes, sir" and "no, sir" to him. Skinner explained he wished to see his "sarcastic side," which he said Blake never showed to him. Skinner told the crowd that he wanted to talk about how Blake lived, rather than discussing the nature of how he passed.

After both eulogies from Sgt. Maxwell and Sheriff Skinner, Michael Wright, a part of the Harvest Worship Team, performed "It is Well" to the crowd. This was followed by the family eulogies, starting with Blake's younger brother Dustin Reynolds.

Dustin spoke about his dynamic with his older brother, detailing the "shenanigans" he and Blake got into when they were younger. He described his brother as the "whole package," recalling his sense of humor and his athleticism. Dustin told the audience that despite Blake "picking on him," he still "adored" Blake.

"I want you all to understand Blake's heart and to know the amazing big brother he was to me," Dustin said.

After Dustin finished his speech, their father spoke next. Upon descending the stage, Bruce embraced his son Dustin in a hug.

Bruce discussed the day he found out his wife, Melissa Reynolds, was pregnant with Blake. He told the audience that his family's firstborn child had always been a boy, describing the joy he felt once he was born. After Bruce discussed becoming a father, he explained how his "heart hurts," explaining how a parent should not have to "bury a child."

Allison was the last family member to speak, hugging Bruce before ascending the stage. She expressed gratitude towards emergency responders, police officers at the scene the night Blake passed and community members who attended Blake's funeral. Allison discussed the final moments she had with her husband, detailing the last phone call she had with him. She told the audience that she would tell Blake before getting off the phone with him to "stay safe," to which he would reply with "always."

"I love you, though I will never see you again in an earthly way. I will see you again in that heavenly, eternal morning," Allison said.

The funeral concluded with three songs performed by the Harvest Worship Team: "Hard Fought Hallelujah", "At the Cross (Love Ran Red)" and "Give me Jesus." Pastor White led the closing scripture, blessing and prayer, with the recessional led by the Honor Guard to close the service.

Following the funeral, a processional left from Delta High School to The Delaware County Justice and Rehabilitation Center for Blake's final 1042 call, before arriving at Jones Cemetery in Yorktown for the burial. Multiple police cars, motorcycles and other vehicles joined in the procession, starting down State Road 3 and ending on McGalliard Road.

Blake's final call was made at the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, where the police radio explained the manner in which Blake passed before stating scripture from the Bible.

The procession ended at the cemetery. All attendees made their way to the grave site where several officers created a formation in rows in front of Blake's grave before the Reynolds family arrived at the cemetery. Upon arrival, the color team made their way behind the pipes and drums toward the grave site. Behind the color team followed the riderless horse and the hearse, shortly followed by the family.

The casket was held by pallbearers Dustin, Blake's cousin Dylan Summers and officers from the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, including Donnie Sparks, Cody Harper, Trevor Heath and Harlan Thompson.

Once the pallbearers placed Blake's coffin on the grave site, police officers hand saluted to commemorate the fallen officer. A gun salute began, with three rounds fired in the air from the firing party, followed by "Taps" being played to the crowd.

Eight officers performed the folding of the flag ceremony over Blake's casket, presenting it to Sheriff Skinner, who then gifted it to Allison. Each guest also presented a white carnation flower to place a top of Blake's coffin, concluding the ceremony.

Contact Linnea Sundquist via email at linnea.sundquist@bsu.edu.

After winning the Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular season championship, Ball State Women's Volleyball secured a first-round bye in the MAC tournament, where they faced off against Toledo, a team they had beaten twice earlier in the season.

The Cardinals were able to take them to five sets, but Toledo got the upper hand in their third matchup this year, as the Cardinals lost 2-3 (25-15, 26-28, 28-26, 26-28, 10-15).

Ball State started the first set strong, pulling ahead with a 16-9 lead behind three early kills from Graduate outside hitter Noelle VanOort. The Cardinals continued to control the pace and closed out the set 25-15.

The second set saw several momentum swings. Ball State held a brief lead late, 24-23, before Toledo rallied and claimed the set 28-26, tying the match at one.

Toledo's momentum from set two transferred into the early stages of set three as they found themselves up 10-4. Ball State then went on a 6-2 run to bring themselves within two at 12-10, nearing the halfway point of set three.

The Cardinals' production stopped briefly after their run, and Toledo took advantage of that, extending their lead to 18-13. Ball State kept playing from behind into the end of the set, but kills from junior middle hitter Camryn Wise and VanOort, along with a service ace, were able to bring the Cardinals within one, 22-21.

A few points later, the two teams were tied at 24, making it their second straight set in a win-by-two scenario. The Cardinals were able to keep fighting and take set three 28-26; they now need one more set to advance to the conference championship.

The Cardinals started strong in the fourth set, jumping out to an 11-8 lead early on. They were able to hold onto the lead, but Toledo was on their tail, down only one, 15-14. Toledo was then able to find the momentum they needed, as they jumped out in front with a 19-17 lead.

The Cardinals then quickly stole that momentum to go on a 4-0 run and take a 21-19 lead. Toledo still had some gas left as they came from behind to force Ball State into their third win by two scenario tonight. The Rockets ended up being able to pull off the come-from-behind 28-26 win in set four, forcing the match into a fifth and final set.

