Hosted by: Chris Dawson, Jaxx Lomax, Ian Fraser, Ash Weir

Edited by: Ian Fraser

Graphic by: Chris Dawson

After a game, there is still stuff to do, but when they are dismissed for the final time, it gets real, quick.

Uremovich said seeing the empty row in the back of the room will be a physical realization for the program that a group of guys is now simply gone.

The Cardinals were 4-8 in their first season under Uremovich, going 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and finishing the 2025 season 0-7 on the road. He said he learned that it is possible to win and recruit at Ball State based on the results of 2025.

Uremovich said it is always hard at the end of a season because there is so much work that goes into playing a full season. Uremovich said it is frankly disappointing.

"We didn't get to accomplish some of the things that I hoped we could do for them, things that I know we're going to do as a program, but I wanted that to happen now. I didn't want to wait," Uremovich said.

The head coach was welcomed into Ball State athletics just over a year ago to the day, and he said he has the same excitement he does for the future of the program as he did a year ago.

Uremovich said the Cardinals will address every single aspect of the program in the offseason, from coaching, recruiting, conditioning and more.

Bottom line, Uremovich wants improvement all around for 2026.

With the transfer portal open, Uremovich said Ball State is currently hyper-focused on recruitment in building the 2026 roster.

"Recruiting never stops, but at the end of the season, it kind of speeds up," Uremovich said.

The incoming class will be the first true recruiting cycle for the Cardinals. Uremovich said he is very encouraged about the incoming class.

Ball State just signed 15 high school athletes a few days ago on National Signing Day.

Although the Cardinals have signed 15 incoming freshmen, Ball State has already lost numerous players to the transfer portal. Starters who have decided to transfer include defensive end Darin Conley, wide receiver Eric Weatherly, running back Qua Ashley and linebacker Ashton Whitner, just to name a few.

Before the transfer portal, Uremovich said he always talked to players about what their role could look like within any program. He said that still goes on, but with the transfer portal, they can now leave at any time.

He said you cannot do anything about it but work in the environment you are provided.

And the transfer portal is the environment all collegiate athletic programs are currently in.

"I will not talk anybody into staying here; they've got to want to play football here," Uremovich said.

Uremovich said there is a real excitement around Ball State currently for recruits. He said they have shown that underclassmen can get on the field early, and they have also shown that transfers can come into the program and shine. The head coach specifically pointed to recently graduated defensive end Nathan Voorhis as someone who transferred in and raised his draft stock.

"There are very few places in America to have a better opportunity," Uremovich said.

Uremovich said he is optimistic about the younger classmen stepping into bigger roles in 2026. He said just because they were not on the field, it does not mean they were not working. He cited weight room improvements and practice development as strong suits heading into next season.

The Cardinals' job is to improve at every single position in 2026, Uremovich said.

"Our job as coaches is to get the best players we can possibly get at Ball State," Uremovich said. "The message, and they've heard it from me before, is that their goal is to develop and get as good as they can be, and my goal is to go out and try to find somebody that can take their job, because it's my job to get the best product on the field.

"We'll go into the spring, like we will every spring, and try to find our best 22 players to play."

Uremovich said he is not going to rush into the X's and O's of the Cardinals but will make those adjustments in February when the staff goes through every single play of the season.

He made an emphasis to pinpoint Ball State's road-game issues heading into 2026 as well.

The head coach said there are a million reasons for not playing well on the road, but it is the Ball State staff's job to figure that out ASAP.

Uremovich said there are a lot of things, too long to name, that have already changed within the program. He said it is obvious to see change on the field, but it has been the off-the-field changes that really matter within a program in only its first season under a new regime.

Above all, Uremovich brims with confidence.

He said he has seen the administration and athletic director Jeff Mitchell buy into what Ball State football is doing. He said he has seen the community and students show support for the Cardinals. And all that matters to Uremovich.

"It doesn't happen overnight, and we all want it right now, but there are no shortcuts," Uremovich said. "Sometimes you've got to go through some really hard things to accomplish what you want. We did some of that this year, and we'll be better for it."

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

From picking up her first comic book in elementary school to winning a Ringo Award, Wright, a fourth-year Ball State student, will graduate with the university's 2025 fall graduation class.

Wright, an illustration major, said she has been interested in art since she was a toddler, and that she was always inspired by her mother's paintings growing up.

"At my [elementary] school library, I was drawn to the comics section. Although I knew how beneficial they are, I never picked up any books without pictures or art," Wright said via email.

From that point on, she said she knew illustration and comics were things she wanted to pursue professionally.

"I first read the 'Bone' series by Jeff Smith when I was in the fourth grade, and it opened my mind to a kind of art form I was interested in," Wright said. "I always want my art to tell some kind of story, even now, and reading comics not only taught me how they work, but why they're so important."

She said she became much more involved in drawing when she got to high school. Both art classes and clubs became part of her routine, where she got to meet other art students and served as the art club's vice president for some time.

Having lived not too far from Ball State's campus when she was in grade school, Wright said she would come to weekend classes at the campus's Art and Journalism Building when she was just a child, which became part of the reason why Ball State had always been her top choice.

"Ball State was always the plan for me. I've lived a few minutes away off campus my entire life, and knew the art program was one to be proud of. I was already familiar with the environment. It was a perfect fit for me!" Wright said.

When Wright first enrolled in Ball State's art program, she initially wanted to focus on comic art, and only comic art. She said it was not until after she continued taking more classes that she expanded into other art media.

Not only did the art classes at Ball State help Wright tap into other art forms, but her peers and professors also guided her through her journey, providing inspiration, motivation and skill.

"So many professors and fellow students have guided me through so many struggles and challenges. I truly couldn't have done what I do without them," Wright said. "I feel like I've really been pushed into the right direction by these talented artists."

One professor who really helped Wright, specifically with motivation and inspiration, was Audrey Barcio, an assistant professor in Ball State's art program.

"Annie has passion, grit and determination, all markers for a successful artistic path ahead. The markers of a great artist are the same markers for a successful college experience," Barcio said via email. "Annie also brings lots of helpful advice and support to their classmates during critiques and day-to-day interactions and understands the importance of community in addition to hard work."

When it comes to seeking inspiration and overcoming artist's block, Wright said she turns to artifacts such as animated films and television shows, her favorite manga artists and more.

Sometimes, however, it is just about getting past the block.

"When art block hits, push through. It's what gets me through it. Even when I hate that I'm drawing or I wish I could just get something right, I just make sure the general idea is down," Wright said.

Just less than two months before graduation, Wright received an award at the Ringo Comic Book Awards for "Best New Talent," along with one of her artworks, a comic titled "Jane American" written by Jason Douglas, winning "Best Original Graphic Novel."

"I was certainly very pleased with the outcome. I truly didn't expect it because there were so many wonderful and talented artists who were nominated and present. I'm very appreciative of the moment and am excited to see what I do next," Wright said.

As of now, Wright's favorite piece of her artwork is a portrait of her favorite celebrity, Ryan Gosling. She chose to illustrate him for the portrait after being inspired by his performance and energy in the 2023 film, "Barbie."

Wright said she plans to continue her pathway in illustration and comics after graduation, while also exploring other forms of art she has taken an interest in, such as picture books and concept art.

Wright said assistant art professor John Ludwick was also somebody at the university who significantly supported her and helped her explore other art mediums.

