Community Enrichment Programs

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• 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. 

Sessions

Four Wednesdays, April 1-22
10-11:30 a.m.

April 1 - Genealogy 101

We 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

In this session, we will discuss census records, birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, land records, and etc., and the type of information that can be obtained from these forms.

April 15 – Organization

We will look at several different ways to organize all the information that we find as we work on our family tree.

April 22 – Software and Free Websites

We will have a quick look at three different software programs on the market as well as some of the free websites that are very helpful.  

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenter – Dr. Steve Ealy, Senior Fellow, Liberty Fund

George Orwell’s classic Nineteen Eighty-Four turned 70 last year, generating widespread reflection on its relevance today. Dr. Ealy will discuss the book's significance, including a comparison to the the ideas of Alexis De Tocqueville.

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.

Session

Tuesday, April 14, 10-11:15 a.m.
2-3:15 p.m.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenter – Dr. Hans Eicholz, Senior Fellow, Liberty Fund

A discussion of the relationship between two important thinkers (Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine) 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, 1^st edition.
• Odes to Mr. Paine, Author of "Rights of Man,” John Wolcot (pen name Peter Pindar), 1791, 1st edition.

Session

Thursday, March 19, 2020
2-3:15 p.m.

• cost – free
• reservations – REQUIRED

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.

Session

Thursday, February 27, 2020
6:30-8 p.m.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• 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 17^th  and Gharkey.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• 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 at 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.

Session

Wednesday, April 29, 2020
6:30-8 p.m.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• 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. 

Session

Tuesday, March 3, 2020
10-11:15 a.m.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• 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.

Session

April 7, 2020
10-11:15 a.m.

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

• Manifest der Kommunistischen Partei (Communist Manifesto), Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels, 1848, 2nd edition. 
• On Liberty, John Stuart Mill, 1859, 1st edition.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenter – 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.

Sessions

Dates/Times to be announced. You may register and we'll contact you, or you may call 765-285-8975 to inquire.

Topics Covered (two, 30-minute lectures per class):

Session 1: Treating Insect and Animal Bites, and The Missing Piece in an Emergency Diagnosis
Session 2: Healthy Paranoia in Emergency Medicine, and Fever: Friend or Foe
Session 3: Always Treat Pain, and An Ounce of Prevention
Session 4: The Big Picture in Emergency Medicine; and Is Exercise Good for Your Health?
Session 5: Stay Safe in the Emergency Department; and Emergency Medicine for Travelers
Session 6: Emergency Medicine Lessons from the Past; and Lessons from the Emergency Department

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenters – Joshua Gruver, Associate Professor of Environment, Geology, and Natural Resources, Ball State University; and Director of the 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. Come learn about some of the things we are doing to help create a sustainable regional food system.

Session

Tuesday, March 31, 2020
10-11:15 a.m.

• cost – free
• reservations – required

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 in the Department of History, Ball State University
• Courtney Jarrett, Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, Ball State University
• Rachael Smith, Assistant Lecturer of Women’s and Gender Studies, Ball State University
• Melissa Gentry, Supervisor, GIS Research and Map Collection, Ball State University Libraries

Session

Tuesday, March 17, 2020
10-11:30 a.m.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenter – Dr. Julie A. Goldsmith, Fellow, Institute for American Thought, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

It is not often that journalism makes it into the grand narrative of American history. Woodward and Bernstein, through their Watergate breaking news and coverage, not only inserted themselves into the story of political corruption going on in Washington, but have remained scions in the field of news reporting up through the present day.

Dr. Julie Goldsmith’s dual biography, Woodward & Bernstein: The People's Right To Know, details their lives and work, and their investigation of Watergate. The book presents new material based on her interviews with them, along with studies of their sources and papers. 

Book signing and reception to follow program. 

Session 

TBA - Call 765-285-8975 or e-mail us to inquire about the date.

• cost – $95
• instructor – Mario Tellez-Garcia, a native Spanish speaker and 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.

Session

Six Wednesdays
March 11-April 15, 2020
7-9 p.m.

• cost – $95
• instructor – Laura Shadoin, retired teacher, Muncie Community Schools

Instruction in finger spelling and basic conversation based on American Sign Language and signed English.

