PR MAJORS
ALEX BODEM
PUBLIC RELATIONS
KOKOMO, IND.
Like most people, water has been very important to me. For my entire life, my parents have urged my brother and me to drink mostly water. We were both athletes, and my parents knew that water was important for us to keep hydrated. I played numerous sports throughout my life. I studied ballet and other dance forms for 20 years and played volleyball for 10 years and played baseball for eight years. Along with those, I also participated in basketball, tennis, swimming, gymnastics and cheerleading. And before my parents took me to practice, they would make me drink a glass of water, and I would have to do the same thing when practice was over. My parents would also fill up reusable Gatorade water bottles with water for me to take to practice.
My parents made sure that water was something of importance to me, and to this day, it is. I still drink mostly water every day.
I didn’t think of water scarcity as a problem until about my senior year of high school when a teacher of mine was teaching our class about it. This teacher got his information from the Natural Resource Defense Council and made sure that we were educated about what was going on. Ever since then, I have done what I can to conserve water.
When I was told that this immersive learning course was going to revolve around water sustainability, I knew I had to get involved. It wasn’t until classes started that I learned how serious this water problem actually is. And after learning what we have already, it only makes me want to get more involved.
SAM CRONE
PUBLIC RELATIONS
PERU, IND.
My journey to living sustainably began when I moved away from my family and came to college. Before then, I didn’t fully understand the negative impact or footprint I was making on Earth. Reality struck when I realized how quickly I was filling my trash bin. So, I started to recycle. Next, I received my first electric bill showing that I used thousands of kilowatts of energy. To lower the bill I started unplugging vacant appliances and turning off the lights when I left a room. The biggest shocker came as a water bill. The house I grew up in had its own well; I thought water was always free. But according to Muncie Sanitary District, I used hundreds of gallons of water, and I owed quite a bit of money for it. To save money, I was more conscious on my water use.
Admittedly, my devotion to sustaining resources wavered according to its convenience and it all led back to money. Since I have worked with Sustainable Water I have learned more about water and energy. Being “green” has become an issue greater than money; it has become an issue of scarcity.
Many people believe that fresh, clean water is infinite; I used to be a victim on this belief. We must be better-educated consumers. A change in my mindset has been a journey, and it will be for everyone else, but I'm excited to inform people. Through the duration of this class and beyond, it is my mission to help others understand the importance of sustainability as a whole and to give back to Earth what we take from it.
MOLLY ELDER
PUBLIC RELATIONS
SANTA CLAUS, IND.
I grew up in southern Indiana along the Ohio River. I’ve spent countless days on the river with my family and friends basking in the sun and playing in the water. I will never forget all the memories I’ve made on my family’s boat throughout my childhood summers.
The Ohio River is especially important because it’s home to me. Every time I drive home and see the river, I know I am that much closer to my family.
This immersive learning course intrigues me because I can’t imagine my life without the Ohio River and all the fun times and memories I’ve made because of it. Water is such an important factor in our lives. It is a resource that is undervalued and too easily taken for granted. It’s important to me to be resourceful with what we have because, although this liquid gold is readily available now, it won’t always be.
It is urgent and important to spread awareness because water is involved in every aspect of our lives. Not only does it create fun memories and good times, it’s absolutely necessary for us to stay alive.
ALLISON GELHAUS
PUBLIC RELATIONS
UNION CITY, IND.
At my high school, Union City Community High School it was one of the first schools in Indiana to use solar panels and a small wind turbine to help power electricity in the school. Through my environmental science class, I was given the opportunity to learn about sewage treatment, wind power and solar power.
Deciding to take this immersive learning class was an easy decision for me because it combined two things I truly care about, sustainability and public relations. Through this course, I hope to raise awareness about the growing need for water sustainability, as well as informing the Ball State student population about BlueHouses, and other alternatives to lessen their uses of water."
MARISSA JACKSON
PUBLIC RELATIONS
INDIANAPOLIS
Water has been good to me. My beverage of choice and the main attraction at any beach, water has always been abundant in my life. But it is so much more than a means to quench our thirst. It’s a lifeline. One that I didn’t fully appreciate until taking this course. I had thought about my impact on the environment and practiced some eco-friendly actions, but did not realize the severity of our planet’s water crisis and how I could take part. Water is scarcer than anyone can imagine and the time to take action is now.
Now that I am more informed of the state of water, I am keenly aware of my own water consumption and conservation. Not only am I interested in my personal use of water, I also want to be apart of the global change in terms of use of potable water and new infrastructures.
The American use of water is a stark contrast compared to that of African countries. Seeing the difference is enough to make anyone feel like a glutton. We live in a throwaway society, one in which people do not think about the repercussions of their smallest actions. My hope is to make that gap smaller. If we can help others see just how excessively we live as a society and the damage it does, it could promote the conscientiousness necessary for the cause. If we can provoke change in at least one person’s mind, it could be the spark to global change.
HAYLEY WOLF
PUBLIC RELATIONS
LAFAYETTE, IND.
My freshman year, I haphazardly enrolled in an NREM (natural resources and environmental management) class. I chose this course because my adviser at orientation told me it was about recycling and water and stuff. It sounded more interesting than regular biology and it wasn’t at 8 a.m. Little did I know that this class would affect my lifestyle, my career aspirations and my personal values more than any other class I’ve taken at BSU.
My NREM 101 class introduced me to global environmental issues and the concept of sustainability. When I was growing up, my dad worked at a paper recycling plant, so we always recycled. I thought that was enough. It wasn’t until this class that I began to realize the impact we all have on our planet and what we can do to alleviate this impact. I have become a borderline-obsessive “green freak”.
When I graduate, I want to work for an organization or company whose work is something I truly care about. It is my dream to be a “professional advocate” for something that I care deeply about. Caring for the environment is one of my passions, and I would love to work for an environmental agency or a group that does conservation work.
This immersive learning class was the perfect opportunity for me to hone my public relations skills, get class credit, build my portfolio and work on a project I am truly passionate about. Water affects everyone. The need to conserve and reuse water is something many people do not think about in their daily lives, and I hope that this project will help change people’s perspectives and behaviors regarding water.
SAMANTHA SIMMONS
PUBLIC RELATIONS
MUNSTER, IND.
Growing up, I clearly remember my father always telling me to quit letting the water run while brushing my teeth or doing dishes. I never really questioned him why, especially since there seemed to be an infinite amount available in our home. Eventually, “don’t let the water run” became my mantra too, and I’m glad it did.
As it turns out, water is not an infinite source. As Americans, we use more water on a daily basis than any other country and much of it ends up down the drain. Within the next 15 years, scientists are predicting that nearly half of the world will be living in water-stressed areas, and that includes our own country, America.
After all this time, it looks like my dad was really onto something and was teaching me the small steps for conservation that everyone should grow up with. Through this immersive learning project, I’ve developed an extensive interest in pursuing communications for green technology after college. Crises in water scarcity and our stressed environment are making news, but aren’t getting the attention of U.S citizens.
I hope to continue my research and campaigning for sustainability and environmentalism, or my favorite alternative, “responsible citizenship” during my career in the public relations field. We need more than just the simple steps for conservation, and we need to turn the facts into action. 2030 will be here before we know it, and the action is needed now to ensure that ourselves and our future generations will have safe, clean access to our life source: water.