BALL BEARINGS volume 6 // issue 1 // winter 2014
controlled chaos page 16
nobody seems to be there page 28
the traveling spoon page 38
FROM STRUCTURE TO
STYLE RODNEY WALKER JR. DISCOVERS INDIVIDUALITY THROUGH HIS WARDROBE
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www.univestates.com 4500 W Bethel Ave Muncie, IN 47304
BALL BEARINGS // WINTER 2014 ISSUE
TABLE OF CONTENTS In every issue
3 4 5 6 8 10 14
Editorial Board Editor’s note & Contributers Calendar
Expressions Read. eat. drink. listen.
a taste of home connecting with culture through food
24
Best burgers of muncie Searching for muncie’s most unique and tastiest burgers
HEALTH & Science
26
Fad or fiction Are fad diets a good way to lose wait and gain health?
28
Nobody seems to be there Suicide is one of the most preventable issues, but it still claims many college students’ lives
30
Finding the perfect match Organ donation: easy to get involved. easy to save a life.
Q&A
Controlled Chaos How a punk rock husband and wife are taking charge at home and on the stage
GLOBAL
18
20
Editor’s top 7
MUSIC
16
food
The Iraq he left behind The impact of isis is more than an iraq problem
TECHNOLOGY
33
Connecting a community Social media connects people with the click of a button
34
Completely transparent Making a living from a b(v)log is not as common as social media makes it seem
FASHION
36
From Structure to style Rodney walker jr. discovers individuality through his wardrobe
38
The traveling spoon They say you can find beauty everywhere, but did you ever think you could find it in your eating utencils?
40
describe your style two students share their fashion philosophy
SPORTS
42
More than a headache After years of underreporting, concussions are slowly seeing light as their severity sweeps the sports world
44
Talking Sports Carrying the conversation to the end zone
LOVE & SEX
46
Marriage isn’t dead Social and economic realities have changed millenial views and expectations of marriage
COMMUNITY
50
debunking the myths Ball State and muncie urban legends still relevant to student life
52
After the Industry Muncie works to come back from economic turmoil
56
The flow and flame Light and movement combine to create momentary masterpieces
Photo Essay
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a rustic harmony Cyntheanne music festival somethings something
BALL BEARINGS VOLUME 6 // ISSUE 1 // winter 2014
Enterprise staff
ONLINE staff
advisors
Print managing editor lauren hughes
managing editor of content kourtney cooper
mary spillman david sumner
Tablet managing editor holly demaree
managing editor of design aubrey smith
photo editor lauren dahlhauser
photo editor hannah jackson
design editor katy jamison
design editor chris talley
assistant design editor aubrey smith
assistant design editor Trenton Scroggins
assistant editor teryn armstrong todd dudley jeremy ervin victoria mcqueen
producer dejanay booth miranda carney michele whitehair
contact us comments can be directed to ballbearingsmag14@gmail.com.
advertise with us for more information, contact us at dailynewsads@gmail.com
printer ball state printing services 3401 n. tillotson ave. sv 108 muncie, in 47306
CONTRIBUTORS Haley Gillilan Jessie Bradway Dan Edwards Lanie Yorgen Joe Knoop Victoria Fairfield Jason Thomason Kaylie McKee Nick Ewing Lanie Yorgen Sara Nahrwold Katie Miller Joe Grove Max Catterson
Hannah Dominiak Erika Espinoza Miller Kern Maggie Kenworthy Roth Lovins Rick Purtha Jesse Etsler Alex Kincaid Megan Hilaire Rebekah Hobbs Savannah Smith Hayli Goode TYRONE Brown Madison Anarumo
Liz Young Emma Rogers Elizabeth Peck Eric Bouvier Tyson Bird Sydney Ferrand Aiste Manfrendini Emily Sobecki MaryBeth Sargent Kayla Crandall Rachel Brammer Ashley Downing tai payne
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editor’s note //
hen we were discussing the content and style of Ball Bearings in the beginning of the semester, I was posed with the question, “Would you want your mother to read that?” I didn’t respond. I didn’t know how to because I wouldn’t let my mother know half of the things I have done. Now, I’m pretty mild compared to my peers when it comes to the college lifestyle, but that doesn’t change the fact that there are things she doesn’t need to know about. And that’s OK. That doesn’t make me a bad daughter, and that doesn’t make us a bad publication. This might be a Millennial way of thinking, but this concept of filtering and conforming yourself to appease a demographic that you’re not aiming for limits your ability to produce something great. The same thing goes with everyday life. You can’t make everyone happy, and you shouldn’t have to. You don’t have to. I’m not setting this up to say that you’re going to read stories about sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll, because you won’t in this issue. Nor will you read taboo stories that push the boundaries of what’s appropriate and what’s not. But this winter issue of Ball Bearings is all about standing out and being true to you. Whether that comes in the shape of cultural foods (“A Taste of Home,” p.20) or campus lore that makes our university unique (“Debunking the Myths,” p.50). You will read about people, places and things that are not like the other. Stories that capture the distinctiveness of a restaurant’s take on an American classic (“Everything but the Kitchen Sink,” p.24) and people that did not conform themselves to the roles that they were ascribe to (“Controlled Chaos,” p.16) and (“Q&A with a Lunch Lady,” p.14). College is that time when you start figuring out what you want to do and who you want to be for the rest of your life. Thanks to DIY sites like Pinterest, there has been a surge of individuals creating their own future or business (“The Traveling Spoon,” p.38) in the hopes of conveying an extension of themselves through their art. I’ve just hinted on a few stories that capture this unintentional theme we have crafted, but I hope when you read these stories you realize that the only person you have to prove anything to is yourself.
DOMINIQUE STEWART EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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contributors
Dan Edwards is a senior telecommunication-production major. This is his first year contributing video and photos for Ball Bearings. Dan helped create the interactive origami fold cover for the tablet issue, and is beyond proud that he is left-handed.
Emma Rogers is a sophomore photojournalism major with a minor in fashion. She has been a photographer for Ball Bearings since Spring 2014. Emma admits that she has a newly developed addiction to coffee, and spends numerous days at The Caffeinery in Muncie, Indiana.
Sara Nahrwold is a second year master’s student majoring in journalism. She has reported for Ball Bearings for more than a semester. Sara wrote an article for the tablet issue titled, “What’s your Status?” which talks about relationships in college. She studied abroad in England and seven other countries during her junior year of undergrad.
Tyson Bird is a freshman journalism graphics major with a minor in digital publishing. This is his first year designing for Ball Bearings. He made the design for “The Flow and Flame” story that was featured in the tablet issue. Although most skin tans wear off when the winter approaches, Tyson unfortunately admits to having a year-round tan line from wearing his sandals too often in the summer.
calendar
WINTER
EVENTS December 3
December 13
january 3
The Nutcracker 7:30 p.m. The age-old story of Tchaikovsky’s classic, The Nutcracker, is given a new twist by the talented dancers and choreographers of Ball. State Dance Theatre.
December Commencement All day Congratulations 2014 Ball State graduates!
Winter Greenhouses Tour All day Come get out of the cold and enjoy the tropics in Muncie.
Residence Halls Close 6 p.m. Residence halls for Winter Break.
january 5
December 6
December 15
Saturday Final Exams All day Final examination day for Saturday classes.
Grades Due 12 p.m. Grades due by noon.
Red Nose Run 9 a.m. The second Red Nose Run 5k/10k will take place at Tuhey Park.
December 16 Hanukkah Begins All day Eigth-day Jewish festival begins today.
December 7
December 17
American’s Hometown Band Christmas 6 - 8:30 p.m. Experience the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse at night, decorated for the holidays. BSU School of Art Student works on exhibit.
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas 12 p.m. This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the group’s annual tour.
December 9 Final Exams Week All day Final examination period begins.
December 25 Christmas All day Merry Christmas everyone!
January 1
Spring Semester Begins All day University classes for spring semester begin. Late registration and change-ofcourse accepted.
january 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Memoriall Concert 7:30 p.m. Free and open to the public.
january 17 Viking Winter Dash 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. Run a 5k trail run out and back with non-stop rolling hills, mud, and possibly snow at Hagar Hill.
January 27 Ball State Symphony Orchestra 7:30 p.m. The winners of the Graduate Solo/Concerto Competition perform with the orchestra.
New Year’s Day All day Goodbye, 2014. Hello, 2015.
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top 7
The Ball Bearings Editors pick their
TOP 7 places to visit in Indiana
Indiana Glass Trail Indiana From the Orchard Gallery of Fine Art in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the Marilyn K. Glick Center for Glass at Ball State, the Indiana Glass Trail is an innovative approach to commemorating a history etched in industry. The trail isn’t one set place, but rather a series of locations throughout Indiana. Consisting of about 20 counties, the trail connects studios, galleries, exhibits and museums in order to showcase glass innovations thanks to the natural gas boom in the 1880s. Since then, a myriad of glass companies and glass artisans have sprouted to carry on the legacy. -Dominique Stewart, Editor-in-Chief
the Attic Window Muncie Located on Memorial Drive and Broadway Ave., The Attic Window sells gently used clothing, shoes, furniture and household items for a discounted price. Operated by the Muncie Mission, they offer in-store products for free for Muncie families in need. Their profits help provide food, shelter, educational and vocational training and jobs for Muncie Mission residents. Ball State students can receive an extra 20 percent off of their total purchase with their student ID’s. -Aubrey Smith, Online Managing Editor of Design
The Canal Walk Indianapolis Located northwest of downtown Indianapolis, The Canal Walk is a great way for locals and out of town visitors to get a sense of history of both Indiana and the rest of the world. Attractions like the White River State Park, the NCAA Hall of Champions, the Indianapolis War Memorial Trail tour, the Eiteljorg Museum and the Indiana State Museum align the walk. Visit during the spring and summer to enjoy a Segway tour or a paddleboat ride on a sunny day. The Canal Walk is a great place for the entire family to enjoy all yearlong. -Lauren Hughes, Print Managing Editor
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top 7
Carmel Arts and Design District Carmel The Carmel Arts and Design District in Old Town Carmel is bursting with boutiques, art galleries, showrooms, restaurants, antique stores and an array of local shops. Everything is close in proximity, making it easy to take a stroll to the Eye On Art Gallery on West Main Street or down to Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream, where one can take on the “Big Ugly” challenge. Customers that can eat a one-pound cheeseburger will get their photo on the wall. If you’re looking to save a little room for ice cream, try the “Not So Ugly,” “Settle for Less Ugly” or the “Mini Bub.” This district has all the aspects of a small town with a big city feel. -Holly Demaree, Tablet Managing Editor
Massachusetts Avenue Indianapolis Mass. Ave. is not for squares. It’s known for its unique 45-degree angle, but that’s not the only thing setting it apart. The area is a cultural hub with novelty shops such as Silver in the City, a gift store “for everyone who isn’t everyone,” and Indy Reads, a bookstore that supports local adult literacy programs. For those looking for something just slightly out of the norm, Mass. Ave. is a place that delivers. -Katy Jamison, Enterprise Design Editor
The Island Muncie Nestled between Olive Garden and the Cardinal Greenway, The Island Muncie offers customers an island getaway experience filled with reggae music, waterfall, colorful chairs, sand and refreshing smoothies. Though the smoothies are primarily dairy-free, customers can add a scoop of ice cream. The smoothie bar reminds customers that just because you’re in Indiana, that doesn’t mean a smoothie on the beach is out of reach. -Lauren Dahlhauser, Enterprise Photo Editor
Fountain Square Indianapolis Fountain Square is an artsy neighborhood located just outside downtown Indianapolis. The historic district is free of chain restaurants, boasting small, homegrown and cultured eateries and bars. Antique shops and boutiques line the streets, while local artists display, perform and sell their work in galleries. The area has the Midwest’s only authentic duckpin bowling lanes, located above and below an old-fashioned diner. But the real gem is the Fountain Square Theatre. Once a vaudeville theatre, the space now serves as a party venue and home to swing-dancers on Friday nights. -Kourtney Cooper, Online Managing Editor of Content
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THE FIRST POEM// SARAH FLORES
I’m the song you used to listen to I’m the road you used to take I’m the night you used to want to last I’m the plans you used to make I’m the voicemail in your phone Too cautious to delete I’m the words scribbled at 2am Too empty to complete I’m the keeper of your secrets I’m the skeleton key I’m the sight of things around you That scream memories of me I’m the excuse for your mistakes I’m the reason for your fear I’m the measurement of your past Showing that love was from here to here I’m the standard for the others The comparison to see If any of them could Mean as much as me
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expressions
ARTIST BIO
Sarah Flores STORy // Kourtney Cooper PHOTO // NICK EWING
Sarah Flores lies in bed at 2 a.m., thoughts swirling through her head. She grabs her cellphone and opens the notes app. Spewing out her ideas, she pours out everything on her mind before falling asleep. When she wakes up, she checks her notes. “I’m either like ‘this is great’ or ‘this is trash,’” she said. Flores said her late night inspiration comes from everywhere: conversations, emotions, past and future. The junior secondary English education major writes to improve her teaching. “For my future students, I want to be the best writer in the room,” Flores said. She challenged herself to write more often after taking a creative writing class in college. Whether it’s a poem, short story or journal entry, she writes daily. Reading is also a part of her routine because she said it improves her writing.
