BSU saves Muncie's 'Christmas Sing'

MUNCIE — The Hallmark-movie ending wished for after a severe thunderstorm threatened to steal Muncie's Christmas has come true.

Muncie Community Schools this week canceled the Muncie Community Christmas Sing — an event started in 1935, during the Great Depression — that annually launches the start of the city's holiday season. 

Damage from Sunday's storm included a gaping hole in the roof of the Sing's one and only venue, the Muncie Fieldhouse, which also sustained flood damage from ruptured sprinkler pipes.

After the cancellation was announced on Monday, Ball State University contacted MCS with an offer to host the 81st Sing.

"In the spirit of cooperation and in further partnership with Muncie and Muncie Community Schools, we will be hosting this event," BSU spokesperson Kathy Wolf said late afternoon on Wednesday. "We know how important it is to the community."

Many members of the community had expressed disappointment on social media after the event was called off but also voiced hope for a stroke of badly needed luck.

"How about an OUTDOOR concert at Canan Commons?," Mark Harris wrote on Lost Muncie's Facebook page. " … wouldn't it be Christmas card perfect with participants bundled and hugging close together? Maybe a bit of falling snow? Or is this just too much 'It's a Wonderful Life' "?

" … with the state of MCS, Muncie City Government, the actual City and its residents from the drug epidemic to lack of jobs and the violence, Muncie needs something like the Christmas Sing to bring people together from all over Muncie and surrounding areas for at least 1 night of innocence and togetherness," Justin Gick posted. "I'm sure local Churches would come together and raise enough funds along with BSU and the community to make it happen. This totally reminds me of a Hallmark Christmas Movie!!!!!"

Mary Stilts, a Muncie school bus aide, told The Star Press, "A lot of people want to see this happen. I was in it as a singer, from elementary school through graduation, in 1975. My mom was in it. She was on top of the human Christmas tree. People stood on risers in the shape of a Christmas tree. My oldest sister was in the band … My granddaughters have been in it."

The move was not as easy as you might think.

Emens Auditorium was not big enough for the event — scheduled, as usual, on the first Sunday in December (the 3rd this year). 

On Dec. 2, the Ball State men's basketball team is hosting a game with IUPUI at Worthen Arena. The next day at the arena is the BSU women's gymnastic team's Red & White Intrasquad Meet. The following weekend, the men's hoops team faces Valparaiso on Saturday, and the women's basketball squad plays Oakland City on Sunday.

Ball State initially offered Worthen to the Sing on Monday and Tuesday, Dec.11-12.

Instead, the university will make Worthen available at the Sing's originally scheduled time and date: Dec. 3 at 2:45 p.m.

"We had to reschedule some practices and various sporting events," Wolf said. "We really worked hard with a lot of our coaches because a lot of things were happening around that time. The coaches recognized, too, that this is important to the community."

No basketball games will be canceled. "It didn't rise to that level," Wolf said. "It's more about moving things around than canceling."

New BSU President Geoffrey S. Mearns pledged at the start of fall semester to build on the long-standing partnership between the university and the city through his "Better Together" initiative: town and gown are better when they work together.

"Logistically, Christmas Sing is a big production," MCS spokesperson Anny Pichardo, the Sing committee's point person, said earlier Wednesday. "It usually takes six months to pull together. Now it's three weeks away."

There are reasons it's scheduled for the first Sunday in December. For example, the second week of December is finals week at BSU, whose interns and practicum students are helping MCS produce the show. "That's also the week of ECA testing," said Pichardo, speaking of End of Course Assessments at MCS.

"We have to have rehearsals on site for these kids," which would require new transportation arrangements if the Sing is moved to Worthen, Pichardo noted as another example of production challenges.

"We are in conversations with Ball State, but it's a collaboration effort of many community partners," Pichardo said. "(WLBC radio host) Steve Lindell is the emcee. Is he available that night? Cole Academy and the Magic City Music Men are some of the other partners. There are a lot of logistics questions I'm dealing with."

While Emens was available on Dec. 3, it was not big enough, Pichardo explained. "We have 1,000 performers alone. Where would we put the big band, the jazz band, and all of the elementary school, middle school and high school choirs?" Would patrons be turned away at the door if Emens was too small for the turnout?

The Sing committee chair is Dea Moore-Young, director of elementary education at MCS. Other committee members include Central High School Fine Arts Department faculty Eric Bowman, John Clark, Nathan Jones and Kathy Schmaltz; and West View Elementary School Principal Eric Ambler and music teacher Michelle Bade.

The Blizzard of 1977 shut down the Sing 40 years ago. Severe thunderstorms and a tornado that passed over the Fieldhouse last weekend won't cancel this year's event.

Seth Slabaugh is an education reporter at The Star Press who can be reached at (765) 213-5834 or seths@muncie.gannett.com.