Ball Bearings | Volume 4 Issue 2

BALL BEARINGS volume 4 // issue 2 // winter 2012

experience

THE PAINT PALOOZA page 42

Ball state’s top 20 in their 20s page 28

10 must-see movies for december page 6

Kirk’s BIKE SHOP EST. 1865

The area’s largest selection of bikes and accessories.

Shop Online @ www.bkbikes.com HOURS: M-F: 10-6 SAT. 9-5 CLOSED SUN.

Experienced and knowledgeable mechanics repair all bicycle makes and models.

BALL BEARINGS // WINTER ISSUE

TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES

28

BALL STATE’S TOP 20 ENTREPRENEURS Millennials are redefining business as we know it by creating their own jobs.

32

THE END OF THE WORLD …or not. Here’s why you can relax on Dec. 21.

34

CANCER IN THEIR PRIME Two young adults talk about what it’s like to deal with shocking diagnoses.

14 18

5 8 10 12

INDIANA WINTER ACTIVITIES vENUES THAT MAKE YOU THINK TWICE ABOUT STAYING INSIDE.

24

food

some like it hot Raise your glass to these six festive drinks. chocolate obsessions lowery’s candies keeps hand-dipping traditions alive.

technology

gadget gift guide Six ideas for a wired Christmas.

gear up for graduation In a tough economy, find out why more graduates are moving back in with their parents.

ENRICH

39

sports

on the edge winter-sport enthusiasts invite others to face fears.

ready for the runway A Ball State graduate makes it to Midwest Fashion Week.

insights

THE GUIDE ENTERTAINMENT

FASHION

give a dog a book Therapy dogs enhance children’s literacy skills.

IN EVERY ISSUE

3 16 20 26 42

editor’s note describe your style Q&A: ALGIER columNS: bethany and matt In Focus 1

BALL BEARINGS volume 4 // issue 2 // winter 2012

print staff editor-in-chief taylor ellis

managing editor lauren hardy

assistant editor alex burton

assistant editor emily thompson

assistant editor kelli bennett

photo editor Stephanie Tarrant

design editor chelsea kardokus

assistant design editor Stephanie Meredith

advertising director alex gaskill

pr director leeann wood

adviser david sumner 765-285-8210 Not pictureD: kelli bennett, carolyn case

ContributOrs Samantha Ashworth Kristyn Assise Corey Bauters Tommy Behan Arielle Day Ben Dehr Hannah Dominiak Brianna Eikenberry Emma Kate Fittes Rebekah Floyd

Ty Garrison Rachel Giese Annie Gonzalez Lauren Hughes Daniel Hutchinson Michelle Johnson Anna Kaiser Aiste Manfredini Tori McQueen Andrew Mishler

Jennifer Prandato Lindsey Riley Joe Ruley MaryBeth Sargent Kaleigh Sheahan Savannah Smith Liz Spangler Hannah Switzer Brittany Watson Lemuel Young

managing editor of content

producer

video editor

lindsey riley

carolyn case

catherine greis

producer

advisEr

michelle zeman

mary spillman

online staff

managing editor of presentation karina lozano

producer eric marty

2 // BALL BEARINGS

photo editor stephanie tarrant

design editor aubrey smith

ball state university muncie, inD. 47306 printed by ball state university printing services

I

editor’s note //

I’m convinced that Indiana weather likes to keep us on our toes. It’s something in my 21 years I have yet to figure out.

It’s not always that exciting of a place to live, so Mother Nature has to keep it interesting somehow, right?

One day I can be wearing shorts in 60-70 degree heat, while the next day I’m bundled up in a parka like Ralphie from “A Christmas Story.”

However, let me get up on my soapbox for a second and make something very clear. Men, no matter how much the temperatures might fluctuate, cargo shorts and flip-flops are NOT appropriate winter attire, ever. We know you’re tough and manly and all that, but every time I pass you on campus, all I want to do is call your mother so she can tell you to put some clothes on.

But that’s beside the point. This winter I’m determined not to get the cold-weather blues (For Bethany’s column on winter weather, see page 26). Instead of waiting for spring to bring signs of new life and new beginnings, I think it’s time to start treating winter as a time for second chances.

After all, the winter wipes out everything else, so why not let it wipe your slate clean as well?

As students we tend to let a semester’s worth of classes, meetings and grades define our level of success for the year. But instead, why not reflect, improve and move forward. Rather than looking back and dwelling over what you could’ve done better, use this time at home with your friends and family over break to refresh, renew and restart.

If I’m being honest, as you turn the pages of this issue, I am tempted to look back on this semester and dwell over what we as a staff could’ve done better. But instead, why don’t you join me in moving forward. Our past doesn’t always have to define where we are going.

Here at Ball Bearings, we want to practice what we preach, which is why we have put together a special issue filled with stories of how students, just like you, are creating a new beginning for themselves.

Whether it’s starting your own business (page 28) or recovering from a life altering battle with cancer (page 34), you might get knocked down, but the more important part is that you get back up, and as Taylor Swift would say, “Begin Again.”

TAYLOR ELLIS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

contact us comments can be directed to ballbearingsmag@mail.com.

advertise with us for more information, contact us at ballbearings@mail.com.

3

THE GUIDE // entertainment

ballbearingsmag.com //

get more ball bearings Like what you see in the print issue? Head over to our website for even more great content. From browsing winter cookie recipes to learning how other cultures prepare for the apocalypse, Ball Bearings Online offers a visual and interactive way to tell stories. Here’s what you can find from this issue:

Lowery’s candies

Satisfy your sweet tooth. Take a virtual tour of Lowery’s Candies (page 12) and follow the chocolate-making process.

read to rover

Watch the Read to Rover dogs (page 38) interact with children at the local Muncie library as the children learn to read with confidence.

the apocalypse

Dec. 21, 2012, is on the horizon. Find out what different cultures and religions think about the 2012 apocalypse.

online exclusive: Watch out for “The Five Days of Winter,” a series our online team will launch the week before winter break to help students get excited for the holidays. Here’s what to expect: photo gallery See how each photographer views winter in Indiana through his or her own lens.

4 // BALL BEARINGS

kitchen adventures

Get some “what not to do” seasonal baking tips.

more holiday drinks

Our favorite fast food restaurant beverages, along with a brief history of some very popular holiday songs.

holiday shopping

Watch what local Muncie businesses are doing to prepare for last-minute shoppers.

explore indiana

Brave the cold this season and experience some of Indiana’s adventurous winter activities that can cure even the most dreary winter blues. story // Lindsey Riley illustrations // Stephanie Tarrant

Indiana Ice

While the National Hockey League continues its lockout, the United States Hockey League (USHL) skates on. Located in downtown Indianapolis, The Indiana Ice, a member of the USHL league, is already in action and entertaining sports fans. For $11, hockey fans can see The Ice at the Bakers Life Fieldhouse. The team plays at home throughout December, January and February against teams like the Chicago Steel, Tri City Storm and the Green Bay Gamblers.

Brown County, Ind.

Brown County is full of winter cheer. Holiday shops throughout the town of Nashville, Ind. also offer free demonstrations of crafts, cooking, woodcarving and more. The free workshops take place on Saturdays and Sundays throughout December.

While in town, check out the special holiday musical “Believe,” which brings the magic of Christmas to audiences at The Palace Theatre. For outdoor activities, visit Rawhide Ranch and Schooner Valley Stables, where visitors can make reservations to horseback ride through the snow.

Santa Claus, Ind.

It’s always a holiday in the selfproclaimed Christmas hometown of America. For $15 per car, visitors can drive through more than a mile of Christmas lights and décor and follow the Shining Story of Rudolph at Lake Rudolph Campgrounds. The town is also home to plenty of shops, but perhaps the most unique is the Santa Claus Christmas Store, one of the largest Christmas retailers in the country. Visitors can stop by Santa’s Candy Castle to satisfy their sweet tooth with holiday confections and gourmet hot chocolate.

Perfect North

Escape for the day to Lawrenceburg, Ind., about a 90-minute drive from Muncie, and enjoy Perfect North Slopes. Visitors can snowboard, snow tube or ski for $25 to $45, depending on the activity. New to skiing or snowboarding? Introductory lessons are included with admission, so anyone can learn how to safely make it down the slopes. Gear and equipment are available for rental to help visitors make the most out of their trip.

Pokagon State Park

Soar up to 40 mph on a quarter-mile toboggan run at Pokagon State Park. The run is open throughout the month of December and remains open on a limited schedule in January and February. Because the track is refrigerated, snow is not needed to enjoy this holiday activity. For $10 per hour, visitors get one sled that up to four people can ride on as many times as they want.

Guests can purchase concessions at the warming center while taking a temporary break from the fun.

5

THE GUIDE // entertainment

MOVIES TO BE

ABOUT

Ten films debuting in December

The Hobbit

must see DEC. 14 starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom

story // Alex Burton photos // provided

Les Misérables “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is the first of a three-part film series based off J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” The movie’s release has been highly anticipated since the last installment, “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003).

The Hobbit trilogy is a prequel to the “The Lord of the Rings” movies and follows a young hobbit, Bilbo Baggins (Freeman), on a quest to take back the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor. Baggins is joined by wizard Gandalf the Grey (McKellen) and 13 dwarves.

They later encounter Gollum (Serkis), the owner of the “precious” ring, which appears in “The Lord of the Rings Trilog y.

playing for keeps

must see DEC. 25 starring: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen

the fitzgerald family christmas

A down-and-out ex-soccer player (Butler) travels home in hope of getting his life back on track. However, when he begins coaching his son’s youth soccer team, he can’t help but be led astray by the attractive mothers on the sidelines.

Adult siblings are faced with a tough decision when their father, who abandoned them 20 years ago, wants to join their family Christmas celebration. While the optimists seem to be willing to try, some are faced with deep emotions that were once buried and have now been brought to the surface.

starring: Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Dennis Quaid DEC. 7

6 // BALL BEARINGS

This British drama/musical is based off of the musical “Les Misérables” (which is based off of the French novel “Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo). It’s a tale of hope and love during desolate times. As the story unfolds, the viewer is transported to 19th-century France and follows the lives of Jean Valjean (Jackman), a former prisoner turned mayor, and Cosette (Seyfried), the daughter of a peasant turned prostitute (Hathaway), who is in the care of Valjean. Drama builds as Cosette grows up and begins pining after Marius, a young radical amid the French Revolution.

DEC. 14

starring: Kerry Bishé, Connie Britton, Edward Burns, Heather Burns, Dara Coleman, Brian d’Arcy James

Save the date

jack reacher After turning down a public marriage proposal to her longtime boyfriend (Arend), Sarah (Caplan) decides to try out the single life — until she meets Jonathan (Webber).

In the middle of an intense rebound fling, she seeks guidance from her engaged, more experienced sister (Brie), who may have just as many problems as Sarah.

