Corvette arrives; still drawing controversy

Start your engine.\nJust don't vote because of it.\nThe $50,000 "cream and crimson" Corvette, purchased by the IU Student Association, now sits on display in the southwest corner of Dunn Meadow where it will remain until after the Nov. 5 elections. \nIUSA held a press conference Monday to address the recent changes administered to the Project "Vote Hard" car giveaway.\nThe raffle, which once required students to vote in order to be eligible to win the car, now requires participants only to be registered IUB students.\nA number system designed to include every student automatically registers them for the car. The system is being supervised by Dean of Students Richard McKaig, IUSA president Bill Gray said.\nCome Nov. 8, members of IUSA along with campus administrators will announce the winner of the car, IUSA vice president Judd Arnold said.\nThe car is surrounded by a chainlink fence, barbed wire and security cameras that keep watch over the vehicle within a four-block radius.\nDuring weekends, the car will be removed from campus and stored at an undisclosed location, said Arnold, a junior.\nAlthough McKaig will be responsible for determining the winner, Gray, a junior, would not elaborate on the specifics of the process.\nWhen the contest was first announced in late August, students were required to vote in November's general election in order to be eligible to win the car. But IUSA decided to change the rules of the contest after realizing the contest excluded international students and violated federal voting laws. \nMonday's press conference allowed IUSA members to answer the public's questions concerning the car and expressed gratitude toward those giving attention to the issue, both positive and negative.\nWhen asked why the car doesn't really involve the elections since entering the raffle is now a possibility for all IU students, Gray smirked.\n"That's a great question," he said. "Why are you here today? It's made national news. President Bush read about it before he went to sleep two nights ago."\nControversy sprouted about the purchase when many said $50,000 shouldn't be given to one student. Other critics said students should not vote only for the sake of winning a car. \nWhen complaints surfaced involving international students being left out as a result of their voting ineligibility, Gray said IUSA's actions to raffle the car would seem out of line.\n"It would be hypocritical of us to say we wanted to include everyone but to disinclude 10 percent of the student population," Gray said. \n"This is the pinnacle of American-made power," he said pointing to the car behind him. He described the lack of election recognition as a problem that "is so dire, only such a large purchase would bring attention to it."\nGray said the explosion of publicity has sparked more awareness about the election process than in years past.\n"This car has for whatever reason brought attention to a national problem," Gray said. "It takes a Corvette to make people aware of higher education issues."\nGray said if the purchase results in an increased voter turn-out totalling over 10,000, it will hopefully also prevent a 20 to 25 percent tuition increase. If this happens, Gray said, "this project was an overwhelming success."\nAfter Gray's presentation, Arnold said the widespread media attention has proved positive for IUSA.\n"Everyone knows controversy sells papers," Arnold said. "People love controversy. Think of all the free advertisement we've gotten. It's a nationwide topic. It's raising a level of debate like that of the Benton mural."\nAlso present at the press conference were those opposed to the purchase of the vehicle like IU 2001 alumnus, Joshua Martin.\n"I'm embarrassed," he said, bearing two pieces of masking tape above the word "Indiana" on his sweatshirt. The above piece read "embarrassed;" the one below read "graduate."\n"It's a waste of money," he said. "You can put that money toward better programs for generating community participation.\n"I would think they'd want more positive attention than for people to be making fun of the idea. The goal is noble; I agree with their goal. But to motivate by materialization and greed is the wrong way to go about it"