Her bookshelf is lined with the classics, but she doesn’t limit herself to one genre. “I just read everything I can get my hands on,” she said. She reads more modern pieces on Tumblr and watches spoken word poetry on YouTube. Spoken word poetry is a performance, rather than just a reading. “It doesn’t have to rhyme,” Flores said. “It can just be straight from the heart. From your gut.” Flores reads all her work aloud after every line to check for flow. She focuses on alliteration, how words pair together, the breaks in lines and the overall feel for the reader. She doesn’t plan to make a career of her writing, but she does want to continue while she teaches. “I just want to get published so when I’m 80 years old, I can look back and be proud of it,” Flores said.
To hear the poem in her own words, download our free tablet APP.
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REDL
read. story // holly demaree PHOTOS // Lauren Dahlhauser
We’ve heard of all the F. Scott Fitzgerald classics: “The Great Gatsby”, “This Side of Paradise”, “The Beautiful and Damned”, “Tender Is the Night” and “The Love of the Last Tycoon”, but do you know the original love story? “A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald” describes Zelda’s dedication and complete belief in F. Scott and his determination to become an author. Zelda, a southern belle from Alabama, commits to F. Scott to her fathers dismay. F. Scott was seen as unimpressive and was not from the South, but Zelda takes a train to see him after he publishes “This Side of Paradise.” She marries F. Scott and they become the “it” couple of the Jazz Age. Zelda takes hold of the daring new fashion trends and helps push her husband to be scandalous and exhilarating in his writings. This book allows you to dive into the glitz, glamour and the sometimes pressure-filled life of Zelda Fitzgerald being more than the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald. “A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald” can be found on Amazon.com for $15.99 or at Barnes & Noble for $16.24.
10 // BALL BEARINGSMAG.COM BEARINGS
story // DeJanay Booth PHOTOS // Lauren Dahlhauser
Residing in the same room as Cleo’s Bourbon bar, past the drinks being poured and served, you’ll find Sir Nachos, a Mexican restaurant offering authentic Mexican food. Emanuel Escamilla opened Sir Nachos on Aug. 17, 2014, hoping to get a good start during the first week of classes. His passion for opening the restaurant runs deeper than a random idea. His father owns three restaurants in Muncie, instilling the work ethic and inspiration for Escamilla to have his own. “[My dad] has helped me a lot,” Escamilla said. “He’s worked 20 years in the kitchen. He taught me everything that he knows.” While working at the Puerta al Paraiso food truck, Escamilla had the idea for what is now called Border Nachos. It soon became a reality when he opened up Sir Nachos. Sitting in a red and white paper bowl, chicken, steak, chorizo, carnitas and onion cover the golden nachos. Melted white American cheese is then drizzled over the food for a finishing touch. A crowd favorite, Border Nachos come in a half or full order. “[It’s good] to have something that you can’t find somewhere else,” he said. “If they like your food, they’ll come back.” In the future, Escamilla plans for Sir Nachos to expand in both size and franchise. Stop by the restaurant for a taste of Border Nachos, Monday through Saturday at 6 p.m. at Cleo’s. Delivery is also available.
eat.
REDL
11
DRINK.
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story // katy jamison PHOTOS // Lauren Dahlhauser
German heritage is rich with Christmas traditions: a hidden pickle in the Christmas tree, a shoe outside the door in anticipation of St. Nicholas’ arrival and a trip to the Christkindlmarkt. All of these traditions pair well with a hot mug of glühwein, or German mulled wine. This warm, cozy drink is winter’s version of sangria. Translated, glühwein means “glowing wine” because of the hot irons once used to mull it. Made with citrus juice, cinnamon, cloves and sugar, it is simple for college students to make. If you do not desire to create your own concoction, it can be purchased at various grocery stores, as well as at World Market. For those ambitious enough to venture into the Windy City for some winter shopping, one can also buy a boot-shaped mug full of glühwein at the Christkindlmarkt on Washington Street in the heart of Chicago. Christkindlmarkt offers an authentic German market experience that pairs nicely with this traditional alcoholic beverage.
REDL
story // joseph knoop PHOTOS // Lauren Dahlhauser
Fans of the cult-classic science fiction BBC series “Doctor Who” have another reason to rejoice. The 50th Anniversary Collection Soundtrack, released December 2013, combines the music of the entire series from the first doctor, William Hartnell, to 11th doctor and Internet heartthrob, Matt Smith. First produced by the BBC in 1963, “Doctor Who” depicts the adventures of a mysterious time-traveling alien known as “The Doctor” and his rotating cast of companions. The series is such a significant part of British and geek culture that it’s been adapted into feature-length films, comic books and even a live concert at Albert Hall. Bracken Music Library staffer, Jason David Smith, grew up with the series, calling it “a staple of public television.” “It starts with William Hartnell and the original theremin-based theme,” Smith said. “Television music has really evolved over the years. There are
really one or two instrument versions they had at the beginning of the series to the full orchestral and electronic scores they have today. You can really see that development from the early 1960s to present day.” Significant tracks from early years include the ’60s Cybermen Theme, an incredibly percussive and synth-heavy track designed to evoke the daunting image of murderous mechanical beings. The album also includes such notable modern tracks as “I Am the Doctor.” Coupling a swelling orchestra of strings and horns with a swift, yet measured tempo, the track is certainly one that most fans of the modern series will recognize immediately. The Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Collection Soundtrack comes in four-disc and two-disc editions, priced at $24.01 and $18.98 on Amazon. Ball State students can rent the two-disc version for free at Bracken Library.
LISTEN. 1313
Q&A
Q&A
ASK THE LUNCH LADY STORY // VICTORIA FAIRFIELD PHOTOS // JASON THOMASON
Ask the Lunch Lady is a Facebook page started by Vanessa Trosper, a cashier in the Ball State Atrium. Trosper, a third generation lunch lady, was born and raised in Muncie, Indiana. In her 10 years at Ball State, she has made friends with many of the students who come through her line. Trosper pointed out that many lunch ladies have their favorite students, and said that the Facebook page was her way of expanding interaction with them. What made you choose Ball State? Just looking for a job, I ended up getting hired and I’ve been here over 10 years.
What made you decide to start the facebook page? Karen Atkins and I were standing here one day and some students were wondering if she was going to try and fire me. But it was a joke. Then I said maybe I should do a fan page, and she said, “yeah do a facebook page!” I thought about it, and I have my lunch lady outfit that I’ve worn for Halloween.
What sort of things do you put on the Facebook page? Sometimes I post what I’ve had to eat that day, sometimes just a greeting in the mornings or at night. Some of the other girls who work here will post their lunches. I’ve had somebody ask me what they should get for lunch.
What sort of responses do you get from students on the Facebook page? A lot of kids like it. I get a lot of “you rock.” A lot of kids are happy I put it up. Most of the kids that I’ve told about it are like “seriously!”
What makes your Facebook page special? I don’t think anybody ever has put that out and been more personable with students. I think lunch ladies in every building have those students that they know very well. I’ve been to their wedding receptions and they’ve been out of school for a couple years. So that’s a big deal for me. I just like being close to them.
What sort of things do you hope the students will ask on your Facebook page? So far I’m not getting a lot of questions, but I’m getting a lot of likes. They ask me some questions. It’s kind of a lighthearted page.
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ballbearingsmag.com //
get more ball bearings Like what you see in the print issue? Head over to our website for even more great content. From getting a virtual Muncie taxi ride to learning what organs you can donate while you are alive to taking a quiz on your football knowledge, Ball Bearings Online offers a visual and interactive way to tell stories. Here’s what you can find from this issue:
From Behind the Wheel Students and locals use taxi services every day. One cab driver talks about the hidden side of taxi driving.
CAP is turning 50
Go inside CAP to learn the secrets of their success and innovation.
New at BSU
Ball State is stepping up to provide students who are struggling to support themselves by starting a food pantry.
online exclusive // Knowing the Game
Pull out the book of plays and see if you can answer questions correctly to a quiz about American football.
Breathing Donors
Many people register as organ donors, but some don’t know that there are organs that can be donated while still alive.
Tinder unveiled
Students respond to their comments on social media, Jimmy Kimmel style.
My Own Boss
Take a look at the different businesses students own on Etsy.
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MUSIC
controlled How a punk rock husband and wife are taking charge at home and on the stage story & photos // joseph knoop
By day, Susan and Kevin Blue are a married couple, leading typical lives. With a 14-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son, they work diligently to make ends meet. Susan manages the paint department at a Lowe’s Home Improvement, while Kevin man’s the night shift at Ball State’s music library. They cook dinner, take the kids to school and exist in the little niche they’ve carved out for themselves. But at night, all that changes. The collared shirts and nametags are traded for tattoos and tank tops emblazoned with blood-soaked logos of death metal bands. The lunchboxes become
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amplifiers, tuned to 11. Two average individuals become leading members of the down and dirty punk rock band, Kris Karate. “We were going to call ourselves, Three Hot Chicks and Kevin,” founding guitarist Dawn “Key” Conn said. “Sue and Kevin and I reconnected after a few years of not seeing each other. I knew Susan played bass and I was trying to get something started. So I asked her if she wanted to play with us.” the band’s name was decided on after an opportune miscommunication. A friend enjoyed the music of a local death metal band named Discard the Body so much even his kindergarten-aged daughter was
Kevin Blue met his wife Susan while performing in the local punk rock scene, and now performs alongside her in their punk/ alternative rock band Kris Karate, all while raising two children.
To listen to kris karate, download our free tablet APP.
hooked on them. After the young girl, who has a speech impediment, began singing the lyrics to one song in class, a teacher happened to ask a coworker: “Have you heard of this band called Kris Karate?” Like any true punk act, the band plays an unfiltered mix of whatever comes to their mind. “I guess as a youngster I enjoyed types of music that were different from what everybody around me listened to,” Kevin said. “I was always searching for some new sound I hadn’t heard before.” Their set list includes traditional punk and grunge rock, a folksy, bouncing anthem celebrating the power of whiskey, and even a song from the 2008 indie horror film “Trailer Park of Terror.” Though the band loves to perform as often as possible, they all agree that practice sessions are a lot of fun because of their natural chemistry as friends. “We start wrestling in the yard, the cops come up, they’re placing bets,” Conn said. Both Kevin and Susan agree that a punk rock mentality has made a significant impact on the way they approach difficult situations, both in and out of the home. “We’re not much different from other families,” Susan said. “Coming from that background, we’re a little more open-minded than most families. We don’t really hide life from our kids. A lot [of parents] want to monitor everything their kids do. They’re never going to see anything or get hurt. You have to let them live life.” Both parents take an “old enough to ask, old enough to get an answer” approach to parenting their children. Though society has defined rock as a “doit-yourself ” mentality, the Blue family has experienced an onslaught of support from fans of all shapes and sizes. “They’re diverse, but the one thing they have in common is a love for music and a kind heart. You instantly want to be friends with all the fans,” said Randall Smith, a local music promoter and organizer of the “Funk It, Why Not” party. Kevin and Susan happened to meet while Kevin was performing in a local “black label” band. Susan, who grew up on the east coast (known for its many punk rock scenes) began attending local shows with friends. “It’s kind of weird, because we met and didn’t
talk to each other for two years because I thought he was a jerk,” Susan said. “He wouldn’t let me touch his guitar.” Over time, the two found more in common with each other, including their love of the scene’s music and horror films. “It’s not so much about the music, but the mindset,” Kevin said. “It’s a s t r a i g ht f or w a rd ‘this is me, if you don’t like it, that’s your deal.’ Neither of us really cared what anybody thought about us. It’s a lot of the same mindset that we shared, so we kind of bonded over that.” That mindset is -Kevin even what saved Kevin from a dark period of his life. “I came from a divorced family,” Kevin said. “I was the youngest son so I was sort of used as the pawn. I was taught at a very young age to hate certain kinds of people. I was very confused. I knew something wasn’t right with the people around me, but I found this community that was nice, open-minded. They were just themselves. That represented a stability I had never encountered before.” Susan hopes to give that stability to their children. “Our families each wanted us to live up to their expectations, worked so hard to change us,” she said. “Of course that didn’t work. We want our kids to be interested in what they want, explore what they want, and love what they want.” Even Kris Karate isn’t invincible to the winds of change. Conn, who has recently stepped down from the band to live on the East Coast, will join the band for a reunion show in December. Currently, Kevin and Susan are reorganizing for more potential shows with a shifted lineup, including a new drummer. Though the world of punk and metal is one built on the idea of a controlled chaos, the family that both Susan and Kevin have come to know has provided them a wealth of compassion and meaning.