DEC. 14

Starring: Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, Geoffrey Arend, Mark Webber

this is 40

DEC. 21

Ex-military police officer Jack Reacher (Cruise) is brought in to investigate a rush-hour shooting that has left five dead. Believing the police have the wrong suspect, Reacher goes on a law-breaking pursuit to find the real suspect.

DEC. 21

the guilt trip Dubbed as the “sort-of sequel” to “Knocked Up,” this movie gives you a glimpse into the lives of Katherine Heigl’s character’s older sister and brother-in-law, Pete and Debbie, as they both encounter midlife crises and battle the hilarious trials of everyday life as adults and parents.

Before embarking on a cross-country road trip to sell his invention, Andrew Brewster (Rogen), makes a pit stop at his mother’s (Streisand) house. Feeling guilty about how lonely her life is since his father died, Andrew invites her along with him for 3,000 miles of the mother of all road trips.

Starring: Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Megan Fox, John Lithgow, Melissa McCarthy, Robert Smigel

Starring: Barbra Streisand, Seth Rogen, Kathy Najimy, Colin Hanks, Adam Scott

django unchained

DEC. 25

promised land

Set two years before the Civil War, Jamie Foxx plays a slave, Django, who is taken by a bounty hunter (Waltz).

In order to earn his freedom and rescue his captured wife (Washington), Django must set out on a dangerous journey to help find and kill two brutal slave-owning brothers.

DEC. 25

Starring: Tom Cruise, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog, David Oyelowo, Robert Duvall, Rosamund Pike

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christopher Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson

When two big-wigs (Damon, McDormand) in corporate sales show up to take over the land in a rural farming community, they encounter some unexpected resistance. While some are willing to sell their land, others are not willing to give up on small-town America quite yet.

DEC. 28

Starring: Matt Damon, John Krasinski, Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt, Hal Holbrook

7

THE GUIDE // sports

risking it for the rush story // Kaleigh Sheahan PHOTOS // provided by steven albert

8 // BALL BEARINGS

W

hen faced with a frightening circumstance, most people would dart-off in the other direction if given the chance. Some people get butterflies from speaking in front of a room full of people. For others, the flutters come while standing at the top of a mountain. Most run away from their greatest fears, but these three Ball State students are not afraid to chase after that tummy tingling, heart pounding rush. Whether it’s cruising through the snow at about 100 mph, flying down a mountain or learning a terrifying new trick, these students give you their take on how to ditch your trepidations, and why sometimes it’s worth the risk.

“HAKUNA MATATA” Steven Albert // Sophomore Telecommunications “There are sometimes when you get to the top of the mountain, look down and wanted to turn around,” says avid skier Steven Albert. “But you just have to take that first step.”

When he was eight years old, Albert started skiing with his father. As his excitement and skill grows with each passing year, he’s found himself slowly upgrading the courses he’s run.

The shift from beginner’s green circle courses to the moderate blue square, slopes didn’t feel much different, Albert says. But the rollercoaster of feelings he experienced with his first run down the advanced, black diamond trails, is one he’ll never forget.

At 14 years old and the top of his first black diamond trail, Albert was overcome with fear, but his fear was overcome with excitement.

“My dad had always told me what to expect,” Albert says. “I was a little scared but more excited than anything.”

Withtheassuringpermissionofhisfather, Albert flew down the black diamond, an accomplishment that left him“overjoyed,” he says.

Letting nothing come between him and his growth as a skier, Albert has experienced many exhilarating skiing “firsts” since the rush of his first black diamond.

“It’s an indescribable experience,”Albert says.“Don’t ever pass up the opportunity.”

“RED HAIR DON’T CARE” Ty Hedrick // Junior Business Major Ty Hedrick was just 10 years old when the excitement began. He watched the Winter X Games for years and wanted a snowboard for as long as he could remember. Christmas day in 2002 brought him exactly what he wanted.

“I was probably more excited about my snowboard then any other present ever,” Hedrick says. “Well except for the board that came after that.”

The same excitement he felt that Christmas morning has only grown over the past tenyears;eachyearbringingsomethingnew andeachnewexperiencetrumpingthelast.

One of his most memorable moments came at the age of 15. It was December 2007 and Hedrick made a trip to Otsego, Mich., with two of his best friends,Tommy andBrandon,tosnowboardatBittersweet Ski Resort.

“I’d been watchingTommy and Brandon doing box jumps all day,” Hedrick says. “I didn’t think I could do it. But I wanted to.”

Despite witnessing a handful of snowboarders“bitethedust”andhavingashaky start himself with a couple of falls, Hedrick found a way to put his fear aside and try.

“My first try sucked,” Hedrick says. “I was thinkingaboutitwaytoomuch.Ikeptworryingaboutscrewingitup,soIkeptscrewingit up. I just had to chill out. Like I say, ‘red hair, don’t care’, that’s how I had to go at it.”

And as the saying goes,“third time’s the charm.”After shaking off his first two tries, Hedrick went to the box again with full commitment.

“I felt awesome,” Hedrick says. “Every time I learn a new trick it’s like this feeling that I made it to the next level. But I’d never get there if I didn’t keep at it.”

“JUST DO IT” Matthew Perry // Senior Telecommunications (Sales and Promotion) Major

By the time Matthew Perry realized he was flying at 60 mph, straight into his first, real wreck, it was already happening.

“I knew before I hit the edge of the creek that I made a huge mistake,” Perry says. “It was like it happened in slow motion.”

It was mid-December 2007 in Kingman, Ind. and Perry was 16 years old. An unexpected snow front moving in from the Great Lakes had settled over the town early in the afternoon, leaving just over a foot of snow by dark.

“It’s easy to flip a sled and I knew I was going too fast,”Perry says, remembering the accident.

Perry felt invincible and on top of the world, zipping on his snowmobile through the cold, dark night and fresh, white snow. Lost in the excitement, he forgot about the creek running through his family’s property until he soared over the bank’s steep edge.

As the skis of his sled lifted, he saw the headlight flash on the weeds lining the creek.

Sailing over the edge and into the brush, Perry ducked low into his sled as a tree branch shattered his windshield. He had barely cleared the first branch when he flew into another thick limb, knocking him from the sled into the icy creek below.

“I landed on my back on some rocks at the bottom [of the creek] and my snowsuit and helmet began filling with water,” Perry says. “I remember while I was laying there [at the bottom of the creek] that I was hurt pretty bad.”

With only a battered knee and multiple bruises, Perry learned the valuable lesson of safe driving. But even the terrifying experience wasn’t enough to deter him from the sport.

“I could have got out there again and been a wuss about it,” Perry says. “If you act scared of something… you just have to face the fear and do it.”

Perry walked – well, actually limped – away from the accident without debilitating injuries.

His Arctic Cat ZR600 however, suffered a little more extensive damage.

With repairs to the windshield and skags (locatedontheskisofasnowmobile),andaweek of hard work, Perry was back riding in no time at all.

“The first time I drove a snowmobile I knew I was going to be doing this for a long time,”Perry says. “It was the best feeling in the world.”

Something, he says, he will never give up.

LEFT: Steven albert, who started skiing at eight years old, still looks forward to gliding down mountains during the winter season.

9

THE GUIDE // food

SIPS OF THE Nutella Hot Chocolate

White Hot Chocolate

FROM the hungry housewife BLOG

FROM paula deen

INGREDIENTS 1 cup milk 2 1/2 tablespoons Nutella 1 tablespoon cocoa 1 pinch of salt

INGREDIENTS 1 cup white chocolate chips 1 cup heavy cream 4 cups half-and-half 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk all ingredients together until well blended and hot.

2. Pour in a cup and top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Hot Buttered Rum

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine white chocolate chips and heavy cream.

2. Stir continuously until white chocolate chips have melted.

Stir in the half-and-half and vanilla extract.

3. Stir until heated thoroughly.

Hot Peppermint Patty

FROM fabulous-cocktail-recipes.com

FROM fabulous-cocktaiL-recipes.com

INGREDIENTS 2 ounces dark rum 1 teaspoon brown sugar 1 pinch of nutmeg 1 cinnamon stick

INGREDIENTS 1 ounce peppermint schnapps ½ ounce dark crème de cacao 1 teaspoon white crème de menthe Hot chocolate

10 // BALL BEARINGS

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a mug, combine rum, brown sugar and nutmeg.

2. Fill the rest of the mug with hot water.

3. Put a pat of butter on top and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a mug, combine peppermint schnapps, dark créme de cacao and white créme de menthe.

2. Fill the rest of your mug with your favorite hot chocolate and top it off with whipped cream.

SEASON

Drinks warm and festive enough to melt the grinch’s heart the history of

HOT CHOCOLATE 13001500S

Mexican Hot Chocolate

1520

FROM STRESSCAKE BLOG

INGREDIENTS 3 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream 3 disks Mexican chocolate 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1/8 teaspoon chile powder 1 pinch of cayenne pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Finely chop the chocolate.

2. In a saucepan, scald milk and cream over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the outside of the pan.

3. Add the chopped chocolate and salt; stir with whisk over medium heat until the chocolate is dissolved and the milk is frothy.

4. Add the chile powder and cayenne pepper and stir until combined.

1615

1641

A Spanish ship brings chocolate to America for the first time.

1657

In London, a Frenchman opens the first café specializing in chocolat, sparking the English to begin calling it “chocolate.”

1773

The demand for hot chocolate in America leads to an import of more than 320 tons of cocoa beans.

1828

Dutchman Hendrick Van Houten patents a press to extract cocoa butter from ground cocoa beans. The remains were then pulverized into cocoa powder.

Apple Pie Cocktail

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a mug, add the Tuaca and fill the rest of your cup with hot apple cider.

2. Add a couple of cinnamon sticks and top with whipped cream and dust with ground cinnamon.

Spaniard Hernando Cortez sweetens the drink and presents it to Spanish King Charles I, where it got the name, “chocolat.”

Spanish Princess Anna of Austria introduces chocolat to her husband, King Louis XII, and the drink gains popularity in France, Italy and Austria.

FROM fabulous-cocktail-recipes.com

INGREDIENTS 2 ounces Tuaca Apple cider Cinnamon sticks

The Aztecs begin to grind cacao beans into a bitter paste and mix it with water, peppers, corn meal and spices.

2012

While Americans usually base their hot chocolate on cocoa powder, European hot chocolate is thicker and richer because it is made from melted chocolate.

story // EMMA KATE FITtes PHOTOS // rebekah floyd

11

THE GUIDE // food

LOWERY’S Candies DARK SECRETS :

sweet temptations

A

Seven Decades

of Decadence with Lowery’s Candies

story // Aiste Manfredini

s chunks of chocolate slowly melt inside large, copper kettles, skillful chocolatiers use traditional chocolatemaking techniques to create confections that will soon line the shelves of Lowery’s Candies, a chocolate candy shop owned and operated by Vicki Good and family.

