For the last year, (up until July 1) every Wednesday and Sunday night was poker night for a plethora of Ball State University students as well as many members of the Muncie community. Royal Crown Hold 'Em Club was shut down this summer because of new legislation that was enforced in the state of Indiana. This legislation was heavily influenced by the recent obsession with poker that many people in America, and all over the world, have absorbed themselves in.
Poker can be classified as either a game of chance or a game of skill. I prefer to look at it as a game of social interaction. For those who do not know, poker is generally played at a table with between 8 and 10 other people with whom you are competing. Even though the people at the table with you are your foes, friendships can easily be made at the table. Good players generally only play a few hands an hour, so that means that for the majority of the time when you are playing, you are not really playing. You either sit there and listen to music as some do, or begin to get to know your neighbors at the table. It was here that I have seen more social interaction between Muncie residents and Ball State students than anywhere else.
Poker truly is a game of interaction that brings people of all types together. When Indiana took away poker, it took away one of the biggest bridges of social interaction within the Muncie community. It brings together rich and poor, young and old, cultured and unrefined. Students, professors and Muncie residents alike need to take action and step up and interact with each other on a social level. Poker is a catalyst for that.
The student body has taken the right steps to begin. Student Voluntary Services has done incredible things for Ball State and Muncie relations. Every year more students volunteer their miniature amounts of free time to be good people and go out to help others. Students can get involved helping animals, reading to children or volunteering at the Isanogel Center, among other things. Volunteering is wonderful, but more must to be done to integrate the community.
There is not enough interaction between students and Muncie on a level of understanding beyond volunteer work. For the most part, many students will not befriend the citizens of Muncie due to lack of exposure, not ignorance, I hope. Spending time on the Late Loop "Tipsy Trolley" and going to the downtown area will give more people the exposure they need to feel comfortable socializing with those in the community.
Ball State has been stepping up in many aspects aesthetically, thanks to President Jo Ann Gora's work and plans. Now it is time for Ball State to become a community integrated with the larger community.
Write to Ray at rchart@bsu.edu
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
