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Muncie Resists hosts protest against ICE

Jayden Vaughn — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 20:59:51 -0500

Approximately 200 people gathered on the sidewalk outside of Clara Lane's Walmart in Muncie around 3 p.m. Jan. 11 to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the Jan. 7 death of Renee Good, a woman who was reportedly shot and killed by an ICE officer in Minnesota, according to The Associated Press.

Muncie Resists, a local group dedicated to opposing President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement, is focused on promoting democracy, advocacy and education within the Muncie community. In collaboration with other progressive groups such as MoveOn, they hosted the event to increase visibility for Muncie and Delaware County, according to its website.

Chair of Muncie Resists Sarah Vitale said, "We have people who share our values, who want to say that immigrants are welcome here, [who] do not approve of law enforcement officers using their power in illegal and violent ways."

Vitale also spoke out about her hopes for the potential outcomes of these protests against ICE.

"We want to show the message to people who disagree with us, and we hope we can convince them that immigrants are welcome here. They are wonderful and essential parts to our community, and we want to make sure law enforcement follows the rules," she said.

Since so many people drove past the protest and honked their horns, Vitale said she wants everyone to know they can find allies within Muncie Resist who share their values, and that anyone can show up to the organization's events.

Several other protesters shared a similar sentiment, emphasizing their opposition to the Trump administration's policy of sending out ICE agents, and explaining that they "want justice."

Vice Chair of Muncie Resists Mary Moore said, "We want justice when they do break the law in their jobs."

Many of the protesters in attendance were also there because of the death of Good.

"The nation is mourning the loss of Renee Good. She should not have died, and we do not want more loss of life," Moore said. "A lot of people are feeling very helpless and want to make a clear stand that they think that the shooting of her was unlawful."

George Wolfe, former director of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Ball State University, also spoke out against ICE during the protest.

"The problem is they are detaining American citizens. We are no longer living in the land of the free when that happens. People are being arrested without being told why. People are being arrested, and they are not being given their rights," Wolfe said.

Wolfe also spoke out about his opinion on the long-term goals of these protests.

"We need to outnumber them. We need to drive them out, and we have to do it through non-violence. Otherwise, we will become just like our enemies."

With over 200 people in attendance, Muncie Resists was happy with the turnout.

"We thought people, despite it being so incredibly cold, were willing to stand on a sidewalk in the middle of a freezing day just to take a stand against ICE and for justice," Moore said.

Contact Jayden Vaughn via email at jayden.vaughn@bsu.edu.

Protesters gather in front of Muncie City Hall, condemning the U.S. government

Landon Jones — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 17:51:20 -0500

Ball State University students and Muncie community members gathered outside of Muncie City Hall Jan. 10 to protest the Jan. 3 bombing in Venezuela by the U.S. military, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and the capture of Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro.

Court documents reveal the reason for the invasion was to capture Maduro and his wife in order to put him on trial for alleged Narco-Terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons charges.

Protesters came to city hall Saturday with signs, repeating various chants such as, "Keep your hands off of Venezuela," "No more bombing their abuelas," and "Biggest threat in the world today, Donald Trump in the U.S.A." to express their opinions of the situation, with many voicing frustration regarding the U.S. government's decision to enter another country.

One of the protesters who spoke to the crowd was Tanya Pearson, an assistant teaching professor of women's and gender studies at Ball State.

Pearson is currently running for Indiana State Senate District 26 as an independent candidate.

"America has a history of destabilizing and overthrowing socialist projects and governments. Our government has never been concerned with democracy or human rights. It is only concerned with power and control in the name of capital," Pearson said.

Parallels were also drawn amongst the crowd to previous conflicts involving the U.S., such as the Persian Gulf War, the Vietnam War and the War on Terror.

"The Reagan 'regime' asserted dominance in El Salvador for military spending and training in Nicaragua when the Reagan administration illegally sold weapons to Iran to fund the anti-communist rebels. In Chile in 1973, when socialist president Salvi Oriente was imposed and replaced with a dictator, the United States has strangled Cuba and Venezuela, among others, with sanctions for decades. United States foreign policy is imperialism," Pearson said.

Pearson was referring to the Iran-Contra Affair in 1985, when Iran and Iraq were at war and Iran secretly obtained weapons from the United States. She also referred to the 1973 Chile Coup, when the U.S. supported efforts to destabilize socialist president Salvador Allende, who was overthrown and replaced by Chilean general Augusto Pinochet.

Ryan Mills, a long-time member of the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP), PSL and the National Black Radical Organizing Conference (NBROC), gave a speech during the protest, as well. Mills took to the steps to condemn the U.S.'s actions.

"Black philosophy strongly condemns the international law of the Neo fascist U.S., the violent aggression and the blatant attacks on the people-centered human rights of Venezuelans, and the violations of Venezuelan sovereignty," Mills said. "The objective of the attack is none other, to seize Venezuela's strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, to break the nation's political independence by force."

A Muncie local who is active in political organizations, Joseph Souza, reinforced Mills' message, stating that many groups won't stop as long as injustice persists, not just in Muncie but across the world.

"Moments like this require the utmost importance and solidarity. It requires us to listen closely to those in the movement who have been organizing for decades, not just in this city, but all across the world. Ryan Mills has been living in this city as a working-class hero … not just representative of his organization, but over 100 organizations across the United States," Souza said.

The rally lasted about two hours outside city hall, with people chanting and waving flags, including a Palestinian flag and two plain red ones symbolizing left-leaning ideologies such as socialism, to show their support for Venezuela and many other countries in political discourse. Cars drove by, honking in support, while others drove by, shouting in disagreement with the protestors.

The protest ended just as it had started, with protesters chanting their frustrations with the government while expressing support for the people of Venezuela.

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

Healing begins when we stop measuring worth by endurance

Cristal Mariano — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

Cristal Mariano is a third-year journalism major and writes "Breaking Barriers" for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily reflect those of the paper.

My alarm goes off before the sun rises. Before my feet even hit the floor, I scroll through my phone. Work shifts, class deadlines, unread emails and the quiet anxiety of everything I have not yet done all pile up at once.

The day feels heavy before it even begins, but I take a deep breath, smile and keep going. That is what strength looks like, right?

Somewhere along the way, being strong stopped feeling empowering and started feeling exhausting. Strength became something that was expected of me, not something I chose. It stopped feeling like a badge of honor and became a responsibility I could never put down.

There was no clear moment when this shift happened. It built slowly, through long nights, early mornings and the constant pressure to prove I could handle it all. I learned how to minimize my own feelings, push discomfort aside and convince myself that rest could wait.

In the Hispanic community, strength is deeply valued. I grew up watching the women around me juggle responsibilities without complaint. My mom worked long hours, handled stress quietly and still found ways to show up for others.

That kind of strength was never announced or celebrated - it was expected. It lived in routine, in sacrifice and in the unspoken understanding that you do what needs to be done and can figure out the rest later. Watching that shaped how I understood resilience. I did not learn how to talk about exhaustion or fear; I learned how to work through it. Strength was not something you questioned - it was something you embodied.

For a long time, I admired that kind of strength. I still do. It represents sacrifice, love and resilience. It reflects survival in a world that has not always been kind or fair. But as I have grown older, I have started to understand that there is another side to that strength that we do not talk about enough. One that comes with emotional cost.

When strength is treated as a requirement instead of a choice, it can start to feel like a cage.

Being a Latina student balancing school, work and family expectations, I have learned how to hold everything together even when I feel like I am unraveling. I have said "I am fine" more times than I can count. I have ignored exhaustion, brushed off stress and told myself I would rest later. After the deadline. After the shift. After everything else was done.

But later rarely comes.

Instead, the exhaustion builds slowly and quietly. Emotionally, mentally and physically. You start running on autopilot. Even moments that should feel fulfilling can feel heavy. Strength, in that sense, becomes survival.

Surviving is not the same as living.

There are unspoken rules that come with being a strong woman.

"You do not fall apart. You do not complain. You do not let people see you struggle."

Vulnerability feels like failure. Rest feels undeserved. Asking for help feels like weakness. These ideas become so deeply internalized that even when no one is explicitly telling us to keep going, we pressure ourselves to do so.

Studies published in Nursing Clinics of North America show that women experience anxiety and depression at significantly higher rates than men. The research also highlights how social expectations, emotional labor and caregiving roles contribute to increased stress in women.

Reading that research for the first time felt uncomfortably familiar. That realization hit me hard because it explained so much of what I had been feeling but could not always put into words. It explained why I felt guilty resting, why opening up made me feel uneasy and why slowing down felt like I was doing something wrong - even when I desperately needed it.

I did not realize how much I was carrying until my body and mind started pushing back. I had trouble sleeping, felt emotionally numb and was crying over small things because the bigger emotions had nowhere to go.

I thought something was wrong with me. In reality, I was just tired of always being strong. I was tired of pretending I was okay.

The National Institute of Mental Health emphasizes that emotional well-being is just as important as physical health. Their research shows that ignoring stress does not make it disappear. Instead, tension builds and compounds over time. Chronic stress can affect concentration, mood, energy levels and overall quality of life.

These effects can interfere with daily functioning, academic performance and relationships. This reinforces the idea that constantly pushing through exhaustion does more harm than good, even though many of us are taught to see rest as optional.