Toledo controlled the final set, building a 12-6 advantage that Ball State couldn't overcome. The Rockets finished the match 15-10, ending the Cardinals' MAC tournament championship hopes.

Contact Rylan Crum @rylan.crum@bsu.edu or on X @RylanCrum.

The running back was interested in playing for the Rockets before Toledo rescinded their offer after an injury before his commitment.

"I had a fire for this game," Bonds said. "...I had to step up and ultimately play my best."

Bonds led the Ball State rushing and passing attack with the most yards in both categories.

Even if it was Bonds' best game in his young career, Ball State fell to Toledo 38-9. The Cardinals are now 4-7 in 2025 and 3-4 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

Bonds suffered from rhabdomyolysis along with a hamstring strain in the summer. The true freshman said he was genuinely "down in the dumps." Rhabdomyolysis is a condition where the muscle tissue breaks down quickly, attacking the kidneys with harmful proteins. The condition is life-threatening if not treated quickly.

Bonds said it took a lot of prayer and hard work to get back on the field. He said he was able to hone in on the playbook and take mental reps constantly to stay ready, so he could be prepared when his number was called.

Usual starting running back Qua Ashley has been injured, so Bonds got a majority of the offensive workload against Toledo. When Bond's number was called, he said there were no nerves; instead, it was motivation.

"For me to have this opportunity, it has helped me a lot," Bonds said.

Bonds led the Cardinals with 58 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards.

Head coach Mike Uremovich said seeing Bonds do what he did as a true freshman against Toledo was "fun to watch."

"I am really encouraged about him and his future," Uremovich said.

Uremovich gave credit to Toledo, who currently has the second-best total defense in the NCAA, and said it was going to be tough for the Ball State offense because the Cardinals did not perform as they had wished.

The Cardinals were able to score a touchdown in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to erase a 7-quarter drought without a touchdown.

The Ball State defense has suffered multiple injuries to starters throughout the season, but sophomore cornerback Eric McClain said it does not make a huge difference for Ball State. McClain said the Cardinals have a next-man-up mentality when injuries happen.

McClain brought in an interception against the Rockets, and Ball State was able to force Toledo to throw two picks by the time the final whistle blew. The Cardinals' defense has now gone six consecutive games with an interception.

"They are contagious," McClain said. "Once the first one fell, everybody has started getting picks."

Uremovich said the Cardinals immediately talked in the locker room about turning around and facing Miami (OH) next week to close out the 2025 season on a high note. Uremovich said it is key that Ball State moves on.

"There have been a lot of ups and downs this year, and we will worry about all of that later," Uremovich said. "This one is over; we have to worry about going to beat Miami."

Uremovich said Ball State has not gotten everything it wanted in the 2025 season, but he said the hard work has been through the roof.

McClain said the Cardinals need to stick together to close out the 2025 season and will need maximum effort. He said there have been issues in all three phases of the game, and he said he wants to see Ball State play together fully in their final matchup against Miami.

Ball State will face Miami Nov. 29 with kickoff in Oxford, OH at noon.

Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X@ElijahPoe4

Ball State was dominated from start to finish and they fell 38-9.

Here are four takeaways from the mid-afternoon action.

Errors were big early

Throughout the game, big mistakes by the Cardinals proved to be costly. On Toledo's first drive, the Cardinals forced a three-and-out, which gave redshirt senior quarterback Kiael Kelly good field position to look to strike first.

But after a pair of first downs, Kelly was sacked on third down, which pushed the Cardinals out of field goal range and forced them to punt. That mistake led into another, when redshirt senior punter Adam Saul got his punt blocked.

The special teams blunder led to a Rockets' touchdown, which put the Cardinals into familiar territory with an early deficit.

The Cardinals' second drive of the game showed the offensive line's continued flaws, as first and second down both resulted in Kelly being sacked. Third down was not any better, with a backwards pass resulting in a fumble out of bounds.

The defense allowed 14 early points on nine plays, with both of Toledo's passing touchdowns coming from wide-open Toledo receivers in the endzone.

The offense struggled

There were two occasions in the first half where Ball State's offense had a golden opportunity to put together a scoring drive. Their first drive started near midfield, and a couple drives later after an interception by sophomore defensive back Will Yates, the Cardinals set up shop in Toledo territory.

But that drive ended in a missed field goal by redshirt senior kicker DC Pippin.

The Cardinals netted negative total yards in the first quarter with most of that coming from the offensive line giving up four sacks.

The early struggles led on to the rest of the game, as the Cardinals were only able to add six more points.

A big difference on the ground

It was a tale of two different rushing offenses in the week 11 matchup, as Toledo completely dominated Ball State on the ground.

Ball State had 22 first half rushing attempts and Toledo had one less.

Ball State first half rushing yards: three. Toledo first half rushing yards: 159.

A big reason for the lack of rushing success came from junior running back Qua Ashley missing his second consecutive game with injury.

The difference in the ground game showed the most in Toledo's last drive of the half, where they went on a 5-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Senior running back Chip Trayanum accounted for every single yard of that drive for the Rockets.

The rushing troubles continued in the second half for the Cardinals, as they recorded 126 yards, with 26 of those coming from a fake punt.