"Going to college to learn art represents multiples of money, time, attention, plus your soul," Ludwick said. "You pour your feelings into moving characters, a painting, a story, a sculpture, and that can be uncomfortable, but being honest and revealing truths is what attracts audiences to what we do. Annie fulfills those monumental checkboxes. Annie always brings it."

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

Behind each piece displayed in the museum's galleries lies a trail of paperwork, condition reports, and systems that ensure the object can be traced; tomorrow, next year, or fifty years from now.

That trail is Maria's world. Her work transforms each donation or acquisition from a personal gesture to a part of art history.

The art of the offer

Every potential acquisition begins the same way, with a conversation.

"Most of the time, they talk to Bob," Maria said, referring to Museum Director Robert La France. "Very occasionally, somebody talks to me."

Maria and other members of DOMA's team take time to discuss what is being offered, whether or not it fits the museum's mission and what's actually possible to accept. Some items are an easy yes, while others require weeks of research before the museum can commit.

The curatorial team begins investigating the piece's origin and Robert does the necessary research. If there are questions or gaps, items can be placed on loan first, allowing DOMA to safely study them before making anything official.

Then comes the Accessions Committee, which reviews all pending donations and decides which will join the permanent collection.

The arrival

Once accepted, the piece needs to physically arrive at the museum, a step Maria said can be surprisingly complicated. This means coordinating shipping, handling, insurance and working with fine art handlers for packing.

Not every piece is donated and occasionally, DOMA purchases work using designated funds. However, whether it's gifted or bought, every item receives the same amount of meticulous treatment upon its arrival at the museum.

"Accessioning is the legal process that turns a donation into a museum piece," Maria said.

It's also one of the most important steps of this process, defining the registrar's work.

Each piece receives an accession number, a unique code based on the year, donation lot and sequence. The most important thing is that the number is unique.

Next comes a condition check. If an item needs attention, DOMA has a contracted conservator who will step in.

"He can do a lot on site," Maria said. "Things that need a lot of work will get triaged."

Even minor notes, like flaking paint, a tear in paper, etc., are logged in the pieces file.

Order in archive

Then begins what Maria calls "the standardizing work." Every detail of the work, ranging from artist, date, materials, dimensions, and acquisition source, goes into DOMA's digital database, linked to its accession number.

"If you're not doing it the same [way for each acquisition], you're not going to be able to find anything," she said.

The data entry is paired with a physical file, reinforcing the record on paper and on screen. Once cataloged, the piece is ready for curatorial decisions, led by Robert.

Pieces not chosen for display are stored carefully, sometimes for years, in DOMA's storage rooms. The climate-controlled areas are monitored for pests, temperature and humidity.

"What we do in storage, caring for all of that, [is] to make sure things are going to last and be accessible," Maria said.

A living collection

Maria's role doesn't end once a piece is tucked on a shelf. The museum lends items to other institutions, hosts exhibitions and supports researchers who contact DOMA to study its holdings.

DOMA's annual report reflects the scale of this work. In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the museum accessioned 81 works, five of which were portfolios containing hundreds of individual prints.

For Maria, being a registrar means working constantly at the intersection of art and order, reconciling history. She said she loves organizing and standardizing data, work that helps keep the museum's past legible now and for its future.

From a donor's personal collection to DOMA's digital database, each object passes through Maria's care, labeled, logged and preserved. The work isn't flashy, but it's the reason the museum can tell stories for generations to come.

"The museum exists for the community and we take great pride in that," she said.

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.

Rogers immediately packs up the scattered contents of his hotel room and sets out on the three-hour trek back to his hometown.

He ran his first marathon that day on the local Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, not letting the potential twisters ruin his chance to see the culmination of hard work and training.

Rogers' running journey didn't start as a way to get off the couch. Instead, he has been running since middle school.

As part of his junior high's cross-country team, the newfound running enthusiast contributed to his team's success and its streak of seven state championships.

He joined the tennis team at Westview High School, which went on to boast two state appearances, two semi-state wins, three regional championships and six sectional championships.

While Rogers' competitive running was at the high school level, he still ran in his free time.

Elizabeth Rogers, Isaac's mother, said her son has always had an adventurous and athletic spirit.

"We've just always found he did better overall in life when he was active. He was always doing something physical," she said about her son's childhood.

In his first-year at Ball State, the now graduating marketing major joined his first collegiate-level club team - Ultimate Frisbee.

The game, most commonly played among groups of young adults on various college greens, provided another connection to running for Isaac. It was through the new team that he said he met some other high school runners who helped him keep up with the sport.

However, it wasn't until he studied abroad in Rome last semester that Isaac said he began to run straight into a new obsession.

After joining a running club consisting of intense European runners, Isaac felt inspired to do something momentous.

"It really inspired me to do something with my last year here at college, [since] I'm free and I have time to run and do all these crazy physical feats that I've wanted to do for a long time," Isaac said.

September 2024 marked his leap into the long-distance running world, as he signed up for his first-ever half Ironman in Muncie.

"That was kind of just a spur of the moment 'I want to do this. Am I going to do it now or wait forever and never do it?'" he said.

Isaac's intensive training is a six-day-on, one-day-off regimen, heavily influenced by the runner's rule of thirds. A third of the time, he said he feels great about his training and experiences "runner's high" associated with torturously long distances. The other two-thirds are split between it being an average day or absolutely hating every moment that is spent running.

Isaac has followed that never-ending pattern for five races now - the cancelled Carmel marathon, two sprint triathlons, the Muncie half Ironman that started it all, and his latest: a 50-mile ultramarathon.

Each race has demonstrated its strengths and struggles, both emotionally and physically.

"Mentally, I wouldn't say it was hard, but it was difficult at times, saying I can't go to this get-together or whatever, because I have to go ride my bicycle for two hours," he said, reflecting on the social sacrifices he had to make for the sake of his training.

The experience has also had a physical effect on Isaac's body. His last race, the 50-mile ultramarathon, left him with an injured knee. The recovery process, he said, requires lots of icing and stretching, but Rogers should hopefully be running again soon enough to complete his goal of 1,000 miles before the end of the year.

Isaac's mother expressed what it's been like to watch her son's journey.

"[It is] unbelievable, but also a little scary at times, thinking about how hard he's pushing his body and seeing the process of an injury or a setback and then the healing process that comes with that," Elizabeth said.

It is not just about running for him, though. When his adventure began, Isaac knew he wanted to do something with the time he was putting into these marathons and races.

"I started thinking, 'What could I do to make it worth more than just a physical feat that I can run, get a medal and be over with? How can I make it a story, make it a journey, make it worth something more than myself throughout the race?'" he said.

Isaac's fiancée, Kaylyn Gates, shared with him stories of the human and sex trafficking that children around the globe were being affected by, leading him to partner his running journey with Destiny Rescue.

Destiny Rescue is a Christian non-governmental organization that sends in operations teams to countries and areas around the world to save children from trafficking. $1,500 is enough to save one child, and Rogers' goal was to save at least three by raising $4,500.

To reach his goal, Rogers tailored his social media presence to attract people who would be drawn to both the endurance of running and his philanthropic mission.

His website now shows that the donations he has brought in have exceeded $4,700, and he's already setting his sights on raising at least $5-6,000 next year.

Those interested can follow Isaac's journey, donate to his cause online, or create their own platform at freedomfitness.org.

Multimedia editor Isabella Kemper contributed to this story.

Contact Kyler Effner via email at kyler.effner@bsu.edu.

