It's Quiet. . . Too Quiet.

Not much has been happening with the WBA lately, well make that absolutely nothing.

The regular season, post-season, and all-star weekends have all come and passed. This year will have no more 3 point competitions, walks in the snow to Ball Gym or division rivals battling it out on Sunday afternoons. No, this has all been fun, but now it seems I, and everyone else involved in the West Side Basketball Association will be spending most of their Sundays on homework, contrary to playing basketball.

I look back on this season however as being educational, fun and nothing short of successful. We went out and accomplished our goal from the beginning of the season which was to do work and make the playoffs. We did just that this past season, and if I may say so myself, we also had a fun time doing it.

There will be a lot of memories that I can keep with me from this past season, but I will definitely be looking forward to the future with my head up, because next year brings yet another season in the WBA.

In Class - Site Observation @ Ball Gym

In this in class assignment I have been asked to comb through my site observations at Ball Gym, where we have played most of our games in the West Side Basketball Association league, and filter the information into several categories, including sights, sounds, tastes shapes, etc.

SIGHT
The first thing you really see when you get to Ball Gymnasium is the exterior of the building itself. It has an older, somewhat castle like appearance. It is also surrounded by other campus buildings, and the many varieties of trees that the North Quad has to offer. There are steps leading up to the many sets of doors of the main entrance. When you go through this double set of doors, you find yourself looking at an entry way comprised of two sets of stairs on the far left and right of the entrance that both go up, and one larger and more centralized set of stairs that takes you down a level in the building. To get to the gym itself, the easiest route is taking the set of stairs on the far right, and then going to the doors straight ahead of you, and slightly to the right when you reach the top. The gym itself has many windows, all of which have been rigged up with protection against flying sports equipment. The bleachers are a blue plastic material, and rather uncomfortable if you ask me. The interior walls are a light yellow colored brick, but very smooth. The gym floor is a light tan wood, with a blue circle at mid-court, with a large white “B,” for Burris Laboratory School, in the middle of it. The gym itself appears to be worn an torn in its days of operation.

SOUND
The sounds of Ball Gym itself are much like the sounds you can find in any other gym here at Ball State, or in a high school in another town. During a game day, the sounds can be more interesting. You can hear fans clapping and cheering on their favorite teams, a ball bouncing on the hardwood, and many pairs of shuffling and squeaking tennis shoes. Every once and a while you can hear the ball either striking the rim, or tickling the interior of the net, causing a swooshing sound to emulate throughout the gym. On a day when there are no games taking place, you can find the gym to be dimly lit, mostly from the outside light pouring into the gated windows, and very little, if any sound resonating throughout the gym’s interior.

SMELL
The smells can vary from game to game, and day to day even. On a game day, you might smell the players, with their efforts on the court producing body odors, such as sweat, and deodorant being pushed to its limits. You can also smell the guy sitting next to you, with too much cologne, or the girl rooting on her boyfriend who is on the court playing, with clearly a bit too much Bath and Body spray for anyone to handle. You might smell the snack that the person 2 rows back decided to bring along to that particular days game. It all depends on the specific day that you are in attendance.

I hope I have given everyone a better grasp on what your surroundings and senses would be like if you were to ever attend a game at or even visit Ball Gymnasium. I have tried my best with my notes and personal experience to bring what I have collected to life, so even without ever being there, you can live it as well.

Leaky roof leads to Relocation, which leads to Victory, which leads to a Playoff Berth.

Today brought a few disappointments, which fortunately led to excitement and celebration afterwards.

We were scheduled to play our last regular season game today at Ball Gymnasium at approximately 3 this past afternoon. Upon arriving at the game sight, the game prior to ours was delayed due to a puddle that apparently formed during game play. It was determined that the puddle had formed from an active roof leak in Ball Gym. After considering the options which included playing half court, until another leak was found on the opposite side of the basketball court, and rescheduling the games, which would have had negative consequences towards the “playoff scene, the officials and league organizers decided to relocate the remaining games for the day to Irving Gym number 2.

The game we were supposed to begin at 3 o’clock today just got underway at 3:40, but in the end Team OC pulled off a big win against division rival “Pritti Bois.” The last 5 minutes of the game was decided when Off Constantly went on a 10-0 run with 3 minutes to go. The final margin of victory was around 12 points, which also gave Elliott Hall’s only basketball team it’s first playoff berth in WBA basketball.

We play our first elimination game tomorrow at 4 o’clock in Ball Gym. (Hopefully they fixed the leaks…) If we win both playoff games tomorrow we will be in the championship game in Worthern Arena next weekend. The games will be the toughest that we have faced all season. Anyone is welcome to come support their favorite team, just come out to watch and waste away an afternoon free of charge. More updates and “Meet the Team” interviews will be coming soon.

Busy Weekend

This weekend is jam packed with WBA basketball. Today at 3 we are taking on the Pritti Bois in our last regular season game at Ball Gymnasium. This could also be our last game if we happen to lose. Winning today, is essential.

