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(04/05/19 7:16pm)
by Baylie Clevenger
Here at Ball State, there are many events available for students to enjoy and participate in, but for aspiring filmmakers Frog Baby Film Festival is one of the most anticipated events of the semester.
The Frog Baby Film Festival, which will beheld tonight at 8 p.m. in Pruis Hall, is free to enter and features films made by Ball State students. The organization of the festival is led by a committee who decide what films to screen, create promotional material, and organize the actual event.
To get some further insight into the event we spoke Jordan Shoemaker, one of Frog Baby's committee heads.
(03/20/19 10:56pm)
by Blake Chapman
An international pastime with over a billion dollars in annual revenue, an audience of 380 million spectators and 588 major events across the world is impressive on its own. When considering that this sport’s athletes compete in front of computer monitors, hands gripped to keyboards and mice, it sounds like something out of an Orson Scott Card novel. However, throughout Asia, North America and Europe, esports have become a reality for millions of fans. College organizations across the U.S. have started to become sponsored as true athletic programs including a couple in Indiana. Ball State’s own Cardinal Esports is in the early stages of making their case known to the university.
(02/05/19 8:06am)
by Jeremy Rogers
Video games are a unique medium; the physical act of using a controller creates an instant connection between the player and the player’s digital character.
Because of this ability to connect players to their characters, there are many opportunities for immersion and collaboration between different players. Taking advantage of these opportunities is a part of the design philosophy that went into crafting the 2012 game Journey.
[embed]https://youtu.be/vwDlyQ-fL6s[/embed]
Experience the wonder in this anonymous adventure where you travel on a life’s passage, with the chance to connect with companions along the way."-ThatGameCompany, JourneyIn the game, the player controls a lone figure as they travel through various biomes. There is no dialogue, and the game’s mechanics focus on 3D platforming. Despite having a relatively short runtime of 90 minutes, Journey released to rave reviews, being hailed by many gaming outlets as their 2012 Game of the Year.
The people at ThatGameCompany decided that, when making Journey, they would focus on making the emotional center of the game about making connections with other players by letting one player appear in the game of another online. No chat or emote functions. Just two travelers walking in tandem yet each cultivating their own unique experience. The president and creative director of ThatGameCompany described the game in an interview with Geoff Keighley saying, “Journey: It’s about people connecting with each other.”
That is not where Journey’s impact has stopped. The game’s composer, Austin Wintory and the Chicago-based chamber music ensemble Fifth House Ensemble are touring different venues and playing the score of the game in front of live audiences. But unlike ensembles that play film scores live, Wintory and Fifth House Ensemble play with a live player on the stage playing the game with them. And on January 25, they invited six Ball State students to volunteer to play Journey with them on the Emens Auditorium stage.
Ball State is the latest stop on a live tour that began at MAGFest in Minnesota, making stops along the way at The Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, Florida Atlantic University, The nonprofit National Sawdust venue in New York City, and several others.
One of the student volunteers, Matt Stark, described their experience playing on stage. “I expected it to feel less interactive than playing at home, but it was surprisingly more immersive... I got chills more than once when something cool happened in-game and the music responded to it right on cue. The music lined up perfectly with the action, and it felt like I had a part in the ensemble in some minor way.“ Through this performance, the volunteers were not the only people making new connections.
After the game was completed, Austin Wintory took to the stage to answer questions from the audience. One attendee approached the mic and said, "You are my inspiration. In 2012… my dad passed away… When I picked up the game and I started playing through it, the music… it was just so, so captivating. It was a big part of my life... Tonight was just absolutely fantastic. I cannot thank you enough."
Wintory replied, "I can only say thank you, except that it falls so short of how that makes me feel, because it's not even what we were trying to do. It goes beyond the actual goal of the game. So again, I just really appreciate you sharing something that personal."
According to Wintory, the development team has been inundated with similar messages since the game released seven years ago. Throughout the Q&A session, he emphasized how many people have commented saying that Journey was the perfect game to accompany them through some of their lives' most arduous times.
