Ball State University - Campus Life

Campus Life

Ball State's campus life revolves around two main quadrangles. The original historic quadrangle is at the south end of campus near L. A. Pittenger Student Center. The newer quadrangle is located to the north and consists of a variety of modern buildings, including Bracken Library and the cultural venue for recitals, ensembles, and films, Pruis Hall.

Despite the two quadrangles, the most heavily-utilized buildings on campus are situated along McKinley Avenue (which runs north-south) and Riverside Avenue (which runs east-west). The intersection of the two streets is nicknamed the "scramble light" after its pedestrian scramble feature. The pedestrian phase stops all traffic allowing pedestrians to cross in all directions, thus causing everyone to "scramble."

Campus architecture is primarily dominated by the use of red brick buildings, with the lone exception of Pruis Hall, which is composed almost entirely of Indiana Limestone. No two buildings on the campus have identical facades, which is unusual for a large university. A 2005 survey conducted by Intel Corporation rates Ball State as the number one wireless campus in the nation. Ball State's academic and administrative buildings, residence halls, and green spaces have wireless access fed by 625 Wi-Fi access points.