We live in a culture that glorifies being busy. Being tired becomes a personality trait. Healing, on the other hand, is rarely applauded.

Healing requires slowing down. It requires honesty, not just with others, but with yourself. It asks us to sit with discomfort rather than run from it. For people who have been taught that their value lies in productivity and resilience, that can feel terrifying. Slowing down can feel like failing.

I am still learning how to let myself feel without judgment. Healing does not mean I am giving up strength. It means I am redefining it.

I have realized that so many women around me are carrying the same invisible weight. We do not talk about this enough, especially in communities where resilience has always been necessary for survival. Strength gets passed down like wisdom, but sometimes it comes with silence attached. And that silence can be isolating. It teaches us to endure rather than heal.

Healing challenges that silence.

It makes room for honesty, boundaries and humanity. It reminds us that worth is not measured by how much we can endure.

Healing is not linear. Some days I still fall back into old habits, but now, I try to check in with myself more honestly. I try to recognize when I am overwhelmed instead of pretending I am not.

That awareness, even when it is uncomfortable, feels like progress. Healing does not erase struggle, but it allows me to respond to it with care rather than self-criticism.

I attempt to keep in mind that slowing down does not mean failing. There is something powerful about choosing to heal in a world that constantly demands more from you.

But we deserve to be seen as more than strong. We deserve to be seen as human.

Maybe that balance between strength and softness is what real resilience looks like.

Contact Cristal Mariano via email at cmarianovargas@bsu.edu.

Ball State Men's Basketball falls on the road to UMass

Rylan Crum — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 19:34:08 -0500

Ball State Men's Basketball took a road trip up north this weekend as they took on the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Minutemen for the first time as conference opponents. The Cardinals' seemed comfortable in this new setting as they went into the first half only down by three, but couldn't find the boost they needed in the second half as they left UMass still winless in conference matchups.

Ball State now sits with a record of 4-12 (0-4) while the Minutemen improve to 10-7 (1-4) and record their first Mid-American Conference (MAC) victory in their basketball program's history.

Although the Cardinals continued their winless streak in conference play, Head Coach Michael Lewis says he's proud of the team's effort and fight against UMass.

"I'm proud of how we competed with where our roster is right now, with two guys back in Muncie… I was really pleased and proud of our effort and our fight," Lewis said.

Lewis was not only proud of his team's competitive effort tonight, but also their communication, something he said the team struggled with last time out against Eastern Michigan.

" [Our communication was] the best we've had up until this point in the season," Lewis said. "Is it perfect? No, but it's the best that we've had."

Ball State is heading into the bulk of their conference schedule, as they'll play twice a week. With the team sitting at a 0-4 MAC record, any improvement matters, and Lewis said he has seen that in practice.

" [The team] know[s] what position they're in, they know where our roster is and they show up every day to work and I appreciate that. We've gotten better, we've taken steps, but it hasn't been able to equate to wins," Lewis said. "I [have] got to make sure my frustration doesn't bleed onto them. We have to continue to pour into these guys and coach them, try to get them better and I think if you watch us you'll see us getting better."

Another more positive note on the night for Coach Lewis was not only their overall effort, but their ability to create turnovers as they forced a total of 12 turnovers against UMass. Although the Cardinals were able to force turnovers, they also had 10 of their own.

"We've done a pretty good job all year at creating turnovers," Lewis said. "We have to get more efficient in turning those turnovers into points because that end has been difficult for us."

One aspect Lewis said he was not thrilled about was their defensive rebound, as Ball State only gave up one offensive rebound in the first half, but collapsed out of the half as they let up eight offensive rebounds in the second half.

"[UMass] is an excellent rebounding team; we gave up one offensive rebound in the entire first half, and they finished with nine. So we gave up eight offensive rebounds to them in the second half, and just gave them too many possessions," Lewis said. "When you're giving a team more possessions, it just gives you more opportunities to break down."

Ball State will now look ahead to their next contest as they head back out on the road and travel to Akron on Jan. 13. Akron currently sits in fourth place in the MAC with a 12-4 (3-1) record. As the Cardinals have a tough test on their hands, their main goal is to go out and execute what they've done all week in practice.

Contact Rylan Crum with questions via email at Rylan.crum@bsu.edu or on X @RylanCrum.

Indiana locals recount how the act of collecting items has influenced their lives

Sophia Leiter — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 13:00:00 -0500

For many people, collecting is a sentimental effort. For others, it's a business investment. Regardless, collecting items can impact local communities. Due to online trends and locals sharing their collections, the market for old collectibles has increased in value and is expected to rise further into 2030.

According to a market analysis report from Grand View Research, the "global collectibles market size was estimated at $294 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $422 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 5.5 percent from 2024 to 2030."

The collections reported in the analysis included old and rare coins, Barbie toys from the '80s and '90s, figurines of popular celebrities like Michael Jackson, NFTs and more.

The influence of pop culture and media was a major driving factor in this market's rapid rise, but nostalgia was also reported to have an impact on the numbers.

Toy company Mattel and its Hot Wheels line of toy cars have a rich history. They also have many long-time fans who find passion in collecting the nostalgic cars.

Nicholas Schaeffer, a local of Batesville, Indiana, is a member of the Red Line Club (RLC) and has been collecting Hot Wheels cars for about five years.

"This guy named Elliot Handler, who was the co-founder of Mattel, was inspired by the line of Matchbox cars and seeing his kid play with the cars, so he decided to create something faster and cooler, and that was Hot Wheels," Nicholas said.

He and other collectors hunt for what are called "treasure hunt" or "super treasure hunt" cars, with one in every 72 cases sold being relatively rare to find and worth up to $300.

Nicholas has been a part of the RLC for two years and has the opportunity to create custom cars that Mattel will produce in the near future. The club holds a majority vote online about color, wheel type and body type for new models. Mattel will make that item from the vote.

His Hot Wheels collection began with several cars his father gifted him and has grown ever since. Nicholas passes down his collections to his daughter and nephews, who pass them on to their friends at school, keeping the nostalgia of Hot Wheels alive.

"If you take care of your items, you're going to tend to pass that on to your children, and them seeing you take care of your things will make them want to possess the same collection or values that their parents may have," Nicholas said.

Other items, such as vinyl records, are known to be passed down through generations and among friend groups, and collections are experiencing a recent surge in popularity.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in 2024, physical music mediums reached 1.8 million units sold, a 105 percent increase from the previous year.

Derrick McNelly, owner of Record Parlor of Muncie, has only been in business in Downtown Muncie since July, but said he sees numerous collectors, art lovers and music fans daily. The customer age range spans from young adults to retirement-aged individuals looking to rebuild lost collections.

"It's been cool to talk to different people and get a sense of what their collections are like, what things they're hunting for, you know, or when they get really excited because I have an album they've been looking for for a long time," Derrick said.

Derrick dreamed of opening a record store for the past 10 years. His family used to listen to records together while doing activities like playing pool, and his personal collection began when he attended a Mississippi Valley Blues Society music festival in Iowa. He asked his father if he could buy a Jimi Hendrix album, and his father ecstatically encouraged him.

The store primarily sells used records from the '60s to '70s, including rock, punk and jazz. However, newly released records by artists like Geese are also frequently sold to the clientele.

The RIAA reported that "revenues from vinyl records grew 7 percent to $1.4 billion - the eighteenth consecutive year of growth - and accounted for nearly 3/4 of physical format revenues."

Derrick notes that something like music is bound to create connections, no matter the format.

"Music is just something that brings people together in general … you don't have to even understand a language that music's in to get something out of it. It's pretty universal in that sense. Inherently, anything related to music is going to have some sense of community," Derrick said.

Having a sense of community can be as small as collections being shared among family members, even if those collections are large.

Hannah Jackson, a third-year Ball State University student studying biology with a concentration in zoology, has several collections. She collects solo character comic books, Disney pins, teacup sets and more.

She began collecting around five years old, and her collection started with Pokémon cards and Disney pins. She has a notable collection of cards with the penguin Piplup, and she has comic books of Poison Ivy, Nightwing, Squirrel Girl and other superheroes.

Hannah's mother is the main support and drive behind some of her collections, such as her comic books and pins, and frequently helps Hannah and her brother refine their collections.

"She's very supportive of anything that my brother and I are interested in and she'll take the time to be in the know of when new stuff for it is coming out," Hannah said.

When the family goes on trips, they will even hunt together for things to collect. Hannah got the opportunity to trade pins with members of the Disney park cast when her family vacationed at Disney World

Hannah emphasized the joys of talking to people with or without her same interests, and how collecting things reflects her own personality and values.

"It's this physical manifestation of something that I love and I just really treasure it. It makes me feel connected to all these things that I care about, and the different parts of me that are reflected in those things," Hannah said.

The experiences gained from beginning and growing collections are an essential aspect of the process. Friendships found in groups working toward a bigger cause, finding personal value in antique items that tell stories of the past, and family and friends supporting each other's interests make collecting a worthwhile passion for many.

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.

Start the year off with a bang: Here's your CommCenter Catch-Up!

Cardinal Media — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Welcome back to campus, Cardinals! As the first week of classes wraps up, here is a selection of events happening on campus. From study abroad opportunities, DOMA programs, and brand-new planetarium shows, Ball State is brimming with exciting activities.