Austin Wintory hasn't just composed the score for Journey. Series like Assassin's Creed, The Banner Saga, and Leisure Suit Larry have had contributions from Wintory. He has also worked on a number of indie titles such as Tooth and Nail, Abzu, and Absolver. Wintory's work has received several awards, including the first Grammy nomination for a video game score.
But aside from the awards, Wintory underscored how special Journey is to him. "This game definitely changed who I am as a person and awakened me to a totally new way of thinking... Journey will always have a very special place in my heart."
(01/28/19 10:55pm)
by Shwetha Sundarrajan
Spectrum, one of Ball State’s LGBTQ+ student groups, hosted their first-ever Queer Monologue event where participants would present monologues regarding personal struggles with being queer and addressing problems within the LGBTQ community.
“Queer Monologue is a collection of experiences, essentially that either come from our own members or authors who gave us permission online to tell their stories,” said Brooklyn Arizmendi, the president of Spectrum. “So it’s a collection of intersexual, queer experiences from all backgrounds, races, gender, class, and any sort of intersectionality.”
The event kicked off with several members presenting a monologue regarding being queer in a theatrical manner. As the evening progressed, the stories became increasingly personal as they touched base on coming out, issues with the queer community and queer people of color, and more.
“I think it’s especially important because people often mistake the queer community’s fight to be over ever since gay marriage was legalized. But we’re still being systemically attacked on all levels,” Arizmendi said. They continued, “And there's so much to learn, and gender and sexuality are so fluid and there are so many people who still don’t understand. So when we have events like these, I hope that people come and take away something, a sense of our community and what that looks like.”
At the end of the event, many people in attendance could be seen crying after the final monologue came to a close.
(11/26/18 10:51pm)
by Baylie Clevenger
The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Byte or Byte's editorial board.
Indiana is certainly no music giant. However, there are plenty of local artists paving their way and searching for the opportunity to make it in the music industry.
Lauren Sanderson, an up-and-coming artist from Fort Wayne, has made that dream a reality.
At the age of 22, Sanderson has released three EPs, including her most recent titled Don’t Panic, released on Aug. 24. She has also made multiple singles and is currently embarking on her fourth U.S. tour.
When she was about to graduate high school and attend Indiana University, she felt that something was not right. She did not want to go down the same path as everyone else and instead made the decision to pursue a music career.
In the process of pursuing this career, she wrote one of her early singles titled “Jenny,” which is about sending love to someone who sent her hate and doubted her vision. Through experiencing this kind of doubt, Sanderson continued to “DIY” herself to a record deal.
“… you can do a lot you know, DIY and independent whatever, but it gets to the point where you’re ready for the next level and you’re ready to like take it there,” said Sanderson.
In the fall of 2017, after composing two tours of the U.S. with her own self-made team, she moved to Los Angeles to further pursue her dream.
After being in Los Angeles for just a few months, Sanderson announced her deal with Epic Records in February of 2018.
Despite the success she has had, she manages to stay true to herself and create music that reflects who she is as a person. She has never strayed from her message and also makes it a point to remember where she came from and appreciate her roots.
She is down to Earth and never takes herself too seriously. When I interviewed her, I was even met with hugs and fist bumps.
“I feel like true artistry is really based around the art and for me that never stopped and will never stop, so I just keep looking at what all there is to do and still to figure out,” said Sanderson.
Sanderson says she is inspired by art that is human-based and non-commercial. She never wants to be that industry-made person that doesn’t connect and feel like a real person.
She even said she is inspired by being able to tour and share her art with people.
“The best parts are seeing the results, going to the shows, seeing the faces, hearing people saying back your words, seeing people wear your merch and waiting in line in 30 f---ing degree weather, um, those are the best parts,” said Sanderson. “You know above everything else I wanna make sure my art is true to me and out into the world. I just feel like it’s worth it when I know that A- Everything will be okay for me and for my art and everything but B- Just that I have you guys you know that’s literally what keeps me going.”
Sanderson never fails to make her supporters feel at home when they go to see her shows. The connection that she has with every person she meets is truly impeccable and is not something found in every artist.
