Next public forum:
Time: 6 p.m.
Date: Thursday, Oct. 12
Place: Cornerstone Center for the Arts, 520 E. Main St., Muncie
Theme: Economic Development
Speakers:
- Delaina Boyd, interim associate vice president, community engagement, Ball State
- Chris Caldwell, senior vice president, commercial and business banking, Mutual Bank
- Traci Lutton, vice president, economic development, Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance
- David Terrell, director, Rural Policy Research Institute, and interim co-director, Indiana Communities Institute, Ball State
The intimate room in Minnetrista was smaller than the auditorium of the last forum. In fact, community members and Ball State alumni filled overflow seating to discuss the culture of Muncie.
The second public forum hosted jointly by President Geoffrey S. Mearns and The Star Press focused on arts and culture, and how to better connect neighborhoods with the art available on campus.
The theme of arts and culture raised two main questions: how can Ball State fix accessibility for community members on campus, and how can students be persuaded to stay in Muncie after graduating?
There’s also the common narrative of fleeing Muncie when one graduates, said alumna Brittany Covert, the director of marketing at the Muncie Civic Theatre, who brought up her concern during the forum.
To combat this, she said students must have pride not only in their university, but also in the surrounding culture.
That being said, Mearns says he sees student involvement in the arts as multi-faceted and expanding, with encouragement from Muncie.
“I’m starting to not be surprised anymore by the passion I see in the community,” Mearns said. “As I get more engaged in this community, I become increasingly encouraged, and very good things await us.”
Joining Mearns were the forum’s speakers, including trustee Tom Bracken; Ryan Hourigan, director of the school of music; Tania Said, director of education at the David Owsley Museum of Art; Leigh Edwards, board president of Muncie Civic Theatre; and Akilah Nosakhere, the director of Muncie Public Libraries.
The first question of the forum cut to the point, asking how Ball State can attract more community members to cultural campus events and athletics.
Mearns began remarks, saying that athletics serve as a “front door to a community."
“They’re not just our student athletes. They’re yours as well,” Mearns said, addressing Muncie residents in attendance.
This mindset, panelists agreed, helps further bridge the gap between the university and its surrounding community and creates bridges for academic work outside of the classroom.
Edwards said immersive learning at the Muncie Civic Theatre — right now, one for lighting and one for sound design — has helped the venue immensely.
“We’ve got [Ball State] involved in every aspect,” Edwards said.
Hourigan agreed with the scope of the arts both on campus and off, saying Ball State hosts about 300 performances per year in Sursa Hall.
Ensembles play shows in partnership with local groups as well, such as the yearly concert with both the Pride of Mid-America Marching Band and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra.
Although hundreds of performances happen on campus, if community members lack transportation to and from, they cannot attend.
“There is a bit of an access problem that President Mearns and I are going to work on,” Hourigan said.
The final public forum is at 6 p.m. on Oct. 12 at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. There, Mearns and other speakers will discuss economic development.
Contact Sara Barker with any comments at slbarker3@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @sarabarker326.
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