New student organization to protest RPS

Cooperative Opposition to Residential Programs and Services, a new student organization devoted to attacking problems with RPS, will hold their first meeting Thursday.\nThe organization will focus its attention on problems of the RPS, an organization that regulates dorms and campus dining. CORPS' complaints include unfair prices for food, quality of living quarters and lack of communication between students and RPS.\nJunior Ethan Ax formed CORPS this year to send a message to RPS.\n"Last year, I had decided after living in the dorms that there was a lot I was dissatisfied with," Ax said. "I heard other people tried to protest, but they couldn't get much done since they weren't organized. So, I decided to form a group to have a unified voice against unjust practices."\nAx said that the RPS' prices are detrimental to IU.\n"I am concerned for those who are just struggling to get by and have to pay extremely high prices for food and to live in these dorms," Ax said. \nMany students echo these concerns.\n"I have a problem with the Wright Quad C-Store," freshman Adam Stone said. "I pay $3.50 for a bag of Cheetos that would cost 50 cents at a gas station because the RPS has a monopoly because you have to get a meal card and you can't spend it anyplace else."\nSome students said given the choice, restaurants would be a cheaper alternative.\n"I hate that students have to pay for food like we're at a restaurant," freshman Debbie Bennett said. "It would cost the same to go out to eat for every meal, and it would taste a lot better that way."\nDirector of Residential Operations Administration Bob Weith said he is concerned about student costs and is actively trying to improve their services.\n"I tend to agree that it (high prices) is a problem," Weith said. "I think it is tough on a number of students, but we are willing to make accommodations. I think one of these is not forcing upperclassmen to renew their meal card if they feel they cannot afford it."\nSenior Laura Edwards, who sits on the RPS rate committee, said she thinks students exaggerate the costs.\n"They are constantly trying to make their prices more competitive," Edwards said. "I think it's a perception that students have that prices are too high and they think they are being screwed, but really they're not."\nDuring an instance last year, another problem Ax noticed was communication between RPS and students.\n"Last year during Sept. 11, the RPS issued a missed meal plan," Ax said. "If you didn't spend your meal points for that day, they would take your meal card and donate the money to the American Red Cross. Well, as it turns out, a large number of the funds were going back to RPS for what they called 'overhead.' I don't think it takes much overhead to simply give money to charity. I think that was dishonest and disrespectful to our country in our time of need."\nCORPS has many goals, but first on their list is recruitment for the group. \n"If we just recruit enough supporters, then the RPS will see that so many students care and will take us seriously," Ax said.\nCORPS would also like to see administration become more involved in their fight, Ax said.\n"I think what I would like to see is a little more participation by administration," Ax said. "I would like to see the chancellor or the board of trustees talk about how the RPS' prices affect students."\nStudents who join CORPS will write proposals for change and submit them to RPS.\n"We hope to have students research and provide options for changes and offer suggestions to build a positive relationship with the RPS," Ax said.\nOne way to gather information to promote change is to attend RPS meetings and understand how the organization works. So far, Ax has taken this responsibility on himself. \n"I'm currently working with the RPS committee to help raise awareness of students' needs," Ax said. "By attending the meetings, I understand how the RPS works, and I can work with them to help fix the problems."\nAx has already worked with Weith on the RPS' strategic planning committee to propose ideas to reach agreements.\n"I think its helpful for students to organize themselves to express their views," Weith said. "I think Ethan is a bright individual who has been very cooperative in our strategic planning committee."\nMany freshmen have limited their involvement with RPS through living off campus and getting the least expensive meal card possible, but with IU's new rule stipulating that all freshmen remain on campus their first year, all first-year students will be affected by RPS' decisions.\n"I want to help not only the living learning community of today, but next year's freshmen and eventually our children who might attend here some day," Ax said. "I am genuinely concerned about the future of Indiana University."\nAnyone interested in joining CORPS may attend a meeting at 8 p.m. Thursday in State Room West located on the second floor of the Indiana Memorial Union.