Toledo ended the game with 58 more rushing yards than Ball State.

The game ended late in the first half

Trailing 14-0 midway through the second quarter, a bit of head coach Mike Uremovich's trickery put the Cardinals in prime position to cut that deficit in half. Kelly and company had the ball on Toledo's 18-yard line, but a sack pushed them back to have to settle for three.

On the following drive, Toledo scored a touchdown with ease to increase their lead to three scores. With under a minute in the half, sophomore defensive back Eric McClain picked off Toledo for the Cardinals' second interception of the game.

But within a couple of plays, Kelly fumbled, giving Toledo field position to tack on another three to end the half.

The Rockets led 24-3 at half and Ball State was never able to recover.

Contact Kyle Stout with questions via email @kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdailyn.

After years and years spent playing the game of football, the guaranteed time left for them on the field can only be counted in minutes -- 120.

'It's win or go home,' Magwood said.

Ball State football will face off against Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponent Toledo this Saturday. The Cardinals are 4-6 (3-3 MAC) in 2025 and must win their final two games to make a bowl game with no room for error.

Ball State is coming off a 24-9 loss to Eastern Michigan University on senior day in Muncie.

Ball State head coach Mike Uremovich said that the loss to Eastern Michigan last Saturday was rough, but so was the following Sunday for the Cardinals after analyzing the film.

"It is the pain of discipline and the pain of regret," Uremovich said. "We were not disciplined as a football team, so we have to deal with the pain of regret and learn from it."

Uremovich said the Cardinals want to win and learn, but said losing and not getting what you want out of a football game can sometimes be the best teacher. The head coach said that is part of the beauty of football because, win or lose, there is a game coming up next week, and Ball State has to have the same detail in preparation for each opponent.

"It's an opportunity gone, but all you can really do is just learn from it," Magwood said.

Uremovich made it clear that Toledo is in the running to be the top team in the MAC every single year. Specifically, this season, he said their defense is elite.

Toledo has the No. 1 offense and defense in the MAC. The Rockets score an average of 32 points per game, while only allowing 13.4 points per game.

The Rockets' defense is ranked No. 2 in total defense in the NCAA, only behind Ohio State University.

Toledo only allows 88.5 rushing yards per game, the seventh-best in the nation in that category. They are also the fourth best in the NCAA in passing yards allowed, with 143 yards per game.

Toledo is 5-0 at home and has outscored opponents 237-37. The Rockets' lowest amount of points scored at home in 2025 is 42 points, in a 42-3 win over Northern Illinois University.

Statistics like those make Uremovich excited to have the opportunity to face off against Toledo, calling it a "great challenge."

The Cardinals are 0-5 outside of the 756 area code, and Uremovich sees the matchup against the Rockets as a prime position to fix that. To do so, the head coach said Ball State will have to stay ahead of the sticks on offense because Toledo thrives in third-and-long situations with its stiff defense.

"We have to have success on first down," Uremovich said. "We have to make an emphasis to get completions on first down and have effective runs on first down. Three yards isn't terrible on first down. You can't go backwards, and you can't have a negative play."

Redshirt junior running back Qua Ashley was injured against Kent State in the Nov. 5 MACtion primetime matchup and did not take the field against Eastern Michigan. Uremovich said Ashley is planning on being back in the lineup for Ball State when they take on the Rockets.

Magwood said Ball State's offense needs to finish drives, which is "the name of the game." He said the Cardinals' defense has been getting it done, but he thinks the offense has let them down. That is something he takes personally.

"The offense is going to need to score points," Magwood said. "I feel like that's something that we have to do, not just this game, but just moving forward."

Magwood said there is no certain recipe to get the Cardinals' offense rolling, and to him, it is more about Ball State being able to make plays on a consistent basis. He also said the slow offensive starts can diminish a play being made because the Cardinals are already down two scores.

"I feel like we kind of wake up in the third, fourth quarter, but if we can do that in the first and second, who knows how good we can be," Magwood said.

The redshirt senior wide receiver said Ball State has to have a "game-seven" mentality on the field to close out the season strong.

The matchup between Ball State and Toledo will kick off at 2 p.m. Nov. 22.

Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X @ElijahPoe4.

In the fall, when burning leaves scent the air along East Washington Street, it's easy to imagine Emily Kimbrough as a girl, watching gas lamps flicker to life from the porch of her Victorian home.

The author, born in Muncie in 1899, would grow up to write about her childhood in what locals called the "East End." Today, the historic district that bears her name stands at a crossroads, caught between preserving architectural legacy and accommodating modern traffic demands.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), along with the City of Muncie, plans to install four roundabouts along State Road 32 (SR 32), cutting through the heart of the Emily Kimbrough Historic District. The proposal has placed the neighborhood on Indiana Landmarks' 2025 endangered list and revived long-standing tensions about a state highway that residents say should never have been routed through their community.

A neighborhood's legacy

The Emily Kimbrough Historic District owes its existence to an accident of geology. When drillers struck natural gas in Delaware County in 1886, Muncie transformed almost overnight from a modest agricultural center into an industrial powerhouse.

Those who profited from the gas boom built mansions in the "East End," the preferred address of Muncie's social elite. The architectural ambition of these industrialists still defines the neighborhood today.

