Ball State University - Orient Yearbook (Muncie, IN)

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Hand a lonely freshman a set of books and what does he do? He usually hides behind closed doors and studies. Give the same freshman a fun-filled Activities Night and then what does he do? He probably makes new friends and becomes involved! With involvement and new friendship in mind, the Student Center Governing Board QSCGBJ set out to acquaint freshmen with their new home through a special Activities Night. Held on September 12 in Cardinal Hall, the SCGB Activities Night featured elaborate displays and exhibits from various organizations on campus. Representatives from several clubs, sororities and fraternities were on hand to recruit new members and outline club policies and events. Many students were attracted to the colorful speech and theatre booth which featured a homemade mechanical computer. Comical actors and speech students, dressed in med- ieval costumes, fed the computer personality charts which were promptly returned with special speech-oriented horoscopes printed on them. Future disc jockeys and journalists took advantage of the radio-media display sponsored by WBST. Religious groups, such as the Newman Center, and foreign language clubs, were also represented. Artistic sculptures, paintings and hand-made crafts were presented at the Pitt display. The Pitt which is a club for those interested in crafts and artwork, was just one of the many booths set up for display. Uni- leadership slides, a Big Brothers of America photography exhibit and karate demonstrations were also presented. Aside from becoming familiar with Ball State religious and social organizations, new students were given the opportunity to meet with professors, club sponsors and campus leaders. Following the Activities session, a lively pep session was held on the steps of the Student Center. Wild cheers of applause could be heard as the 'Pride of Mid-America' Marching Band, 1 . f ' I ll YA!A - J lfjf J lt 1 .NBHllllHIlilS1 WIS if

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it home. Many students even thought it was some kind of a ioke when they were first told they would be living in an overcrowded room, if ordy temporarily. Somehow the word temporarily iust wasn't definite enough and they wanted to know iust when they would get their right room. Mike Chapin, a study lounge resident on first floor Swinford, explained that the room wasn't even clean when we came and we had no minors or study lamps. The overhead light was too bright md it was next to impossible to study. lie continued by saying that dmost all of their problems were solved thoudl, when they got their lamps. Most students did quickly adiust to their new roommates and many problems were worked out fairly well. Some even got to the point where they rather enloyed all the compmy that was around. Chapin, along with his roommates Jim Crume and Ken Thieme, all agreed that they did get to meet a lot of people through each other's friends, which worked out pretty nice since they were freshmen and new on cunpus. Another good point daout the extra roommate was that what one roomie didn't have, another probably would have. Many rooms ended up with complete libraries of tapes and albums, stereos and quads and even plenty of food. ln the women's donns the telephone situation seemed to be the maior problem after clothes space. It is always busy,f' stated Jan Morgan, who shared a room with Closet space got a bit cramped but there was not too much a resident could do when he got placed in the overcrowded situation. Straightening his clothes the best possible, Ken Thieme, resident of the infamous Swinford'AHall study lounge, squeezes into his 'closet' for a look at his outfits. Teresa llathaway and Karen Kege.-reis. But when they were given the opportunity to move out, they refused it. All agreed that they liked being together and would rather suffer the ills of crowdedness them separation. But there was one major problem that ahnost every crowded student did disagree with, md this concerned the small amount of rebate money they were receiving each week to compensate them for their troubles. The total, 52.50 per week, was arrived at by subtracting the S9 activities fee from the student's 51,1 52, leaving 51.143, then tdiing 40 percent out which is used for the room. Out of 5570.20 remaining, a student living in an overcrowded room all year would get back 5247.50 and the university retained the 520910 left over. Students couldn't see why they didn't get all their money back but, explained Robert Newton, business manager for Auxiliary Services, the extra amount would be used for the increased linen costs, setting up a disassembling beds md the increased wear and tear on the rooms. But since it w n't the individud's fault for getting stuck in a crowded roam, why did they have to pay for it? tlo one qiparently came up with a good answer at this point. While most mode out the best they could, some residents, like Craig Spaid, who were housed in lounges, weren't even forewarned by the llousing Office and that made matters worse. l didn't know where l was staying until the moming I arrived from St. Paul. The Peace and quiet seldom came to his make-shift room in the Swinford study lounge so when it did Michael Chapin takes advantage of it and gets in a few hours of booking. With six roommates sharing the facilities, privacy was one of the most unheard of words around. M.O.B. -844' P :lr-sys. N-N. least they could have done was let us know they were overcrowded and that we would be housed temporarily in the lounges, Spaid said. A few irate students even sought legal aid in their fight for a double room and for hidier rebates. Jerry Miller, student legal services lawyer, had many requests and he simply told them that the university could legally be sued for breach of contract but the cost involved in a lawsuit probably wouldn't be worth all the hassles. In other words, he was trying to save the university's neck along with trying to 'aid' the student. frustrating probably best described the entire mess and headaches over the matter continued until Thanksgiving break. Most students by that time had either moved out of the overcrowded room or elected to stay together by their own choice. Most did move out for space reasons. Some moved out because they couIdn't get along. Others lust sought more privacy than the three or seven person room could offer. The students that did move out after a few weeks or possibly a couple of months took with them new virtues of patience, unselfishness and understanding. They ahnost had to, for every way they turned there was usually someone there. Will the dorm crisis ever happen again? Well, it's hard to say for sure but the admiristration is bound to watch their enrollment figures a bit closer in the future, but last minute enrollment will always be a threat. But students made it through, in most cases, in flying colors, as the old saying goes. Sure the tempers were fired up a bit at times and many searched desperately for some fomi of privacy but, as Welker Bishop, assistant dean of housing stated, Ball State students have an excellent record of students helping students through Campus Chest, SVS and other ways and I have great faith that they will come through in this pwticulor situation. And that they did. Schmidt Hall also got into the overcrowded situation but residents .lan Morgan, Teresa Hathaway and Karen Kegerreis managed to stick together as well as stick out the dorm crisis. Over 60 students began the year living in various hall lounges throughout campus. M.O.B. 'a i' . .5 ng.. W . eg' V: .se ' --,Q .., -'V z,L': 4 :'::4 i .. . I 'iull20D,' 4.-:LO A X .J sg .--'ry