Imo, a computer information technology major with a minor in food management, is also the founder of the Culinary Connection Club (CCC). She created the club as a space where students can explore global cuisines, celebrate culture and build community through food.

"This month, we've done something a little bit special, where our visible leader of the month is actually a part of their organization, and recognizing them for both their hard work, but specifically for their organization," Murdock said.

After recognizing Imo and the CCC as the Visible Leaders of the Month, SGA moved on to Student Judiciary Applications for its Judicial Branch, which handles student-related issues and violations.

Starting off with the Chief Justice position, Brayden Hall is a third-year philosophy major with a dual minor in ethics and history. Hall is also a part of Phi Sigma Tau, a philosophy honor society, and the debate club. Hall wants to be Chief Justice to rejoin and work with SGA to help his community.

"I want to be a part of my community more. For the first two years that I was here, I was seeing what I was doing and actually having an impact. And those things really meant a lot to me," Hall said.

The SGA Senate approved Hall 29 to zero as Chief Justice.

After approving Hall, the SGA moved to Student Justice applicants, where approval required a two-thirds majority.

The first applicant, Cai Cook, was unable to attend the meeting, and Vice President Shaina Miller presented their slide on their behalf.

Cook is a second-year communication major with a concentration in advocacy. They want to be a justice to understand the inner workings of the student government and advocate for change. Cook plans to be a human rights advocate, a victim advocate and a nonprofit worker.

Sen. Jack Correa asks Miller whether Cook will have the time to serve as a justice. Miller responded that the justice applicants were asked to show up on short notice and explained that the presentations differ from those of senate applicants.

"We asked them to be here on very short notice. So if you're wondering why they couldn't be here today, that's why and why that presentation looks like this," Miller said.

Chief of Staff Caleb Trinoskey and Murdock also responded to Sen. Correa's question, saying that Cook has let them know they are working to free up their schedules and that the justices will decide on a day to meet for a hearing on a student issue, providing flexibility for the position.

Cook was denied the position for justice by 15 yays to 14 nays and one abstention, falling short of the two-thirds requirement.

The next applicant was Izzy Lawson, a second-year legal studies major with a minor in Spanish and journalism. Lawson is involved with Ball State's Mock Trial club at Ball State and Feminists For Action. Lawson said that she wants to be a student Justice to take on a leadership role and use what she has learned in her studies.

"Since I've been at Ball State for almost a year and a half now, I've come to consider it my home, and I want to become more connected with my campus and take on more leadership opportunities. And I think that this is a fantastic opportunity that aligns with my professional and academic interests, and my future plans include becoming more involved with student organizations and advocacy," Lawson said.

The senate approved Lawson, with 24 yays, four nays, and two abstentions, as a student justice.

The next applicant, Jamyah Robinson, was also not in person to present themselves, having Chief of Staff Trinoskey present their slide for them.

Robinson is a fourth-year legal studies major with a minor in business. She wants to be a Justice because she is confident in her ability to remain impartial and to evaluate each case solely on the facts and evidence presented. She wants to stay active in student organizations and continue serving her campus community as long as she can.

She was denied as a student justice with 17 yays to 13 nays.

Jay Hendrix is a first-year political science major and a minor in Spanish and history. Hendrix attends meetings for the Latin Student Union (LSU) and the Belegarth Medieval Combat Society, and he plans to take a leadership role in both. Hendrix said that being a justice is a good way to advocate for the Ball State Community and to stay politically active.

"We spend a lot of time here, and so advocating for the safety, comfortability and accommodation for other students is really important to me," Hendrix said.

The senate approved Hendrix with 23 yays, five nays, and two abstentions as a justice.

Julie Amstutz is a third-year legal studies major with a concentration in public law. Amstutz was the parliamentarian for the academic sorority Epsilon Sigma Alpha as a freshman, after someone stepped down from the position. Amstutz says she wants to be a justice to apply her knowledge and interest while also connecting with the campus community.

"I haven't been in many organizations quite yet, as almost everything that I've been in I've been in for less than a semester. I've been really trying to get involved more on campus," Amstutz said.

The senate approved Amstutz as student justice, with 26 yays to 2 nays.

Brigitte Guzman-Botero is a fourth-year legal studies major with a minor in economics. She is a part of the National Honor Society for Legal Studies and a treasurer for the Legal Studies Student Association. Guzman-Botero said she wants to be a justice for fairness and to help her campus.

"I'm already involved on campus and committed to serving my peers; this role would allow me to contribute in a more meaningful way, and I would use it as my last chance to learn, to use what I've learned in the classroom and support processes built on respect, integrity and honesty," Guzman-Botero said.

Guzman-Botero was approved by the senate to be a justice with 27 yays to one nay.

After the Justices were appointed, SGA moved to a senate application for the at-large caucus from Ibukunoluwa Ebanji, a first-year graduate actuarial science major.

Ebanji was part of a non-profit focused on sustainable development, where she helped develop initiatives for the Nigerian government. During Ebanji's undergraduate years, she was a treasurer, financial secretary and a program director for the actuarial club. She was a member of the International Association of Black Actuaries and a remote tutor for the Nigerian Actuarial Society.

"I like the fact that I can be a part of a movement that will support students while in school, because I know how hard it is to be a student. I mean, transitioning here, you think you have a hang of things, but knowing that there's an association that cares about students and making sure that student needs are cared for."

Ebanji was approved for the at-large caucus, with 30 yays and zero nays, unanimously.

After Ebanji was approved, SGA moved to unfinished business to discuss a piece of legislation to raise the minimum and maximum wages for on-campus jobs. The legislation proposed raising the minimum wage to $10 and the maximum to $15 by the end of 2032. The senate motioned to waive the second reading and moved to a vote.

The legislation was approved unanimously, with 31 yays to zero nays.

SGA's next meeting will be on Jan. 7, 2026, of the spring semester.

Contact Landon Jones via Email at landon.jones2@bsu.edu.

Check out these photos showcasing the event that marked the start of the holiday season with decorated displays, activities and a family-friendly atmosphere!

TheNew York Timesis suing the Pentagon over restrictions imposed on journalists, who are now forbidden from seeking news and information from government sources that have not been authorized to provide it.

In the lawsuit filed today inWashington's district court, theTimesstates that the new rules imposed byPete Hegsethviolate the First Amendment of theConstitution, which guarantees freedom of the press, and the Fifth Amendment, which guarantees the right to due process.

"The policy is an attempt to gain control over news that the government dislikes," said the newspaper's spokesperson,Charlie Stadtlander, emphasizing that "theTimesintends to vigorously defend these rights against violations."

"Journalistic accreditation should not be a chain," the newspaper added, referring to the fact that dozens of journalists, including those from the conservative broadcasterFox News, who refused to sign a commitment in October to abide by the rules imposed by Hegseth, have lost their Pentagon accreditation.

The Indiana Interim Study Committee on Fiscal Policy members examined teacher and administrator salaries, student-to-teacher ratios and other trends related to education during an Oct. 10 meeting, according to ICC. The median salary for teachers in fiscal year 2025 was $60,100, while the median salary for school administrators was $98,193 and the median wage for corporation administrators was $114,825, according to LSA.

The average salaries for teachers rose by four percent from 2024-25, according to LSA, even though median wages, after an inflation adjustment, decreased from 2020-25.

