Ball State University - Orient Yearbook (Muncie, IN)

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Summer 15

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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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Tra 10 nquility Students looking for entertainment more aesthetic than AM radio found it at the Renaissance Fair, on June 16 and 17. On the ebanks of the White River, students as well as Muncie citizens had the chance to dress in time period costume, sample renaissance | dishes such as “foul legs,” and engage in barter. Gondola rides, historical dialogues, and a chess game using people as pieces were some of the highlights of the second annual fair. While Ball State students enjoyed the hot and hazy summer days, other groups invaded the campus. It was hard to tell the difference between the college and high school graduates as hundreds of high school students from all over the country participated in numerous conferences and workshops. Staying mainly in Johnson, Woodworth, and Studebaker complexes, the students studied everything from cheerleading to newspaper editing. It was the first taste of college life for many, and they made the most of it. Within the week or two of their stay, they were oriented as quickly as the incoming freshmen would be in September. All of the important spots on campus and off, from Benny to Barnaby’s were frequented by the workshoppers throughout the summer. In limbo between the college students and high schoolers were the incoming freshmen. From the second week in June to the middle of August, approximately 3,500 high school graduates attended the two-day freshmen orientation programs for a crash-course in college life. Waiting in line, a soon-to-become routine experience, was one of the first lessons taught, as students registered for the orientation itself and later for their first quarter classes. The I.D. “mug shot” that would haunt them for the remainder of their college days (you mean you looked like THAT when you were a freshman..), an undergraduate catalog, and blistered feet from the campus tour would be reminders of the first days spent at what was to become Students attending the two summer sessions found plenty of wide open spaces in which to study. The number of students attending summer sessions was down for the third consecutive year. The shady duck pond became a popular study spot. --photo by William E. Vance 16 | Summer “home” for the next four years. Along with the incoming freshmen, Student Orientation Corps leaders learned more about the university than they had ever dreamed was possible. The 340 SOC leaders, who attended training programs throughout the spring quarter, played older sibling to a group of 10 to 15 students. In addition to being tour guides and walking encyclopedias, the SOC leaders put new students at ease, arranged entertainment, and held a popular mini- session entitled “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Ball State University | but Were Afraid to Ask.” Summer brought a new dimension to the lunch break for employees of the Administration Building. While these employees were busy handling admission and financial aid papers, 340 SOC led nearly 3,500 in-coming freshmen across campus during orientation. --photo by William E. Vance