Using nothing but top-of-the-line ingredients and appliances, dippers use their hands to mix the rich chocolate crème clockwise, while a machine keeps it slightly warm to maintain pristine results. Next, the crème is poured into a variety of molded trays, ranging from pink stars to sumptuous cigars.

After each chocolate is dipped, workers craft a “throw:” a signature design on top of each chocolate that reveals which crème is inside. Lowery’s finest pecans, almonds, cherries and special Dark Secrets chocolates all go through this unique process.

Recognized for their guarded recipes, fresh ingredients and committed quality, Lowery’s Candies won the award for “Muncie Area’s Finest” in 2010 by a Star Press Readers’ Choice Poll.

The small beige house with burgundy framing on

12 // BALL BEARINGS

The recipe has been kept a secret for more than 80 years.

PHOTOs // Hannah Switzer

Route 32 where the chocolatiers work, is currently full of seasonal favorites like chocolate cornucopias and Christmas smidgens, as well as mouthwatering peanut butter smoothies and jumbo maple clusters.

One step behind Lowery’s kitchen doors reveals sizzling toffee being poured on marble slabs to cool, as well as a sense of family that makes you feel right at home. Generally, machines called “enrobers” are used as a mechanized form of hand-dipping, which gives candy a longer shelf life but lower-quality taste.

But at Lowery’s, you will only see chocolates being hand-dipped. While this process takes longer and requires many learned skills, the results are worth the wait.

Attracted by the friendly atmosphere and long summers off, some of Lowery’s chocolatiers have worked at the shop for more than 30 years. Pat Davis, a longtime chocolatier, employee and family friend, enjoys coming to work every day.

“I do different things on our chocolate bars,” Davis says. “I do special pieces for weddings, where I’ll take

a plain bar and write a couple’s names on them, so I really enjoy being a part of that.”

Lowery’s Candies, which opened in 1941, has a long Hoosier history. Over the last 71 years, the shop has developed a reputation for originality and quality by staying true to tradition. Ever since Don Brown handed the shop down to his daughter, Vicki Good, Lowery’s has been the only shop in Delaware County to hand-dip its chocolate.

According to Good’s son, Charles Good, Lowery’s is part of the 15 percent of family-run businesses left in the nation that continue to use the original hand-dipping process, which can take up to a year to learn and perfect. Charles Good is a third-generation connoisseur who works at the shop as a confectioner and has continued to preserve his family’s tradition for more than 14 years.

“We’ve been in this for a long time, and it’s a challenge to keep it going,” Vicki Good says. “But it’s probably because we have that sense of family that keeps this business running.”

The shop’s signature confection, known as the Dark Secrets, is made using a recipe that has been safely guarded for more than 80 years and can only be found at Lowery’s.

Charles Good prepares the Dark Secrets the exact way the creator of the recipe, D. Henry Roller, did. The special ingredients give the Dark Secrets a unique flavor, which continues to make these delicacies one of their best-selling varieties.

With the holidays quickly approaching, the Lowery’s team is busier than ever.

“To me, Christmas is like preparing for a battle; you know you have to get ready for it before it’s even coming due to the high demand,” Vicki says.

They use six miles of gift wrap in a nine-month period because of the amount of chocolate orders between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

By Christmas, a striking 140,000 pounds of chocolate is ready to be shipped to customers throughout VISIT Lowery’s Muncie and as far as Japan.

6255 Kilgore hwy. 32 “We continue to show people that Muncie, IND. nothing has changed at Lowery’s,” Charles says. “It’s still the same way we’ve done things 40 years ago, the same quality and still a lot of the same workers.”

If you’re hoping for a spark this season, forget the mistletoe — Lowery’s decadent delights will make you fall in love all over again.

by the numbers // “Christmas is like preparing for a battle; you know you have to get ready for it before it’s even coming due to the high demand.”

1941 Lowery’s candies is founded

140,000 pounds of chocolate is ready by christmas to send to devout customers

6 miles 9 months OF gift wrap IS USED in

550

hand-dipped crèmes

600 pounds of pecans

700 pounds of almonds

candies ARE shipped worldwide to

japan, iraq and afghanistan 13

THE GUIDE // fashion

14 // BALL BEARINGS

SEAMLESS START-UP Ball State Fashion alumna finds her voice in the fashion industry story // Kelli Bennett Dim lights and techno music set the scene for one of the most influential fashion shows to hit Indianapolis. The hectic environment seemed minimal to the excitement and sense of accomplishment that welled up in 25-year-old Jhanelle Baker.

As she watched models strut down the runway wearing her creations, Baker beamed with the realization that she was closer to a fashion designer’s dream. She made it to Midwest Fashion Week.

The journey to this moment was scattered with both obstacles and success for Baker. While her parents were nervous and unsure about their daughter majoring in apparel design, she had researched her major and dream job with confidence. Contrary to her parent’s hesitation, Baker excelled as a student.

Professor Valerie Birk of Ball State’s fashion program praises Baker’s work ethic and natural talent. Baker had a good eye for design, color combinations and has the keen ability to carry out an idea, she says.

While still in college, Baker mentally prepared herself for the reality that the fashion industry requires persistence and a realistic mindset.

“I’ve never really had that thing where I was going to graduate from college and work for Ralph Lauren,” she says.

Though working in a big city was her dream, she understood that she had to start at the bottom and work her way up. With diligence and passion, Baker launched her clothing line, JHFashions in 2007. She admits the fashion line was more encouraged by her friends and family, but with dedication it evolved into a demanding business.

FOR FASHION’S SAKE The line’s launch did not come with ease. Before she could establish herself as a designer and form a prospective business plan, she had to overcome hindrances within herself. She recognized her fear of being out of college and on her own.

Though she understood the basics of garment design and construction, she still needed time to experiment, she says.

Baker was forced to accept the fact that she could not create everything she wanted.

“I had to realize that everything can’t be my specialty,” she says. “I knew a lot of different things, but I had to learn to focus more on what my talent was.”

Not only has Baker honed in on her specialties to become a better designer, she has also learned more about herself and the industry she lives for. She experienced firsthand the fashion industry’s strong reliance on networking.

“Most of the people that are successful in the fashion indus-

sketches // jhanelle baker

try are because of people they know,” she says.

Living in Muncie has not been beneficial for Baker’s networking endeavors, but she’s overcoming this obstacle with constant travel and using her self-confessed weird style to her advantage by capturing potential customer’s curiosity and eventually their business. She refers to traveling as “practice on a lower scale” for her dream career that would involve being in Chicago one week and New York the next.

THE NOT-SO-GLAMOROUS LIFE Because Baker prides herself on customer service and custom-making all of her orders, the hours spent sewing quickly add up. Baker laughs at the misconception that aspiring fashion designers live glamorous lives as she reflects back to one of her most hectic weeks, which included a 22-hourlong workday.

“If you don’t sleep you don’t sleep,” she says.

Baker is not burnt out yet. She finds her drive through frantic workweeks and inspiration she draws from other designers, such as Betsy Johnson and Christian Siriano. But Baker’s biggest source of motivation is her destiny.

“I feel like [fashion designing] is what I was born to do,” she says.

Much like the construction of an unforgettable garment, the journey to a fashion designer’s dream requires intense brainstorming, fervent sketching, meticulous construction and the pride of a finished product. From baby booties to a custom-made wedding dress, Baker’s dream of a star-studded clientele and a spot on Lifetime’s Project Runway are beginning to unfold.

“When Beyonce wears my dress I can retire happy,” she says.

15

THE GUIDE // fashion

MEET: Zach Himes year: Junior Major: music education Favorite place to shop

Aldo for shoes and Levi’s for bottoms because of the variety of fits and durability.

My roommate’s closet and Goodwill are my favorite places to find everything else.

Favorite WINTER Trend

An outfit of all black clothing, a term coined“party blacks.”The point isn’t tolookgothicoremo,buttolookwell put-together in the pseudo-formal.

Favorite accessory

Scarves.They are a convenient way to inject color into a wardrobe that lacks it.

ITEM every collegE student needs

A nice pair of dress shoes – the shoes make the man.

Dream clothing item

A very nice brown leather backpack, because my current backpack is in a state of disarray.

Favorite item in YOUR wardrobe “What I wear has a lot to do with how I think of the world, or how I want the world to think of me. My style is a bizarre array of dressy items, but only as dressy as things you buy at Goodwill can be.”

16 // BALL BEARINGS

what he’s wearing Coat: H&M Scarf: Forever 21 Shirt: H&M Pants: Levi’s Shoes: Broad Ripple Vintage

A black pea coat. I got it my sophomoreyearofhighschoolwhen no one wore pea coats, but then somewherearoundsenioryearthey becamethejackettohave.That,and because I can’t afford another coat.

Items you splurge on

Pants. They are one of the only things I will buy new. It is difficult to findpantsthatfitmybodytypewell, so whenever I find them, I buy them.

MEET: Briana Walker year: senior major: social work Favorite place to shop

Rag-O-Rama because you can buy and sell clothing, and the prices are reasonable.

Favorite WINTER Trend

Ankle boots and thick socks, because they are functional for daily life on campus.

Favorite accessory

Earring from Ghana purchased while studying abroad. The country of Ghana means a lot to me, so it is nice to incorporate it into my wardrobe.

ITEM every college student needs

A bracelet accentuates any outfit.

what She’s wearing Shirt: Rag-O-Rama Jacket: Rag-O-Rama Belt: Rag-O-Rama Pants: Rag-O-Rama Socks: Purchased in Iceland Shoes: Sears Earring: Purchased in Ghana

Dream clothing item

A floor-length, sheer hippie skirt from the 1970s. I love free-flowing clothing that makes me feel relaxed.

Favorite item in YOUR wardrobe

A vintage, ankle-length crèmecolored dress with purple and pink flowers. It’s made of a sheer material that is sleeveless and has slits up both sides.

“My style describes how I feel. I find myself wearing loosefitting, relaxed dresses or a pair of high-waisted pants because they accentuate my personality.”

Items you splurge on

Dresses, though they are mostly purchasedfromthriftstores.Idon’t like to spend a lot of money on any of my clothes, but I collect dresses.

story // Kristyn Assise

photos // Brianna Eikenberry

17

THE GUIDE // technology

gifts for the tech savvy

Christmas

GETS TECHNICAL story // jOE RULEY photos // provided With chestnuts roasting on an open fire and “A Christmas Story” playing in the background, the season of giving has arrived. The problem is, with so many options out there, it can be hard to select the best choice for that special someone without breaking the bank. For the techie in your life, here is a holiday gift guide full of unpredictable gifts.

1 THE SHARPER IMAGE CHILL AND POUR Price: $29.99 available at: sharper image, amazon.com, macy’s According to the “Better Tasting Wine” website, wine loses flavor and aroma when it’s too cold. To help you avoid this rookie mistake, Sharper Image has created the Chill and Pour: a small, stainless-steel stick that fits perfectly in the neck of any wine bottle. The stick chills your wine to the perfect temperature as you pour. It can be kept in your freezer until you’re ready to pop the cork and relax with your favorite holiday movie.

