Ball Bearings | Volume 3 Issue 3

BALL BEARINGS Volume 3, Issue 3 / Spring 2012/ Ball State University

inside :: food trucks :: human trafficking :: music majors

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.BALLBEARINGSMAG.COM

LIFE. IN. GEAR.

BALL BEARINGS CONTENTS

FACES

MEET THE MAYOR Dennis Tyler shares his journey to political office

BAGPIPERS Students learn to play the tradition Scottish instrument

FACE TO FACE Not your typical college job fair

FREEDOM

HANDCUFFED

Two friends bind themselves together and go on a road trip

FEATURES MUSIC MAJORS

4 8 10

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16

Passion drives students to play instuments for life

HELD CAPTIVE

22

Thousands of adults and children are forced into modern slavery each year

FOOD TRUCKS

30 INDIANAPOLIS HAS BEEN the latest city to catch on to the food truck craze.

28

Cooks sell delicious creations at Indy’s road side

SUSTAIN SPRING BREAK

Learn all the short cuts on how to save money this break

MOVEMENT IN THE WATER

34

36

Diabetes creates obstacles for Ball State swimmer

SEEING SOUNDS Blind students and faculty see campus differently

40

CONTRIBUTORS

BALL BEARINGS Volume 3. Issue 3. Spring 2012

editor-in-chief

Matthew Holden

Emma Kate Fittes Emma Kate is a freshman journalism news major. Along with designing for Ball Bearings magazine, Emma Kate designs for Ball Bearings online and the Daily News. She is also a features writer for the Daily News and a member of SPJ and SND.

managing editor Lindsey Gelwicks

assistant editors Brandi Terry Lauren Hardy Kelli Bennett

design editor Katelin Carter

assistant design editor

Dayna Colbert Dayna is a senior magazine journalism major. In her free time, Dayna works at the climbing wall and is vice president of the Fencing Club. When she’s bored she attempts to dance - usually the Carlton, really bad dances from the 80’s or the twist.

Sara Ling

photo editor

Valerie Carnevale

assistant photo editor Jenelle Bickel

advertising director Jeffery Hurst

pr director

Haley Williams

adviser

Alex Gaskill Alex is the Co-Advertising Director, handling day-to-day activities. He is involved in all aspects of the advertising department. He also sold ads for this issue. When he isn’t busy working with advertising, he likes to ride the unicycle.

Dr. David Sumner sumner@bsu.edu 765- 285-8210

CONTRIBUTING STAFF writers

Dayna Colbert, David Boulton, Taylor Ellis, Sam Harsh, Mat Mikesell

photographers Liz McDonald, Tyler Varnau, Tessa Tillett

designers

Liz McDonald Liz is a senior photojournalism major.

This is her first semester working for Ball Bearings magazine. She has also shot for Ball Bearings online and the Daily News.

Christine Bradway, Casey Brown, Emma Kate Fittes, Andrea Giacalone, Chelsea Kardokus, Katelyn Lepper, Stephanie Meredith, Kate Roesch, Liz Spangler, Stephanie Stamm, Lindsay Sprague Ball State University Muncie, IN 47306 Printed by Ball State University Printing Services

WHAT WE LEARNED THIS ISSUE adults and children are trafficked annually into forced labor and prostitution around the world

majors can focus on anything from playing the harp to making music on a computer. But one thing they have in common is passion and dedication to their craft Andrew Neylon and Corey Rudell survived a road trip handcuffed together for

95% of students walk away with a program or internship

WHAT’S ONLINE

S

tepping into the role of managing editor after Megan Capinegro graduated in December, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought I did, but boy was I proven wrong. Especially when I discovered that we would only have three weeks to put together our first issue of the semester.

Between assigning stories, coordinating writers, photographers and designers, setting up meetings, writing my own story, finding where all the paperwork is that I’m supposed to be filling out and then actually doing it, I’ve been quite busy. I never honestly knew how much went into the back end of creating a magazine.

And while it has been the busiest month of my life, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The opportunities we’re given don’t always turn out the way we think they’re going to but we have to grasp them anyway. Living with the “what ifs” is worse than taking a chance and finding out for yourself where life can take you.

When I was growing up my parents blessed me with every opportunity I could have ever dreamed of. In high school I danced, I played an instrument, I performed in a show choir, and traveled to France. All of these opportunites and experiences led me to where I am today.

Sometimes I still wish I had the time to take advantage of every opportunity thrown my way.

Truthfully the only thing stopping me is me. Don’t hold yourself back from taking an opportunity, Now is the time to pick up a new hobby like the bagpipers (page 8). Neither are music majors but they took the opportunity to try something new.

Join a cause. What better way to get involved on campus and the world than by fighting a social injustice such as human trafficking (page 22).

Plan for the future by doing an internship in your major just like the students in the Face-to-Face program (page 10).

Or even do something as simple as trying a new food such as a Korean influenced taco from the West Coast Tacos food truck (page 28).

This issue is full of opportunities. Don’t let them pass. And don’t forget to check out our last issue all based around the theme of adventure.

www.ballbearingsmag.com

HELD CAPTIVE

Visit our website to learn more about the consequences about humman trafficking.

Lindsey Gelwicks, Managing Editor

MAYOR DENNIS TYLER relaxes in his Delaware County office.

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Hometown Hero

Newly appointed Mayor Dennis Tyler looks back at his path to office { story } David Boulton

{ photos } Liz McDonald

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ot even two months into his new term as Muncie mayor, Dennis Tyler finds himself in a state of self-inflicted urgency. The university town has long been on the economic decline, forcing government officials into unattainable promises and flowery rhetoric that has began to breed skepticism from the city. Despite considerable roadblocks and a limited budget, Tyler seems truthfully optimistic.

His office is what you would expect from a newly appointed mayor: papers strewn about his desk in a surprisingly organized mess, labeled with a rainbow of sticky-notes. The rest of the large, traditionally decorated room is immaculate, seeming almost empty. Besides his laptop, tablet and iPhone, the office is almost devoid of any personal belongings – no family photos, no children’s artwork. The only visible thing is a standing book titled “School Cannot Do It Alone” on his side table, a picture of himself presenting a 101st birthday proclamation to Muncie resident Mary H. Beatty and a stack of tuckedaway Chicago Bears mugs.

Due to the paperwork on his main desk, he prefers to type as he faces the window. The back of his leather swivel chair effectively hides Tyler to those entering his office. Despite the eeriness of approaching him by surprise, he quickly spins around and greets people with an almost relaxed demeanor.

Though he’s preparing for a State of the City address in two hours, visitors to his office are never treated as an inconvenience. He calmly quits typing, turns his chair and greets them with his rather infectious smile. As they leave, he apologizes for turning his back to them and continues typing. There’s an impossible amount of work to be done.

Dennis Tyler was born in Muncie in 1943, living with his mother and three brothers in a public housing project

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called Middletown Gardens on the south side. Tyler never met his estranged father and was the product of a single-parent household until his mother met her future husband when Tyler was 12.

“I’ve always considered him my dad, because I never knew my real father,” Tyler says. “Mom was my go-to person, but Dad was the one who got me to quit whining and crying about what was going on around me and get involved in local politics.”

He went on to attend Muncie Central High School in the late ‘50s. Due to his luck as a student, the transition into adulthood was a rather smooth one for Tyler, who opted out of going to college in favor of the instant gratification of paychecks offered by the workforce.

“When I came out of high school, there were so many jobs around here,” Tyler remembers. “I mean, we had more jobs than we had people, seriously. And the beauty of it was, you could graduate from high school and you didn’t need a college education. That’s what most did in our entire community.”

It’s difficult to listen to Tyler without noticing his overwhelming sense of nostalgia. These transitional adult years shaped his ideological foundation as well as his semi-utopian image of the Muncie that should still be. Just mention the late great Jackie Wilson around Tyler and be prepared to hear about the greatest entertainer in the world coming to Muncie and leaving a young man in awe.

March 1965 was perhaps one of the most pivotal and self-realizing moments in Tyler’s life. The mayor at the time had created the Police and Fire Mayor Commission, which was in charge of creating the first hiring school to go into the police and fire programs in Muncie.

After finishing near the top of his class, Tyler became a fire fighter, a profession that he would stay with for more than 42 years.

Despite the prominence of the Democratic Party during Tyler’s formative years in the early and mid-‘60s, his interest in politics didn’t come about until later in his career. “At that time, I was still so young,” he says. “I mean, I paid attention. John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. were my idols and I looked up to them, but I honestly had never given a political career a thought at that time.

I was much more interested in making sure I had enough money in my pocket so that I could do whatever I wanted to do on Friday and Saturday night.”

