IUSA presents checks to relief funds

Despite the theft of $1,300 from a student-raised Sept. 11 relief fund last week, the IU Student Association still presented the funds at their bi-weekly congress meeting Thursday. \nIUSA presented a $3,000 check to the American Red Cross and a $2,000 check to the New York Fire Department. The Bloomington Fire Department accepted the check on their behalf.\nBoth organizations expressed appreciation for the support and praised IUSA and the student body for their efforts at helping the victims and those affected by the terrorist attacks.\nCurt Simic, president of the IU Foundation, was a featured keynote speaker at the meeting. The Foundation is IU's main fund-raising source, covering all eight campuses.\nSimic said fund-raising has been successful and said that IUSA plays a vital part in that.\n"You're taking ownership of IU-Bloomington," Simic said. "Get involved and do something. That's what the Foundation is about."\nOther IUSA news\n• IUSA Congress approved law student Joe Walterman, an IDS columnist and former election coordinator, to be election coordinator for the 2002-03 IUSA elections.\nThe coordinator organizes the elections, helps appoint people to the elections commission and reviews applications. The commission and coordinator function separately from IUSA.\n"It's a completely separate body," said Jake Oakman, a senior and IUSA president.\n• The last bill passed dealt with the allocation of money from the Grass Roots Initiative Fund (GRIF) for a lecture being sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ. \nThe group will present a lecture entitled "The Power of Porn" at 8 p.m. Wednesday in Alumni Hall. Last year, the group brought the same program. Gender Studies, the Kinsey Institute and the sociology department are helping promote the event.\nThe program looks at the effects of pornography on society.\n"Most people don't see the effects pornography has on people's thoughts and actions," said senior Dave Wilson, a Campus Crusade for Christ member. "There were 400 people that attended last year. Everyone who went came away with something new."\nGRIF funds are used for programs that help to improve the quality of life on campus by addressing issues of local concern. IUSA gave $1021.88 of approximately $7,000 to the group. \n• Another one of IUSA's projects is close to completion. During the past few months IUSA has worked toward installing a Bank One ATM machine in the Indiana Memorial Union. Oakman said the process is nearing completion.\n"We got the ball rolling on that," he said. "It looks like we'll get one over Thanksgiving. There should be one in the Union and at least three more in academic buildings"