Fall Semester Study Abroad- Applications Now Open!

For those thinking about a fall study abroad experience in 2026, applications are officially open! Students are invited to explore the over 90 study abroad options, over 10 exchange partners and 35 programs that are cost-comparable to a semester at Ball State. Most application deadlines are March 15, so don't wait until the last minute. Begin your application today and reach out tostudyabroad@bsu.eduwith any questions.

DOMA Gallery Guide Program: Informational Meeting on January 14

The David Owsley Museum of Art is looking for new gallery guides. Volunteers meet most Wednesdays at 3:30 at DOMA. Guides do not have to be art majors or have experience in the field, simply bring an interest in art and a willingness to learn! If interested, an informational meeting is being held at 3:30 on January 14 in DOMA's Contemporary Craft Gallery. Learn more by clicking the link and hear from community and student guides about their experiences.

New Planetarium Show Premieres this Month

Beginning Friday January 9, the Brown Planetarium is premiering their new show "The Great Solar System Adventure". Learn about the wonders (and dangers) of our Solar System in this character-led exploration. Suitable for ages 8+ and free for students and the public alike, this is a great show to take friends and family to. In addition, shows like "One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure" and "Moons: Worlds of Mystery" return on Saturdays. Read more here for information about show times.

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

A recap of last year's news stories from The Ball State Daily News

Linnea Sundquist — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

The Ball State Daily News has compiled a list of stories from various reporters throughout 2025, focusing on the happenings of Ball State University and the surrounding Muncie and Delaware County communities. Take a look at what happened last year, as well as recent updates.

Ball State takes preemptive measures to anti-DEI legislation

At the beginning of the year, changes were made to Ball State's diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, including the cancellation of a faculty development session named LGBTQ+ 101 and a week's worth of planned events to honor Trans Day of Visibility in March.

Multiple students, faculty and community members voiced their frustrations with the university.

At the time, Vice President Micah Peck of Feminists for Action argued that the university was "abusing their power" and that the university's "true nature" was coming to light.

Changes in Ball State's DEI programs stemmed from Indiana's proposed Senate Bill (SB) 235, which, as of Feb. 10, has been withdrawn from the Senate. The bill initially sought to limit DEI initiatives at state-funded educational institutions.

Ball State's Office of Inclusive Excellence is still currently closed, according to the university's content and media strategy manager, Andrew Walker, with no mention of a possible reopening.

The Office of Strategic Planning and Support has replaced the Office of Inclusive Excellence, which is "dedicated to facilitating the implementation of the University's Strategic Plan by providing training and monitoring progress on the mission, values, and strategic imperatives outlined in our plan," according to its website.

As of now, the website only contains information about the strategic plan, chief strategy officer division and "About Us" information.

Ball State charges five protesters for disrupting BOT meeting

Five protesters were arrested at a Feb. 28 Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting after "loudly" disrupting the meeting by yelling, according to associate vice president of university communications and digital strategy, Greg Fallon.

Those five protesters-Joseph Souza, Cooper Archer, Kiwani Bassett, Jaina Dodds and Zoe-Rose Dieguez-were charged on March 7 with two counts of disorderly conduct for disrupting a lawful assembly and making "unreasonable noise," according to charge documents sent to Ball State Daily News via email.

A preliminary hearing for each case was held on April 23 at 1:00 p.m., with Judge Amanda Dunnuck presiding in Muncie City Courts.

Archer was the only protester, as of now, who has been sent to trial.

The remaining court dates for the other protesters can be found on the Indiana Public Courts website.

Louis Wade Denney and Eric Michael Hoffman have been listed as those representing the state for the future cases.

Victoria Spartz hosts hostile town hall

Victoria Spartz (R-District) hosted a March 29 town hall meeting at Muncie City Hall. Spartz welcomed opposition with hope for a "vibrant conversation," after being met with boos and jeers from attendees and protesters.

Chants of "do your job" and "tax the rich" rang out throughout the crowd, as Spartz mentioned President Donald Trump and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk.

Protesters of Spartz gathered outside the town hall, where a small group of counter-protesters also gathered in support of her.

The counter-protesters shouted at the group of protesters, ending with a protester punching a counter-protester in the face. Cops arrived at the town hall shortly after and remained there for the rest of the protest.

A senior adviser for Spartz's campaign told IndyStar he "fully expects her to announce she is running for reelection," according to the July 17 article, with a formal legal announcement coming later.

Students host protest over Office of Inclusive and Excellence closing

After the April 17 BOT meeting, Ball State students held a protest at the scramble light April 18 in response to the board's changes to DEI efforts.

The reasoning for the protest was to mobilize "against the recent email confirming [that] BSU will comply with Trump's attacks on DEI and Ball State's Board of Trustees' unanimous approval of the changes," according to an Instagram post from Feminists for Action.

Not only did students gather for the protest, but Jackson Franklin, a candidate running for the 5th district congress seat, attended as well. Franklin wants Ball State's President Geoffrey Mearns and the BOT to see that students will "not take this," and that community members agree.

Ball State fires former Director of Health Promotion and Advocacy

Ball State released a statement Sept. 17 regarding comments the former Director of Health Promotion and Advocacy, Suzanne Swierc, made on Facebook following the Sept. 10 assassination of CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk.

According to a statement from Ball State, the administration reviewed her comment and determined that the post "caused significant disruption to the University."

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is seeking an injunction that would expunge any record of Swierc's termination from the university's archives, according to Indiana Capital Chronicle. Swierc filed a lawsuit naming President Mearns in an official capacity as president of the university.

Mearns mentioned that Swierc's lawyers had held a press conference for the case four days before he received a copy of the lawsuit, claiming his lawyers would "litigate the case in court."

Students target President Mearns during hunger strike rally

Ball State Students for Justice in Palestine, now referred to as Students for Justice in Palestine, started a hunger strike to protest Ball State's alleged involvement in the conflict with Israel and Palestine.

The group protested Nov. 12, claiming President Mearns and Ball State's investments in firms such as Mercer Ventures, Common Fund Capital and Carlisle Group support the conflicts in Israel. The Ball State Daily News cannot independently verify these claims.

Protesters gathered at the Scramble Light before walking to the Frank A. Bracken Administration Building, whilst shouting "Free, Free Palestine," among other chants.

The protesters also tried to enter Mearns' office, only to find it locked, and were met by Ro-Ann Royer Engle, vice president of student affairs, who asked them to leave.

The protesters refused to leave, wanting to leave a message for Mearns, to which Engle told them to leave an email. The group ended up waiting outside the administration building for Mearns, who was later escorted out by university police to his vehicle that evening.

The strike ended on Nov. 30 due to medical reasons, according to a post on Students for Justice in Palestine's Instagram.

Muncie local runs for Congress

Muncie local Jackson Franklin is running a grassroots campaign for the Democratic nomination in Indiana's 5th District of Congress.

He can often be found at community events in downtown Muncie and at various campus protests. Franklin said he makes himself known to students at Ball State as a "voice" for younger generations.

By attending campus protests, he said he has "direct access" to advocate for student issues.

Muncie residents will be able to decide who they want to represent them in Indiana's 5th District of Congress on May 5 for the midterm elections.

Liberty-Perry School Corporation faces financial disparity

The Liberty-Perry School Corporation district faced a "very public, unexpected financial challenge that deeply affected the music department," according to Victoria Jones via email, a mother whose children were set to perform in "Legally Blonde Jr." just before its opening night.

Jones referred to the "unexpected financial challenge" as the Oct. 29 arrest of Amanda Ullman, former president of the Wapahani High School Music Boosters. She was charged with felony counts of fraud, theft and forgery, alleged to have stolen $45,000 from the school district's music funds from May 2022.

Ullman was released on $15,000 bail on Oct. 30, and online court records do not yet reflect an initial hearing date for her case.

Judge acquits Ball State student on two charges

Third-year Ball State student Cooper Archer was acquitted on two counts of disorderly conduct in Circuit Court 5 at The Delaware County Justice and Rehabilitation Center.

Archer was one of five people arrested during the Feb. 28 BOT meeting for disrupting it. He was represented by defense attorney Vincent Walker, with attorney Eric Overpeck representing the state.

The Indiana Attorney General's office confirmed in an email that an appeal has been filed regarding Archer's case. No court date has been scheduled yet to revisit Archer's charges.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office hosts funeral for corporal

Delaware County Corporal Blake Reynolds' funeral took place the morning of Nov. 22 at Delta High School in Muncie, Indiana.

Reynolds died on the early morning of Nov. 12 after assisting a stranded motorist on I-69, according to a press release from the Delaware County Sheriff's office. He was a part of the department for 22 years.

Reynolds' funeral consisted of a public visitation on Nov. 21, followed by the funeral, the processional and a cemetery ceremony.

All stories can be found on the Ball State Daily News website.

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

Ball State Men's Volleyball looks to avenge last season's result

Kyle Stout — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 17:42:14 -0500

Ball State Men's Volleyball's 2025 campaign did not end the way that they envisioned it would.

The Cardinals team that had high hopes of ending the season with a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) title and a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament appearance fell in the first round of the MIVA tournament last season to Lewis University.

The Cardinals' offseason then took a turn when longtime head coach Donan Cruz abruptly decided to step away from the program, leaving Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell with a decision to make regarding who would lead the team going into 2026.

