More than 2,000 students applied for business and technology internships with TechPoint’s Xtern summer 2021 program. Less than 10 percent of those applicants were invited to interview with companies to secure an internship this summer.
Every weekday from the beginning of June through mid-July, Ball State’s campus will again see groups of people sporting cardinal red drawstring bags filled with information on campus offices and resources, as freshman orientation welcomes new students in person this summer.
Ball State has a new group dedicated to serving minority faculty and staff and educating the campus community about history and inclusivity. While the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Affinity Group is still in the formation process of being recognized as an official organization, it hosted its first Zoom presentation May 20.
For Robert La France, director of the David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA), pop art represents hope during difficult times. The exhibition “POP Power from Warhol to Koons: Masterworks from the collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation” is a show La France thought could bring some joy to people as they feel safer visiting museums during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ball State had never hosted a commencement ceremony at Scheumann Stadium before May 7, but administrators chose the venue because of its ability to host people while still following COVID-19 health guidelines. Seats on Scheumann’s turf were socially distanced and sanitized between ceremonies. Graduates were limited to four guest tickets each. Guests were also socially distanced on the bleachers.
More than 3 million students are expected to earn degrees from colleges and universities this spring, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Those students will enter the job market as the nation continues to recover from the COVID-induced recession, which the National Bureau of Economic Research states began in February 2020. However, new and recent college graduates may be in a better position than other candidates seeking new careers.
When Cindy Miller’s son, David Miller, was in kindergarten, she took him to the Levi Coffin House in Fountain City, Indiana, to learn more about the Underground Railroad and its history in Indiana. In school activities, David Miller, now 10 years old, participates in math bowls and writing camps as a student in Muncie Community Schools’ (MCS) High Ability Program.
Like most other Americans following the sharp increase of unemployment rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lilyana Salazar’s work situations have changed. Salazar, senior biology major, is the executive director of Cardinal Kitchen, which has expanded its operation hours to provide students with food and toiletries as more people rely on food banks and federal assistance to get the help they need.
Only five hospitals and clinics in Indiana had received doses of COVID-19 vaccines the week the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in December 2020. Nearly four months later, more than 400 vaccine clinics have opened in the state.
As many college students worry about paying off student loans, the average cost of college tuition in the United States has consistently risen at two to three times the rate of inflation each year, according to the College Savings Plans Network. The majority of federal financial aid comes in the form of loans, which increases the burden of student loan debt for graduates and families.
