Articles by Mike Rhodes

The view from our comfy movie-theater recliners. Photo by: Nancy Carlson

Carlson November 18, 2018

John Carlson: Movie-Going Is Looking Up

By: John Carlson— Back in my formative years, going to movies was not a big part of my life. This was because we were Baptists, very conservative Baptists. Supporting Hollywood and its lewd, sinful, lascivious ways was a no-no. Nevertheless, against all odds, I somehow managed to see two movies as a kid. One was “Sink the Bismarck.” The other was “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.” Beats me how this happened, but the screaming banshees in the latter made…

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Brian Stelter, chief media correspondent for CNN. Photo provided.

We Fly November 16, 2018

CNN’s Brian Stelter To Speak Nov. 27th At Pruis Hall

By: Sheryl Swingley— Muncie, Indiana—Brian Stelter, chief media correspondent for CNN, will speak at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, in Pruis Hall on the campus of Ball State University. His presentation is titled “Truthfully Reporting in the ‘Fake News’ Era.” The event is free and open to the public. Stelter, 33, is the anchor of “Reliable Sources,” which examines the week’s top media stories every Sunday at 11 a.m. on CNN. He also reports for CNN Business and writes a…

Maddie Clark (left) and Kaitlin Gavenda (right) walk together in front of Beneficence at Ball State University.

We Fly November 15, 2018

Students Driven To Solve Ecological Issues Awarded Coveted Scholarship

By: Ball State University Marketing and Communications— Muncie, Indiana – One Ball State University student wants to solve ecological issues by focusing on water systems while a classmate aspires to help protect the world’s endangered species. Their determination is being recognized with a major scholarship that will help them reach their goals. Ball State undergraduates Maddie Clark and Kaitlin Gavenda are in their senior year of college as winners of the prestigious Udall Scholarship, a $7,000 award that celebrates student…

Students in ENT 341 collaborate in the newly renovated TriPhase Tech Lab classroom. Photo courtesy of Ball State University

We Fly November 15, 2018

Ball State’s Entrepreneurship Program Ranked 12th Nationally

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, Indiana – Ball State University’s entrepreneurship program is the 12th best among undergraduates offerings in the nation, according to The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. The Princeton Review’s 13th annual survey names the 25 undergraduate and 25 graduate schools best for entrepreneurship studies. Ball State moved up from 20th last year. Since its formation in 1983, the Entrepreneurship Center has been a leader in entrepreneurial education — taking creative risks through evidence-based approach — and has been consistently…

Rhea Graham. Photo by: Emma Rogers

Non-Profit November 14, 2018

A Better Way and United Way-Breaking The Cycle Together

By: Juli Metzger— Muncie, Indiana—Brian and Rhea Graham have spent the last three years pushing aside personal demons and life’s roadblocks to become very public advocates for recovery and redemption. Both recovering addicts, they’ve done it even as they have faced the financial constrictions that keep them just shy of qualifying for federal assistance. They are what United Way calls ALICE, asset limited, income constrained but employed. Today, Rhea takes on one more role – as a spokesperson for A…

Entrance to Sam and Stella Stout Memorial Woods. Photo provided

Non-Profit November 14, 2018

Enjoy a Hike at Stout Memorial Woods on Black Friday

By: Julie Borgmann, executive director of Red-tail Land Conservancy— Muncie, IN—People often ask me, what is your favorite Red-tail property?  I honestly have to reply, it depends on the season and the mood I’m in.   When I visit Baskin Robbins, I always have to walk along the cooler before I choose which of the 33 flavors I want to eat. The same is true of planning a hike. What do I want to see, hear, smell, and feel? In late November as…

Jeff Howe, far left, receives a check from the presenting sponsors of 100 Men Who Cook for the Community Champions Fund in the amount of $90,002.77. Photo provided

Business November 14, 2018

Old National Bank Raises Over $90,000 At 100 Men Who Cook

By: David Huhnke— Muncie, Indiana—On November 3, Old National Bank held its annual 100 Men Who Cook event for the Community Champions Fund, which raised over $90,000. The Community Champions Fund will consider support to not-for-profits, civic, business, and government organizations to fund the development and delivery of innovative solutions, otherwise unavailable in our community, designed to make our community a safer place to live, work, and play. Since 2015, the Community Champions Fund has awarded over $320,000 to 36…

Linda Ryan, the first dance resident at PlySpace. Photo provided

Non-Profit November 13, 2018

PlySpace Resident Linda Ryan Offers Free Dance Workshop At Cornerstone Center for the Arts

By: Erin Williams, PlySpace Residency Coordinator— Muncie, Indiana—PlySpace, an artist-in-residence program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council, continues the Fall 2018 Residency Term with Resident Linda Ryan, who has collaborated with the Cornerstone Center for the Arts for free public workshops on dancing and movement with technology.  Her final workshop will be held this Saturday, November 17th, from 1:00 – 3:00 PM. Ryan, the first dance resident at PlySpace, joins the program from Upstate New York via Washington, DC. Since…

MCS Board Members. Back row,(L-R) Brittany Bales, James Williams, Keith O'Neal. Front row, (L-R) Dave Heeter, WaTasha Barnes Griffin, James Lowe. Not pictured: Mark Ervin. File photo

Education, Non-Profit November 13, 2018

Ball Brothers Foundation Awards Grants to Bolster Muncie Community Schools

By: Jud Fisher— Muncie, Indiana—Following the historic announcement earlier this year that Ball State University would take a leadership role in helping to transform Muncie Community Schools, BBF has awarded a $1 million grant to assist with these efforts. The grant was one of sixteen requests that received funding during Ball Brothers Foundation’s board meeting in October. Dollars from Ball Brothers Foundation will assist BSU and MCS in creating a long-term plan for the school corporation. Specifically, BBF funding will…

United Way Reading Club volunteer Nancy Carlson is beloved by students of all abilities and interests. Photo provided.

Non-Profit November 12, 2018

United Way Goal: Improve Third Grade Reading Comprehension Through Reading Clubs

By: Juli Metzger— Muncie, Indiana—By the time they get to the third grade, eight out of 10 children who grow up in low-income households cannot read at grade-level. In Delaware County, half the households are poor. In Muncie, it’s six out of 10. Improving that percentage among third-graders is the laser focus of the United Way of Delaware County, which funds 28 nonprofits working to change that statistic by 2024. “Reading is everything,” says Nancy Carlson, a retired Ball State…