VIDEO: Bicentennial Torch Relay came through campus, celebrate 200 years of statehood

The Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay came through Ball State University's campus on Sept. 27. Samantha Brammer // DN
The Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay came through Ball State University's campus on Sept. 27. Samantha Brammer // DN

The 24 torchbearers were chosen by a committee out of a pool of 60 nominees, said Nancy Carlson, one of the Delaware County Coordinators for the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay.

Delaware County Torchbearers: 

Alan Holdren

Alan Wilson

Allie Craycraft

Barbara Ellis

Bea Sousa

Bobby Graves*

Cade Orchard

Dale Basham

Delyn Harty-Isom

Dennis Tyler

Jack Williamson

Jeffrey Bird

Jessica Feick

John M. Craddock

Laura Williamson

Michael (Jud) Fisher

Michael Lunsford

Nathan Sloan

Oscar Nunez

Rea Riggin*

Stan Sollars

Stefan Anderson

Terri Panszi

William Broyles

*Denotes posthumous selection

Source: INTorchRelay app

The Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay came through Delaware County and Ball State’s campus on Sept. 27.

The torch lighting ceremony was held at 9 a.m. in Heartland Hall at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. After the torch is lit, Mayor Dennis Tyler, the first torchbearer out of 24 from Delaware County, ran to the fairground’s entrance accompanied by a six-vehicle caravan including Indiana State Police. The Delaware County torch relay will end at noon.

The 24 torchbearers were chosen by a committee out of a pool of 60 nominees, said Nancy Carlson, one of the Delaware County Coordinators for the Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay.

Stan Sollars, a telecommunications professor at Ball State, will run the torch from Kinghorn Hall, turn left onto McKinley and run to the Scramble Light where he will hand it off to Jeff Bird.

Sollars thinks he was nominated because of his close ties with Ball State and because of his battle with cancer.

“I had a close encounter with cancer two years ago, and right now two years ago I was going through chemo and radiation for a lower esophageal tumor and thankfully it did not spread, it was all in there, they got it all out and I’m clean and clear as day,” Sollars said.

Although Sollars considers himself healthy and will be running during the torch relay, he is not nor was ever an avid jogger. While attending a jogging class at Ball State years ago, Sollars had to run two miles in under 14:30.

“I did it in 14:21 and promptly vomited after," Sollars said.

Sollars also said he will be representing not only Ball State and people who have been affected by cancer, but also the history of Indiana.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to do this, not only to physically come back with a lot of help from a lot of people from the cancer, but also just glad to be a part of history and represent positive aspects about the state.”

The idea for a torch ceremony was based on the Olympic torch ceremony, said Carlson.

“Indiana achieved statehood in 1816, so this is the 200th anniversary of statehood. In order to celebrate, the state tried to figure out what the most people could go to. And most people aren’t going to go to a gala ball or a dance, or they won’t go to the statehouse to a meeting," Carlson said. "What most people can go to is a torch relay that would go through their own county.

According to the Indiana Historical Society, the torch represents liberty and enlightenment. The torch used in the relay was developed by Purdue University and is equipped with GPS tracking and a video camera inside.

The video of the torch being run through Delaware County will be gathered and produced into a documentary by a Ball State immersive learning class led by telecommunications professor Chris Flook. The class focuses on the bicentennial and the torch relay. The documentary will be unveiled on their website on Dec. 11, which is the day in 1816 when Indiana gained statehood.

Nicole Lehrman is a senior telecommunications video production major and is one of three directors of photography for the Bicentennial class.

“I’ve lived in Indiana all my life so it would be a good way to help celebrate the bicentennial,” Lehrman said.

One of the things that surprised her while covering the torch relays of various counties is the outpouring of support from Indiana communities.

“It really surprised me my first couple of days, just seeing everyone smiling and everyone really, really excited about the torch. Some of these smaller counties and some of the smaller towns that we visit have never had anything this big happen in their town," Lehrman said. “There have been a lot of older people coming out and saying it was one of the best days of their lives.”

The class posts pictures, videos and stories daily on social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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