Almost every third baby conceived in America is killed by an abortion. While some view this fact as alarmingly immoral, others view abortion as a right every woman should possess.\nFifth-year senior Leyna Wallace-Buntin has been raised all her life to never let anyone tell her she's less just because she's a woman. Her supportive family background and primarily feminist friends are the main factors that contributed to her joining the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA), an organization focused on promoting the feminist agenda on the Bloomington campus. \nThough a member for only one year, Wallace-Buntin is the public relations co-chair for the organization. As an executive member, she meets weekly to plan events and discuss matters related to social, political and economic equality for women. \nShe says the goals and standards of the FMLA are extremely reflective of her own beliefs. "The organization is pro-choice and also supportive of civil rights, environmental clean-up and GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) rights," she says. "It is important that women have options and realize that there is nothing a woman can't do just because she is a woman."\nNot only has the organization helped confirm Wallace-Buntin's feminist beliefs, but it also provided her with useful experience in the field of public relations and event planning, a career path she intends to pursue.\nThe FMLA currently has many different events in the works. They are busy planning a concert to be held in December to raise money for the Save Women's Lives: March for Freedom of Choice in Washington, D.C. this spring. \nRecently the organization sponsored Take Back the Night to protest violence against women. \n"It was extremely overwhelming and moving to see all of the people come together in support of the same cause," she says of the October event.\nIf you're interested in getting involved with the FMLA, e-mail FMLA@indiana.edu or attend the weekly meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in the Bryan Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.
Smoking: HATS destroys the myths
As a drug prevention activist for the last eight years of his life, senior Brandon Combs seeks to change the fact that tobacco companies make a product that kills 1,200 Americans each year. \nHe found his niche in Bloomington as the treasurer and undergraduate-assistant of the organization Hoosiers Advocating a Tobacco-Free Society (HATS), a student-led coalition advocating a smoke-free lifestyle on the Bloomington campus. They strive to educate and involve the community on tobacco use and its effects while helping facilitate tobacco-related research and enhance communication within the University on tobacco issues.\nWhen Combs originally became active within the organization, he had never focused his efforts solely on tobacco. But once he learned more about tobacco's devastating effects, he became more passionate about the cause. \n"It is important that people understand the dangers of tobacco and where to go to quit," Combs says. "It is also important that people understand the impact that the media has on society and what everyone can do to make a difference."\nIn an effort to educate people on campus, HATS offers tobacco training and media literacy training programs. \n"I think it's really intriguing to learn about the deceptive tactics they (the media) use to persuade consumers to use their products and think a certain way," Combs says. Combs and other members of HATS were extremely active in the passing of the city ordinance to ban smoking in certain public places. They also fought for the enforcement of the ordinance around campus, especially near the academic buildings and residence halls. \nIf interested in joining or volunteering, e-mail HATS@indiana.edu.
"To the world you may just be one person, but to one person, you may be the world."
Coming to a new school with 38,000 brand new faces is troubling enough. Now, imagine coming not only to a new school, but to a new country -- with new customs and a completely different culture.\nJunior Wirya Dinata is the president of the International Friendship Association (IFA), which helps foster relationships between international and local students. IFA also sponsors many social activities to help students gain a mutual understanding of each other and different cultures. \n"The main focus of the organization is to create more fun," Dinata says. "Bloomington has few international students and by doing activities together people become more comfortable interacting with people of different cultures."\nDinata joined the organization last year in hopes of making new friends. "I had a friend in the organization and they invited me to come to an event," Dinata says. "It was great because by going I made so many more friends. " \nThrough his involvement, Dinata has also managed to improve his leadership and communication skills, both essential aspects of a successful business career.\n"I would like to get a job here and then eventually with an international branch," Dinata says. "I think I will have so many more options because I have had first hand experience talking with people from other countries."\nIFA organizes many campus-wide events. In November they will host World Sports Day, which Dinata recalls as one of his most memorable moments.\n"We had to get up really early to set up and make sure everything was ready, but we realized one of the basketball teams was late and in efforts to stall we scheduled the Tae Kwon Do club for a ten minute show. It was stressful, but we managed to pull that one off," Dinata says.\nBy participating in events such as World Sports Day, Dinata says he's come to the conclusion that people need to enjoy life while they still can. \n"People need to mix with everyone and just have fun," he says.
