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Honors Families Celebrate at Backyard Bash

10/28/2015

Photos and story by Olivia Power

Between the hours of 1 and 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, students and their families could play corn hole, eat brownies, drink lemonade, and chat with Honors College Dean James Ruebel at the Honors Family Weekend Backyard Bash.

The Backyard Bash was planned and presented by the Student Honors Council. The group’s president, Valerie Weingart, said that the Backyard Bash began only last year.

“[The Backyard Bash] is just a quick little thing, an hour, just for people to stop by and get a snack before they head off to the game or go on with the rest of their day,” Weingart said.

One of the families in attendance was the family of Tristian Holzhausen, a freshman telecommunications major. Holzhausen has been keeping his eye on Ball State since a visit in eighth grade.

“Ever since I saw it, I was hooked” Holzhausen said, though joining the Honors College took a little persuasion. “I was anxious going into it, but I like [the Honors program,]” Holzhausen said.

Another family in attendance at the Honors Family Backyard Bash was the family of sophomore journalism major Rose Skelly. Skelly served as an Honors Peer Mentor at the beginning of the year. Her younger brother is a Ball State hopeful, and said he was happy to visit Ball State for family weekend.

The family of Ryan Monahan, a freshman who is currently undecided on his major, also stopped by the Backyard Bash. Monahan’s parents attended Northern Illinois University, who some say is Ball State’s biggest sports rival in the Mid-American Conference.

Monahan is the first in his family to attend Ball State. He said he was drawn to Ball State because of the campus, modern technology, and the Honors College.

“The small class sizes and the fact that [Honors classes] are discussion-based was very appealing,” Monahan said.

Weingart said that SHC was delighted to be able to host an event like the Backyard Bash.

“We love having the Honors House. It’s something that a lot of departments don’t have, so we try to use it in settings like this as much as we can,” Weingart said.

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Fundraising Through Feminism

10/26/2015

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By Mary Cox

Every semester, the RAs of DeHority put on two diversity programs for the hall. This semester, they decided to tackle gender inequality with sandwiches, a grilled cheese sale to be specific.

The grilled cheese sale took place in the DeHority lobby on Friday, Oct. 16 from 8 to12 pm. It doubled as an educational opportunity for residents and a fundraiser for the RAs' upcoming retreat.

“We wanted to create conversation, have it be a learning thing,” Asa McCormick, a DeHority RA who helped to run the sale, said. “It’s our job to teach.”

Awareness was the main inspiration behind the event.

“The issue [the wage gap between men and women] is something that tends to get put on the back burner,” DeHority RA Abe , who came up with the idea for the event, said. “It’s been this way for so long people don’t really think about it, or they think there’s nothing else that can be done, or that needs to be done for that matter.”

McCormick agreed.

“People are aware of certain issues, but they tend to miss the real world things that go along with it,” McCormick said. “It’s 2015 and people don’t realize this [pay inequality] is still happening.”

About a week before the sale, fliers went up on DeHority resident’s doors to advertise the event. They simply stated:

“Love grilled cheese?! Grilled cheese sale. Females: $0.75. Males: $1.00."

The lack of information on the fliers raised some questions amongst residents.

“The vagueness of the posters was definitely intended,” McCormick said. “We wanted that shock factor, to turn it into something that was in their faces. The intent was not to be subtle, it was that they would read the flyer and immediately realize the pricing was totally wrong. It got people talking, which is what our goal was.”

After the flyers went up, discussion spread across the residence hall.

“I overheard some of my residents discussing it in the hallway, two guys and two girls,” DeHority RA Jenna Morris said. “I asked them what they thought and the girls were actually more mad. They just wanted to be treated equally, not specially. The guys didn’t really care.”

The feeling that the lessened price was, in a way, a gesture of pity was shared by Sophomore Alyssa Williams, a DeHority resident who bought a sandwich at the grilled cheese sale.

“When I first saw it, it made me mad because it was like they weren’t going to accept my full dollar because I’m a woman,” Williams said. “I want to give my whole dollar; I want to be equal.”

After the intentions of the event were clarified in Residence Hall director, Bart Upah’s weekly email, opinions changed a bit.

“My female residents were coming up and giving me high-fives. They were thanking me for bringing the issue to light,” McCormick said.

In fact, females turned out to support the sale in higher numbers than male residents. At least one male resident even refused to stop by the table, claiming he only had $0.75.

“That’s how it really is in the work force, that’s the truth behind how women get paid compared to men, so theoretically that’s how things should be sold,” Robinson said.

