Tonight: Fall conditions move out and winter weather returns tonight when a cold front passes through in the early morning hours. Temperatures will plummet into the mid-30s with winds coming from the southwest at 10mph and gusts up to 30 mph. Rain showers will be scattered throughout the area, making for a gloomy night.

Tomorrow: Winter returns with a vengeance tomorrow as those rain chances become snow chances throughout the day. Temperatures will continue to fall with tomorrow's high being 36 degrees in the morning. Winds will be extra breezy coming from the west southwest at 25 mph and gusts up to 45 mph. This is why we will be under a wind advisory from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow. With it being a big travel day, take precaution on the road as winds can knock your car around and conditions will deteriorate the farther north you go.

Seven-Day Forecast: Thanksgiving is set to be a cold one. Highs will not break the mid-30s as any remaining heat will escape once the clouds clear out and make for a cold day. Conditions will be mostly sunny and winds will still be on the breezy side. We will move throughout the week with continued cold temperatures before snow chances return Saturday and Sunday. Keep those winter coats handy as lows will be in the 20s as well. Overall, we will be well below our average temperature of 48 degrees as winter arrives early. Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!

-Chief Weather Forecaster Joseph Sawicki

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

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The annual event will begin atCardinal Greenway Wysor Street Depot, located at 700 E. Wysor St.

Registration is still open online for individuals or families wanting to participate in the holiday tradition.

Contact the Daily News via email at editor@bsudailynews.com.

Today: We saw some rain showers this morning and the clouds that accompanied them are going to stick around for the rest of the day. Our high is going to be 57 degrees and we see some moderate winds coming out of the southwest at 10 mph.

Tonight: Those clouds stick with us, however they aren't going to stop the temperature from dipping down to 36 degrees tonight. There are chances for showers very early on in the night. We are also seeing the winds start to pick up overnight getting up to 15 mph out of the west southwest.

Tomorrow: The temperature is not going to raise much above the low the night before, only getting up to 37 degrees. We also see how those winds that were building overnight are getting up to 25 mph. These winds could be dangerous during potential holiday travels.

Seven-Day: We see the very windy day on Wednesday with a slight chance of showers early in the morning. Thanksgiving on Thursday is going to be a chilly one only getting up to 33 degrees. Friday will be the same only getting up to 32 degrees, however the sun will start to come out, giving us something to look forward to. Unfortunately, that sunshine will be short lived as we see a mixture of snow and rain shower chances throughout the weekend and into the start of the work week. Tuesday will be much colder than the rest of the week, getting all the way down to 26 degrees, and there will also be a chance of snow showers as well.

-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

Minutes after the Indiana House confirmed it will return to the Statehouse next week to redistrict, Senate Republicans reversed course and will show up Dec. 8 to "make a final decision on any redistricting proposal sent from the House."

House Speaker Todd Huston said in a statement released Tuesday that "House Republicans will gavel in on Monday, Dec. 1, reconvening the 2026 regular session. All legislative business will be considered beginning next week, including redrawing the state's congressional map.

No proposed maps have been released as of midday Tuesday by legislative leaders showing how the General Assembly might accede to Trump's wish for Republican-led states to draw more GOP-friendly U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The move presents an intra-Republican Party challenge to the state Senate, where Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray has declared too few senators are in support for redistricting to pass.

But Bray confirmed Tuesday, the chamber will convene: "The issue of redrawing Indiana's congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state. To resolve this issue, the Senate intends to reconvene."

Trump and Gov. Mike Braun have made political threats against recalcitrant Republican senators - and a House vote in favor of new Indiana maps could ratchet up the pressure on those senators.

Last week, the House and Senate both set Jan. 5 as the date lawmakers would start the new legislative session - not on Dec. 1, as previously planned, to take up the redistricting debate.

But Huston instructed House members to remain prepared for a possible return to the Statehouse during the first two weeks of December. He told reporters the House had enough support to pass redistricting and that it was "prepared" to act.

Redistricting supporters want Indiana lawmakers to craft a map with all nine of the state's congressional districts favoring Republicans. Those would be based on 2020 census data, like the current maps.

Those were drawn by Republicans in 2021 and maintained a 7-2 GOP majority - with Democrat Frank Mrvan holding the 1st District in northwestern Indiana and Democrat André Carson holding the 7th District, which covers much of Indianapolis.

Trump started the national redistricting fight by pushing Texas Republicans to redraw its congressional map this summer. The pressure on Indiana Republicans has included trips in August and October by Vice President JD Vance to Indianapolis.

According to the post, "Whether you're flying in or just stopping by, get ready for a great dining experience right here at the airport."

