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Byte Reviews


BASKET OF ORANGES: Rethinking graduation traditions

Graduation is a time when students are filled with feelings of great accomplishment, nervousness and uncertainty about the future. It's also a time when students are filled with one more feeling - boredom. Students are dreading graduation, and not only because after school is the real world, but because they know they're going to be bored out of their minds.



OUR VIEW: Showing no love

It's worse enough that someone slashed the tires on university vehicles, but when you mess with "Frog Baby" that's even further over the line. Four days after about 15 Ball State University vehicles had their tires slashed, the University Police Department is still conducting an investigation to find out the person or people who committed these acts.


SCENE SELECTION: 'Hard Eight' classic gem for everyone

For this exciting, continuing installment of Scene Selection, I have dug up one of Hollywood's renowned director's debut films. For those of you who have viewed "There Will Be Blood," "Magnolia" or "Boogie Nights," you have witnessed one of the film industry's best directors and writers: none other than Paul Thomas Anderson.


PARADOX OF A PLAIDED SWEATER: To act is to live

It's 10:30 a.m. as I read a text from my best friend that says: boy do I have a story to tell you. This isn't so unusual for most of us. Typically, we associate with our friends during the day and become excited to tell one another stories from the weekend.



BALK ON THE BALL: Fire sale, everything must go

This week Muncie Mayor McShurley, in a move to cut the city's $3.8 million deficit for 2009, laid off 40 Muncie firefighters, one-third of the city's fire department staff. The mayor claims this will save the city almost $2 million in funds for the fiscal year.


Weekend preview

Thursday 63rd Annual Summer Chamber Music Festival The Ball State School of Music will host the first concert in a four concert series tonight at 8 p.m. The 63rd Annual Chamber Music Festival will take place in Sursa Performance Hall, showcasing traditional chamber music.


Local boutique announces move away from Village

The Village will be losing a source of revenue next week when Konale'a, a clothing, hair and skincare boutique, relocates. Konale'a, which features an Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) treatment center, has been located at 1622 W. University Ave. for about two years.


Swedish duo head to BSU

When Annica Darud and Katarina Faxe step onto the Ball State University campus for the first time in August, they will do so with strong ties to Ball State even though they are from thousands of miles away from Muncie, and their feet have never touched Ball State soil.



WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Cards schedule filled with quality

The Ball State University women's volleyball team will not have to travel far for most of their non-conference schedule this season. The Cardinals' schedule, which was released last week by coach Dave Boos, has one non-conference out of state match, when the team will compete in the Towson Invitation at Towson University in Towson, Md.


Bomb threat received at local hospital

A bomb threat was received and resolved within 20 minutes Wednesday at Ball Memorial Hospital. Members of the Muncie Police Department and the Muncie Fire Department responded to the call at about 8:40 p.m., but were dispersed by about 9 p.m. from the hospital on University Avenue.


Intercity bus route proposed

Miller Trailways has proposed a bus service that would provide service between Muncie and Indianapolis. The route would run seven days a week from downtown Muncie to downtown Indianapolis and include stops in Anderson and other cities, John Owen, who coordinates intercity operations for Miller Trailways, said.



Grandma Neeley is here and here to stay

Click here to see an interactive graphic on Grandma Neeley. For 62 years, Jeanette Taylor has called Neeley Avenue home. Every morning she calls for her 7-year-old Shih Tzu named Phoebe, and together they walk toward their screened-in front porch where they'll sit for hours watching students pass by.


Processing jobs come to Muncie

A new merge between a local meat processing plant and food production company Monogram Food Solutions has already supplied 40 new jobs to Delaware County residents. It is expected to provide at least 50 more within the next year. Last week, Monogram Food Solutions announced the $4 million expansion of its Muncie division, Monogram Comfort Foods.


"Frog Baby" vandalized by bikini drawing

Despite "Frog Baby" being dressed up in a pink chalk bikini last weekend, Ball State University said that they had no intention to pursue the person who drew on the statue. Kevin Kenyon, associate vice president of facilities planning and management, said he didn't notice "Frog Baby's" outfit until several days after it was drawn.