Conclusions and reflections

Connor Russell

Connor learned how to analyze survey data and then turn that data into an argument about the village revitalization. He ended up doing a lot of analyzation of quantitative data to contribute to this project and believed this project to be an educational and purposeful learning experience. He was apart of the teacher-scholar project in 2024 that previously worked through this research subject. In his teach-scholar, he worked through survey data and analyzed it into salience to find the most common word or place used to describe the village.

Ashley Stockall

While creating the zines, Ashley learned how to communicate complex anthropological ideas and research in accessible, creative, and participatory ways. Through zine-making, Ashley learned to ethically and accurately represent diverse voices and experiences, challenging dominant narratives and stereotypes about marginalized communities

Khloe Williams

As she worked on creating zines, Khloe noted that the process taught her more than just crafting skills. She discovered the meaning of teamwork as her group took concepts from class and creatively applied them to their projects. Khloe found the collaborative effort, though both enjoyable and challenging, to be a significant departure from her usual solitary work environment. She observed that this immersive learning experience was unique, emphasizing the need for personal accountability and diligence to keep pace.

Paige Otto

While participating in this immersive learning course, Paige learned and grew many skills, including small-team leadership, data analysis, and graphic design. They also had major experiences with learning and understanding the intricacies of urban ecosystems, especially those that are conjoined with a university.

Adrienne Baker

One of the biggest takeaways for me was recognizing how disconnected many people feel from the places where they live. This project reinforced the idea that a strong sense of place does not happen by chance—it requires intentional placemaking and ongoing community building. Infrastructure upgrades or aesthetic improvements alone are not enough to create a true connection to one’s surroundings. In my work in planning and preservation, I have seen firsthand how design goes beyond mere functionality; it has the power to shape how people engage with and relate to the spaces they call home.

The concept of a third place—public spaces beyond home and work where people can gather and build community—feels especially important. Without venues for informal social interaction, residents struggle to form lasting ties to their neighborhoods. Creating these spaces requires a collective effort that values lived experience alongside physical development, ensuring that everyone feels a true sense of ownership and belonging. If inclusion is not prioritized, improvements risk fueling gentrification, displacing long-term residents, and weakening the community bonds we aim to strengthen. Reconnecting people to the places they live in is key to grassroots planning, laying the foundation for cities and neighborhoods that residents are committed to sustaining, investing in, and belonging to overtime.

June Adenodi

Throughout the semester, June was a member of the zines group, where he explored creative ways to present anthropological research in an accessible and visually appealing format. Working on the zines gave June the opportunity to merge academic ideas with artistic design, helping to make complex concepts more understandable for a broader audience. He found that collaborating with his group required strong communication and adaptability, as everyone brought different perspectives and strengths to the table. This experience challenged June to think critically about how to represent diverse voices ethically and responsibly. Overall, June valued the hands-on nature of the project, which not only deepened his understanding of the course material but also strengthened his sense of teamwork and accountability.

Olivia Jordan

My biggest takeaway from this project is that doing a bunch of research is pointless unless you can properly organize it. If I hadn’t organized my files religiously, making the spreadsheet and storymap would have been a nightmare. The hardest lesson I learned was that it’s okay to ask for help. I was fully prepared to do all of the archival research, make the spreadsheet, and the story map by myself. Luckily, the members of the group were very kind and determined to help, or nothing would have gotten finished.

Aubrey Charron

This project taught me what it’s like to work independently in a group without supervision. I know it sounds silly, but in college, you do a lot of supervised step-by-step work for your classes. This class was different than that and I think it’s given me excellent life experience to take into future careers and events. I think the world most commonly functions as this class does, as in being self-reliant and having to regulate yourself and make sure you’re accomplishing things not only for the group but for the sake of the project. I would take a class like this again, especially now that I have the proper mindset on how I should personally handle the class. I loved how hands-on the research was, and what we did felt so real compared to how other classes function, and I will graduate having an experience that will push me to be better at working on independent projects if I choose.

Preston McCutcheon

The biggest take away from this class was to get involved. It has opened my eyes to the ever-changing world that we live in, and standing by to let it pass is not only a travesty, but a waste of time. Another big take away was the improvement of my communication, both within the groups, and with the professor, which hopefully will improve my opportunities later in life. If I could go back and re-do this semester and this project I would do one main thing Get The Word Out! Almost every person I spoke with had no idea of the changed occurring in their own backyard! I believe we would have gotten so much more done had we just spread the word more, and on the other foot I have learned to open my ears and embrace the ability to learn more about events, and changes happening around me.

