Ball Bearings
Articles
Winter is the Warmest Season: I am left to come to terms with the silence my mother left behind
All my life, I have walked around telling everyone my favorite season is summer. It would not be a lie if I still did. When I close my eyes on a difficult day, I think about those afternoons I spend in the pool with my cousins. Those were the summers when my dad mowed the lawn and my mom cooked dinner.
Toxic Misconceptions: Researching the different causes of toxic shock syndrome can help save lives
According to Barbara Phelps, Ball State assistant clinical lecturer of nursing, TSS is caused by a buildup in bacteria that can produce dangerous toxins. The toxins find their way in through a cut on the skin, which allows them into deeper tissue where they can enter the bloodstream and affect other organs.
Just Jump: Diving into the unknown of study abroad can transform your worldview
People experience culture every day — at home, at work, and at school. There are differences in all these places, and they influence how people perceive each other.
A New Opponent Has Appeared: Teachers battle technology to educate the next generation of students
As time goes on, the next generation grows. With this new generation comes new students, new teachers, and a whole new set of challenges.
Let’s Talk About Sex: Discussions of sex, or lack thereof, in Indiana schools are leaving students frustrated
For every 1,000 births in Indiana, 17 of them are from 15 to 19 year olds. America’s Health Rankings shows that regardless of the lowering teen pregnancy rates in the nation, Indiana has one of the highest rates in the country. However, despite the high rate, sex education is not required in the state.
The System: Foster care places children in vulnerable positions
Imagine you’re given a bag of mixed candies; some contain excruciating poison, and some are perfectly sweet. The illusion of choice has been eliminated; you are starving and must eat regardless. This is the reality of children in foster care.
Released from Limbo: Returning citizens reflect on their life after prison
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 95% of State prisoners will be released at some point. Despite this, there is a lack of programs to help returning citizens, or people who were previously incarcerated, and it’s a reason the recidivism rate in the United States is so high.
A Desire to Belong: Three Muncie residents reflect on the weaponization of belonging
In this age, Americans find themselves lonelier than ever, according to GCF Global. This may be a reason people turn to cults.
The Faces Behind Gray Divorce: Divorce rates among long-term marriages are increasing
A study by the Department of Sociology at Bowling Green State University reports that 36% of United States adults getting divorced in 2019 are 50 or older. In 1990, only 8.7% of divorces in the U.S. occurred among adults aged 50 or older. Researchers theorize that this massive increase is due to changing views across generations, the financial stability of women, and incompatibility.
Battling Lupus: Ball State student shares his battle with an autoimmune disease
Throughout my life, I would’ve never assumed that something “bad” would happen to me. Growing up generally healthy, the thought of being ill would’ve never crossed my radar, but sometimes life takes you in an unexpected direction.