When the neighborhood was designated as a local historic district in 1976 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, residents chose to honor Emily Kimbrough's connection to the area.

Kimbrough eventually left Muncie, leaving her house on East Washington Street. The house was then converted into the Emily Kimbrough Historic Museum, honoring her legacy and the neighborhood's rich turn-of-the-century history.

In 1958, SR 32 was routed through the neighborhood along Main and Jackson streets, converting what had been two-way streets into paired one-way highways. According to INDOT, the stated goal was to expedite traffic flow through the city.

J.P. Hall, an associate professor of historic preservation at Ball State University and a member of the Indiana Main Street Council, sees this decision as a critical inflection point.

"For decades, the neighborhood lived with the consequences, increased traffic speeds, pedestrian safety concerns and the general sense that a highway rather than a street ran through their community," J.P. said.

In recent decades, renewed interest in historic architecture has brought new energy to the Emily Kimbrough District. This has resulted in groups like The East Central Neighborhood Association, which works to improve the area through maintaining traffic islands, organizing a community garden, coordinating neighborhood-wide alley cleanups and more.

Tom Collins, an associate professor of architecture at Ball State, is a resident of the historic neighborhood and a past president of the East Central Neighborhood Association board. Tom explained that over the years, residents and city officials recognized that traffic on SR 32 posed ongoing safety concerns.

To address this, the state completed a 'road diet' along SR 32 in 2024, a project designed to make the road safer by reducing lanes and adding pedestrian infrastructure. The reconfiguration reduced the two lanes of one-way traffic in each direction to a single lane per direction, added bike lanes separated by buffers, and improved handicap-accessible ramps at intersections.

"The traffic does move slower," Tom said. "You do not see people driving down SR 32 going 60 miles an hour anymore, which they used to."

For the first time in decades, the neighborhood appeared to be gaining ground in managing the traffic that had divided it.

The road relinquishment

The road diet project resulted from a deal between the city and INDOT in 2023. A levee wall protecting the city from flooding, located near an INDOT bridge where SR 32 crosses the White River, was not in compliance with federal flood protection standards.

Rather than undertake the repairs themselves, INDOT offered an alternative: they would give the city the road. The agreement transferred roughly six miles of highway, the stretch of SR 32 running through Muncie from the bypass to Yorktown, to municipal control. INDOT also provided funding to support long-term maintenance and improvements.

This included projects such as the road diet; however, embedded in this road relinquishment agreement was something the neighborhood did not know about: four roundabouts. The roundabouts would be situated in the heart of the Emily Kimbrough Historic District, along Main and Jackson streets, where they intersect with Madison and Hackley.

Tom eventually discovered the deal. INDOT and the city had locked in the roundabouts before any federal historic preservation review began-a sequence that Tom argues violates the core principle of Section 106, the review process designed to prevent exactly this kind of situation.

Section 106 is a federal process mandated by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. J.P. explained that it emerged as a response to decades of federal highway and urban renewal projects that demolished and divided city neighborhoods without community input. J.P. said that by the 1960s, public frustration with these destructive practices reached a breaking point.

"People were finally fed up and said, 'This is enough,'" J.P. said. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Section 106 requires federal agencies to identify historic properties, assess the effects of their projects on those properties and work with stakeholders to mitigate the impact. However, the review does not mandate a specific outcome.

"What it does do is slow a project down and afford stakeholders an opportunity to voice their opinions," J.P. said. "That, in many cases, can change a project."

Mark Dollase, the preservation specialist for Indiana Landmarks' central regional office, emphasized the State Historic Preservation Office's (SHPO) role in this process. If consulting parties can demonstrate sufficient concern, the SHPO may refuse to sign off on the project agreement. Mark said that this can create leverage for communities. Yet in practice, the process can feel like a formality when things appear predetermined, as they do in Muncie.

According to INDOT material, the roundabouts are needed to address safety concerns. In the agency's project documents, 157 accidents occurred at the four intersections between 2018 and 2020.

INDOT's stated goal is to reduce overall crashes by at least 20 percent while maintaining stable traffic flow through 2047. At a May 2025 consulting party meeting, INDOT stated that the initial 2024 road diet did not accurately address these numbers.

But there is a critical issue: this data was collected before the 2024 road diet.

"So why did we do the road diet if it didn't totally solve the problem?" Tom asked. "Did we know while we were doing the road diet that it actually wasn't going to be 100 percent effective?"

During the consulting party meeting, INDOT officials acknowledged they are collecting new crash data but said only five months of post-diet data had been collected.

While INDOT and the City of Muncie believe that roundabouts are the best option to fix things, residents and outspoken voices, like Tom and J.P., argue otherwise.

"There's a whole range of different things you could do," Tom said, referencing raised traffic tables, extended curb cuts, stop signs and speed bumps as options.

Mark also advocates for alternatives. "Roundabouts only facilitate greater automobile and truck traffic; it does not make it more pedestrian-friendly," Mark said.

The endangered list

Each year, Indiana Landmarks compiles a list of the state's most endangered historic places. The designation is not a death knell, but a call to action. Properties usually stay on the list for two years as the organization works to find solutions.