The restaurant will re-open before 2026 - though an exact date is not yet disclosed.

Contact the Daily News via email at editor@bsudailynews.com.

"So, you know, his mission always was he, he felt sure that everybody had a desire to paint,"said president of Bob Ross Inc. Joan Kowalski. "And he's not raw, you know, I see people in classes when it's their first class they've ever sat through, I can just tell they've been itching to try it."

With his work, Ross wanted to provide joy and creativity to everyone who tuned in. For years Ross and his show filmed in Muncie, switching between the Lucius L. Ball House and Studio B in the basement of the Edmund F. Ball Communications building.

"Muncie was like his second home, he loved Muncie," said Kowalski.

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump rescinded billions of dollars in funding for PBS. The lack of funding for PBS and other stations, like American Public Television, made it harder to stream the Create channel. Create was established in 2006, with the purpose of providing free, educational and inspiring television.

"And I talked to my friends over at American Public Television, and I said you know what? If like, what if, you know, what would be a significant amount of money to help for the longest period of time," said Kowalski.

In order to help honor Ross and his ideals, Bob Ross Inc. donated 30 of his paintings for Bonhams Auction House to sell. All profits of the paintings will go to APT and PBS to help make it easier continuing to air the Create channel. The first three paintings went up for sale November 11, bringing in a total of $662,000.

The most impressive of the three paintings was Ross's Winter's Peace which sold for $318,000, and set a new global record for any Ross painting sold. Second was Home in the Valley and sold for $229,100, finally Cliffside brought in $114,800. All paintings more than doubled their expected prices.

"What we're doing with these paintings is a really proud moment," said Kowalski. "Honestly it really is, and I have to tell you, Bob would have probably come up with this idea if he were here, because it's just perfect."

The other 27 paintings will be going up for auction across 2026, with the next group of three being sold January 27 in Massachusetts.

Contact Aiden Murray with comments at aiden.murray@bsu.edu .

Boy's Basketball team is aiming for its fourth consecutive visit to the semi stage. The Eagles are going into the season with one of the younger rosters in their conference. With that being the case, Head Coach Mark Detweiler understands that finding roles is the most important aspect of working through this process, stating,

"It's a lot of new faces. A lot of it right now we're preaching is just, you know, roles, identity, carving out what you do well and what you bring to the table, and trying to stay within those roles," said Detweiler.

With a team as young as Delta's this year, finding leadership within the roster isn't always easy, but senior Lucas Bragg knows what he needs to do as a leader as one of the few upperclassmen on the team.

"Just doing whatever it takes to get the team to win," said Bragg. "Whether it be scoring a bunch of points, passing the ball to my teammates if they're having a good game… So just finding a way to win."

Detweiler's roster makeup this season is different from years past, but this only makes Detweiler more excited for the campaign ahead, as well as the types of players he'll get to work with.

"I'm most excited about the physical presence this group will have on the floor because of our size and athleticism," said Detweiler. "If we rebound and guard the interior like I think this group is capable of, then we will be a team that could compete for championships in the second half of the year."

Delta starts their quest to get back to the semi stage November 29 on the road at Connersville.

Contact Aidan McNally at aidan.mcnally@bsu.eduwith comments.

Tonight: Rain increasing under an overcast sky overnight, with rain increasing as you head towards daybreak. Some patchy fog is also possible, with a south-southwest wind at around 5 mph.

Tomorrow: Rain will persist through mid-morning with rain ending by the early afternoon. Highs will be in the upper- 50s with a wind out of the west-southwest at around 10 mph.

Seven-Day Forecast: Despite rain, Tuesday will be by far the most "pleasant" day of the extended forecast. A cold front sweeps through early Wednesday leaving Thanksgiving in Muncie the coolest in over a decade, with highs in the lower-30s and wind chill temperatures in the teens. As we reach the end of the work week, several chances for wintry precipitation exist across all of Central Indiana. It is too soon to tell just where, when, and if Muncie will see snowfall, but certainly is something to watch.

-Weather Forecaster Noah Gordon

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

This article contains spoilers for Wicked: For Good.

Wicked has taken the world by storm since the first film's release a year ago. The stage show has been around since the early 2000s, but the John M. Chu films have brought an entirely new fanbase to the musical. Wicked: For Good may be packed to the brim with crazy plots and subpar music, but it's hard not to be enamored by the entire world surrounding the two films and its grand finale.