It wasn’t until about 1970 when the Muncie Fire Department acquired a new snorkel truck that Tyler started to notice the perks of political involvement. The new truck needed a driver and considering that the job paid a few extra hundred dollars a month, he thought it the perfect opportunity. Despite training on the truck and considering himself a shoo-in for one of the driver spots, it didn’t quite work out.

“Long story short, when they made those appointments, I didn’t get it,” Tyler says. “I went home and complained to Dad and he told me to get involved or continue to feel like you’re getting the short end of the stick.”

Get involved he did. Over the course of the remainder of his career as a fire fighter, he went on to become president of the union, line captain of the fire department, precinct committeeman and party chairman of the local Democratic Party. Despite his

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MAYOR DENNIS TYLER spends a few moments to prepare for the State of the City address at the Rotary Club meeting.

ambitions, some of his closest colleagues were still skeptical of a political future.

“He served in several capacities, as far as the union goes, but I didn’t ever see him becoming mayor,” says Muncie Fire Chief Eddie Bell with a slight smirk on his face. “Muncie’s definitely lucky to have him though.”

2003 marked a transition towards Tyler’s pursuit of more prominent roles within his community, as he ran for mayor against the heavily favored incumbent mayor, Dan Canan. According to Tyler, Canan’s popularity caused the Democratic Party to consider not contesting his run. Because of the electoral ramifications that may have affected City Council, Tyler decided to run on the Democratic ticket, eventually only losing by some 400 votes.

Opportunity for public office did not rise again until the passing of Tyler’s good friend, Rep. Tiny Adams, in December of 2005.

Because of the opening for a new state representative that

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•• POLITICAL ROAD TO MAYOR •• short

453 VOTES 1961 Graduates high school with honors, but decides not to attend college

1963 Becomes Muncie firefighter for 42.5 years

2003

2006

2011

Loses the Muncie Mayoral race to thenmayor Dan Canan

Sworn into Indiana State Legislature as a House Representative; serves from 20062011

Wins election for Muncie Mayor; first Democrat in 20 years

Adams left open, Tyler decided to pursue the office, ultimately of 2011. Political struggles mixed with less family time, one of his becoming an Indiana State Representative in 2006. most vocal pleasures, were taking a visible toll on Tyler toward the The experiences campaigning as a state representative for the end of his run. previous five years had prepared Tyler to try his hand again at “When you run for a position as big as mayor, it’s naturally the Muncie Mayoral office. Though going to take away from the time that the state job was a great opportunity you’re accustomed to with family,” for Tyler, personal problems plagued Bell said. “As tough as it is, he’s one of the potential candidates for been through the mill before and Muncie mayor, so Tyler decided he knew what to expect.” to throw his hat in the ring once Despite his appearance, seen by again, where he would be facing some as fighting a losing battle, an incumbent mayor for the second considering the difficulties of time, Sharon McShurley. challenging an incumbent, as well “I tossed it around for a few as McShurley’s support by The days and talked about it with the Star Press, Tyler won the 2011 family over the weekend and they mayoral race with a margin of encouraged me to do what I thought nearly 1,800 votes. was best for me and my future,” Tyler The atmosphere of the banquet room says. “I didn’t really think about it in above the Democratic headquarters terms of what was best for me, but was electric on the evening the results more as a chance to come home and were tallied. Drinks were being heavily serve. I wanted to serve again and be consumed by Tyler’s supporters as he a little closer to friends and family.” had that permanent smile plastered When I first met Tyler during the on his face. He looked ecstatic about campaigning process, he approached the win, but at the same time, his me with a look of cheery fatigue. At focus didn’t seem to waver. He was his age, the process seemed to be officially the mayor of the only town taking its toll on the veteran. He was he’s called home and the one town not only running as an underdog that he wants to devote the rest of against a young McShurley, but he his life to rebuilding. This may not was also dealing with the Republican be the same industry-driven, Jackie criticisms of public safety bias, a lack MAYOR DENNIS TYLER delivers his first State of Wilson hosting, mom and pop store of education and fleeing his post, in the City address. dominated Muncie that it once was, reference to the Democratic walkout but it’s still home.

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A NEW SET OF PIPES Scottish tradition comes to Ball State { story } Dayna Colbert Though far from Scotland, Ball State is home to the instrument traditionally associated with kilts and clans. Paying homage to tradition and ancestry, two students are avid bagpipe players.

“We listened to Celtic music in our house, and I realized I liked it so I listened to more,” David Wurdeman says. Wanting to continue playing the music he loved through college, Wurdeman decided to learn bagpipes in July.

Jonny Jarvis had a similar interest three years ago. “I come from an Irish family, a Scottish family,” Jarvis says. “I’m a big fan of Dropkick Murphys. I just felt like bagpipes were a cool thing to learn.”

Even so, it took a bit of searching to find someone to teach him the bagpipes. “My aunt thought it was going to be the coolest thing ever, so she was the one that called the Indianapolis 500 Gordon Pipers, which is who I play for.”

Wurdeman took a different approach. “I contacted a couple of different pipe bands in Indianapolis and found one that looked really promising. I talked to the pipe major and I take lessons from him now,” he says. Through his teacher, Craig Waugh, he is now a member of the Indiana Caledonia Pipe band.

Not only did he find a place to learn to play, but also learned that his pipe band competes.

“You play a group ensemble and usually the band marches in,” Wurdeman says. “It’s rated on articulation, style and performance and all the normal stuff. The band usually has pipes and drums.” Keeping with the Scottish tradition, they even wear kilts. As for Jarvis, he currently has no plans to compete and is content with the Indianapolis 500 marching pipe band.

Though a woodwind instrument, bagpipes are far from the typical woodwind. The reed is hidden in the bagpipes, so to produce the sound you blow through the blowpipe into the bag. Fingerings are done through the chanter,

{ photo } Jenelle Bickel which is attached to the bag. The two tenor drones and single bass drone allow the air and sound to escape.

“They’re hard to tune,” Jarvis says with a laugh. “That’s always going to be difficult. If you’re not exactly in tune with the rest of the band then you’re going to sound terrible… They are very difficult to learn how to play, but once you do learn how to play them, it’s a pretty simple instrument.”

With such a loud instrument, full practices on campus are hard to come by. “I practice the chanter probably three times a week and the bagpipes twice a week,” Wurdeman says. “The chanter I’ll practice in my room because it’s not that loud. The bagpipes I practice in the music building.”

Jarvis says he tries to practice every day, but it can be difficult because of schoolwork. When he can find time to play, he practices in the quad or the First Presbyterian Church behind DeHority Complex.

When asked to give advice for future bagpipers, both had the same message: practice. “It’s an amazing instrument,” Jarvis says. “A lot of times your mouth will be sore, your arms will be sore playing. You’ll feel like ‘I’m never going to be able to play these and if I can then it’s going to be a struggle just to play them and it’s not going to be pretty.’ But once you get the muscles built up and you can just play naturally, it’s really pretty.”

There may even be performances in the future.

Jarvis will perform with the Indianapolis 500 Gordon Pipers for the race in May. If Wurdeman feels comfortable enough, he will perform with the Indiana Caledonia Pipe Band. “I’d love to be able to play with them in the St. Paddy’s Day parade in Indianapolis,” Wurdeman says, “but I don’t know if I’ll get there. I’m hopeful I’ll get there, but we’ll see.”

“They are very difficult to learn how to play, but once you do learn how to play them, it’s a pretty simple instrument.”

-Jonny Jarvis SPRING 2012

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FACING YOUR FUTURE Campus program offers intensive job placement event { story } Kelli Bennett

I

{ photos } Valerie Carnevale

magine presenting your life’s accomplishments and career goals to a boardroom full of possible employers and company presidents of your dream industry. Participants in the Face-to-Face program make this a reality each spring semester as they present to capital members of the advisory board.

This feeling is familiar to Casey Rusk, a second-year graduate student majoring in Residential Property Management (RPM) and one of 18 students participating in this year’s Face-to-Face event. He vividly remembers being in this position last year as he prepared for the much-anticipated event offered by the RPM program.

Face-to-Face is not a typical college job fair; it is a personalized job recruitment exclusive to program majors. This year’s event is held in the Alumni Center. The event offers both internship and permanent job placement opportunities.

According to Howard Campbell, director of the RPM program, the distinctive advisory board was assembled in 1999. Today’s board consists of 23 companies

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featuring well-known names like Gene B. Glick Co., Buckingham good first impression as a student,” Bloom says. “This is going to Companies and Barrett & Stokely. A $5,000 contribution and a be my reputation for the rest of the year.” $1,500 annual membership fee grant companies membership to Carla Earhart, founding director of the RPM program, also the advisory board. These contributions fund scholarships and advises students to be honest and genuine. career-planning activities for students.

