Plants can be great companions for college students, especially low-maintenance ones such as the snake plant. However, it is often forgotten that houseplants need differing care during the winter, just like their outdoor counterparts.
Autumn leaves, flannel, knitted sweaters and flared jeans litter the hallways of the Applied Technology Building at Ball State University as visual merchandising students decorate mannequins in glass displays.
Shawna Waters is in her second year with Second Harvest Food Bank. She applied after hearing about an inspiring program called “The Big Idea Initiative” and she now leads the effort that spans 44 schools across eight counties.
An open, clean and white-walled room with a singular bench. It is quiet. The room is filled with large, heavy and enveloping abstract paintings full of intricate shapes and textures. All are black, white and gray.
With recent news of books being banned in public schools, academic libraries and public libraries, the majority of the books targeted for bans are stories by and/or about people of color and LGBTQ individuals. With these books leaving classrooms and shelves, here’s a list of banned books to read.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), there were 49,449 deaths by suicide in 2022. In 2021, there were 1.7 million suicide attempts reported by the CDC. The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention (NAASP) and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline suggest five steps to help support those considering suicide.
Returning to your dorm room/apartment with a companion there waiting can be very comforting. On days students are stressed and struggling with their mental health, being able to cuddle with a furry cat, get out to run with a playful dog or even watch your fish swim can offer immense support and dissolve the outside pressures students often struggle with.
Therapy can be very beneficial to individuals struggling with mental health and conflict in their day-to-day lives. There are a wide variety of reasons that someone would attend therapy to improve their quality of life.
Muncie has more to offer than just fast-food chains and department stores. The city has made its downtown and surrounding areas a great place to explore and try new things. While every city might have a Walmart and a Taco Bell, not every city has the following places that make Muncie what it is: home.
Soul food in Muncie may seem like a stretch when one has the appetite for it, but when you look into the options of a good ‘ole plate of comfort food, for some, Mama and Son, located in Downtown Muncie, is second to none.
The word Powwow is the English translation of Pau Wau, which means medicine man in Narrtick. It was originally a healing ceremony performed by the tribe's spiritual or religious leaders.
Wanting to share their love for boba tea and provide more authentic, personalized drinks to the Muncie community, husband and wife duo Maria and Jay R. Cabasag opened PositiviTea, a family-owned business, in May.
For some students, the sole reason to attend higher education is to socialize and party. For others, partying is an outlet to let go of the day-to-day stress that follows academia.
Bearing large-rimmed glasses, a red and white raglan t-shirt, a ball cap, and a monotone voice, Ray Toffer has become synonymous with the things that make Muncie "beautiful and luxurious," on social media. However, much like the “Mocal” version of Clark Kent, when the glasses come off Toffer becomes Muncie local Stevie Hahn.
The expectation of nail appointments consists of searching for parking in a crowded strip mall to wait for a nail tech’s availability. Once the appointment has begun, you’re sat between strangers for an hour before you leave and have to repeat the process in a couple of weeks. In contrast, pulling up to a home with a brick exterior in a serene residential area might offer a better chance of relaxation than traditional nail salons.
The nomination. Filling out the application. Writing an essay about defining Beneficence. All of it ends in a waiting game. The process for applying to be a top 100 student can be lengthy between recommendations from bosses or professors to having to wait to see if you made it.
It only took one class. Kinzee Davis and Victoria Stout started in drawing. Arielle Birk started in animation, and Kelsey Bobrowski wanted to pursue the same. But after getting a taste of metals, each of the students decided a focus in metals is what they needed to go after. “I saw metals and signed up for it not really thinking much of it, didn't really know what all it entailed, but I immediately fell in love with it …” Davis said. “Just everything about it. I felt like I was finally connecting to the material that I was working with.” As the end of the year approaches, future graduates in the metals concentration are wrapping up their time and preparing their theses and final galleries before stepping into the world of metalsmithing.
“Take a breath in. Take a breath out. Set an intention.” Fourth-year directing major Brynn Allison-Harty repeats the words to their cast at the start of rehearsal in between downward dog stretches and indie-pop music. They want the cast to think about the things they would like to improve during the rehearsal and think about the way they want the rehearsal to go. For Allison-Harty, the intention was simple: tell a story about the climate crisis with an emphasis on sustainability in production.
Renee Snyder and her family moved into a new house in May of 2022. While getting to know her neighbors, Snyder and her children quickly formed a bond with the older woman who lived next door. They soon discovered their neighbor was none other than Marlene “Bowz” Skeoch from the famous Muncie clown duo, Buttnz & Bowz. Marlene and her husband, Jack "Buttnz" Skeoch, brought joy to children all around Muncie with their colorful makeup and intricate balloon animals for nearly three decades.
Sand, clay, silt, peat, chalk and loam. All are different types of soil. According to ISRIC World Soil Information, soil filters rainwater to help prevent flooding, it helps plants grow and acts as a buffer against pollutants, which helps improve groundwater. Without soil, human life would be difficult. The science of soil has always been a passion of Ball State University Assistant Professor of Natural Resources, Jessique Haeft, growing up in California. Since 2014, she has been sharing that passion with her students, teaching them valuable ways to care for the environment.