The Second Act is Too Messy

It's pretty well known that the first act of Wicked is the better half of the musical. So much happens within the 60-minute second act of the stage show that even splitting up the film into two parts running over two hours couldn't save the pacing. The first half is a bubbly backstory of Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), while the second half is a much darker and harsher story. The lack of time in the stage show definitely transfers into the film. Although Wicked: For Good extends the original runtime by about an hour and 15 minutes, the story is still jam-packed and overwhelming.

The film expands on plots that didn't really need to be expanded on. Glinda is already the main character, so giving her another song, "The Girl in the Bubble," was unnecessary and told us everything the audience already knew about how she was feeling. The most shocking part of the film was the transformation of Boq (Ethan Slater) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) into the Tin Man and Scarecrow. Both characters handle their transformations in different ways, and it would have been so much more interesting to delve deeper into their feelings during the film rather than reiterating Glinda's same feelings over and over again.

The Acting Was (Almost) Wonderful

The highlight of the film was the main cast's acting. Both Grande and Erivo give outstanding performances the entire time; it was shocking how engrossed I felt by their emotion. Grande does an amazing job at putting on a facade in front of the Ozians, making it feel like two different performances in one. Both actors shine during the fight that they have after the house falls on Nessrose (Marissa Bode). It's so charming and makes for such an entertaining scene. In a film full of intense imagery, their performances bring a fresh breath of air. Although neither Grande nor Erivo won an Oscar for their performances in the first film, I hope to see them win for this one.

The other cast doesn't get as much time to show off, but they were also outstanding. Bode and Slater gave chilling performances of Boq and Nessa as their relationship deteriorated. Although Colman Domingo had very few lines as the Cowardly Lion, he added an extra oomph to the character that was never there. Bailey expresses so much emotion just through his eyes, you could feel Fiyero's pain just but the tilt of his eyebrow. Each actor gave a new perspective on all of the characters we know and love from the original The Wizard of Oz film; it was very impressive.

In my review of the first Wicked film last year, I mentioned how Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum'sperformances were a little underwhelming. I feel exactly the same in this film. Both actors are incredible, but they gave such dull performances. Yeoh's Madame Morrible was very one-note in this film, not showing much emotion over minor annoyance. There was no real passion behind the execution of her lines. I love her performances in other films like Everything Everywhere All At Once-which led to her Best Actress win at the Oscars-but this felt so unlike her other performances; it was unfortunate. Goldblum also gives a pretty dull performance. Goldblum himself is a silly and eccentric guy, making it easy to capture that essence on camera, but that's all he seems to do in the film. The Wizard doesn't seem to do much in this film other than pace and stammer a lot. It just felt like Goldblum in a green jacket, and there should have been a better execution for the character.

The performance of "Wonderful" does stick in my mind quite a bit. At one point in the song, The Wizard takes a globe of Oz into his hand and recreates the iconic scene from Charlie Chaplin'sThe Great Dictator, where Chaplin's character Hinkel does the same thing once he realizes he actually can take over the world. It's such a perfect metaphor for the film, but it gets lost in the whimsical way Goldblum portrays The Wizard. He's supposed to be the "all-powerful" leader, but instead he's seen as goofy and unserious, making it harder to understand how scary the amount of power he has is.

A Musical with Mediocre Music

The music in the film is pretty disappointing. Most songs on the soundtrack are just reprises of the first film, making them feel unoriginal and dull. There are some good songs on the soundtrack, but when a film is being advertised as a musical and the songs are just reworks from the first film, it's hard to praise it. "No Place Like Home," "No Good Deed," and "For Good" are the only real standouts from the film.

Besides the previously mentioned "The Girl in the Bubble," "No Place Like Home" is also an original song in the film. This song was surprisingly my favorite. Erivo is very good at singing with strong emotion that it felt like she really was singing to a group of talking animals. The title of the song is a nod towards the original Wizard of Oz and plays off the iconic phrase "there's no place like home" with a new perspective of the talking animals of Oz being forced out of their homes. It was a great addition to the soundtrack and the stage production is really lacking without it.

A Wickedly Wild Time

The past two years of Wicked content have been so entertaining that it's hard to completely dislike Wicked: For Good, but the first film is much stronger than this one. The plot is messy, some performances are bland, and the music is a downgrade from the first film, but the acting and intensity of the film make up for it. In the same way pink is synonymous with 2023 due to Barbie, pink and green are the defining colors of 2024 and 2025 because of the impact Wicked has made on the film industry.

Sources: IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, Wicked, IMDb, IMDb, Spotify, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, IMDb, Spotify, IMDb, IMDb, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, IMDb

Images:Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures

Contact Sam Jasionowski with comments at samantha.jasionowski@bsu.edu or @s.jasionowski on Instagram.

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.