Ball State has its own words and abbreviations, which can be confusing to new students. Here is a list of the most commonly used Cardinal terms:
Buildings
• AJ: The Art and Journalism Building is commonly referred to as AJ or The Atrium. The Atrium is the food court located in AJ and has popular restaurants including Papa John's pizza and Chick-fil-A.
• BC: Ball Communications is the building between the David Letterman Communication and Media Building and AJ. It houses the telecommunications office, University Media Services, green screen studios and classrooms.
• RB: Robert Bell is the academic building located on the corner of North McKinley and West Neely avenues. English, math and computer science classes are held in RB. RB is also the home of the Esports Center.
• CAP: The building students in the College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) have classes in.
Transportation
• Red Loop: The Red Loop travels through campus, to the Scheumann Stadium overflow lot and back.
• Green Loop: The Green Loop travels through campus to the Alumni Center, Scheumann Stadium and University Apartments.
• Blue Loop: The Blue Loop travels in two rectangles starting on North McKinley Avenue and making turns on West University and Riverside avenues, North Linden Street and West Neely Avenue.
• Orange Loop: The Orange Loop travels from the L.A. Pittenger Student Center to North Oakwood Avenue and back.
• MITS: The Muncie Indiana Transit System (MITS) is free for students to ride with their Ball State ID. The MITS bus goes to various locations throughout Muncie, including Walmart, downtown and the Muncie Mall.
• Charlie's Charter: Charlie's Charter is a free shuttle bus service that picks students up and drops them off at night on university-owned property after shuttle bus loops stop running.
Campus Landmarks
• Naked Lady: Forest Idyl, more commonly known as the Naked Lady, is located in Bracken Library. The statue serves as a common meeting place for students in classes or projects.
• Benny: Beneficence is drawn in the logo that frequently appears in Ball State's marketing. She is located near Lucina Hall on the south end of campus. Benny represents the generosity of the five Ball Brothers who founded the university.
• Frog Baby: Frog Baby sits in a fountain near Bracken Library. Legend has it you can rub Frog Baby's nose for good luck. Students frequently dress her up for holidays, events, and in the winter to keep her warm.
• Cow Path: A sidewalk that starts behind North West Residence Hall and ends at West Riverside Avenue by the Fine Arts Building, where the David Owsley Museum of Art is housed.
• Duck Pond: Located near the Johnson Complex, the Duck Pond is a common place to relax.
• University Green: Events are frequently held here. University Green is the grassy area between the CAP Building and Bracken Library.
• Scramble Light: Located at the intersection of North McKinley and West Riverside avenues, the Scramble Light will chirp occasionally and allow students to cross in any direction.
• Blue Emergency Lights: Emergency call boxes are around campus and are indicated by a blue light. When a red button on an emergency box is pushed, the University Police Department is dispatched to the location.
• Shafer Tower: More commonly known as the Bell Tower, Shafer Tower will ring every 15 minutes.
• The Quad: The grassy area near the North Quad, Administration and Burkhardt buildings.
Other
• Dining Plus: Students with meal plans have an allotted amount of dining plus. If they exceed the amount for their meal swipe, the remaining balance can be deducted from dining plus. Students with or without meal plans can buy additional dining cash on the University Dining website.
• Bed Race: During Homecoming Week, part of West Riverside Avenue is closed for Bed Races. Different student organizations take turns racing a dorm bed on wheels down the street.
• Happy Friday Guy: Every Friday, a person in a morph suit will ride around campus on a scooter giving high fives and yelling, "Happy Friday!"