“There’s nothing like being with your people, you know? It’s like a family,” she said.
As her career progresses, Sanderson says she wants to continue to make her art her way and has a goal of being in a 5,000 capacity venue within the next 5 years.
Sanderson is a wonderful example of having big goals but never forgetting who helped you to success along the way.
(11/16/18 2:27pm)
by Shwetha Sundarrajan
International Games Day was celebrated in an open play event on Saturday, November 10th at Bracken Library in honor of International Board Games Week. The event featured tabletop and board games for casual and competitive patrons to play. Games such as Settlers of Catan, Risk, Scrabble, and Tikal were available for eventgoers to play. Joseph Roberts, an Information Services Librarian, says that he was inspired to host this event at Ball State after doing a similar one as a graduate student.
“We started doing these five years ago around this time of year. It ties in with a larger international event called International Games Week that is organized by the American Library Association,” Roberts said.
Although turnout had been pretty light for the event, there was still a group of students enjoying a game of Catan. “We have a Settlers of Catan tournament that we run on these Saturday events, so there are a few people who are playing Catan now and they’ll ultimately all play four games and no one is eliminated,” Roberts said. Contrary to the ever-growing digital game era, board games have actually grown in popularity. In the last year, board game sales in the U.S. grew by 28 percent, per NPD Group, and global sales increased to $9.6 billion.
And that’s what Roberts aims to do with the International Games Day event. “In keeping with the larger purpose of International Games Week is to celebrate the intellectual, social, and recreational value of all sorts of games. We happen to do board games because we have quite a bit of them around here and because of the ongoing popularity,” Roberts said.
However, the fun doesn’t end there. Students can check out various board games for up to two weeks, said Head of Educational Technology and Resources Collection Lisa Jarrell. “All students need to bring is their student ID, come to the lower level of Bracken to the Educational technology and resources center and they’ll be able to rent any board game for 2 weeks.”
The Educational Technology and Resources Center has over 200 board games for students to check out, including both educational and children's games. According to Jarell, Settlers of Catan is one of the most popular game to be rented.
(11/07/18 11:12pm)
by Eben Griger
Spectrum, one of Ball State’s LGBT+ student groups, hosted their semi annual drag show in Ball Gymnasium on Saturday, Nov 3, which in total raised $1504 for Muncie OUTreach, a non-for-profit LGBT youth group.
This year's theme was Breaking the Binary, featuring technologically oriented decorations. The drag show featured a multitude of queens lipsyncing, dancing and, in one case, actually singing along with music. In addition to the choreographed numbers, announcers would crack jokes about the event and poke fun at themselves and other queens while giving introductions
Throughout the acts, spectators gave donations in the form of tips, either given to the queens themselves or put into buckets placed around the stage. The show also featured a booth with merchandise available, where Spectrum members were selling shirts. Proceeds from that were also added to the donation total at the end of the night.
The show ended with the regular awarding of sashes, but to crown the true queen, contestants were treated to a lip sync battle between the two finalists.
After the winner was decided, the hosts congratulated everyone who participated, both onstage and off, and announced the total raised. As the crowd filed out, they were able to chat with some of the queens and continue making donations.
(11/06/18 10:17pm)
by Baylie Clevenger
Over the last few years, gun violence in America has become a broadly controversial topic. School shootings have been particularly controversial, as there are varying opinions about what needs to be done to keep children safe while they are in school.
Regardless of any of those opinions, one thing that be agreed upon: keeping children in school safe is of the utmost importance. School officials around the country are scrambling to find the next way to protect students and staff. There have been stories of bulletproof backpacks, safe room installations, and even a panic button app.
For Mt. Vernon High School, about an hour away from Ball State, the utilization of such technology has become a prominent part of employee training. Recently, faculty and staff have been trained on how to use the Rave Panic Button.
This app connects users, specifically teachers and other school staff members, to authorities and emergency services with just the touch of a button.