“IT’S A LOT OF PUNK ROCKERS, THEY DIDN’T TRY TO ACT LIKE SOMETHING THEY WEREN’T.” blue
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GLOBAL
THE IRAQ He left
behind
In June 2014, The impact of ISIS is more Abbas Jammali was on than an Iraq problem his way to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to collect his visa and story // Sara Nahrwold passport to attend Ball State. photo // lauren dahlhauser “When I was going over [to the embassy], graphic // katie miller I saw ISIS killing Iraqi soldiers, behead them in “Our front of me,” he said. government This is the Iraq he left behind. sometimes blocks The goal of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is to the Internet network re-create the Islamic state the way it was in the early to make it difficult for ISIS people to contact each decades after the rise of Islam, according to Yaron other,” Jammali said. “The Internet in Iraq is not good. Ayalon, an assistant professor of history at Ball State. Sometimes I can’t understand everything [my family] is “You really have to learn the history of things, talking about.” especially with the case of ISIS where they keep Jammali is from Karbala, an hour and a half drive referring to all sorts of events that took place in the south of Baghdad. He said ISIS members are difficult seventh century. If you don’t start with the seventh to spot in major cities like Karbala. century and the rise of Islam, you’re never going to “[My family] is mostly in danger because ISIS people understand ISIS,” Ayalon said. “If you really learn are not like a regular army because you can see them something from history, one of the things we know is and hide somewhere,” Jammali said. “ISIS people are that the early Islamic state is nothing like what ISIS just people. They wear civilian clothes.” claims it was.” Ahmed Jamal, also accepted to Ball State on a ISIS controls territory in Iraq and Syria and now full-ride scholarship, was out to pursue a master’s in rivals Al Qaeda as the world’s most powerful jihadist computer science. After his mother got sick and ISIS group, according to the New York Times. invaded, Jamal decided to stay in Iraq. He said he Besides controlling land in the Middle East, the couldn’t leave his family alone for two years with the group is also known for killing dozens of people at a terrorist threat closing in on his home city of Baghdad. time and carrying out public executions, according “They still have not taken over the city yet, but they to CNN. U.S. journalist James Foley was beheaded are only a few miles away from Baghdad right now,” August 19 and Time magazine contributor Steven Joel Jamal said. “Their explosive cars are still hitting the Sotloff on September 2. city every single day. Though just last week, three cars Sitting in his apartment, Jammali, a first year masters exploded one block away from where I live, targeting student in physics, talks to his family via Skype as part simple workers that were having their lunch in a of their daily ritual of communication, despite the restaurant.” eight-hour time difference. ISIS is labeled as a “terrorist” group, but terrorism is He often avoids talking about ISIS with his parents because they are already worried enough. difficult to define, according to Francine Friedman, a
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professor of political science at Ball State. “Even the American government has no hard and fast definition,” Friedman said. “The Department of State has one, the Department of Defense has one [and] the FBI has one.” Friedman teaches a course titled politics of terrorism, which wasn’t an available course at Ball State until after 9/11. Despite not having a concrete definition, students in the class learn what aspects define terrorism. She said it’s often politically motivated and used to strike fear into a population of innocents. This fear is the result of living with daily explosions in Iraqi cities, which typically leads to severe injuries and death. These first-hand experiences trigger people like Jammali, who plans to live in the U.S. permanently. “Everyday we have explosions, Abbas Jammali everyday kidnapping, everyday everything which is bad,” Jammali said. “We are looking for safe. We are not looking for something more than that.” Still in Iraq, Jamal and his immediate family refuse to leave because there is no place they could live in peace. Many of his family and friends have fled to Turkey and Jordan for fear of physical harm from explosions. “What most people don’t realize though is that
protecting yourself physically isn’t the hardest thing while living in Iraq,” Jamal said. “It’s so much harder to protect your mental health by not allowing negativity and fear to take over your mind and lead your life.” Terrorist groups often use fear as a weapon of control toward a population and also when recruiting new members. There are certain factors that influence the people who end up joining a terrorist group according to Friedman. “There is all sorts of research about that [motivations for becoming a terrorist], saying that some people may be ideologically motivated, but most of them actually join it as a social choice because [their] family are already in it or friends are already in it,” Friedman said. Understanding ISIS and the people who join the group is complicated. Everything won’t be fully understood until years down the road. “Typically the right historical perspective is at least 20 or 30 years,” Ayalon said. “We can still try and interpret what we have now, but some things we will only understand 20 or 30 years from now. We just have to accept that.” For now, Jammali prays every day for his family and friends in Iraq and for an end to ISIS in his home country. “We have a hope,” Jammali said. “We don’t know what that hope will give us. We just have a hope.”
ISIS HISTORY 2014 The Islamic State of Iraq and the al-Sham (ISIS) is a Sunni-Muslim extremist group in Iraq and Syria. The group is against the Iraqi and Syrian governments and since Oct. 17, 2004, ISIS has wanted to make a Sunni caliphate, or an Islamic state led by a religious/political leader, in Iraq and Syria.
Feb. 3, 2014
July 2014
Al-Qaeda splits from ISIS because of ISIS’s brutal and violent attacks on civilians.
All cities in Syria between the Deir Ezzor city and the Iraq border are in ISIS’s control.
June 14, 2014 ISIS executes 1,700 Iraqi soldiers outside the Iraq city of Tikrit.
Aug. 19, 2014 ISIS members behead American journalist, James Foley, on video and his execution is posted on YouTube. ISIS sends it as a warning to the United States to stop its airstrikes on the ISIS group in Iraq.
July 17, 2014
Aug. 8, 2014
Sept. 2, 2014
ISIS claims to have killed at least 270 people in Syria’s Homs province.
President Barack Obama authorizes air strikes on ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
ISIS members behead American journalist, Steven Sotloff, in a video because of the United State’s continued airstrikes and bombings on the group.
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FOOD
Chickpea and Spinach curry ingredients
boiled rice
• One 15-ounce can of chickpeas (chole, garbanzo) • 3 cups finely chopped spinach (palak) • 2 medium tomatoes diced • ½ piece ginger (adrak) • 1 green chili • 3 tablespoons of oil
• 1/4 teaspoon asafetida • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds • 1 tablespoon coriander powder • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper, season to taste • 1/2 teaspoon salt, season to taste • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
instructions 1. Drain the chickpeas and rinse well. 2. Blend the tomatoes, green chilies and ginger to make a puree. 3. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if the seed cracks right away the oil is ready. Add the asafetida and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds crack, add the tomato puree, coriander powder, turmeric, and red chili powder. Cook three to four minutes on
a taste of
medium heat. The tomato mixture will separate from the oil and reduce to about half in quantity. 4. Add spinach, salt and one-half cup of water. Cover and cook four to five minutes on medium heat. 5. Add the chickpeas and mash them lightly with a spatula. Add more water as needed to keep the gravy consistency to your liking. Cook on low heat for seven to eight minutes. Add the garam masala.
home story // miranda carney PHOTOS // lauren Dahlhauser
connecting with culture through food
Chicken Korma ingredients • 3-4 tablespoons of oil • Two medium sized onions • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin • Chicken • 1 tablespoon ginger • 1 tablespoon garlic paste • Two cut tomatoes
• One chopped jalapeno pepper • ½ teaspoon of coriander powder • ½ teaspoon of salt • 1 quarter teaspoon of red chili powder • 2-3 tablespoons yogurt
instructions 1. Heat 3-4 tablespoons of oil in the cooking pot. 2. Chop two medium sized onions and fry them in the oil until brown. 3. Put a half-teaspoon ground cumin and then fry the chicken in the onions and cumin until the chicken turns brown and the pink color disappears. 4. Add 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic paste. 5. Add in two cut tomatoes and one chopped jalapeno pepper.
When Asher John came to the United States from Pakistan in 2007, he said he used to think that the U.S. wasn’t just another country. It wasn’t even another continent. It was a whole new planet. “Everything is different,” John said. “The only thing I could see which was similar was the sky and the stars at night, if you could see them. Everything else is different.” It wasn’t the interactions, atmosphere or the community that he missed from home. The one thing that bothered him the most was the food. There were no Pakistani restaurants in Muncie, and he didn’t know how to cook when he came to the U.S. He ate lunch at the Atrium every day his entire
6. Add a half-teaspoon cumin powder, a half teaspoon coriander powder, a halfteaspoon salt and a quarter teaspoon red chili powder. 7. Add 2-3 tablespoons yogurt. 8. Cook while stirring until the oil is separated, then add one cup of water and let it simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes. 9. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with boiled rice or naan (bread).
naan
PAKISTAN
first semester. For other meals, he would eat simple foods like bread and grape juice because he couldn’t prepare anything else. Eventually, John felt like he had no other options but to teach himself how to cook if he didn’t want to be miserable. He looked at recipe books from home, searched online and called his mother and sister for guidance. Since then, he has developed a love for cooking Pakistani food. When his wife finally came to Muncie in 2011, he taught her to cook. Now, almost every meal they eat is a Pakistani meal. John said that if he hadn’t learned how to prepare foods from his home country, he never would have been able to live happily in
the United States. “At least I feel like [when] I’m eating, [I’m] at home,” John said. “As far as food is concerned, I’m at home now.” John and his wife go to an Indian grocery store called Namaste Plaza in Indianapolis a few times a semester to pick up spices. They prepare Pakistani dishes for their church and their friends and teach others to cook as well. Now that he can reconnect to his culture through cooking, he feels much more at home in Muncie. “Mostly I just miss my family and food,” John said. “You go anywhere else and the only thing you’ll remember [from home] is the food you’re used to and your family and friends.” 21 11
FOOD to view an audio slideshow, visit ballbearingsmag.com
fried rice ingredients
instructions
• 3 cups cooked rice • 2 tablespoons sesame oil • 1 small white onion, chopped • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed • 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce (amount varies to preference) • 2 eggs, lightly beaten • 2 tablespoons chopped green onions (optional)
1. Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat. Pour sesame oil in the bottom. Add white onion and peas and carrots and fry until tender. 2. Slide the onion, peas and carrots to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the
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eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetable mix. 3. Add the rice to the veggie and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Add chopped green onions if desired.
CHINA
After a long day of classes and walking around campus in the rain, Shiqi Wang returns to her dorm’s kitchen to begin preparing her favorite foods—dishes that remind her of her friends and family across the globe. Rice sizzles in a pan and chopped vegetables are spread across the counter. She laughs with some of the new friends she has made since coming to the United States as they take turns
taste-testing the foods. Wang came to the U.S. for the first time at the beginning of this semester to study at Ball State. With no friends, no family and minimal knowledge of English, she found solace in cooking. “The [aspect] most different about the culture is food,” Wang said. Wang said she taught herself to cook and that Chinese food isn’t hard to make because of the
simple ingredients. According to her, the most important foods in China are rice and noodles because they are eaten with most meals. Even though she has a meal plan, she said she likes to cook traditional Chinese foods around four times a week for herself and her friends. “I like when people eat my food and they feel very happy,” Wang said. “They will be reminded of our country.”
eggplant casserole ingredients • 3 tablespoons canola oil • 4 eggplants, halved lengthwise and cut into • 1 inch halved moons • 1 cup water • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
instructions • 3 tablespoons garlic powder • 5 teaspoons white sugar • 1 teaspoon cornstarch • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1. Heat the canola oil in a skillet on high. 2. Cook and stir the eggplant until soft for about 4 minutes. Stir in the water, red pepper flakes and garlic powder. 3. Cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed. While this is
happening, mix sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce and oyster sauce in a bowl until sugar and cornstarch have dissolved. 4. Stir sauce into the eggplant, evenly coating the eggplant. 5. Cook until the sauce has thickened.
scrambled egg with tomato
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FOOD
BEST B UR G ER S of muncie
Finding Muncie’s most unique and tastiest burgers Story // joe grove Photos // Max Catterson
The hamburger, thought to be coined from an emigrant from Hamburg, Germany, is a tradition that has become one of the first images people think of when they hear “American Cuisine.” Hamburgers are versatile, easily personalized and can be as unique as a child’s imagination. But what makes a burger great? Taste and creativity depend on the individual. Regional toppings make for an interesting burger for visitors, while non-local toppings keep the sandwich unique for local residents.
Chipotle blackbean veggie burger
Scotty’s brewhouse $8.99 Vegetarians aren’t excluded from enjoying a good hamburger, as many restaurants have worked out a way to make the veggie burger fit into their menu. Many eateries are now offering one more vegetarian option to customers today. Scotty’s Bar and Grill, known for putting their own twist on the hamburger, has created their own version. It’s called the Chipotle Black Bean burger, a mildly spicy alternative to a beef patty. Made from ground and whole black beans among other chipotle ingredients, corn and chilies, the veggie burger can stand proudly among its meaty competitors. Scotty’s also offers options where you can select a specific style to have your burger prepared in. **The black bean burger above was a “Twisted Pretzel Burger” with a pretzel bun, pimento cheese spread and onion strings.
