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Friendship and Best Buddies

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What is Friendship?

An Honors Thesis (HONRS 499) Creative Project by Sarah Groth

Thesis Advisor Dr. Nina Yssel

Ball State University Muncie, Indiana Spring Semester 2008

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Abstract

Friendship is universal. It can bridge societal gaps of gender, race, social class, and differences in abilities. College is a time of personal growth, and friendships have a tremendous impact on the development and experiences of an individual. Through Best Buddies, college students and adults in the community with disabilities have the opportunity to share friendships. These relationships bring people of all abilities, interests, and talents together, as equals and as friends. I chose to look at these friendships …show more content…

By taking these stories and pictures and putting them in a cohesive format, I hope to pass something on to our organization and on our campus as I graduate that will continue to remind others not only of the work that has gone into this organization, but more importantly, the incredible friendships and experiences that have resulted and far outweighed any obstacles. I chose to create a project using pictures and music to portray the friendships in Best Buddies, compiling this information into a brief, concise, and highly visual arrangement that can be used to explain and depict for others what words cannot always

do justice to. The goal is to describe the friendships formed between people from what could be considered two very different worlds, and the influence these friendships have had on the many individuals involved. As I began the planning process for my thesis, I was overwhelmed with the possibilities of what I could do or wanted to do and which direction I should go. I eventually decided to do a creative project looking specifically at Best Buddies, but more generally at friendship, as something to summarize my career and all I have learned in my time at Ball State through the Special Education and Honors College programs that I have been a part of. The anticipated implications of this project were to represent the relationships that have affected students on campus through friendships with people who have disabilities.

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