So here I am again. I am a Ball State University alumnus currently living in Los Angeles. I originally appeared in these pages during the 1999-2000 academic year. A year has passed since I left Muncie and many of my friends and family behind. As a graduate, I am entitled to certain benefits that you, as students, are not.
The first thing to look forward to after graduation is the warm call from Ball State's Alumni Association twice a month. I found myself sitting in my apartment, chatting away with a complete stranger who was asking me how I was and what I have been doing. Soon the conversation moved toward a familiar theme: Would I like to donate to Ball State University?
Because I had only officially graduated two months before my first solicitation, a couple of questions were raised:
First, is Ball State so confident in the financial and professional success of its alumni that it begins asking for money two months after graduation? The Department of Education at least has the tact to wait six months before student loan payments begin.
Second, what do I get for my donation? Curiously, this is dependent on the amount of my donation.
For a small donation, I can get a sticker for my car that proclaims that I am indeed a graduate of Ball State. I think this also comes with a key fob. For about $150 I can get access to all recreation facilities on campus for a whole year.
For about $300 to $600 I can get my name on a brick in the walkway of the Alumni Center with a few lines of information (amount of information dependent on size of donation). For a major donation, I can get the Ball State calendar. If I am willing to donate a ridiculously large amount of money, they might even name a building on campus after me. Imagine going to classes in the A.M. Donati Building (formerly the Art and Journalism Building).
There are other advantages available to alums. I can now get my BSU Alumni License Plate. This only costs $15 plus other state charges, taxes and registration fees. I can now sign up for the BSU Alumni Association Credit Card. Every time I make a purchase with my new card, I can show my continued support for Ball State.
I can also purchase BSU Return Address Labels. Whenever I mail my checks to the Department of Education, I can show my pride with BSU labels. I also get a free subscription to Alumnus Magazine, which showcases the donations and renovations to the athletic department, as well as those who make the major donations to the university. I even get a new alumni brochure that lists all of the amazing benefits of being an actively donating alumnus.
Perhaps the greatest alumni benefit is the Ball State Alumni ID card. Next time I visit Muncie, I plan to stop at the Alumni Center to get my free alumni ID. I cannot wait to use my new ID for discounts at many fine establishments in Muncie. I can also make use of Bracken Library because the ID card doubles as a library card.
The greatest value of owning my Alumni ID, however, is that I will not have to pay $10 for it. Ball State will give this to me free of charge if I do not figure in the tuition I paid while I was in school.
Although I am happy to be a college graduate, I am not happy with what my alumni status means to Ball State University. Calls to my mom, former roommates and my old employers continue the valiant effort to track me down.
I just wish they had such enthusiasm in helping me find a job upon graduation as they now have in trying to find me for a donation.
Write to Aaron at rantinrex@hotmail.com.
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