18 // BALL BEARINGS

2 HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER PHOTO CUBE Price: $159.99 available at: hammacher.com, sharper image The Photo Cube Printer is a compact, easy-to-use printer that can print 4-by-6-inch photos directly from your smartphone in less than a minute.

It prints clear, smudge-free, color photos of your favorite moments with friends and family or that sunset you don’t want to forget. It’s compatible with iPhones, tablets and Androids when used with a USB cable, and as an added bonus, it also charges your phone or tablet.

quirky gifts

3 JAWBONE BIG JAMBOX Price: $299.99 available at: jawbone.com, fry’s electronics, best buy Jawbone’s Big Jambox turns any smartphone or tablet into a portable high-quality surround sound system with Bluetooth capability. Not only can it play music, but it can also be used for hands-free conference calls and video chats via Skype, Google Talk and FaceTime.

Because of its small size and low weight, the Big Jambox is portable for any location with a battery that lasts 15 hours.

4 GOPRO HERO3 Price: white edition: $199.99 silver edition: $299.99 black edition: $399.99 available at: gopro.com, best buy, walmart GoPro cameras are known for their ability to capture action.

Whether it be skydiving from the stratosphere or bombing a hill on your longboard, this camera is a must-have for adrenaline junkies. The GoPro Hero3 allows you to capture those same moments, but in a smaller, lighter package. By using a remote with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, you can live-stream your action directly to YouTube and other platforms.

5 KYMERA MAGIC WAND REMOTE Price: $89.99 available at: thewandcompany.com, sharper image, amazon.com This multi-purpose remote control is compatible with most home entertainment systems via an infrared scanner. The Magic Wand remote has 13 pre-set movements that can do everything from adjusting the volume to switching to a different entertainment device. With a series of flicks and movements, you can become the Hogwarts wizard you’ve always dreamed of while watching your favorite TV shows.

6 PARROT INC. AR DRONE 2.0 Price: $299.99 available at: parrotshopping.com, amazon.com, sharper image The AR Drone 2.0 is a quad-rotor helicopter controlled by a smartphone or tablet through the downloadable AR Freeflight app. The drone has a built-in 720p high-definition camera that allows you to record and share your adventurous flights, while also live-streaming straight to your phone. It also connects to WiFi, allowing you to fly as far as 165 feet away. With a body made of carbon fiber and plastic, it can withstand dangerous adventures.

19

insights Growing up in Indianapolis, Algier Williamson decided to pursue an undergraduate architecture degree at Ball State. After a few years in the program, he left to take a carpentry apprenticeship in Indianapolis. Once he completed the apprenticeship, he traveled back to Muncie to become a barber, setting up shop in a 1970 GMC Step Van, complete with bright colors and an A-frame Roof.

Today, he styles hair in the back of Village Green Records. (He is still in the process of making his truck travel-ready for a journey across the U. S.) When he’s not cutting hair, he can be seen riding his aqua and tangerine Schwinn Varsity bicycle around campus, bobbing his dreadlocked head to a variety of music and never wearing the same eclectic outfit twice.

Where do you hope to travel on your journey across the U.S.?

First New York City to cut hair and to take fashion, photography and art all in. Then Boulder, Colo., because it’s one of those places you can just play. Then Santa Barbara, Calif., to cut hair at University of Santa Barbara and get involved in Worldwide Opportunity Organic Farming during the summers. And finally, Hawaii.

WHAT ARE THE TOP FIVE PLACES YOU WANT TO TRAVEL TO OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.?

Australia, New Zealand, Africa, the Caribbean and London

WHO INSPIRES YOU? Parents, grandparents and family. I see who I am as an individual, and I see where all these things about me come from through them.

WHAT’S YOUR MOST IMPORTANT POSSESSION? My health: Everything else I have can be replaced.

TEN MINUTES WITH ALGIER STORY // Alex burton

5

TOP Five favorites 1. Song “Guitar” by Akiko. I love music that doesn’t have any words the most because it allows me to think, daydream and space out. Today you could be listening to it and think one thing, but tomorrow you could have a totally different experience.

2. Place in muncie Savage’s Ale House because they have really good beer, and it’s not expensive.

3. SO YOU HAVE A PITA AT PITA PIT NAMED AFTER YOU? I used to work where Crave Hair Studio is now, and I would work all day, no break, and I didn’t have time to just have a little bitty snack. So I would go over to Pita Pit and I would make the biggest pita I could that would keep me full. I would get it every single day. When I moved my business to my van, they called me and asked to name it after me.

4. thing about bsu students First I would say their energy. Second would have to be seeing their lives unfold, how they grow, change and develop from when I first meet them.

5. Best Part of being a barber

Only what you do for Christ is what is going to last in your life.

I get to know everybody in the community; from the criminal to the judge, you get to know everybody in between. Anybody can sit in my seat.

HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN YOUR STYLE?

A little more about //

what’s your Life’s mantra?

I love the art of being able to put things together when it comes to dressing. I think about it like painting, like any kind of art; it’s another form of expression. I love putting stuff together. I don’t want to look just like the next person; I want to have my own look.

20 // BALL BEARINGS

aLgier Williamson Instagram // bootlegfancy Facebook // Bootleg Fancy

How one week without phone and Internet taught me that moderation is everything

STORY // michelle johnson

i

woke up to 360 texts, three missed calls and voicemails, 49 Facebook notifications and seven app updates. On any other day, I’d break into a sweat with thoughts of house fires, natural disasters or the death of my entire family with that kind of mobile press. But this day was different. This was the first day I could reconnect with the 21st century after spending one week sans cell phone and Internet (or as little Internet as possible).

As a millennial college student, most of my days are spent in the digital world. When I’m not checking my email, I’m checking my text messages, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter feed. And when I’m updated on all of those, I’m Googling the answer to every question that pops into my head. Questions like: “What does it mean to dream about showers?” or “How do you say ‘black beans’ in Spanish?”

As accommodating as the Internet and a smartphone can be, I reached the point where checking my iPhone became a tick, and being connected with every person I’ve met since age 14 became downright overwhelming.

After discussing technology with my friends, I realized that they shared this same love/hate relationship. In fact, the results of a 90-person survey I conducted show that 69 percent of participating Ball State students have felt overwhelmed by the amount of technology used on a day-to-day basis. I began to wonder what temporarily breaking up with this controlling, aluminum companion would be like.

I gave myself a challenge — I’d go one week without my beloved iPhone 4S and every form of the Internet besides email. You know, live like our parents did in the primitive age of landlines and board games. But before I tell you about my week of snail mail and productivity, let’s rewind to the part during which the addiction took root.

I’M THE KIND of person who is pretty behind the curve when it comes to technology trends. I didn’t make a Myspace account until a high school friend force-signed me up with her own email address. I didn’t Skype until it was the only means of staying connected to my family and friends while studying abroad in London. And this past summer, five years after the first iPhone’s release, I finally caved into buying the late Steve Jobs’ pride and joy. (Not to say I wasn’t excited about it; I waited anxiously for the arrival of my refurbished white iPhone 4S like it was an acceptance letter to the University of Job Security & Guaranteed Wealth.)

Four days after I placed the order and drained my bank account, I received my phone. I don’t think it left my hand for days as I downloaded countless free apps, instagrammed every attractive meal I ate and played Temple Run until my eyes were sore.

While researching the excessive use of technology in my generation’s day-to-day life, I realized that it wasn’t just me who couldn’t put her phone down. According to USA Today, 38 percent of college students cannot go 10 minutes without checking their email, tablet, laptop or smartphone. I’m lucky if I can go five.

It was time to break the habit. Oct. 29 marked the first of seven unplugged days, during which my phone remained on my nightstand while I went about my day, all my social media accounts became dormant, and “www.” and “.com” were only used when “gmail” was sandwiched between them.

Although I began this experiment feeling good about the week to come, withdrawal quickly set in.

In 2010, researchers at the University of Maryland asked 200 students to give up all media for one full day.

After 24 hours, many students showed withdrawal

21

insights

by the numbers // iPhone users spend 14.7 hours playing games per month, while Android users spend 9.3 hours.

58 percent of iPhone owners “occasionally or usually” and

25 percent “almost always” use their phone in a social setting, Motorola introduced the first mobile phone to the consumer market in 1983.

It cost $3,995, weighed 2 pounds and was the size of a brick.

The term “Internet-use disorder” is set to be added to the list of mental illnesses in the 2013 version of the worldwide psychiatric manual.

[Source: mashable.com]

tragic stories of internet addiction // In a 2009 incident, 17-year-old Daniel Petric of Ohio shot his mother and injured his father after they confiscated his Halo 3 video game because they feared he was playing it too much.

Chris Staniforth, 20, suffered a blockage to his lungs and died while playing his Xbox for up to 12 hours in 2011.

In 2012, another gaming addict died after playing an online video game for

40 hours at an Internet café in Taiwan.

A Korean couple was arrested in 2010 after their infant daughter starved to death while the pair played an online game for hours. The video game the two were playing involved raising a virtual baby.

[Source: Reuters ]

22 // BALL BEARINGS

symptoms similar to those of drug and alcohol addictions. Halfway through the first day of my media cleanse, these students and I were one in the same.

I found myself fidgeting while waiting in lines and at shuttle stops without mobile entertainment to pacify my boredom. The disconnection from my friends and family left me feeling isolated and lonely. If I wanted to make lunch plans, I had to rely on the chance of running into someone on campus rather than sending a quick text. Mobile media had conditioned me to always know my friends’ whereabouts, and being without it meant being alone.

AS THE WEEK progressed, I started embracing this alone time.

I read before going to bed, studied without distraction, worked out more than usual and wrote a letter for the first time in years. Digital disconnection sparked my productivity, and I was beginning to like where the week was headed.

Although I’m normally a pen-and-paper note taker, I admit to occasionally taking my laptop to class to get other work done or to zone out my professors with a game of Bubble Breaker. Being without this luxury for a week made me realize why some professors are fighting to keep technology out of the classroom.

In an interview with history professor Dr. Nina Mjagkig, she explained that her reasoning behind banning laptop use in her courses is because she cannot constantly monitor what her students are doing on their laptops.

“A few semesters ago, I handed out class materials and noticed that one male student was visiting a pornography website,” Mjagkig says.

“In another case, while I was talking about the Holocaust, a student looked at his screen and burst out in laughter. Ever since those episodes, I have banned computers from my classes.”

While it’s safe to say I didn’t catch anyone looking at pornography during class, I was put off by how many students I saw surfing the web instead of taking notes. Being without my phone made me extremely observant, and a lot of these observations made me angry with my generation.