Rusk understands the magnitude of this one presentation According to Noelle DuBach, a past Face-to-Face participant, job compared to in-class presentations leading up to Face-to-Face. and internship hopefuls spend months preparing for this day-long “This presentation blows any other presentation out of the water,” event. Preparation includes resume critiques, creative PowerPoints, he says. Rusk followed Earhart’s advice of presenting a leave-behind attending informative career workshops and late night cram marketing piece and left professionally designed business cards. The sessions. DuBach’s tedious preparation and advisory board serves as a tentative audience acquired skills landed her an internship with to these students as they carefully jot down Indianapolis-based Gene B. Glick Co. last year. presentation notes and key points to discuss Members of the advisory board have their during the forthcoming interviews. own preparation process, says Suzanne Both Rusk and Bloom remember the air of Peperak, regional manager for Barrett & tension that lingered among the classmates as Stokely, who represents her company on they gathered in the hallway and waited with the advisory board. Peperak’s participation anticipation for their turn to present to the board in Face-to-Face as a student in 2002 allows members. “At the end of the day you’re fighting her to see the event from both the eyes of an for that one internship spot,” Rusk says.

RPM student and board member.

With presentations coming to an end, Prior to the event, companies determine students enjoy a brief break as they eat lunch Students give which positions need filled. They review with members of the advisory board. Here 8 minute students’ participation forms, which include students and board members mingle. While presentations company preferences, location preferences the board members ask provoking questions and resumes. After selections are made, and entertain small talk, the students run they are forwarded to the students weeks in down their list of etiquette tips as they eat in advance, giving them an ample amount of front of hopeful employers. Lunchtime also time to prepare. This advance submission is a serves as a platform for award distribution challenge for some advisory board members. and student recognition. The majority of “In the business world we do not know which students receive credentials such as the positions will be vacant several months in National Apartment Leasing Professionals advance,” Peperak says. and the Certified Apartment Manager.

Despite this small challenge, Peperak sees Students are also awarded with academic the rewards of Face-to-Face. “This event and travel scholarships. is our best opportunity to recruit the best The students go more confidently into Students hold students, as it gives us the opportunity to see their interviews after receiving their awards 20 minute each student in a high pressure presentation according to Bloom. Interview slots are filled interviews situation as well as in a one-on-one interview,” in advance by the advisory board’s selections. she says.

Rusk had eight interviews last year and The presentation and one-on-one interview researched each company to ensure a proper Peperak refers to are the capstones of the answer to an inevitable question: what do you event, accompanied by a breakfast and lunch. After breakfast, know about the company? advisory board members trickle into the massive boardroom and Students like Bloom leave Face-to-Face with several internships sit around a large table. Students transition from their lighthearted or job offers. These students account for a portion of the 95 percent banter to a more serious mood as they get ready for their internship placement provided by Face-to-Face, Campbell says. presentations. For some, presentations are the first impressions The Face-to-Face and RPM programs are growing in notoriety. given to board members.

“Our program is so well recognized in the apartment industry that Senior Megan Bloom mastered the difficult task of finding the some students secured summer internships back in October, balance between formal and informal when giving her Face-to- more than six months in advance,” Earhart says.

Face presentation last year. She showed her personality through This year’s Face to Face participants will walk into the Alumni pictures, elaborated on her various extracurricular activities and Center unsure of their future and walk out hours later with an highlighted her immersive service experience in Haiti. “Make a immersive internship or job offer.

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HAND IN HAND Documentary crew explores difficulties of being handcuffed together { story } Brandi Terry

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{ photos } submitted by Corey Rudell

ndrew Neylon was hungry. It had been a long couple of days – a 23-hour drive to Baltimore, a day out and about in Washington, D.C. Exhausted, he was sitting in a hotel room and just wanted some food. He considered getting up and getting a snack, and quickly realized that he couldn’t; Corey Rudell was sleeping soundly next to him. The two of them were handcuffed together. Neylon’s left arm was connected to Rudell’s right, keeping Neylon firmly anchored down until Rudell awoke.

“I realize slowly that I can’t move, I can’t do anything, I am just stuck there,” Neylon says. Someone else eventually brought him some food, but it was still a struggle.

“Someone put my food plate too far away and I couldn’t get to it,” he says. “I felt like I had become like a baby again. I couldn’t do any of the things I wanted to do.”

This was just the beginning of a long adjustment process for Neylon and Rudell. They were on a 10-day expedition that took a group of six Ball State students from Muncie, Ind., to Ottawa, Ontario – where Neylon and Rudell would finally be uncuffed. A key had been mailed there a couple of weeks ago and was now waiting for their arrival.

This is the premise of the documentary “Me & My Shadow,” detailing their journey and all of the bumps along the way. This was a project a long time in the making, with roots tracing back to two years before this night in a Washington, D.C. hotel room.

Neylon and Rudell had known each other for four years, having been friends in high school. They were watching an episode of the cartoon “Doug,” where the main character handcuffs himself to his love interest, Patti Mayonnaise, and loses the key. This isn’t an uncommon plot line – it’s been used in numerous television shows, from “Honeymooners” to “Hannah Montana.” But Rudell wanted to take it a step further. “It’s never been explored in real life,” he says “It’s always been in fiction.” With this in mind, the two began brainstorming.

The original idea was to handcuff themselves together for a week and live as normally as possible. Concluding that this plan was infeasible and needed work, Rudell wrote it down in his “book of ideas,” where it remained untouched.

A year later, Neylon was asked to write a script for the Frog Baby

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Film Fest. Knowing that Rudell was a telecommunications major, Neylon asked him to collaborate on the project. As the two were thinking, they came back to their year-old idea involving handcuffs.

They knew they needed to raise the stakes, so they decided to try to accomplish something concrete while being cuffed together. They ultimately set a goal: mail the key away and while still cuffed, take a road trip to retrieve it. For the next eight hours, the two planned the entire documentary and contacted a crew to help them.

The pair recruited four other Ball State students for their production team. The first people they contacted were Marcus Carroll, who would serve as the grip and secondary camera, and Danny Delaney, who would supervise sound. Carroll and Delaney had been high school friends of the pair and agreed to the project immediately. The four of them began planning the project the same week and recruited Chloe Anagnos to produce the documentary.

The final person to join the team was Patrick Ball, who would serve as the director of cinematography and primary camera.

Now that the team was assembled, the real work began. In order to fund the trip, the team explored various methods of fund raising.

The most successful method was crowdsourcing websites, namely a website called IndieGoGo. They shared their idea on the website and asked for financial assistance, raising $600 total. They also received money from friends and family and footed part of the bill themselves. Money in hand, they were ready to hit the road.

They set their departure date for Dec. 26. Christmas night was a challenge for Rudell, who began to second-guess his grand plan.

“I did not sleep that night,” he says. “I was up all night, like, ‘This is crazy, why am I doing this?’ But I had faith in my crew, and I had faith in this idea.”

Rudell was not alone in his concerns.

“I felt sick to my stomach,” Anagnos says. “I just kept thinking, ‘We can’t fail.’ I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.” But the plans barreled on.

After a restless night for the crew, Neylon and Rudell slapped on the cuffs and, with the rest of the team, set off the day after Christmas. The trip began smoothly enough, with excitement levels high for the crew.

“There was a lot of adrenaline, there was a lot of energy,” Neylon says. “There’s just a certain exhilaration you get about traveling across the American landscape.”

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BALTIMORE, MD

Stayed a few nights with Carroll’s cousin. Commuted from Baltimore to D.C. daily because they had a free place to stay.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Went to Georgetown Cupcake and had “cuffcakes,” cupcakes with a handcuff fondant decal. Got kicked out of one of the Smithsonian Museums.

PHILADELPHIA, PA

Had their first Philly Cheesesteaks at Geno’s. Toured the Italian market and saw a lot of murals and other art in the heart of the city.

NEW YORK, NY

Had a spot in Times Square for New Year’s but got kicked out by NYPD due to overcrowding. Went to Central Park later that night for fireworks.

TORONTO, ON

After touring Niagra, stopped in Toronto and walked around the city.

Stopped at a Tex-Mex restaurant for dinner called “Sneaky Dee’s.”

OTTOWA, ON

Got kicked out of Canadian parliament because Rudell and Neylon were handcuffed. Took pictures outside the houses instead.

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For Delaney and Carroll, however, the first leg of the trip was rather uneventful.

This was not a new concept for them – the two of them had previously spent 48 hours handcuffed together, as a kind of test for the bigger project. They made a mini-documentary based on their experience, which went on to win the 72Hour Film Festival.

Neylon credits his excitement at this point to the freshness of the trip. “There was nothing bad about it at that point. It was just completely novel,” he says. “Nothing had set in yet in terms of tiredness or aching, or frustration or ego or any of the things that would come to play a role in the project.”