Indiana Landmarks added the district to the list for two reasons: the first is disinvestment. Mark shared that two years ago, Landmarks staff walked the streets of the Emily Kimbrough District and said they saw both restored properties that had been maintained for decades and houses in distress.

"If we lose those properties, if they become vacant lots, they're only going to diminish the overall character of the neighborhood that much more," Mark said.

The second is the roundabout proposal. "When any project affecting a historic area, in this case, a transportation project, has such a major effect on that area, Indiana Landmarks is going to step up and voice our concerns about what those changes look like," Mark said.

Mark worries the roundabouts would discourage people from choosing to live in the district. He believes that walkable neighborhoods are what people want when investing in urban areas.

"Doing what is being proposed by the city of Muncie and INDOT is sort of counterintuitive to what people would want to live in this neighborhood," said Mark.

The local historic district designation is also more than symbolic. It is the law.

"In order for my neighborhood to become a locally designated historic district, 50 percent or more of the residents had to vote in favor of making it a local district," Tom said.

He explained that this law mandates that any change to anything ranging from the streetscape or the homes - all must go through a federal review process.

Beyond the specific issue of roundabouts, residents and preservation professionals are frustrated by how the project unfolded.

"A lot of the discussions happened long before anybody in the neighborhood ever knew about it," Tom said. "I'm not even sure anybody would have ever mentioned it until we got to the point where they have to do these public meetings."

Tom believes this matters as much as the project itself.

"I don't think neighborhoods like solutions to be imposed on them without any discussion," Tom said. "They don't like to find out after the fact the city's been planning something with the state for years, and they've never been told."

Mark shares this concern. "The people that are speaking out in Muncie are people who live there and have invested in this neighborhood for decades," Mark said. "The fact that they're being steamrolled right now and not being listened to is certainly concerning to us."

According to INDOT materials, a public hearing has been scheduled for late 2025, with environmental document approval and right-of-way acquisition planned for early 2026. The consulting party meeting summary indicates construction has been delayed until early 2028.

For now, the Emily Kimbrough Historic District waits. The street pattern established before cars existed still connects neighbors to downtown. The historic homes still stand.

What the neighborhood will not see, its residents hope, is a solution imported wholesale from state highway engineering standards - a solution designed for cars, not for people. Whether Section 106 can protect that neighborhood's future, nearly 60 years after a state highway first divided it, remains to be seen.

This article is a part of Ball Bearings Fall 2025 magazine: The Archival Edition. Read more stories online at ballbearingsmag.com and pick up the print edition of the magazine across Ball State's campus now.

"This year's winter recital has been really fun. I think our theme this year is joy," said artistic director Terressa Sipes. "All of our songs are centered around joy and cheer and just having lots of fun and enjoying the season."

This dance team is known for their outstanding recitals and competitions. The Muncie community has voted Cole Academy Dance Studio the number one studio in Muncie for four years in a row.

There are around 300 total dancers performing in this year's recital. They started practicing at the beginning of October and are still going strong. These dancers are not only having fun and creating friendships along the way, they are carrying on a tradition of Cole Academy Dance Studio that has been going on for 77 years.

"It really does mean friendship," said dancer Caveri Wilson. "I have grown up and watched some of the girls I dance with grow up. I'm leaving this year so it's kind of different, but I feel like they are my family and I feel like that is a really big part of the Cole Academy atmosphere."

Wilson is a senior and has grown up dancing at Cole Academy, so she has very bittersweet feelings about this year's winter recital. However some of the junior dancers, like London Braun, are pumped for the upcoming recital.

"This year rehearsing for the winter recital has been a lot easier because we are just doing our hiphop as one of our dances so we don't have to learn any new dances," said Braun.

The hiphop dance the junior dancers are performing is one of the routines they performed this past year at one of their competitions. Cole Academy Dance Studio offers dance, cheerleading and gymnastics here in Muncie. It is a year round commitment, but it is the place you can meet your best friends.

To get more information you can check out their facebook page.

Contact Lauren Bell with comments at lauren.bell@bsu.edu

Archer was one of five people arrested during the Feb. 28 Board of Trustees meeting, when members of the University Police Department (UPD) removed a group of protesters after they spoke about issues ranging from Ball State's alleged ties to donors connected to the war in Gaza to concerns about redlining, housing inequity and transparency from trustees about the background of Vice Chair Brian Gallagher.

RELATED: UPDATE: Court date assigned for arrested protestors

The five students at the time - Joseph Souza, Kiwani Bassett, Jaina Dodds and Archer, along with alumnus Zoe-Rose Dieguez - were later dubbed "The Ball State Five" by peers on social media.

UPD and university administrators said the group disrupted a lawful Board of Trustees meeting by yelling after being warned to stop, while the protesters said they were attempting to raise questions they felt had been ignored.

All were charged March 7 with two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct: one for disrupting an assembly and one for making "unreasonable noise."

Archer's not-guilty verdict is the first major development in the cases, which fall under Indiana's disorderly conduct statute and carry potential penalties of up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, according to Justia U.S. Law.

Several students from advocacy groups associated with Ball State's United Front showed up to support Archer during his trial Friday, including President Micah Peck and Vice President Sam Allen from Feminists for Action.