Session

Six Wednesdays
March 11 - April 15, 2020
7-9 p.m.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenter – Mrs. Shelly Gage, Human Resources & Accounting Specialist, Muncie Public Library; and long-time Magna cum Murder Crime Writing Festival volunteer

Shelly will share a short history on the “Baker Street Irregulars.” Then, she’ll take attendees through the story “The Adventure of the Copper Beeches,” sharing 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.

Session

Tuesday, March 13, 2020 
10-11:15 a.m.

• cost – free
• reservations - required
• 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.  

Session

Thursday, April 2, 2020
6:30-8 p.m.

• cost – free
• reservations – not required
• presenter – Mrs. Karen Vincent, Director of Special Projects, Minnetrista      

Dr. Lucius Lorenzo Ball was the eldest of the Ball brothers who received his medical degree from the University of Buffalo in 1889, at the age of forty. He moved to Muncie in 1894 and continued to practice  medicine in addition to being a shareholder and serving on the board for the Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company. Unlike his brothers who built new homes along Minnetrista Boulevard, Lucius purchased an existing home along the boulevard. Karen will share some interesting facts and fallacies about this home.

Session

Wednesday, February 5, 2020
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

• cost – free
• reservations – not required
• presenter – Dr. Frederick Suppe, Associate Professor - Celtic & Medieval History, Department of History, Ball State University

St. Patrick is not just some mythical figure or character devised to help sell cereal or candy. He really existed--although he wasn't Irish. We know about him because he wrote a sort of spiritual biography which tells us many details about his life. He was so important because of his missionary work in bringing Christianity to early medieval Ireland that many later stories about him exaggerated his exploits, including the myth that he evicted all snakes from Ireland.  will describe the amazing career of the real St. Patrick and answer questions about him and St. Patrick's Day.

Session

Tuesday, March 17, 2020
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

• cost – free
• reservations – not required
• presenter – Mr. Dane Starbuck, author, musician, and attorney-at-law

When Mr. Starbuck set out several years ago to write the biography of Pierre Goodrich, scion of one of Indiana’s most prominent twentieth-century families, he soon discovered that it was impossible to really understand Pierre Goodrich without also closely examining his family. Starbuck’s years of research culminated in “The Goodriches: An American Family.”  This work is a revealing window into the founding ideals of both Indiana and our country, and how our founders meant these ideals to be lived.

Session

Thursday, April 2, 2020
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

• cost – free
• reservations – not required
• presenters – Dr. James Connolly, George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of History; director, Center for Middletown Studies; and co-director, Digital Scholarship Lab; and Dr. Warren Vander Hill, Provost Emeritus, Ball State University

In 2019, the Center for Middletown Studies completed the Nonprofit Social Services in Muncie Oral History Project. It documented the evolution of these organizations in the context of the broad economic changes that have taken place locally. We completed 20 video interviews with leaders of nonprofit social service agencies that represent a cross section of the services provided locally, including programs addressing education, health care, hunger, addiction, and poverty.  Members of the project team will describe the origins of the project, the work completed, and some of the themes that emerged from these interviews.

Session

Monday, March 9, 2020
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

• cost – free
• reservations – not required
• presenter – Mrs. Shelly Gage, Human Resources & Accounting Specialist, Muncie Public Library; and long-time Magna cum Murder Crime Writing Festival volunteer

Shelly Gage will talk about notable people and events in Muncie during the Civil War.

Session

Wednesday, April 8, 2020
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

• cost – free
• reservations – not required
• presenter – Mr. Chris Flook, associate lecturer, Department of Telecommunications, Ball State University; and member, Delaware County Historical Society

Thirty mayors have held office in Muncie: 12 Democrats, 17 Republicans and one Whig. Only one has resigned: Rollin Havilla "Doc" Bunch. After receiving medical training, Bunch opened a Muncie practice in 1904. Politics was of deep interest, and in 1909, Bunch won a city council-at-large seat, running as a Democrat.  That was the beginning of his political career that was littered with corruption.

Session

Tuesday, May 5, 2020
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

• cost – free
• reservations – not required
• presenter – Mr. Rich Harris, director emeritus of disability services at Ball State University

Behind every great man…is his mother! Every president had a mother, but so much attention has been given to the First Ladies. Rich will introduce you to the intelligent, hard-worker mothers who felt their sons had all the right stuff!