The night of the sale, every sandwich that was delivered came with a slip of paper with an even more detailed description of the event. It read as follows:

“Gender pay gap is simply the difference between male and female earnings, expressed in percentages. For every $1 a male makes, a female only makes 78%, or approximately $0.78. The gap is wider among younger employees, among nearly every industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, in 2013, female full-time workers had median weekly earnings of $706, compared to men’s median weekly earnings of $860. The most effective way to help close this gap is to get informed, and spread the word.”

In the end, The RAs were excited with how the event turned out and the discussions it created.

“I’m thankful for all the support we’ve gotten and that I’ve gotten to talk with some many different residents about this topic,” McCormick said.

“I loved it,” Will Leonard, a DeHority RA, said. “I think it was a great way to bring the subject up, and I hope the conversation continues.”

Additional programs similar to the grilled cheese sale may be coming from the DeHority RAs in the future.

“There’s so many controversial topics for us to get to, such as race inequality,” McCormick said. “And of course we’re always looking for suggestions from the residents. We’re here for them.”

And if you’re wondering what the RAs magical grilled cheese recipe is, McCormick shared that as well.

“Bread, butter, and wonderful Kraft American singles,” he said.

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Curriculum Crash Course

10/16/2015

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By Noah Patterson

Before students returned home for Fall Break, Student Honors Council (SHC) held the first ever Curriculum Crash Course Thursday evening in the DeHority Exhibition Hall. Students were invited to talk to professors of various Honors courses in 189, 199 and the colloquiums in order to get a better idea for scheduling in Spring 2016.

Many students present wanted to learn more about the colloquiums, which included numerous courses with trips abroad.

“I’m interested in the colloqs and getting experience out of class. I thought I would shop around, and I’m excited by what I’m finding,” Jake Peterson, a sophomore business administration major and political science minor said.

The professors present were just as excited as the students.

“I’ve been teaching Honors 199 for 30 years, and I believe this is the first time we’ve had an event like this. Students don’t usually get a chance like this, and word of mouth is important in getting information about classes out” Dr. Bruce Gaelhood, showcasing his Honors 199 class, said.

“Students can put a face with the course, meet the professor and see the books and a syllabus. Its to both of our advantages,” said Dr. Adrienne Bliss, who will be teaching “Honors 390: Prison Literature and its Role in American Society: Perception, Spectacle and Voyeurism.”

“I wanted to show students my colloquium because I feel people don’t spend enough time thinking about prison. Our generation has to fix this. I believe that Honors students are the best audience to get this information out there, and make some real reforms in our prison system,” Bliss said.

SHC was positive about the turnout, with students coming and going throughout the event.

“I think the night is going well. Students are really interested in putting a face with the course,” Maren Orchard, a sophomore public history major and SHC officer, said.

Orchard organized the layout of the event and contacted many of the professors for the event.

“I’m enjoying seeing the passions of the students and professors,” Emily Miller, a freshman in the College of Architecture and Planning’s first year program said. “It’s especially interesting to see what professors are passionate teaching about.”

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Freshmen Learn S'more about Four-Year Planning & Midterms

10/15/2015

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By Kristin Wietecha

On Monday, Oct. 5, DeHority Complex's Academic Peer Mentor and Resident Assistants organized a program to provide information to students about four-year planning, midterms, and Honors courses while treating them with s'mores. Thirty-four students attended the information sessions that lasted from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in DeHority's Exhibition Hall.

MaryBeth Sergeant, a senior Resident Assistant, said that she enjoyed teaching freshmen how to construct 4-year plans, schedule and use DegreeWorks. Katelyn Warner, a junior and DeHority's Academic Peer Mentor said, "A lot people had questions on what to study, how to study, and when exactly midterms were." Warner understood that midterms during the first semester of college can be stressful. "I was in some tough classes my freshman year, and I didn't really know what to study."

Some freshmen said that all of the presenters were willing to answer questions and provided useful information. However, some said they became more overwhelmed and stressed due to what needed to be done for 4-year planning. scheduling, and studying for midterms. One anonymous student said, "The RAs and stuff were helpful, but I just became more stressed out from other things that I found out that I have to do."

DeHority staff's next event will be an open mic night on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the Exhibition Hall.

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Shakespeare Play Performance Could Fill Pruis Hall

10/7/2015

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The Cincinnati Shakespeare's Company visits Ball State annually - a tradition that began when Honors professor Frank Felenstein led a Shakespeare-based colloquium four year ago. The free performance of Romeo and Juliet begins at 7:30 p.m. in Pruis.

by Carli Scalf

Ball State students will have the opportunity to see the literature they read in the classroom come to life on the stage when the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company visits to perform Romeo and Juliet in Pruis Hall tonight (Oct. 7). The event is open and free to the public with a start time of 7:30 p.m.