If Asian Pacific Americans aren't considered minorities, then why aren't more than one \npercent APA students enrolled at IU?
In 2002, a huge controversy began over the popular Abercrombie & Fitch T-shirts sold with caricatures some people felt mocked Asian culture and the hardships of Asian-American history. Some were so put off by the incident that they quit working at the store and even stopped purchasing their clothes. \nSenior Paul Park, advocacy chair for the Asian American Association (AAA), took a different stand. Park did not only protest the shirts, but the incident helped to confirm his decision to become active within the AAA and help to educate people about Asian Pacific Americans. \nAAA works to instill and maintain a spirit of community and cultural understanding among Asian Pacific Americans at IU, and also among those interested in learning about Asian Pacific American culture. It strives to promote a broad-reaching awareness of Asian Pacific American political issues and has an active presence on campus. \nOne of Park's and AAA's main goals is for Asian Pacific Americans to qualify as a minority.\n"Surprisingly, many programs at Indiana University do not consider APAs as a minority," Park says. "The rationale behind this is that we are over-represented. The Asian population of the state of Indiana makes up one percent and Indiana University is three percent Asian." \nSimilarly, Park feels promoting diversity is essential in combating racism, sexism, hate and ignorance. \n"In this way, we can learn from each others differences. Everyone has something unique to offer, and unless a conscious effort is made to expand one's mind, he or she may remain in ignorance and be filled with misconceptions and a narrow view of the truth," he says. "I also believe that individuals should continually work on establishing their identity. \n"This is an ongoing process, and AAA has definitely provided an environment in which I am able to discover the significance of being APA." \nAnd you don't have to be APA to join. If interested, email AAA@indiana.edu. If only interested in becoming politically active, one can join the advocacy committee of AAA without becoming a member.
Out and Proud
With a substantial population of GLBT students on campus, the following situation may hit close to home. Consider this: Your parents are devout Roman Catholics. Your mother openly discusses her disapproval of homosexuals. Yet, you, yourself are bisexual.\nTo junior Edyta Sitko, the President of OUT, IU's GLBT Student Union, this situation hits home. \nSitko was introduced to OUT by her best friend from high school who was gay. \n"He encouraged me to go with him," she explains, "I really liked the way the organization was run and all of the people I met were extremely nice."\nSince Sitko has joined OUT and made new friends, her awareness of discrimination against the GLBT community has expanded. She has learned a lot from her friends at OUT, especially about their experiences with discrimination. Through these stories of discrimination Sitko says she has learned to convert her anger into determination to educate people about the GLBT community.\n"I feel that it is morally wrong to be discriminated against because of your sexual orientation," she says. "And on a national level it is also wrong to discriminate because we are taxpayers and no different except for our personal lives."\nOUT strives to provide support throughout campus and the community. They focus of social, recreational and educational issues. One of their most popular events is the Miss Gay IU. In the spring they also support National Pride Week and National Coming Out Day.\nFor more information about OUT, e-mail at OUT@indiana.edu, or visit their Web site at www.indiana.edu/~out/.
War and Middle East Peace
Senior Daniel Farahan is a member of the organization Hoosiers for Israel, which strives to spread awareness about Israel and show people the political realities of the country. \n"It is not just a country based on war," Farahan says. "It is really amazing and beautiful, and that is frequently overlooked by the media."\nFarahan decided to join the organization after he went to Israel for a summer, where he discovered the immense amounts of heart and soul the country had. Farahan also spent the last year studying abroad in Jerusalem.\n"It was the best year of my life," Farahan says. "It was so awesome just walking to class and being able to see all of the city of Jerusalem in all its glory."\nBut Farahan's experiences with Israel are not purely academic.\n"My father is from Iran and my grandma moved to Iran as a young girl," he says. "Now, half of my family are living in the United States and the other half of them live in Israel so I understand what is happening and have more personal feelings about the country."\nFarahan says that as Americans it's important we strengthen our bond with the Israelis, especially because he says they are the only group who will support the United States without demanding something in return.\nHe also described the many parallels between the two societies. \n"They enjoy many of the same things we do, like American pop culture," he says.\nWhile in Israel, Farahan also gained a different perspective of the war. He was required to take classes on what to do if there was a chemical attack.\n"Everyone there would carry around their gas masks, just like they were wallets," he says.\nFor more information on Hoosiers for Israel e-mail rcbloch@indiana.edu.