On day four, I ate lunch at the Student Center and took in my surroundings. I counted numerous groups sitting across from each other in silence, engrossed in whatever their mobile companion was telling them. In the survey I conducted, nearly 84 percent of participating Ball State students said they often find themselves checking their phones while in a social setting. In a more disturbing light, 11 percent of mobile users under 25 admit to checking updates during sex, according to the Retrevo Gadgetology Report.

At the beginning of the week, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it without my phone and Internet. But as the week came to an end, I wasn’t sure I wanted to plug back in.

Throughout the highs and lows of the week, I learned that the key to handling any addiction is practicing moderation. Unplugging from the digital world cold-turkey is unrealistic, but excessive interaction with the digital world that results in absence from the real world is sickening.

It seems as if constant connection has left us truly disconnected from each other on a face-to-face basis. I’m hoping our generation will take the time to unplug our phones, close our laptops and tune back into the relationships we’ve let slip and the social situations we’ve silenced.

insights

the boomerang gang

A

Why moving in with your parents after graduation may not be so bad after all be so bad after all story // lauren hardy

mid a sea of black caps and gowns, red and white tassels, and rows of smiles, Libby McIntire rose to accept her diploma. She crossed the stage feeling confident and excited, yet nervous.

Graduating from Ball State with a bachelor’s in marketing meant living the glamorous life — getting a steady paycheck and a place of her own — but it also meant leaving the college community behind.

McIntire moved out of her Muncie home in May, ready to give her all in the professional world, but quickly realized her perception of life after college was not a reflection of reality.

Despite having a full-time, paid internship at the 500 Festival, McIntire wasn’t making enough to live on her own.

Fearing not being able to save money for future investments, she turned to her parents for help and has been living with them ever since.

McIntire is not alone. According to a 2012 Pew Research Center study, 42 percent of college graduates ages 18 to 29 are moving back in with mom and dad after graduation. As a result, this generation of graduates has been labeled “the Boomerang Generation.” Lower earnings, higher housing prices and the rising cost of higher education are the main forces driving this recent trend.

“It’s a combination of the difficulty of finding jobs and salaries that provide enough to cover living expenses and student loan debt,” says Joe Goodwin, assistant director at the Ball State Career Center.

The U.S. Census Bureau income report found that real median earnings of both men and women who worked full-time, year-round jobs declined by 2.5 percent between 2010 and 2011.

Nationally, the median weekly earnings for full-time workers ages 20 to 24 was $457 last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s $1,828 a month. Factor in rent, groceries, insurance and other bills, and that doesn’t leave much room to save, McIntire says.

Jennifer Eakins, who graduated from Ball State in 2011 with

24 // BALL BEARINGS

a bachelor’s in interior design, didn’t plan on living with her parents after graduation either. Eakins says although it wasn’t her first choice, being able to save money and live in a safe environment has been worth moving back home.

“It’s important to bring your expectations back down to earth,” Eakins says. “…I think that our generation comes out of college wanting lavish things instantaneously, but you quickly realize those things take money, time and effort. If you want a nice apartment, you’re going to have to save for that because it’s not going to just fall in your hands.”

After steadily climbing over the last five years, the number of Americans living in multigenerational households is at its highest since the 1950s, according to Pew. Despite movies like “Failure to Launch” that make moving back in with mom and dad seem embarrassing and juvenile, it may be the new normal.

McIntire and Eakins admit living at home has its drawbacks — namely, lack of independence and privacy. But both agree, all pride put aside, living at home is more than a social trend; it’s a wise decision.

“It’s a smart way to save money,” McIntire says. “That way in the future, you don’t have to live paycheck-to-paycheck. It might not be what you want, but it might be the best thing to do.”

As for the future, McIntire plans to go back to school for nursing in January through Marian University’s accelerated second-degree program.

Eakins sees herself moving out within the next six months as she continues to work at the design firm where she has been for one year.

Meanwhile, Goodwin says he hopes that this recent boomerang trend, although economically beneficial to graduates, is only temporary.

“As the economy improves — hoping the economy improves — I would expect more students to be independent,” Goodwin says. “But who could have predicted four years ago the state we’d be in now?”

$457 National median weekly earning for full-time workers ages 20 to 24 from 2010 to 2011

42%

Amount of college graduates ages 18-29 who live with their parents

2.5%

Decrease in real median earnings of men and women working full- time from 2010 to 2011

it’s a jungle out there prepare for life after graduation

get experience

For the Class of 2012, 60 percent of graduates who worked at a paid internship received at least one job offer upon graduation, according to a study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The more experience you have under your belt, the more valuable and credible you will be.

C C

Weave the networking web

Start career planning early and reach out to professionals. “Ask if you could have lunch or a phone conversation with them,” McIntire says.

“You’re not asking for a job, but you just need to put yourself out there.”

Save your pennies

“One of the key things is for students to avoid debt as much as possible,” Goodwin says. This can be difficult due to the increasing cost of higher education, but you can save big by eliminating credit card debt and wasteful spending.

weigh your options do you have a “real world” game plan?

Enroll in grad school

Depending on your major or career aspirations, a graduate degree might benefit you. Make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into before you sign up. Talk to your college adviser or someone at the Career Center about future prospects. An advanced degree can take anywhere from one to six years — it’s a serious investment in terms of time and money.

Apply for jobs

Sometimes, the best way to get work experience is to dive on in. But you have to be persistent in your employment search says Joe Goodwin, assistant director at the Ball State Career Center. Struggling to find a job? Seek out paid internships as well.

Volunteer and pay back student loans

Both the PeaceCorps and AmeriCorps programs offer financial benefits for college graduates.

PeaceCorps volunteers, who serve on an international level, qualify for a loan deferment for up to three years with no interest during their service.

AmeriCorps volunteers, who assist local and national nonprofit groups, can receive “Education Awards” to pay back student loans after completion of service. The award is equal to the maximum amount of the U.S. Department of Education’s Pell Grant, so the amount changes from year to year.

join the armed forces

The U.S. Army’s Loan Repayment Program covers one-third of qualified applicants’ student loans for each year of full-time duty served.

The Air Force has similar benefits and will pay up to $10,000 per recruit. For other military opportunities, visit The U.S. Department of Defense at www.defense.gov, and click on “Military/DOD Websites.”

25

insights

you can handle the truth

A winter wonderland? bethany guyer Major: Telecommunications YEAR: Senior FUN FACT: i want to be best friends with martha stewart. Sometimes i comment on her statuses.

Follow bethany @bethanyfarts

illustration // brittany watson

26 // BALL BEARINGS

One cold, winter morning, I stepped outside onto Ball State’s beautiful campus and watched ice-covered grass glisten in the sun while my warm breath created a fog in the arctic air around me. One second later, my nose hairs froze, my hands dried and cracked, and my body crashed to the slippery, concrete ground. Winter had come to Indiana, and as you may have noticed, it is now that time of year once again. Yes, that infamous season when small pieces of ice pelt our delicate skin and raging winds attempt to knock us off our feet.

There is a good chance you have already heard one of many old crooners like Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, or Britney Spears sing a classic Christmas carol on the radio.

“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, oh we’re happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland,” they sing.

Lately, I’ve been re-evaluating those long-admired song lyrics, because it’s easy to romanticize the holiday season when Dean Martin is caroling away in your ears. The fact of the matter is that winter is rarely so majestic.

In winter, the snow is a pristine white for approximately two minutes before it looks more like something that belongs in a toilet. Layered beneath that brown slush is an invisible layer of ice, which waits for us to unsuspectingly stroll by. It is then that we realize we are no longer walking, but sliding to our destination. Before we know what’s happening, our arms flail, our legs become useless, and an accidental fart slips out during the chaos. It’s an unfortunate situation, but it happens all too often.

Furthermore, winter tricks us by starting off with one of the most popular holidays, only to carry on for nearly three months after the holiday season. Talk about overstaying one’s welcome. I want a white Christmas, and then I want winter to turn back to fall.

To protest winter’s frigid presence, I have decided to wear a ski mask around campus this year. Sure, people will think I just robbed a bank, but I’m willing to let my reputation slide if it means I can hide the sparkling stream of snot dripping from my nose.

Like me, most people probably wish the calendar could skip a few of these more frigid months ahead, but unless the Mayans were correct, we need to buck up for a wild ride of snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures. The days will be short, and the nights will be long. (Don’t forget the sun sets at approximately noon during winter.)

Armed with gloves, hats, scarves, coats and boots, we can fight our way through the bitter weather ahead. Oh, and you’ll definitely need an ice pick to dislodge your tires from the five inches of ice permanently gluing your car to the pavement for the duration of winter.

matt’s musings

WHEN SHARING ISN’T CARING MATT HOLDEN Major: literary journalism YEAR: graduate student FUN FACT: avid Manchester United fan Follow matt @thatmattholden

illustration // hannah dominiak

“A world of music” is the tagline for Spotify, a music-sharing service that lets users listen to whatever kind of music they want, whenever they want. It’s quite amazing really. No time is spent downloading, and you can search for individual tracks, as well as entire albums. The service has compiled a deep and diverse library of music, one that continues to develop in complexity and relevancy.

Perhaps the coolest part of the application is the ability to share playlists with friends. You know that friend who always has the latest and greatest music? Now they can share all of that with you in one playlist. It’s simple, it’s easy, and most importantly, it’s free.

A subset of this music-sharing demographic, however, is finding crippling flaws with this new era of music consumption.

“This kind of market makes for musicians who are writing with the burden of having to get your attention, instead of writing whatever they’d write if they were just following artistic impulses,” says Jana Hunter of the band Lower Dens.

Hunter is referring to Spotify, and her feelings about the service echo those of a lot of other artists. In this day and age, in which services make music an abundant natural resource instead of a valued product, is it possible that talent and craft have become diluted?

Think about the artists that you listen to, specifically those who have bubbled to the surface within the last five years. Do any of them have a shot at longevity and relevancy? Past generations can recall their favorite artists from the classic albums they had. Now artists come and go, and we don’t think anything of it.

Remember little rock bands like Hoobastank and the Lost Prophets? What happened to them? I don’t really like either of those bands, but someone out there did. Now those bands have been eradicated and replaced by the latest flavor of the day.

Because we don’t spend our hard-

earned money on music, we develop a passive relationship with it. We don’t own the music; therefore, the music never has the opportunity to own us.

Granted, being a college kid means we don’t have any money, so spending the few dollars we have on an album seems like a total waste when we can listen to it for free online. The scary truth about this is that every time we listen to a song on that application, the band that we think we are supporting is only making a fraction of a cent. This point is proven when indie wonder bands, such as Grizzly Bear, can’t afford health insurance, even though they’ve made one of the best rock records of the year.

Hunter says it best, “If you consume all the music you want all the time, compulsively, sweatily, you end up having a cheap relationship to the music you do listen to.”

