By: Sidney Miller
Over its 159 years of existence, Muncie and its past have been full of personality, although this may not always be known and shared.
“I think one of the biggest things people don’t know is how many people are working hard behind the scenes, inside of government, outside of government, to improve their community,” says Amber Greene, Director of Communications for Muncie and long-time resident.
Many factors play a role in how a city is perceived. As the home to Ball State University, many students and adults seeking employment join the Muncie community each year.
Where, how, and if any research on the city varies and can produce different results, possibly causing prospective residents to develop a prejudice against the city. Like any other place, Muncie is complex and requires more than a shallow glance to understand its culture and history.
“It’s got its pros and cons like every city,” says a lifelong Muncie and Ball State student resident, Daniel Harris. “I like it. It’s small; everybody knows each other.”
With his family and whole life in Muncie, Daniel feels that it is not as bad as others from different cities may feel. He advises new residents to wait and adjust.
“Once you get used to it, I think you’ll like it slightly,” says Daniel.
Muncie was established and introduced into Delaware County in 1865. Quickly after its establishment, the city became a popular location for factories and manufacturing companies. The most notable of these is the glass factory of the Ball Corporation. The Ball Brothers, who created the company, later donated money that led to the creation of Ball State.
Despite this quick start to Muncie’s development, it slowed down when many manufacturing companies and factories shut down their operations in the city. According to Delaware County, many factories shut down or relocated between 2001 and 2011.
These years of change in the community do not define the city, and many changes will happen as time goes on. Multiple committees and city officials, such as the Muncie Redevelopment Commission, are working to improve the area. As features such as social media are added to the area, new methods of sharing these features are being implemented.
With official Facebook and X accounts, the city shares updates on new developments and important news for residents. Many people trust social media to give them daily news. According to the Pew Research Center, 38% of Americans aged 18 to 29 and 40% aged 30-39 regularly get their news from Facebook.
Along with the city’s official social media accounts and Ball State Affiliates, other accounts, such as the Barstool Ball State accounts, post about Muncie. This means unfortunate or out-of-the-ordinary events and people around the city become a focus. Many videos that have gained traction on the internet have been of “Mocals,” meaning Muncie locals, doing or saying certain things in public.
“You’re going to find what you’re looking for,” says Greene, “If you’re looking for negative things, you’re going to find them … if you want to convince yourself that it’s a cool place to be, you’ll find that.”
In late June, a video of a woman dancing on the street was posted on Instagram, gaining over 16 thousand likes. Under the video, there were multiple comments connecting her behavior with drugs. With a focus on the unusual or negative aspects of the city, redevelopment, and efforts to better the community can often be overlooked.
“A lot of people were like, ‘Why are you going to the middle of Indiana for college?’ They’re very, very perplexed,” says Ball State student Natalie Warren.
Originally from Seattle, Natalie mentally prepared herself for the switch from her hometown to Muncie. After spending a few weeks as a student, she was pleasantly surprised at the city’s complexities.
“I was surprised that Muncie had a pride festival. I could go, which is cool, but I didn’t expect that to be the case,” says Natalie. “I liked the downtown part of Muncie, the cute stuff with all the cute shops.”
As reported by the City of Muncie, recent projects include 1,000 Trees in 1,000 Days, which helped plant more healthy trees to offset the number of dead trees that needed removal. After completing this project in late 2023, the city was given a federal grant to continue this project for multiple years throughout Muncie neighborhoods.
Since 2023, there has been continued construction of a new 73,000-square-foot YMCA as a replacement for the two original locations. Near Muncie Central High School, the organization and city plan for programs to encourage physical and academic success for students and their families.
In February 2024, the city was approved to construct a new 15,000-square-foot skate park in Westside Park. Multiple features, such as a bike and skate repair section and an art wall, exhibit the city’s dedication to improving the community.
“We’ve added multiple pickleball courts, really upping that quality of place and quality of life, which helps to focus on the residents that we currently have and then also helps to add interesting things for residents we’re seeking,” says Greene.
While everyone will still have their own opinions about Muncie, it is important to acknowledge the work and progress in the community. Seeing the city differently and being open-minded allows for discoveries and unexpected threats.
http://www.muncieneighborhoods.org/2024/08/07/want-to-know-more-about-the-new-ymca-building/
https://www.muncie.in.gov/department/index.php?structureid=100
https://www.muncie.in.gov/egov/apps/document/center.egov?view=detail&id=2277
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8finSVPltb/?igsh=OWZqazlkcXhsbzdj
https://www.downtownmuncie.org
https://www.muncie.in.gov/community
https://otter.ai/u/upzLNp05u4Q33J6NzS9nX42J14k