Before becoming a Ball State trustee in January 2021, Julie Griffith worked for a variety of companies and institutions. She knew current Board of Trustees chair, Renae Conley, and secretary, Mike McDaniel, through other professional work. Ball State Marketing and Communications, Photo Provided

Julie Griffith shares her Indiana roots and goals as a Ball State trustee

By Grace McCormick / February 2, 2022

Julie Griffith, the most recent member to join Ball State’s Board of Trustees after her appointment by Gov. Eric Holcomb, likes to tell people she “was raised on the sunny side of the Ohio River in Indiana.” Griffith currently serves as the executive vice president for strategy, partnerships and outreach for the Indiana Innovation Institute. A1979 Ball State political science alumna, she is a member of the Ball State Foundation board and the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Sciences and Humanities.

STUDENT LIFE

Spectrum rallies against Indiana House Bill 1041

By Sarah Olsen / February 2, 2022

Members of Spectrum, Ball State’s LGBTQ+ support organization, met north of Shafer Tower on University Green Tuesday Feb. 1 to hold a rally from 5-6 p.m. in protest of Indiana House Bill 1041.

WEATHER

Long duration, significant, and major winter storm on the way for Wednesday and Thursday

By Maddi Johnson / February 1, 2022

Chief Weather Forecaster Maddi Johnson tracks a significant, long-duration winter storm set to arrive by Wednesday. Travel and daily life will be impacted. Snow totals of 10-14" are expected in Muncie.

NEWS

National Weather Service issues winter storm warning for central Indiana

By Staff Reports / February 1, 2022

The National Weather Service (NWS) Indianapolis issued a winter storm warning for central, east-central and west-central Indiana Feb. 1 at 5:20 a.m. The warning is to remain in effect from 7 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2, to 1 a.m. Friday, Feb. 4.

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China, in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). CDC, Photo Courtesy

COVID-19

Ball State reports 192 positive COVID-19 cases

By Staff Reports / January 30, 2022

Ball State reported 192 positive COVID-19 cases among students and employees from Jan. 24-30, according to the Ball State COVID-19 dashboard.

Ball State Assistant Professor of Psychological Science Andy Luttrell poses in his recording space for his podcast “Opinion Science.” The show features guests from across the nation and has experienced a recent growth in listeners. Andy Luttrell, Photo Provided

CAMPUS

Assistant professor of psychology hosts ‘Opinion Science,’ a psychology-based podcast

By Sarah Olsen / January 28, 2022

When he isn’t busy teaching in the classroom or working on his own research, Andy Luttrell, social psychologist and Ball State assistant professor of psychology, produces, hosts and edits his own podcast, “Opinion Science.”

Alan Finn, vice president for business affairs and treasurer, speaks in front of the Board of Trustees to establish the Employee Development Wellbeing Committee in the L.A Pittenger Student Center Jan. 28, 2022. Ball State's Board of Trustees appointed Brian Gallagher as chair of the new committee. Hannah Amos, DN

ADMINISTRATION

Ball State Board of Trustees establishes employee development wellbeing committee

By Grace McCormick and Jamie Strouts / January 28, 2022

Julie Griffith, appointed to the Ball State Board of Trustees by Gov. Eric Holcomb in November 2021, attended her first meeting as a trustee Jan. 28. The board voted to establish a new Employee Development Wellbeing Committee on the Board of Trustees, which will review inclusive excellence and faculty retention.

INDIANA

Controversial education bill passes Indiana House of Representatives, moves to Senate

By Staff Reports / January 27, 2022

House Bill 1134, a controversial education bill nearly identical to a previous piece of legislation that failed to gain traction, was passed by the Indiana House of Representatives Wednesday evening. The bill is now being sent to the Indiana Senate for further consideration.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

SGA introduces two amendments in hybrid meeting

By Richard Kann / January 26, 2022

Ball State’s Student Government Association (SGA) introduced two amendments Jan. 26 during a pajama-themed meeting. Due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the meeting was hybrid with in-person and virtual attendance options. Twenty-one participants attended via Zoom.

Muncie Afghan Refugee Resettlement Committee (MARRC) members are dedicated to twelve different aspects of welcoming Afghan refugees to Muncie, including assistance with finances, education, living essentials and furnishings, as well as employment assistance and fundraising. Bibi Bahrami, founder and president of Afghan Women’s and Kids’ Education & Necessities (AWAKEN), found MARRC as a subcommittee of AWAKEN in 2021. Bibi Bahrami, Photo Provided

COMMUNITY

MARRC shares progress assisting Afghan refugees in Muncie

By Jaden Hasse and Richard Kann / January 26, 2022

In 1979, Bibi Bahrami was 13. The Soviet Union had just invaded Afghanistan, and Bahrami was forced to flee from her home country. Her family settled in a refugee camp in Pakistan, where she served those around her by providing medical attention, assisting the elderly and completing everyday chores.

Belly dancers from the Belly Dance Club perform during the Latinxpalooza event Jan. 21 at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. The Belly Dance Club had 5 dancers and performed twice at the Latinxpalooza event. Eli Houser, DN

STUDENT LIFE

Latinx Student Union holds their annual Latinxpalooza for Ball State’s 2022 Unity Week

By Hannah Amos / January 22, 2022

Latinx Student Union (LSU) held their annual variety show, Latinxpalooza, in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center in Cardinal Hall on Jan. 21. Latinxpalooza was a part of Ball State’s 2022 Unity Week. LSU was in charge of planning for the event.