Hopefully, one day, these applications will find a way to give back to the artists whose music is being used so cheaply. We work hard for the small amount of money we make, and when we spend that money on music, we invest in that artist. It’s no different from the money that investors pump into companies. Because of that investment, a relationship can be formed with the music, one much deeper than a system in which we give nothing and expect everything in return.

27

FEATURES

The new

ENTREPRENEUR STORY // Emily Thompson

PHOTOS // Michelle Zeman, provided

In the midst of a struggling economy, students and graduates are creating their own opportunities in different ways.

“Papa John” was a delivery driver for Greek’s Pizzeria while attending Ball State. But after earning his business degree, he decided to try the pizza business for himself. So he moved back home to Jeffersonville, Ind., to work at his father’s bar and get his start.

In 1984, he sold his 1971 Chevrolet Camaro to get the money to knock down the broom closet in the back of the bar and start selling and delivering pizzas. John “Papa John” Schnatter is now the founder, chairman, CEO and spokesperson for the third largest take-out and delivery pizza restaurant chain in the U.S. Schnatter isn’t the only successful entrepreneur to come out of Ball State. John Gaylor (Gaylor Electric), Larry Metzing (Sunbelt Indiana), Bob Hunt (Hunt Construction Group) and Scott Wise (Scotty’s Brewhouse) represent a handful of Ball State graduates who have made a name for themselves in the business world.

But the entrepreneurship game is changing.

Journalist and author Donna Fenn, who spoke at Ball State in October, has been writing about entrepreneurship and small business trends for more than 20 years.

“People think of entrepreneurship as a guy or a woman sitting in a garage, inventing something amazing that people will automatically flock to and spend money on because it’s so wonderful,” Fenn says.

“Sometimes that happens, but more often than not, a great entrepreneur is born when a person sees a need or a problem in the market that’s not being solved and figures out a way to solve it. And very often, they’re problems that people don’t even know they have.”

Fenn, who heads Inc. Magazine’s annual “Top 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs” project, has a particular interest in young entrepreneurs.

“A few years ago, I started to notice more people in their 20s starting companies than ever before,”

28 // BALL BEARINGS

she says. “I decided I wanted to try to find out why that was and what we have to learn from these young entrepreneurs.”

In her book, “Upstarts! How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of Business and 8 Ways You Can Profit from Their Success,” Fenn discusses the differences between entrepreneurs of past generations and Generation Y, which includes those born between 1977 and the mid-‘90s.

Fenn interviewed about 150 young entrepreneurs for her book. She organized her book around common themes she found through her research and interviews.

According to Fenn, GenY entrepreneurs are collaborative technology-natives, in-tune with the needs of their generation and great at building brands (especially through social media), among other qualities.

She also points out that several GenY businesses have a social mission, like feeding a child in a third-world country or using green products. “[GenY people] don’t think that doing well and doing good have to be mutually exclusive,” she says.

“Many of [them] start companies that have social missions from the very beginning.”

Fenn says that many GenY businesses are also different organizationally, in that they don’t have a lot of hierarchy. “[GenY is] really redefining the world of work,” she says. “You hear about foosball tables at work, bringing your dogs to work and wearing flip-flops at work, but I think there’s a lot more to it than that. I think in companies that are started by GenY people, there’s much more of a tendency to focus work around collaborative teams.”

Ball State Entrepreneurship Center Coordinator Brian Geiselhart says he has also noticed some of these trends. More recent graduates are starting

Want to start your own business?

Here are a few of Donna Fenn’s tips: their own businesses than in past years, according to Geiselhart, who attained both his bachelor’s in entrepreneurship in 2008 and master’s in business administration in 2009 at Ball State.

“Having a bad economy is actually really good for entrepreneurial activity,” Geiselhart says. “It forces students and individuals to look at other opportunities. If I’m graduating from an undergrad degree, and there’s no opportunity for me to get a job, then what do I have to lose to start a company? It’s better than just sitting in mom and dad’s basement watching ESPN.” To accommodate this larger interest in entrepreneurship, the Ball State Entrepreneurship Center has created a new introductory class that will be open to students from any department. Starting in fall 2013, students will be able to take Management 241, “The Entrepreneurial Experience.” They will then have the option to use the course as an elective or to add an entrepreneurship minor or major.

Both Geiselhart and Fenn predict that entrepreneurship will continue to grow in popularity.

“I think, in the future, that the great entrepreneurs that we remember are going to be solving the big problems we have now, which are energy, healthcare and education,” Fenn says. “I have no doubt that a lot of those people are going to come from [GenY].”

“HAVING A BAD ECONOMY IS ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY. IT FORCES STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS TO LOOK AT OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.” -BRIAN GEILSEHART

1

Launch quickly: “If you have an idea, don’t sit around moaning and groaning about how you don’t have the money to start it and you don’t have the resources. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, you can pursue your idea with very little money or by raising a little bit from friends and family. The trick is to just do it fast, to launch quickly.

And then see what people think of it.”

2

Find a partner: “Probably about 60 percent of the entrepreneurs that I interviewed started companies with partners. I think partners are great, as long as it’s the right partner. Look for people who complement your strengths and who compensate for your weaknesses. You don’t want a mini-me as cofounder — you want somebody who can fill in the blanks.”

3

Find a mentor: “Get as much advice as you possibly can. I think mentors are great, and there are people my age and younger who would love to mentor and advise a young entrepreneur. Everybody out there who started a company got help — they didn’t do it alone.”

29

FEATURES

Ball State’s top 20

1

ENTREPRENEURS in their 20’s

360° Mobility facebook.com/360Mobile founder: Kaitlyn Caraway Age: 22 Degree: Bachelor’s in entrepreneurship ‘12

Kaitlyn Caraway developed a wheelchair that’s powered by an

electrical rotary device from a Humvee. For her senior thesis project, she launched 360° Mobility to create these new, innovative power wheelchairs. She’s currently working on prototypes of the product.

6

Higgens Media higgensmedia.com founder: Jeffrey Higgens Age: 24 Degree: Bachelor’s in telecommunications ‘10

Jeffrey Higgens launched Higgens Media in 2002. He does

video production, as well as web and graphic design. Higgens has made websites for Indiana Broadcasters Association, Kevin McCaffrey (comedian and writer for David Letterman) and actress Kristin Phillips.

2

7

Walmart and other major clients, as well as promos and music videos.

inspired, organic merchandise — a business setup similar to Lia Sophia or Pampered Chef. She donates $1 to the Children’s Autism Foundation for every item sold.

3

Beam Productions founder: Kalem Newton Age: 27 Degree: Bachelor’s in general studies ‘09 Kalem Newton started Beam

8

Kaitlyn Meeks Photography kaitlynmeeks.com founder: Kaitlyn Meeks Age: 22 Degree: Bachelor’s in social work ‘12 Kaitlyn Meeks is self-taught and started

4

Dimitry dimitrysound.com founder: Nicholas Dimitry Age: 23 Major: Business administration (senior)

9

Lisa Walker Photography iamlisawalker.com founder: Lisa Walker Age: 23 Major: Communication studies (senior)

Bayonet Media bayonet-media.com founders: Joe Vella, Andrew Quinn Ages: 24, 25 Degrees: Bachelor’s in telecommunications ‘10 (both), master’s in digital storytelling ‘12 (vella) joe Vella and andrew Quinn are doing commercials for

Productions in Greenwood, Ind., just over a year ago. He rents sound equipment to bands and travels around the country to run sound at their shows. Beam Productions has done shows for Nelly, Snoop Dogg, Chiodos, Warren Haynes and more.

Nicholas Dimitry works with Ball State graduate Trevor Junga,

who developed Dimitry’s idea for a sound-masking system that adapts to its environment in real time. Since getting the patent for the product a few months ago, they’ve already installed the system in a few offices.

5

Grabbur grabbur.com founders: Cameron Cranor, Megan Jeter, Brondon McFarland Ages: 22, 20, 22 Majors: Electronic art and animation (senior), accounting (junior), no BSU affiliation Brondon McFarland is working on a social media site, and cameron Cranor is creating an action, arcade-style video game.

They hope to launch the website for both in seven months.

30 // BALL BEARINGS

Jade’s Jewels facebook.com/pages/JadesJewels/122371404521743 founder: Heather Jade Webber Age: 21 Major: Entrepreneurship (senior) Heather Jade Webber hosts jewelry parties to sell her vintage-

taking senior pictures for her friends in high school. Now, five years later, she does engagement photos, weddings and family photos, all while taking graduate courses at IUPUI. She even photographed the delivery of a baby in July.

Lisa Walker started Lisa Walker Photography in 2010. Walker

shoots weddings, family photos and events, and she currently works for Intersection, an advertising agency that was hired to rebrand Muncie.

She hopes to eventually do photography full-time after school.

10

Loco Motives Design locomotivesdesign.com founder: Justin Ochoa Age: 23 Degree: Bachelor’s in telecommunications ‘12

Justin Ochoa launched Loco Motives Design, a company that

provides design services and sells clothing, in 2010. He’s in the process of relaunching his “urban contemporary clothing line,” which will transition from street style to more clean-cut clothes.

11

Mike’s Mowing mowingmikes.com founder: Michael Koester Age: 20 Major: Pre-business (sophomore) Michael Koester started Mike’s

Mowing, a full outdoor service, when he went home to South Bend, Ind., for the summer after his freshman year. Koester trims bushes and trees, clears out gutters and does some woodwork. He plans to start the business up again for the season during spring break.

12

Not As Famous Cookie Company notasfamouscookiecompany.com founder: Ashley Carlton Age: 29 Degree: Bachelor’s in entrepreneurship ‘06

Ashley Carlton started Not As Famous Cookie Company, an

online gourmet cookie business, in 2008. Carlton’s parents are both involved in the business, and they’re hoping to go wholesale soon so they can expand the business to include grocery store sales.

13

PROJECTiONE projectione.com founders: Adam Buente, Kyle Perry Ages: Both 26 Degrees: Bachelor’s in architecture ‘08 (both), master’s in architecture ‘10 (both) Adam Buente and Kyle Perry started a design and fabrication

company for their senior thesis in 2010. They recently finished the “sunrise” design for the lobby of Riley Children’s Hospital.

14

Raging Sloth Studios ragingslothstudios.com founders: Nathan Isaacs, Corey Boschet Age: Both 22 Major: telecommunications

(seniors) Nathan Isaacs and Corey Boschet started Raging Sloth

Studios, named after Isaac’s “spirit animal,” about four months ago.

Isaacs does the sound, and Boschet does the video.

15

Recycled Device recycleddevice.com founder: Justin Dunmyer Age: 20 Major: Entrepreneurship (junior)

Justin Dunmyer buys iPods, iPhones and iPads from suppliers

and individuals and then fixes and resells them on Ebay. He recently moved his business to an office downtown and is hoping to start doing walk-in repairs in his office beginning next semester.

