Welcome back to Good News! As February comes to a close, we hope you take the time to read about the accomplishments and exciting plans of the Cardinals featured below.

In a world where good news can sometimes feel hard to find, we’re here to remind you that positivity is alive and thriving on our campus! We hope you all have a wonderful, well-deserved spring break!

Alumni News

  • Sandra Chapman, a 1986 graduate, will be inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in April to honor her 34 years in broadcast news and two decades as an investigative reporter. 

Student News

  • Throughout the spring semester, Sports Link students will enhance the media efforts surrounding Ball State Men’s Volleyball. Graduate student Andrew Willett and freshman Nate Locker will produce a “Hard Knocks” style all-access show around the team with exclusive interviews and unprecedented access, for the show called “Setting the Standard.”
  • Then, prior to the seven men’s volleyball matches that Sports Link students are producing for ESPN, there will be a dedicated pregame show to highlight the teams, preview the match stories, and talk with the coaches and players. Junior Tristan Fluhr will oversee the production of the Sports Link Prematch Report. 
  • The Ball State debate team finished 2nd in the Indiana State debate tournament February 19th at Marian University.  
    • Freshman Zach Williams finished 2nd in the novice division. 
    • Mya Davis-Jenkins and Brayden Miller finished as novice semifinalists.  
    • Williams and Miller tied as the top novice speakers in the state. 
    • Mya Davis-Jenkins placed third. 
    • Quentin Brizendine was the 5th place speaker.
    • The team had seven students participating in the tournament. 
  • Students in the Department of Media have been recognized in the Broadcast Education Associations (BEA) Festival of Media Arts. Included were four first-place winners, four second-place winners, one third place winner and eight others were recognized with awards of excellence. 
    • Student Documentary — Short-Form Documentary
      • Award of Excellence: “Clear Reception with David Letterman,” Faith Denig, Ameliah Klop, Phillipp Mischke & Jon Goldon
    • Student Film and Video — Animation Category
      • Award of Excellence: “Falling,” Veronica Newell
      • Award of Excellence: “Me’s A Crowd,” Colton Hendrix
    • Student News — Television Hard News Category
      • Award of Excellence: “Richmond Warehouse Fire,” Alex Almanza & Anna Calker
    • Student News — Television Short Feature Category
      • 1st Place: “Woman walks again after being run over by a car,” Alex Almanza
      • Award of Excellence: “Dingers for Daryll,” Andy Newman
    • Student News — Television Anchor Categroy
      • 2nd Place: Alex Almanza
      • Award of Excellence: Anna Chalker
    • Student Scriptwriting — Short Narrative Film Category
      • Award of Excellence: “Listen,” Matthew Barton
    • Student Sports — Audio/Video Sports Event: Play By Play Talent
      • 1st Place (tie): Ball State Sports Link: Dominick Liacone
      • 2nd Place: Ball State Sports Link: Charlie Maurer
    • Student Sports — Video Story/Feature (short) Category
      • Award of Excellence: “Ball State Sports Link: Men’s Basketball vs. Kent State,” Josh Brunette
    • Student Sports — Video Sports Live Game Production Category
      • 1st Place: “Sports Link: Women’s Volleyball vs. NIU,” Jovanni Alcantar, Nate Locker, Sam Neiger & Jordan Klimes
      • 2nd Place (tie): “Ball State Sports Link: Men’s Basketball vs. Bellarmine,” Rachel Henderson, Jovanni Alcantar, Charlie Maurer & Sam Neiger
    • Student Sports — Promotional Video/Teast/PSA Category
      • 2nd place: “Ball State Football: 2023 Intro,” Josh Brunette, Cameron Clift, Evan Miller & Jack Ashby
      • 3rd Place: “Ball State Gymnastics: “2023 Intro,” Collin Phillips & Nick Lawler
    • Graduate Documentary Competition
      • 1st Place: “The Only Alternative: Exploring the Black Experience at Ball State,” Daria Buschur
  • Two CCIM Students competed as Finalists of the Three Minute Thesis Competition on Feb.
    • Indy Potter, a Ball State Media graduate student, presented her thesis, “Honoring History: A Look at Modern Viking Reenactment”.
    • Olivia Weinzapfel, an Emerging Media Design and Development graduate student, presented her thesis “Virtual Reality for Classroom Language Learning.”