Allie Ransom

I learned most from gathering images. As an avid history lover and member of the Scanathon group, seeing the village over the years in photos taken by those who enjoyed it in its time is a facinating thing. I really enjoyed finding these photos and gathering what I could from Ball State Alumni. I also enjoyed conducting interviews; the people I interviewed had a lot of good points about the village revitialization and lots of good opinions about the environment of the village. I thought it was interesting to hear what they thought the new village would be like and how it would affect the people already living there and around it. If I could go back I would’ve wanted to get an interview with one of the business owners of the village and maybe reach out to those who would agree to talk with me. I know they would have a lot to say and have good points about what the revitalization and changes could do to their business and customer base. After getting to know the village on an urban level, you really get to experience it as a consumer and see how the people interact with the businesses there – it is a cool thing to see.

Isabel Cloyd-Annarino

This was the first immersive learning course I had ever taken at Ball State. I had no idea what to expect; however, this experience taught me a lot. An immersive learning course is an excellent opportunity to learn professional development skills, as you have to work in teams with individuals with varying levels of experience. Moreover, while that is difficult, it teaches you valuable lessons on teamwork, communication, and delegation. For this project to continue in the future or for other similar projects, I suggest taking note of your specific message, mission, and your intended audience. Collecting data is a key part of any project like this one on The Village Revitalization. With this project, there were some issues with data collection in the beginning; it is all about learning from those curveballs and still being able to inform the public about your project and mission.

Jackson Roesler

I had very little information going into this class, but it was a valuable experience. This was my second semester of college, and my first semester as an anthropology major. The Immersive learning approach of the class was a challenge, but I also think it pushed me to get more involved with the project than a normal class might have. Going through The Village for participant observation and a walking interview were highlights of the class, as I found it helpful to practice the methods rather than reading about how to practice them. I personally struggled with time management, which is especially important in an immersive learning class where you have a lot more individual responsibility. The most challenging part about this class for me was the group project aspect. Working on the website and completing individual tasks isn’t difficult, but communication is really important for making a group project work well. This is especially true on the scale of an entire class working on the same project. I learned a lot from this class, and I believe the experience I gained from it will help me in the future of my anthropology major.

Kaleb Antonacci

I had, and still have, an interest in urban planning, I always thought it was facisnating to see how cities were planned, and how they affected the community they surrounded. As a history major, I saw the history of how people built their cities to their needs, whether it was to build a city because it was on a trade route or because of it was big agricultural hub. When I saw this course being offered in the spring, I signed up so I can learn not how the village worked but also going out and researching how the village revitalization project will affect everyone near it. For me personally, I really enjoyed talking to business owners about their opinions, and what I found interesting is what they had to say, some say they didn’t know about it, some say they knew and just hope they add parking in the future. If there was thing I should’ve done during my time, it was interviewing Ball State alumni who used to live in the village and get there viewpoint about the situation. After taking this class, you really learn about how cities affect people and how people affect cities, overall, this was a great class, and I recommend anyone interested in urban anthropology to take ANTH322.

Eli Jones

I came into this course wanting more than just a hands-on project. I wanted to explore how revitalization efforts often disguise deeper systems of power. Throughout the semester, I found myself returning again and again to the question: Who benefits from revitalization, and at what cost? Working alongside classmates to analyze survey data, conduct interviews, and build public-facing materials, I couldn’t ignore how neoliberal logic crept into nearly every part of the conversation about The Village. The push for marketable aesthetics, the framing of development as “progress,” and the sidelining of long-term residents’ needs reflect a broader pattern where private interest increasingly defines public good. This class offered a space to challenge that narrative. We worked to center voices often excluded in official redevelopment plans through participant observation, zine-making, or qualitative interviews. 

What I appreciated most about the immersive format was that we weren’t just observers but co-constructors of knowledge, responsible for how stories were told and whose stories were left out. I leave this course more convinced than ever that anthropology must analyze power and actively resist it. Community-engaged research means more than outreach or education. It has to mean solidarity