The novel quality didn’t last long. Rudell and Neylon quickly realized they were going to face many challenges over the course of the next 10 days. How were they going to shower? How would they use the restroom? How would they sleep?

The two had agreed not to talk about these obvious challenges before the trip and to figure them out as they went along.

The only exception to this was clothing: before they left, they sewed buttons and fasteners along the sides of their shirts to

make for easier clothing changes while being cuffed.

These everyday routines weren’t the only part of the trip that posed a challenge. Originally, the pair had planned to travel to numerous cities and visit tourist attractions. This plan, however, didn’t quite work out -- many places would not allow admission to the two because they were handcuffed.

They found this out that hard way when they were kicked out of the Smithsonian Museum.

Knowing it may be a challenge, they decided to enter the museum in groups of three: first, Bell, Anagnos and Delaney. Bell took a camera with him, concealing it with the help of a wheelchair the crew had been using as a dolly. Following them, Carroll, Neylon and Rudell entered. They didn’t even make it past security before being told to leave. The good news, however, is that Bell got the entire ordeal on video for the documentary.

Neylon and Rudell went into and came out of this trip as good friends, but their relationship was tested over the course of 10 days. They had traveled for

(LEFT) NEYLON AND RUDELL eat their first authentic Philly Cheesesteaks while filming. (Right) The group packs their equipment and prepares to leave from Elkhart, Ind.

“This project has taught me that you cannot survive in this world without relationships. People can be good.”

-Corey Rudell two weeks together before, but being handcuffed together added a whole new dynamic.

“It was incredible how closely it followed the arch of a conventional relationship,” Rudell says. “If you could take the entire span of a relationship, from courting, to getting engaged, the honeymoon, marriage, later in marriage to divorce…if you took that entire span and shortened down to the 10 days of this trip, it followed each of those points exactly.”

The beginning of the trip was fun, fresh and exciting. The two had found their stride and routines by the middle of the trip. By the end of the trip, Rudell says, he and Neylon rarely spoke to each other, unless it was necessary.

“It became very sad,” Rudell says. “As it came near the end of the trip, we both knew it needed to end. This needed to be over.”

They crossed into Canada, and after a dysfunctional trip to the Canadian Parliament, they arrived at their final destination – the home of a woman by the name of Louise Brown. They had located her online, and she’d agreed to hold on to the key.

But the key wasn’t there.

After a series of events that Rudell won’t reveal –“You gotta see the movie for this,” he says – they managed to locate the key and free themselves.

“It was a moment where I could enjoy the rest of my life again and where my life didn’t have to be a weird art project

anymore,” Neylon says. The two spent a few minutes dancing, running around, swinging their arms – enjoying their freedom – before hitting the road to get back to Indiana.

On the car ride home, Rudell sat in the front seat and Neylon in the very back.

They weren’t upset with each other; they were simply appreciating the distance. “It felt clean, it felt fresh,” Rudell says. “I was so happy.”

When they finally got back, they began editing footage for the documentary.

Currently, the goal is to edit a 30-minute cut for the Frog Baby Film Festival in March.

Eventually, there will be a full-length version that the crew intends to show at local screenings and send to various film festivals, but Rudell isn’t aiming for fame or glory.

“We just want to get this seen by as many people as possible and hope that it helps them open up,” he says. “Maybe it will change them in the way it changed me… this project has taught me that you cannot survive in this world without relationships.

People can be good.”

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MAJORING IN

passion SUCCESS OR FAILURE ALL RESTS ON THAT ONE NOTE

{story} Samantha Harsh

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BALL BEARINGS

{photos} Tyler Varnau

{design} Christine Bradway

n the basement of Ball State’s Hargreaves Music Building, there lies a maze of tiled white hallways. The walls are a bland blue, and the cabinets are discolored and old. Practice schedules are tacked up on the doors of the studio rooms. The sounds of a lone trumpet echo down the hallway.

This building, along with the Music Instruction Building across the street, is the home of Ball State’s music majors.

Music is important to many. For music performance majors, however, it’s a way of life and a path to their future.

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rily franklin

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BALL BEARINGS

PERCUSSION PERFORMANCE

r

ily Franklin has practically been playing music his entire life. Franklin, a senior percussion performance major, comes from a musically-oriented family. His grandma gave him his first drum lesson when he was in fourth grade. For Franklin, drumming really took off his freshman year of high school, where he played in the marching band and performed in competitive percussion ensembles. He is expected to play all percussion instruments, but his primary instrument is marimba.

The percussionist arrived at Ball State as a music education major. “Being a band director wasn’t really up my alley,” he says.

“Being a director would be way too stressful.”

When Franklin switched to music performance, he loved having more time to practice and actually play music.

“Even if I had to play cowbell every day, as long as I’m playing percussion I’m going to be happy,” he says. “It’s about riding your experiences and learning from them. Constantly getting better is the name of the game.”

In the professional music world, constant improvement is crucial. Erwin Mueller, Franklin’s instructor, knows what it’s like to balance a performing and teaching career. He knows how important it is to work hard and jump on opportunities when they arise.

“It’s very much about grabbing the opportunity and taking it. You just have to start auditioning,” he says.

For many major orchestras, such as those in Indianapolis and Chicago, a performer has to submit a one-page resume to the orchestra. Then, if the orchestra wants to hear them play, they’ll invite them to audition. Many times, there are more than 100 players auditioning for one spot in one orchestra at a time. There are occasional “walk-ins” but this kind of auditioning takes a lot of guts and confidence and is rarely successful, Mueller says.

“You don’t know what’s going to happen if you don’t get an audition,” he says. “Being in performance is a hard job. Once you make it past the audition, it’s easy. But it’s getting there that’s the hard part.”

parker james MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

f

or sophomore Parker James, it all started with the click of a mouse.

When James was in eighth grade, his parents bought a new iMac for the house. He decided to take a look and little did he know that the GarageBand icon on the bottom of the screen would change the direction of his life.

James’ perspective changed after he discovered GarageBand, an audio editing program made for Apple computers. When he started recording his drumming on it and experimenting with the different sounds and effects, he knew that this was what he wanted to do.

James is now a sophomore, and happily says he enjoys being “immersed in the environment with like-minded people,” spending a lot of time with fellow music majors. He is in Symphony Band and a jazz ensemble primarily playing the marimba. He says he spends a lot of time in the music building, working with the state-of-the-art equipment and creating his art.

“It’s not like you can just throw some paint on a canvas and call it art,” he says. “There’s a formula, there’s a pattern to it.”

Music technology focuses on recording and producing albums.

Even though it’s centered more around the production of the music itself, all students studying through the School of Music are required to study and play an instrument of their choice for at least two years. Though he spends a lot of time in the recording studio, James still has a passion for percussion.

Someday he hopes to combine both performing in a band or orchestra and recording.

“There are just so many things I want to hold on to,” James says.

His major takes up a lot of time and energy out of the classroom, as is the case with most music majors.

“Not everyone can be a music major,” he says. “To really do all the School of Music requires of you, you have to take five years.”

Even through all of the work, practicing and studying, James knows that this is the right path for him. However, he’s taking advantage of his time now to live and breathe his passion of making music with his fellow musicians.

“I’m really enjoying it for what it’s worth,” he says. “I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t love it.”

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gina buzzelli VIOLIN PERFORMANCE

w

hen Gina Buzzelli talks about her major, she smiles and her eyes light up. She’s eager to speak, leaning forward as the words spill out in a rush, as if they can’t keep up with her excitement.

Buzzelli, a freshman violin performance major, has been playing since she was 8 years old.

The violinist has always known she would have a future in playing music; it was just a matter of when. Both of her parents are professional musicians, and Buzzelli has been surrounded by music performance all her life.

“No matter what instrument it was, I knew I was destined to play something,” she says.

This summer she will travel to Rome to perform in a pit orchestra for an opera with Academica Lirica Italiana, which is a music training program based out of Italy.

“As a music performance major I think it’s important for me to get as much playing experience as I possibly can,” she says.

All of the performances and traveling are great, but her relationships with the other players is what really makes

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everything worth it, Buzzelli says.

“I definitely love the social aspect of playing,” she says.

“Music has given me so many opportunities. I’ve made so many great friendships, and they’re basically like my family.”

At Ball State, Buzzelli takes the same general classes as other students. She also has two hours of studio a week, where she and other violin performance majors play for each other and reflect on their progress. On top of that, she takes private lessons and piano classes, a requirement of all music performance majors.

“Music performance is definitely one of the harder majors,” she says. “You can’t just not practice. I know I’m supposed to be practicing more than I’m supposed to, but sometimes I just can’t do it--I just don’t have the time.”

