When students come to Ball State for the first time, they mightbe unsure of what to expect. As they spend more time here, Muncieshould becomes less like an extension of Ball State and more like asecond home town.
But like their home town, students might think there is nothingfor them to do here.
Muncie Mayor Dan Canan said it would help the city if it knewwhat Ball State students were interested in that might connect themwith the community.
But it is not too often that a student walks into city hall andasks for a city official to discuss what Muncie could offerstudents.
Aside from the Muncie Mall, Target and Walmart, students mightthink there is little or nothing to do off-campus. Each of thesebusinesses is located on or near McGalliard Road.
So after visiting the chain restaurants and the chain stores,students might not think there is anything else for recreation.
Maybe that is because most students do not know what Munciealready has. Muncie has a civic center, a cultural center, achildren's museum, locally-owed restaurants and stores, festivals,and seasonal events like an ice skating rink.
Students without cars can ride the MITS bus to these locations,including downtown.
It could be argued that these spots are not enough to enticestudents to stay on campus and experience Muncie outside of theBall State campus and Village. But maybe Muncie is not reaching outenough to find what students are interested in.
For 82 years, higher education students have been part of theMuncie population. Yet Muncie and Ball State still struggle withlearning how to coexist.
Without Muncie, there would be no Ball State. Without BallState, Muncie would not be the city it has become.
For these two entities to succeed, they need to learn to worktogether more, to communicate each other's needs more, and to buildMuncie to better Ball State and the businesses outside theuniversity.
Ball State is not leaving Muncie. Although the two have madestrides to work together, they still have a long way to go beforestudents feel more at home here.
If students want something, they should contact the Muncie CityCouncil or Student Government Association. A letter, e-mail orphone call could spawn a new project for Muncie and Ball State tocollaborate on. Muncie should do the same, trying every waypossible to ask students what they really want out of their secondhome.
It could be one more store, one more restaurant or one moreevent that reels Ball State in. It could be many.
Either way, the two should keep trying to find a way.
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