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Aloha burger savages alehouse* $6.50
Savages, a local restaurant and alehouse, specializes in distinctive food and locally brewed beers and ales. Items such as The Shed Town chicken sandwich and the Upland Double Dragonfly I.P.A. show an interesting m ix of food and drink, but one sandwich stands out among them all: the Aloha Burger. This Hawaiian-inspired burger packs flavors from the 50th state by combining ham, pineapple, pepper jack cheese and BBQ sauce to top a huge beef patty. *Savages restaurant is 21 and over.
triple Lindy Burger brothers bar and grill $9.25
They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it’s also one of the most overlooked meals too. Brothers has taken care of that problem with the Triple Lindy Burger, which features ham, bacon and a fried egg on top of a juicy beef patty. Served with chips or fries (extra $1), this combination of two meals is guaranteed to fill you up.
chipotle lamb burger barn brasserie $14.00
Matt and Jessica Burns are the owners and chefs of the Barn Brasserie, a downtown restaurant that specializes in American classics with French inspirations. The Burns’ try to use local and organic food in their creations to support local farmers and promote a healthy diet. The Chipotle Lamb Burger prevails over the countless creative burgers they serve. Mint salsa, feta cheese crumbles, lettuce, tomatoes and chipotle mayonnaise top the succulent lamb patty. When asked how they create their long list of unique hamburgers, Matt Burns said, “We just look at the ingredients that we have around and try to figure out a way to use them. Just come up with crazy stuff and pick one that works.”
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Health & Science
or Fiction?
Are fad diets a good way to lose weight and gain health? story // Alex Kincaid PHOTOS // Megan hilaire
n a society often preoccupied with physical appearance, Psychology Today found that 38 percent of women and 34 percent of men are not satisfied with their body image. “The media portrays—particularly women, and even men—as very fit and much smaller than what most regular people can actually be,” said Amber Haroldson, assistant professor of human nutrition at Ball State. “It makes people want to look like that and be like that, so people try to diet in order to get that way.” The Boston Medical Center says that 45 million Americans go on a diet each year. Annually, $33 billion is spent on weight loss products in the United States. The Atkins diet, South Beach diet, Weight Watchers and going gluten-free are just a few fad diets people try in hopes of achieving their ideal body weight. “[A fad diet is] any diet that doesn’t adhere to good conventional wisdom for eating,” said Christy Tunnell, Ball State’s program director of nutrition
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and dietetics. “A lot of times a fad diet will cut out certain food groups altogether.” Rather than sticking to a healthy lifestyle with moderation of healthy foods, exercise and enough rest, fad diets usually don’t require one to change his or her lifestyle dramatically. Those that emphasize eliminating certain food groups cause dieters to lose the nutrients that were in that group. “I think that we are a society of instant gratification,” Tunnell said. “We look for kind of a way to cheat the system. How do I diet and not really have to watch what I eat all the time, or not have to exercise all the time and still keep the weight off?” Some diets can be healthier than others. While some require a very strict regimen of what can be eaten. Others like Weight Watchers aren’t as strict. “I think Weight Watchers tries to actually promote some long-term lifestyle changes, which is helpful,” Haroldson said. “They have some nutrition education along with that as well.” Shannon Farrer, senior public relations major,
tried the South Beach diet during the summer of 2014 before doing Weight Watchers. She initially chose the South Beach diet because she believed it would be easier to incorporate into her busy life and wouldn’t require her to alter her lifestyle very much. “I never felt like I was hurting myself at all,” said Farrer. “I felt very healthy the whole time.” A big part of the South Beach diet is seafood, but it also cuts out bread, which Farrer believes is an important aspect as to why the diet was successful with weight loss. She loss a total of 15 pounds in time for the Big Ten 5K race she was training for, but she ended up not participating in it. She quit the South Beach diet and began Weight Watchers later that summer because she believed it would be easier to maintain after she went back to school. “I think Weight Watchers is good for a lifestyle,” said Farrer. “But I think South Beach is just kind of quick and easy.” Weight Watchers is a diet that markets brand name foods and beverages to make dieting easier. Many common dieting products are meant for meal replacements and are usually calorie controlled, so that fewer calories are consumed overall. “As consumers, we get a little bit manipulated into thinking, ‘I never could have lost it without those bars or those shakes or that packaged meal,’” said Tunnell. The same result of using meal replacement foods and beverages can be achieved by eating correct portions of a variety of healthy foods, rather than
Gluten Free
calorie controlled processed items. “We tell people to eat a rainbow, because the different colors represent nutrients,” said Haroldson. “So if you’re eating a variety, you’re getting a lot of different nutrients as well.” Achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight and lifestyle are not only beneficial to do but could potentially be the only option if being overweight poses health risks. The Centers for Disease Control says that more than one-third, or around 79 million adults in the United States are obese. “The worst thing you can do is be on a fad diet, lose a bunch of weight, gain it all back, lose a bunch on a different one and gain it all back,” said Tunnell. “It’s very hard on your body to do that yo-yo dieting and that yo-yo weight effect.” Yo-yo dieting, or weight cycling, is the term used when people who are dieting continuously lose weight and regain it. This can have negative health effects because of the toll it takes on the body. Tunnell suggested doing small, maintainable exercises as a way to start improving your health. These can be simple acts such as adding more movement and activity into the day, as well as choosing healthier snacks over processed, sugary ones. When it comes to dieting, there are many options from which to choose. But most are short-term solutions. Proper nutrition and exercising regularly is the best choice if you’re looking for long-lasting results.
Weight Watchers Nutrisystem
Celiac treatment, and Weight loss on a point weight loss system of macronutrients
Atkins
South Beach Diet
Weight loss with special meals of proper portions and macronutrients
Regulates carbs. After a strict initial stage, more foods are added
Meal plans and recipes restricts bad carbs, promotes portion control
Special meals in the plan: meals, snacks, and dessert fresh grocery items Meals outside the plan for the first month
Fruits and vegetables, animal protein and fats fresh grocery items Starch and grains, nuts, seeds, caffeine, alcohol
Meat, dairy, vegetables, legumes, nuts in the first phase Unhealthy fats and carbs
$12 daily for meals
Can buy own groceries or products from the site for more targeted nutrition
Depends on the plan
What you eat
Anything without gluten: rice, rye, and barley products
Anything within your daily points
Gluten products: wheat, barley, rye
More than your point values
What you don’t
What it costs Gluten-free products can cost more than traditional wheat
$19 membership after the first month
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Health & Science Would it be easier for everyone if I died? Why am I still alive? For some home alone. They locked up all the guns and knives in the house, and wantcollege students, these thoughts become an everyday scenario. ed someone to keep an eye on me at all times. Starting my freshman year of high school, I was one of those students. But the thoughts never stopped. I was always smaller than the other kids growing up, which made me the I never told anyone besides my parents what was going on. One person target of bullying. On top of that, I fought with my family during my eighth- who did pick up on my actions and attitude, and knew what was happengrade year. ing with me, was Sharon Lucero, my high school journalism adviser. I had The bullying and constant fighting took its toll on my mental state and Lucero as a teacher for one of my eighth-grade classes, and she noticed a led to depression. The depression continued to get worse every day as the change in my mentality as I started my freshman year. fighting with my family never ceased. “I knew he was depressed because he hesitated when he talked or asked It had gotten to the point where I started questioning why I was still questions, but I didn’t know he was suicidal at the time,” Lucero said. “He alive. I started telling myself that nobody loved me or even wanted me to was shy and he would let other people speak until they weren’t around, and be around. I considered taking my own life to end what I thought was other then he would talk to me about something he thought was a great idea.” people’s suffering. She invited me to join her journalism program, where I became a photogAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is rapher my freshman year, teaching me all she knew. The depression faded the second leading cause of away when I started to focus death for people ages 15 - 24. more on my photos and work Among that age group, there on the high school yearbook. are 1,100 college students There is a stigma surroundwho die by suicide each year, ing the topic that suicide is equivalent to three a day aca subject that shouldn’t be cording to the American Astalked about, especially if sociation of Suicidology. someone is feeling sad or deAn anonymous web-based pressed. Dr. Nghiem said this survey created by a group is a stigma that needs to be of psychology professors stopped. at the University of Tex“People feel like if they ask as-Austin was distributed to somebody about suicide or over 26,000 undergraduate about their suicidal thoughts, and graduate students at 70 they are actually implanting colleges and universities. the idea or suggesting it to the According to the results, 18 person,” Dr. Nghiem said. Suicide is one of the most percent of undergraduate “And that’s not the case at all.” preventable issues, but it students have seriously considered death by I never understood why Lucero took an intersuicide, and 40 percent to 50 percent of the still claims many college est in me until this past year when we met to talk students’ lives. same group of students reported having mulabout what has happened since I graduated high tiple episodes of suicidal ideation. school. But by taking an interest and caring about story // Rick Purtha Suicidal thoughts are usually caused by a me, she showed me that I do have people that photos // lauren dahlhauser culmination of factors that create a sense of love me. She taught me that I have a good life hopelessness, feeling of being trapped and and it would be a waste to throw it away. a sense of being a burden on others, according to Dr. Khanh Nghiem, an “The biggest thing that helped Rick was constantly pushing him to do advisor and counseling center therapist for Ball State’s Suicide Prevention better and better, and forcing him to make decisions in life to become what Outreach Team. he wanted to become,” Lucero said. “If he would have [died by] suicide, I My thoughts were caused by a culmination of the bullying and constant would have taken that pretty hard, it would have been devastating to [the arguing. I never told anyone what was running through my mind, until one journalism department] and the staff.” specific fight with my family. If a person is feeling suicidal, asking them questions or convincing them to We had gone camping for the weekend. We arrived at our camper and seek help is could be beneficial. It lets him or her know that they don’t have unpacked when my brothers tried to take the bed I had always slept in. This to be alone. upset me, so my brothers and I started fighting. When they refused to get “It’s like people always say: A child can bury a parent, but to bury a child out of my bed, I pushed my brother off, causing him to hit his head. leaves a different feeling because they haven’t lived their life,” Lucero said. Hearing the commotion, my parents came into the camper to find out Lucero has always told her students, “Just because you fail once, it doesn’t what had happened. mean you failed at life. You need to keep failing so you can keep doing more While my parents were yelling at me, my brothers started to tell me they things. Success will be there eventually.” hated me. It didn’t get quiet in the camper until I screamed, if they would Dr. Nghiem told her clients that they shouldn’t want to leave someone like for me to kill myself. If they would all be happy when I was gone. with these tendencies alone. When teaching someone new about suicide, My parents then came to the realization that I meant what I said. she always asks one question, “If you saw someone bleeding or drowning, Everything changed after this exchange. My parents stopped leaving me what would you do?” The response is always the same: Help them.
N o b o dy Seems to be There
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health & science
X
finding The
Perfect Match
Organ donation: Easy to get involved. Easy to save a life. story // Miller Kern PHOTOS // Maggie Kenworthy
X
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H
Srinivasam no longer has to
go through dialysis treatment. He recalls dialysis as being long hours of sitting in a room with strangers while he watched Ted Talks.
Husband. Father. Grandfather. Professor. Diabetic. All these words describe Srinivasan Sundaram, a Ball State finance professor, who has been diabetic for 33 years. In his first semester teaching at Ball State in 1991, he had a triple bypass, an open-heart surgery in which blood vessels are taken from one part of a person’s body and transferred to heart vessels to prevent blockage. Sundaram, who suffered kidney failure, underwent dialysis treatments, which are typically over three hour treatments, three days a week. Dialysis treatment can destroy a person’s veins, which makes the procedure more difficult. He would sometimes go in for treatment, but would be sent home because the medics could not access his veins. Along with treatment, Sundaram faced many dietary restrictions. According to the National Kidney Foundation, patients on dialysis need to eat more high-protein foods, fewer high-salt, high-potassium, high-phosphorus foods and learn how much fluid they can safely drink. “End stage kidney disease can be very isolating since dialysis and transplants are the only treatment options,” said Janine Moore, the development director of NFK Indiana. “The most common form of dialysis, in-center dialysis, must be performed three times a week for three to five hours per treatment—that’s a part-time job.” This leaves people like Sundaram, who work and do dialysis, with little opportunity for travel and hobbies. Three years ago, Sundaram realized he would need a kidney transplant. He was put on two waiting lists: the cadaver list and the diseased donor list. On the cadaver list, Sundaram could receive a kidney from a deceased donor. On the diseased donor list, he could receive a kidney from a person with other medical complications, such as an HIV patient. According to the Living Kidney Donor Network, there are over 80,000 people on the kidney transplant waiting list. Every year, 4,500 people die, waiting to receive a kidney. Organ transplantation is used as a medical treatment for end-stage organ failure, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Every day, an average of 79 people receive organ transplants, while an average of 18 people die waiting for transplants due to the shortage of organ donors. Even with the extensive amount of time dialysis takes, some patients are resistant to receiving an organ transplant. “There were people on dialysis I used to talk to and say ‘Are you on the transplant list?’ And it was like if I was speaking Greek,” Sundaram said. “Some of them just said ‘no, I’m not going to have somebody else’s body part in me.’” The Sundarams’ two children wanted to donate their kidneys to their father. He refused. But when Kaveri Sundaram, Srinivasan’s wife, stepped up to offer hers, he could not fight her on it. “God has made everybody,” said Kaveri. “Whose kidney, whose organ… it doesn’t make any difference.” The two underwent various tests to ensure that they were able to donate and receive kidneys. Unfortunately, the two have different blood types, so Kaveri’s kidney could not go to her husband. Although she couldn’t donate a kidney to her husband, she still donated it to a recipient in Atlanta. The process of finding a donor works as a series of matches. The Sundarams sent in their names and blood types, and a computer matched them to other donors and recipients. Srinivasan received offers from two different donors who backed out later. Eventually the couple was matched up in a group of six: three sets of recipients and donors.
