Cardinal Pride

Football season is an exciting time for students and for alumni. Part of our duty as a member of St.A.R.T. is to help during the pre-game rallies that the Alumni Association holds before each football game. The rallies are held in the Alumni Center and are filled with fun, laughter, and food. This year, I helped at the last pre-game rally when Ball State played (and won!) against Ohio University. Ball State football has had a tremendous season and there were many fans willing to brave the cold to cheer on the Cardinals, but not before attending the pre-game rally.

During this pre-game rally, my job was to greet alumni and guests at the door and to hand out their nametags and game tickets.  I enjoy this job because you are able to see everyone who enters and greet them personally. I was able to meet many interesting alumni and hear how excited they were to attend the football game. Many alumni also enjoy sharing stories of when they were students. Each pre-game rally I attend is a different, but enjoyable experience and I hope to attend many more as a student and as alumna.

The football team’s final game of the season is Friday, November 23 at Miami University (Oxford, OH). Go Cards!

Abby Wietbrock

 

A New St.A.R.T.

St.A.R.T. is progressing well in 2012.  As the holiday season approaches, committee members are beginning the annual task of assembling student survival kits to prepare students for the rigors of Finals Week.  These survival kits include an assortment of snacks designed to motivate students and keep them alert during long and intense hours of studying.  Committee members will assemble these kits beginning on December 5.

St.A.R.T. members also assist at home football games.  Here, students are connecting with university alumni by distributing season tickets and name tags at the Alumni Center.  Ball State alumnni and their families can sit down to a pre-game lunch, while the Ball State cheerleaders and Code Red dancers cheer on the home team from inside the Alumni Center’s pre-game rally.  Kids can get Cardinal logo tattoos as they walk into the Alumni Center as well.  Thus, the Alumni Center is a place where school spirit is continued for those who have graduated.  It also helps that the football team has experienced its share of success as well!

As an alumnus myself, who has chosen to return to school for a second undergraduate degree, I personally bring a new way of connecting to alumni through St.A.R.T.  At the age of 29, I’ve already earned a Telecommunications degree (the same one David Letterman has earned, with a better grade point average).  My future calling has me wanting to teach students, and as such, I’m actively pursuing a teaching degree in school health education, along with a secondary license in physical education and a license to teach gifted and talented students.  I’m hoping this will complement the coaching minor I’ve already obtained with my previous degree.  One future possibility of further connecting local alumni with incoming students would be to have former graduates, who are thriving in the Muncie economy, speak to incoming freshmen during move-in week.

The Homecoming activities were a blast in October, and St.A.R.T. members were active participants.  Kate Webber, advisor of St.A.R.T., is also an advisor to the Homecoming Steering Committee.  From the talent search, to the McKinley Avenue photo hunt, to the Homecoming Village, and to the Stop, Drop and Dash charity event, Homecoming was filled with activities to engage the student population.  University president Jo Ann Gora even rode the zipline on Martin Street during the Homecoming Village kick-off event.  A Texas Hold’Em event also took place (that’s me at the back of the table).  The annual Homecoming parade occurred on Saturday morning, October 13 at 9:30.  The football game against Western Michigan started at 2 p.m. and ended with a thrilling overtime win to send the fans who braved the rain home with a win.  Tailgating was a huge event during the Homecoming game.  The west stadium parking lot was completely filled with students and alumni alike prior to the game.  It was awesome to see many students I recognized from the past decade back tailgating for the Homecoming game.

Until next time,  Jase Schoenherr

It’s All About The Doughnuts…and Cardinal Coffee Club

It is Wednesday at 7:15 in the morning. I drag myself out of bed in time to get ready and catch a shuttle bus to the Ball State Alumni Center by 8:00. Today starts off with a St.A.R.T. meeting and Cardinal Coffee Club. As groggy as I am, my mood brightens while I eat Concannon’s doughnuts and see everybody else’s groggy faces around the meeting table. As the discussion occurs around the table, everybody wakes up and has a good time.

