When people think about the Honors College, many may not know everything that students are involved in outside of the classroom.

One group that students gather for in DeHority Complex is the Navigators Bible Ministry, according to junior Dan Carpenter.

Through spiritual development, students are finding ways to be philanthropic across the world. Most recently, two speakers from Zambia, Chapo Masona and Ngambo Ngimbu came to Ball State University to share, about leading a branch of the Navigators in Zambia.

After this presentation, there was also an invitation for students to go to the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University to serve the people in those regions through the Navigators organization.

Carpenter, a participant in the Navigator ministry, got to share in this experience in the summer of 2011.

“Life-changing,” Carpenter said. “I don’t think you can go to another country, even for a day, and come back unchanged. Many times it could be stressful and stretching, but there was always an excitement that came from such a unique learning experience.”

Zambia, along with its neighbors, is a developing country that is constructing infrastructure to compete in global markets. As Masona described, “in Zambia we do a lot of walking.”

In rural areas, streets are made of compacted dirt as opposed to the concrete highways of the United States.

The capital city, Lusaka, is the largest city in Zambia and is the main center for innovation. During his travels, Carpenter flew into the city and played a hand in advancing the construction of assets in the African country.

Carpenter said, “I’ve had the blessing of feeding gypsies, playing football with street children, ministering to college students, and being available to do anything when asked.”

Opportunities like this through Navigators and the Honors College have provided students like Carpenter with a chance to get leadership experience outside of the classroom.

Editor's Note: This story was written for the 2013-14 school year edition of News & Notes and is being published here as part of the modernization of our archives. ​

by Zach Richardville

A snap of a branch somewhere underneath my foot is my only warning before suddenly my footing is helplessly lost. I stumble to my right for a step and a half before tripping over another submerged branch. As I fall, I flail my arms toward a nearby tree trunk in a last ditch effort to catch myself and successfully find support. I reposition my feet underwater to stand on what feels like even ground and survey the damage. My headlamp illuminates my waders, which are soaked up to the top, but no further. I consider myself lucky not to have taken a bath in the cold, swampy water, but the real problem is that my clamoring seems to have spooked the nearby frogs, which have fallen silent.

In spite of my overwhelming display of nimbleness and resultant spooking of the critters, I could not help but smile at how much fun I was having in class.

So how does an accounting major find himself doing something as enthralling as chasing frogs, salamanders and snakes in a swamp after dark – as part of a class? A minor in Biology allows me to take electives within the Department of Biology after finishing earlier required courses. These 400-level electives include choices such as Herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians), Ichthyology (the study of fishes), and Ornithology (the study of birds) among others. Each of these courses includes a corequisite lab portion during which students look at preserved specimens of the animals they are studying or actually traverse into the field and collect live specimens. Students are typically responsible for being able to identify Indiana species of the animals by their common and scientific names, so observing the animals in the field is instrumental in becoming familiar with the animals.

During the spring 2013 semester, I had the pleasure of being enrolled in Herpetology, which is taught by Dr. Kamal Islam, a passionate wildlife expert. The lecture portion of the course met twice a week, during which we discussed an array of topics ranging from phylogeny to locomotion and thermoregulation in amphibians. The lecture also included segments of David Attenborough’s Planet Earth that illustrated the topics we covered in class, which was also a refreshing alternative to a note-taking lecture session. The lab portion of the class involved hands-on work with preserved specimens, which gave us a chance to actually see the features we talked about in lecture on the animals. The opportunity to handle the animals was invaluable to a visual learner like myself. During one lab period, we ventured to Summit Lake State Park to search for any amphibians or reptiles we could find. I was ecstatic to spend a day overturning logs and snatching salamanders rather than sitting in the lab looking at specimens. We had another opportunity on a beautiful spring evening to break out the headlamps and waders and head to “Salamander Swale” after dark. There we found an abundance of several species of salamanders and frogs, all of which are thoroughly active. It was during this trip that I was able to get down and dirty (and nearly soaked) as I stumbled through knee-deep water in the dark, following the calls of nearby frogs. Although I almost went for an involuntary swim, the experience of exploring the natural habitat of the animals we were studying was an incredible experience that would never be available in a typical classroom.

During the fall 2013 semester, I was enrolled in Ichthyology, which is taught by Dr. Tom Lauer and qualifies as the last elective for the completion of my Biology minor. The structure of Ichthyology is similar to that of Herpetology, with two lecture meetings and one lab meeting per week. The first two weeks of lab were spent dissecting a Yellow Perch to gain familiarity with the general anatomy of a fish. The next several lab meetings were spent in the field, visiting locations such as Buck Creek and the White River. We waded into the water with an electro-fishing unit and netted live fish for observation and identification. Dr. Lauer did not use the unit himself, but rather instructed on how to use it safely and encourage us to do so. At the end of each lab period, the class would converge and we would observe all of the fish we had collected to illustrate some of the defining characteristics by which we can identify the Indiana species. As a student whose favorite hobby is fishing, the chance to do it as part of a class is a dream come true.

As an accounting major, I see a lot of the same concepts in my different classes. For example, there are countless transactions or situations that can affect an earnings account, as well as a discouragingly abundant number of rules for how the transactions must be recorded. While I enjoy the study of accounting and the sense of fulfillment that comes when the debits equal the credits, a break from the monotony of multiple business classes throughout the week is welcome and refreshing. I will never forget Dr. Lauer’s reaction on the first day of Ichthyology when he found out that I was an accounting major, sitting in the middle of twenty-some other students who had Zoology-relevant majors. He placed his elbows on his desk and slowly lowered his face into his palms. Luckily, as a kid that grew up with a healthy obsession with wildlife and dreams of becoming the next Steve Irwin, I am not a typical accounting major. This is something I am passionate about, and the diverse curriculum at Ball State University allows me to exercise that passion - and earn credit for it. Because of the exhilarating experiences offered in my zoology courses, I find myself able to take a break from reconciling a bank account to spend a little time in the field reconciling my love for wildlife and the outdoors.