“Each teacher received training on how to use the app last year during our prep period. At the training, we had to download the app as well as run through all of the functions of the app,” said Shannon Schiller, a teacher at Mt. Vernon. “After the training, we were told to use the app if the need arises. The school brought in trainers who work for the app company in order to make sure we could ask questions and get instruction directly from the source.”
There has been an exceptional amount of discourse surrounding what the solution to school shootings is. Whether that be new gun legislation or provisions like this app, something that is agreed upon across the board is that something needs to be done to keep students in this country safer.
This app, as well as similar technologies, are being used in states across the nation. For example, Arkansas has implemented the use of this same app statewide. Use of this app has also been reported in Michigan and Florida.
There is something to be said for an app that would improve student's overall safety.
“The app allows staff members to get in touch with emergency agencies outside the school, so it basically eliminates some of the wait time that would ensue if we have to contact administrators first. It also allows us to let emergency services know what is happening in case the administration office is not able to,” said Schiller.
Many schools are mainly concerned with how to protect students and ensure that they can get an education without a lingering fear of harm of any kind.
“The Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation takes student and staff safety as our number one priority. We frequently update our crisis plan and are continually examining ways to improve safety for our students and staff. The app is one more safety tool to be used in the classroom if necessary,” said Maria Bond, the Mt. Vernon Director of Community Relations.
An app like Rave could be the future of emergency safety in schools, especially in the instance of an active shooter.
“I would not be at all surprised if this app or similar ones start being used by schools. The ideology behind it seems very sound. I think everyone is for anything that makes it easier to report and respond to emergencies,” said Schiller.
The Rave Panic Button app is just a small look into the added safety that technology could bring to schools around the country.
(10/11/18 9:32pm)
by Eben Griger
(09/30/18 4:41am)
by Eben Griger
The Batcave hosted the first of many shows in its basement last Sunday, with a four-band lineup. The venue gets its name not from the DC superhero, but from the bats found in the basement. The show was put on by Lame Brain Productions, a Muncie-native company that provides venues, booking, recording, and photography for local bands.
Sunday’s show consisted of The Sick Boy Method, a “progressive post-hardcore” trio; Shoot on Sight, a “sociopolitical egalitarian punk rock” band; Pat and the Pissers, a hardcore punk band; and headlined by Indian Old School, a post-hardcore grunge band. Sick Boy Method is from Muncie, both Pat and the Pissers and Shoot on Sight are from Indianapolis, and Indian Old School is from Anderson.
The show pulled in a good sized crowd, with people spilling out of the house and on to the front yard. During their set, Indian Old School gathered the crowd in to make a speech on the state of music and how shows like this one were working to improve music, with people doing what makes them happy. Raw music was being made because people wanted to make it, not because any record label wanted them to, continued the band. The trio then finished with a new song, ending their set with an announcement that they were taking a break to record new material and get their lives in order.
The Batcave joins the ever-growing list of venues for local bands to play at in Muncie, which includes The Basement, The Sauna, and Be Here Now.
(09/27/18 6:42pm)
by Blake Chapman
A new short film being written and produced through Fringed, a feminist Ball State TCOM organization is currently in the casting phase of its schedule.
After something huge happens on campus, a student feels she just can’t stand around and let injustices happen any longer. She attempts to recruit people who are as interested and as dedicated as she is to this social issue, but no one seems to care. Will she be able to rally her community together or will she give up her fight?
This is the plot of The Bake Sale, an upcoming short film written by senior Jada Burt and co-written by graduate student Sephora Mentado. The Bake Sale follows two African-American women as they navigate the hardships of living and studying on an apolitical campus while looking to enact change in the student body.
As of right now, the main cast has already been selected with rising juniors Zaria Butler and Akile Mcduffy from the Department of Theater and Dance in both leading roles. “I’m just looking for the secondary characters right now,” mentioned Burt. Inspiring change and sending the right message is the cornerstone of this project, especially for those who see the film and don’t happen to be of color. This plays into the meaning of the film Burt explained, “I hope they encourage minorities in their class to give their opinions on the issues that are happening…[and to] be an ally to them.” Mentado goes even further saying, “This is a story that has women of color as leads but is not the main thing of the story...we hope to normalize things like that...there are other parts to these main characters and it’s very exciting to see that.”