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together with red and white clad cheerleaders, led a hearty student crowd in singing the school song. Excited fans and spirit boosters applauded as football coach Dave McClain assured the crowd of a certain victory the following afternoon. Wrapping up the Activities Night, an all-campus dance was held in the Student Center Ballroom. From 9:00 until midnight, students boogied and bumped to the rhythmic sounds of Nigel. Once more freshmen were given the chance to meet upperclassmen and other students their age. Nigellsperjformance ofa soft 'bldie but goodie sets the mood for one young couple as others take a break from the usual vigorous bumping and fast boogieing. Held in a very crowded Student Center Ballroom. the dance was the final event of the SCGB Activities Night. Avid spirit boosters line the front steps of the Student Center following the Activities Display sessions. Together with the Pn'de of Mid. Americafmarching band and cheerleaders. new freshmen 'fired up for the upcoming game against Toledo. Ambitious disc jockeys and amateur radio buffs participated in the special radio display set up by station WHS T. Experienced student announcer Keith Hart gives tips and broadcasting information to an interested freshman. ll' 4' :Q ,X K, f ' 5 WN Smeared with green makeup from head to toe, speech team member Howard Katz feeds the homemade computer background information on an unbelieving spectator. Because of its color and creativity, the speech and debate booth was one ofthe most popular ones of the evening. fsk. lP'i 'ixfi P 4 X- c vk ,X X Ki J ss li.. ,, We m..mt. ,ee-7-,VV-v--Y --Neff -W --7--Y --Y Deep concentration dwells in the minds of chess club members as they hold a demonstration game as part of their Activities Night display. Interested spectators were also given the chance to compete as part of the club s efforts to recruit new members. Sept. 12 - Page 21