Nevertheless, Buzzelli still knows that playing the violin is what she’s meant to do. Her goal after graduation is to play for any orchestra preferably playing jazz, folk and classical music.

“I can’t picture myself not playing the violin for the rest of my life,” she says.

HARP PERFORMANCE

k

atie Harms started playing the harp when her elementary school music teacher bought one as a part of a music education program. Since Harms’ mother worked at the school, she would come early every day to play it. In high school, she went back to the program to teach younger children how to play.

For Harms, choosing her college major came way before her senior year of high school. Since harps can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $50,000, she had to decide if playing the harp was really what she wanted to do with her life or else her parents wouldn’t buy her one.

“I know of other majors I would like, but I’ve never doubted harp performance. I would never give up my harp, no matter what,” she says.

Harms has had many opportunities studying harp performance over the past couple of years, including a lot of opportunities to travel. She’s been to Seattle, the National Music Festival in Virginia, and Hancock, Maine, where she and a group of other musicians stayed in cabins for six weeks and played in a concert every Sunday.

They received new music every Monday and had seven days to perfect it and then perform it.

“You have one chance to get it right, and that’s when you learn a lot about yourself. You look at your fellow players and the audience and realize, ‘This is why I want to be a musician,’” she says.

“I couldn’t have asked for a more welcoming, supportive atmosphere. It’s incredible to see the growth in each other and in ourselves,” Harms says.

Harms is very close with her fellow musicians, especially the four other harp majors. She even rents an apartment with one of them. The small group comes from all over the country, including harpists from Alaska, Texas, Virginia and Michigan--not one is a native of Indiana.

Even though they are far from home, Harms says they’re the best of friends.

“Our family is our studio. We’re at home with each other,” she says.

katie harms

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traded and bought

sold

story LAUREN HARDY

In 2000, the United States declared war on human trafficking by enacting the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Today, awareness groups continue to shed light on this social issue, but they say awareness is not enough.

“It’s time for action.”

design LIZ SPANGLER

Marti MacGibbon raced down three flights of stairs and didn’t look back.

She listened to make sure she wasn’t being followed, but all she could hear was the sound of her heart beating loud in her ears.

Yuji Ihara, her rescuer, had told her they could not take the apartment elevator. It was too risky. Now, they ran together; Yuji held on to her arm to keep her safe.

This was her chance. This was the moment she had been praying, longing and waiting for—she was going to get out. With each descending step, she tasted a bit more freedom.

Seconds later, they reached the first floor. Yuji swung the alley door open with all the strength he could muster and Marti stepped outside, clutching on to her only belongings: a purse and passport.

Walking forward, she heard the motors of three black Mercedes parked in the street. For a moment, she panicked.

“Oh my gosh, it’s the Yakuza,” she thought, about to faint. She could not imagine returning to what she was running from—the Japanese mafia.

Moments later, her fears were relieved as two men emerged from the caravan. It was obvious these men

were on their side as they high-fived Yuji in celebration. The greeting did not last long, however; there was no time to spare. They had to leave now or risk being caught and killed.

Without hesitation, Marti jumped in the lead Mercedes as Yuji took the wheel.

His friends followed suit behind them.

Finally, it was time to leave the apartment that the traffickers had made a prison.

Yuji revved his engine and within seconds the posse was gone, leaving only a trail of exhaust for the traffickers to follow.

Marti let out a sigh of relief and sunk back into her seat. She was going to make it. She couldn’t believe it, but she had actually escaped an underground commercial sex ring.

Twenty-six years ago, Marti MacGibbon survived the unthinkable. After being trafficked from San Francisco to Tokyo and held captive in the Japanese mafia sex trade for six weeks, she escaped.

Marti—who now lives in Indianapolis where she works as an addiction treatment professional, motivational speaker and comedian—is one of the lucky ones.

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NEARLY 150 YEARS AGO, the United States passed the 13th Amendment, formally abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude.

Though it made slavery illegal, the law alone could not extinguish the social problem.

Today, a different form of slavery is wreaking havoc around the world—a modern, underground, malicious form known as human trafficking.

As far as the general populous was concerned, human trafficking didn’t exist when Marti was sent to Tokyo in 1985. It wasn’t until 2000 that Congress created a two-tiered definition of trafficking through the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)— one for severe forms of trafficking in persons and one for sex trafficking.

According to the TVPA, “the term ‘sex trafficking’ means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a

comic, was financially desperate.

After being booked for a performance on “The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson,” Marti says she began celebrating in a way that many comics did back in those days—by partying, doing cocaine and drinking alcohol.

Amid her celebration, she met a handsome young man who would later become an abusive boyfriend. “I was too naïve to recognize that he was a violent sociopath,” she says. “It was a classic domestic violence situation. He started dominating and threatening me, and I became desperate to get out of [the relationship].”

Marti figured that if she raised enough money, she could leave him. With high hopes, she sought help through a woman who had connections in the underworld, another name for the world of organized crime.

She thought the woman’s drug connections

“THESE CRIMINALS ARE COUNTING ON REGULAR PEOPLE NOT KNOWING OR NOT CARING ENOUGH TO PUT A STOP TO IT” -MARTI MACGIBBON person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.”

The U.S. State Department estimates 12.3 million adults and children are trafficked annually into “forced labor, bonded labor, and forced prostitution around the world.” Of those victims, 17,500 are trafficked to the U.S. Although there are no statistics for the year Marti was trafficked, today approximately 27 million slaves live among us worldwide.

While it is unkown how many are placed in the commercial sex industry, sex trafficking is one of the most profitable forms of trafficking.

According to the United Nations, it brings in around $32 billion annually worldwide. In the U.S., it brings in $9.5 billion a year.

“It’s not a crime of lust, it’s a crime of greed,” Marti says. “It’s all about the money.”

Like many who fall prey to traffickers, Marti was lured because of her vulnerability; she needed to raise money. Marti, who had moved from Texas to San Francisco in 1985 with hopes of succeeding as a stand-up

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would enhance her chances of making money. Unbeknown to Marti at the time, the woman turned out to be a trafficker.

“She said that I would be an escort to businessmen [in Tokyo], but the way she painted it, it didn’t seem that risky. She made it sound like ‘Oh you just have to drop through there and go to this hotel. And if you don’t like it, you can come back.’ …I thought I would have control,” Marti explains.

In reality, what Marti experienced when she arrived in Tokyo turned out to be the exact opposite of the woman’s description.

“When I met my contact at the airport, they threatened me, brutalized me and kept me isolated,” she says. “I went with a guy in the car from the airport and then we got to this apartment building and I said ‘Wait a minute, this isn’t the hotel I was told about.”

Although she was terrified, Marti walked inside the apartment. She felt relieved that she had placed her passport in her boot—at least the traffickers would not get a hold of that.

11874

calls were made to the NHTRC Hotline ne in 2010

84

were from Indiana

how you can help stop human trafficking as a student

27

million slaves live among us worldwide

80% aare women 50% aare children

19

Number of people arrested for being involved with an Indianapolis trafficking ring in May 2011

Students often have passion and commitment to make real change in the movement to end slavery through performing vital research or inspiring local communities to join the movement.

as a consumer

The man she had rode with left her inside the room, telling her to expect a phone call. When he was gone, Marti quickly gathered her things. She didn’t know where she was going to go, but she knew she had to leave.

She grabbed the door handle, but nothing budged. The guard had locked the door from the outside.

Marti was trapped.

“And I was in their control from then on,” she says.

ACCORDING TO THE UNITED States Office of Justice, as many as 300,000 children are at risk for sexual exploitation each year.

The U.S. State Department’s 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report points out that U.S. citizen child victims are often runaways or troubled and homeless youth.

Shaé Robison, a social work major and anti-human trafficking advocate, says that’s not all who are at risk.

“The victims can be anyone,” she says. “Youth are the most vulnerable in the U.S., especially those who feel unworthy or have low self-esteem.

People who are oppressed and in

poverty are targeted too.”

Most human trafficking victims are female and under 18, but men and older adults can also be recruited.

Regardless of their degree of vulnerability, victims are usually lured into the industry through deception.

Often times, traffickers recruit prospective girls with trickery— sometimes, they will convince a girl they love her, then exploit her as a prostitute. In domestic sex trafficking cases, families will sell one of their own to break free from the chains of financial turmoil.

During her time at Ball State, Robison has witnessed this oppression firsthand in Thailand, Mozambique and the U.S. She has even had the opportunity to speak with survivors of forced child prostitution.

These girls feel like they are being loved but they are not,” she says.

“These are girls whose parents have neglected them and whose friends have turned away. They are abused and drugged up. They see the lies as love and they don’t know any other love.”