Mitchell chose Mike Iandolo, who spent four years as an assistant coach for Ball State men's volleyball before being promoted to head coach.

Before his four years as assistant for Ball State, Iandolo has led a storied career, holding either an assistant or head coach role at three other schools. The head coach was an assistant coach at Lewis University, a head coach at the University of Charleston and was an assistant at Grand Canyon before leaving for Ball State.

Iandolo said that despite the new position, the team did not have to rewrite the book; building a new culture came naturally.

"A lot of what we have been doing is stuff that I believe in and have been a part of as an assistant," Iandolo said. "We are putting a lot of focus on details and accountability [and] just doing things the right way."

The Cardinals previously had a turnover of talent in the offseason, headlined by the graduation of star seniors Rajé Alleyne and Tinaishe Ndavazocheva.

Despite this, Ball State welcomed seven new players and a freshman class of four to the team.

This semester, the Cardinals are also welcoming back senior middle blocker Eyal Rawitz, who is returning from a lower leg injury that occurred at the beginning of last season.

Iandolo said a big goal of the offseason, especially with the seven new players and two new coaches, was to ensure everyone was on the same page and ready to go. However, Iandolo said the team has been able to spend time with each other all offseason, resulting in team chemistry being built easily.

"I think it actually happened pretty quickly," Iandolo said. "They spend a lot of time together, they live together, they eat together, a lot of them have classes together and they lift and practice together."

Iandolo also talked about the personality of the team and how close the team is with each other.

"It's a really close-knit group," Iandolo said. "We like to have a good time and joke around and we'll have fun, but there's been a little more emphasis on the details and accountability."

Sophomore outside hitter Wil Basilio said he has seen chemistry grow very fast with the new group and credits a lot of that to the mixture of cultures between the players on the team.

Basilio is one of the leaders of the underclassmen group, as he is moving into a starting role this season after being a rotational player in his freshman campaign. The outside hitter recorded 83 kills in his freshman season, with a single-game season high of ten.

The outside hitter previously trained in the summer with Canada's U21 team, and he said it kept him "fresh."

"In terms of on-court skill stuff, I'm pretty confident where I'm at physically and where my level of play is at," Basilio said. "Mentally, [I'm] not making the opportunity bigger than it is, at the end of the day I'm just playing volleyball and getting on the court with my buddies."

Last season's team rode a lot on the senior leadership of Alleyne and Ndavazocheva, but also on the then-junior captain, Patrick Rogers. The now-senior outside hitter is one of the team's biggest leaders and headlines a very talented offense.

Rogers said the transition to his senior year has not been much different from his role last season, but he has still noticed the weight of being one of the senior leaders.

"This year, being a senior, I feel a little bit more responsible for the leadership on the team and showing the younger guys what the right path to success [is]," Rogers said.

He explained how important it is for the team to take everything game by game and practice by practice in the early season. The goal relayed by Iandolo is a MIVA conference title and an NCAA tournament appearance.

Rogers said that if the team can focus on the now, then that goal will be even closer.

"Not worrying too far in advance, if we practice hard each day and translate what we are doing in practice into the game, I think it'll work out good," he said.

The Cardinals started off the new season on the right foot with a 3-0 sweep over Trine University. The game offered a glance at the new-look Cardinals and how exciting they can be in the Iandolo era.

The head coach said he is excited with the "depth" the team brings, evident in the opening season win with ten Cardinals recording statistics.

Iandolo discussed a slew of things that excite him about the team, but there is one thing he said excites him the most about the team's upcoming season: their offensive ability.

"The ability to score points is what wins you games, so us being able to pass and prevent other teams from scoring is very important, and I think it's something we're good at," Iandolo said. 'We have a lot of naturally talented guys."

Iandolo said that he comes from an offensive background, and the skill that the men's volleyball team shares is what he has always been most comfortable with. The head coach was a setter for fellow MIVA school Lewis and was an addition to the All-MIVA first team in 2009 and 2010.

The 2026 Ball State men's volleyball team features a lot of excitement, with new young talent and a first-year head coach. Even though last season did not end the way the Cardinals would have liked, Rogers said the team learned from it and are looking forward to a different outcome this season.

"It's good what happened last year because we learned from that," Rogers said. "We know how to not let that happen again."

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

Charles W. Brown Planetarium hosting a variety of shows through January

Staff Reports — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:00:00 -0500

Ball State University'sCharles W. Brown Planetarium is hosting plenty of shows for the Muncie community through the month of January, according to the planetarium's calendar of events. See a full list of the events offered to the public below, beginning Jan. 9:

"The Great Solar System Adventure"

Planetarium Show Fan. 9 at 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.;Saturdays: Jan. 10, 17 at 6:30 p.m

This character-led adventure takes you through the dangers and wonders of our Solar System and beyond - fasten your seatbelt and see if you have the courage to make it home in one piece! Perfect for ages 8+; all ages are welcome. Note: Dome motion is common in planetarium shows, and this program has especially strong motion - please be advised.

"One World, One Sky: Big Bird's Adventure"

Planetarium Show Saturday Jan. 10, 17 at 3:30 p.m.

Take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, find shapes in the sky, and learn about the North Star in this cross-cultural adventure with Big Bird, Elmo, and their friend Hu Hu Zhu from China. Perfect for families and groups with pre-K through 1st grade learners; all ages are welcome.

"Moons: Worlds of Mystery"

Planetarium Show Saturday Jan. 10, 17 at 5 p.m.

From volcanoes and geysers to ice-covered oceans and methane rain, these natural satellites have some spectacular features, and many even exert a surprising influence on their planetary partners. Perfect for adults and ages 10+, all ages are welcome.

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

The stories between us: A look at Muncie's 'The Facing Project'

Dillon Rosenlieb — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:00:00 -0500

As one travels through the heart of Indiana-past the cornfields and echoes of basketball greatness-we move from place to place, moment to moment. But when the lights go down, and our stories feel closer to the end than the beginning, the tales that truly matter are the ones passed down from generation to generation, from house to house, in picture frames on the walls at Sunday dinner.

Muncie has a rich history etched into the streets, neighborhoods and landmarks of the city. For over a century, that history has been closely studied, categorized and preserved through the Middletown research project. Beginning in the 1920s, sociologists Robert and Helen Lynd came to Muncie to document the lives of everyday Americans. Their work - known as the Middletown Studies - aimed to capture how average Americans go about their day-to-day lives in a mid-sized Midwestern city.

The studies provided a unique window into daily life, but also highlighted a challenge: when life in a community is carefully documented, it can create a picture of stability that isn't always the reality. As communities rise and fall with the tides of change, the stories of those waves are often told best by the people who live them. That's the vision guiding lifetime Muncie native Aimee Robertson West, co-chair and director of the Facing Muncie project. Launched in 2025, the initiative seeks to capture the everyday lives of residents through photographs and oral narratives accompanied by digital Reels produced by the residents themselves, offering a mosaic of perspectives that go beyond statistics or census data.

For Aimee, the project isn't just about documenting faces; it's about honoring the voices and lived experiences that too often go unheard. Each portrait tells a story, forming a collective narrative of what it means to call Muncie home today.

"I convened a group of people representing a wide variety of communities in Muncie in the hopes that we would get some really strong and truthful stories about Muncie in 2025," Aimee said.

To document the everyday lives of Muncie residents in 2025, Aimee and the others involved with the Facing Muncie project decided to shy away from a traditional documentary style. With the advent of digital technology, they chose instead to let residents tell their own stories - capturing faces and voices through their own lenses to reflect the rhythms of everyday life.

"Interviews can tend to create a manufactured experience… There's no person asking uncomfortable questions. It is them showing us their pets, routines, meals, lives and places on their own terms," Aimee said.

The backbone of Facing Muncie is its reliance on community leaders and organizations. Their participation in outreach programs has been central to the project, engaging directly with residents. By working hand-in-hand with the people who shape neighborhoods every day, the project aims to depict a fuller, more accurate picture of what it means to live in Muncie.

One participant Aimee enlisted was Pastor Neil Kring. Neil has a strong relationship with residents and works in the Thomas Avondale neighborhood, a post-industrial area that, Aimee said, has suffered a lot of trauma.

"I think it's really important to capture not only the nice stories about Muncie, but also the stories about struggle and what we can do better. Even the people studying Middletown would say that, while they are experts in research, there is still a lot to learn about the different communities of people in Muncie," Aimee said.

The project aims to look at stories as a collection of authentic moments and empathetic crossroads in people's lives, captured through video collection and personal stories presented in the form of a book.

This project carries a distinct undertone: the pages and videos will feature different faces, different stories, different lives and different conclusions, but together, they form a collage of unseen and forgotten narratives about people simply trying to get by, year after year.

For Aimee, the magical piece of this project is highlighting people and stories that most wouldn't notice or think of the ones that often go unseen or uncredited at first glance within the community.

Through her work with the Facing Project, Aimee has been involved in advocating for autism awareness and disability representation by amplifying personal stories and lived experiences within the Muncie community, often working behind the scenes without public recognition.

Over the years, she's helped organize bridge dinners to bring neighbors together and open up conversations about differences. She collaborated with authors and helped bring Muncie's history and culture to life on the page.