The feminist film group was created as a way to introduce women interested in filmmaking to the industry and having only started two years ago, Burt and Mentado have gotten the chance to witness growth firsthand. “I’m excited to see how the women I knew and worked with do this thing,” said Mentado.
The film is scheduled to be released in January or sometime during the spring semester with a possible premiere at the Frog Baby Film Festival. To find out more information on Fringed you can follow them on Facebook @fringedfilms or if you are looking to join the group they hold weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Bracken Library Room 201.
(07/09/18 1:00pm)
By Eli Sokeland
Ever since “Mario Tennis Power Tour,” the series has been rather disappointing on multiple fronts. The lack of modes, mechanics, and customization in recent entries pushed me away from playing them entirely. However, with the promises that Nintendo made for “Mario Tennis Aces,” there is a lot that the game has to live up to.
(06/23/18 6:00pm)
By Tanner Kinney
Disclaimer: This review is of the Nintendo Switch version of the game and was primarily played in docked mode.
The Nintendo Switch has proved itself to be a very versatile console to match a versatile company like Nintendo. A console that houses both DOOM and Pokemon Quest within the same shop makes for an interesting line-up. As Nintendo slowly gets their main franchises to the Switch, with Pokemon, Metroid, Yoshi, and Smash Bros. coming soon, it’s the constant drip-feed of titles that keep the console alive during dry spells. One of those games is Sushi Striker: The Way of the Sushido. Nintendo, in conjunction with indieszero (developers of the Theatrhythm Final Fantasy series), created an incredibly charming, though somewhat imbalanced game.
(04/28/18 9:09pm)
by Gabe Hua
Starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 20th and ending at 5 p.m. the next day, eight Ball State student competed in the annual AT&T IoT Civic Hackathon. The event had teams developing Internet of Things devices to improve certain professions. This year’s profession was first responders.
The Ball State group’s submission to the competition is called Seek. It is a system that tracks cards that students could carry around for use in emergency situations. This includes tracking students in the event of a school shooter or a fire. With a real-time view of every student inside or near the school building, first responders would be able to find students in danger to bring them to safety.
Unfortunately, Seek did not make it to the finals of the competition, but several officials from the event were interested and pleased with the idea that they were developing. Footage from the kick-off presentation and the finals can be found be found here.
(04/15/18 5:24pm)
by Eben Griger
The Xenharmonic New Music Showcase 2018 features composers from all around Indiana, as well as from Denver, Colorado and Boston, Massachusetts. BSU graduate student Stephen Weigel will be performing as well, and was able to answer a few questions for us.
Xenharmonics refers to any music that does not stick to the 12-tone system that most people know. The music is mostly performed in traditionally non-European music. However, simply departing from the traditionally contemporary western tuning systems is not the only feature of modern xenharmonic music.
"It’s actually the deliberate usage of a plurality of tuning systems that is not... Electronics and technological advances have enabled people to play in any tuning system they like." said Weigel. “I find that tunings illicit different moods.”
And mood is a big focus for xenharmonic music. Traditionally, most 12-tone music is either major or minor, which tends to sound happy or sad respectively. Because xenharmonic music doesn’t follow the same system, composers create pieces that bring about different feelings from listeners.
“Why would you have only major and minor when you could have everything?” Weigel said. “That’s why I use xenharmonics."
The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 15 in Sursa Hall.
(04/14/18 9:00am)
Jeremy Rogers
Ball State’s Spectrum will be putting on their semi-annual free drag show open to the public on Saturday April 14 at 7:00 p.m. in the Ball Gymnasium.
The proceeds generated by audience donations will be going towards the Trans Women of Color Collective.
According to their website, “At Trans Women of Color Collective, our work centers healing and restorative justice by elevating the narratives, lived experiences, and leadership of our community members in the trenches and at the forefront of creating healing spaces, building socio-economic growth, development, and power, but most importantly, leading with love.”
Students interested in learning more about the organization do so through Benny Link or by looking up BSU Spectrum on social media.
