81 Past Events at The E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

In 1945-46, Ball State University’s first mobile home court was constructed on the corner of Tillotson and Gilbert, along with three barracks-style buildings which the college converted into two-bedroom and one-bedroom apartments. These units were part of Ball State’s first accommodations for married students.  

In addition to providing housing for married students, these apartments also provided housing for some faculty members and their families. The duo will share information and photographs for this gone-but-not-forgotten housing.

Presenter: Ms. Jessica Jenkins, curator, Minnetrista

As the holidays approach, join Minnetrista curator, Jessica Jenkins, to explore some of the ways the Ball family and Ball Brothers Company celebrated the holiday season.  In addition to their own family gatherings, in 1925, the Ball Brothers went out of their way to pass on a little holiday cheer to their employees.  Hoping to make each feel like part of the company family, a special edition of Charles Dickens' famous work, A Christmas Carol, was designed and given to each employee.  Come bask in the holiday spirit and hear the story of how this one of a kind gift came to be

Presenter: Mr. Bruce Goldfarb, author of “18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics”   

Mr. Goldfarb will outline a story of a woman whose ambition and accomplishments far exceeded the expectations of her time. His recent book follows the transformation of a young, wealthy socialite into the mother of modern forensics.

Frances Glessner Lee was best known for creating the “Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death,” a series of dollhouses that appear charming―until you notice the macabre little details: an overturned chair, or a blood-spattered comforter. And then, of course, there are the bodies―splayed out on the floor, draped over chairs―clothed in garments that Lee lovingly knit with sewing pins. Lee developed a system that used the Nutshells dioramas to train law enforcement officers to investigate violent crimes, and her methods are still used today.

This documentary by Ted Green, Mika Brown, and WFYI, tells a story of an Auschwitz survivor’s fight to heal the world. As a 10-year-old "Mengele Twin," Eva Mozes Kor suffered the worst of the Holocaust. At 50, she helped launch the biggest manhunt in history. Into her 80s, after decades of pain and anger, she traveled the world to promote what her life journey taught: hope, healing, and humanity.  This special screening is sponsored by Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

Presenter: Mr. Ted Shideler, volunteer, Delaware County Historical Society.

It’s been more than forty years since Marhoefer Packing Company ceased its Muncie operation, leaving behind a 45-acre site on North Elm Street. Mr. Shideler will chart the company’s course from its humble roots as the Kuhner Packing Company through its expansion to one of the twelve largest meat packing companies in the nation and beyond. 

Course meets five Tuesdays: Mar. 10, Mar. 17, Apr. 7, Apr. 21, May 5, and one Monday: Mar. 30.

Facilitator: Dr. Jan Kornilow, EMS medical director, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital

This DVD series, produced by The Great Courses, gives you the chance to experience first-hand the drama, scientific detective work, and medical insights in an everyday emergency department. Presented by board-certified physician and educator Dr. Roy Benaroch of Emory University’s School of Medicine, the lectures are a introduction to emergency medicine and the emergency department educational experiences of medical students around the world.

The sessions allow you to “shadow” Dr. Benaroch on his shifts, and sometimes even venture off-site, you’ll encounter patients coming in with a variety of symptoms and complaints—some of which are easily diagnosed and treated, and some of which are more life-threatening than they first appear. By the end of this program, you’ll have a stronger knowledge of, and greater respect for, emergency medicine and the brave doctors who practice it. You may attend Part 2 without having attended Part 1.

Course meets six Wednesdays, March 11 - April 15. 

Instructor: Mr. Mario Tellez-Garcia, experienced translator, interpreter, and language instructor for both corporate clients and not-for-profit organizations

For adults with no previous instruction in Spanish or for those who wish to brush up on their skills in conversational Spanish at a beginning level.

Presenter: Mrs. Shelly Gage, human resources & accounting specialist, Muncie Public Library; and long-time Magna cum Murder Crime Writing Festival volunteer

In addition to sharing a short history about the “Baker Street Irregulars,” Shelly will discuss “The Adventure of the Copper Beeches,” one of the 56 Sherlock Holmes short stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, providing the various analyses that Sherlockians have made of the story through the years. Attendees are strongly encouraged to read the story (or watch the Granada version with Jeremy Brett) prior to the session.

This program will feature maps, historic photographs, newspaper articles, and even diary entries related to some of the interesting locations that helped shape the history of women in Muncie and east central Indiana, including churches, opera houses, bars, and specific residences of impact.  You’ll hear stories from the following panelists:

· Sara McKinley, local history and genealogy supervisor, Muncie Public Library

· Sarah Allison, head of archives user engagement, Ball State University Libraries

· Emily Johnson, assistant professor, Department of History, Ball State University

· Courtney Jarrett, professor, Women’s and Gender Studies, Ball State University

· Rachael Smith, assistant lecturer, Women’s and Gender Studies, Ball State University

· Melissa Gentry, supervisor, GIS Research and Map Collection, Ball State University Libraries

Presenter: Dr. Hans Eicholz, senior fellow, Liberty Fund

A discussion of the relationship between two important thinkers whose books shaped the American experience.

Relevant books on exhibit at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center:

Reflections on the Revolution in France, and on the Proceedings in Certain Societies in London Relative to that Event. In a Letter Intended to Have Been Sent to a Gentleman in Paris, Edmund Burke, 1790, 1st edition.
Rights of Man: Being an Answer to Mr. Burke’s Attack on the French Revolution, Thomas Paine, 1791, 1st edition.
Odes to Mr. Paine, Author of "Rights of Man,” John Wolcot (pen name Peter Pindar), 1791, 1st edition.