“So what are your plans this weekend?”

This question used to be answered with fun plans, like hanging out with friends, going to the movies, running around the Quad at 2 A.M. or even just catching up on sleep. Recently, however, something has entered into my realm of consciousness that has struck all potential plans out of existence: my honors thesis. 

In all sincerity, the creation of an honors thesis is not awful. In fact, if someone is passionate about his or her topic, it can be a lot of fun. It offers the chance to delve deeper into a personal love or interest of something. The one question I hear from those frantic about their final honors project is “where do I start?” My best advice is to look at the honors classes required.

Because I will be graduating early, I had a shortened timeline in selecting my topic for a thesis. It was not on my radar at all until one day in Dr. Brent Blackwell’s Honors 296 class. As a history major with a severe case of math and science-phobia, Inquiries into the Physical Sciences was what I thought would become the bane of my existence. 

I soon found that Honors 296 was a blast. It was an opportunity for me to look at how math and science played into everyday aspects of life. The one class that thoroughly held my interest was on the issue of morality and Nazi science 
experimentation. Dr. Blackwell presented the Nazi experiments as perfect in the following of scientific theory and in the presentation of their findings. Never had it dawned on me that an aspect of Nazism could be almost justifiable. That is when I knew what I wanted my thesis to be on.

The nice thing about having a class on my thesis’ topic is it allows me to have a slight bit of foundation, as well as a thesis adviser who understands where my curiosity comes from. 

“I thought the idea was a great one,” Blackwell said. “Rarely will you find an honors professor who is not totally on board with an idea.”

Writing a thesis is extremely time consuming, even if you get an early start and have everything planned out. None of this came as a surprise to me, but what I did not expect were the odd looks in the library and the “let’s wait for the next elevator” comments as I was carrying around a stack of Nazi books. These odd interactions are why I beg honors students to pick a subject they love and are highly interested in. 

As a senior, I spend a lot of time with my thesis, including date nights of Nazi documentaries and grabbing Starbucks with dozens of online articles.

The honors thesis gives students the opportunity to avoid a traditionally researched project and instead combines interest, hands on experience, and creativity, and presents them all in a non-traditional way. The open parameters of the project also allow for all the analytical skills learned in the humanities sequence and other honors courses to be utilized and, quite frankly, shown off to the college. 

“There’s so much flexibility with an Honors thesis. It allows for a lot of creativity and fun,” encourages Blackwell.

The writing of my thesis, though it sounds daunting to those not tasked with this duty, is an opportunity for me to prove my skills as an undergraduate and prove that I can practically apply myself to my major. 

So when people ask what I’m doing this weekend, my response tends to be “The usual, writing my thesis, taking a nap, maybe a movie.”

 Every year, Student Honors Council puts on several key events, including Honors Week—a week-long event featuring a different activity every night, and ending with the Honors Formal. 

For the last few years, Honors Week has taken place towards the end of the spring semester, but this year it was moved to the fall, according to Carson Weingart, SHC’s president. 

“The officers and I decided that the week might be more successful if it functioned as a welcome event,” Weingart said. "We had always faced issues with weather when having it in the spring, and we figured that having it in the fall would allow us to do more outdoor activities.”

More students than ever before attended this year’s Honors Week, according to Weingart, which was named “Fall Fest” and featured fall-themed events from Monday through Friday. So many students showed up on Campfire Monday for s’mores and pumpkin decorating that the SHC members staffing the event said they ran out of supplies. 

The Fall Craft Fest attracted more than 50 students to DeHority’s lobby Tuesday afternoon, according to SHC members. Attendees decorated paper pumpkins and made 2D scarecrows – complete with straw – to hang on their doors during the fall season. 

When asked what her favorite event was, freshman Megan Crosier said “Door decoration for sure, I love crafts. The door decorations were great.”

Wednesday’s comedy improv event, “Whose Thanksgiving is it Anyway?” featured groups of students willing to take the stage and act out scenes assigned to them on the spot. 

The Talent Show on Thursday showcased skills and tricks mastered by Honors students.

According to Weingart, Fall Fest “showed a much higher turnout in the fall” than in the spring, and prompted SHC officers to make the move permanent. Weingart said Honors Week will be held during the fall in future years.

If anything didn’t go as well as planned, it was Friday’s Backyard Bash, a party in the backyard of the Honors House featuring food, games and a live band. Decorations hung from trees and snacks including candy corn, apple cider and more were ready to go, but student attendance was much lower than expected, according to SHC members at the event.

SHC sophomore Katie Norman attended the Backyard Bash.

“It was poorly timed with it being family weekend,” Norman said.

Weingart agreed.

“Many students preferred to spend the evening with their parents,” Weingart said. “Next year, we will definitely keep the Friday event away from Family Weekend.”

Before then, Weingart said SHC will have a chance to improve with the Honors Formal this spring. The Honors Formal did not make the move to the fall and instead will be its own event to cap off the spring semester.

Because of its place in the fall, Weingart said incoming freshmen had an early chance to see what SHC is and what it does. 

SHC has more members this year than any year before, and Weingart said he has high hopes for the group as it prepares for the rest of its fall and spring events.