The Five Bs

Btown has been planning and adjusting its platform since last summer, and now we have the best program to help the largest number of students. Not coincidentally, all our platform initiatives focus on the Five Bs – Bikes, Books, Break, Basketball cameras and Btown Express buses.

We’ll provide a quick explanation of each issue, with whom we have already contacted in parentheses:

– Bike rental program comprised of pick-up and drop-off bike ID swipe stations at key locations around campus (Contacted: Taskforce for Sustainability, Transportation Department, local bike shops and bike manufacturers)

– Books that are cheaper through tax-free weekend legislation and encouragement of faculty to publish book lists earlier, saving students $1,000,000 each year (Contacted: former state senator Murray Clark, past and current presidents of the Bloomington Faculty Council, Provost Karen Hanson)

– Break recommended on a Monday and Tuesday in fall rather than the failed attempts at one on a Thursday and Friday (Contacted: Chancellor Gros Louis and past and current presidents of the Bloomington Faculty Council)

– Basketball cameras broadcasting a low resolution video to IUSA Web site with live shots of high-traffic areas of the SRSC and HPER, such as basketball courts, treadmills, weights and parking lots. Check out an example from the University of Florida online. (Contacted: Director of Recreational Sports Kathy Bayless, IT Director Charles McClary)

– Btown Express buses to provide safe, efficient transportation from IU basketball and football games (Contacted: Athletic Director Fred Glass and Executive Director of Transportation Kent McDaniel).

It’s fairly common knowledge that IUSA is known for promising much and delivering little, but  that’s what we’re here to change. Btown has connected with administrators across the campus and discussed our ideas with them, thus giving us a stronger sense of which platform initiatives would work and which wouldn’t. By doing this, we’re confident that each of our ideas (the Five Bs) is attainable.

Setting up meetings with administrators across campus takes months, and the fact that Btown has completed these initial meetings before being elected allows us to continue what we’ve started – because we’ve been acting and thinking as IUSA executives for months. The thought and preparation put into these initiatives is a measure of our team’s leadership.

The Btown executive ticket is composed of individuals who have leadership and involvement around campus, including presidential candidate Peter SerVaas, director of student services for IUSA; vice presidential candidate Jack McCarthy, president of Kelley Student Government; vice president of congress candidate Shobha Pai; president of Provelopment; and treasurer candidate Jennifer Chen, president of  the Asian-American Association.

All the positions in our administration will be filled after the election. We’re using the campaign to determine who has a sincere interest in changing the campus through IUSA. This concept is contrary to IUSA tradition, where the directorships and other positions are promised to entice people to join. We’ve seen a phenomenal response from leaders around campus who’ve joined our campaign for the competitive approach to appointing positions.

To make your vote count, spend 20 minutes to truly research the tickets online. Finish with www.votebtown.com and vote Btown March 31 and April 1!