Learn about the products you purchase and start making informed consumption habits to fight against child labor, forced labor, and worker rights violations.

as an educator Whether through publishing a formal academic paper to educating thousands or encouraging your students to host an abolitionist event to support survivors in Romania, your leadership is invaluable and your impact is limitless.

as an artist As an athlete, an artist, a poet, or a musician, you can create real change in the fight against slavery by using your skills and creativity in the abolitionist movement, and provide futures for victims of human trafficking.

source: notforsalecampaign.org

“WE CANNOT IMAGINE THE LIFE OF A TRAFFICKING VICTIM, IT SEEMS UNREAL AND DISTANT. BECAUSE OF THIS, WE DON’T DO ANYTHING TO STOP IT.” -LYNN PULLEY ONCE SOMEONE IS SOLD or tricked into the sex industry, their chances of escape are highly unlikely.

Traffickers use violence, coercion, threats, lies, debt bondage or other forms of control and manipulation to trap their victims.

Marti says a combination of shame and fear on the victim’s part—shame toward the rest of society and fear of the perpetrator—along with ignorance on society’s part are what fuel the sex industry machine.

“Shame, fear and ignorance are traffickers’ weapons. They know that even if their victims escape, they will be filled with shame and fear, and they will not be able to deal with it,” she says. “…These criminals are counting on regular people not knowing or not caring enough to put a stop to it.”

When Marti was trafficked, there was no public awareness; even worse, there were no resources.

It wasn’t until the TVPA was passed in 2000 that society began to take initiative in the fight against modern slavery.

Today, awareness continues to grow. With the help of Super Bowl XLVI, 2012 has seen a large spike in human trafficking awareness and education.

Within the last two months, President Obama declared January to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month; Indiana passed Senate Bill 4 to tighten state human trafficking laws before the Super Bowl; and Ball State students created campus’ own International

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Justice Mission (IJM) chapter, a satellite group of the human rights organization that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery and oppression.

Lynn Pulley, secretary for the IJM chapter, says the group’s goal goes beyond awareness— the group is calling for people to care about and advocate against modern day slavery.

“Human trafficking as well as other issues of injustice are difficult to stop because people don’t care,” Pulley says. “That’s sounds harsh, but the reality is that it’s easy to think of ourselves and hard to put ourselves in the shoes of someone else.

“We cannot imagine the life of a trafficking victim, it seems unreal and distant. Because of this, we don’t do anything to stop it. We put it off thinking that someone else will care, or someone else will prosecute and we don’t have to.”

Robison agrees that society’s silence is perpetuated by a lack of education, understanding and compassion.

“Human trafficking is not a statistic for me. It’s 27 million people but I see 27 million faces.

We need to stop making this about a statistic and start making it personal,” Robison says. “There are more slaves now than ever before.

America has so many resources.

Why aren’t we helping them?”

DESPITE THE RECENT RISE in awareness, both Pulley and Robison agree that it’s going to take a lot more than just knowing

and caring about human trafficking to put an end to it. To them, it’s going to take a change in the world’s perspective.

“If we want to end sex trafficking, we have to attack it at the level of beliefs and attitudes of the general population,” Pulley says. “People need to realize how their personal views of sex—or work, in terms of labor slavery—could potentially be contributing to or lead to human trafficking. Rates of trafficking will not change until we do.”

According to Robison, a large reason why sex trafficking persists is because of society’s demand and need for sex.

“Society is okay with sex,” Robison says. “We are okay with multiple partners. We think that it’s something to be proud of by our numbers, rather than something that is supposed to be intimate.”

Sex trafficking is a $32 billion dollar industry. That money doesn’t just fall out of the sky; customers help generate it. For Marti, sex trafficking can be stopped—but it starts with us.

“We have to stop this on the demand level,” Marti says.

“Customers need to know what is happening. It’s not like in the movies or on TV, it’s not like Pretty Woman…it’s organized crime.”

A memoir about Marti’s experiences can be found in her book, “Never Give in to Fear.” You can also find out more at martimacgibbon.com.

GO EXPLORE.

The

adventure issue

Do your spring break plans include travel?

Do they include uncharted territory?

Do you want to be featured in this magazine?

If so document your trip and you can be featured in the Ball Bearings Adventure Issue.

FOOD TRUCK FRENZY { story } Taylor Ellis { design } Andrea Giacalone

T

{ photos } Valerie Carnevale

rendy and Indiana are two words you don’t typically see together in the same sentence, but when Indiana finally sinks its teeth into a trend it spreads like wild fire.

Food trucks are a perfect example of this. More than 20 food trucks have popped up all over Indianapolis since 2010 featuring Indian cuisine, cupcakes and even Southern style cajun. Bryan Monroe, owner of Indy food truck Der Pretzel Wagen, says that he first discovered food trucks seven years ago in Austin, Texas, and wondered when they would surface on Indiana’s streets.

Indianapolis food truck owners are quick to admit that Indiana is a slow moving state when it comes to catching onto trends, but are gladly relishing in the role they get to play in this new Midwestern “foodie craze.”

Kate McKibben from Mabel on the Move thinks that Indiana was slow to catch onto food trucks due to the saturation of chain restaurants all over Midwestern cities. However, she’s excited to see Hoosiers start to think differently about the way they eat.

“I think Indianapolis is getting more and more sophisticated and that people are starting to care more about the quality of the food they eat,” she says. “They want to get away from the large chains and try something different. I think having something homemade out of a food truck is more of a treat than going to a restaurant.”

Being slow isn’t always a bad thing according to Linda Gilkerson, co-owner of Indy’s Kitchen, a shared-use kitchen rented out by several of Indy’s food trucks to prepare food.

“There’s a lot of things that happen on the coasts that never make it here, because they never really make it there,” she says.

“So I think that we are kind of able to learn from their mistakes.”

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Monroe admits that trial and error has played a huge roll in the success of Der Pretzel Wagen. But starting a food truck is lot harder than most think according to Teresa Johnson, owner of the Mac Genie food truck.

“We thought we had an idea of how difficult it would be, and it ended up being so much harder,” Monroe says.

“I think there is this idea that you can throw some cooking equipment into a truck and put it into drive, but that’s definitely not the case.”

After filling out paperwork that can take months to complete, food truck owners must build their truck, choose a product, find locations and cook masses of food that can also fit into a 12-by-16 foot space. With large pieces of cooking equipment and three to five people jammed into a tiny clearing amid the chaos, there’s not much leg room.

Food truck owners send out an early morning tweet of where they are going to be that day and from that moment

it’s game on.

Cooks spend hours preparing the food at a local shared-use kitchen.

Once everything is ready, the trucks are locked and loaded as they search for a place to park and serve local customers eager to jump on the food truck bandwagon.

This is only round one; food trucks like West Coast Tacos will often serve a lunch shift from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then prepare more tasty creations for the dinner shift from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

And at the end of the day, someone still has to return to the kitchen and clean out the truck to get it ready for the next day’s wild ride.

According to McKibben, the work provides certain payoffs.

“I love seeing how happy our food makes people because they know they are getting high quality food that also makes them feel good,” she says.

“Seeing their happiness makes all the hard work worth it.”

Organic Food on the Go: mabel on the move

T

here’s nothing like enjoying a home cooked meal made from scratch by your mom.

The smells, the flavors and the hours spent preparing it all come together to make memorable meals that not only taste good, but make you feel good too.

Now imagine being able to enjoy home cooked meals just like your mom makes but on the go, and you have Mabel on the Move’s food truck concept. If that’s not enough, everything is made from scratch with organic ingredients. The tasty menu features a plethora of organic ice creams, salads, soups and more.

For Kate McKibben, starting a food truck was a little easier in some ways. With her youngest children off to college, McKibben found herself with a lot of free time and no one to cook for. McKibben watched the rising food truck trend on the coasts and knew she wanted to be a part of it some day.

When McKibben heard that a chef from New York City was selling a ‘60s inspired food truck known for

tasty organic treats, she immediately purchased Mabel on the Move and opened it to the streets of Indy in March 2011.

For McKibben it was more than just a desire to be a part of the food truck culture, it was a passion for helping others make healthier food choices.

“People don’t eat high quality food; they tend to eat a large quantity of bad food,” she says. “A lot of the health problems that everyone has come from what they’re eating, so I really wanted to provide a way to get healthy food on the go.”

McKibben says she wants Mabel on the Move to feel like going home to your mother’s house for lunch, just maybe a little healthier. She has four children of her own, and after she saw the improvements that organic foods made on her family’s health, she was excited to give other people that opportunity.

“Even if it’s only one little thing I can do, I wanted to expose people to that idea as an option so they could see how much better they feel after organic food,” she says.

