MAKING CENTS: Stimulus risks inflation; 2010 forecast is good

Student group challenges smokers to ditch habit

Quitting smoking is a tough task and the Colleges Against Cancer student group wants to help Ball State University students get it done.The group, a chapter of the American Cancer Society, is holding a Great American Smokeout event in the Atrium today.

WOMEN'S SWIMMING: Ball State looks to keep winning streaks alive

If this season could be summed up in one word for Laura Seibold-Caudill, it would be goals.The women's swimming and diving coach set out a number of goals for the team this season, one of which was achieved last weekend as the Cardinals defended their title at the House of Champions meet. This weekend is another goal Seibold-Caudill has set for her team as the Cardinals hold the Douglas Coers Invitational.

SOCCER: Michael Lovett timeline

The Ball State University athletics department announced Wednesday that it would not renew soccer coach Michael Lovett's contract for the upcoming season. Included is a look at the highlights and lowlights of the soccer team during Lovett's nearly two-year tenure as coach.

OUR VIEW: Time and money

Ball State University's athletics department has fired three fall sports coaches this semester. It's going to be busy in the coming months finding replacements to keep the programs from regressing.

News Update: 11/19/09

Bracken to highlight technology

Tech4u highlights technology being used and created on campus. There will be 10 presentations on how technology and the internet can help you now and in the future. They will cover such things as "Flicker and Blogs," "Reading your DAPR" and "Google Wave." There will also be three demo and training sessions.

OUR VIEW: Lock up

The weather is getting colder and the year is drawing to an end. The holiday season is nearly upon us and so could be a surge in thefts.

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Ball State shows uncharacteristic offensive surge

Ball State scored 88 points in Saturday's season-opening win vs. Valparaiso University.In coach Billy Taylor's first two seasons, the Cardinals only reached the 80-point mark twice in regulation — an 82-71 win vs. Central Michigan University on Jan. 13, 2008, and an 82-69 win at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Jan. 22, 2009. Ball State also hit the mark in an 84-82 loss in overtime last season at Western Michigan University.

Suddenly, everyone wants to suck your blood

From Edward Cullen to Dracula, Lestat de Lioncourt to Count von Count, society has been constantly bombarded for years by the blood suckers known as vampires.But long gone are the days when vampires were portrayed as old men rising up from caskets every Halloween — vampires today are now portrayed as attractive, lust-driven teenagers and twenty-somethings.This Friday, the supernatural romance between vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and teen mortal Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) hits the silver screen once again in "Twilight Saga: New Moon," the second installment of the movie adaptation of Stephenie Meyers' best selling book series "Twilight."

ATHLETICS: Firings/Resignations during Tom Collins era

Wednesday's firings of soccer coach Michael Lovett and field hockey coach Annette Payne were the third announced by Ball State athletics director Tom Collins this year. The first was women's tennis coach Kathy Bull in October.In all, five coaches have been axed under Collins' watch, while seven have resigned for various reasons.

A CLOSE SHAVE: Like him or not, Tom Collins means business

Wednesday's big news of the day didn't revolve around the ESPN2 cameras recording visual proof of no more than 2,000 fans in the Scheumann Stadium stands for Ball State University's 35-3 football whoopin' from Central Michigan University.

Student sets off sprinkler system

Morning classes at North Quad were redirected to another location Wednesday because an upset student set off the sprinkler system.Associate Director of Public Safety Bob Fey said the student's teacher saw him do it, but the teacher and student have not been identified.

Campus police shift focus away from main campus

The most common crime around campus is theft, Gene Burton, director of public safety, said. The holiday season combined with Muncie's economic troubles has led to a spike in burglary rates across the city."We take more theft calls than we do anything else," Burton said. "This time of year its not unusual for car break-ins to go up."

FOOTBALL: Weather, atmosphere soggy in loss to Chippewas

Coach Stan Parrish said the atmosphere in the stands was tough for his seniors to witness. The weather coincided with a bleak and almost non-existent fan base. The attendance at Scheumann Stadium was a season-low 5,736 people. That is a difference of 18,125 people when compared to the Western Michigan game one year ago, which broke the attendance record with 23,861 fans in the stands.

Pocket show takes on a new 'Medium'

On Friday, Levitt and his six-member cast will introduce the first performance of the Ball State Pocket Opera with "The Medium." The Ball State Opera Theatre normally has a presentation in the spring at John R. Emens Auditorium or Sursa Performance Hall, but this year, Levitt created the Pocket Opera company which performs a smaller opera in the fall. "This is Pocket Opera — it's not a genre; it's a name," he said. "Something that you can fit in your pocket is maybe something that's maybe on a smaller scale. Like an iPod is a travel thing as opposed to the big, fat, honking stereo. That's what we do in April."

MEN'S SWIMMING: Cards look to defend pool at Coers Invitational

The Ball State University men's swimming team faces a tall order when it plays host to Grand Valley State University and Findlay University at the Doug Coers Invitational this weekend. Simply put, Grand Valley State has them outnumbered."Grand Valley has about 10 more people than us," coach Bob Thomas said. "So beating them is a tough task, but last year it came down to the last event, and we'd like to bring it down to the wire again."

FIELD HOCKEY: Annette Payne timeline

The Ball State University athletics department announced Wednesday that it would not renew field hockey coach Annette Payne's contract for the upcoming season. Below is a look at the highlights and lowlights of the soccer team during Payne's nine-year tenure as assistant and head coach.

Grocery shopping tips for students

Being a college student is one thing but living off campus and cooking meals is another, so bargain shopping is essential to eating nutritious.

Ball State vs. Central Michigan highlights

Highlights from the football game between Ball State and Central Michigan on November 18, 2009.