Btown misses real issues, but will still help students save money

The Btown ticket’s platform introduces measures that would increase campus efficiency while saving students money. Though some of their unique ideas are sure to keep costs from rising, a few may be no more than, well, unique ideas.

Btown aims to reduce the costs to students after tuition and fees. Two of its measures go after the costs of books and school supplies.

Btown wants to implement a tax-free “holiday” prior to each semester, which would give students a chance to buy their textbooks and school supplies without paying sales tax, and has lobbied to earn the support of State GOP Chairman Murray Clark.

The ticket also wants to target faculty accountability for textbook prices. The “Save $1 Million for IU Students Campaign” would “heavily encourage” faculty to turn in book lists to local bookstores on time, thus increasing the amount of money students receive from selling back their used books.

Though this plan may produce small rewards for students at the end of each semester, it would be extremely beneficial at the start of each term. Faculty members who turn in their lists late often give students unnecessary headaches and trips to the bookstore.

Btown also believes setting up a gym camera system would increase the efficiency of recreational centers. The cameras would feed to an internet site, where students could watch for available courts or exercise equipment. Though the savvy idea must be applauded, Btown should focus more on the real problem: the lack of an adequate supply of recreational equipment.

An on-campus bike-rental system is also on Btown’s list. Though they believe the system would be a utilized alternative to walking, let’s face it – most kids who walk do it because they want to or because a bus was full. The money that would be spent on a bike-rental system would be better spent by adding routes to the campus bus system.

Though Btown fails to dig to the real root of some of IU’s problems, their platform promises a better future for students’ wallets. And who doesn’t like that?