Sociologists have defined the city of Muncie as the mostordinary American town. In the 1920s, sociologists Robert and HelenLynd studied Muncie precisely for this reason. There is nothingextraordinary about it, so they called it "Middletown."
Much has changed in Muncie since this study was done. The Ballfamily no longer plays a prominent role in the community.
However, one of their legacies, Ball State University, continuesto act as a major factor in the community.
Ball State is a defining part of Muncie. It unites college agestudents from across the state and country with a simple Indianacommunity.
If Ball State were not a part of Muncie, the city would becompletely different.
"It wouldn't be obviously as large, as vital, or as recognizableas a community, so I don't even want to think about Muncie withoutBall State," Mayor Dan Canan said.
Ball State attracts about 18,000 students to Muncie each year,some of who are from the area. It is the second largest employer,after Ball Memorial Hospital.
"For many of us, Ball State is Muncie's economy," said PatrickBarkey, director of economic and policy studies at Ball State.
Tracy Haynes, junior psychology major, said Muncie would bedrastically different without Ball State.
"I would find the economic status of Muncie questionable withoutBall State," she said.
Ball State and Muncie rely on each other to keep their economymoving. The city tries to find ways to allow students to be moreinvolved in the community, while Ball State is constantly trying toattract and retain students.
"It is an issue that we struggle with, to get the students moreinvolved in the community," Canan said. "I think very many timesstudents get very geared into the campus they are at and the campuslife that's going on and getting their degree. I think many timesthat happens without them really being aware of the community as awhole."
Barkey said the goals of the city and the university are morecompatible than most realize.
"Basically when Muncie tries to recruit or tries to sell itselfas a place to live and work for businesses and people, theuniversity is a part of their sales pitch," Barkey said. "Like itor not, the town is a university sales pitch as we pitch ourselvesto students and faculty. "
One concern of the university and Muncie is that Ball State is asuitcase campus.
"I know a lot of the Ball State students go home on Fridayevenings and come back on Sunday evenings or early Mondaymornings," Canan said. "That makes it a little tougher, and I thinkthe main thing that would help us out would be if we really knewwhat Ball State students would be interested in that might makethem a larger part of our community. What kind of venues orsomething that they are looking for."
Haynes said she is interested in Muncie becoming a more diverseplace. In the recent Martin Luther King agreement, a communitycenter was in the process of being planned.
"I would like to see the advancement of that happen quickly,"she said.
The university also benefits from developments in the city thathelp attract students and keep them in Muncie on the weekends.
"If students stay in Muncie on the weekends, businesses will behappier because they will spend more money here. That's kind ofobvious, but what about the university?" Barkey said. "It's in theuniversity's interest to be in a cool place."
The university and Muncie try to provide students variousactivities that will keep students in the area.
"I think a lot of times students contain their interest strictlyon campus or the immediate area around campus, but I think Muncieas a whole is very receptive of Ball State and what all they haveto offer," Canan said.
For Haynes, Muncie is lacking diversity.
"We are so segregated as a town," she said. "I just think thatdiversity needs to be improved."
Fourth year student Ryan Gessler said he goes into the communityto visit locally owned restaurants such a 909 Grill, Vera Mae'sBistro and the Heorot.
While Gessler said he does not think the Ball State campus andMuncie are perfect, he said, "Within Indiana, I think we do a lotbetter than most. The biggest problem I have is that off campusthere isn't a concerted effort to encourage diversity in thecommunity."
When students decide to attend Ball State, they are deciding tobecome a member of the Muncie community for at least 9 months ofthe year.
Ball State and Muncie continue to try to unite the universityand the community.
"I think both sides need to work on making the community andBall State a more cohesive unit," Haynes said.
Muncie officials continue to try to find ways that will unitethe city and the university.
"We wish we knew what the answer was to get more Ball Statestudents involved in the community," Canan said. "What are therealistic things we could do in our community to make it moreattractive to Ball State students?"
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