Contest excludes students

IUSA's decision to give away a $61,000 Corvette following November's general election was aimed toward increasing the number of student voters.\nThrough project "Vote Hard," IUSA hopes to strengthen the University's voice in the state's General Assembly.\nBut, the project doesn't include all students.\nInternational students, especially those studying at IU here on student visas, aren't U.S. citizens and aren't eligible to vote in the election. Students who do vote are the only ones eligible to win the sports car.\nSenior Bill Gray, IUSA president, said he was "not going to comment on anything."\nBut Judd Arnold, IUSA vice president of administration, said he was aware of the problem.\n"We're looking into it, obviously it's a concern," Arnold, a junior, said. "We want to include everyone. There is a conflict; (international) students can't vote. But we're still looking into ironing something out." \nLast fall, international students made up nearly 9 percent of the student body population. Of the 37,963 students on the Bloomington campus, 3,284 were from different countries. And the University was ranked 17th among the leading colleges and universities across the country in international student enrollment.\nSenior Vanessa Sea, IUSA vice president for congress, said the bill was not created to exclude anyone.\n"This is just one of our many initiatives," Sea said. "The intended purpose was not to leave anyone out."\nBut some were left out, including international student Yuji Kano.\n"Everything is hard for international students," Kano said.\nMoney used to purchase the vehicle will come from excess interest payments from IUSA credit cards, funds that in the past have gone toward financing the Grass Roots Initiative Fund. \n"(International students) should be included; they are students too," said sophomore Karen Haley, a resident assistant in Wright Quad. "We could use that money in so many other ways that would include all of the students at IU"