Ball State Unity Week shirts sit on display outside the Student Center Ballroom Jan. 20 at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center. Participants who came to the Boxes and Walls event were given shirts for their participation. Eli Houser, DN

STUDENT LIFE

Ball State’s Housing and Residence Life pairs with Student Action Team to host Boxes and Walls

By Sarah Olsen and Jamie Strouts / January 21, 2022

The Housing and Residence Life Association collaborated with the Student Action Team (SAT) to host an event called Boxes and Walls for Unity Week in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Jan. 20.

A demonstrator holds a sign during the annual Slut Walk hosted by Feminists for Action and Alliance for Disability Awareness Sept. 23, 2016. The group has not hosted the event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Samantha Brammer, DN File

STUDENT LIFE

Feminists for Action begins its return to campus

By Maya Wilkins / January 20, 2022

Rachael Smith, assistant lecturer of women’s and gender studies, wishes there was a club like Feminists for Action when she was in college. As a 22-year-old freshman and commuter student, Smith wasn’t involved much in extracurriculars.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Ball State SGA welcomes four new senators

By Richard Kann and Hannah Amos / January 19, 2022

Ball State's Student Government Association (SGA) had its first meeting of the spring 2022 semester Jan. 19. Four new senator applicants were voted on in the meeting. The applicants were Ozzie Kazarian, Trent McKenzie, Clarrisa Carrigan and Shelby Alexander.

Participants march Jan. 20, 2020, for Ball State's MLK Unity March down McKinley Avenue. 2020's march was the only other Unity March in the past five years besides 2022's scheduled march because other marches were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and poor weather. Bailey Cline, DN File

STUDENT LIFE

Ball State's Unity Week 2022 schedule

By Staff Reports / January 17, 2022

Ball State's 42nd annual Unity Week celebration is kicking off in January this year, beginning with the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The week will welcome more in-person gatherings than last year, including the signature Unity March, and will end with the Jan. 22 Beneficence Conference.

A fire truck parks in front of the north entrance of the Frank A. Bracken administration Building Jan. 14. Officials responded to reports of smoke coming from an elevator shaft around 2:30p.m. Rylan Capper, DN

NEWS

Ball State administration building evacuated

By Staff Reports / January 14, 2022

The Ball State Frank A. Bracken Administration Building was evacuated at approximately 2:30 p.m. Jan. 14.

Lilunnaher Chandni poses with her Friendship Family host Amy Beckett, Ball State assistant teaching professor of criminal justice and criminology. The pair dressed as a farmer and bee for Halloween. Amy Beckett, Photo Provided

STUDENT LIFE

Ball State’s Friendship Family Program participants share international bonding experiences

By Ayah Eid / January 13, 2022

When Ashra Wickramathilaka, second-year graduate urban and regional planning major from Galle, Sri Lanka, came to Muncie, she didn’t know any family members or friends who lived in the area. This, coupled with homesickness, made adjusting to American life difficult, she said.

Two College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) students look at a blueprint for a net-zero energy house design idea in the R. Wayne Estopinal CAP building in October 2021. Different classes are focusing on different design elements of the net-zero energy house that is being built for the Solar Decathlon 2023 Build Challenge. Robbie Mehling/ Office of Immersive Learning, Photo Provided

ACADEMICS

Ball State’s College of Architecture and Planning takes part in the international Solar Decathlon build competition

By Hannah Amos / January 12, 2022

To continue providing students with hands-on opportunities to apply their studies, Ball State’s College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) has taken up the challenge of designing and building a net-zero energy house for the 2023 Solar Decathlon held by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Those ages 18 or older are eligible for a Pfizer or Moderna booster shot at least six months after their second, and a Johnson & Johnson booster shot at least two months after their first. Vice President of Student Affairs Ro-Anne Royer Engle strongly encouraged students in an email Dec. 20 to receive their shot. Unsplash, Photo Courtesy

COVID-19

Where to get a COVID-19 booster shot or test in Muncie

By Staff Reports / January 2, 2022

Since Dec. 9, 2021, individuals ages 16 or older who received a full series of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are eligible for a third booster shot at least six months after their second dose. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement such a move will help “strengthen the protection against Omicron and other variants.”

Provost Susana Rivera-Mills speaks during the Ball State Board of Trustees meeting held at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center Dec. 17. Rivera-Mills discussed student retention strategies as well as early retirement opportunites for employees at the meeting. Eli Houser, DN

NEWS

Ball State Board of Trustees discusses new campus master plan, approves faculty early retirement plan

By Grace McCormick / December 18, 2021

Ball State’s Board of Trustees considered plans for launching the university’s involvement in the Navigate Student app at its meeting Dec. 17.

Julie Griffith shares her Indiana roots and goals as a Ball State trustee

Spectrum rallies against Indiana House Bill 1041

Long duration, significant, and major winter storm on the way for Wednesday and Thursday

National Weather Service issues winter storm warning for central Indiana

Ball State reports 192 positive COVID-19 cases

Assistant professor of psychology hosts ‘Opinion Science,’ a psychology-based podcast

Ball State Board of Trustees establishes employee development wellbeing committee

Controversial education bill passes Indiana House of Representatives, moves to Senate

SGA introduces two amendments in hybrid meeting

MARRC shares progress assisting Afghan refugees in Muncie

Latinx Student Union holds their annual Latinxpalooza for Ball State’s 2022 Unity Week

Ball State’s Housing and Residence Life pairs with Student Action Team to host Boxes and Walls

Feminists for Action begins its return to campus

Ball State SGA welcomes four new senators

Ball State's Unity Week 2022 schedule

Ball State administration building evacuated

Ball State’s Friendship Family Program participants share international bonding experiences

Ball State’s College of Architecture and Planning takes part in the international Solar Decathlon build competition

Where to get a COVID-19 booster shot or test in Muncie

Ball State Board of Trustees discusses new campus master plan, approves faculty early retirement plan

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