Alumnus starts petition to remove Davis\' \'interim\' label

IU alumnus and Bloomington resident Alex Cameron waited 18 years for his IU basketball tickets.\nThis year, his first with season tickets, Cameron didn't miss a game. He said he likes the direction IU basketball is headed -- and he doesn't want it to change.\nSo he decided to petition IU to make interim coach Mike Davis the team's permanent coach.\nIt started with gathering signatures on notebook paper outside Kroger, 1175 S. College Mall Road, and it grew from there, he said. Cameron's petition now has nearly 2,000 signatures, and consumes most of his time.\nBut Cameron, 67, who retired from Goodyear after serving in the air force, said he has had plenty of free time since moving to Bloomington two years ago.\nCameron gathered signatures Monday morning at Kroger and asked for students' support all afternoon at the Indiana Memorial Union, thanks to the IU Student Association, he said. He plans to continue the routine all week.\nCameron called IUSA to help get the word out about his petition, freshman Cristen Chapman, an IUSA executive assistant, said. Cameron wanted to do his own thing, but also wanted to get students involved, she said.\nChapman said IUSA admired Cameron's dedication and determination, and many in the organization agreed with his position. IUSA offered to provide space at the student activities desk at the IMU.\nIU President Myles Brand and the rest of a seven-member committee that will determine IU's next head basketball coach had their first meeting Monday. Cameron said he has delivered a partial list of signatures to Vice President for Administration Terry Clapacs, the head of the committee.\nCameron said Davis deserves the job. \n"Frankly, I think he can only go up," Cameron said. "The players love him, and he's second to none in recruiting."\n"A change now would be disruptive to the program," he said.\nAlthough some people walked by without acknowledging Cameron, he didn't let anyone get by without giving them his pitch. Cameron bellowed "Mike Davis for coach" to each passerby, pointing out his petition. Many people voiced agreement and signed.\nAs he signed the petition, senior Ryan Hartman said he was skeptical about Davis at first, but now he's convinced.\n"(Davis) really proved himself," Hartman said. "It'd be a shame not to give him the job."\nWith a commanding voice and lots of energy, Cameron was hard to ignore. He said he believes strongly in his cause.\nJunior Marques Gibson also signed the petition.\nGibson said Davis overcame many obstacles to come within a basket of the Big Ten Championship.\n"It's embarrassing that the best way the school rewards him is to appoint a committee to decide his fate," Gibson said. "If it was any other school, he would be hired."\nCameron will be asking for students' support at the student activities desk 2:30-6 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday in the IMU.