My favorite part is next: Cardinal Coffee Club. I love meeting Ball State alumni and learning their stories, especially tales they remember from the time they were a student at BSU. They are always in a good mood and ready to learn about my life as well. Friendships have been made this morning.

Then off to class I go! What a wonderful St.A.R.T. to my day.

Jessica Burger   
Student Alumni Relations Team
Student Voluntary Services – PC
Exercise Science Club
National Honors Council
National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Ball State University

 

Happy Halloween BSU!

It’s that time of year again, one of my favorites!

HALLOWEEN!

Even though Halloween is a Wednesday, the festivities have been going on since this past weekend.  I have seen so many cool and unique costumes, I have had some great moments with friends, and of course I have eaten some Halloween candy.  I was a little disappointed that I could not go to a haunted house this year, but I will have other chances.

I just want to wish everyone a Happy Halloween and stay safe.

Screamingly,

Samantha Pickens

Homecoming 2012: Play Your Cards Right!

It is often said that the people you meet and experiences you encounter in college are among the best memories you will have in life. School-sponsored events like talent shows, charity events, street parades, and football games can help shape one’s reminiscence of time spent in college. The 2012 Ball State Homecoming Steering Committee played their cards right and provided all of that and more in making my first homecoming experience a memorable one.

Now, I think it’s only fair to mention that my participation in homecoming this year was not typical… I was a candidate. Sophomore Casey Prins and I were nominated by the Student-Alumni Relations Team last spring and were thrilled to be representing St.A.R.T., the Alumni Association, and Ball State at the Homecoming Week festivities.

Casey Prins and Malachi Randolph: 2012 St.A.R.T. homecoming candidates

The rigorous candidate schedule began with the Royalty Fashion Show. Casey and I dressed as the sailor/nurse duo from the famous World War II photograph and received many compliments for our originality. At the end of the show, the voting results were announced. And while I was disappointed Casey did not make the finals, I was looking forward to further representing Ball State in the days ahead.

Sailor/Nurse duo at the Royalty Fashion Show

The next event was a royalty social and interview night at the Alumni Center. Since my position in St.A.R.T. exposes me to a lot of networking opportunities, socializing with other candidates and various faculty members for many hours was not a problem. I was able to reconnect with familiar friends and make many new ones. As I walked into my interview, I was relieved to recognize nearly every faculty judge. The interview felt more like a conversation than a competition; and since it concluded my night, I was pleased to walk out of the Alumni Center almost six hours after arriving.

Royalty Social at the Alumni Center

Talent Search was next. Ball State’s most-talented students were showcased in front of a large crowd at Emens Auditorium, and royalty candidates were lucky to hold front-row seats. It was a wonderful show and spoke volumes of the talent prevalent on campus. The next morning we attended the Royalty/Faculty breakfast. And while I have obtained a few socializing skills over the years, they protested performance so early in the morning. In fact, much of my body refused to perform. I’m going to have to work on that.

Malachi and 2012 Homecoming Queen Caitlin Cambron at Talent Search

BSU AirJam in Emens was the following night. Anyone who has attended this sold-out spectacle knows that it cannot be easily described. With that, I’m only going to say that it lived up to its reputation. Homecoming Court was announced at the conclusion of the show, and I was honored to be selected into royalty court, along with nine other deserving students. Caitlin Cambron and Justin Friend were named 2012 Homecoming Queen and King, while Jayme Skillman and Shawn Vondran took away the faculty titles.

2012 Royalty Court after AirJam

I was honored to be in superior company Friday evening at the annual BSUAA Alumni Awards Dinner. Many accomplished Ball State graduates—young and old—were in attendance, celebrating the successes of past Ball State students. As a college sophomore, I was thankful to the many alumni who left their professional responsibilities in other cities, states, and countries to return to campus for such an event.

