Ball State University - Orient Yearbook (Muncie, IN)

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14 Summer Tranquility and Turmoil Single rooms in LaFollette complex plus a la carte food service plus 90-minute classes plus shorter library hours could only equal one thing--the start of another summer on the Ball State campus. Cutting the normal ‘school year enrollment by almost two-thirds, only 6,321 students attended the first, five-week summer session. Because most of those attending were off- campus students or commuters, Ball State resembled a ghost town more than a university.: Numbers dropped even lower during the second session, with only 4,952 students attending classes. The total enrollment for the 10-week summer session was 11,273--a considerable difference from the regular school year. With less than 700 people contracted for on-campus residency, students had to learn a whole new routine. No longer could residents depend on the guys down the hall for a Friday night party. Studying replaced all other forms of entertainment as the number one concern. With classes crammed into a five-week period, students almost needed a computer programmed brain and a course:in Evelyn Wood’s Reading Dynamics to finish the session with halfway decent grades. Summer studiers discovered that moving twice as fast in classes helped alleviate some of the boredom that resulted from having fewer people on campus. Because of the reduction in numbers, students turned more to mechanical means for their entertainment than to each other. Walking through the near-deserted LaFollette halls, one could hear the music of Q95 banishing boredom. Stereo volume was several decibels lower than during the regular school year, however. Theater going was also a main source of amusement. Rocky came back to reclaim his title, and “Alien” broke box office records across the country. In August a new film was released that Ball State students could really relate to, even though its setting was at rival Indiana University in Bloomington. “Breaking Away” captured the intensity of the college-age years, and remained a favorite with both students and parents long into fall. During the long summer days, studying for classes took on the leisurely atmosphere. It was no longer so difficult to find a quiet spot to work in, and over 6,000 students took advantage of the peacefulness during summer school. --photo by Robert Benignus At times the campus seemed deserted, like a ghost town. No longer could students depend on doing things with thousands of friends. Recreation became more personal, like jogging around the empty track. --photo by William E. Vance

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Watermelon Bust is the initial gathering of partiers for the first big bust of the academic social season. The elation expressed by this woman is indicative of the festivities which drew huge crowds on the Delta Tau Delta lawn each year. --photo by William E. Vance

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Summer 15