This is the fourth year that the Company visits Ball State. The tradition began when Dr. Frank Felsenstein, a professor of both Honors Humanities and the English Department, wanted to give his colloquium students a chance to see Shakespeare performed live.

“As Shakespeare is often deemed our greatest author, it seemed there was a demand for this class,” Felsenstein said.

The colloquium was called Shakespeare for You! In it, students studied sonnets and eight plays by Shakespeare that spanned all genres (comedy, tragedy, and history). Felsenstein said he knew that in order for his students to receive the full effect of Shakespeare’s plays, they needed to see one performed live.

“The nearest company I could find was the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company,” Felsenstein said. He added that because they were a traveling company with a manageable fee, they were a perfect match for the department.

The first play Cincinnati Shakespeare Company performed at Ball State was The Tempest; it was held in the Student Center Ballroom. Felenstein said that while this was not the ideal space for the performance, the event ended up a huge success with the students on campus. After that first year, all other performances by the company have been held in the larger yet still intimate Pruis Hall.

Felsenstein believes the company puts on a high-quality show. “It is a reduced company of five to six actors and actresses who double up and play different characters, which can often have comedic effects,” Felsenstein said. “The cast is made up of very young actors who are exceptionally versatile and talented.”

The show has wide educational appeal throughout the Honors College and the university at large.

“Most faculty teaching Honors 202 include a Shakespeare play,” Felsenstein said. He added that many departments throughout the university, particularly English and Theatre, feature the work of Shakespeare in their curriculum.

Dr. Felsenstein said he is also happy that the show reaches out beyond the university: students from local high school Burris as well as members of the community turn up to watch the show.

He warned, however, that the past several years the show has had a full house. He suggested getting to Pruis early in order to secure a seat for the show, which is sponsored by the Honors College, the College of Fine Arts, the College of Sciences and Humanities and the English Department.

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Coming Soon: Curriculum Crash Course

10/7/2015

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By Noah Patterson

This Thursday, Student Honors Council (SHC) will be hosting the Curriculum Crash Course in the DeHority Exhibition Hall from 7:30-9:30 p.m.

This marks the first year of the Curriculum Crash Course’s existence at the Honors College, an event allowing students to meet with professors of the vast majority of Honors courses and colloquiums being offered in Spring 2016. Students will be able to review syllabi and understand the courses in person.

“We hope more students will be able to know the Honors professors and recommend these courses by word of mouth. The only Honors professors I know are the ones I’ve taken, so I think it will be a unique experience,” said Joe Hannon, vice president of SHC.

Valerie Weingart, president of SHC, came up with the idea after taking a colloquium with a professor she had previously taken in the Honors College.

“Based on the PDF, I wouldn’t have read the course description and immediately thought, ‘Yeah, I want to take this!’ I took it because I loved the professor,” Weingart said.

When she asked friends and faculty if there would be any interest in having an event like this, Weingart said she was met with warm reception, especially from the professors.

“The course is more than the paragraph, it’s the person behind it. The students can meet the professor firsthand and be inspired, and professors can have students who want to be there. Everyone benefits,” Weingart said.

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DeHority Team Wins Air Jam

10/2/2015

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by Margo Morton

DeHority’s Air Jam team won the Residence Hall category for the second year in a row at the twentieth annual competition on Oct. 1. It was also the only competitor in its category.

The DeHority team members dressed in white t-shirts with red suspenders and black pants. They used face paint to complete their look for the “Greatest Show on Turf” homecoming theme.

The DeHority team danced to a medley of songs. It included:
"A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)" by Fergie
“Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas
“White & Nerdy” by Weird Al Yankovic
“Magic” by B.O.B.
“Animals” by Maroon 5
“Applause” by Lady Gaga

"It was one of our best run-throughs. The energy was really high,” said Melanie Whitesel, a sophomore speech pathology major. “It’s an amazing experience and the group gets really close.”

Both Whitesel and freshman elementary education major Rebecca Scott described performing at Air Jam as “exhilarating.”

“I was very nervous but there’s lots of adrenaline. It was a lot of hard work but it all paid off,” Scott said. She had heard about Air Jam at DeHority’s first residence hall meeting and though never dancing before, decided to go for it.

“I thought, ‘why not?’ It was awesome,” Scott said.

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Honors Families Celebrate at Backyard Bash

Fundraising Through Feminism

Curriculum Crash Course

Freshmen Learn S'more about Four-Year Planning & Midterms

Shakespeare Play Performance Could Fill Pruis Hall

Coming Soon: Curriculum Crash Course

DeHority Team Wins Air Jam

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