Gates have tradition of protest, parades

From posters of bloody aborted fetuses to anti-war chanting, protest beneath the Sample Gates is nothing out of the ordinary. \nThe Sample Gates, located at Kirkwood and Indiana avenues, are a symbolic entry to IU, said Joelene Bergonzi, professor in the Leadership, Ethics and Social Action department. They serve as a boundary between the University and downtown. \n"You always see pictures of the Sample Gates in brochures and pictures of the campus," Bergonzi said. "People choose it (to protest) because it is such a symbolic area and also visible by cars driving by and people walking in and out." \nConstructed of Indiana limestone, the Sample Gates mark the entrance to the Old Crescent, the site of some of the oldest buildings on campus, according to www.iub.edu. Eight of the original buildings in the Old Crescent have since been entered in the Indiana Register of Historic Places. \n"For generations, the Old Crescent has been a place of inspiration for the achievements of the mind reflecting the ideals and aspirations representing in the motto of Indiana University, Lux et Veritas, Light and Truth," reads a plaque adorning the gates. \nThe gates were funded by Edson W. Sample, who held a number of different IU positions, \nincluding president of the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators in 1969, according to the groups Web site, www.masfaaweb.org. The Sample Gates are dedicated to Sample's parents, Louise Waite Sample and Kimsey Ownbey Sample Sr. \nThe gates also play a role in school spirit at IU. Since 1991, the Homecoming parade has ended at the Sample Gates, according to Sondra Inman, director of student programs.\n"The Sample Gates are an entrance into campus, the perfect place to bring students, alumni and friends of the university together," Inman said. "It is a beautiful backdrop for the pep rally"