Just last year, the country was having issues filling teaching roles. Hiring fully certified teachers has been difficult nationwide, including in Indiana school districts, according to ICC, with nearly 75 percent of public schools nationwide reporting issues filling vacant teaching positions for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Fourth-year student at Ball State University, majoring in theater education and communications, Kira Arkins, expressed concern about finding a job as a theater education major, wondering how she will pursue a teaching career if there "isn't a space available" for her.

She also explained having feelings of anxiety about the usage of artificial intelligence (AI) in classrooms, saying her role as a theater educator is to teach empathy to her students. Arkins said that having AI in classrooms will allow students to "recite" rather than learn how to "critically think."

"It's really hard to teach empathy through a screen," she said.

Arkins has experienced "a little bit" of the lack of teachers in the classroom during her student teaching practicums. She said that her mom also works in education as an assistant principal, and they are "always short people" and always need substitute teachers, Arkins explained.

This can lead to less stability for students, Arkins said, and can cause students to struggle to "communicate with each other," and have difficulty communicating with "mentors in their life."

"It's a little disheartening to see," she said. "[Students] just really need the stability to have somebody they can trust and somebody they can go to just [be] there for them."

Ball State associate teaching professor Erik Shaver explained that pay is a "big problem" regarding Indiana's teaching shortage. Shaver said that, when adjusted for inflation over the past few years, a teacher's take-home pay in today's education system is lower than it was five to seven years ago.

According to LSA, teachers at rural and town schools have had the smallest wage growth, with adjusted wages declining by four to five percent compared to all teachers in adjusted terms since 2020.

According to ICC, Joel Hand, a representative of both the American Federation of Teachers Indiana and the Indiana School Social Workers Association, explained that to address teacher retention, teacher pay will have to be raised "across the board."

"If we want to keep those students who are getting degrees in education from leaving to go to Illinois or Ohio or Wisconsin or Michigan, we have to raise teacher pay," Hand said, in a quote provided by ICC.

Along with problems concerning educators' wages, Shaver said another reason educators are not taking teaching jobs is burnout. He explained that teachers have had increased expectations from their schools, such as dedicating additional time to grading assignments.

"It really leads to intense burnout, which then [causes] people [to] leave the profession, too," Shaver said.

Jill Bradley-Lebine, Ball State professor of educational studies, also claims that "increased stress levels" can contribute to a lack of educators in Indiana. She continued by elaborating on the COVID-19 pandemic and its connection to a lack of teachers in classrooms.

"Teachers were not necessarily prepared to take their instruction to virtual spaces," Bradley-Lebine said. "School districts were not prepared either to provide the kinds of support or infrastructure necessary to take teaching to a virtual space successfully."

On a local level, schools could be affected depending on their location, Shaver explained.

He said that Gov. Mike Braun will lower property taxes, which, according to the website Mike Braun For Indiana, will cap increases in tax bills at two percent for seniors, low-income Hoosiers and families with children under 18, and three percent for all other Hoosiers. This will also allow for a 21 percent reduction in the average homeowner tax bill and result in an immediate 39 percent reduction in the average tax bill for homes worth $80,000, according to the website.

As a result, Shaver said that when property taxes are lowered on schools, they receive less revenue, which could make it harder to "attract" money for school activities. He said that more "socially affluent" areas, such as Carmel or Fishers, will not be "hurt as badly" as smaller school districts in the state.

Bradley-Lebine said that Ball State students will have an "easier" time finding teaching positions, but schools that are less resourced might find it more "difficult" to find educators, she explained. Regardless of that, Bradley-Lebine tells her students not to "discount" these schools because of it.

"They can be extremely rewarding spaces to work in," she said.

Indiana lawmakers and education advocates have made a starting point for potential change through the Senate Enrolled Act 146, approved earlier this year, according to ICC. This law has raised the minimum teacher salary from $40,000 to $45,000, according to ICC, thereby increasing the share of state tuition support that Indiana school districts must spend on teacher compensation.

Along with motions being made by Indiana lawmakers, Arkins also wants there to be less "parental involvement" in schools. She explained that school districts want parents to be involved in "every step of the way" regarding their child's education, explaining that parents do not have an "education degree."

She also wants there to be an understanding of the amount of work that goes into teaching, saying that it is not "just eight hours a day and you're done," and that teachers make sure every student "has what they need."

"None of us would be here if we didn't have teachers," Arkins said.

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

Commencement Reception for Online Students

The Division of Online and Strategic Learning and the Graduate School will hold a Commencement Celebration for online graduate students on Saturday, December 13 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. in the David Letterman Communication and Media building lobby.

Yoga in the Planetarium - Registration Open for Spring

Spots went fast for this semester's Yoga in the Planetarium. If you didn't get the chance to participate this fall, registration is now open for the next session in the spring.

Submit Your Nomination for Outstanding Faculty Award

TheOffice of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairsis accepting nominations for nine outstanding awards, the Rawlings Outstanding Distance Education Teaching Award, and the Lawhead Award in General Education. Please consider nominating colleagues who have made a significant impact on the students, their fields, the university, and/or the community at large.

For more information, go toBall State's Communication Center.

Three years later, Magwood has now finished his career sporting the red and white.

The first time Magwood picked up a football was when he was four years old. His cousin, Ki-Jana Carter, who was the first overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft to the Cincinnati Bengals, signed Magwood up for football before he was even old enough to play.

"I got introduced to the game young and had really no choice but to fall in love with it," Magwood said.

Magwood's mother, Qiana Magwood, said that from a young age, every sport Qian tried to play, he excelled at.

"We just knew he was going to be an athlete," Qiana said.

Qian decided to come to Ball State when he was 17. His mother said that she was "extremely scared" because it was the first time that Qian had truly been away from home.

Someone who comforted Qiana's fears was Kiael Kelly. The redshirt senior quarterback has been by Magwood's side at Ball State since 2021, with the two living together for multiple years, building a bond that extends off the field.

Qiana said that it was amazing to see Qian have somebody who has been there for him through everything, especially when times were tough.

Kelly and Qian have had two different kinds of relationships on the field throughout their tenures at Ball State. The two have been a duo at quarterback and receiver for two seasons, and in 2024, they shared the Cardinals' receiver room when Kelly transitioned to wide receiver.

"We were both each other's critics [and] we wanted the best for each other," Kelly said. "No matter if that was catching punts or running routes, we were always helping each other get better."

Although their bond on the gridiron is evident, Kelly said their relationship outside of football is something he values very highly, noting that them ending up as close friends was "meant to be."

"When you have somebody that's going through the same things as you, then it's someone that you can lean on," Kelly said. "We just banded together, [and] stuck together through everything."

Kelly came in a semester after Qian, and the receiver said that he and his new quarterback clicked from the first moment they met.

"He's always been somebody that I can talk to," Qian said. "I'm just grateful to have a brother like that."

Qian's redshirt sophomore season in 2023 was his first season getting regular playing time, as he started six games for the Cardinals. That year, Qian began to shine for Ball State, as he recorded 41 catches for 358 receiving yards and a touchdown on the season.

His touchdown in 2023 was the first of his career, and it was a moment his mother described as "amazing."

Magwood's lone receiving touchdown of his 2025 campaign was again in front of his mother in the stands, against his hometown college in Ohio, with all of his family in attendance. The touchdown gave Ball State the win over his hometown team.

"It was a surreal moment," Qian said.

There was a shift in Qian's career at Ball State last year, when former head coach Mike Neu was fired. Neu was Magwood's coach from 2020-2024, and when Neu was fired last November, it created the possibility of Qian entering the transfer portal.