Srinivasan received his new kidney from a donor in California on July 15, 2014. According to Mayo Clinic, about 90 percent of people who receive a living-donor kidney transplant and about 82 percent of people who receive a deceased-donor kidney transplant will live at least five years after their transplant. Both Sundarams had successful surgeries at Indiana University Hospital in Indianapolis. Kaveri was allowed to come home after three days in the hospital, while Srinivasan came home after six. Kaveri admits she didn’t know much about what it takes to donate a kidney until her family was put in this situation. Both she and her husband feel that the reason so many people do not donate organs is because they are not informed. “You have two kidneys,” Kaveri said. “Out of that you need only 30 percent of one kidney. So you’ve got 170 [percent] left there. If somebody’s dying, why can’t you give? That was my idea.” On April 25, 2014, Maria Williams-Hawkins, an associate professor of telecommunications at Ball State, held a march for finding the “perfect match” to promote donation awareness. At the event, Srinivasan met Moore. After speaking with Moore and Williams-Hawkins, Srinivasan is now trying to spread awareness and reach out to Muncie citizens to become organ donors. “I spent a lot of time talking to the organ procurement office and I found out that Muncie was the worst city in the state with regard to organ donation and transplantation,” Williams-Hawkins said. Williams-Hawkins arranged for Srinivasan to speak at various churches around Muncie to spread awareness. Srinivasan is aware that stepping up to give a kidney is intimidating and that it’s very rare for a person to walk up to a hospital and donate an organ, especially without the proper knowledge. If Srinivasan and Kevari had not been educated, two lives could have been lost. to see which organs you can donate while alive, visit ballbearingsmag.com
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technology
connecting a community story // michele whitehair
Social media connects people with the click of a button
According to the American Press Institute, the average smart phone user spends 28 percent of their time on their phone using social media applications, especially one app. There are some social media apps that can bring people together from all around the world, while others focus more on connecting college students and residents in an area. But how does the social media market present new applications that aren’t identical to existing apps? Are they interesting enough that people will actually want to use it? Will they gain popularity? With so many apps on the market with unique titles and concepts, here are some of the latest ones that are worthy of checking out.
Released in 2014, FADE is an app that allows users to “share moments with college students around you” for 24 hours. FADE users are allowed to have one anonymous post per day. The number of likes a post receives determines the its shelf life. More likes, more time. Few likes, reduced time. These posts are not tied to any name and can be used for anything. Tim Perkey, a sophomore business administration major, has spent a lot of time on FADE’s Top 10 list for Ball State users. Receiving enough likes on a post he created, one of Perkey’s post was added to the “Hall of FADES”, which displays popular posts from schools across the country.
An anonymous source application geared toward college students, Whisper was created to provide a place for people to post thoughts and secrets. Users can complement their posts with a background image to convey a certain emotion. The app will automatically load a stock photo as the background, but there is also an option to upload your own picture. Whisper users can also customize their posts by selecting from a number of fonts. By incorporating hashtags, posts can be placed into categories such as “relationships,” “OMG” and “confessions” for easier browsing. All stories related to Ball State can be located through the hashtag, #BSU.
Beginning in 2007, Skout is dedicated to connecting people regardless of where they are. When people activate their location function, the app provides a list of users within the area who fit a list of desired criteria they’ve provided. Users are able to look through other profiles, glance at pictures and interact by favoriting a user, “winking” at each other or leaving a comment. Users can also use “Skout Travel,” which allows them to “travel” to a different city anywhere around the world to view people from that region. A function that is optional to use is “Feature Me,” which puts user’s profiles “on center stage for everyone to see.” Featured profiles can be found at the top of the home screen for six hours at a time.
Created in 2013 as a “local bulletin board,” Yik Yak is an app that allows users can connect and share information with strangers. Completely anonymous, Yik Yak posts, or yaks, are sorted by GPS location so posts can be shared users within a certain area. Yaks are curated into a featured content feed, like Freshman Advice, Sports Headquarters and Yik Yak Hogwarts. Users can control what yaks are “hot” by upvoting or downvoting the posts. Because of its anonymity, Haley Liston, a junior exercise science major, said she often sees negative posts about sororities on Yik Yak. When she comes across these posts, she tells her other friends to downvote the posts until they are taken off of the site.
33
technology
COMPLETELY
TRANsPARENT a b(v)log is not as common as social media makes it seem. STORY // HAYLI GOODe
Mark Miller, a Ball State alumnus, tightens his DSLR camera onto the tripod, takes out the screen and flips it toward himself. He goes over his notecards, prepares his speech and practices any stunts he plans to include in the video. After a little preparation, he calls his boyfriend Ethan over and asks him if he’s ready. On the count of three, they turn on the camera and the red light comes on. “Ready, set, action,” Miller said. The Facts In 1997, Jorn Barger, known as the editor of Robert Wisdom, coined the term “weblog.” The term was intended to describe the process of logging onto and surfing the web. Two years later, Evan Williams and Meg Hourihan launched Blogger.com, which is now the world’s fifth largest blogging software, according to Purch Media. In the same year, Peter Mertholz separated “weblog” into two words: web and blog. He was the first to launch his own blog with the domain peterme.com Fast-forward almost 20 years and there is a blog for everything: fashion, food, pugs, etc. Korah Morisson, founder of Blogoola, a blog about blogs, estimates that 62 percent of businesses now own and run on a blog. Thanks to websites such as WordPress, Wix or Blogger, users can design pages with little to no coding knowledge. Which is most likely the reason why there are over 54.9 million blogs on the Internet, according to Morrison. The Impact Today Founded in 2006 by Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr, Who What Wear is now the leading online platform for original style, shopping content and fashion blog in the world, according to Clique Media Inc. Kat Collings began interning at Who What Wear in 2010 and became a senior editor for the site. She reads and edits every story that’s published on the site, updatedumpteen-times-a-day.
34 // BALL BEARINGS
“There are so many great blogs out there now that the market is very saturated,” Collings said. “So it’s key to find a way to stand out, whether that’s your unique writing voice and perspective, or your particularly strong outfits.” This is why Emma Galloway of My Darling Lemon Thyme began her blog in 2010. After moving from New Zealand to Australia, Galloway wanted to keep up her vegetarian lifestyle on which she was raised. Soon after they settled in Perth, Australia, Galloway found out she and her two children suffer from gluten and lactose intolerance. Highlighting that there was still food in the world safe for her and her children, Galloway began her daily blog in July 2010. “Pros: I can do whatever I like,” said Galloway. “Say yes to work, or not. Take days off, or not. Cons: it’s hard to have a consistent income.” The Why As a junior at Ball State, Miller was going through the process of coming out. In search of how to handle it, Miller said he turned to YouTube and other vlogs for inspiration on how other men came out to their families. He began Mark E. Miller, a vlog with over 200,000 followers on YouTube, to help him “better understand the process [he] was going through.” “Once I was out, I wanted to give out,” said Miller. “I wanted to make a video of how I came out, what my experience was. And after that video, I started getting comments and question. I was like, ‘this is fun,’ so I continued to post videos.” Two years later, Miller now lives in Bloomington, Indiana, with his boyfriend. He posts at least one video a week while finishing school at Indiana University. They spend a couple of days filming a video, and the rest of the week editing it. Miller believes his success is attributed to the time he spends editing videos and making them interactive. “That seems to be the best strategy for Ethan and me,” Miller said. “We just upload a video once a week for close
to a year and I think that’s what makes people come back and back on Monday every week. It’s not every day.” The Dream The followers aren’t the only advantage to blogging. Like Miller, many bloggers monetize their blogs. This means advertisers can pay the bloggers for a mention, a rate or a space for a banner advertisement. But it’s not as easy as starting a blog and asking for advertisements. Galloway had to find a niche for her blog and pitch it to advertisers. She said after she gained a lot of readers and had grown an email list of followers, companies finally came to her. “I have a couple of sponsors who pay for ad space, but this barely even covers my costs associated with running
a blog,” Galloway said. “I’ve also done the odd sponsored post, but this is not something I’m into doing regularly. As much as it would be lovely to make a living off the blog, turning it into a commercial blog has just never been my goal.” In order to get there, bloggers have to stick through times of limbo, which is when Miller said he sees most vloggers disappear. “A lot of people start putting their content out there and they don’t see the following they] want to,” Millar said. “I think it will stop the majority of people. [But] people just need to stick through it.” For Miller, it’s not about the quantity of subscribers or the monetary amount, but the foundation he hopes to provide for another person struggling to come out.
Blog talk the language of blogging
Blogs a website containing a writer(s)
experiences, observations, opinions, etc. Vlogs blogs done through video
Wix
an arguably easier version of WordPress
Monetizing Blogs blogs that make money
through advertising
DSLR a very nice, expensive camera with
YouTube a social media site where thousands
Banner ads advertisements featured on sites
WordPress
filming and photography capabilities at the top or sides of pages
of videos are uploaded daily by society
a software, website-making site that allows users to make a site with little to no coding knowledge
35
Style From STRUCTURE TO
RODNEY WALKER jr. discovers INDIVIDUALITY THROUGH HIS WARDROBE story // Aubrey smith PHOTOS // tyrone brown
At first glance, Rodney’s daily ritual in middle school didn’t seem far from normal. He awoke to the blare of his alarm clock, slipped on his uniform for the day and waited outside for the school bus. It wasn’t hard to spot which bus was his. A sea of navies and charcoals would soon approach his house. He hopped on and blended in with the crowd en route to Prince Chapman Academy. Like many of his peers buckling under the pressure of acceptance, Rodney Walker Jr. walked into class wondering if his friends still liked him, if his classmates thought he was funny, or if his teachers were proud of him. From the perspective of a young student, the feeling of acceptance is earned in those three imperative years. Students may be striving for A’s to impress their parents, but a moment rarely passes where they aren’t thinking about where they belong in. “[Students] feel the need to fit in as a result of self-esteem issues,” Walker said. “We go through and experience so much in middle school. The best remedy to cover up all that we experience is acceptance.” Unlike most students, Walker knew there was more meaning than belonging to a certain group. However, he couldn’t escape the feeling that he needed to look like everyone else. “Familiarity provides a feeling of security,” said Amy Harden, an assistant professor of fashion at Ball State. “Dress is a fairly easy way to express or demonstrate belonging to a social group by adapting to the way they dress. Therefore dressing to ‘fit in’ provides the feeling of security.” Schools like Prince Chapman Academy have strict uniform policies that make it impossible for students to differentiate themselves. “We couldn’t show who we were,” Walker said. “Your wardrobe is a
36 // BALLBEARINGSMAG.COM
reflection of who you are. So when we are stuck wearing uniforms, nobody is different. It’s really stifling.” Harden explains that the need to belong conflicts with one’s ability to expressing themselves. “In some ways we want to be different from all the rest [by] dressing a bit differently,” Harden said. “However, we do want to belong because we fear being too different will mean we will be alone. Dress provides us with a unique way of expressing the balance that we feel between wanting to conform and wanting to express individuality.” Harden explains that young adults reach a point where factors in their life help them become more liberated from meeting a societal standard. Instead, they begin to experiment with a lifestyle of self-expression. “The more secure a person is with who they are or their life stage or their occupation, the more they may be willing to express individuality,” Harden said. “The internal question people ponder is what is the risk. If you behave in an individualistic manner, will you be punished or ostracized for not conforming to existing social standards?” Despite the risk, Walker chose to use fashion to break from the uniformity he had been accustomed. “It was so liberating. It felt good,” said Walker. “I was actually able to express myself and be different. I love to stand out and be who I am.” Hardens explains that, opposed to teenagers, college students are no longer styling their wardrobe to fit a certain social status. Rather, they are dressing however they please. “During adolescence, when we are trying to figure out who we are and are feeling uncertain, the need to belong is very strong,” said Harden. “Once we move beyond middle school and high school, we begin to feel less uncertain about who we are and the need to conform in order to belong. This often gets replaced with a desire to express yourself as an individual.” Once freshman Walker entered Ball State’s campus, he ran with the attitude of not caring how others viewed him and didn’t look back. Walker is known for his eclectic wardrobe and finally feels free to express his true self. “College is definitely a place where people have learned to explore and come out in their time,” Walker said. “They get a fresh start.” Walker’s journey is similar to any individual’s undergoing change. As students progress and mature, they are liberated to show the world their raw selves. “Life is too short to try to prove to people certain things,” said Walker. “Just live. Know that there is no limit. When it comes to fashion, be you. Be free. Be bold. Know that nothing is going to stop you. Nothing can stop you.”
e
fashion tired of being restrained by uniforms, Rodney Walker breaks free after transferring to a school where he can finally express himself through his loud and bold style.