Women's and gender studies lecturer Tanya Pearson was also in attendance, as well as local Democratic congressional candidate Jackson Franklin. Pearson and Franklin have both shown a lot of support toward several of the causes United Front has protested for in the past, with Pearson even taking part in the Ball State Students for Justice in Palestine's hunger strike to protest the university's alleged involvement in the war between Israel and Palestine.

RELATED: Students target President Mearns during hunger strike rally

Representing Archer in the criminal case was defense attorney Vincent Walker, with attorney Eric Overpeck representing the state.

Before initiating opening statements, Judge Cannon said "given the nature of this case," those in the audience needed to stay silent in order to not disrupt the trial. He then reiterated how Archer had been charged with two Class B misdemeanors.

During Overpeck's opening statements, he said to the six members of the jury, "It's not a 'Who done it?' It's all on video."

He said he believed the jury would find Archer guilty based on that evidence.

During Walker's opening statements, he said that Archer only spoke for 18 seconds on the video, claiming that there was no violence or resistance when Archer was escorted out of the meeting.

Walker said he believed the jury would find Archer not guilty due to his free speech being "violated" and the state not being able to provide enough evidence "beyond a reasonable doubt" that he's guilty.

Chief of University Police for over two years, John A. Foster, was the only witness called to testify during the trial. Foster was assigned security detail for the Feb. 28 Board of Trustees meeting, where he escorted Archer out of the meeting.

State attorney Eric Overpeck showed Foster multiple photographs of signs posted in front of the entrance to the trustees' meeting, displaying phrases such as "do not disrupt Board of Trustees meeting." Foster was asked who took the photos, to which he responded by saying the photos could've been taken by a detective, but he was not certain.

Upon further questioning from Overpeck, Foster was asked if there were protest signs displayed throughout the meeting, to which he responded with a "yes." Foster explained 30 to 50 people were in attendance at the meeting, and during roll call, Vice Chair Brian Gallagher received a collective "boo" from the crowd.

The video Overpeck referenced during opening statements was then submitted as evidence and played for the court to see. During the video, Foster could be seen escorting Archer out of the Board of Trustees meeting after Archer started protesting.

Foster recalled the video "accurately reflecting the day," after being questioned by Overpeck.

During the cross-examination, Walker asked Foster why he did not arrest other protestors that had left the building shortly after the meeting, to which he said that the security team was "understaffed" for security detail that day. Two protestors walked out of the meeting, not being detained by university police, except for "The Ball State Five."

Walker then asked Foster if the protest was violent, to which he responded, saying there was no violence present during the meeting. Foster said Archer was complacent while he was being escorted out of the meeting.

He finished his questioning by asking if Foster wished to arrest the other two protestors who were not detained, to which Foster said he "would have liked to" arrest them.

After Foster was released as a witness, the jury was instructed to leave the room. Walker then proposed a motion to acquit Archer on both counts due to a lack of sufficient evidence from the state.

He said that there had to be "unreasonable noise" made before and after Archer was escorted out, and there wasn't any evidence submitted that proved Archer continued speaking after Foster had detained him.

Walker further explained that Archer's speech was protected by the state and the government because it qualifies as political speech, and he said consequences for political speech only occur when there's injury to a party.

According to the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State Universityciting the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, "school officials cannot punish students for the exercise of their First Amendment rights where the exercise of such rights in the school buildings and schoolrooms do not materially and substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school."

Walker referenced this precedent to Judge Cannon, stating that there was no evidence for disruption of a lawful assembly as material and substantive disruption doesn't include content protected by the First Amendment.

Instead, he described Archer's protesting as a "minor, brief disruption," emphasizing how the meeting still continued to proceed after Archer left the room.

Overpeck replied, stating that Archer still spoke after he was escorted out and that material disruption "doesn't hold any weight," explaining that it's a different area of code.

Still, Judge Cannon disagreed with Overpeck. After hearing statements from both attorneys, he approved Walker's motion for an acquittal due to the fact that political speech is protected in Board of Trustees meetings by the U.S. and the state.

"Evidence of mere annoyance is not sufficient," Cannon said, stating that there was no discomfort experienced by any members of the board due to Archer's actions from that day.

Judge Cannon then said he appreciated Archer's dedication to the cause, but there are "a hell of a lot better ways to do that," noting that Archer could have volunteered at soup kitchens or made efforts to help the homeless instead.

Ultimately, Cannon said Archer did "a stupid thing," but his speech was protected.

Before adjourning the court, he told Archer to "please learn a life lesson."

After being acquitted of both charges, Archer said he feels "really happy" and "justified." He explained that the university and the justice system are "trying to gaslight us" and that students have to go through "all this litigation" to prove their innocence.

Archer plans to continue to do advocacy work throughout the campus and the community of Muncie, and is waiting to see the results of the other four protestors' trials coming up.

Walker said via email that he is "pleased" with the outcome of the trial, and said that despite efforts to restrict or limit free speech, citizens of Delaware County and the state "still enjoy" broad free speech rights.

"I am hopeful and encouraged that today's outcome will lead to similar positive results for the other individuals who are currently facing similar charges," he said.

Contact Meghan Braddy via email at meghan.braddy@bsu.edu and contact Linnea Sundquist via email at linnea.sundquist@bsu.edu.