Even though he entered the transfer portal for a short stint, Qian knew that he wanted to remain a Cardinal for the end of his collegiate career.

"When I did enter the portal, I was just always getting pulled back to Ball State because of the family atmosphere [and] the friendships and the relationships that I established over the years," he said.

Even with Qian playing on a slew of different Ball State football teams, this year's squad, led by first-year coach Mike Uremovich, stood out the most due to the number of new faces across the program.

The redshirt senior receiver said that nothing really stays the same across all the teams he has been on and that every team is different. But despite the differences, Qian has recognized a constant with every Cardinals' team.

"Something that always stays the same is the family atmosphere," Qian said. "The locker room is just so sacred, especially this locker room."

As he wraps up and reflects on his time in Muncie, Qian said that the senior day runout before the Cardinals' game against Eastern Michigan was a moment that put everything into perspective for him.

"Before the Eastern game, we ran out on the field, did the whole senior ceremony," he said. "I got a little emotional [like] somebody was cutting onions around me."

The Cardinals' game against Miami (OH) was the last time that both Kelly and Qian suited up in a Ball State uniform together. The Cardinals lost in the seniors' last game, ending their final season with a record of 4-8.

"It was a good run," Kelly said. "However you look at it, all these years we had together, I'm glad that we made the best out of the situation [we had]."

Qian's career may not have been a storybook start in Muncie, as his shoulder injury prevented him from starting a game for the Cardinals until 2023. But even with all of the early obstacles, Magwood would tell his freshman self one thing: it was all worth it.

"All of it is worth it," he said. "I understand it's all for a greater purpose and now that I'm here, I just understand it now."

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

The light yellow bricks and blue accents to the administration building in The Quad stand out compared to the rest of Ball State's heavily red-brick campus. Finished in 1899, the building opened to house the Eastern Indiana Normal University. At its opening, it offered sixteen different departments with a tuition of $10 per 10-week term, according to a 1899 pamphlet issued by Eastern Indiana Normal University.

At the time of its opening, the building was praised as an "architectural triumph," according to a 1968 Ball State News, now the daily news article. Inside the new establishment, classrooms were found on the first floor, equipped with chalkboards and furniture. Each section of the building had a designated academic department and faculty offices.

From its opening in 1899, the institution had gone through five name changes and a brief closing between 1907 and 1912, when it became the Muncie Normal Institute. A year later, it was renamed to the Muncie National Institute until 191,7 when debt forced it to close, according to Ball State University Libraries. The site was purchased by the Ball brothers later that year and given to the state, marking the beginning of Ball State in 1918.

From the 1920s and 30s, multiple other academic buildings were completed and opened for the university. The Burkhardt building was completed in 1924 as the "science hall," while the original campus library was finished in 1926, which is now known as the North Quad building.

While renovations were being done on the administration building in 1964, the school used two houses that they had purchased as temporary office spaces.

Near the administration building is Lucina Hall, which houses nine different campus offices and departments, with the building acting as a Welcome Center. The building is the first place prospective students visit, and is one of the oldest buildings on campus.

Construction was finished on Lucina Hall in 1927, originally a women's dormitory for the Ball State Teachers College. It was built to house 110 girls and included a dining hall, which was later relocated to behind Elliott Hall upon its opening.

The building is named after Lucina A. Ball, the oldest sister of the Ball family. Lucina started working as a teacher and eventually became the first secretary of Drexel Institute in Philadelphia, according to Minnetrista Museum and Gardens. Next to the women's hall was Ball State's first residence hall, Forest Hall, which was torn down to make additions of 100 rooms to Lucina Hall in 1941.

During the 1973-74 academic year, the interior of the building was converted from a residence hall to an office building. Twenty years later, another round of renovations was completed. During these changes, the admissions office was relocated from the administration building to Lucina, where it currently resides.

Andrea Sadler, an associate director for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, spends her days working in the historic building. For her, welcoming future students in the former residence hall is special.

"Prospective students are starting their journey where Ball State started [its] journey," Andrea said. "It's just a very connected moment."

Andrea and the Welcome Center staff value the historical space and hope to maintain it in the best shape they can.

"We're constantly straightening the lobby. We're constantly making sure the restrooms are cleaned," Andrea explained. "… I feel like we're the caretakers of the history that's in this building."

Faith du Toit, the Welcome Center and group visit coordinator, works closely with Andrea and shares the same passion for the building.

"Just seeing the history and how far we've come, that's kind of a motivator for us," Faith said. "This is where we came from, we're the start of campus, but then also the start of a lot of these families' journeys that they're starting as well."

Andrea and Faith both agreed that students' connection with Lucina does not end after admission but continues through the other services provided in the building.

Two years before Lucina was completed, Ball Gymnasium was the newest building on campus, with construction finishing in 1925. The gym was a gift from the Ball family, which resulted in the university's name being changed to Ball Teachers College, Eastern Division, Indiana State Normal School in 1922, according to Ball State University Libraries.

One hundred years after the gymnasium complex was completed, it is no longer Ball State's main arena. In the 1960s, Irving Gymnasium was finished, taking Ball Gymnasium's spot for home athletics events. The school continued to update its athletic facilities, completing Worthen Arena 30 years after Irving's opening. Currently, it serves as Ball State's official sports arena with a capacity of 11,500 fans, according to Ball State University.

Irving Gym became part of the Jo-Ann Gora Recreation Center, which was completed in 2010.

Just outside The Quad is Burris Laboratory School. The K-12 school was established in 1929 as a part of Ball State Teachers College. Home games for Burris' basketball and volleyball teams are currently played at Ball Gym. The facilities are still used for some Ball State physical education classes and are open to students for recreation activities.

In December 1964, ground was broken for an $11 million housing project, LaFollette Complex. It was expected to be done in three years and accommodates nearly 2,000 students. A year before its completion, a fire broke out during construction due to a gas line leakage, according to a 1966 Muncie Evening Press article. Despite this setback, construction on the hall continued to prepare it for opening.

The 10-story building included housing for undergrad and graduate students, kitchenettes, lounges and laundry rooms on each floor, with an accompanying dining hall. Women's and men's halls and lounges were separate, as well as separate housing for graduate students when it opened.

Eventually, the area surrounding the complex blossomed with the addition of the Johnson Complex and Carmichael Hall. In the decades that followed LaFollette's opening, it stayed open and housed thousands of students, but eventually aged as central air became more standard and other dorms on campus received renovations. Instead of renovating the 50-year-old building, the university decided to start over completely with new residence halls.

In the dorm's 50 years of being open, many Ball State alumni have memories living there, being with friends, or the dining services of the building. Becky Nickoli lived in Woody Hall in the LaFollette Complex in 1966. Because the rest of the building was still being finished at that time, only Woody and Shales' floors were open in LaFollette that year. Even though they opened the floors to students, Becky remembers seeing the finishing touches being made during move-in.

"There were people actively working and still things along the hallway, like doorknobs and showerheads and shower curtains in the bathrooms," Becky said.

For a couple of days, she had a hole in the wall where a phone would eventually be placed to go back and forth between her room and the one next to her.

"If the people in the next room were still up, but you wanted to go to bed, the light from their room would shine right into your room," she explained. "You had to, like, stuff a towel or something in the hole to keep the noise and the lights out."