However, McKibben says the long weekend shifts are a lot more difficult

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SPRING 2012

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scout’s

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Scout’s treat truck @ScoutsTreats Indy’s first cupcake food truck offers cupcakes, brownies, cookies and other treats Organic

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BALL BEARINGS

than she expected.

“It’s like going camping and having to feed hundreds of people. You have to think of everything you might need.”

McKibben admits that sometimes she makes it harder on herself due to her perfectionist personality. She can take up to three days to prepare for events due to her determination to find as many local and organic ingredients as possible.

She least expected the easiest part to be advertising.

“You have to be on Facebook and Twitter. It’s huge for this business. That’s how I get out where I will be and I what I will be serving. It’s the only advertising I’ve done,” she says. “People may think you make a lot of money in a food truck, but we don’t. So if we had to pay to get the word out, then we really couldn’t do this at all.”

Restaurant on wheels: neighborhood pizza

T

ami Maslyk is quite the sensation in the Village of West Clay in Carmel, Ind. When her famous Neighborhood Pizza truck is spotted, kids flock from all over the neighborhood to get their favorite homemade pizza and candy from the woman they know as “the pizza lady.”

“Sometimes, I think they just want me for my candy,” she says jokingly.

Maslyk has even reached celebrity status with the local Devoe family’s five children.

“Their mother told me that I’m more popular than the president of the United States in their house,” she recalls laughing hysterically. “Every time the Devoe kids see me, they come racing towards me and give me big hugs. I love all the kids in the neighborhood, but they have a special place in my heart.”

Maslyk’s journey to this level of success has not been easy. It has taken courage, heartache and a workaholic mentality to make Neighborhood Pizza what it is today.

Maslyk came to Carmel 10 years ago fresh off a divorce, with her 5-year-old daughter. She says it was her darkest hour and that it took a lot of strength to get through everything.

One year prior to the divorce, Maslyk and her ex-husband started the Neighborhood Pizza truck in Valparaiso, Ind., where it became a huge success. Maslyk bought the business from her ex-husband and brought it with her to Carmel to start a new life.

This newly single mother had no doubt that her food truck would become a success. She says it was

unlike anything people had ever heard of at the time.

So Maslyk pulled herself up by her bootstraps and began making a name for herself. She became known all around her neighborhood for her 16foot, decked out “restaurant on wheels.”

Maslyk isn’t joking when she calls it a restaurant. Her food truck has two ovens, four sinks, and even hot and cold running water, to name a few of the luxurious features.

But her flavorful homemade pizzas are even more impressive than her jumbo-sized truck painted with flames.

“I still to this day don’t know of a pizza truck like mine where we make the pizzas from scratch inside the truck and deliver them to you fresh out of the oven,” she says.

Maslyk has been known to pull triple duty inside her truck. She drives, takes money and makes the pizzas all by herself sometimes.

A self-described workaholicc, Maslyk only gives herself one day off a week. While she says it leaves her exhausted, being able to support her daughter by herself is worth all of the hard work.

“My daughter is the one that keeps me going. I’m a single mom, so everything I do is centered on her, she says. “She comes first no matter what, this truck comes second.”

At 47, Maslyk says she has no plans of resting anytime soon. After 10 years she is looking forward to franchising with two more trucks and seeing where that takes her.

“Maybe one day I’ll sell it to someone who I think would really do it right.” Maslyk says. “But for now, I don’t plan on stopping until I get my daughter through college.”

Tacos with a Twist: West Coast Tacos

I

t all started when Arnold Park, originally from Korea, met Indianapolis native John Ban at a Los Angeles taco truck. The two started up a conversation that would quickly change the next chapter of their lives. Park shared his desire with Ban to start a taco truck in Korea, but Ban had the Hoosier state on the brain and persuaded Park to come to Indianapolis.

Shortly after, West Coast Tacos drove into Indy in March of 2010 and food truck buzz started humming around Indiana. Despite the buzz, Park likes to think his idea was actually quite simple and straightforward.

“Everyone’s always like, ‘that is such a brilliant idea.’ But, I’m thinking, ‘well, all I did was put a taco truck where there was no other taco trucks,’” he says while chuckling to himself.

According to Park, it’s essential that food trucks set themselves apart from others if they want to stick around.

“You have to be unique because a

lot of people don’t understand that a lot of food trucks have failed,” he says.

“Everyone in Indy has mostly grown up on hot dogs and sandwiches. But just because you open a truck that sells hot dogs and sandwiches doesn’t mean you are going to make money.

“We are unique because we are the first to fuse Korean and Mexican food together.”

However, this unique blend of Korean barbequed meat with authentic Mexican shells, cilantro and onions has taken the Indy crowd a little getting used to.

Park says one of his funniest memories since opening the truck was the crowd reaction at the Indianapolis 500.

Park says that people were pretty upset at first.

“We had so many people who were asking, ‘Why isn’t there lettuce, cheese and sour cream on my taco?’

A lot of people were upset when they got the food, but when they tried it, they ended up really enjoying it,” he

says. “Everyday is funny because someone new comes up who has never seen tacos like this before.”

This mouth-watering combination of Korean and Mexican styles has now catapulted West Coast Tacos into the spotlight as one of the most wellknown food trucks in Indiana. In only two short years, West Coast Tacos has expanded into four trucks and is hoping to set up shop in Bloomington and Lafayette in the near future.

“I think the most rewarding part of this whole experience is the exposure we’ve brought to Indy,” Park says. “This year’s Super Bowl was the first to ever have food trucks, so that’s pretty cool.”

And it doesn’t look like West Coast Tacos rise in popularity is going to stop anytime soon. After Super Bowl XLVI, their Twitter followers jumped from 9,800 to 15,000 in a matter of days.

With no intentions of slowing down, Park says he’s looking forward to the possibility of one day having West Coast Tacos shops across the state.

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SPRING BREAK 101 So you want to go on a perfect spring break? here are a few tips and tricks on making it the best one you’ve haD yet

WHERE IN THE WORLD Here are the top ten places to visit in 2012

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5 1

9

10

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3 7 8

TOP 5 COUNTRIES TO COUCHSURF UNITED STATES // 21.1% GERMANY// 9.3%

OTHERS // 63%

FRANCE// 8.4%

HOW TO GET THERE

1. Panama 2. Helsinki, Finland 3. Myanmar 4. London 5. Oakland, California 6. Tokyo, Japan 7. Tanzania 8. Chilean Patagonia 9. Lhasa, Tibet 10. Havana, Cuba

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Cheapest US airports Atlantic City, N.J. Orlando, Fla. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Most pricy US airports Huntsville, AL. Grand Rapids, MI.

CANADA // 4.2% ENGLAND // 4.0%

Savannah, GA.

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TOP TEN WORLD TOURISM EARNERS BAKING S OD A

AUSTRIA // 21.8 BILLION TURKEY // 22 BILLION AUSTRALIA // 24.7 BILLION UNITED KINGDOM // 34 BILLION

DON’T FORGET THE BAKING SODA

GERMANY // 40 BILLION CHINA // 40.8 BILLION ITALY // 45.7 BILLION

Baking soda has so many uses it might just change the way you pack your bags forever.

FRANCE // 55.6 BILLION SPAIN // 61.6 BILLION USA // 110.1 BILLION

TIPS TO KEEP YOU SAFE ON THE ROAD Before you leave Scan or email all important documents to yourself, that way you have access to them wherever

When camping Lock your tent with a padlock during the day & keep your valuables under pillows

Insurance If you’re traveling with valuables such as cameras, look into insuring them

Social media

Prescriptions

Double check Don’t post your trip to Facebook. that your medicine is legal You may set in the country yourself up for possible burglary you’re visiting while you’re gone

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For cleaner clothes Breath freshening mouth wash Make it into toothpaste Homemade Shampoo Do-it-yourself deodrant

LEARNING TO PACK LIGHT

TAKING YOUR IPHONE By downloading the right apps to your smartphone, you can minimize the expensive electronics in your bag Easy access -iPod -Phone + charger -Deck of cards

Travel Apps to own The important things - ATM, credit cards - Emergency cash - 1st aid kit Next Flight $2.99

UrbanSpoon Free

HearPlanet $5.99

Something to wear - T-shirt - Thin Fleece - Two pairs or trousers

Documenting the trip - Journal/paper & pen - Camera & batteries - Postcards/souveniers

ONE STROKE AT A TIME

Swimmer balances diabetes with active lifestyle { story } Mat Mikesell

{ photos } Tessa Tillett

Jennifer Miles sat with her mother in the waiting room of the doctor’s office anxiously for her diagnosis. Jennifer was losing weight and anything she would eat or drink wouldn’t stay in her system, but she didn’t know what was wrong with her.

Then the doctor walked in.

“You need to get to Riley’s hospital right now,” she told them.