Today: Very foggy and cloudy day out today only getting up to about 51 degrees. We have calm winds coming out of the east northeast making it so those clouds stick around all day. There will be some showers later tonight that will give us that precipitation we desperately need.

Tonight: The clouds that we saw all day aren't going anywhere tonight. Due to the calm winds, they will stick with us through the early morning. Despite all that cloud coverage, the temperature will still drop down to around 36 degrees.

Tomorrow: The clouds will start to pull away early tomorrow morning, bringing back that sunshine. Unfortunately, that sunshine will not cause our temperatures to warm up very much. The high will only get up to about 50 degrees.

Seven-Day: The next seven days will hold several condition changes. We see a rather sunny weekend and start to the work week with mid-50 temperatures. However, this will immediately be followed by a storm front moving in on Tuesday with an 80% chance of rain. This front will cause a sudden decrease in temperature giving us a chilly Thanksgiving that will only get up to near 38 degrees. Though, the sun will come back out on Thursday and Friday but it will not cause those temperatures to get much warmer on Friday where it will only get up to 36 degrees.

-Weather Forecaster Orion Lucas

Follow us on Twitter @NLIWeather for breaking weather updates.

NewsLink Indiana is a proud Ambassador for the NOAA Weather-Ready Nation program.

For more information about the Weather-Ready Nation program please click HERE

Mason and Ash discuss Funko POP's poor financial performance, and the possible end of the company.

Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether it's video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!

Anchors: Mason Mundy and Ashton Weir
Executive Producer: Willow Emig
Script: Mason Mundy
Video Editing: Mason Mundy
Audio Editing: Mason Mundy
Intro Graphics: Ryan Minter
Graphics: Ryan Minter
Thumbnail: Ian Fraser
Original Thumbnail Images From: TNS
Music: Jack McGinnis
Sources:
https://investor.funko.com/new...
https://kotaku.com/funko-pop-s...

Jaxx discusses the new hardware announced by Valve, including the Steam Machine.

Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether it's video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!

Anchors: Jaxx Lomax
Executive Producer: Ian Fraser
Script: Ian Case
Video Editing: Jaxx Lomax
Audio Editing: Jaxx Lomax
Intro Graphics: Ryan Minter
Graphics: Ryan Minter
Thumbnail: Ian Fraser
Original Thumbnail Images From: Valve
Music: Jack McGinnis
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Walker suggested that Ball State become a Bee Campus affiliate, a nonprofit organization that strives to help pollinators. She also suggested the implementation of composting attachments at each dining facility on campus to limit on-campus waste and promote sustainability.

With a unanimous 28-0 vote, Walker was approved.

"She's really passionate about the environment…I do not see anyone more of a fit than she is," Sen. Addy Morey said.

The following item of business concerned assisting students during the colder months by allocating funds for cold-weather items. $18.99 was requested for 12 pairs of gloves, $35.98 for 12 earwarmers, $31.99 for 45 pairs of disposable hand warmers and $26.99 for 24 scarves.

Each of these items would be available at dining halls, where students would be asked to survey on other environmental concerns. To obtain the necessary items, the Environmental Affairs Committee requested a total of $113.95.

The budget request was approved unanimously.

Due to Thanksgiving break, SGA will not be meeting next week. After the break, and into the next semester, there will be group senate training and retreats to further the group's education.

There could be significant changes to student life at Ball State as well, as senators are striving to increase the campus minimum and maximum wages for student employment. Authored by Sen. Jack Correa and Sen. Morey, they stated that Ball State has fallen behind in the amount it pays its on-campus workers.

Currently, they said the minimum wage for Ball State students is $7.25, with a maximum of $12. Working hours are also capped at 20 per week during academic terms and 40 during breaks.

When compared to other Indiana public universities, Ball State is low. Purdue University's minimum is $10 and Indiana University's is $10.15. To combat this, Sen. Correa and Sen. Morey suggested the floor and ceiling for student wages be $10 and $15 to reflect the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics Inflation Calculator. If approved, this financial change would not be implemented until 2032.

Pro Tempore Hunter Case also discussed a platform path regarding student mental health days, which is something he said has been attempted in the past. Currently, there is no legislation written concerning the topic.

SGA will not meet next week on Nov. 26, but will continue on Dec. 3 at 3:15 p.m. at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center in Cardinal Hall B for its regular meeting.

Contact Trenton Crenshaw via email trenton.crenshaw@bsu.edu.

Tame Impala, also known as Kevin Parker, has a top-streamed list that boasts millions-and often billions-of streams. Deadbeat, his newest release, promises to be no different.

Deadbeat was preceded by the release of three singles off the record: "Loser,""End of Summer," and "Dracula." Although Parker has released a handful of singles and contributed to a variety of projects in recent years, his last album release was 2020's "The Slow Rush,"his most commercially successful to date.

The public was buzzing when a new project was announced after five long years. Deadbeat debuted at No. 4 on theBillboard Hot 200 and has garnered the attention of many music critics and enjoyers alike.

Parker's Getting Personal

This album immediately felt more intimate than Tame Impala's previous work; from the photo of Parker on the album cover (for the first time in his career) to the vulnerability of the lyrics. This was, of course, by design. In an interview withTriple J,Parker said, "I wanted it to be an album that is noticeably more exposed." In the same interview, Parker also stated that his inspiration for this album came partially from being perceived as a deadbeat or space cadet throughout his life.

