Rachael Smith, assistant lecturer of women’s and gender studies, wishes there was a club like Feminists for Action when she was in college. As a 22-year-old freshman and commuter student, Smith wasn’t involved much in extracurriculars.
When Audrey Barcio, Ball State assistant professor of art, was a child, she would watch her grandmother paint and sit by her side, working with her own watercolors, bonding over creating art, growing closer as they painted and discovering new techniques.
It’s 1957. Poodle skirts are “in,” Elvis Presley songs play all over the radio and drive-in movies are popular destinations for teenagers. Trending news topics include integrating schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Three years after they were removed, Theta Chi is returning to Ball State. The national board successfully negotiated with university officials to end the charter’s revocation from campus.
Emma Cieslik, 2021 Ball State biology and public history graduate, has always enjoyed learning about religion and its role throughout history.
In fall 2019, Parker Hickey, senior acting major, was approached by Jacki Walburn, a senior at the time, who was looking for any opportunity to be an activist and to be more sustainable, whether it be through organizing climate strikes or painting theater sets.
“What does our call to Beneficence mean to you?” Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns ends each episode of his podcast by asking this question, whether he is speaking with a New York Times bestselling author, a Grammy and Academy award winner or the CEO of Project Lead the Way.
Hannah Dreier never considered journalism as a career — she always liked reading and writing but thought she was going to do work as an activist after graduating from college.
When Brittney Grim, director of student and young alumni philanthropy and 2018 Ball State alumna, was a student at Ball State, she said she wished there was a program for students who performed well in school and were involved but maybe didn’t get the recognition they felt they deserved from the university.
After 18 months of collecting dust on their dining room tables, most restaurants have opened their doors again and owners are ready to improve their businesses for the Muncie community.