(03/29/18 4:28pm)
By: Phil Akin
Stay Outside, a local band consisting of vocalist Aaron Becker, guitarist Garrett Johnston, bassist Sean West, and drummer Noah Mitchener, released a remixed EP called O,FN II. The EP takes the songs “Braveheart,” “Void," and “Wanderer” from their previous EP, Okay, For Now and revamps them in a softer, more mellow tone while adding an appropriate “II” to the end of each title. It’s important to know going forward that this is a remix, this isn’t what the band normally sounds like. While these new songs aren’t a stretch for the band, it isn’t what you’d usually hear from them.
(03/27/18 7:57pm)
by Eben Griger
We’ve all got those old electronics laying around. That old flip phone, the laptop that failed, the old CRT computer monitor. It’s that (information) age-old problem. Old electronics aren’t exactly trash, nobody tosses their old MP3 player in the garbage, but you can’t really throw it in a recycling bin either. Until now, that is.
The Ball State Technology Center, located in Bracken library, is now taking your old technology and recycling it for you, free of charge. Byte spoke to BSU Director of Unified Technology Support Laura Petty about the program.
“Ball State is always looking for ways to be environmentally responsible, and so providing a way for folks to recycle or dispose of their technology items properly was a big thing for us,” Petty said. “It just seemed like a good service for the university community.”
So let’s break down some things about this service. First, what they’ll take. All of the standard items are there, laptops: desktop computers, mobile phones and tablets. Also accepted though, are monitors, printers and network equipment like modems and wireless routers. The only thing they don’t take is TVs.
All the Technology Center asks you do is wipe the device of any personal data. If you’re not sure how to do that, the Technology Center has you covered there too. TechTime, free to all enrolled students, will walk you through how to wipe all your data. After it’s wiped, bring it to the Technology Center in Bracken, fill out a quick form, and you’re good to go.
And if you’re worried about anything you’ve forgotten to wipe, have no fear because no one gets that data anyways. Instead of being resold or repurposed, all donated technology has their hard drives and other memory devices taken out and smashed, ensuring that any personal data can’t be recovered.
“We want to make sure that we’re being good stewards of university resources, make sure were taking all appropriate security measures to protect data and by destroying those drives, wiping them and everything, then we can be assured that everything is safe.”
For any questions on the new program, contact the Technology HelpDesk at (765) 285-1817, Monday-Thursay 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
(03/23/18 7:55pm)
by Matthew Yapp
Ball State is known for its telecommunication program and the amazing artists it has turned out. With greats like Jim Davis and David Letterman behind us, it’s encouraging to see Cardinals still managing to produce well received content. One such student is Connor Keaney.
Connor Keaney is a 20-year-old sophomore studying video production here at Ball State. We were given the opportunity to sit down and ask Connor some question about his experience as a film maker and the process of creating his newest documentary The Red Road. The documentary depicts the struggles of Native American youth dealing with high suicide rates, self-harm and a legacy of drug use. The Red Road is currently a semi-finalist for Los Angeles CineFest.
In the past, Connor has also written for The Television Academy. He is currently and editor for SoapBox, an art magazine here at Ball State. In the future Connor intends to continue film making and is already in the process of creating his next documentary.
(03/14/18 5:36pm)
by Jeremy Rogers
This morning at 9:45 a.m., members of the Muncie community gathered on Ball State's University Green to remember and honor the lives of the 17 people killed in Parkland Florida one month ago today. Participants came clad in orange, carrying signs and ready to make their voices heard.
The protest was organized with the help of the Ball State Democrats, Alpha Chi Omega sister Darla Thomas and Parkland alumna Lexi Angel. Students formed a human chain that stretched from the Scramble Light all the way to the Shafer Tower. Each of the victims had their picture and name printed on empty chairs, and at the end of the demonstration, the balloons affixed to the chairs were released.
In case you were in class, we made sure to livestream the whole event. If you missed it, head over to Byte's Facebook page to watch the whole thing. If you want to know what moved the women behind the march to take action, see our video interview with Darla and Lexi.