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SmallerBIOLOGIST SAYS CONTAMINATION A MAJOR SETBACK FOR RIVER: Indiana’s White River was on the road to good ecological health, but a recent contamination with toxic wastewater is a step backward. The mishap is a reminder of what can happen if an accident spoils a major waterway, said Tom Lauer, associate director of the Aquatic Biology and Fisheries Center. Contact him at tlauer@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8728.
RESEARCH TEAM TO EVALUATE PROJECT PRIME TIME: Ball State is conducting the first comprehensive study on the effectiveness of Indiana’s program to reduce class size in kindergarten through third-grade. One of the goals is to determine if smaller classes result in better student performance on standardized tests, including ISTEP, said Dan Lapsley, chair of the Department of Educational Psychology and project leader. Contact him at dlapsley@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8500.
COMEDY GENRE BOOK GIVES PARODY FILMS DUE RESPECT: Among film genres, parody is probably the least appreciated, but a new book by film professor Wes D. Gehring gives the genre its due. The thirteenth in a series on comedy films, "Parody as Film Genre: Never Give a Saga an Even Break" studies the history of parody in film and gives credit to the artists who use it well. Contact Gehring at wgehring@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1495.
ELVIS’S HOUND DOG CHANGED ROCK MUSIC: When Elvis Presley recorded the song ‘Hound Dog’ in the late 1950s, he transformed rock and roll music by making the genre overwhelmingly popular, says Richard Aquila, a rock and roll historian and host of a nationally syndicated rock music radio program. Presley’s tune tops his list of the 20 most historically important songs in rock’s first 20 years (1954-74). For more information, contact Aquila by e-mail at raquila@bsu.edu or by phone at (765) 285-8728.
PASTORS WANT TO DO MORE TO HELP MENTALLY ILL: Methodist church pastors understand mental illness and want to help those afflicted, but have relatively little experience with the disease. A survey of 1,031 pastors affiliated with the United Methodist Church in Indiana and Virginia found that the majority were not adequately prepared to help the mentally ill or their families, said David Perkins, a psychological science professor. Contact him at or dperkins@bsu.edu (765) 285-1715.
FACULTY, STUDENTS AGREE DIVERSITY IMPORTANT: College faculty and students agree that understanding diversity is important for success after graduation, according to a recent survey. The survey found that attitudes about diversity by faculty and students are similar, shows that students and faculty recognize the relationship between having diversity-related skills and knowledge, and being successful in the workplace, said Michael Stevenson, director of the Diversity Policy Institute that coordinated the study. Contact him at mstevens@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1695.
SURVEY SHOWS SENIORS PLEASED WITH COLLEGE EXPERIENCE: The old saying, "You can’t please all the people all the time," may be true, but Ball State comes close to pleasing all its graduating seniors. Survey results from nearly 1,000 seniors in last spring’s graduating class found that 96 percent held a very positive or positive attitude toward their college experience. Better still, 86 percent said they would recommend the university to someone who wanted to major in their field of study. For more information, contact Catherine Palomba at cpalomba@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1337.
TAX CUT APPEALS TO CONSERVATIVE VOTERS: A massive tax cut proposal by Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the leading Republican presidential candidate, is simple political posturing. Kevin Smith, a history professor, believes Bush's campaign promise appeals to his conservative supporters who think the primary objective of America’s tax policy is not a strong economy. Contact Smith at ksmith@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8722.
TEACHERS SHOULD EXPEL POKEMON: Pokemon cards have become such an obsession that they should be removed from the classroom. Teachers have a right to curtail anything that causes a distraction, said Lawrence Smith, an elementary education professor and former elementary school teacher. For more information, contact him at lsmith@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8564.
ASIAN UNIVERSITIES LACK ADEQUATE COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY: Universities in Asia are struggling to keep up with advances in computer technology. A survey of five universities in China, Japan and South Korea found that in many cases, computers are just being introduced into college classrooms, said Melody Alexander, who teaches business education and office administration. Contact her at malexand@bsu.edu or (765) 285-5239.
AQUATIC CENTER FIRST IN STATE: A new Biology and Fisheries Center is providing important field experience for students. The center provides more educational and research opportunities, said Tom McComish, center director and biology professor. Contact McComish at (765) 285-8845 or tmccomis@gw.bsu.edu.
JAIL POPULATIONS QUICKLY GROWING: America’s get tough attitude with criminals is filling community jails beyond capacity and costing taxpayers millions of dollars. A survey of several county jails in Indiana found that inmate population growth is outpacing available beds, said Steve Smith, a criminal justice professor. Contact him at jsmith2@bsu.edu or (765) 285-5102.
PROFESSOR HELPS STATE WIN NATIONAL AWARD: Geography professor Kevin Turcotte was on the team responsible for the Indiana State Department of Health receiving an award for innovative use of information technology. The National Association of State Information Resource Executives recognized the department for its development of a computer program for the Indiana Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Contact Turcotte at (765) 285-1774.
