Route 37 billboard newest weapon for Take Back IU

Take Back IU, a group circulating a petition demanding the resignation of the entire IU board of trustees, President Myles Brand and other members of IU's administration, placed a billboard along route 37 near the exit at College Avenue Nov. 10.\nThe petition has garnered about 3,600 signatures.\nThe billboard, which has white letters on a red background, reads: "Take Back IU petition for new leadership at http://www.takebackiu.com," said Mary Ann McCarty, an alumna and organizer of the petition.\n"We've rented it for one month and have an option to rent for another month," she said. "I know people have seen (the billboard) because they have been e-mailing."\nMcCarty said costs for the billboard, which include a $590 rental fee and an approximately $250 production fee, were funded through donations she received from supporters. McCarty said she chose the billboard from several different advertising options.\n"We thought the billboard was the most effective way to spend the money," she said. \nThe group is focusing on distributing hard copy versions of the petition, which has primarily been available online. McCarty said the group is not sure when to stop taking petition signatures.\n"We foresee going into January," she said. "When we originally started the petition in October we weren't quite sure when the end date was going to be. We decided a couple of weeks ago not to rush things because some groups have come forward and want to help with a hard copy petition drive."\nThe petition will continue to be available on the Web site. People wishing to sign the petition now have the option of keeping their names confidential. Cara Schaefer, a law student at IU Purdue University at Indianapolis, said the group created the confidentiality option because of e-mails expressing fear of retribution for signing the petition. If a person asks for his or her name to remain confidential, Schaefer assigns that signature a specific number, which appears on the actual petition.\n"For legal reasons, if anybody ever wanted to challenge the truth of the signatures, the numbers match with the true names," Schaefer said.\nSchaefer thinks this option opens up the petition to students and faculty who agree with the cause but fear consequences from adding signatures.\n"In the last month, most signatures have been confidential so it's apparently pretty popular," she said. "People feel more comfortable in signing, particularly the faculty. Students are a little more removed; I'm not sure the administration could really do anything."\nSchaefer said faculty members who were outspoken critics of the administration have reported being threatened by administrators.\nBut trustee Ray Richardson said the administration would not take any action against students or faculty who choose to sign the petition. Richardson said neither he nor the board of trustees have been directly contacted about Take Back IU's requests for their resignations.\n"Instead of taking the time to circulate the petition, these people ought to be looking for a life," Richardson said.\n"I always respond to requests. If the petition came to me, I would respond. Since the people who signed the petition only represent a small fraction of students and alumni, my answer would be negative"