The Week Before Classes Begin at Ball State

The Week Before Classes Begin at Ball State

by River Lin

(FYI - If you want to hear me read this poem, click here)

Tis the week before classes begin at Ball State.

How brave of you all to embrace this new fate!

The bookstores are stacked with new texts and new pens,

new stickers and tickers, new fashions and trends.

T-shirts and sweatshirts and oh, so much more!

Ipads and eBooks and tech-stuff galore!

The streets have been swept

and flowers replaced,

for you we have schlepped

all over this place.

Ah, the week before classes begin at Ball State,

Muncie anticipates floods at our gates.

The workers at Wal-Mart are ready and set

to supply you with all the things you must get.

From make-up and pop-tarts

to TVs and wall charts,

ice cream and donuts and things you don’t need.

The call to get stuff is a call you must heed.

Now Blackboard’s renewed

and classrooms are polished,

New rules, all you dudes!

Now smoking’s abolished!

Yes, the week before classes begin at Ball State

the townspeople cheer, for students, you’re great!

Professors all scurry to finish their plans –

syllabi, projects - so many demands.

We open our doors and dust off our seats.

For you we await; for you our hearts beat.

The city of Muncie –

The city of fun-see

Rebounds like a bungee alive with festivity!

Now, the week before classes begin at Ball State,

we scramble to finish; we cannot be late.

You trickle in from near and from far;

we giggle and grin – oh yeah! Har-Har!

See, the week before classes begin at Ball State

Fun-see rejoices for done is the wait.

You are nervous and scared and glad and delighted.

You shall not be spared; for you we’re excited.

Students are placed and classrooms assigned,

plans have been paced, revised and refined.

We’ve numbered your days, your hours and seconds;

all work and no play – your teachers all beacon.

No play?! You may say.

Of course if you stay

and your dues you do pay,

it’s possible you may,

but still, you should pray.

Oh! The week before classes begin at Ball State,

everyone wonders “will it really be great?”

The answer to this,

the query of bliss

can be found in your heart.

Make sure that you start

with desires to impart

the dreams of your art

in this city of ours.

The week before classes begin at Ball State

We welcome all students to this our shared fate!