OPINION

opinion black cat listicle

opinion 10/31/2020, 12:00pm

Political Commentary: 5 Reasons to Adopt a Black Cat

By Mackenzie Rupp

Growing up I heard stories of black cats running under ladders and breaking mirrors causing bad luck. The person who let me in on the secret witchcraft of black cats also threw salt over their shoulder if a grain of it spilled on any surface but their plate. It is a pretty common superstition to think black cats are a bad omen, but thinking it could cause misfortune or death has led to the substantial decrease in appeal for the furry creatures. Because of this, and several other factors, black cats struggle to get adopted. 

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the swearing-in ceremony for Amy Coney Barrett as Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Monday, Oct. 26, 2020, on the South Lawn of the White House. Joyce N. Boghosian, White House Photo Courtesy

opinion 10/30/2020, 4:00pm

Abstraction: It’s not just another political controversy.

By Elissa Maudlin

As I am writing this, it is my birthday — Oct. 26 — my favorite day of the entire year. When the calendar hits October, I look at this day in anticipation. Every year, everyone I know gives me their best wishes, I put on my best outfit and strut myself all the way to a high-quality fast food restaurant because I deserve it. I allow myself to have a little too much ice cream, sleep in later than necessary and not do a single thing on my to-do list all day. 

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opinion 10/23/2020, 4:00pm

Political Commentary: 'Fake News' Hurts

By Mackenzie Rupp

“Fake news” is a term many Americans have come to know all too well. The term is meant to represent false information but has been morphed into a political tool to disavow legitimate journalism as a whole. I became familiar with the term during the 2016 election. My interest in politics and journalism grew together. To me, this November’s election is almost a matter of life and death. If you can vote, please take the time to do so. It will be worth the outcome.

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opinion 10/22/2020, 7:00pm

Speak Out: First -Time Voters

By Emily Hunter

For the past several months, the 2020 U.S. election has been taking over our lives. Between social media ads, campus campaigns and countless news articles, we can’t escape it. As a first-time voter, it is starting to feel overwhelming.

Molly and Tyler LaFontaine pose for a wedding portrait. The LaFontaines bought a sprinter van and are renovating it to one day live in it. Molly LaFontaine, Photo Provided

opinion 10/16/2020, 4:00pm

If There's A Will, There's A Way

By Molly Ellenberger

College students my age are usually thinking about parties, hanging out with friends or planning their future dream life — I am the complete opposite. I’d rather stay in at night with my husband and dog and drink a warm mug of tea. My life has been full of ups and downs, but one thing remains constant: my desire to be happy. Marrying young filled that desire. 

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10/9/2020, 4:00pm

Abstraction: The town hall in my brain

By Elissa Maudlin

I’m standing at the podium. The bright light shining down on my face to illuminate the stage feels comparable to a criminal interrogation. I can’t see the town hall members, but I can feel their eyes judging me. They sit in their seats, waiting impatiently for the opportunity to blaze me with their concerns, fears and judgements about who I am and the life ahead of me. I am vulnerable — like the feeling in your gut when you answer a question wrong in class or when a person in your friend group gives you that look of judgment after you say something personal. I am standing up at that podium like I am naked, have forgotten to shave all of my body hair and am the only one without clothes on. That kind of vulnerability.

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opinion 9/25/2020, 10:47am

Unspoken: Losing a legend

By Demi Lawrence

How much does the fate of a country weigh?  The only person who could tell you was a frail yet omnivalent 5-foot-1-inch woman named Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and she died Sept. 18.

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opinion 9/18/2020, 3:00pm

Open-minded: Falling for the season

By Sophie Nulph

September is flying by and taking with it pool days and watermelon harvests — finally welcoming fall back. It may not look like fall, or feel like fall or technically be fall yet, but it’s fall. OK, I celebrate early — but I have good reason to. 

Elliott DeRose, DN Illustration

opinion 9/11/2020, 3:24pm

Indiana Scones: Look up before it's too late.

By Molly Ellenberger

My phone addiction is real, and I’m not the only one who has this problem. Right now, technology seems like the easiest way to pass time without putting yourself at risk. However, scrolling isn’t the only thing we can do while staying safe. While we are socially distancing, we can make the most of our time instead of wasting it on social media.  

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opinion 9/5/2020, 5:00pm

This is the Shwe: Screw the Charmin Ultra Strong Bears, use a bidet

By Shwetha Sundarrajan

The Charmin Ultra Strong Bears are trending. Toilet-paper-obsessed Americans have been brawling it out for that incredibly soft, 2-ply toilet paper in Walmart aisles amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Toilet paper has become more of a valuable commodity than gold with people having meltdowns over the very prospect of not having a lifelong supply of toilet paper stocked up in their households.

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opinion 8/28/2020, 3:00pm

In Between the Lines: Partying needs to change

By Katie Catterall

The beginning of the school year brings a whirlwind of activity, including “Welcome Week.” This blanket term is a series of events organized by Ball State every fall to help students begin acclimating to campus and making new connections. With these new connections made, students off campus often throw parties the first week of school to kick off the beginning of the year. The scent of alcohol in the air, crowds of people and pounding music are just a few things I have experienced at college parties, but there is a hidden side of college partying many don’t consider. 

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Opinion 6/17/2020, 3:00pm

Williams: Black lives matter. Will we listen? Will we learn? Will our hearts change?

By Contributor

George Floyd was a 46-year-old black man. He was murdered in plain sight over the course of nine minutes by men clothed by the state of Minnesota with the immense responsibility for enforcing the law. I am a 54-year-old white man who has spent all of my adult life working as a practicing lawyer and trial court judge. I read Richard Wright’s memoir, “Black Boy” when I was 20, and I didn’t find the above quote to be credible. At 54, after too many tragedies, I now sadly believe it to be truer than not.

 A lakeside view from inside the BWCA, 2018. After hiking through the woods, it was finally time to get our canoe in the water and paddle to our campsite. Tyler Griffith, DN

News 6/15/2020, 3:42pm

OPINION: Enjoying Nature on National Nature Photography Day

By Tyler Griffith

Today on National Nature Photography Day, I find myself looking through old pictures I took on my camping trip to the Minnesota/Canada Boundary Waters. For me this was more than just a camping trip, it was a life-changing experience that taught me a lesson that I still reflect on to this day.   

In this March 2020 photo, Liz Rieth, junior journalism and Spanish major, looks out at the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain. Rieth returned home to Indiana from her study abroad program in Granada in early March. Liz Rieth, Photo Provided

News 5/21/2020, 12:00pm

Sincerely, Liz: Adiós España

By Liz Rieth

I wasn’t ready to go. I stood looking at a fiery sunset as it descended behind the Spanish Sierra Nevada mountains. In front of the mountains, hundreds of colorful panderías, apartments and plazas dotted Granada. My heart felt heavy as I took in the view. That night, I said my final goodbye to this Spanish scene.

Maggie Getzin, DN

opinion 4/22/2020, 12:00pm

Artful Ruckus: Planting wellness

By Kami Geron

Gardening is in my roots — pun intended. My mom started gardening because her parents raised her with it. Now, I’ve grown up racing my brother to our garden to see who could pick the most peppers, and who could collect the most flowers for my mom. My mom’s garden helped us learn the payoff of hard work, and how to make healthy choices with our food.