At a university with approximately 38,000 students, making IU accessible is essential to both IU Student Association tickets. Hoosier calls for providing busy students with more time to work out by increasing the hours at the Student Recreational Sports Center and for increased lighting on campus so those busy students can get home safely. Red Hot calls for increased bus service and digital clocks at some bus stops to help students make their time effective.
SRSC
\nHoosier presidential candidate and junior Betsy Henke said students want extended hours at the SRSC, so she has included that issue on the Hoosier platform.\n"We've received feedback from students and we think, based off student schedules, it seems fitting to extend (the hours)," she said.\nJackie Puterbaugh, associate director of the IU Divisions of Recreational Sports, said IUSA tickets often ask about extending facility hours. She said the division distributes campus-wide surveys every three or four years and program surveys every year.\n"There's not a demand (for extended hours)," she said. "(Facility users) would rather have more equipment during the time they use the facility."\nMidnight to 6 a.m. is the only time building services can clean the equipment, flooring and pools in both the SRSC and the Health, Recreation and Physical Education Building, she said, especially since state funding has been cut.\n"We will be sensitive, that's why we continue to look at (extended hours)," she said. "If things change, we'd be more than receptive to it."\nRed Hot presidential candidate and junior Lenny Weiss said extending SRSC hours is a good idea, "as long as it doesn't affect the budget in terms of payroll (and) building costs. \n"But people should find it appealing."\nPuterbaugh said extending the hours could be expensive because hourly lifeguards and supervisors need to be paid.
CAMPUS BUS
\nWeiss said he wants to add more buses to the campus bus routes to prevent overcrowding on the buses. \n"The basic issue is, since last year, (when the trustees approved) the transportation fee, ridership has drastically increased," he said. "We've been speaking with (Campus Bus Service officials): They said they know they are short on buses, but their budget is very strict."\nKent McDaniel, IU assistant director of transportation services, said in an e-mail his department has talked about needing more service, but can't afford it. He said there are no spare buses to put in service and new buses cost about $275,000 each.\nWeiss said he'd like to look into the possibility of getting a federal grant to buy campus buses.\nAdditionally, Weiss said his ticket wants to restructure the bus schedule to prevent overcrowding. He said Red Hot would like to install countdown screens at some bus stops.\nRed Hot treasurer candidate and junior Scott Ottenheimer said at the IUSA debate Feb. 21 that these screens would tell riders when the next bus would be arriving.\n"Pretty much, the countdown timers say, 'Hey, the next B bus should be here in two minutes,'" he said. "Schedules that are posted on the bus stops are sometimes wrong."\nOttenheimer said Red Hot is having issues finding out how much the project will actually cost. \nWeiss has said that Informatics or computer science students could receive federal grants to research this technology. He also said the government can fund 80 percent of the costs of new buses.\nMcDaniel said the buses often get backed up because of traffic. He said he has heard about these screens, but has never seen them successfully implemented. That kind of technology is very expensive, he said.\nHenke said student fees should not go to installing countdown screens.\n"(That) doesn't make a bus come sooner," she said.
CAMPUS LIGHTING
\nHenke said a big concern of Hoosier's is more lighting on campus. At the debate, she said she has spoken with different groups that are affiliated with safety about the need for more lighting.\n"The reality is people do travel through those woods in different areas that are not well-lit," she said. \nDean of Students Dick McKaig said he goes on a "Night Walk" through campus with representatives from the Physical Plant, IU Police Department, the Office of Women's Affairs and others, looking for areas that need improved light. When such areas are found, McKaig said, the lighting usually can be increased.\nHe also said lights are often purchased with campus renovations or by the buildings near areas where increased lighting is needed.\nMcKaig said lighting is only one thing to consider when looking at assault prevention. \n"If you look at sexual assault and sexual battery, the much more frequent pattern is (with) acquaintances," he said. "Though it happens at parties and in peoples' private rooms, lighting isn't going to change that kind of assault."\nWeiss proposed that residence halls require freshmen to attend sexual assault programs. He said the theater department put on a sexual assault scene when he was a freshman.\n"I thought it was a fantastic idea," he said.
