April could be the start of a new era in Spring Semester programming.
Rekindling a Ball State University tradition, bicycles will race down McKinley Avenue today. On April 18, the lights and sounds of the annual Late Nite Carnival will return to campus.
These campus events build morale and increase school spirit. No, it's not spirit in that "rah-rah we're a No. 1 seed that almost got beaten by Davidson" sort of way, but rather the type of "something's happening here" attitude adjustment this campus direly needs.
We need fun. We need festivities. We need visitors.
We need a big Spring Semester party weekend.
Let's preface this: The university can't sanction alcohol consumption. (That was the Ball State University of the early 1990s.) Tailgates are about the closest thing, but I can't foresee university administrations sanctioning beer pong in the grass outside North Quad.
That would be the greatest thing since the end of prohibition.
While "party" carries the connotation of drinking, it's not a requirement. The essence of partying here is gathering a large portion of the student body with friends and visitors having a weekend of good times. Alcohol is optional. The university is only sanctioning the major events, not the binge-drinking slosh shows in the houses off Rex Street. This is no different than Homecoming.
Look at other stellar Spring Semester events within Indiana. The key to Indiana University's Little 500 bike race and Purdue University's Grand Prix weekend is a widely popular university-sanctioned event surrounded by a weekend of not-so-sanctioned activities. The university does its job and backs off for the remainder of the time.
Hm. A widely popular university-sanctioned Spring Semester event at Ball State? Why, that could only be the cotton candy-spinning, Ferris wheel-riding action of the Late Nite Carnival! The carnival has become a mainstay of Ball State's social calendar since its start in 2003. Freshmen - just you wait.
With the return of the McKinley Mile bike race, components of the Spring-based sister to Homecoming are finally appearing. The next step is positioning. It's not hard: Take the McKinley Mile and place it on the calendar next to the Late Nite Carnival.
Stage the events on a Friday in the off weekend when Purdue and IU have exhausted their resources. In the awkwardly timed Friday evening, put a concert in North Quad, University Green, or better yet, the middle of McKinley Avenue or the Village.
No, I'm not talking a local act - I mean a major name. Bank some of the programming money flowing through university budgets and use it for this one show. Get it sponsored, even, if money is that much of a concern.
The 2007 Student Government Association election brought the concept of a Spring Semester event to the forefront of conversation, but events like this can't be born overnight. It takes a continued commitment from university officials and programming organizations to give an event the allure it needs to survive long-term.
U.N.I.T.E.D. Initiative made a great first step by bringing back the McKinley Mile. Serious commitment is needed to make this work, and not just random volunteers. A weekend of this magnitude requires a dedicated group of individuals, just like Homecoming.
Repurpose the McKinley Mile Committee, or add to it. Either way, we need a group of individuals focused solely on creating a memorable April weekend for students and visitors alike.
As a sizable amount of students flee campus next weekend for IU's Little 500, stop and ponder the potential Ball State has in attracting a similar group of visitors. You might scoff, but if you're willing to visit your friends for a weekend, they should be willing to visit you for one, too.
Write to Dave at heydave@bewilderedsociety.com
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