While the student living spaces were quickly completed soon after move-in, the rest of the building, including dining and lounges, would not be finished. The only dining option for Becky was at Noyer Complex, across campus. It wasn't until homecoming weekend that she was able to see the hall fully finished and ready for guests.

While her family was visiting in the newly completed lounge, the repercussions of the complex being under construction became clear to her and her family.

"I remember that my dad saw a mouse run across the floor in the lounge," she recalled. "It was just kind of funny. He's like, 'What did I just see?'"

After her first year in the complex, Becky was assigned to the dorm again the next year. During this time, she was able to utilize the amenities that weren't open the year prior, such as the dining services in the building. During LaFollette's years, not only did Becky herself live there, but her son and grandson were able to experience the complex as well.

In 2017, demolition began on parts of the LaFollette complex, which would continue until the last pieces were razed in 2022. This decision was made as part of a plan that included the new residence halls, North West and Beyerl residence halls, and North Dining. North West was built to replace Carmichael Hall, and North Dining would become a replacement for LaFollette's services.

Despite its destruction, the building is not completely gone. The LaFollette Brick Project was created to give former residents a piece of their history and raise money for the Thelma Miller Scholarship fund. It allowed people to buy a brick from the building for $75. Not only have some bricks found new homes, but limestone from the dorm was repurposed to create the pillars of its memorial.

Ball State continues to make changes to campus, reviving older spaces and creating new ones. Even with the addition of new buildings or renovations on older ones, the history of and experiences of students still remain. As the university works on The Village, current students will keep the memory of how the area looked during their time. The memories, photos and stories keep the older spaces of campus alive.

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.

"I thought we played pretty sound for about 32 or 35 minutes tonight, obviously the ball didn't drop like it did Sunday," Head Coach Michael Lewis said.

Ball State shot 32 percent from the field and 25 percent from three, a relatively big dip after shooting 46 percent from the field and 45 percent from beyond the arc against Le Moyne.

"It's early in the year, and I think there's time for growth," Lewis said.

Something to help with their growth could be the return of Junior guard Joey Hart.

"It was good to see Joey Hart back on the court tonight. He can give you a spark offensively," Lewis said.

Hart played in 29 games for the Cardinals last season, averaging 2.4 points and 1.3 rebounds a game. He has been sidelined all season due to plantar fasciitis, but after an MRI on Dec. 1, Hart was ready to go for his season debut against the Aces where he recorded three points and an assist.

As he was able to get back into somewhat of a groove on offense in his first game of the 2025-26 campaign, Lewis emphasized the work that has to be done on the defensive side of his game.

"He looked like he hadn't practiced in a month, defensively not offensively, but he turned a bad offensive possession into three points, which he has the ability to do," Lewis said.

With Hart coming back, Ball State looks to boost their offensive production going forward, but one bright spot from their performance was their ability to stay consistent from the free-throw line.

In their previous game against Le Moyne, the Cardinals shot a solid 71 percent from the charity stripe, their highest percentage when shooting over five free throws. Against Evansville, they were able to match that percentage and rack up two consecutive games shooting over 70 percent from the free throw line.

Ball State was able to make the most out of their free points, as they struggled to find a basket anywhere else, especially halfway into the second half.

Starting at the 10:21 mark in the second half, spanning until the 6:27 mark, was four straight minutes of scoreless basketball for both teams, something Lewis knows the team has to clean up heading into the bulk of the season.

"There was a section of the second half where neither team scored for a long period of time. It's going to happen, you know," Lewis said. "The thing that can be consistent is defense. I thought we put another solid defensive effort out there on the floor… but you're not going to win a lot of college games scoring 52 points, so we've got to be able to knock some shots down and be stronger around the rim."

The biggest takeaway from their defensive performance was their 25 defensive rebounds, seven more than their previous game. The Cardinals' defense also recorded ten blocks and two steals.

Ball State now has an overall record of 3-6, placing them second to last in overall record so far in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), but with two non-conference games left in South Dakota State on Dec. 9 and Campbell on Dec. 14, the Cardinals have time to get ready for conference play when they host Miami (OH) on Dec. 20.

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

I have lived in the suburbs my whole life. I was born in Noblesville, Indiana but was raised in Carmel, Indiana.

I am also on the autism spectrum.

I was diagnosed at the age of two, and during that time, doctors encouraged my family to move me to Carmel if I wanted to have access to proper resources that would help me grow to my fullest potential. My family ended up moving me and my siblings to Carmel, and it was there that they enrolled me into regular classes instead of a special school.

During that time, I had access to speech therapy, occupational therapy and was accommodated to the highest degree. I am not trying to complain or be ungrateful about having access to these programs because I am forever thankful that I had them in a turbulent time.

However, had I not moved to Carmel, I do not think that I would even be a student at Ball State. There are many students out there who aren't as privileged as I was, as students who go to schools in lower income communities will never have access to the programs that Carmel does.

As we continue to have these discussions about income and social inequality, it is important to address the level of inequality in the education system as a whole.

A study by the National Library of Medicine shows that school district resources, as measured by district revenue, are associated with an increased diagnosis rate of autism. The study showed that districts in the top decile of revenue had 21 children per 10,000 that were diagnosed with autism. It also showed that the districts in the lowest decile had only 3.5 children per 10,000.

But one question still remains: How do wealthier school districts get better funding, and why do lower income schools get less?

Many would point to not having federal funding for all public schools. Having public schools be funded locally results in inconsistent and oftentimes unequal amounts of funding for other school districts.

According to The Learning Policy Institute, states with lower budgets for education lead to lower test scores, decreased college enrollment rates and even a loss of teachers. 43 percent of public education funding also comes from local taxes.

For me, I've had the privilege to meet people from different parts of Indiana outside of my hometown, and so many of those people are surprised by the level of luxuries and benefits that the Carmel Clay Schools have because so many of them have never had even half of what I had. Some of these people came from Indiana cities and towns, such as Kokomo, Gary, Elkhart, Muncie and the west and south side of Indianapolis. This largely impacted my mindset on the issue, because I have always admitted to benefiting from being in a wealthier culture and being privileged to the point where I never thought about how so many outside of Carmel are not as privileged as I was in that regard.

The Peterson Foundation elaborates, saying, "School districts with high-value property are often able to fund their schools above the minimum level established by the state, contributing to wider disparities. Those disparities become more apparent during economic downturns because wealthier school districts benefit from relatively stable revenues from property taxes."

As Indiana goes down this path of gutting the funding for public school districts while also promoting charter schools that only wealthier families can afford, we already have an issue of our own regarding funding disparities. Just last year, The U.S. Department of Education acknowledged that students from lower income households may require as much as two to three times the funding as students from affluent backgrounds.

A city like Muncie, Gary or even parts of Indianapolis receive half of the funding that cities like Carmel or Westfield, Indiana get.

The level of inequality in education funding is not an issue of government overreach. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been federal law for more than thirty years and yet states are not abiding by it.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division , Title II and Title III of the ADA, which applies to state and local governments along with businesses and nonprofit organizations, are required to provide auxiliary aids and services for those with vision, hearing and speech disabilities.

These services include sign language interpreters, notetakers, communication boards and even technological resources like tablets. By definition, the state and local governments that don't provide an even level of funding are violating federal law by creating laws that make both public and private schools in wealthy communities receive more resources than other schools.

If the states, local governments or private sectors fail to provide for people equally, then why should the federal government not intervene and secure rights for the marginalized?