"I hope people watch this documentary and read this book and they understand people who are different than they are," Aimee said. "It's a really important way to relate with one another in a time where that seems impossible."

The legacy of the Middletown Studies is deeply rooted in the industrial heartbeat of early America, a lens through which Muncie has long been observed. That legacy, however, often sits in the shadow of the country's earliest industrial titans.

"The role of the center is to promote research about Muncie as Middletown, but also to support research about the issues that were raised in the Middletown Studies, and particularly the challenges that communities like Muncie, that were once highly industrialized and are now post-industrial, they lost their industry, and they're trying to redefine themselves," James Connolly, director of the Center for Middletown Studies and Ball State history professor said.

The Lins family structured their landmark study in Muncie by categorizing daily life into six distinct domains: domestic life, civic engagement, religion, education, economic activity, and leisure. This breakdown allowed them to analyze the cultural fabric of Muncie as a microcosm of America during a pivotal time in its industrial growth.

While Muncie of today looks markedly different, with a shifting economy and evolving demographics, the echoes of those early findings still shape how researchers and residents alike think about the city's identity.

Now, Middletown Studies is partnering with the Facing Muncie project to build on that first-person, human-centered approach. By aligning their initiatives, they're bridging historic research with lived experiences, putting names, faces and real stories behind the data.

"I've been able to study and understand different aspects of people's experiences. When you have these firsthand accounts, when they talk about how they feel, those things are usually not the kind of evidence that historians have much access to," James said.

James and the Middletown Studies team have documented Muncie's evolution over the years. With new initiatives like Facing Muncie, he hopes these efforts continue to help the campus and community better understand one another and interact more deeply in the process.

The streets and factories may look different and the photos may no longer be black and white, but the city still has something to say. People like James and Aimee will continue documenting whatever the next hundred years have in store.

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

Indiana Capital Chronicle — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:00:00 -0500

This article is republished as part of a collaborative content-sharing agreement between Ball State Unified Media andIndiana Capital Chronicle,established to expand access to high-quality journalism and to better inform and serve the public through trusted, in-depth reporting.

With 2026 already underway, there are a few faces we are watching in state government. Will Indiana's Senate Republican leader face pushback from his own caucus? Will Democrats break through in a statewide race?

Here are five Hoosier politicos who could have an interesting year:

Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray: The leader of the Senate has takennational heatfor his role in the defeat of the redistricting bill. When the president of the United States is taking your name in vain, it's not a great day. So, the question is what happens next? He isn't up for re-election until 2028, so the primary threats are mitigated in his case. But does he still control his fractured caucus? Theoretically anyone could challenge him for his leadership post but if the redistricting vote is an indicator, Bray has the necessary support to remain. A bigger concern is his relationship with Gov. Mike Braun and House Speaker Todd Huston - both big supporters of the map redraw.

Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray speaks at a 25th anniversary celebration of the safe haven newborn surrender law at the Indiana Statehouse on Nov. 18, 2025. (Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

Braun has been especially upset that the Senate, at least initially, ignored his special session call. Bray reversed course and the public vote was a bit embarrassing for Braun given that Republicans have a supermajority in both legislative chambers. If Braun wants his legislative agenda to move, he will have to temper that anger. Meanwhile, Bray and Huston work closely on virtually every topic going through the Indiana General Assembly and must maintain that relationship to get past intraparty squabbles.

Speaking of Braun, he is our next person to watch. And he needs some solid wins.

In 2025, he did secure some property tax relief for Hoosiers - up to $300 for many - but the final product was far afield from his original proposal. And we all know how redistricting went.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun speaks at the annual Dentons Legislative Conference on Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, held at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis. (Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

So, what can we expect from Braun in 2026? It's a little unclear. His office hasn't unveiled a specific legislative agenda even as the session resumes. And it's ending in late February, meaning there isn't much time to get substantive proposals done.

Braun told the Indiana Capital Chronicle he wants to focus on health care costs but didn't give any examples of how that would occur. Lawmakers have been working on health care for several years andhave a bit of fatigue on the topic.

The governor will likely face an interstate tolling debate in 2026 as the state looks for more revenue to maintain and upgrade highways.One area he is poised for big wins is on the utility front. But only if the new regulators he has named to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission come through - blocking rate hikes and generally tapping the brakes on utility profits.

For the first time in a decade, Hoosiers will see the Bayh name back on a statewide ballot. But it's not Evan Bayh - Indiana's former governor and U.S. senator. Instead, it's his sonBeau Bayh, a lawyer and Marine Corps captainrunning for secretary of state.

Beau Bayh meets with the media at Holliday Park in Indianapolis on Oct. 6, 2025. (Whitney Downard/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

The 30-year-old Democrat has been on the campaign trail for months, meeting with potential voters in diners and gyms around the state. And he's been raising money - lots of it. Since he formally launched his campaign in October, he has already raised over $1 million in large donations.

He must get pastBlythe Potterat the Democratic state convention in June - a small businesswoman with her own military service record - if he wants to take on Republican Diego Morales in November. If Beau Bayh doesn't beat Morales, who has had numerous missteps in office, Indiana Democrats will be demoralized.

Beau Bayh does have one Achilles heel - while born in Indiana he has lived most of his life on the East Coast. That was due to his father serving in the U.S. Senate and then he attended college and law school at Harvard. Republicans will use that to label him an outsider.

The race I'm most interested in this year is that ofFort Wayne Republican Sen. Liz Brown. It's a fascinating look at how GOP politics have split in Indiana - with longtime Republicans now considered not conservative enough if they buck the party line even a little.

Brown has been one of the most strident anti-abortion voices in the state and a reliable Republican since she came to the Indiana Senate in 2015. But she got crossways with a few GOP stalwarts - including U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and Attorney General Todd Rokita. That's because she refused to hear animmigration crackdown billlast year that she thought needed too much work.

Before that she voted against a bill to eliminate firearm licensing requirementand another banning transgender Hoosiers from high school sports.

Banks and Rokita recruited a primary challenger - well-known Allen County politico Darren Vogt.

Brown was among the most vocal in support of the recent move to redistrict Indiana's congressional districts, and resigned a Senate leadership post in frustration. Bray later took away her Judiciary Committee chairmanship.

The last B to watch for isLt. Gov. Micah Beckwith. That's because he is always making news, but not necessarily for the best of reasons.

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith speaks at a pro-redistricting rally at the Indiana Statehouse on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. (Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)

In 2025, he had his share of controversy. From buying aluxury SUVto firing an employee who later alleged some members of the staff watched an AI-generated-porn video in the office. His employeesregularly closed the Statehouse officein the summer, too. And his close friend and pastor is facing a sex scandal at his church.

Plus, Beckwith said the three-fifths compromise was agood thingand received a reprimand from Senate leadership. He often butts heads with Braun - most recently saying the Trump administration threatened federal funding for Indiana beforedeleting the his tweet.

It's unclear what to expect from Beckwith in 2026 because he doesn't follow any government or political norms. Which is just the way he likes it.

Ball State's Austin Elliott has rebuilt his life one year after Halloween shooting

Trinity Rea — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0500

The house on West Carson Street in Muncie was packed.

It was Nov. 2, 2024, and the house party had spilled out onto the front yard, where then 20-year-old Austin Elliott stood socializing with people he'd just met.

In the front yard of a stranger's house, Elliott's chatter was forcibly interrupted.

Two gunshots.

He fell instantly. A bullet had entered his back and lodged in his spine.

The party erupted into chaos as attendees scattered in every direction.

Elliott remembers how cold he felt lying on the lawn, overcome with confusion. He doesn't remember being as scared as he knows he should have been.

When police arrived, they asked Elliott what had happened. One officer mentioned something he did not realize: He had been smiling.

"Obviously, there's nothing really to smile about," Elliott said. "But I guess that was my trauma response."

Nick Zehr, Elliott's friend of over a decade, was with him earlier that night before the pair would become separated and end up at different parties.

Zehr's phone started blowing up with messages from friends asking where Elliott was. Tracking his phone's last known location, Zehr found Muncie Police Department and Ball State University Police Department officers surrounding a taped-off front yard on Carson Street.

After speaking with an officer, Zehr left his contact information and headed home.

While sitting with his roommate, they heard a knock on their door half an hour later.

"We opened the door and [an officer] told us that Austin had been shot and then he had been taken to IU Methodist Hospital," he said. "I was just kind of sitting there, I didn't really know what I was feeling."

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

'I'm awake and alive'

The night of the shooting, Elliott spent an hour at Ball Memorial Hospital before being airlifted to IU Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.

Upon arrival, he called his parents Jessica and Travis Elliott.

"I was like, 'Please just drive safe. I don't want anything to happen to you guys.' I'm awake, I'm fine - well, not really fine - but I'm awake and alive, and I'll be here when you get here," Austin said.

Travis called the phone call "gut-wrenching," but said Austin's humor, asking them to drive safely and not "95 miles per hour," was reassuring and brought them hope.

Zehr and his friends made their way to Indianapolis at the same time, texting Jessica on the drive down. By the time they arrived around 3 a.m., Austin's aunt and a few other friends and family members were already in the waiting room. Zehr recalls them all sitting in silence. Eventually, one of his friends suggested they pray.

Gathered in a circle in the waiting room of IU Methodist, they did just that. Soon after, Austin's parents and youngest brother walked in.