Presenter: Dr. Joshua Gruver, associate professor of environment, geology, and natural resources, Ball State University; and director, Muncie Food Hub Partnership

Diminishing food resources and unsustainable food production practices are looming global crises despite technology increasing production on arable land. Climate change and drought in California will severely limit the fruits, vegetables, and nuts available nationwide. Although Indiana is an agricultural state, nearly 90% of food consumed here is grown elsewhere. States and regions increasingly will need to diversify food production and supply mechanisms to replace this loss.
The Muncie Food Hub Partnership (MFHP) seeks to nourish and strengthen our community through the robust exchange of fresh and affordable local food. MFHP manifests that investment in East Central Indiana food production through business development, education, and civic engagement. You’ll learn about some of the things MFHP is doing to help create a sustainable regional food system.

Course meets four Wednesdays, April 1-22.

Instructor: Mrs. Karen Good, board member and chair of Ancestor Hunters, Delaware County Historical Society; and the Indiana County Genealogist for Delaware County

Tracing your roots is a way to document history and family information that you can pass along to future generations. With many resources available online, genealogy is becoming popular and easier to accomplish. Class is for those will little or no previous knowledge of genealogy.

Topics covered each session:
April 1 —Genealogy 101
Will focus on general standards (i.e., how genealogist write dates among other things) and discuss how to get started with your family tree.

April 8 —Forms and Documents
Will discuss census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, land records, and etc., as well as the type of information that can be obtained from these forms.

April 15 —Organization
Will examine several different ways to organize all the information that you find.

April 22 —Software and Free Websites
Will take a look at three different software programs on the market as well as some of the free websites available to help you

Presenter: Ms. Lisa Jarrell, head of education, music and media, University Libraries, Ball State University

Lisa will provide an overview of TeachingBooks, an authoritative online database of resources about books for students in grades   7-12. Content includes information about fiction and non-fiction books, authors, and illustrators. The collection also includes short movies, audio book readings and book discussion guides to help teachers increase student engagement.

Presenter: Dr. Peter Mentzel, senior fellow, Liberty Fund

Both Karl Marx and John Stuart Mill saw freedom as a means to realize individual potential and self-determination. However, both differed on the concept of freedom realization and the impediments to freedom. Nonetheless, there are several commonalities between the two philosophers, and this will be the topic of Dr. Menzel's presentation.

Presenter: Dr. Steve Ealy, senior fellow, Liberty Fund

Nineteen Eighty-Four was published in the early days of the Soviet Union's consolidation of its empire behind the Iron Curtain, and was read by many as simply an attack on Stalin and his repressive state. Is there anything more to it than that? In 1986 the literary critic Harold Bloom denied that it was great literature but still concluded, "The book remains momentous; perhaps it always will be so." He continued, "There is nothing intrinsic to the book that will determine its future importance. Its very genre will be established by political, social, economic events. Is it satire or science fiction or dystopia or counter manifesto?" My remarks will reflect on how contemporary events and trends relate to Orwell's story, and discuss the light that Orwell's created world of Oceana throws on our own political and social reality.

Relevant books on exhibit at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center:

· Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell, 1949, 1st American edition.

· Democracy in America, Alexis De Tocqueville, 1841, 1st complete edition.

Presenter: Mr. Larry Campbell, railroad enthusiast

The gas boom in Delaware County led to rapid industrial growth, which in turn, attracted railroads. The first railroad line in Delaware County was completed through Muncie in 1852. By 1902, six intercity railroads, a local industrial railroad, and a belt-switching railroad served Muncie.

Larry developed an interest in railroads when he was a child. He rode a steam engine to school for the first year and a half before they switched to diesel and stopped using the old roundhouse at 17th and Gharkey.

Cardinal Project. 

Have fun stitching a stunning cardinal for yourself or a friend. This project, an 8 inch x 10 inch piece, can be finished into a pillow or a framed picture. It is a project for either a beginning stitcher or an experienced stitcher. The project can be completed using just one stitch and shading of colors, or it can be stitched using different stitches with the stitcher choosing how many different stitches to use in the project.

Presenters: Ms. Rebecca Torsell, archivist for Architectural Records at Ball State University’s Drawings and Documents Archive, and Ms. Sara McKinley, local history and genealogy supervisor, Muncie Public Library

House History 101 will teach you the steps for researching the history of your home. You’ll learn basic research methods for discovering the date of construction, ownership, occupancy, and more.

The beautiful stained glass windows in the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center inspired this class. The completed project will be a lovely stained glass window with a flower in it that can be finished into a pillow or a framed picture. A beginning needlepointer can do this project using a basic needlepoint stitch. The experienced stitcher will enjoy experimenting with different stitches to choose from for completing this project. A special fiber will be included in this class to use as the stained glass part of the project.

The beautiful stained glass windows in the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center inspired this class. The completed project will be a lovely stained glass window with a flower in it that can be finished into a pillow or a framed picture. A beginning needlepointer can do this project using a basic needlepoint stitch. The experienced stitcher will enjoy experimenting with different stitches to choose from for completing this project. A special fiber will be included in this class to use as the stained glass part of the project.