Game day began with a parade in the morning. I was paired with the lovely Tiffany Shivers, and we had an awesome time distributing ridiculous amounts of candy to many, many pleading children (and even parents!). Royalty court reconvened at the Alumni Center for a luncheon/pre-game rally before heading to the big game.

Malachi and Tiffany prior to the parade

Homecoming Parade

After being announced at halftime, most of the candidates took refuge in the Alumni Center from the cold rain outdoors. I decided to weather the elements and witnessed our team escape with a 30-24 overtime victory over Western Michigan. I enjoyed the post-game celebration with close friends at the Alumni Center, then attended the women’s volleyball game that night, and finally returned to my dorm after 13 hours of homecoming fun.

Some of the court before going on the field at halftime

Malachi announced at halftime

Homecoming 2012 was a blast, and I look forward to using such traditions to further alumni involvement in the years ahead.

-Malachi Randolph (St.A.R.T. member)

Happy 75th Birthday Benny!

Hello, Alumni! 

Two weeks ago the brand new Student Alumni Association celebrated the 75th anniversary of the dedication of the Beneficence statue on Ball State’s campus! What better way to celebrate Benny’s birthday than with a party? Complete with cake and ice cream, students, alumni, and university administrators past and present gathered in front of Benny to pay homage to Ball State’s own symbol of philanthropy and unity. 

I was honored to introduce our guest speakers for the event, including Ball family descendants, Jud Fisher and Tom Bracken. President Jo Ann Gora also spoke on behalf of the university prior to the finale of the event, a performance of the Alma Mater and “Happy Birthday” by the Ball State University Statesmen. 

Here are a few fun facts about Beneficence! 

• Beneficence was sculpted by Daniel Chester French, best known for his famous statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Washington DC Lincoln Memorial
• Richard Henry Dana, descendent of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was the architect who designed the landscaping, night illumination, and site
• The five columns of Beneficence symbolize the five Ball Brothers
• Benny sat in storage for seven years before being erected, due to lack of funds caused by the Great Depression
• 11,306 people donated to the fund
• Over 3,000 people attended the dedication ceremony, which took place on Sunday, September 26, 1937 at 3:00 p.m. Hundreds of people stayed into the early evening hours as the memorial was lighted
• The dedication was broadcast on radio throughout the Midwest, including Cincinnati and Buffalo, NY 

Beneficence is symbol of purpose, hope, courage, philanthropy, and of course, generosity. I couldn’t help but be so proud of the university and all that it stands for after this event. The Student Alumni Association’s premiere event was a success, and we can’t wait to host an annual birthday party honoring one of Ball State’s most important traditions.

Katie DeBoy – SAA Student Coordinator and St.A.R.T. Member

Katie and Malachi

Jordan and Malachi

Family Weekend!

September 21st- 23rd was family weekend here at Ball State, and there were a lot of families on campus! Even though I didn’t have family come up this weekend, I was blessed to interact with families and alumni here on campus.  Saturday was a busy day at the Alumni Center.  After a very windy and cold walk to the Alumni Center, I joined the rest of the Legacy Scholarship Recipients at a luncheon to recognize all of us.

All dressed and ready for the football game, we got a big group picture of all of the recipients outside the Alumni Center.  The poor photographer had to work around the sun and the wind!  We then went inside and the legacy students introduced themselves.  It was so interesting to hear about each students’ different majors and the amount of family that had attended Ball State back in the day.  We listened to Dr. Park give a wonderful speech, then to Katie DeBoy talk about the new Student Alumni Association (which I highly recommend for all students to join!), and finally to President Jo Ann Gora give remarks about the campus and its improvements.  My favorite part of all the speeches?  Dr. Park happened to let slip that South Florida was a tough football team, but they had asked for bench heaters in case it was too cold.  It definitely gave us all hope for another win for our fabulous football team.  Lunch was delicious, as always!  I am so thankful for receiving one of the legacy scholarships this year, Ball State means so much to me.

