Indiana, the Crossroads of America. This nickname was designated to the state of Indiana, as many major Interstate highways intersect here. If you travel these Interstates, be it to get from one state to another or simply traveling from one small Indiana town to another, your drive is likely to consist of driving along cornfield after cornfield. However, if you are lucky enough, you might pass by one of the Indiana’s uniquely distinguished schools. Indiana University, Purdue University, Ball State University, Butler University, and the University of Notre Dame are amongst the most well-known universities in Indiana. Here are some special features you might come across when passing through these cornfield colleges.
Indiana University – IUDM
Indiana University Dance Marathon (IUDM) began as a small fundraiser in memory of Ryan White, an Indiana native who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the 1980s. Over the last 25 years, IUDM has grown to become the second largest student-run philanthropy in the nation, making it an integral part of IU and its Bloomington campus. Over 1,200 students work year-round to raise funds and awareness for Riley Children’s Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana. The event itself is comprised of a 36-hour dance marathon in late October, during which student volunteers, fundraisers, and participants must remain awake and on their feet FTK (For The Kids). This display embodies IUDM’s slogan, “standing for those who can’t.” At the end of the 36-hour endeavor, the fundraising total is revealed in epic fashion, as shown below. This past school year, IUDM raised $3,206,340.22 FTK and hopes to surpass this incredible feat this upcoming school year. You can contribute to the IUDM 2015 by following this link: http://donate.rileykids.org/site/TR?fr_id=2191&pg=entry. There is no denying that IUDM is something all Hoosiers can be proud of.
Purdue University – Prestigious Program
How many schools in the United States can say that they have three distinct undergraduate programs that are nationally recognized (No, the Ivy League schools don’t count. That’s just not fair)? Now add to that equation that this school is located in Indiana. Most people would be baffled. Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, boasts this particular bragging right. Purdue’s engineering, veterinary, and pharmacy programs are all ranked among the top in their class on a plethora of different ranking platforms. The Boilermakers certainly make more than just boilers in their esteemed College of Engineering, which was recently ranked the ninth best overall engineering program in nation by the U.S. News and World Report rankings. As if that isn’t convincing enough, Neil Armstrong, the first man to step foot on the moon attended the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, within Purdue’s College of Engineering. The U.S. News and World Report ranks the pharmacy and veterinary programs at Purdue University 7th and 14th respectively. Not to mention, Purdue is the only school in the state of Indiana that one can obtain a PhD in veterinary medicine and one of three universities in Indiana that offers a doctor of pharmacy degree. To say that Purdue offers some prestigious programs would be quite the understatement.
Ball State University – Letterman’s Legacy
Located in Muncie, Ball State University is the third-largest undergraduate university in Indiana, following Indiana University and Purdue University and is often overshadowed by these distinguished schools. However, Ball State is a powerhouse in its own right. Many people are surprised to find out that David Letterman – former comedian, writer, producer, actor, and host of "Late Night with David Letterman" and "The Late Show with David Letterman" – graduated from Ball State in 1969. As Letterman’s fame increased, so too did Ball State’s College of Communication, Information, and Media. In fact, Ball State has skyrocketed in the rankings of communication degrees in the Midwest and is even recognized nationally. Letterman is an extraordinary Ball State alumnus, who gives back thousands each year, through the Letterman Telecommunications Scholarship. To honor his ever-present commitment to his alma mater, Ball State named their cutting-edge communications complex after him. The David Letterman Communication and Media Building, or, as the students call it, the Letterman Building, contains some of the same equipment as top production and film studios in Hollywood and New York. Thanks to Letterman, Ball State produces some of the top communication and media students in the state and in the nation. Needless to say, Letterman left a legacy.
Butler University – Butler Basketball
With an undergraduate enrollment of just over 4,000 students, Butler University can be accurately described as a small school in a big city. This private university, located just outside of Indianapolis, remained relatively unknown to non-Hoosiers until their rise to NCAA Men’s Basketball fame. Since 1997, the Butler University Men’s Basketball team has competing in the post-season tournament all but three years (2004, 2005, 2014). To Duke or University of Kentucky fans, this fragmented streak might seem like nothing. However, Butler is not able to pour near as much funding into their athletics as these much larger institutions. Despite this, Butler fought its way through the NCAA tournament, and earned a spot in the championship game successive years in 2010 and 2011, making them the smallest school to play for a national championship since the tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 1985. So the Bulldogs have yet to win an NCAA Championship title, but that does not stop Hinkle Fieldhouse – home to Butler Basketball and the filming location for the famous basketball film "Hoosiers" – from being filled with an electric crowd all winter long. Basketball brought Butler into the national spotlight, but upon further inspection, the university speaks for itself, giving Indiana natives yet another school to brag about.
University of Notre Dame – All-Star Alumni
Located in in South Bend, the University of Notre Dame is Indiana’s most the well-known private institution. Notre Dame has a rich history in collegiate athletics, especially their football team, which has won 11 National Championships. Perhaps the only clique at Notre Dame that is more impressive than the Fighting Irish Football Team is their lineup of all-star alumni. Condoleezza Rice, best known as the first African-American female to serve as United States Secretary of State, obtained a master’s degree in political science form the University of Notre Dame in 1975. Rice also served as President Bush’s National Security Advisor, making her the first woman to hold that title. Another notable Notre Dame alum is Regis Philbin, the famous talk and game show host, who graduated in 1953 with a sociology degree. Philbin is best known by our generation as the co-host of "Live! With Regis and Kelly," but he also happens to hold the Guinness World Record for most time spent in front of a television camera. Rounding out the roster is Nicholas Sparks, the writer of "The Notebook" and a multitude of other novels-turned-films. Sparks attended the University of Notre Dame on a full-ride scholarship for track and field and graduated in 1988 with a degree in business finance. Neither of these facts would foreshadow Sparks becoming one of the most celebrated writers of our time, but that is what makes the University Notre Dame’s alumni so notable. They break down barriers; they shatter world records; and they force us to expect the unexpected. On top of all that, they make us Hoosiers proud that such extraordinary people come from a cornfield college
I think it’s safe to say that these universities are more diverse than the cornfields between which they were built. Indiana schools are certainly diamonds in the cornfield – I mean, in the rough.