“NOW PEOPLE QUESTION MY OUTFIT, AND I LOVE IT.” -rodney walker jr.
37
The
Traveling Spoon story // Madison Anarumo PHOTOS // hannah jackson
They say you can find beauty everywhere, but did you ever think you could find it in your eating utensils? While sitting up against a white, sheepskin throw, Aaron Paul Comino wipes his face of the metal and sand suet. He is creating a ring from a 1928 Goldenrod Flower spoon. As Comino shapes the piece of jewelry, folk singer Noah Gundersen echoes in the background, singing in time with the rhythmic process of molding metal art. “Each piece is different and takes a different amount of time,” Comino said. “I approach each spoon with care and patience. Some take heat and other types of methods to create. I don’t want my spoon rings to be like all the others.” Ball State alumnus Comino runs his own business called Aaron Paul Designs. He started it during his senior year of college when Comino’s roommate, David DelaGardelle, suggested that he should start his own business of handcrafting
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jewelry made from vintage cutlery. DelaGardelle’s grandmother gave him a box of spoons one day, but he was too busy to create anything with them. Instead, he handed them to Comino, which is how Aaron Paul Designs began. The profession allows him to live a life of travel, by giving him the opportunity to sell his jewelry in art shows across the country. The Northwest Arkansas Vintage Market Days, run by Tammy Edwards and her daughter, Megan Enlow, is one of the venues Comino has sold his work. Vintage Market Days sells many vintage finds such as clothing, housewares, old signs, furniture and jewelry. “Aaron has the perfect personality for our show,” Edwards said. “He has pieces of jewelry already made and then he is making the jewelry on site—a
fashion crowd pleaser. He takes old silverware and makes customWhen the spoon heats up to a reddish color, Comino made rings and necklaces to just name a few. He is very places the metal into a water bowl with pillars—a technique charming, sweet and makes each piece from the heart.” known as “annealing.” After submerging the metal into Comino’s passion for exploration stemmed from growing water, the temperature drops, and Comino takes the spoon up in a family of 10 and living in the out by hand. As the final step, he country. While his family focused measures and molds the metal ring on music as an art form, Comino around a ring mandrel, a tapered learned to appreciate all forms of object that includes different ring creativity. sizes, until it’s a perfect fit for his “Mom put us in piano,” said clients. Comino. “This was helpful in “I want people to be able to look teaching me discipline, and building at my jewelry and feel connected a love and respect for the different to and loved by it. I want to show mediums of art.” people how much they are worth,” Comino finds most of the said Comino. “No matter what silverware for his jewelry in various that spoon is at the end of its life, places, but most often in antique it’s still going to be loved by the shops and online. maker of the spoon.” “[I find them] everywhere and Looking into the future of Aaron anywhere,” said Comino. “Finding Paul Designs, Comino hopes that the really cool pieces take a bit of his business will continue to grow money. This year alone I shelled out in the art world. One of his biggest more than a few thousand dollars.” passions is helping people see their As for the assembling process own value, so Comino hopes to of Comino’s jewelry, the first step create some sort of product that is finding the right place to cut. aids youth mentoring programs. Comino stresses the importance He intends to put this product up of checking the back of the spoon -Aaron Paul Comino for sale and donate a percentage of for markings and lettering prior to that purchase to different charities. making the cut. Keeping the original “This has opened up a whole engraving allows customers to see new outlook on life,” Comino said. where the tableware came from, and verifies that the spoon “I truly believe that if a person puts their mind to it, they can is sterling silver. After Comino makes the cut, he sands the do anything. Any business is going to take a lot of sacrifice. area for a smoother feel, and then heats the metal with a You can’t expect to have anything successful if you’re not blowtorch on a concrete block. willing to put the time in.”
“NO MATTER WHAT THAT SPOON IS AT THE END OF ITS LIFE, IT’S STILL GOING TO BE LOVED BY THE MAKER OF THE SPOON.”
to see more spoon art and comino’s etsy store, download our free tablet app.
since comino is always traveling, he never has a set place to make his jewelry.
39
Kane San Miguel
fashion
Senior Public Relations major
What influences your style? Pages I follow on Instagram like GQ and Design Milk, Frank & Oak, JackThreads, H&M, architectural magazines. In terms of music, fashion and who he is as a person, Pharell tremendously influences my style.
What’s an item that you wear the most? Fall is my favorite season, and my peacoat compliments most of my wardrobe. I could wear it as my own top if I button it up or have it open to showcase the top I have underneath. It has the dual functionality to it.
What’s something you could never throw away from your closet? Every year, my style has changed. Nothing is subject to being kept forever. Anything can be thrown away.
What would be a winter must-have accessory? Convertible gloves.
What’s your dream clothing item? I wouldn’t wear it, but I would buy Pharell’s hat. I would put it on a mantel.
What makes your style unique?
Describe your style “Minimalist.” “business-casual” “earthy.”
40 // BALLBEARINGSMAG.COM BALL BEARINGS
I have to alter the way I dress because I’m tall. A lot of times I don’t find pants that fit, so I’ll cuff them. Shirts don’t fit, so I’ll roll the sleeves up. It’s in the details. I experiment with accessories like little pin buttons.
What does fashion mean to you? Fashion means comfort. It means understanding who you are and expressing that understanding through what you put on. Your fashion should reflect your personality. Where did you get that? Shirt: GAP; Pants: H&M; Shoes: Globe Brand; Gloves: Walgreens; Bag: Frank & Oak; Coat: Doublju, Tie: American Eagle
What influences your style? Models in American Apparel or Brandy Melville. Miley Cyrus mixes patterns, and I love mixing patterns. Keira Knightley is into the loose, baggy, boyish style. I follow them on Instagram.
Orla Travers-Gillespie fashion
Sophomore Psychology major
What’s an item that you wear the most? Converse. Every outfit I wear, even when I go out, I’m wearing Converse. They’re comfortable and go with everything.
What’s something you could never throw away? My black leather jacket. No matter how ratty it gets, I always keep it. It’s five or six years old.
What would be a winter mustDoc Martins and beanies.
What’s your dream clothing item? Skinny jean overalls.
What makes your style unique? It’s not really what I’m wearing, it’s how I approach it. I’m comfortable and confident in everything I’m wearing.
What does fashion mean to you? A way to express yourself. It’s really important to be comfortable with yourself. If you can be comfortable with yourself, you can express yourself more clearly through your style. Where did you get that? Jumpsuit: American Apparel; Shirt: Cotton On; Bag: Boutique in Hollywood; Shoes: Converse
Describe your style “COMFORTABLE.” “BAGGY.” “STYLISH.”
story // aubrey smith photos // emma rogers
41 41
sports
MORE THAN A
Headache Headache story // DEJanay Booth
PHOTOS // Eric Bouvier
During his first year in grad school, Quintin Cooper stood in position for the next play against the University of Toledo. He spotted the quarterback throwing the ball to the receiver and started running down the line. He prepared to stop the opposing receiver from making a touchdown. After hitting the opposite player, Cooper fell to his knees and blacked out for a few minutes. After he gained consciousness, he walked to the sideline and tried to remember where he was. “What hotel did we stay in?” He remembers thinking to himself. “What did I eat this morning?” The team went to the locker room, where Cooper performed two tests. First, Ball State athletic trainer Shawn Comer swayed his finger from left to right in front of Cooper’s face. Next, Cooper tried the balance test. He closed his eyes and attempted to stand on one foot to maintain balance. He failed both tests and sat out for the remainder of the game. This would be the second time Cooper experienced a concussion. The first being his senior year of high school. He had a headache after colliding with a player from the opposing team. He walked over to the sidelines and approached his coach, not realizing the severity of his headache. Wanting to stay in the game, Cooper went back on the field for the kick return. When the ball landed in front of him,
42 // BALLBEARINGSMAG.COM
Graphic // TYSON BIRD
During practice and games, Ball State athletes are required to wear helmets in order to protect themselves from obtaining concussions.
What happens during a Concussion FluidFilled Vessels
Helmet
Cerebrum 2 1
Frontal Lobe
1 Initial impact strikes the head and sends force inside of the skull to the brain. 2 Force from the impact causes the brain to hit the front of the skull and rebound at the back.
Cerebellum
Normal Brain Brain upon Position impact
3 In severe concussions, the brain can twist as it rebounds. The brain then swells which may put pressure on the brain stem.
Sources: The Seattle Times, brainline.org
Symptoms of a concussion: Headache or feeling of pressure in the head Temporarily unconscious Confusion Amnesia An offensive player tries to break away from a defensive player
during practice. These drills are commonplace and are meant to prepare team members for hits during their games.
he blankly stared at it, incapable of processing what happened. Seeing the incident, the referee stopped the game and escorted Cooper off the field. The athletic trainer took his helmet and told him he was not going back in the game. “When I first got my concussion in high school, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Copper said. “I thought your head hurts for a minute and then it goes away.” The concussion left him in a foggy state of mind and incapable of remembering his birthday or his name. Cooper is part of the 5 percent to 10 percent of athletes who will have a concussion in their lifetime, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In one game, an athlete has a 78 percent chance of walking away with a concussion. Dr. Guatam Phookan, a neurosurgeon at Ball Memorial Hospital, said whether it is minor or severe, there are about 3 million sports-related concussions per year in the United States. “A lot of them are football related,” Phookan said. “American football has a high-incidence of concussions.” Cooper’s first concussion in high school is classified as a grade two, Phookan said. He experienced amnesia, but did not black out. Grade one is someone who has minor symptoms of a concussion but does not include amnesia or lost consciousness. Grade three, which is the highest, is loss of consciousness. On his second concussion, Phookan said Cooper was at this level. Grades are
based on amount of time an individual experienced amnesia or consciousness. Cooper said after his first concussion in high school, he researched the condition. “I knew what to expect,” he said. “[I took] it more serious.” The severities of a concussion determine whether or not an athlete needs to go to the hospital. The CDC said emergency visits increased from 153,375 in 2001 to 248,418 in 2009. The number of concussions among college football players had doubled, said WebMD. But one reason the numbers increased is because the awareness of concussions went up. Dr. Robert Cantu, clinical professor for the department of neurosurgery at the University School of Medicine in Boston, said in a New York Times article that talking about concussions helped increase the awareness. “I view the numbers as encouraging. Some people will say that the numbers go up because the number of concussions is going up, but I don’t believe it,” Cantu said. However, there are a large number of concussions underreported. Dr. Phookan said more than half are still not counted for. “As a nation, we need to take it seriously,” he said. “It moves us all to pay close attention to the epidemic of concussions.” Phookan said recovery time varies by the level of the concussion. However, if a person has another one without fully recovering, they are at risk of developing the post-concussion syndrome. This
Dizziness Ringing in the ears Nausea Vomiting Slurred speech Delayed responses Appearing dazed Fatigue Source: mayoclinic.org
happens when an individual eventually recovers, but still has symptoms such as headaches, memory loss and trouble completing every day tasks. A week after his second concussion, Cooper took a memory test. He did not pass and had to sit out for the next game. Cooper played the following game after passing a second test. He said it was great being back out on the field with his teammates, whom he calls his brothers. Recovering from his concussion made him understand the significance of taking action. “[Concussions] are serious and if you have [one], maybe go see a doctor right away,” Copper said. “Take necessary steps to make sure that [it] doesn’t get worse. Don’t wait because you could mess up your whole life.”
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sports
CARRYING the conversation to
the end zone As a former athlete, sports have never left my life. Since I stopped playing basketball, I always kept myself engaged. Whether it was playing intramurals, coaching my brother’s AAU team, volunteering with my dad’s recreational sports league or watching sports on TV, I always got my daily dose of sports. Usually every morning, I will turn on ESPN and watch SportsCenter. However, while being both a mom and student, I’m constantly on the go. So I make sure I watch at least two to three hours of sports news in the evening. Almost every time I have a conversation with people, I discuss something that has to do with Indiana University basketball, the Indianapolis Colts or anything NBA or NFL related. During these moments, the majority of my friends and family typically look at me with a perplexed look on their face, puzzled by my sports lingo. I often get asked, “How do you know so much about sports?” I usually shrug my shoulders and respond with, “I don’t know. I just do.” But there are a few ways for others to gather their own sports knowledge in order to carry on a conversation with other sports fanatics.
Name: Lauren Hughes
Major: magazine journalism
Year: Senior
Fun Fact: She is known as the chef of her family.