  • A team of eight dedicated Communication Studies majors have been working hard this spring coaching the Tech Foundation high school robotics competitors to develop interview/communication skills to ensure that these competitors can excel in the Indiana State Robotics Competition, where excellent oral communication is one of the keys to success. In addition to coaching 15-25 students per week, the Communication Studies team will travel to the Indiana State Competition on Saturday, March 23, to judge.
Diana and Grace, the robotics coaches.
  • Team Leads:
    • Charlie Cronin 
    • Grace Molnar
  • Members:
    • Morgan Armor 
    • Diana Beasley 
    • Leah Hayes 
    • Zoe Hurst 
    • Maggey Parker 
    • Adonnika West 
  • Faculty:
  • Ball State Sports Link premieres its new feature-length documentary, “On The Line.” The 30-minute documentary, produced by seniors Claire Witte and Charlie Maurer, along with freshman Sam Findley, follows three Ball State football players and their journey of playing football. Clayton Coll, Tanner Koziol, and Nick Munson star in the film answering their own personal question — why do you play football?  
  • Janie Arseneaux, a senior Strategic Communication major, was selected for the American Advertising Federation (AAF)’s Most Promising Multicultural Students. Recently, the AAF program was held in NYC to honor the nation’s top multicultural college seniors.
  • The Associated Collegiate Press announced finalists in its 2023 Online Pacemaker and 2024 Advertising & Business Individual Awards, which will be presented at the awards ceremony during the ACP Spring National College Media Conference from March 7-9. The following CCIM students and organizations have been nominated:
    • 2024 Online Pacemaker Award Finalists
      • Ball Bearings Magazine
        • Editor-in-chief: Daniela Morales
        • Adviser: Lisa Renze-Rhodes
    • Student Media Business Pacemaker Finalist
      • The McKinley Avenue Agency
      • Student Leaders: Jacksen Cole, Katie Harp, Camryn Ryan, Edna Zheng
      • Adviser: Betsy Meyer
    • 2024 Advertising & Business Individual Award Finalists
      • Video Advertisement Nominee: Staying IN Nature Advertisement, Matthew Borders, Colton Hendrix, The McKinley Avenue Agency
      • Audience Engagement Event Nominee: The Ball State Daily News: One Ball State Day, Olivia Ground
      • Social Media Campaign Nominee: Free Tacos Puerto Vallarta, Anne Grady, Katie Harp, The McKinley Avenue Agency
      • Best Advertising Representative Nominee: Edna Zheng, The McKinley Avenue Agency
  • The Ball State Speech Team has won the state championship for the 14th year in a row. Students placed as follows:
    • V. Ads
      • 1st Place: Marie Scudder
      • 2nd Place: Hayden Adams
      • 3rd Place: Katie Kois
    • V. Prose
      • 1st Place: Marie Scudder
      • 4th Place: Delaney Anderson
      • 5th Place: Mo Armor
      • 6th Place: Hayden Adams
    • Open Improv Duo
      • 1st Place: Hayden Adams and Ayden Foster
      • 3rd Place: Delaney Anderson and Ryan Nattress
      • 4th Place: Zoe Pointer and Mar Nester
    • N. Ads
      • 1st Place: Ayden Foster
      • 2nd Place: Joe Basso
    • V. Poetry
      • 1st Place: Jordan Denagall
      • 3rd Palce: Zoe Pointer
      • 4th Place: Autumn Baird
    • V. Crit
      • 1st Place: Zoe Pointer
      • 2nd Place: Mo Armor
      • 3rd Place: Hayden Adams
      • 4th Place: Ryan Nattress
    • N. Info
      • 1st Place: Mar Nester
    • V. Info
      • 1st Place: Zoe Pointer
      • 2nd Place: Mo Armor
      • 3rd Place: Hayden Adams
      • 5th Place: Jordan Denagall
    • V. Extemp
      • 1st Place: Zoe Pointer
      • 2nd Place: Evan Sanders
    • N. Persuasion
      • 1st Place: Mar Nester
    • N. Extemp
      • 1st Place: Mar Nester
      • 2nd Place: Joe Basso
    • V. Duo
      • 1st Place: Hayden Adams and Marie Scudder
      • 2nd Place: Marie Scudder and Autumn Baird
      • 4th Place: Delaney Anderson and Ryan Nattress
      • 5th Place: Delaney Anderson and Evan Sanders
    • O. Pecha Kucha
      • 1st Place: Marie Scudder
      • 6th Place: Jordan Denagall
    • N. POI:
      • 1st Place: Joe Basso
    • Scholarship In Communication:
      • 1st Place: Zoe Pointer
    • N. IMP
      • 1st: Joe Basso
      • 3rd: Ayden Foster
    • V. DI
      • 2nd Place: Autumn Baird
      • 3rd Place: Marie Scudder
      • 4th Place: Evan Sanders
      • 5th Place: Delaney Anderson
    • V. POI:
      • 2nd Place: Autumn Baird
      • 3rd Place: Delaney Anderson
      • 6th Place: Jordan Denagall
    • N. Poetry:
      • 2nd Place: Mar Nester
    • V. IMP:
      • 2nd Place: Evan Sanders
      • 3rd Place: Mo Armor
      • 4th Place: Zoe Pointer
    • V. Persuasion:
      • 2nd Place: Evan Sanders
      • 3rd Place: Mo Armor
      • 5th Place: Autumn Baird
      • 6th Place: Jordan Denagall