Travis said arriving at the emergency room and seeing Austin for the first time was difficult. Watching as the nurses asked Austin to move different parts of his body, which he could not, produced an emotion Travis said hit him and his wife "like a truck."

"I just couldn't process it at first," he said.

After being with Austin for a little while, his parents returned to the waiting room and had the hard responsibility of telling the group that Austin was paralyzed.

"You never expect that your child is going to get shot by a gun. It's so surreal. I mean, it happens too much here in this country, but you never think it's going to be you," Jessica said.

Despite everything, Jessica said she was surprised by how positive and funny Austin was, cracking jokes and making everyone laugh.
The medical staff met and decided not to remove the bullet. Austin had sustained a T3 ASIA A complete spinal cord injury, one of the most serious injuries on the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale. Removing the bullet from Austin's back had the potential to cause severe damage.

"They collectively determined that it wasn't worth the risk of doing more damage, and that it was a blessing that he can use his hands, his arms, his fingers," Travis said. "I mean, my simple mind is like, 'No, we gotta get that out of there so that it can heal … [but] it just doesn't work that way."

The bullet remains in Austin's back today.

'I just have to go for it'

After about a week in the hospital, including a short stint in the ICU, Austin was transported to the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago for rehab, ranked No. 1 in the United States for spinal cord injury rehabilitation.

When Jessica's friend suggested Shirley Ryan, she researched it immediately and knew it was where Austin needed to be.

"When we found out that they had room for him, I just cried because I knew they would help him so much," she said.

Doctors planned six weeks of rehabilitation. Austin worked with occupational and physical therapists daily, learning how to transfer from his wheelchair, navigate daily tasks and build the strength and skills he would need to live independently.

The facility also arranged a room for Jessica at the Ronald McDonald House nearby, where she stayed throughout Austin's rehab.

While Austin said he had not thought much about the permanence of his situation, he remembers a specific moment in time when he processed his new reality. Alone in a silent room in the Willis Tower overlooking Lake Michigan, he looked out a large window at Lakeshore Drive, watching people run, bike and walk alongside the water.

It was then that he realized his life would never be the same.

"Things are not going to be easy, things are not going to be the same," he said. "It was time to decide whether I let what happened to me rule my life and my feelings and decision making and everything around that, or if I just own it and make what I can with it, whether that's good, bad, ugly - whatever. I just have to go for it."

In early December 2024, after Austin had been at Shirley Ryan for about three weeks, Zehr and a few other friends drove to Chicago to visit. Upon arrival, they found Austin competing in a bocce ball tournament with Chicago firefighters, one of many scheduled events at the lab designed to help patients adjust to life after injury.

That night, the group went bowling at a facility where Shirley Ryan takes wheelchair users to practice navigating the real world.

When Zehr first visited Austin at IU Methodist, Austin could not even sit up in bed without assistance. Now, just weeks later, he was competing, joking and showing his friends around the facility, something Zehr described as taking a weight off his shoulders.

"It was amazing to see," Zehr said. "... He's a very resilient person. He's faced adversity that I've never even thought about or have been around before. Seeing how he's handled it in the last year is beyond inspiring to me."

On Dec. 22, 2024, Austin's 21st birthday, he was discharged from Shirley Ryan and came home, just in time for the holidays. By March, he was driving again with hand controls installed in his truck.

"He attacks everything with a lot of gusto," Jessica said. "He's super brave … He astounds me with his courage."

'Trying to get my life back'
This past fall, one year to the date after the incident, Austin was among the more than 2,000 participants who took part in Shirley Ryan Ability Lab's 17th annual SkyRise Chicago event, the tallest indoor stair climb fundraiser in the United States, raising over 1.2 million dollars toward the lab's mission.

Austin said the experience was "amazing," noting that his family and friends raised a grand total of a little over $4,000.

"[SkyRise] fell directly on the date when this all happened to me. I just felt like, I don't know, it was meant to be," he said.

Austin also returned to Ball State for his third year of undergrad, living independently in an off-campus apartment.

"I was just trying to get my life back," he said. "I didn't want to miss any more time than I already had."

Austin's younger brother, Drew, a second-year student at the university, lives nearby, and Austin's close friends remain a constant presence in his life. Jessica said she and Travis worried about him being able to do small things, like taking out the trash, a task they'd helped him with during recovery. But knowing Drew and Austin's friends are nearby gave them peace of mind.

Austin now navigates campus in his wheelchair. He has had to learn which buildings have accessible entrances, which routes are fastest and how to advocate for himself when spaces aren't accessible.

Zehr, who lives just down the block from Austin, said they've developed a "symbiotic relationship." Austin provides rides to the grocery store while Zehr helps with tasks around the apartment. Most days, Zehr walks over to Austin's place to do homework together or just hang out.

"There's a learning curve that comes with it. Things take more time naturally," Zehr said. "... But [Austin has] helped me a lot more than he realizes. He's been such a big help [to] me in multiple aspects of life this semester."

Despite everything that has happened, Austin has not stopped living his life. He still goes out with his friends on the weekends, though it requires flexibility. For example, if Brothers Bar and Grill in The Village is manageable, they stay, but if it's packed wall-to-wall and hard for Austin to maneuver around, they leave. He has been carried down the stairs into The Village dive bar, The Chug, multiple times, as well.

Austin is now looking ahead. This summer, he is considering an internship in Nashville, a chance to live independently in a new city, far from the support system that has helped him rebuild his life.

He is on track to graduate with his construction management degree in 2027 and enter a career he is passionate about. For his parents, watching him navigate this new reality with determination has been both heartbreaking and inspiring.

"I know that he will be able to hold down a job and have a good life, because he's already doing that right now," Jessica said. "... It is a great relief as a parent [that] we've kind of continued how we were before. It's a new normal, but it's normal now."

Zehr said he wants Austin to find contentment in whatever path he chooses.

"He's [always] striving for something better and more for himself, which I admire," he said. "My biggest hope for him is that he gets to a place where he feels content, confident and comfortable with himself."

For Austin, the past year has reinforced a lesson that extends beyond his own experience.

"The climate that we experience between each other [today], it's a lot. We're all going through something, we all experience life differently, we all have different wants, dreams and things we want in the future," he said. "... I think if we all were a little kinder to each other, a little more compassionate and realized that we are all going through it, the world would be a lot better of a place."

The bullet is still a part of Austin. But he goes to class, meets friends and works toward graduation. Tomorrow, he will wake up and do it again.

Contact Trinity Rea via email at trinity.rea@bsu.edu or on X @thetrinityrea.

'It's a winning play' Ball State women's basketball wins close game over Toledo

Kyle Stout — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 22:23:50 -0500

MUNCIE - There were added stakes in Ball State women's basketball's game against Toledo on Jan. 7. The Cardinals welcomed the Rockets into Worthen Arena for their first matchup against Toledo since last season's Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship win.

Head Coach Brady Sallee said that the matchup between the two schools has become a "huge rivalry in this league" and he said he was happy with the way the Cardinal faithful showed out at Worthen Arena.

"I'm going to guess they don't care for us," Sallee said. "I can probably tell you we don't particularly care for them, but we respect them, and that's what makes for a great rivalry."

The Cardinals were on the right side of the rivalry in the two team's first matchup of the season, as they pulled away late for a 72-68 win.

The Cardinals started off sloppy with the ball, as they turned the ball over eight times in the first quarter alone and watched as Toledo stormed out to an early lead. But the Cardinals quickly got it under control to cut the early deficit to one after the first quarter.

Turnovers have been an issue for the Cardinals in an otherwise successful early MAC slate, as they have averaged nearly 18 turnovers per game in conference play.

Ball State was outrebounded by one in the game, which is rare for the Cardinals this season, but the team's leading rebounder this season, senior center Tessa Towers, still came up big for the Cardinals in the win.

Sallee talked about the impact that she has on the team, and he said that it was shown in a big way against Toledo. The head coach said that teams have a hard time guarding Towers, which allows open looks all across the floor.

Senior forward Bree Salenbien said that Towers' play is a big reason for the Cardinals' offensive success.

"It's hard to guard when you got so many threats out there," Salenbien said. "Tessa [Towers] is drawing so many people right now; it's kind of making it easier on us to get her the ball and she can kick it out."

Despite the turnover woes that the Cardinals faced in the game, they recorded 20 assists while shooting 54 percent from the field.

"That's tough to guard," Sallee said. "What you're seeing is some really good looks from the three-point line. We're starting to figure out our offense a little bit."

The Cardinals had many players contribute in big ways on the night, with sophomore guard Grace Kingery, junior guard Karsyn Norman, Salenbien and Towers all reaching double digits.

The game was in control for the Cardinals for almost the entire game. Aside from a small lead that Toledo held midway through the second quarter, Ball State led the rest of the way until the final buzzer.

The Cardinals went on many runs in the game, but every time Ball State would put together a string of points, Toledo would punch back. Sallee said that games like that are good for the team, and he said the team needs to be comfortable playing in those games.

"The more this group can get used to playing at the top of the league, the better we're going to get."

The Cardinals were able to pull away to start the fourth quarter, as they held a ten-point lead for the majority of the quarter. But with around two minutes to go in the game, a pair of made threes by Toledo brought the Rockets within one possession.