Follow Lauren: @LuvLOLO_10
1. Know the main sports teams in your area The biggest mistake anyone could make is to mix up your sports and teams. The Indianapolis Colts do not play baseball every Sunday night. The best way to find out who the main sports teams in your city or state are is to read the paper, watch your local news or go to an athletic store like Dick’s Sporting Goods. You could also be bold and ask someone who the local teams are. Warning: You might find yourself feeling embarrassed after asking that question if people look at you like you’re crazy for not knowing. 2. Keep up with the latest sports news If you aren’t interested in watching the news because of the war and politics updates, ESPN can lighten your mood. Known as the main network for sports news, ESPN has numerous shows for every sport. SportsCenter is their live broadcast for all sports related news. So sit down, relax and soak in every bit of information thrown at you.
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3. Go to a game Even if you still don’t have much knowledge regarding a specific sport or team in your city, go to a game. Experiencing a live game will completely change your perception and interest in sports, especially while being surrounded by passionate fans. Tailgating and sitting in the stands surrounded by strangers radiating energy throughout the stadium, paired with their enthusiasm for their team to win. Gaining this first-hand experience at a game will possibly turn you into a sports fan a lot sooner than you expected. Talking sports might not come natural to all, but being able to obtain information or discuss experiences you’ve encountered at athletic events gives you more of an advantage. Gaining this not only will allow you to carry on a conversation about sport, but also learn something new.
Wherever life takes you, can get you there. HoosierRide.com (800) 544-2383 (502) 368-5644 Picks up at the corner of University & Talley Connections to more than 3,800 destinations nationwide!
1960 2012
20% of Americans age 25 and older had never been married, up from just 9% in 1960.
about 24% of never-married Americans ages 25 to 34 currently live with a partner.
2014
The three main reasons people give for their singleness are that they haven’t found the right person (30%), aren’t financially stable enough (27%) and are not ready to settle down (22%).
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isn’t
MAR RIA GE dead
Median age for marriage was 20 for women and 23 for men.
2013
love & sex
Social and economic realities have changed Millennial views and expectations of marriage
story // Aistė Manfredini
PHOTOS // Emily sobecki and provided
There is no rocket science formula to determine whether it’s In 2012, 20 percent of Americans age 25 and older had never a good idea to get married in your early 20s. But there are social been married, up from 9 percent in 1960, according to a Pew and economic factors to consider before you do. Research Center analysis of census data. For most couples in committed relationships, the “marriage “Now many people go to college and want to obtain an edtalk” is inevitable. There comes a point when you feel com- ucation before being tied down,” Bouse said. “Women have fortable to share each other’s beliefs, religious or not, and try to more going for them than they did in past generations. make sense of the term “marriage” together. They are able to have successful careers and own their own When I brought up the topic to my boyfriend, we felt com- homes instead of depending on men and marriage.” fortable having the discussion. However, we had a difficult Not only are women today more independent, but also time deciding what exactly marriage meant to us. It’s not that never-married women ages 25 and older are more educated we don’t love each other or see a future together; we just hav- than never-married men, according to a Pew Research Center en’t dated long enough to consider the option. study. One-third of these women have either a bachelor’s or adWe’re not religious or economically dependent on each oth- vanced degree, compared with one-quarter of never-married er, so we wondered: what’s the point? men aged 25 and older. Scott Hall, assistant chairperson and associate professor of Ball State students, Michael Kuhn, a 20-year-old sophofamily and consumer sciences at Ball State, said emphasis on more news major, and Lindsey Kuhn, a 19-year-old sophmarriage has slightly changed. Millenials view marriage in omore special education major, married this August. They terms of self-fulfillment, happiness said the perception and attitude toand convenience. ward marriage today is different for “Marriage can be immediately gratyoung men and women. ifying and it can have times where “A lot of times for young guys it’s it’s less about you,” Hall said. “Some like, ‘dude, you’re throwing your life Millenials may be setting themselves away. You’re so young. You still have up for expecting too much out of so much life to live’ that sort of attimarriage and thinking in large part tude. But I’m not dying, I’m just getthat it’s not about a very personal fulting married and starting a new life,” filling adult-type relationship.” Michael said. In 1960, the median age at first According to a Pew Research Cenmarriage was 20 for women and ter survey, 70 percent of 18-year-olds 23 for men. In 2013, those numto 29-year-olds who are not married bers jumped to 27 for women and and don’t have children say they want 29 for men, according to the U.S. to marry, compared to the 25 percent Census Bureau. of Millenials who aren’t sure. Julia Bartlett-Bouse, a 22-year-old The Kuhn’s first discussed marriage senior nursing student at Ball State, two months into their relationship dated her husband for five years beduring their sophomore year of high fore they married this past July. They school. They felt ready to have a serifirst discussed marriage the summer ous relationship and didn’t want to be - Scott hall before she started her freshman year “dating” any longer. of college. “I was more interested in actually “We didn’t feel like we needed to get married, but we both having a more settled down, mature relationship,” Michael wanted to,” Bouse said. “Ever since we [started being] friends said. “I wanted to find something that was missing in my life.” we have always been very close. I consider him my best friend, When I talked to my boyfriend and other close friends about and he said the same about me. We wanted to move on to the marriage, I realized that there’s a good reason why marriage next stage of our life together.” doesn’t always make sense to young people today. To me the thought of getting married and starting a life toMost 20-somethings are busy kick starting their careers and gether with my boyfriend was a lot to think about. Let’s be becoming economically stable. real: Millenials are selfish creatures. We have a checklist My goals include finishing college and starting a career in of things we still want to complete within the next several journalism. If I feel ready to marry within the next five years, years: graduate college, find a job, start a career, travel, write I will. But, I won’t let marriage interfere with my career goals. a novel, make music, move to Uruguay, start a restaurant, live Jessica Klosterman, a 22-year-old senior nursing major at Ball on a boat and do something awesome and spontaneous. Our State, has dated her fiancé, Josh Bergman, for seven years. She bucket list is infinite, which leaves less room for “get mar- said their plan to marry was never a question. ried” or “start a family.” “People are concerned about their careers, and I don’t think Marriage is not a priority for many Millenials because the op- it’s a bad thing. I think it just depends on what the person portunities today are endless. In fact, the number of American wants,” Klosterman said. “But in my own eyes, in my relationadults who have never been married is now at a historic high. ship, I know I can do both at the same time. I could get married
“MARRIAGE CAN BE IMMEDIATELY GRATIFYING AND IT CAN HAVE TIMES WHERE IT’S LESS ABOUT YOU,”
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top left: Jessica Klosterman, 22, senior nursing major at Ball State, and her fiancé, Josh Bergman, 24, walk through Ouabache State Park in Bluffton, Indiana. They have been dating for seven years and plan to marry Nov. 15, 2015, in Ohio. Top right: Ball State students, Michael Kuhn, 20, and Lindsey Kuhn, 19, walk outside their church on their wedding day. They married Aug. 2, 2014, at the Shepherd by the Lakes Lutheran Church in Syracuse, Indiana. bottom right: Dr. Scott Hall, assistant chairperson and associate professor of family and consumer sciences at Ball State University, and his wife Kimberlie Hall, married almost 20 years ago.
right now, and I could succeed in both because they’re both extremely important to me.” Dr. Carolyn Kapinus, associate dean of Ball State’s graduate school and professor of sociology, said that marriage is a complicated issue. What is right for one person may not be right for another. “There’s research that looks at how people who are married tend to be happier, in part because they have more social support,” Kapinus said. “But people who are in unhappy relationships are certainly worse off than people who are single. It depends on a lot of
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personal values and what’s happening within that relationship.” As a 22-year-old, I’m focused on completing my last year of college, honing my journalistic skills and finding a job. Although I’m in a serious relationship and see a future with my partner, marriage isn’t something I often think about. It’s not a priority in my life now. When the time is right and my boyfriend and I feel financially stable, I’ll be open to the idea of marriage. But until then, tying the knot will not stand as another checkbox on my to-do list.
IS THE ANSWER. The question is irrelevant. But just in case you really needed to know...
What should I put in my boyfriend’s stocking?
What should I get my mom for Christmas?
What should I give all my friends for the holiday?
6255 W. Kilgore Ave., Muncie (765) 288-7300 | loweryscandies.com Monday-Friday 9 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. | Saturday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
community
DEBUNKING
THE MYTHS Ball State and Muncie urban legends still relevant to student life story // kayla crandall
PHOTOS // Rachel brammer
here’s only so much that a campus tour guide can tell perspective students. It’s the job of upperclassmen to tell freshmen the rest of the campus lore. Ball State traditions can be as innocent as grabbing a hotdog from Carter’s at 3 a.m., but almost every campus has a darker side. “I think that campuses are enormously liminal spaces and when students come here, this is an extension of the leading edge of adulthood where everything is in an in-between phase,” said Cailín Murray, an anthropology professor at Ball State University said. “This is the space where unusual things occur.” From the good luck received from giving Frog Baby a nuzzle on the nose, to sticking a piece of flavorless gum on the gum tree, Ball State legends and folklore give meaning to what students experience here.
Tunnel rumors that roam off limits Just below your feet, miles of underground service tunnels run under sidewalks and connect to almost every residence hall and building. They were built in the 1920s in addition to the central energy plant to connect steam pipes, water and electrical lines to the rest of campus. A serial rapist was rumored to haunt the passages in the quad and he was the reason why they were sealed in the 1970s. But according to James Lowe, director of engineering, construction and operations at Ball State, these allegations are unproven. No one is allowed to go into the 6 feet by 8 feet concrete tunnels except for staff that have received training and a permit, Lowe said. The passageway that connects Lucina Hall to Elliot Hall was one of only two tunnels intended for students to use, but now requires permission and an access swipe to enter. In 2010, a crude, hand-drawn map showing entrances and exits to the tunnels was uploaded to urbanexplorers. net by blogger Bernard the Surly Rhombus. The map is incomplete, but it was good enough for students and urban explorers to use. Instead it achieved the opposite result. “Boy this helped us,” Lowe said. “We used this to make sure that all doors and entrances were properly sealed.” Today, the only beings roaming the tunnels without permission are the occasional squirrel and raccoon that wander in through vents on the quad.
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Students can get a quick taste of what they feel like by checking out the tunnel that connects the Arts and Communications building to Pruis Hall. The tunnel begins in the basement of AC right next to the Greenroom. The short walk is well lit, musty and drab. It does not offer a spelunking experience like the tunnels under the quad, but it is open to students. “If you don’t know what you’re doing in these tunnels, you can get hurt,” Lowe said.
Blood Road legend lacks evidence When driving off the East Pike on County Road 700, just past the first big bump in the road, you will allegedly see a long trail of “blood” left from a farmer dragging his son from a pickup. The story goes a farmer and his son drove to work every day and the son would jump out before they got there. Annoyed with his son jumping out, the farmer put a chain around the son’s waist to prevent him from getting hurt. Instead, it achieved the opposite –when the son jumped out, he was dragged down the road until the farmer realized what he had done. With 20 years of paranormal investigative experience, Dennis Burton has yet to find a case that he cannot explain, including Blood Road. “I don’t think the legend
is true,” said Burton, founder of Muncie Paranormal investigators. “I think it’s just farm chemicals that glow red at night.” The only time you can see the red line is at night when there is enough moonlight and when traveling east on the road. “Unless an orb comes down and writes my name, I don’t believe in it,” Burton said. Whether the streak on County Road 700 is an everlasting blood trail or an oil stain, people still talk about the legend of Blood Road. Even though we know that it’s impossible for all of these things to be true, they still play a major role in the legacy of Ball State. “Do we really believe that Beneficence flaps her wings when two people kiss in front of her?” Murray said. No one really knows and there is no way to find out, but it doesn’t stop us from sharing legends. Even though we know that it’s impossible for all of these things to be true, they still play a major role in the legacy of Ball State. “Do we really believe that Beneficence flaps her wings when two people kiss in front of her?” Murray said. No one really knows and there is no way to find out, but it doesn’t stop us from sharing legends.
Elliott Hall ghost still haunts students Students describe the look and feel of Elliott Hall as being vastly different from the rest of the dorms on campus. As one of the oldest buildings, Elliot has fireplaces, ornate stonework and history. With that history comes a dark past. The dorm was built in 1937 in memory of Frank Elliott Ball, son to one of the Ball Brothers, who died in a plane crash the year before. An eerie feeling of being watched, cold spots and even being hit by a textbook have been reported from students who live in residence hall. “It’s not a surprise to me that we have ghosts that are sort of mirroring the basic anxieties of college students, especially freshmen,” Murray said. The most common legend is in 1947, a WWII veteran hung himself from the rafters on the fourth floor library because of girl problems. There is no official story on what happened and no records exist that confirm that there ever was a student named William Carl Schaumberg. Three days after senior Caitlin Philips moved in, an RA told her the story of the Elliott ghost. She brushed it off, until she had an encounter of her own. “I was on the fourth floor with a friend one night, and we heard people playing pool, which is a very distinct sound.” Philips said. Bummed that they couldn’t play pool, Philips and her
friend headed downstairs to the front desk to chat with the girl on duty. They mentioned that they wanted to play pool but someone was already using the equipment. “She gave me a funny look and said nobody checked them out and showed us the pool cues and balls,” Philips said. “We were actually really freaked out. I definitely cannot deny what I heard, and it really did scare me. It wasn’t just a shift in structure of the building.”