16

Reelvision Multimedia reelvisionmultimedia.com founder: Christopher Kosinski Age: 23 Major: Telecommunications (senior) Christopher Kosinski launched Reelvision Multimedia in May.

He produces high-definition, cinematic videos for commercials, events, promotional videos and documentaries. Some of his clients include The Frame Factory and Carriage House Fine Dining & Gardens.

17

Sky Orange Studio skyorangestudio.com founder: Rachel Greene Age: 29 Degree: Bachelor’s in journalism graphics ‘05

Rachel Greene (formerly Rachel Perkins) opened a custom

wedding invitation studio Las Vegas in 2008. Greene makes original, handmade wedding invitations based on any theme. She was voted “Best of Weddings” by The Knot for the Las Vegas market in 2012.

18

Starlight Media Productions starlightmediaproductions.com founder: Branden Stanley Age: 20 Major: Telecommunications (junior)

Branden Stanley got his first video camera before he had a

regular camera. In 2008, he started Starlight Media Productions. Now, Stanley does video production, photography and DJs at weddings. He’s also done video work for Ball State.

19

The Elements of Entertainment elementsofentertainment.com founder: Courtney Jurick Age: 22 Degree: Bachelor’s in public relations ‘12

Courtney Jurick , last year’s Miss Ball State University, will be

teaching classes on modeling, acting, singing and public speaking at The Elements of Entertainment, a performance school that will open in the Main Street building in Chesterton, Ind., on Jan. 1.

20

Versa Studios Media versastudios.net founder: Kenneth Stevenson Age: 22 Degree: Bachelor’s in telecommunications ‘12 Kenneth Stevenson moved Versa Studios Media home with

him to Louisville, Ky., after he graduated in May and left the Versa Studios student group at Ball State. He is now filming events, music videos and feature films (most recently, “Cheery Point”).

31

FEATURES

the evolution of

Doomsday

Story // Lauren Hardy Illustration // Lemuel Young

or much of 2011, it was widely accepted that according to the Mayan calendar, the world would end on Dec. 21, 2012. With just a few weeks left before this doomful date, you can rest assured that life will go on despite these claims.

In March 2012, NASA scientist Don Yeomans debunked the Mayan Calendar world-ending prediction in an exclusive video, explaining flaws from an evidential standpoint. According to the NASA website’s FAQ page, this date instead signals the end of one calendar cycle and the beginning of a new one.

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” Yeomans says, citing the astronomer Carl Sagan. “Since the beginning of recorded time, there have been literally hundreds of thousands of predictions for the end of the world, and we’re still here.”

Here are some of the Earth’s most infamous and obscure apocalyptic predictions:

F

1969:Charles CharlesManson Manson

believes that increasing U.S. racial tensions will lead to an apocalyptic race war. According to The Telegraph, “When no race war erupted, his gang went on a killing spree to ‘show the blacks how to do it.’” Manson is currently serving a life sentence for murder at the California State Prison in Corcoran, Calif.

July 15, 1967: Circa 2,800 BC: The earliest known

apocalypse prediction. According to Isaac Asimov’s Book of Facts, an Assyrian clay tablet that can be traced to this year says: “Our Earth is degenerative in these latter days. There are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end.

BRIBERY and CORRUPTION are common.”

Rev. Jim Jones, founder of the “People’s Temple” cult, reports having visions that a

nuclear holocaust will occur. He claims a new socialist society will be created on Earth after this destruction.

Dec. 17, 1919:

Meteorologist Albert Porta predicts that a conjunction of six planets will create a magnetic current strong enough to cause the sun to

Explode.

He claims the explosion will engulf the Earth in flames and the Milky Way would be destroyed.

32 // BALL BEARINGS

hysteria 3797: Nostradamus, a

Oct. 19, 1984:

French French apothecary, apothecary,

says that she will give birth to the second Jesus at age 64. She claims that the birth of the new Messiah will be the beginning of the end of time.

studied astrology and other occult sciences to predict the future. In his own writings, he says that his prophecies only went as far as the year 3797.

Some infer this implies the end of the world. It’s too bad we won’t be around during the 38th century to find out.

Jan.1,2000:

Oct.21, 2011:

Joanna Southcott, a self-described religious prophetess and

British virgin,

Also known as the “Y2K crisis.”

Many believe a

Computer Bug at the start of the new millennium will lead to computer crashes, signaling the end of the world as we know it.

May 5, 2000: In

1997, Richard Noone predicts the planets’ alignment with the sun and moon will disrupt the Earth’s axis and launch a

After his previous five predictions failed, Harold Camping, a Christian

radio evangelist revises the world’s end date. On May 21, 2011, he says that a physical rapture will take place five months later, in October.

Apparently

the sixth time isn’t the charm.

SECOND Ice Age. Basing his theory on the “cataclysmic pole shift hypothesis,” he claims that the Earth’s shifting ice cap will cause crustal displacement.

33

FEATURES

FOR EVERY

SCAR

THERE IS A

STORY

34 // BALL BEARINGS

A Ball State student and a graduate come face to face with cancer while learning the importance of listening to your body.

STORY // TAYLOR ELLIS ILLUSTRATIONS // LIZ SPANGLER PHOTOS // PROVIDED

SHE SLOWLY LIFTS her sweater, and her striking gray eyes peer up with child-like innocence. As she begins to loosen her grip, her finger traces up and down the scar that has changed her life.

This scar isn’t just another battle wound to Maris Schiess; it’s a story, a memory and a daily reminder that she has lost a part of her that she can never get back.

As her sweater falls back over her swollen abdomen, she is overcome with a sense of relief and a twinge of sadness as she recalls the day that everything changed: Aug. 20, 2012.

While 4,369 of her peers in the senior class at Ball State

were walking toward their last, first day of school, Schiess was being led into an isolated hospital room with her father, where she waited for the news that threatened to alter her perfectly planned life course.

She climbed onto the cold, metal table. Her heart was racing, when suddenly the door flung open, and her doctor took a close seat next to her. The doctor then delivered the small, yet powerful phrase she never thought she’d hear at 21 years old: “You have ovarian cancer.”

SCHIESS IS PART of the minute 3.2 percent of women ages 20 to 34 who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, according to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. While that might seem like a small percentage in the larger scheme of terrifying cancer statistics, ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women.

Every 24 minutes, about half the length of a college class, a woman in the U.S. is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2012, about 22,280 new cases of ovarian cancer will be diagnosed, and 15,500 women will die of ovarian cancer in the U.S. This means that over half of the women diagnosed with ovarian cancer won’t win the battle they tirelessly fight. And that number only continues to grow.

In the last 40 years, while other cancers have seen rates decrease, there has been absolutely no improvement in the mortality rates for ovarian cancer.

These numbers are what sent Schiess into panic mode as she frantically searched WebMD and other medical sites to see what her daunting future could hold.

However, these distant numbers were washed away with a glimpse of hope as Schiess discovered that comparatively, she was diagnosed with “a good form of cancer.”

Known as germ-cell ovarian cancer, Schiess says she was diagnosed with one of the most treatable forms that accounts for 3 to 5 percent of cases of ovarian cancer.

“When I actually got my diagnosis that Monday, that this was a rare, germ-cell type of ovarian cancer, I didn’t even cry,” Schiess says. “I was relieved because I had gone this whole week thinking that I only had five years left to live.”

But this was only the first turn in the rollercoaster ride that is now Schiess’ life. The surgery to remove her four-pound cancerous tumor also meant that she had to forfeit both of her ovaries to prevent future complications and risks.

“I feel like the future me is going to be really bummed about it,” she says. “Finding someone that will be completely OK with the fact that I can’t have kids naturally is scary. It creates a whole new obstacle that once again, I wasn’t prepared for.”

REFLECTING BACK ON what was supposed to be the first week of the most exciting year of her college

experience, Schiess says her least expected trials became the forefront of her battles.

Other than an extra 15 pounds that was centralized in the abdomen of her slender frame and frequent sickness that she blamed on a busy schedule, Schiess was left wondering how she didn’t know what was going on inside her own body.

“It’s really hard to have your life planned out and watch it slip through your fingers,” Schiess says. “And of all things, you think you know your body, but then you find out that you had no idea what was going on.”

Instead of drowning out the warning signs, Schiess says she should’ve halted the demands of life and listened to her body.

Forced to leave behind her life in Muncie, Schiess is in the midst of a semester’s worth of intense chemotherapy treatments that have left her sicker than ever and without her full head of flowing dark locks. “Bald,” “barren” and “cancer patient” are never the words that Schiess thought would describe her.

MUCH LIKE SCHIESS, Ball State graduate Dylan Buell was also brought face to face with his body’s cry for help when he was supposed to be in his prime. One of Buell’s most terrifying nights of his life would save him from the ticking time bomb waiting to explode from within.

It was 3 a.m. Buell flinched in his bed, doubled over with the most excruciating pain he had ever experienced. What he thought was just a severe stomachache felt more like his abdomen was waging a war against his body. He couldn’t fight the pain any longer and knew this wasn’t what his healthy, 17-year-old body should feel like.

His mother rushed him to the hospital, and the doctors performed an emergency appendectomy. If he had waited only a few hours more, his appendix would’ve burst, most likely leading to his death.

After the surgery, Buell thought he was home free, but that’s when he got the news that a pre-cancerous tumor was growing on his left testicle and would have to be removed with yet another surgery.

“I kind of knew something might be wrong there leading up to that date because the growth had been noticeable for a year or so, but it never hurt or caused any problems, so I didn’t think much of it,” Buell says.

“In retrospect, that was a mistake, and I guess it’s lucky that I had the appendicitis.”

Buell woke up from his second surgery in a “morphineinduced daze” to find out that while they removed the tumor, they also had to remove his entire left testicle.

Buell’s momentary decision to listen to his body on that fateful night saved him from facing full-blown testicular cancer and a burst appendix. But he’ll never know what he could’ve prevented if he had paid attention to the noticeable growth.

35

FEATURES

SCREEN YOURSELF Some cancers can be caught by performing self-examinations. The following are common types of cancer that can be caught in the early stages.

MELANOMA Look for any of ABCDE for early signs of skin cancer.

Asymmetry — The halves of the mole do not match.

Border — The sides of the mole are jagged and not smooth.

Color — The coloration is irregular, or there are multiple colors.

Diameter — The mole is larger than the size of a pencil eraser (about 1/4 inch).

Evolution — The mole has changed in any of the above ways over time.

BREAST CANCER Lie on your back with one arm above your head. Use your other hand to feel each breast with all fingers together and flat for any irregular lumps.

TESTICULAR CANCER Place your index and middle fingers under the testicle with your thumbs placed on top.

Roll the testicle gently between your thumbs and fingers and feel for any irregular lumps.

36 // BALL BEARINGS

YOUNG ADULTS account for 72,000 new cancer diagnoses each year, according to the I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation. That means that every eight minutes, another young adult is diagnosed with some form of cancer.