Looking back at my time in the Carmel Clay School system, I was the first and only student on the autism spectrum that was enrolled in a mainstream class at the time. This led to an entire parent-teacher conference with every last parent of the students in my class along with the teachers. Aside from having access to different therapies, there was even a third-party observer who made sure that my school was providing me with the proper accommodations and equal access.

It's crazy to me that Carmel has the money and power to provide the level of resources for just one kid while schools outside of Carmel don't even have the resources to accommodate an entire school of students. This lack of equal federal funding has made this into a human rights issue that isn't and hasn't been addressed.

Let's start having the difficult conversations that many are uncomfortable having when it comes to student's futures - not just during Autism Acceptance month, but all year long.

Contact Jacob Rodgers via email at jacob.rodgers@bsu.edu.

The author of Indiana's new congressional redistricting bill acknowledged the maps are "politically gerrymandered" during committee questioning Tuesday but defended the proposal against accusations of illegal racial gerrymandering.

The maps,released Monday morning, were drawn "purely for political performance" of Republicans, Rep. Ben Smaltz told indignant Democratic colleagues.

The current districts, drawn by the GOP in 2021, are 7-2 in favor of Republicans. The House and Senate GOP worked with the National Republican Redistricting Trust to engineer a likely 9-0 sweep of the districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.

"They're politically gerrymandered, if you'd like to say that," Smaltz, R-Auburn, said.

He was adamant that no racial information was used in craftingHouse Bill 1032.

The targeted districts now held by Democratic Reps. André Carson and Frank Mrvan are by far Indiana's most racially diverse. The maps split Carson's district, which largely overlaps Marion County borders, four ways, and halves Mrvan's.

"You're okay with … racially gerrymandered maps if you get your desired outcome for … politically gerrymandered maps?" asked Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis.

"We didn't look at that, at any of that," Smaltz replied.

He faced more than an hour of intense questioning from Democrats on the House Elections and ApportionmentCommitteeon Tuesday, which also featured ominous testimony from Marion County's elections chief and a prominent Republican.

It was the House's only hearing on the maps, held with less than a day of notice. A committee vote is expected sometime today.

'Chaos' incoming, clerk says

Local election officials typically have a year before an election to make redistricting-related adjustments, Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell told the committee.

If approved next week as planned, clerks would have a matter of months before the May 5 primary election.

She detailed the complex updates required to reassign the likely hundreds of thousands of impacted Indianapolis voters, retrain thousands of poll workers, update public communications and more - all on a smaller budget.

Precinct splits present further "administrative burden."

"If any of this is done incorrectly, voters are going to feel the impact when they come to vote," the clerk said.

She urged lawmakers to reject the proposal, adding, "If it passes, there will be chaos. Chaos in clerk's offices around the state. Chaos when candidates file at the election board. … That's exactly what election administrators want to avoid."

More than 20 witnesses spoke in opposition to the proposal by mid-day, including retired Ivy Tech Community College President Sue Ellspermann. The Republican previously served as lieutenant governor under former Gov. Mike Pence, and as a House lawmaker.

"We have fair maps. The ones we have performed - some might say over-performed - for the Republican majority," she said. "The plea to redraw Indiana's map is coming out of Washington, D.C. Some may argue that they have the right to ask, and in that case, we certainly have the right to answer, 'No.'"

She reminded lawmakers - including former colleagues amid 2011 redistricting - that they pledged to "serve all Hoosiers, not just those who voted for us or the current president" in their oath of office.

Hoosiers "have a reputation for standing up to political pressure," Ellspermann added, lauding Pence for his refusal to overturn the 2020 election.

Just two witnesses had spoken in favor of the maps by midday: Allen County resident Paul Logemann, who is a lobbyist with D.C.-based Heritage Action, and Marion County resident Nathan Roberts.

Logemann pushed legislators to advance the maps, saying they "reflect the will of Hoosiers and ensure that Hoosier voices are not diluted in Congress."

California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Utah have already heeded - or countered - President Donald Trump's call for more GOP U.S. House seats.

This story will be updated.

"[Campus] was ugly," he said. "It [had]a utilitarian, mid-20th-century kind of lookfor everything."

Chris, who's now a senior lecturer inthe Department of Media on campus, haswitnessed campus flourish. He enjoys sittingin his office, looking out his window at thebeautiful view in front of him.

Ball State has evolved considerablysince the university opened in 1918. Eachtime a major moment of evolution occurred,whether it be the removal or addition of astructure, a cartographer was tasked withcapturing that moment on a map.

At the turn of the century in around 1900,Chris said there was a movement called "CityBeautiful," as towns hoped to revitalize theircommunities in response to the SecondIndustrial Revolution. During this, factorieswere dumping polluted waste into the rivers,streets were filled with trash and the air wasfilled with smog.

When Ball State's campus was built,they wanted to create a space for studentsto congregate, so they designed thecampus Quad.

"There's always been an effort to makethe natural space good," Chris said.

Comparing what he sees now to when hewas a student at Ball State, Chris said thatthere are more hubs on campus for studentsto "just exist." When he was a student, allthey had was the library.

For over 20 years,Melissa Gentry has beenthe supervisor of the PaulW. Stout map collectionin Bracken Library.

She said that mapsare more than justfor navigation;they are an"archive of theworld.' Notonly do wesee changesin thephysicalworldaround us, but also how political climatesand society have changed through time.

In 1976, the collection started with 8,000maps, but now holds over 140,000. Thecollection grew in part because of a federaldepository, meaning any map made by thegovernment was automatically entered intothe collection. Paul Stout, the originator ofthe collection, attended summer workshopsat the Library of Congress, where he wouldtrade maps for the collection.

Maps can be used for much more thannavigation. We can use them as resources inour history or as visual aids in presentations.Melissa said that maps are also great forvisual learners when it comes to research.

"You can write a paper that's thousandsof words, but you can have that same topicrepresented on a map," Melissa said.

The Paul W. Stout map collection has theentire set of Muncie's maps and Melissa saidit is interesting to see its changes over time.

One example she pointed out was inMuncie's early history. There were "horse-related buildings" such as barns, stables andliveries. Years later, those buildings wentaway as the bicycle became popular. Nowthey are replaced by gas stations.

When discussing the evolution of BallState's map, Melissa said some may believethat the campus started from the Quad andmoved north, but it actually evolved non-linearly, partially due to former universitypresident John Emens.

During his time in the role, the TeachersCollege, Hargreeves Music building,Arts and Communications building, andLaFollette Hall were built. This left a largeempty field between the Teachers Collegeand LaFollette Hall that would later be filledin by other campus buildings, like BrackenLibrary in 1972.

Dean of the Estopinal College ofArchitecture and Planning David Fergusonhas worked at Ball State for over 35 years andis trained as a landscape architect, an alumof the Ball State College of Architecture andPlanning (CAP) program.

David said before the 1980s, campuswas planned "haphazardly" until landscapearchitecture became intentional. It wasn'tuntil the 1990s that we began seeingpathways that are curvilinear lines.

"Most of the impact on our footprint has been generated by landscape architecture and master planning firms," David said.

One of the first gathering places on campus came with the addition of the Frog Baby Fountain in 1993. Eric Ernstberger, a Ball State CAP alum, opened a design firm in Indianapolis whose team has designed many features on campus, such as the Shafer Bell Tower and the Frog Baby Fountain.

"We as human beings have an intuitivesense for spaces that have energy to them,"David said. "We can tell when there's a gooddesign in front of us."