Session

Wednesday, February 19, 2020
2-3 p.m.
Legacy Commons Event Hall, Westminster Village

• cost – $85
• reservations –required
• instructor – Mrs. Diana Ulloa-Contreras

This six-week course is an introduction to Spanish fundamentals, including basic grammar, common expressions and phrases, and social introductions.

Specialized vocabulary could be added based on the needs of the class.

Session

Six Tuesdays, June 2-July 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
John Jay Center for Learning

Register

Call 260-729-5525, ext. 221.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenter – Amy Bosworth, assistant teaching professor of history

Just over a century ago, a new technology revolutionized the way Americans lived, worked, fought, and played. The automobile, born out of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, continues to shape the United States at the beginning of the 21st century.  On April 7^th we will explore the emergence of the automobile in the United States and abroad, with emphasis on local Hoosier companies.  Recognizing our state as “The Racing Capital of the World,” we will also discuss the influential role of auto racing in the early automobile industry, both in Indiana and the country as a whole.

Session
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
6:30-8 p.m.
John Jay Center For Learning

Register

Call 260-729-5525, ext. 221.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenters –Mr. Jim Waechter, local military historian, and one of three founders of the Museum of the Soldier

Come hear Jim speak about the history of the flag and see some of the interesting flags in his collection.

Session

Tuesday, May 12, 2020
6:30-8 p.m.
John Jay Center for Learning

Register

Call 260-729-5525, ext. 221.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenters – Mr. Dean Monroe, author of  Glory Days – A History of Jay County High School Basketball Before the Patriots and Jay County Patriots From Aaron to Zych – The First 40 Basketball Seasons

Mr. Monroe will share great moments, funny stories, interesting facts, great teams, players and coaches from the nine high schools (Poling, Portland, Redkey, Pennville, Dunkirk, Madison Township, Gray, Bryant and JCHS) that represented high school basketball in Jay County through the years.

Sessions

Thursday, April 30, 2020
6:30-8 p.m.
Offered at the John Jay Center for Learning.

Register

Call 260-729-5525, ext. 221.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenters – Ms. Melissa Gentry, map collections assistant, GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC), University Libraries, Ball State University

This program will feature maps created by the Bracken Library Map Collection about some of the great champions, pioneers, and sports stories in Indiana history, including stories related to the state’s family volleyball dynasty, the world’s fastest racehorse, and legends and pioneers in sports like John Wooden, Bill Garrett, Judi Warren, Gregg Popovich, Ray Ewry, and even Wilma Rudolph.

Session

Tuesday, April 14, 2020
6:30-8 p.m.
John Jay Center for Learning

Register

Call 260-729-5525, ext. 221.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenter – Ms. Peggy Cenova, regional director, East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center (ECI-SBDC)
   

This program will help you understand the true power of branding. Includes explaining why people buy brands, how to identify your target customer, how to define the real value of your product or service,  and ways to use branding to increase your revenue.  The ECI-SBDC provides training and technical assistance to small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs at no cost. Located in the Innovation Connector in Muncie, ECI-SBDC serves Blackford, Delaware, Fayette, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union, and Wayne Counties. 

Session

Tuesday, May 5, 2020
6:30-8 p.m.
John Jay Center for Learning

Register

Call 260-729-5525, ext. 221.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenter – TBA      

The Auburn Automobile Company grew out of the Eckhart Carriage Company and was incorporated in 1903, by brothers Frank and Morris Eckhart. In that same year, the Auburn Automobile Company produced its first automobile for sale to the public. It was a single-cylinder, water-cooled, internal combustion gasoline engine producing about 6 horsepower. It sold for $1,450.00.  The presenter will discuss the history of the Auburn Automobile Company and its significance to the region.

Session

Thursday, April 23, 2020
6:30-8 p.m.
John Jay Center for Learning

Register

Call 260-729-5525, ext. 221.

• cost – free
• reservations – required
• presenter – Mr. Jonathan Ferris, County Extension Director, Wayne County Purdue Extension

Many wild animals in Indiana have become displaced as the result of urban growth and habitat loss. Species such as raccoons, opossums coyotes and red foxes are becoming more common in urban areas and are frequently seen by people. These animals can cause problems when they use a person’s attic for shelter, destroy shingles or eat garbage. Mr. Ferris will discuss how to prevent nuisance wildlife on your property and what to do if you encounter this problem.

Session

TBA
6:30-8 p.m.
John Jay Center for Learning

Register

Call 260-729-5525, ext. 221.