Crimson ticket brings common sense ideas

Now that the IUSA season is underway, more student government tickets are getting the support they need to run their campaigns. \nThe Crimson ticket, led by presidential candidate Casey Cox, is running under the motto: "True Students, True Voice, True Colors."\n"This is not just student government, it's student advocacy," Cox said. \nAs their motto suggests, the Crimson candidates' approach to student government is less about politics and more about student support.\n"We want to set ourselves apart," Crimson vice presidential candidate Grant McFann, junior, said. "We are not about to run things like it's Washington D.C. We're regular students like everyone else."\nCrimson said one of their strengths lies in their varied backgrounds. Cox, a junior, has served on IUSA as an off-campus senator, as an executive for College Republicans and as a member of Hoosiers for Higher Education, an organization created to impact Indiana legislation. \nMcFann said Crimson could not have chosen a better presidential candidate.\n"(Cox) has already had lots of experience in the kind of programs we want to affect," he said. "He's always on his game, he's organized and best of all, he's done all this stuff before."\nMcFann has served on the executive board of College Democrats and as a Commitment to Assist Student Initiatives funding board member.\n"We wanted (McFann) for his diverse background and because he is not afraid to step up to the plate," Cox said.\nThe remaining executives of the Crimson ticket are junior Alan Grant, congressional secretary, and junior Anne Eichengreen, treasurer. \nAmong his past IUSA senate service, Grant gained experience as an executive for both College Republicans and Sigma Chi, his fraternity. \nEichengreen has served as the vice president of the Pi Beta Phi sorority, an IUSF marketing committee member and as the director of mentoring for the Council for Advising Student Leadership.\n"We have goals set in three arenas: academic, social and campus," Grant said. "We want to reach people through books, beer and basketball."\nCrimson's most important initiatives cover social aspects. First, they said current student restrictions are hampering a constructive social environment.\n"Everywhere on campus it seems that the administration is pointing the finger at the students," Cox said. "Herman Wells once said, 'In the best of all possible worlds the only student rules would consist of two: Students would not be permitted to shoot any faculty members or burn any buildings.' That may be a bit of a stretch, but we believe that too many regulations and expelling too many students are problems."\nAlong these lines, Crimson said they would attempt to promote and expand a late-night bussing system to promote safety on campus.\n"It is an underused resource students have," Grant said. "Night bussing would keep students from walking and driving, currently something IUPD (IU Police Department) and BPD (Bloomington Police Department) looks down upon."\nAnother social concern involves the greek system, which has seen seven houses booted from campus in the last three years. Grant said that because of communication problems between IUSA, the greek system and an unfair alcohol policy, Crimson would like to establish a Department of Greek Affairs, which would combine representatives from IUSA, the Interfraternity Council and Panhel, which represents IU sororities.\n"We want to create a fair alcohol policy," Grant said. "Together, our three organizations would have a much stronger voice than just one."\nOn the campus front, what Crimson calls their "common sense" initiative would attempt to change some of the physical features of the University, including the establishment of a drive-up book dropoff at the library, a feature that Eichengreen said she could have used in the past.\n"I drove around for 15 minutes looking for a parking spot," she said. "I parked in an 'A' spot for two minutes to drop off a book and I had a $35 ticket waiting for me when I came back."\nThe common sense initiative would also see that the blue emergency lights on campus functioned properly, that more would be installed and also that lighting on campus would be increased in areas such as Ballantine Hall. It would also address parking problems at the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, Main Library and Student Recreational Sports Center.\nOverall, the Crimson ticket said their ticket is the best representation of what students are at IU.\n"We are 65 regular people who came together to bring real, attainable goals to the University," Cox said.