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AFTER THE
MUNCIE WORKS TO come back from ECONOMIC TURMOIL
INDUSTRY 52 // BALLBEARINGSMAG.COM
Factories populated the once thriving metropolis, and many stodd as a symbol of pride to local workers.
STORY // Trent Scroggins PHOTOS // BSU Library Archives, Trent Scroggins and Tai Payne
Years have chipped away at the streets of America’s hometown, leaving them a rugged patchwork of cracks, potholes and overgrown grass. Factories that once housed a community of workers now lie in a graveyard of scrap metal and concrete, while vacant lots stand as missing teeth for neighborhoods. From one of the most studied small towns in the United States, Muncie, Indiana now teeters between postindustrialization and redevelopment. A decade has passed since BorgWarner closed its doors for good, putting 780 workers out of jobs. The factory that once housed nearly 6,000 workers in the 1950s now rests in a large, cement plain on the west side of town. The closing of the Warner factory came as a surprise to the workers, according to longtime resident, Nancy Turner. “Every year they would say, ‘we’re closing our doors.’ So when they actually did, people were shocked,” said Turner.
“They could never have imagined this happening. And they thought, ‘Oh, they’ll come back’ because they always did. But they never have. And a lot of them are still waiting for it all to come back.” This past decade marks the end of an era in Muncie, and the beginning of something new. From the Gas Boom of the 1880s, to the Middletown studies by Robert and Helen Lynd, to the economic recession in the 1970s, Muncie has taken hits both economically and socially. Olan Dotson, a Ball State architecture professor, said the city has entered a postindustrial age. “Muncie is not a college town, it is a post-industrial, struggling city and these were industry neighborhoods,” Dotson said as he walked through the streets of Millennium Place, a low-income housing district in Muncie. “A lot of these people are descendants of people who worked in these factories or plants that are all gone now. And what do they do in the absence
of that? They’re making a fraction of what their parents made. These are very difficult times.” Many events have led to this state of economic turmoil, which has only led to more issues in the city, said Dotson. In 2013, Indiana ranked first in the nation for the number of meth lab seizures, with Delaware County ranked second in the state according to Indiana and Missouri State Police reports. With a total of 109 busts, the county fell behind Vanderburgh County, Indiana, by six busts. “Mainly what we’re dealing with now is kind of the thing of the day: heroin and methamphetamine. We deal with [them] on a daily basis,” said Jeff Stanley, an undercover narcotics agent at Delaware County Sheriff’s Department. In recent years, television series such as Breaking Bad have normalized meth for a large segment of society that may not understand its dangers, according to an article by Time Magazine.
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Industries played a major role in early Muncie society. Factories such as Ball Corporation believed in giving back to the community, and did so in various ways according to Nany Turner, a long-time resident who has studied Muncie for many years. Ball is responsible for the revival of the local university and the fundING of numerous community projects.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that Methamphetamine is “an extremely addictive stimulant drug” that over 12 million people have used. That’s 4.7 percent of the nation’s population. “Meth is a problem throughout the entire state,” said Stanley. “We’ve always had a problem going back 12 years ago when meth first started coming on the scene. A lot of the [people] who are doing this, they don’t have steady jobs, therefore, they have to do what they have to do to make money.” Stanley has performed countless drug busts, some reaching as far as Chicago and Detroit. He explained that through tracking, researching, and the recruitment of offenders, the department continues to fight these issues. Along with the lack of jobs and income, drugs have made a significant impact on the Muncie community, especially in low-income housing areas. “Before they built [Millennium Place], it was Munciana Homes, and they would stand on the corner there selling drugs,” said Emma Price, a Muncie resident. “At nighttime we had trash barrels that they would build fires in to sell drugs all night. The kids that [did] it were raised in this neighborhood, but they never bothered me. They [kind of] looked over me. They knew I was here, and knew I wasn’t [going to] leave.”
Price was the first among many to move into the newly constructed homes a decade ago. The homes were a project produced by Dotson, the City of Muncie and professors from the university in an effort to clean up the area. It took over four years to complete Millennium Place, a $44 million project at the heart of south Muncie, which has helped approximately 145 families, according to Dotson. Dotson has researched postindustrialization and teaches a course on “Fourth World” deindustrialization. “Fourth world,” a term Dotson keyed, refers to postindustrialized cities, and the struggles many of them face in redeveloping. “Our country is going to collapse under the weight of its own history if we don’t wake up,” said Dotson. “Muncie is going to have to learn from Detroit; Muncie is a small Detroit. Ball State is going to have to be a part of it. This country is done if it doesn’t wake up. It’s done. And it’s not leaving much to the younger generations.” Dotson explained that neither Muncie nor the United States has ever been perfect, but that our decisions have led us to this point. “Muncie is a manifestation of a much larger problem in this whole country, and we are just in denial,” Dotson said. “We just sweep it under the
TIMELINE of events IN THE BEGINNING, INDUSTRY BOOMED IN MUNCIE. NOT LONG AFTER IT REACHED ITS PEAK, THE CITY STRUGGLED ECONOMICALLY AS BUSINESSES PACKED UP AND LEFT. BELOW IS A BRIEF HISTORY OF KEY EVENTS.
1876-1888 Natural
1890-1920 Through the turn
1918 The Ball family purchased
gas was discovered in Eaton. During the Indiana Gas Boom in 1880, Muncie was a central location in the Gas Belt, fueling the growth of industry.
of the century, industry boomed in Muncie. The Ball family business and many others took off and the city became known as the working class community where “people made things” for the benefit of society. (Pictured above)
and donated property, now known as the Administration Building, to the city. The building was to be used towards the formation of the Indiana State Normal School, Eastern Division.
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community
rug. Muncie is Middletown. This is a quintessential example; this is a manifestation of things that are happening all over the country. I think Gary is more extreme, I think Indianapolis is less extreme, but if you average it all out, Muncie is America. It’s a mirror and we need to look into it. That’s what Middletown is. I think that there is hope.” Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler believes the city has been doing its part in recent years. “I have 70,000 people here that are looking for Muncie to be their home. Most of them were born and raised here much like I was, and they want Muncie to be successful. The challenge is getting people to turn away from ‘no’ and say ‘yes,’” Tyler said. “I love Muncie and I just know that through working together we can be a great community.” Mayor Tyler has led the city in recent years in much of its renovations, including paving roads, tearing down abandoned buildings and collecting grants. He plans to repave Madison Street in the following months, and clean up industrial dumps to turn them into useful service complexes, like gardening and green technology manufacturing centers. “I’ve been working very aggressively
for three years to transform some of these lots.” Tyler said, adding that the Ball Brothers Foundation has given $600,000 in grants to the Ross Community Center to start reevaluating some of these areas. “It is our duty to be involved, to pay attention. People need to stop telling these young students not to go south of the underpass, or across the river. They need to get out, explore,” Mayor Tyler said. “Help us make it an even better place to live, learn, play and raise a family. If you can do that, then at the end of the day you should be able to look at yourself in the mirror and say ‘I’ve done something good.’”
Mayor dennis tyler
has played a major role in the slow revival of muncie, indiana. He took office in 2012 after serviing for nearly six years in the state legislature. with many plans for muncie’s future, he hopes that one day it will return to its former glory.
1962-1967 During the
1980-2010 Community leaders
1960’s, transition began in Muncie, economically and geographically. The Ball Brothers ceased production. The courthouse was razed in 1967 which was “the changing face of Muncie”.
began to look for better economic models for Muncie. Areas of focus were Ball State University, Ball Memorial Hospital and places of retail. Revitalization efforts really began to take off in 2010 when multiple service industries opened in Muncie and the historic preservation initiatives restored old grand homes and buildings.
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TABLET FEATURE
The Flow and
FLAME STORY by Jeremy Ervin // PHOTOS by Nick Ewing
Light and movement combine to create momentary masterpieces
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O
range light splashed the backyard of Be Here Now. Then the sound came. A roaring whoosh of flame lit up the patio as Jason Riley whipped the burning rod through the air. Burning at both ends, the pole twirled around his body, through his legs and then extinguished with a forceful final swing. They call it “spinning” or “flow arts.” Descended from the Maori poi tradition, flow arts performers twirl batons, ropes, hoops and other props to create rhythmic visuals and display skill. “Have you ever seen the cliché fire-spinning people on the Hawaiian beach with the ball on chains?” says Riley. “That’s poi.” Riley, 24, first became exposed to flow arts in high school and educated himself on the subject. He practiced six months with a dowel rod before he knew enough tricks to transition smoothly between them all. “I thought it was spectacular,” he says. “It was an exercise I enjoyed. It kind of works out that I can entertain people with it.” On the sidewalk along North Dill Street, Urayah Arrowwood wrapped colorful LED poi around his arms and back out through the air. Later, he traded the plastic props for flame. “Teaching is probably one of my top favorite parts about spinning poi,” says Arrowwood, 24. “The investment can be as little as some socks and some tennis balls if you want to find out if you’re into it.” Matt Dailey got his first taste of flow arts back in 2009 while attending music festivals, but he really got into it around 2011. He also enjoys drumming, which he says is a natural fit with poi spinning. “Anyone who has a basic understanding of rhythm can enjoy flow art,” he says. “It’s wonderful to do with music, very cohesive.” A large part of the flow arts experience rests on the concept of “flow.” Riley described “flow” as a phenomenon where one achieves “energized focus, full involvement and success” while participating in a particular activity. Flow arts are often performed with music, Riley says that because rhythm not only contributes to the show, but also helps the performer achieve “flow.” “[It’s] a state of mind where you’re entirely focused on this one activity,” he says. “It feels good. Nothing else matters to me at that point.” Riley has displayed his skills at house parties and bars to promote his art. He says that flow arts have become more prevalent in recent years. When he first began, he says that about half of the people who saw him really enjoyed the performances, while others weren’t so sure. Party hosts would worry that the fire would draw cops. Others were just concerned about safety. Riley says he’s been stopped by the police more than once but never had a negative interaction with any of them pertaining to flow arts. “When the fire is around, you tend to be a little more cautious,” he says. “It’s not all that dangerous, you just have to be prepared.” Laura Haisley, 25, specializes in hoop spinning, an interest she picked up from a friend. Performing with both LED and flaming hoops, she hones her skills through practice, performance and attending flow festivals. “There’s a lot more to the festivals than just playing with toys,” she says. Haisley once took a stage management class at a festival and learned how to plan a fire show, coordinate with vendors and how to work a venue. Training is also often offered in both tricks as well as other skills, like transitions. “I hear the music, I go with the music, and that’s kind of my moment,” Haisley says. “I’m definitely a happier person.” Dailey, Haisely, Arrowwood and Riley all participated in what they called Spundae-Monday, a weekly gathering of ten-to-20 flow enthusiasts. “It started out as something more of a workshop,” Dailey says. “It became ‘Let’s get together and watch each other spin fire.’” The group no longer meets, but they haven’t stopped spinning. Whether it’s a paid gig, a planned pro bono performance or a simple sidewalk show, the passion is still there. “I think humans have this natural attraction to fire,” Arrowwood says. “[Poi is] like a lot of other things. Once you get in a zone, or flow, you stay there until you’re done. *This story was originally published in the Fall 2014 tablet edition of Ball Bearings
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10 a Rustic a photo essay
(1) There’s something about the combination of a crisp, autumn evening, great friends and pure musical talent. The Cyntheanne Music Festival combines all of these and more. (2) This September, the second annual Cyntheanne Music Festival was hosted at the beautiful home of Ball State senior Bailey Shannon, in Noblesville, Indiana. The festival provides an opportunity for students to gather, bond and share their musical talents with one another. (3) Located on Cyntheanne Road, where the festival received its name, Shannon’s country home rests on a large area of land surrounded by acres of cornfields. The wide-open country provides the perfect backdrop. (4) As the sun kissed the horizon, friends ate, mingled, and let the variety of instrumental and vocal acts sink in. (5) The smell of burning wood hung in the atmosphere as a towering bonfire crackled at the back edge of the yard. Blankets scattered the grass in front of the stage as people gathered for a night full of entertainment.
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Harmony
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by Lauren dahlhauser
(6) Encouraging warmth and a cozy mood, stringed lights surrounded the performers on stage, casting dreamy hues of reds, yellows, and blues. (7) As dusk loomed over the event, more upbeat acts took the stage. Students stood up to crowd around the performers for a better view. (8) The swirling pink clouds soon faded into cool shades of blue. With the change of atmosphere, Chris Mack, a hip hop artist from Indianapolis, brought his energy to the stage to radiate out to the audience. (9) Other musical acts included groups of musicians and singers, guitarists, and violinists. As Ball State junior Nicole Conflenti performed a couple of songs on her ukulele, a bright smile lit up on her face while her friends cheered for her at the end of her performance. (10) Providing a good length of time for friends to express themselves through music and bond over laughter, song, and encouragement, the Cyntheanne Music Festival is a unique experience many look forward to being a part of each year.
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