Faculty and Staff News

  • On Feb. 2, Ball State Public Media had a PBS Kids party at Maring Hunt Library
  • In February, Ball State Public Media also debuted a new Podcast: “Pop of Culture.” New episodes will air every Friday on the BSUPM App and Indiana Public Radio 92.1 FM.
  • Kate H. Elliott, lecturer of journalism in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication, received a faculty excellence award from the Ball State Panhellenic Council at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, in Pruis Hall. The award is part of The Last Lecture, during which Dr. Rebecca VanMeter-Brown, associate professor of marketing, will be speaking before the council. The council will recognize Elliott and three other educators for their “outstanding dedication to the development of Ball State students.”
  • Leo Caldwell, assistant lecturer of media design in the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication, was selected as an Office of Inclusive Excellence Faculty Fellow for the 2024-2025 academic year.
  • Ball State Public Media has begun working with Orchestra Indiana, Minnetrista, and Visit Muncie for a Musical celebration of the Eclipse on Sunday, April 7. There will be live coverage on radio and TV starting at 5 p.m.
  • George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor in the Department of Media Dr. Wes Gehring’s book “Kinds of American Film Comedy” was released this month. This is Dr. Gehring’s 42nd title and includes a forward by Dr. Ashley Donnelly.

Upcoming Events

  • Ball State’s 2024 employee engagement survey closes March 1. Each individual has received a unique but confidential link to the survey.
  • On Saturday, March 16, CCIM will participate in Ball State’s first Spring Preview Day 2024.
  • On Friday, March 22, CCIM will participate in Ball State’s Transfer Visit Day.
  • On Monday, March 25, CCIM will participate in Ball State’s Homeschool Student Recruitment event.
  • The inaugural CCIM Women in Media Summit will be held Wednesday, March 27. The summit will provide women working in or preparing to be part of the media industry with an opportunity to learn, reflect, and commit to a course of action to promote equity in their own lives and media. The link for registration will be published soon!