David said campus is not the same placeas it was when he was in undergrad. Whenhe attended Ball State, the CAP program wasin what was then called the Quonset huts,former army barracks turned into classrooms.

After the original CAP building was builtin 1972, the College of Business then tookover the Quonset huts until the WhitingerBusiness Building was erected in 1979.

For some time, David said, he felt thatthe east side of McKinley would never bedeveloped. At the time, that area was a pathnow referred to as "The Cow Path." It wasn'tuntil 1984 that all of that changed whenRobert Bell was built and the UniversityGreen became an official quad. In 1988,Ball Communications and the Lettermanbuilding were built, starting the centralcluster of the current campus.

Currently, Ball State is moving into TheVillage, starting with a new performing artscenter. This will serve as a catalyst to startThe Village Revitalization Project.

Chris hopes to see a stronger connectionwith The Village in the coming years. Hesaid that ideally, a grocery store or a movietheater would be added so students could liveon campus without the need for a car.

As campus continues to grow, we willcontinue to see additions to its map. As welook towards the future, we can ensure that itwill be captured in history.

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

UPDATE: 3:15 p.m.

On Dec. 2, the Muncie Sanitary District posted an apology on Facebook, for a miscommunication due to a "potential delayed start."

"The Muncie Sanitary District has initiated road closures in Downtown Muncie for upgrades to the large sewer line which crosses under High St. and runs along Franklin St. The roads will remained closed for approximately two months," according to the post.

###

The Muncie Sanitary District is closing roads in downtown Muncie for up to a month due to "ongoing maintenance work," according to a Dec. 1 Facebook post from theCity of Muncie.

The closures include: Wheeling Avenue at the High Street Bridge, High Street from Wysor Street south to Gilbert Street, Franklin Street from High Street south to Gilbert Street and Wysor Street from High Street east to Walnut Street.

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

Indiana House Republicans released Monday a proposed redrawing of the state's congressional maps aimed at producing a 9-0 Republican U.S. House delegation.

The proposed map splits strongly Democratic Indianapolis among four districts that all stretch far into rural, heavily Republican counties.

The map obliterates the current 7th District now held by Democratic Rep. André Carson. The new 7th District would span from the north side of Indianapolis to counties along the Ohio River near Cincinnati.

The Lake Michigan shoreline area that now makes up the 1st District held by Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan also is split up. Republicans propose a new 1st District taking in Democratic-friendly Lake County then heading southeast to take in the areas around the small cities of Logansport, Peru and Wabash.

Indiana House members are scheduled to meet Monday afternoon to start the process of considering the congressional redistricting that President Donald Trump has been demanding for months to improve the chances of Republicans keeping their slim majority in the U.S. House.

House Republicans will announce today who will carry the bill as well as information on public hearings. In 2021, lawmakers held14 hearings around the stateand in Indianapolis.

The state Senate, where several Republican senators have expressed opposition to the redistricting, is expected to meet next week.

Trump won each of the districts under the proposed map by at least 12 percentage points in the 2024 election,according to an analysisbyIndianapolis City-County Councilor Nick Roberts, a Democrat.

Trump's narrowest win was in the proposed 1st District, where Republican Gov. Mike Braun won by a 6 percentage point margin, according to Roberts.

Cookie Decorating & Goodie Bags

Get into the holiday spirit with cookie decorating! Hot cocoa will be provided. Volunteers can stay after to help make goodie bags for the creative team of The Nutcracker.

• Price: Free
• Location: AR 145
• Date and Time: Tuesday, December 2 from 5:15 p.m - 6:15 p.m.

Snowflakes and Storefronts: Muncie Holiday Shopping

Step back into Muncie's most magical holiday traditions at this nostalgic presentation. Explore dazzling downtown memories, iconic window displays, and the stories that made "Magic City" shopping unforgettable! This event is brought to life by expert archivists and historians. Admission is free with a reservation.

• Price: Free
• Location: Ball State Alumni Center
• Date and Time: Wednesday, December 3 from 6:00 p.m - 7:30 p.m.

Light Up Muncie

Enjoy the festive performances, food trucks, shop at the Holiday Makers Market, and witness the magical lighting of the animated community tree at Canan Commons. NEW this year, Lighted Parade and kid's fun zone. Bring your family and friends for a magical night in Downtown.

• Price: Free
• Location: Downtown Muncie - Canan Commons
• Date and Time: Thursday, December 4 from 5:00 p.m - 10:00 p.m.

Enchanted Luminaria Walk

Kick off the holiday season with family and friends at Minnetrista. Enjoy three miles of enchanting lights, sweet treats, food, live music, live theatre, winter crafts, a barrel train for kids, their popular Holiday Artisan Market, and more.

• Price: Free
• Location: Minnetrista Museum & Gardens
• Date and Time: Friday, December 5 from 5:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m.

Evergreen Wreath Workshop

Create your very own Holiday Wreath to adorn your door or home! The workshop includes a live 12" mixed evergreen wreath with variety of bows, dried materials, holiday picks, and all the tools needed to create your holiday wreath.

• Price: Free
• Location: Wasson Nursery
• Date and Time: Saturday, December 6 from 10:00 a.m - 11:00 a.m.

Head coach Michael Lewis said that he cannot overstate how proud he is of the effort that his team gave to bounce back.

Lewis served as an assistant coach on UCLA's 2021 Final Four team, and he said that even coaching that run, he has never been prouder of a performance than he was in this win.

The team's third win of the season came after losing 80-73 to Monmouth and losing 55-37 to Lafayette. Their 96-85 win over Le Moyne concluded a three-day trip to Pennsylvania.

In the Cardinals' win, it was their first time outrebounding an opponent since Nov. 7 against Mansfield. The Cardinals grabbed 12 more boards than Le Moyne and a bulk of those came from freshman forward Preston Copeland.

The freshman started for the first time this season against Lafayette and had the best game of his first season in his second consecutive start against Le Moyne. Copeland had ten points on 4-7 from the field while also grabbing 16 of the team's 38 rebounds.

"He has an extremely high ceiling," Lewis said. "His athleticism, his ability to move, he's kind of like a blank canvas as far as what you can do with that and work with him."

Early in the second half against Le Moyne, Ball State went down by as many as eight points. But the Cardinals fought back to take the lead just a few minutes later.

"They very easily could've shut it down and packed it in, [but] they stayed together and made a lot of plays," Lewis said.

After taking the lead with nine minutes to go in the half, the Cardinals held a lead the rest of the way and controlled the game until the final buzzer.

Lewis said that it would be difficult to talk about all of the players that played at a high level against Le Moyne. But a player in particular that made huge contributions in the game was senior guard Juwan Maxey.

The transfer guard from Youngstown State had his best performance of the season, scoring 27 points and splashing in seven threes. This comes after a few rough shooting performances to start the season, but Lewis is confident that a performance like this can spiral into even more.

"When you're a shooter like he is, when that ball doesn't go in it's easy to lose confidence," Lewis said. "Normally when your shooter sees those things go in, nights like tonight happen and they continue to happen."

The Cardinals' loss against Lafayette was arguably their toughest loss of the season. The team shot 22% from the field and ten percent from three, and it capped off a five-game losing streak. Lewis said that the team went through a lot, but that he is proud of how they turned it around with a win.

"To be able to flush that and to be able to come back and perform the way that they did today is special," Lewis said.

The Cardinals will be back in action on Dec. 3, when they will go on the road to take on Evansville.

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