May 20, 2021
Dear Colleagues:
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had confidence in the capacity of our campus community to overcome the obstacles that I anticipated we would face.
But no one could have predicted the duration of the pandemic or to what extent it would change our lives. Just a few months ago, I wondered whether we would be able to complete the Spring semester without a significant outbreak within our campus community. I questioned whether we would be able to hold in-person Commencement exercises for our 2020 and 2021 graduates.
We were able to do both.
These accomplishments demonstrate the creativity and resilience of our faculty and staff, and the perseverance and tenacity of our students. It is also a testament to the enduring generosity of our graduates and benefactors.
Our students had to adapt to participating in many of their Fall and Spring classes remotely. Our faculty succeeded in the unprecedented task of redesigning courses for hybrid and online instruction, while helping students cope with increased stress and anxiety.
Some staff maintained essential on-campus operations while other employees were assigned to work from home. Our administrators took part in numerous telephone conversations and Zoom meetings to produce detailed plans to deal with the implications of COVID-19 on our campus community. We had to continuously modify the plans when circumstances and public health guidance changed.
Together, we have followed the protocols for staying safe. We have worn masks, maintained physical distancing, and avoided crowds and public gatherings. Now, our staff and students are getting vaccinated. Because of our commitment to the protocols, we were able to celebrate the end of this historic and challenging year with in-person Commencement exercises. And, we will resume a traditional academic and on-campus schedule for our Fall semester.
Because of the individual contributions and collective success within our campus community to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic, I am hopeful, optimistic, and grateful. I am confident in our vibrant future.
Below are a few more stories that I hope you will enjoy and then share. Let your friends and colleagues know how “We Fly” at Ball State.
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Sincerely,
Geoffrey S. Mearns
President
Ball State University
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Immersive learning leads to award-winning global storytelling project
Transatlantic Storytelling, an immersive learning, global storytelling project between students at Ball State University and Cardiff Metropolitan University in Cardiff, Wales, won the top honor in an international competition. The 76-minute documentary earned a platinum award — the competition’s highest honor — at the International Awards Associate’s 2021 MUSE Creative and Design Awards.
Ball State was one of three schools worldwide to earn the platinum award in this year’s competition, which included nearly 4,000 entries from 55 countries. Ball State students spent 12 days in Cardiff, Wales, in late February and early March 2020, collaborating with Cardiff Met students on identifying, developing, and producing feature pieces on Welsh athletes. While there, the students worked together to capture stunning visuals and film more than 20 interviews, leading to seven exclusive stories.
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Students’ livestreamed cabaret show performed in Indianapolis theater
This year’s Ball State University musical theater seniors performed their cabaret, “Be Our Guest: A Livestreamed Disney Cabaret!” on May 1 at The Cabaret theater in Indianapolis. The Cabaret welcomed the Class of 2021 to perform their cabaret via livestream. The Cabaret performers this month are posting their individual performances to their YouTube pages as part of the Thomas P. Murphy Next Generation series. Watch the full performance.
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Ball State graduate wins Grammy and Oscar awards in the same year
When singer-songwriter Tiara Thomas was a Ball State University student a little more than a decade ago, she said she wanted her music to matter, plus she wanted to win a Grammy award and an Oscar. She did just that in 2021, winning a Grammy and Oscar in the same year. Thomas won a Grammy for co-writing the 2020 Song of the Year, "I Can’t Breathe," in collaboration with singer-songwriter H.E.R.
On April 25, Thomas and H.E.R. each won an Oscar for another of their collaborations: “Fight for You,” which won in the Best Original Song category. “Fight for You” was written for the major motion picture, Judas and the Black Messiah. Read more about what Thomas had to say about her alma mater in a recent Ball State Magazine interview.
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New York Times critic praises Ball State University instructor’s digital theater concert
In his May 11 New York Times column, Chief Theater Critic Jesse Green heaped well-deserved praise on Sutton Foster’s “Bring Me to Light” digital theater concert. Foster is an instructor of Theater at Ball State; one of the show’s performers, Wren Rivera, is a 2021 Ball State graduate; and the show’s Music Director, Michael Rafter, is an associate professor of Musical Theater at Ball State. Filmed at New York City’s famed City Center and viewable by livestream, the concert premiered on April 28 and is available for on-demand viewing through Monday, May 31.
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MAC honors Ball State professor for contributing to students’ success
Lindsey Blom, a professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at Ball State University, has earned a high honor from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for her work on positive youth development through sports. On May 14, Blom was announced as the overall winner of the 2021 MAC Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success. This is the second consecutive year a Ball State educator has earned this recognition, after Jennifer Palilonis, the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Multimedia Journalism, won the overall conference award in its inaugural year in 2020. This annual award recognizes the outstanding efforts put forth by faculty at educational institutions within the MAC to support students, enhance the collegiate experience, establish and support inclusive environments, prepare students for success after graduation, and promote lifelong learning.
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Ball State’s women’s tennis team wins MAC championship
Ball State University’s women’s tennis team claimed the program’s third Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular season championship in the past five years with a 6-1 victory over Western Michigan University on April 25. This victory helped the Cardinals extend their winning streak to 21 matches and remain a perfect 12-0 in conference play. Eighth-year head coach Max Norris has guided the program to all three of its MAC regular season championships (2016, 2017, and 2021) and to its only MAC Tournament championship (2016).
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Student’s dance film selected for American College Dance Association gala
Ball State University dance senior Kate Laughlin’s dance film Reciprocity was chosen for the American College Dance Association (ACDA) Screendance Gala Concert #2 by an adjudicated panel. Reciprocity was among 152 screendance submissions, representing 85 ACDA Insititutional Members plus an individual member. On its website, ACDA defines screendance as dance created discretely for the digital screen combining the arts and crafts of cinematography and choreography focused on the dancing body as the primary subject of creative expression.
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Cardinal Compass airs May 21
On this episode: Watch the highlights of this year’s episodes, including a conversation with Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour, the campus master plan, Ball State’s success in sports, and more. Cardinal Compass is produced by Ball State University students in the College of Communication, Information, and Media
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Ball State’s David Owsley Museum of Art offers “Art in Bloom,” a floral-themed exhibition
A spring tradition on the Ball State campus continued at the David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) with Art in Bloom, a free, public floral exhibition on Saturday, May 15, and Sunday, May 16. A May 14 Online Preview Party offered a sneak peek via Zoom as a fundraiser for the museum and featured an appearance from a guest artist. Proceeds from the event support the Friends of the David Owsley Museum of Art and the Ball State University Foundation in their mission to fund the museum’s acquisitions, exhibitions, and programs.
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Vaccination clinic on Ball State’s campus welcomes walk-ins
The College of Health’s Interprofessional Community Clinics, on Ball State’s campus, continues to serve the general public as a COVID-19 vaccination location under the authorization of the Delaware County Health Department. The clinic, located in the Health Professional Building, 1613 W. Riverside Ave., has recently started welcoming walk-ins in addition to accepting scheduled appointments. For an appointment, visit ourshot.in.gov or call 211. The clinic is listed as “DCHD BallState WRiversideAve MVAX” on the scheduling website. There is also an option available for being placed on the clinic’s waiting list to receive a vaccine sooner than your scheduled appointment.
The clinic will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:40 p.m. on May 20 and May 21 (closed on weekends). Starting May 24, the clinic will be open Mondays and Thursdays, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The vaccination clinic is supported through the generosity of a grant from the Ball Brothers Foundation.
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