Our current record as of right now is 4-3. With a 5-3 record, playoffs are basically guaranteed, however, 4-4 is a completely different story. There is a possibility for a 3 way tie for 3rd place in our division, which is where the problem begins. Only the top 4 teams from the red and blue division move on to the playoffs, so somebody would have to end their season early. If we win, however, we could avoid this problem altogether and make life much more easy for everybody, so lets do work.

If indeed we do win this afternoon, playoffs begin early tomorrow. There will be a game on the hour, every hour. We will have to win 2 games tomorrow to make it to the championship game in Worthern Arena in a few weeks to come. This is the ultimate goal in our minds, well, at least mine.

Meet the Team: Inagural Intrerview

A new weekly blog I am going to start will be a special story on a specific player on Team OC. Each week, or even twice a week, I will pick a player and do a short interview on their backgrounds, hobbies, etc. This week I'll do something absolutely absurd, and interview myself.



Meet the Team: Brad T.J. Maushart (#33)
Age: 19
Height: 5'10"
High School: East Central H.S. - St. Leon, IN
Prior Basketball Experience: CYO Basketball for St.Martin-St.Paul in Yorkville, IN

Question number 1, "Give the readers a short description of your life from birth until now?"

Answer: "I was born in Indianapolis on August 24, 1989. I was adopted less than a month after birth and spent the last 19 years of my life in Guilford, IN. I graduated last year from East Central H.S. in St. Leon Indiana, home of the Trojans and 1500 students from 2 counties in south east Indiana. I began to love meteorology and everything with weather in the 2nd grade, and I continue to follow that dream currently here at Ball State, with my Major being Geog-Opt. 4 (Meteorology).

Question number 2, "What do you do for fun?"

Answer: "I love to meet new people. That's what is great about Ball State, there are some familiar faces you see, but there are always new people lurking right around the corner. I also enjoy going to sporting events and cheering on the fighting cardinals in whatever sport it may be. Parties, video games, and backyard volleyball are also on my list of fun activities."

Question number 3, "Why do you play basketball in the WBA for Off Constantly?"

Answer: "I love playing basketball and being part of a team, even though I'm not all that great. It gives me a healthy alternative to doing homework on a Sunday afternoon. Playing in the WBA has also allowed me to meet many new people here at Ball State and helped me keep my sexy figure."

That wraps up this basic interview, which was quite lame because it was myself, but nobody else was conveniently available. Thanks for reading.

You just can't beat Off Constantly!

A lot of things happened today at Ball Gymnasium, mostly for the better. Off Constantly entered the game ranked 4th in the blue division of the West Side Basketball Association with a record of 3-3. This record kept us teetering on the edge of making or being excluded from the playoffs.

Today Off Constantly played the Wilson 8, or 5 of the 8 anyway, today at 3pm in Ball Gym. With a hard fought effort and a record breaking amount of fans packing the stands, Off Constantly outplayed and out hustled the higher ranked team to improve their chances of competing in the playoffs in the coming weeks.

The crowd, I believe, helped us play to our maximum potential. With 3 of our players families in attendance, including my own, we blew away our old record of 5 people. Our total number of fans today was 15. Yes, that may seem like a very small amount, but our average, or any team’s attendance average for that matter, is somewhere between 0 and 5. All in all, more support I believe equals better game play.

With a final score of 53-38 in the favor or Team OC, our record moved to 4-3 with only one more game left before all-star weekend and the playoffs, things are looking great. Keep reading for updates in the coming months.

T-Minus: 24 Hours

In less than 24 hours now we will be playing in our second to last regular season game in the West Side Basketball Association intramural league. Currently we are still in the running for playoff contention so winning this game for us would be huge.

Our record from the past 6 games is split even at 3-3. We should have won some of the games we lost, but due to the lack of team attendance, we did not fare so well. Usually, when we have our full roster show up to play, we have played very well. I hope tomorrow’s roster shows up in full so we can continue this trend.

Tomorrow is another day, another game, and another chance to prove we have what it takes to compete in this league. Our current attendance record for fans stands at a measly 5 people. If we break that current record and win the game, we will have many reasons to celebrate.

Post Superbowl Shenanigans

Well, the Arizona Cardinals, like our basketball team lost on Sunday. The Cardinals lost this evening, and Off Constantly lost the weekend prior.
This post is basically just an update to the season and new findings in the team itself. We are still in playoff contention with our 4th place standing in our division. If we maintain that for the next two games, or even move up in the division standings we will secure a playoff spot this year.

With only two games remaining in our schedule, winning becomes essential. If the players on the roster show up to play in our last two games, we should have no problem with putting a “W” in the win column.

Updates will continue to come through the semester on the team, and more pictures will soon come available from the games themselves.
I’m up for any suggestions for what you would like to hear more about, and what you guys would like to see picture wise, other than the cheesy pictures of your’s truly.

