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A man dressed in South Korean traditional "Hanbok" attire wears a face mask in the snow as he gestures to take photos Feb. 17, 2020, at the Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty in Seoul, South Korea. Chinese authorities on Monday reported a slight upturn in new virus cases and hundred more deaths for a total of thousands since the outbreak began two months ago. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

5 international stories of the week

An update on the number of people affected by the coronavirus, Americans aboard a cruise ship returning back, the Iranian president’s belief the U.S. will not pursue war against Iran, the possibility of Afghan refugees returning home and General Motors’ plans to pull out of three countries make up this week’s five international stories.



Junior guard, Ishmael El-Amin (5), attempts a teardrop layup against Bowling Green, Feb. 15, 2020, at John E. Worthen Arena. The cardinals made a run at the end of the game but it wasn't enough as they fall to the Falcons 77-71. Omari Smith, DN

Late comeback, rebounding not enough to hold off Bowling Green

Ball State cut its 20-point deficit to three, but the Falcons ultimately held the Cardinals off with free throws, defeating them 77-71. Most teams may throw up the white flag down 20 points in the final minutes, but Coleman said he knows the team will keep fighting until the end.


Sophomore forward Thelma Dis Agustsdottir runs towards the paint, Jan. 25, 2020, in John E. Worthen Arena. Dis Agustsdottir scored 19 points against the RedHawks. Jaden Whiteman, DN

4 takeaways from Ball State's regular-season sweep of Buffalo

The defense has been the story for the Cardinals this season, and Saturday was no different. The second matchup against the Bulls proved to be quite similar to the first one. The defense was a great point of emphasis for Ball State, and it executed like it has all year and came out on top.


Senior outside attacker Blake Reardon jumps to serve the ball Jan. 11 in John E. Worthen Arena. Ball State defeated Queens, 3-0. Jacob Musselman, DN

Ball State's 5-match win streak snapped by No. 6 Lewis

Senior outside attacker Blake Reardon’s effort in the third and fourth sets Saturday was not enough to get the job done for Ball State Men’s Volleyball. Dropping their first match at Worthen Arena this season, the Cardinals’ five-match win streak came to an end against No. 6 Lewis in a 3-1 loss. 




LGBTQ-friendly music for your Valentines day

Every year, Feb. 14 rolls around to provide the world with a very particular feeling; the feeling of pressure, love, disappointment, and a certain capitalistic expression of love and devotion that we cannot seem to shake. No matter what the 14th brings you, at least we have love songs. In particular, the industry has recently been booming with queer love songs that deserve recognition and could accompany you and a loved one or significant other this Valentine’s Day. 


More than just brawlers: these are the cutest ‘Smash Ultimate’ characters

Over its 20-year history, Smash Bros. has gone beyond a simple fighting game. Smash Bros. brings Nintendo icons to a celebration of gaming history that transcends anything Masahiro Sakurai had originally envisioned. There is no other franchise where global phenomenons like Final Fantasy, Street Fighter, and even Metal Gear Solid can all cross paths and present a small piece of their historical influence. Truly, Super Smash Bros. is the most ambitious crossover of all time. So with a new roster addition arriving to the Switch, we decided to take a look at the current selection of characters and decide which of these fighters could also win on the runway.


Best rom-coms to stream this Valentine’s day

Once again, Valentine’s Day is coming around, and whether that excites you, terrifies you, or makes you want to hit something, there is no denying that Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to watch a romantic comedy. Unfortunately, the quality of films in this genre is incredibly hit-or-miss, and it can take hours of scrolling through Hulu or Netflix to find one that even sounds halfway decent. To save you from that fate, here are the top three romantic comedies from each streaming service (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney +, and plain old Blu-ray/DVD), with honorable mentions included.



Valentine's Day has it's origins from legends about St. Valentine's Today, however, the holiday has expanded beyond lovers, with people celebrating it with their friends, coworkers and pets. Unsplash, Photo Courtesy

How Americans celebrate Valentine's Day

While candy, greeting cards, flowers or an evening out have been the clear choice to mark the annual celebration of love, the historical origins of Valentine’s Day are a lot more murky.


7 terrible Adam Sandler movie ideas to optimally punish the Academy

So, now that the Oscars are over and done with, Sandler’s Uncut Gems didn’t just not get nominated for Best Picture, it didn’t get nominated for anything. The film got, as they say, “snubbed”. Which means we are in the timeline where Sandler is going to craft the worst Adam Sandler film possible. If he’s reading this right now, I’m going to offer some of the greatest terrible Adam Sandler film ideas I can come up with. All I ask is a little bit of credit as a treat, and some royalty checks. It’s a fair exchange for these high quality films, trust me.


The New York Experience

New York City has always sparked the greatest curiosity in my mind. It has always been a city I have seen countless times in movies and could only dream about visiting, a city where you were either born there or made enough money to move into a penthouse in Manhattan. No one in my family really liked the idea of going to a “bigger, dirtier Chicago,” but I have always longed to understand what made the City That Never Sleeps so special, to understand what it was about it that captured so many people. In June of 2018, I stepped foot in what has since become my favorite place on Earth for the first time, and since then, I have promised myself that one day I would be able to call New York City my home, and here’s why.


Ball State University Dance Marathon reveals that they raised $615,287.24 for the kids of Riley’s Children Hospital Feb. 16, 2019. Even though the amount raised is less than the two previous years, everyone cheered in excitement for what they had accomplished when the cards were lifted up. Eric Pritchett, DN File

Dance Marathon returns to Ball State this weekend

Ball State Dance Marathon (BSUDM), an annual philanthropic event benefitting Riley Children’s Hospital, will return this Saturday with more than 12 hours of dancing, games, crafts, food and students on their feet for the entire duration.