Isaiah Ives ’23 makes some ‘noise’

Many at Furman University know senior Isaiah Ives as the builder of miniature K’nex bridges – the ones spanning campus streams and made of brightly colored plastic connecting pieces. Ives, who grew up going blind till age 13, also has a passion for sound and the machines that make them, in particular, drums. FOX Carolina caught up with the history major when he performed his drum set recital April 25 in Daniel Recital Hall.

When Ives received artificial lenses as a teenager, he gained the ability to do things that sighted people can do, but it didn’t tamp down his penchant for sound. “My love for sound has only strengthened, complementing the things I now see that produce sound or make a sound,” he said. “I’ve realized the gifts of both sight and sound should not be taken for granted. Never view something like [loss of vision] as a full impairment. It’s just a part of who you are and that makes you and the things you do so uniquely you and special.”