Elliott Hall: A Brief History

Built in 1937, and first occupied in 1938, Elliott Hall was, and still is, nothing short of spectacular. Named after Frank Elliott Ball, who died in a plane crash near Finlay, OH, it was at first a male only dormitory. It was modeled exactly after the dormitories at Princeton University where Frank Elliott Ball furthered his education. It was not only a dormitory, but home to 3 Fraternities back in the day.

During World War II enrollment at Ball State dropped dramatically. For a short period of time it was converted to a co-ed dormitory for the first time. After the war, young males re-enrolled and Elliott Hall was once again an all male dormitory, housing 284 residents, in a building at was made for only 120. Elliott Annex was built to accommodate this large number of men, and was later deconstructed in 1960 when enrollment dropped back to below-average numbers.

Many believe that Elliott Hall is haunted, and for good reason. In 1947, Carl Schaumberg committed suicide by hanging himself from the 4th floor library rafters. He felt much pressure from his academics and recent horrible disfigurement while fighting in World War II. He felt somewhat shunned by even his friends, and upon returning from winter break, he gave his life.

In the 1960-1970 school year, Elliott Hall was closed. Upon returning the next year, students found Elliott Hall to be a co-ed and "senior only" dormitory. Students found that it was very competitive to recieve housing in Elliott, because you almost had to be on your last semester of classes, and have maintained a high GPA throughout your years at Ball State.

In 1975, the Haunted House tradition began. It's one that continues to this day. In 1985, the residents of Elliott Hall voted to declare the hall a "Nuclear Free Zone." This basically meant that no one should detinate, drop or cause injury or harm to any resident of Elliott Hall with a nuclear weapon. From 1997 until 2002, Elliott Hall was a 21 and over dorm only.

Currently there are approximately 120 students living in Elliott Hall. The first floor is split into two sides by a main foyer or great room that contains two working fireplaces, hardwood floors, and much class. One half of the first floor is occupied by women, and the other by men, all of which must be 21 and over. The second floor can be reached by either two outer staircases made of marble, or an interior spiral staircase. This floor has its own study lounge, kitchen, laundry room, and about 40 men. The third floor is occupied by 40 young women, and they also have their own kitchen, laundry room and study lounge. The 4th and final floor is more of an academic and recreational floor. There is a room with a pool table and television, which is perfect for a large group of friends watching a movie or to socialize. In the middle of the floor you can find a workout room with newly purchased equipment, and hopefully televisions sooner or later. The other side of the building contains a large study table and library.

Not a lot of Ball State Students get to experience living in a dormitory as nice and classy as Elliott Hall. It's the home of Off Constantly this year. Yes it does look slightly like a castle, our castle. It's a dorm rich with history and tradition, and I'm lucky that I got the chance to live here.

Brainstorming and Random Ideas for Paper Numero Uno

Locations: Elliott Hall, Ball Gym, The Bathroom on Floor 2, The Atrium, Noyer, The Lobby, etc...

People: Myself, Chip, Dave, Brennen, Nathan, Josh, Bob Saget, Maurice Harding, fans, etc...

Rituals: Tuesday "Unofficial" Practices, The Team Shower, Team Slang, Team Inside Jokes, Team Cookie, The Game Itself, etc...

Issues and Problems in the Subculture: Disagreements, Absences from Games, Technical Fouls, Paying for the Team Cookie, Shower Music CDs, etc...

Q: Reasons why I want to study this Subculture?
A: This is a very diverse group with all sorts of backgrounds, experience, majors, and future interests. Some people on the team played basketball in high school and one has played at the collegiate level, and many haven't had much experience at all. It is just a fun group to read about that people will hopefully find entertaining, humorous, and much more.

Over time I will venture further into these individual people, places and traditions to familiarize you and even make you feel as though you yourself are a part of our team.

No Longer a Blogging Virgin

Day Two of English 104 at Ball State University led me to create this Blog. It is a semester long assignment to help us broadcast our thoughts and ideas to not only the class, but whoever else wishes to take a gander. I have never blogged before, so bear with me... not bare with me, as I have found that means something completely irrelevant.

I narrowed down my list of possible subcultures that I would enjoy learning ore and writing about to 3 choices. Unfortunately in the process, I had to make some cuts, much the same as if I were the coach of a tee-ball team, yea there were tears but like the young children, it also made my list stronger... or that was the intention anyway. I made cuts including, but not limited to, Bikers, Nazis, Nudists, Swingers, Grumpy Elderly Nursing Home Residents, and Alcoholics. I figured most of these were not much fun for the whole family.

In the end, I decided to keep the following; My intramural basketball team "Off Constantly," Band Geeks, and Animal Activists. I quickly cut animal activists... and then there were two. It was down to "Off Constantly" and the Band Geeks. It would have ended in a stalemate if I had not come up with the ingenious idea of flipping a laundry quarter. This is because I had been in band all through high school and I love to play and spectate basketball events. I finally just tossed one of my quarters, twice, and two out of 3 times it landed on heads. This meant that "Off Constantly" would be my subculture choice for current and future writing projects.