After a missed runner by Norman, it was silence in Worthen with the ball in the air. But Towers came down with the game-sealing rebound, allowing Norman to be fouled and the Cardinals to salt the game away at the free throw line.

"I think that made me feel good because I was the one that took the shot," Norman said. "When someone gets the offensive rebound, you don't think about it as much."

Sallee said the shot attempt by Norman and rebound by Towers is something he wants from the team in those late situations.

"Everybody's running and keeping her from laying it up, so that's a great opportunity," Sallee said. "So, in that moment, to see Tessa [Towers] execute, it's a toughness play, it's a hustle play, it's a winning play."

With the win, Ball State moves to 4-0 in the MAC and first place in the conference. The Cardinals will have a week off before hosting Buffalo at Worthen Arena on Jan. 14.

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

Free HIV, Hepatitis C testing for Ball State students available Jan. 8

Staff Reports — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:46:03 -0500

Ball State's Health Promotion and Advocacy has partnered with Indiana University (IU) Health Positive Link to provide free HIV and Hepatitis C testing for students, according to a Jan. 5 press release from Ball State's Communications Center.

Free testing will take place Thursday, Jan. 8, from 1-3p.m. in the Student Health Center basement, located at 1500 W. Neely Ave.

Students do not need to provide insurance, and the clinic will be conducted on a walk-in basis, according to the release.

For questions, email hpa@bsu.edu or call 765-285-3775.

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

'Unexplainable' - Ball State men's basketball falls to Eastern Michigan

Kyle Stout — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 22:01:08 -0500

MUNCIE - In Ball State men's basketball's second home conference game against the Eastern Michigan Eagles, everything was clicking early for the Cardinals. A put-back dunk by junior guard Armoni Zeigler to give the Cardinals their sixth point of the game sparked a quick 7-0 run which allowed Ball State to hold a lead for a good portion of the first half.

But bad turned to worse quickly for the Cardinals, as they saw their 20-14 lead evaporate and turn into a 14-point deficit going into halftime.

Ball State (4-11, 0-3) fell to Eastern Michigan (8-8, 2-2) 74-52.

During the Cardinals' cold stretch, the team shot 1-10 from the field and turned the ball over four times. They helplessly saw Eastern Michigan go on a 25-5 run in the final ten minutes of the half.

"We did some really good things early," Head Coach Michael Lewis said. "And then when they flipped the game with some good pressure, we struggled to get the ball down the floor."

The offensive woes continued into the second half, as the Cardinals went four minutes without scoring and could only watch as Eastern Michigan took a 23-point lead. The lead kept growing for the Eagles, with their largest lead of the game being 31.

Senior guard Elmore James IV said the Cardinals got too comfortable after their early success and he said that is something a team cannot do in college basketball, especially at this level.

When the Cardinals had their long-lasting scoring drought, the team struggled to find open looks all across the court. Sophomore guard Davion Hill noted that once Eastern Michigan amped up the pressure in the backcourt, the team started taking bad shots.

"After that, that turns into miscommunications on defense coming down, [then] you feel like you're losing your lead, and it just turns into a downward spiral," Hill said.

The Cardinals only recorded ten assists on the night, and Lewis said the team's inability to pass the ball is a big reason for their offensive struggles. The head coach said the issues do not all stem from assist rates, or the team's willingness to pass the ball, but their quality of passes.

"We're a really poor passing team," Lewis said. "Shots were hard to come by tonight and there was a handful of them that we took ourselves out [of] just because we throw one at somebody's feet."

All game, the Cardinals allowed the Eagles to have wide open shooters across the floor, whether that was behind the arc or under the basket. After Ball State's loss to Buffalo on Jan. 3, Lewis talked about how communication amongst the players needs to be better moving forward.

The head coach said that communication did not improve against Eastern Michigan, and that it has not all season.

"Our communication is not good," Lewis said. "It hasn't been good all year, wasn't good in the summer, wasn't good in the fall, and it's showing now."

The Eagles shot 11-21 from behind the arc in the game. The Cardinals struggled to get to open shooters all game, and Hill said that those are the type of things that "doesn't take skill", and things that need to be better.

James said that defending the ball was a struggle all game, and moving forward, it is something the team needs to continue to work on and build habits on.

"We didn't guard the ball the right way today," James said. "[When we're] able to sit down and guard the ball and keep the ball in front that doesn't happen."

The box score tells a big portion of the story on how the Cardinals' night went against Eastern Michigan. The Eagles had more rebounds, more assists and shot a much higher field goal percentage than Ball State.

The Cardinals have had a less-than-ideal start to conference play. The team has lost the three games by a combined 43 points. Despite that, James still believes that the team can turn things around moving forward, and they will have a chance to do that when they go on the road to play Massachusetts on Jan. 10.

"I know we can turn things around, so we just got to keep staying with each other and keep believing," James said.

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

Congressman Jim Baird hospitalized after car accident

Staff Reports — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 12:56:26 -0500

Jim Baird, U.S. representative for Indiana's 4th Congressional District, has been in recovery after his vehicle was struck in an accident Jan. 6, according to a press release from the congressman's official website.

Baird is currently in the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, according to the press release, while his office will continue to provide its services.

"Congressman Baird and his office remain steadfast in their commitment to serving constituents and focused on advocating for Hoosiers at the highest levels of government," according to the press release.

This story will be updated as more information is released.

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

The shift of Middletown studies

Macaiya Taylor — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 10:00:00 -0500

Researchers Robert S. and Helen Merrell Lynd created a landmark study of Muncie beginning in 1924, which changed the way the world viewed "America's Hometown." They eventually published a book about Muncie's core values, highlighting one particular value: industrial life. Since then, Ball State University has built on the Lynds' work, researching Muncie's underdevelopment.

Robert and Helen conducted research in 1929 in Muncie, naming the project Middletown. This research focused on six key areas of life in Muncie: "Getting a Living," "Making a Home," "Training the Young," "Using Leisure," "Engaging in Religious Practice," and "Engaging in Community Activities." The conclusion was that ultimately, Muncie's core values and beliefs have remained safe for 35 years.

The Lynds created a follow-up to this research study in 1937 during the Great Depression to observe the effects of economic hardship on the community. What they ultimately found was that the social structure remained intact despite widespread economic distress.

Later on, a group of people decided to pick up on this research and create a center for Middletown studies at Ball State University. The center focuses on the drastic shift between the original Muncie Middletown studies compared to its current state.

Some of the people in the group joined for personal experiences, and others with a profound interest in the shift in history. Chris Fluke is a mixture of both of these, having been the previous director of Middletown Studies at Ball State University.

He recalls that back in the 1910s, the gas in Muncie ran out. It was particularly known for its glass making, which used a lot of natural gas, but when that ran out, factories began to leave, with a small percentage of those that stayed. Bruce Gelhoed also recalled this deindustrialization in the 1910s. He believed that this was regional instead of being primarily focused on Muncie.

This still created a significant shift in the Muncie community. Many jobs, such as companies like General Motors, Warner Gear, and Delco-Remy, were major employers that all closed their Muncie operations by the late 1900s. Leading to significant job losses and a shift in the local economy, the citizens of Muncie are leaving lots of families in confusion. One of which was Chris' family in the 1990s.

"My dad worked in a factory. It was started as Westinghouse and they made big electrical transformers that went out in 1999, and it is one of the many factories that [closed] in the 80s and the 90s. They employed several 1000 people. He was all right, but it ended up costing him," Chris said.

Chris is a prime example of how the Muncie community was during this time. It's the harsh truth that came after the deindustrialization. The current director of Middletown studies at Ball State, James Connolly, is one of these current researchers who dives deep into the topic of deindustrialization.

"I'm a historian who studies the history of cities. I knew about Middletown research before I came here. It was, it was an interesting facet of life in Muncie, and what Ball State was doing in Muncie," James said.

Middletown research has come so far from the beginning of the 1900s to now. There are many layers in the Middletown research as it not only focuses on the industrial downfall, but other things in Muncie as well.

Research is still being done at Middletown studies at Ball State's Bracken library and James is peeling back many layers of history and will continue to do so in the following years.

Byte's favorite films of 2025

Byte Staff — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 12:00:00 -0500

Like any year before it, 2025 saw the release of countless new films, and we here at Byte have thoroughly enjoyed many of them. While the following is not a comprehensive list of this year's best features, enjoy a selection of our staff's favorite new flicks!

Sinners

Willow Emig: Everything about this film was breathtaking. Sinners takes you on a journey that is captivating from start to finish. The music is amazing and is weaved into the stunning visuals in a brilliant way. There are not enough words to describe how good this movie truly was, you really do just have to watch it.

Sam Jasionowski: In a time where reboots and live action remakes are favored over original content, Sinners really pulled through this year with its storytelling, music, and acting. Putting vampires into a period piece was such an interesting choice that really paid off. The entire cast ensemble was brilliant. There was no actor that lacked in performance over another, in such a short time, the audience gains a connection with every character on screen. Michael B. Jordan's portrayal of Smoke and Stack was so unique it truly felt like two different actors were playing their characters.

The use of music in the film was so powerful. Intertwining musical genres created by Black people into one song, "I Lied to You,"was such a mic drop moment well into the second act of the film, only Ryan Coogler could do it. I hope to see a Sinners sweep at the next Oscars but if there's one category that I want to see it win over others, it would be for Best Original Song.