After lunch I helped out the other St.A.R.T. member working the alumni reception before the football game.  I spent a couple hours talking to alumni and their families coming through the door.  I helped many kids, students, and even some adults show their Cardinal pride with temporary Cardinal tattoos. Chirp, Chirp!

The football game started at 4:30 p.m. and the stands were packed despite the cold.  Students and their families came to support our football team and they did a great job.  South Florida was a tough school to play, but we came out victorious with a score of 31-27! Go Cards!

Samantha Pickens (Proud Ball State Legacy Student!)

Marching into the Scheumann Stadium

Making New Friends

Our first Student Alumni Relations Team meeting with new members was Wednesday, September 19th.  I was so sad I was not able to attend because of a cold, but from all accounts our new members are fantastic! If you get a chance, congratulate Ben Fredrickson, Jase Schoenherr, Jessica Burger, Jessica Sweney, and Courtney Stetzal. I am confident that they are going to make great additions to our team!

Wednesday was also our first Cardinal Coffee Club of the new school year! Personally, I love going to the Coffee Club and talking to alumni about their time at Ball State and learning about what was important to them when they were students.  I love getting advice from alumni or just listening to their life stories.  Today I was talking to other St.A.R.T. members about the first Coffee Club and they both agreed that it went really well.  There were so many people that there weren’t enough seats and one alumnus taught the girls “Charlie’s Dance.”  They couldn’t remember the exact moves, but it was the highlight of their mornings. I look forward to the next Coffee Club.

Samantha Pickens

“Charlie’s Dance”

19 days until graduation

As a senior, my days are quickly vanishing here at Ball State. I have 19 days until graduation; 3 presentations, a final report, a case study and 3 finals. I can’t believe graduation is within reach. I am a public relations major with a minor in marketing. In order to be able to graduate in four years, I have had to take 18 credits every semester.  Along with being a member of Delta Zeta and working at the Alumni Association for three years now.

To say the least, I have had a busy four years. With 19 days left until graduation, I can’t help but to reminisce on the amazing memories, opportunities and people I have met at Ball State. What were your favorite memories as a student at Ball State?

Kassi, 2012

Unmasking the Mysteries of the Opera

Greetings from London,

Only one week left and I’ve had many more adventures since the last time I blogged. Our group went to Liverpool and Manchester to experience some “real” British life. It was so much fun getting to hang out with everyone outside of London. While in Liverpool we saw all things Beatles, including the Penny Lane sign. In Manchester we took a tour of their football stadium and looked into the reasons why the two cities hate each other. We also took a trip to Bath and Stonehenge. Apparently, people from Europe don’t understand our obsession with seeing a bunch of fallen rocks, but I thought it was cool! Bath was beautiful and it reminded me of my spring break trip to Rome. We went to the Tower of London as a group today as well. We saw the crown jewels, all sorts of torture devices, and King Henry VIII’s armor.

Aside from taking group trips, a couple of my friends and I went to Dublin and Bray, Ireland. Bray is a beautiful town on the seaside and we hiked up the cliffs and ate a picnic. It was gorgeous! Dublin was cool as well and I’m in love with everyone’s accents there:) My friend and I went to Hyde Park today to enjoy the beautiful weather and we are planning on going to see Wicked tomorrow evening. Since it’s our last weekend here we are going to Madam Tussaud’s  and a number of other places we have yet to visit. I’ve ran out of time to take anymore trips outside of the UK, but I can’t think of anywhere else that I’d really like to go.

I feel like I have gotten to do a lot in such a short amount of time. I’ve made friends that will last a lifetime here and it’s sad that I won’t be able hang out with them 24/7 when we go home in a week. Although I can’t wait to get home and see my friends and family I’ll miss London and all the people I’ve met here. London will always have a special place in my heart. 

Until next time,
Jordan

(All dressed up and ready to see a ballet at the Royal Opera House.)