Even though young-adult cancer accounts for seven times more than all pediatric cases, according to the I’m Too Young For This! Cancer Foundation, it’s still incredibly overlooked, Schiess says.

“We are the people that are supposed to be in our prime,” she says. “So much attention is drawn to children with cancer for very good reasons...And a lot of the scarier statistics don’t happen until you’re older, so young adult is kind of this weird place to be in.”

As Schiess saunters into the hospital to receive a whopping seven hours of chemotherapy every Monday, she says she gets confused looks from other cancer patients in the unit.

“I hadn’t really thought about how overlooked it was, but I’m the youngest cancer patient in the adult ward,” Schiess says. “When I’m getting chemo, everyone looks at me like, ‘Oh that poor, sick girl. She has so much ahead of her, yet here she is.’”

Schiess was in the midst of her cancer battle in September, which is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Letters of encouragement from an organization called Chemo Angels and survival stories were the fuel that kept Schiess going during her darkest hours.

BUT BUELL DIDN’T have quite the same experience.

While being a young adult with a life-altering scare was challenging, he says facing testicular cancer opened his eyes to the lack of awareness for male cancers.

“I think part of it may be the fact that men aren’t nearly as vocal about their health issues,” Buell says. “Much of male culture, especially the culture that my dad grew up in and raised myself and brothers in, is that you don’t bring attention to yourself. You work hard, and then you’ll be noticed.”

This tough-guy mentality can cause men to ignore the warning signs coming from their bodies.

“If you have problems with your health, you either try to let your body heal itself, or even if you have to go to the doctor, you don’t announce it to the world,” he says. “You heal, get better and that’s it. Now, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing that women are much more vocal about raising money and awareness about their health concerns. I just think it’s more in women’s nature to be more outgoing, talkative and engaging with their community.”

Buell says that while this mentality bled over into his own behavior, it’s also reinforced in society by gender stereotypes that make it hard for men to speak out about their experiences with cancer.

“It kind of goes back to the mantra of ‘men don’t cry,’” he says. “Men don’t like to admit that they’re weak,

“IF YOU DON’T TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, IT’S GOING TO CATCH UP TO YOU IN THE END. ALWAYS LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU.” which I’m sure is what many of them feel when they have health problems, whether that’s right or wrong.”

Buell points out that while October is devoted to breast cancer awareness, and NFL teams wear pink to show their support, many people don’t know that “Movember” or “No-Shave-November’s” mission is to raise awareness for prostate cancer and other male cancers.

“To get more word out, I think it’s just a matter of following the example that women have done with breast cancer — plenty of community events to raise awareness and donations like 5Ks,” he says. “This will probably just be slower to develop, because like I said, men don’t like to admit that they have health issues for the fear of appearing weak.”

SCHIESS AND BUELL both agree that young adults need to realize that they aren’t invincible. Listening to your body now can save you from detrimental repercussions in the future, Buell says.

“If you don’t take care of yourself, it’s going to catch up to you in the end,” he says. “Always listen to what your

body is telling you. It knows best…Take care of it, and it’ll take care of you.”

Buell has learned not to let his pain become his weakness. He spoke up about what he was feeling, and it saved his life. The moment that Buell pulled himself up from his bed and asked his mother to take him to the emergency room prevented a lengthy battle with testicular cancer.

While he still lost a part of himself he will never get back, he is one of the lucky ones — he will still be able to have children and is now 100 percent cancer free.

Schiess is in the midst of her third round of chemotherapy, which she describes as feeling like a “constant hangover.” She is hopeful that this traumatic experience will fade into a distant memory and she will be able to graduate with her senior class. However, her scars remain, serving as a constant reminder that she will prevail no matter what the cost.

“You just have to tell yourself that for every scar and every challenge that there’s a story and a new outlook,” she says.

37

ENRICH

READING TO

ROVER

THERAPY DOGS GIVE MUNCIE CHILDREN A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO IMPROVE THEIR READING SKILLS.

N

story // Mallory jordan

PHOTOS // Stephanie tarrant

ine-year-old Carter Hollems skips into Muncie’s Kennedy Library anxious to read to a dog named Pooh Bear for the 10th time. He looks at the rows of books that surround the children’s section. Carter brought his own book to read today, but he gets distracted by one of the many toys hidden between the bookshelves. He waits patiently as a little girl named Tessa finishes her reading time with Pooh.

Carter walks confidently into the dark blue and mustard-colored room. Recognizing him, Pooh immediately goes to lick Carter’s face, and the boy laughs at the large dog while petting his short, brown fur. Carter plops down on the big, blue beanbag across from Pooh and the handler, who sits in an oversized book-printed armchair.

Pooh eventually lies down, and Carter starts his 10-minute session, reading without hesitation. Carter is one of the children involved in the Read to Rover and Paws to Read programs at Muncie Public Libraries.

Trained therapy dogs like Pooh come and listen to children read, which helps them develop self-confidence and improve their reading skills.

Muncie’s Read to Rover program started about five years ago, thanks to Annetta Terrell. Terrell has worked as a library associate for 21 years. Adopting the idea from Yorktown libraries, she refreshed the program and brought it to Kennedy Library.

“We want them to have an environment where they feel really comfortable reading, that way they can improve their reading skills,” Terrell says. “I’ve had some parents say their children did not want to read, but once they got started here, they couldn’t read enough so that they would have a story to read to the dog when they came.”

Parents are encouraged to stay out of the reading room so the children can read and figure out words themselves.

Terrell says that parents are often surprised by how

38 // BALL BEARINGS

well-adjusted the children become with the dog, as opposed to a parent or teacher. Jerry Rollins, Pooh’s handler, will help with a word if a child asks, but usually, she just sits there to make sure Pooh behaves. This helps kids like Carter feel uninhibited and unafraid of being made fun of or corrected.

“It helps them with word fluency; they start to put together the sentences more and pronounce the words easier,” Terrell says. “It also takes away their fear of reading in front of someone.”

According to the book “Building Literacy With Love”

by Marilyn Segal, children need a safe and comfortable place to practice reading. This kind of environment “supports relationships and invites exploration,” the book says.

In addition to a safe environment, early learning is key.

Children start picking up language skills at 2 or 3 years old, according to the National Institute for Literacy. By age 5, a child has already developed literacy skills.

Once children reach third or fourth grade, their level of reading has already developed, impacting their skills for the rest of their life. Integrating programs like Read to Rover into schools and libraries is important because it helps children make a habit out of reading at an early age.

JoAnn Klooz of WFYI Indianapolis reports that 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. can’t read. In her broadcast on “Adult Literacy Efforts Connected to Increasing Graduation Rates,” Klooz notes that the majority of children who have trouble reading have parents with low literacy skills.

Kennedy Library Associate Shawna Pershing has also found that most of the kids that struggle with reading don’t have books in their homes, and their parents don’t read to them.

39

ENRICH

The program has introduced Carter to more stimulating chapter books, but he also thinks that it has helped other kids with their reading skills and phobia of dogs.

“Kids usually have a fear of large dogs, especially with Pooh and Rosie, I think,” Carter says. “Since they picked out specific dogs for this, they definitely picked out some of the better dogs.”

The dogs love the Read to Rover program just as much as the kids do and even lay their chin on the child’s lap or just roll over and sleep as the child reads and pets them.

“I can walk in the door and let go of [Pooh’s] leash, and he will head right back here — he knows where he’s going,” says Jerry Rollins, Pooh’s handler. “He loves doing this; he loves the kids.”

Pershing appreciates the time that the dogs and handlers put into the program. “[They’re] faithful to be here every time, and [they’re] always excited to be here,” Pershing says. “I think they both enjoy it, so I think it benefits them just much as it does us and the kids that come here.”

Therapy dogs are specially trained to help children, as well as the elderly. After passing the 20-part test, dog owners pay a small fee for insurance, fill out safety forms and receive an official therapy dog card and neckerchief.

Rollins says therapy dogs do not go to most Muncie elementary schools because the schools don’t allow dogs, but the dogs do help in an after-school program called the Great Achievers Club at Marion-Hunt Library. Great Achievers is a group of South View Elementary students who have trouble getting homework done at home. Some of these children really struggle and might know the alphabet but not actually know how to read. They are also welcomed to be a part of the Read to Rover program.

With all of the distracting technology today, Terrell hopes kids will see Read to Rover and the library as a better alternative to TV. “Getting them to bring the books home really encourages them to read more and see everything that we offer,” Pershing says.

Through Read to Rover and Paws to Read, Carter has been given the chance to practice reading his favorite chapter books in a rewarding way. He has also expanded his knowledge of books and improved in his home-school English classes.

Carter is not the only child that has grown as a reader through the program. Terrell remembers another boy that was deathly afraid of reading in front of the classroom, but he kept working on his fear throughout the program. After about three months of practice, he is no longer afraid to read in front of others.

Whether a child goes to Read to Rover for the enjoyment of reading or for assistance with reading skills, a friendly therapy dog will be at a Muncie Library ready to listen.

top: a cozy, confident Carter Hollems reads at the

Kennedy Library’s read to rover program. Carter’s 10th visit earned a couple of kisses from pooh, and a tentative listen. middle: “He loves the kids,” Jerry rollins says of her therapy dog, pooh bear. bottom: through Muncie’s paws to read program, children who want to work on their reading skills can find comfort in reading to therapy dogs.

40 // BALL BEARINGS

IN FOCUS

42 // BALL BEARINGS

LIFE IN COLOR Photos // corey ohlenkamp, michelle zeman

Excitement builds at Worthen Arena as 2,500 students file onto the court. The show begins, and the audience waits to be blasted with gallons of various paint colors. By the end of the night, the students’ white shirts are tie-dyed, with multiple colors of paint and confetti decorating their bodies.

On Nov. 10, Life In Color (formerly Dayglow), also called the “world’s largest paint party,” made a splash on Ball State’s campus for the first time, bringing rave, techno and dubstep music to thousands of screaming fans.

They shouted, “We want paint!” when the hour countdown began to tick before the paint-blasting began.

The night was full of surprises, including crowd surfing, moshing and chanting.

Once the countdown was over, two cannons opened fire and poured paint onto the crowd, drenching students in a sea of green, pink, yellow, orange and blue.

Event headliner DJ David Solano took the stage at 11 p.m. Unlike the first DJ, Solano mixed modern, mainstream songs like “Mercy”

by Kanye West, “Somebody I Used to Know” by Gotye and “We Are Young” by Fun. What began in 2006 as a concert on college campuses in Florida has turned into an international event, giving thousands the chance to truly experience “life in color.” Now, thousands of Ball State students have experienced it as well.

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“

Winter is the

TIME FOR THE

TOUCH of a friendly

Hand

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Edith Sitwell illustration // jennifer prandato

S E A S O N ' S

GREETINGS BALL BEARINGS

staff