At that point, Jennifer and her mother Debra knew something was seriously wrong. When they got to the hospital, they found Jennifer had Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, most cases of Type 1 diabetes—where the body does not produce insulin— are diagnosed in children and young adults.

After Jennifer was diagnosed, she had to learn the treatment and how to take care of herself. She had to learn how to control her blood sugar, what foods would affect her the most and more importantly, how to adapt to becoming an athlete with diabetes.

“It was really hard at first,” Jennifer says. “Because I didn’t know what Type 1 diabetes was. I was totally new to it. I had heard of it, but didn’t know what it meant.”

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SPRING 2012

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“I knew she had the drive and determination...I still maintained that and knew it was part of the package. I don’t let that interfere.” - Coach Laura Seibold-Caudill A junior on the Ball State women’s swimming and diving team, Jennifer has been successful in her first two seasons. She’s competed each season at the Mid-American Conference Championships and in her sophomore season she recorded a career-best 53.58 seconds in the 100-yard freestyle.

But her accomplishments didn’t come easy. After her diagnosis, Jennifer says the thought of no longer being able to swim did not cross her mind. The doctors knew she was an athlete and made sure to tell her she would still be able to swim; she would just have to do it differently from now on.

Jennifer was the first in her family to be diagnosed with diabetes, but she isn’t the first swimmer in her family. Her father Michael swam at the University of Houston during college and her aunt Jennifer Brinegar was a gold medalist at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Quebec. Both of her sisters are also swimmers. Her older sister Katie was recruited by Ball State coach Laura Seibold-Caudill.

When Seibold-Caudill learned about Jennifer’s diagnosis she didn’t back off her recruitment.

“I knew she had the drive and determination,” Seibold-Caudill says. “I still maintained that and knew it was part of the package. I don’t let that interfere.”

When Jennifer arrived at Ball State for her freshman year she again had to learn a new process. On her own for the first time in her life, she had to learn how

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to balance the independence of college with the responsibility of maintaining her blood sugar levels.

Debra saw her daughter becoming a studentathlete at Ball State as the next step in the process to develop her self-confidence, but it was also a time when Jennifer’s diabetes started affecting her the most.

Two weeks after the MAC Championships her freshman year the team began its usual spring training, but during the two weeks Jennifer had raised her insulin levels because she wasn’t training. When it came time to start training again, she hadn’t lowered her blood sugar levels.

After one of the practices, she walked back to her room and fell asleep. This wasn’t just a normal sleep; she had slipped into a diabetic coma. When her roommate found her, it probably saved Jennifer’s life.

“I just kinda went to sleep,” Jennifer says. “I wasn’t really thinking straight.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, a diabetic coma is a dangerous complication that causes unconsciousness.

It can be caused by either having extremely high blood sugar levels or extremely low blood sugar levels. If a person has fallen into a diabetic coma for a period of time it can be life-threatening.

She would have a second scare with a diabetic coma the following summer, but this time at home where her parents found her.

Since then, Jennifer has made sure not to fall into

MOVEMENT | a third one. She hasn’t had any significant scares with her diabetes since then either. But her challenges in the pool haven’t gotten any easier.

At the beginning of this season Jennifer was in the weight room doing deadlifts when she felt a sharp pain in her back and legs. The pain was so severe that she could hardly walk to the team’s trainer to have it looked at.

“It’s a really weird feeling,” she says. “I just knew instantly something was wrong, but I didn’t know what it was.”

Jennifer figured she only pulled a muscle in her back and would be back in the pool in less than two weeks.

The trainer thought she had no reason to not be able to swim again this season. When she got back into the pool, however, she started feeling the pain again and knew it was something more serious.

“The flip turns, starts and really quick, fast motions hurt,” Jennifer says. “Bending down and straightening out, especially on turns were really painful.”

After another evaluation Jennifer found out she had three herniated discs in her back, ending her season.

She was frustrated and overwhelmed. She had never gone an extended period of time without swimming. An athlete that suffers from one herniated disc has it bad enough, but three herniated discs is rare. Jennifer and her coach both say they have no reason to believe she can’t respond from it.

“She’s been able to manage her diabetes along with being a Division 1 swimmer pretty well,” Seibold-Caudill says. “It just seems like more bad luck with her back injury.

But we’re given obstacles that challenge us that we have to overcome and makes us better in the long run.”

Jennifer plans to return to the pool next season to finish her senior year, but until then she does rehab and physical therapy nearly everyday. With her time away from the pool, Jennifer says she’s been learning life lessons.

“Both her dad and I have had surgery on our backs,” Debra says. “We just told her let’s get over this hurdle and come back to swim. You just have to roll with the punches and move forward.”

With the adversities she’s been forced to fight through, her mother believes it will only make Jennifer stronger in the long run, especially on her path to become a kindergarten teacher.

“She will someday have a husband and children that will be faced with adversity and she will be able to show them by example,” Debra says. “It will make her a wonderful teacher. She’ll be able to teach her students that adversity will not stop you from doing what you aspire to do in life.”

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TOP LEFT: JUNIOR BALL STATE SWIMMER JENNIFER MILES tests her blood sugar level by pricking her finger. Because of her diabetes, she takes the OneTouch OmniPod device everywhere she goes, typically using it 4-5 times each day. When she swims, Miles can test it up to eight times a day.

This season Miles has been unable to swim because she has had recent back problems but hopes to jump back into the water soon.

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Living Life, In Focus Blind students and faculty see campus differently { story } Lindsey Gellewicks

As Dena Polston walks down McKinley Avenue, she hears the bells of Shafer Tower chime. She continues walking, following the curve of the brick sidewalk under her feet. She notices a bench to her right. Further along she notices a trash can and light posts. She follows the sidewalk as it again curves around a bus stop. As people bustle around her, Polston continues walking, her cane gliding in front of her, swinging side to side.

“The dog takes you around a lot of stuff,” Polston says, referring to Vern, the black Labrador Retriever guide dog that leads her around campus most days.

“The cane shows you everything there is in your path of travel where the dog just takes you around things you might never realize that are there.”

The graduate student is one of three students and four faculty members at Ball State who are completely blind. In addition, there are 27 other students who have reported a visual impairment to the office of Disabled Student Development.

While most new students take a tour of campus focusing on visual landmarks, those with visual impairments learn other cues and specific routes to get around.

“When I first came to campus and began learning my way around, I learned McKinley, because it’s the main road through campus,” says Carlos Taylor, an adaptive computer technology specialist. “I learned different landmarks that aren’t visual; I mean they are if you look at them but they’re not as apparent as say the bell tower or Frog Baby.”

Taylor, who has been blind since he was 7 years old due to detached retinas, oversees the technology and computer lab in Robert Bell for students, staff and faculty who have disabilities. These include not just visual impairments but also physical and other learning disabilities. While Taylor works, his German Shepherd guide dog, Dutch, sits calmly under his desk.

Taylor, along with many of the visually impaired students who use the lab, say the most common

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{ photo } Liz McDonald

landmarks they use to find their way through campus are intersections.

“They’re permanent,” said Gary Lee, Ball State’s senior systems programmer. “Most other landmarks are not going to be permanent. Trees get cut. Cracks in the sidewalk will change overtime.”

Sometimes these students and faculty even notice things around campus others may not. For instance, Polston always knows when she is passing Teachers College because she hears a squeaky door.

Lee will even use trees as landmarks. Those cues don’t have anything to do with sight or even using his cane to find them – it has to do with sound. Though he says he can’t describe the difference in sound.

“I know [it had to do with sound] because when I put a toboggan hat on once that covered my ears, I was lost as hell,” he says. “Consequently I don’t do that anymore.”

He says its the same way he knows where the walls are in a room, as he points to all four sides.

Although they cannot visually see the many symbols around Ball State’s campus, those who are blind still see them in other ways. In Lee’s mind the word see just means “to examine with whatever tools you have.”

Both Taylor and Polston’s favorite spot on campus is Frog Baby. While many on campus like that spot because of the statue, that part means nothing to them; they both like listen to the fountain when it is turned on.

But even though other students get the chance to see the campus with their eyes, Polston said she never feels left out or disconnected from the campus.

“To me I don’t feel like I’m missing something I’ve never known,” she says. “I don’t long to look at the bell tower and say ‘oooh the bell tower.’ I like to hear it chime, but it doesn’t matter to me if I never see it.”

And as for how they get around on a daily basis, whether it’s by help of dog or cane, Lee says it’s just like everyone else.

“You just go,” he says. “I refuse to live helpless. That just ain’t going to happen.”

CARLOS TAYLOR HAS been blind since he was seven years old. Hiis first step when coming to Ball State was to learn landmarks as a way of getting around.

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e s e y t he e h t AS

D N A

they don’t know

any other love

{ illustration } Kate Roesch

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