One Battle After Another

Ian Frasier: I felt that One Battle After Another presented a really natural and organic critique of fascism in the U.S. Underneath that is a heartfelt narrative of a stoner dad trying to rescue his daughter. Sean Penn as Colonel Lockjaw is one of the best villains in any movie I've seen recently. It's not often you feel intimidated by a character who's shown to be as awkward and pathetic as Lockjaw is. Without spoiling too much, you almost feel sympathy for him by the end. Almost.

Now You See Me: Now You Don't

Liv Young: An amazing addition to the Now You See Me series, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, completely stunned me. I've always been a huge fan of the series and was very excited to finally get another movie. The movie brings back all of our favorite characters and introduces a few new protagonists. It reminds us of everything we loved about the first two movies while giving us a nice, new twist that makes this long-awaited movie completely unique.

F1

Jackson Walter: Brad Pitt is a badass and this movie was awesome. Seeing him race alongside real F1 drivers was really cool. The soundtrack of F1 might be some of Hans Zimmer's best work so far. Even though it might have not been realistic to FIA regulations, it was a fantastic movie and a great performance by everyone involved.

Marty Supreme

Ian Case: Marty Supreme is an unbelievable buzzer-beater for one of my favorite films of the year. Timothée Chalamet's performance as the titular Marty Mauser is beyond captivating as he indulges in an odyssey of egoism and self-satisfaction. The 1950's setting paired with a quintessentially 80's soundtrack makes this story feel timeless, and the supporting cast adds so much to the movie, with wild cards like Tyler the Creator and Kevin O'Leary alongside wonderful performances from Odessa A'zion and Gwyneth Paltrow. With Marty Supreme, Josh Safdie has effectively deconstructed the overly boisterous "hustle grindset," showing the harm it leaves in its wake.

Superman

Chris Dawson: Superman was the perfect move to kick off James Gunn's DCU, and it set the tone perfectly. The way Gunn uses color and music in his work is amazing, and he has even introduced me to my favorite band, Foxy Shazam. Introducing lesser known characters, and giving actors that were previously cheated was a great choice. Being able to see a universe where things have already started instead of going through the same old origin story was very refreshing, not to mention the characters having actual depth and emotion. James Gunn stayed true to the source material, but made it fit his vision of his Superman.

"Maybe that's the real punk rock."

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

Images: A24, Warner Bros, Warner Bros, Lionsgate, Apple, A24, DC

Former state representative appointed to Ball State Board of Trustees

Staff Reports — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:52:10 -0500

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has appointed former state representative Dollyne Sherman to the Ball State University Board of Trustees, according to the official website of the Indiana State Government.

Sherman previously served in the Indiana General Assembly after Republican precinct committee members selected her in June 2019 to replace retiring Rep. David Frizzell, according to Indiana Public Radio. She served the remainder of his term through November 2020 and later ran for the Indianapolis District 93 seat in the 2020 election, which she lost.

Much of Sherman's career has been spent in government. According to Indiana Public Radio, she has served on the staffs of former Govs. Bob Orr and Mitch Daniels, worked forformer U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks and held a deputy commissioner role at the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. More recently, Braun appointed Sherman toa governor-led committee formed to identify and recommend candidates for appointment to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, according toIndiana Capital Chronicle.

Sherman studied political science and business administration at Ball State University and graduated in 1977.

She replaces Renae Conley, who retired from the Board of Trustees at the end of December after 12 years of service, according to previous reporting from the Ball State Daily News. Conley, who had served on the board since 2014, played a key role in the hiring of Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns

Sherman's term will run through the end of 2029. Braun also reappointed trustees Mike McDaniel and Julie Griffith to terms ending in 2029.

Contact the Daily News via email ateditor@bsudailynews.com.

ICC: From cellphones to STEM, these are the education issues to watch in Indiana's 2026 session

Indiana Capital Chronicle — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 17:02:45 -0500

Stricter cellphone bans, more focus on STEM and increased school "efficiency" are shaping up as some of the highest-priority education debates Indiana lawmakers will tackle during a fast 2026 legislative session that starts back up next week.

The session will be shorter than usual - ending by late February - after legislators already convened for two weeks in December on redistricting. Senate bills must be filed by Jan. 9, and House bills by Jan. 14.

Multiple education bills have already moved, and one - a cellphone crackdown proposal - was heard in the Senate education committee in early December. Caucus leaders in the Republican-dominated General Assembly won't formally roll out their priority agendas until next week, however.

At an annual legislative conference hosted last month in Indianapolis, lawmakers and Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner previewed a crowded policy landscape shaped by academic recovery concerns, declining enrollment, student disengagement and growing unease about children's use of technology.

Cellphones in classrooms - and beyond

One of the most visible education debates of the coming session is already underway: whether Indiana should expand restrictions on student cellphone use to cover the entire school day.

Under current law - approved by lawmakers in 2024 - schools must prohibit cellphone use during instructional time unless a teacher permits it for academic purposes.Senate Bill 78would go further, requiring public schools to ban cellphone use "from bell to bell," including during lunch and passing periods, with limited exceptions.

The billalready received public testimony in the Senate Education Committee in Decemberand was authored by committee chairman Sen. Jeff Raatz, R-Richmond. Raatz said the committee is likely to vote on the measure early this month.

Supporters argue the change would reduce distractions and improve student focus and mental health. Opponents - including some parents and students - have raised concerns about safety, emergencies and local control.

Jenner signaled broader alarm about technology's impact on children, calling for a statewide conversation that extends beyond classrooms.

"I cannot tell you how much it is impacting our children," Jenner said. "We are seeing seven- and eight-year-old[s] with social media accounts. We are seeing nine-year-old[s] on anxiety medicine because they're obsessed with the number of likes and the comments."

House Education Committee Chair Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, said lawmakers are also exploring ways to regulate social media platforms themselves, particularly the algorithms that keep children engaged.

"We're also … looking at some language that could potentially avoid litigation, but goes after the algorithms," Behning said. "That's what's getting the endorphins … that impact their cognitive ability."

More work on literacy

Lawmakers and education officials continue to tout Indiana's recent gains in early literacy, driven by state investments in reading instruction and intervention. But Jenner said the work is far from finished - and may prompt additional statutory changes on top of major policies passed in the last two sessions.

"We've seen some great success in reading, but we have a lot more work to do," Jenner said, noting that the statesaw a 5% jump in reading proficiency. Current law requires schools with fewer than 70% of students reading proficiently to participate in a state literacy cadre program,which provides targeted, evidence-based instructional support for teachers.

"What we wanted to see is … should we adjust that percentage a bit, or should we do a rolling average of some sort," Jenner said. She emphasized that any changes should avoid creating an unfunded mandate.

One persistent challenge, she added, is middle school literacy.

"The only needle that we have not moved in Indiana is middle school reading," Jenner said, pointing to seventh- and eighth-grade outcomes as key concerns heading into 2026.

Doubling down on STEM

Beyond literacy, lawmakers and state officials signaled a renewed push to strengthen math and STEM instruction - an area they acknowledged is lagging behind recent reading gains. STEM is shorthand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Behning said Indiana's success with literacy initiatives could serve as a model forfuture investments in math, particularly early numeracy.

"We know that if we're going to be successful in STEM, we have to be successful in math," Behning said. He pointed to the state's literacy cadre as an approach lawmakers could look to replicate in math classrooms.

Behning added that many educators were never trained in "foundational, explicit skills in math," leaving schools struggling to improve outcomes without additional state support.

Funding equity and school operations

Education funding is also expected to remain a flashpoint, particularly for districts withweak property-tax bases. Rep. Ed DeLaney, an Indianapolis Democrat who sits on the House Education Committee, warned that public schools' share of the state budget has declined over the past decade and urged greater state investment to support high-need districts.

"If we move money to them from the state," he said, "that may free up some local property taxes."

But legislators are also watching closely as Indianapolis leaders advance recommendations from the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, which calls for a new authority to manage school facilities and transportation across traditional public, charter and innovation schools.

Supporters say the plan could reduce costs and allow school boards to focus more on classroom outcomes. Critics worry about local control and whether similar models could spread statewide.

"I think we'll be able to learn some things and probably apply them more broadly in Indiana," Jenner said,while stressing that conversations around consolidation and shared services look very different outside Indianapolis.

Rural lawmakers and education leaders, she added, are closely watching how urban proposals could influence policy elsewhere, particularly in counties facing population decline, long bus routes and limited resources.

Jenner cautioned legislators against using enrollment alone to drive decisions, however, instead urging them to weigh student outcomes and fiscal health when considering changes.

"I would challenge the General Assembly that those are the two elements, at the very least, that we need to understand statewide," Jenner said.

Other priorities rolling in

Education advocacy groups are also beginning to roll out their own legislative priorities, calling on lawmakers to address school funding, staffing and student supports.

The Indiana Coalition for Public Education hascalled forgreater state investment in K-12 schools, more equitable funding for districts with limited property-tax bases, and caution against additional mandates without funding.

Meanwhile, the Indiana School Boards Association isurging lawmakersto focus on local flexibility, shared services, school safety and workforce-related learning, while reducing regulatory burdens on districts.

The Indiana State Teachers Association, the state's largest teachers union, has not yet released its 2026 agenda.