The album opens with "My Old Ways,"which begins with a scratchy recording of Parker playing a jaunty piano melody and singing along, imperfectly. It almost sounds like a self-tape of a song or an amateur performance. The jarring, raw sound is somehow incredibly appealing, pulling the listener in. Parker's vocals are noticeably untreated, a departure from his typical style. As the song progresses, the moment Parker utters the song's title, his usual vocal treatment and production comes in and fills the empty space with sound.

Parker discusses falling back into his old ways and struggling with the inevitable guilt associated with that. "I know I, I said never again / Temptation, feels like it never ends / I'm sliding, only noticing now and then / Back into my old ways again (Ways again, ways again) / Back into my old ways again (Ways again, ways again)." The bouncy, up-and-down groove of this song really keeps me coming back to listen again and again.

Hard to Beat

Deadbeat's third track, "Dracula," is a clear standout. This song's name piqued my interest immediately, but after listening, it proved to be the strongest overall performance on the album. According to Parker, "Dracula" was the first song written for this project, conceived during his solo trip to California. "Dracula" is a theatrical party-starter. The dark psychedelic-pop production harkens back to styles of old; with 80s-inspired synth, a funky bass groove, and even a cheeky dash of triangle, this track cements itself as the modern-day response to "Thriller." A must-listen, it manages to seamlessly walk the line between darkly gritty and whimsically groovy.

Next up is "Loser," the first song I heard from this album, along with its music video on YouTube. This track feels tongue-in-cheek with Parker lamenting that he is a loser and asking his lover if they want to tear his heart out.The beat and instrumentation almost sounds like it is stumbling, just like the drunken character depicted by Parker in the music video. This song feels like a turning point for the album, a combination of Parker's current sound and previous work. Parker's languid, dreamy vocals further emphasized the strung-out undertones of this track.

Dance Until Dawn

"Oblivion" offers a meditative reprieve with sweet, dreamy, repetitive lyrics and futuristic synth progression. After a moment of silence, music starts to play quietly, almost as if you are standing outside of a club. Parker curates a specific vibe in "Not My World," looking to Australian rave music for influence here.

Soft, echoey vocals iterate melancholic lyrics over the pulsing bass backbeat, creating a drug-induced feel. This track has an extended instrumental break, conjuring up images of blurry, flashing lights, as strange sound effects echo in the background.

"Piece of Heaven" starts slowly, but eventually takes the stage with a sugary sweet melody that evokes the feeling of a glittering, coming-of-age movie. This track feels heavily influenced by dream pop, electronica, and 80s-esque motifs.

"Obsolete" continues this theme, with some utterly delicious bass guitar and glittering, accompanied by 80s keyboard and sweeping synths. Parker utilizes his own voice as a backing vocal during this song, which really adds to the retro influence. This song is so unexpectedly fun and sappy.

"Ethereal Connection" begins with thudding hi-hats that slowly expand into a pulsing bass, which continues like a heartbeat throughout the track. This song features a beautiful, ambient extended instrumental break mingled with emotional lyricism. Additionally, Parker shamelessly shows off his production chops in this song. It feels spacey and out of this world, tapping into the alleged 'space cadet' influence in a literal way. Almost fully instrumental, this track managed to keep my attention because it keeps building and changing. It sounds so beautiful and magical, with Parker returning to sing the fitting lyrics "Don't believe in magic / All the harder that I try / You and I are something / That I never could describe."

Finally, the album concludes with "End of Summer," a sweet, rhythmic track that evokes palpable nostalgia. It is the perfect bittersweet ending to the emotional ride that Parker has taken us on.

Rave-Related References

Notably, the significant amount of EDM, club, and Australian rave influence on this album creates a satisfying juxtaposition between the thudding bass and some of Parker's most vulnerable lyrics to date. Despite featuring more self-critical and emotional lyrics, Deadbeat remains danceable and upbeat, often lapsing into drawn-out instrumental dance breaks and atmospheric soundscapes.

Sources: Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, Billboard,YouTube, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify

Images: Genius, Genius

Contact Lex Allen with comments at lex.allen@bsu.edu

"I'm thankful for one, the opportunity to go to school, and just the people around me, and the support I get from Ball State faculty, staff, and my friends around me, and my roommates, and just being thankful for life," said Sia Magnus, a junior at Ball State University.

On the other hand, Underclassmen are thankful for things other than faculty and friends, due to being so early in their college career.

"I'm really thankful for my family and support, mostly my parents. They've seen me through a lot and all these transitions. So being a freshman in college is really difficult, to miss them and not see them," said Harlan Reger, a freshman at Ball State.

This remembrance to be thankful is quite important at the beginning of a season that can be dreary for many. According to the University of Michigan, roughly 37% of students struggle with some sort of depression. However, this is down from 44% in 2022, which represents a high average.

Though Magnus has a reminder in these hard times, "Don't give up on yourself. Stay encouraged, be brave, and believe in yourself. Have faith in yourself."

Hopefully, this advice and examples from the students of Ball State University remind you to stay thankful this holiday season.

Contact Dylan Chesnut with comments at dylan.chesnut@bsu.edu.