Voting for the IU Student Association, the student government on campus, begins tomorrow at 10 a.m. Take a look at the three tickets’ platforms and learn all you need to know before voting.
WHAT IS IUSA?
IUSA has operated with that name since 1973.
IUSA works throughout the year to achieve platforms, or goals and initiatives, promoted during the campaign season. These platforms aim to serve the student body and improve the student experience. Past examples of completed IUSA platforms include advocacy for fall break and the safety escort service.
A small portion of IU student fees go to support IUSA. This means that by casting their vote, students can actively work to influence the spending of their money and the future of progress on campus.
VOTING
Where Six polling locations: IMU Lit Desk, outside of Ballantine Hall, Kelley School of Business lobby, Wright Quad Food Court, Foster Gresham food court and the Student Recreational Sports Center. Students can also vote online at chenet.iu.edu/IusaElection/.
Members of various tickets will also be set up around campus at previously reserved locations.
When 10 a.m. Tuesday through 10 p.m. Wednesday
Who All IUB students are eligible to vote.
How Students will log in using student IDs and usernames and cast their vote for the executive ticket, residential senator, academic representative and funding board. If a student is in the Hutton Honors College, they will have the option to vote for one honors candidate as well.
Votes are tabulated by the online system, which the Elections Commission inputs into its records. Unofficial results will likely be released Wednesday night with certified results coming by Friday evening, pending final financial statements and the passing of the complaint deadline.
CANDIDATES AND PLATFORMS
BtownUnited
Student Body President: Neil Kelty
VP for Administration: Barrett Tenbarge
VP for Congress: Katie Tetrick
Student Body Treasurer: Jeff Williams
Platforms (Btown)
- Basketball ticket loyalty program
Create a system where students scan their student ID at all athletics events to earn points toward improved men’s basketball tickets. Would aim to increase student support for all IU sports.
-Textbook cost savings of $24 million per year
The University would purchase books at a lower negotiated rates of 60 to 70 percent, saving students an average $600 annually. Texts would be accessible via Oncourse or could be professionally printed and bound for an additional minimal fee.
- $1 discounted cab pride program
Would allow students to use $1 cab rides after participating in on and off-campus social activities, making sure students arrive home safely. Corporate sponsorships would pay for the bulk of the program.
- Web-based room reservations
Moves the room reservation process online, eliminating paperwork and building-to-building travel and allowing for increased flexibility.
- Next United States presidential debate bid
Plans to bring the 2012 presidential debate to Bloomington after a close 2008 bid.
Big Ten
Student Body President: Justin Kingsolver
VP for Administration: Kevin Courtney
VP for Congress: Stephanie Kohls
Student Body Treasurer: Kyle Straub
Platforms (Bsmart)
- Basketball student section
Modeling the program after other Big Ten schools, the platform would bring a general admission student section to men’s basketball games, increasing team support and student seating choice.
- SRSC sustainability
Would make the SRSC more sustainable by installing elliptical machines and stationary bikes that harness human-produced energy.
- Medical amnesty law
Through lobbying the state legislature, the law would prevent student deaths by granting safe passage to hospitals for students who have consumed too much alcohol or drugs.
- App for campus mapping
Would create a smartphone app that would help students and faculty map out their classes on campus, increasing efficiency and helping freshmen find their way.
- Reforming IUSA budget
Plans to cut the current budget by $40,000 by eliminating executive salaries, making the IUSA office paperless, merging IUSA offices into one main office, cutting cell phone stipends and limiting overhead spending to 25 percent of the IUSA budget. This money would go toward funding other platforms.
- Tax-free textbooks
Would lobby the state legislature to instate two sales-tax-free textbook weekends per year, saving IUB students $2.87 million yearly.
reviveIU
Student Body President: Danny Alexander
VP for Administration: Chris Babcock
VP for Congress: Melody Mostow
Student Body Treasurer: Ryan Kelleher
Platforms
- Microgrants
Would reallocate $50,000 in “wasteful spending” and apply it toward funding student group and organization projects that would create, innovate or unify the student body.
- OpenClassroom
The two-part system would allow students to view class materials such as syllabi and presentations during registration and also would advocate for the use of open-source textbooks, professor-authored textbooks protected under Creative Commons licenses, which would be made available free to students.
- EcoFont
By installing EcoFont, which adds tiny holes to fonts, to campus computers, IU could save up to 25 percent of total ink. This would help save the University money and increase campus sustainability.
- Farmers’ market
Would bring a student-run farmers’ market to IU by working with local growers and green student groups to provide local, fresh and healthy food.
- United student body
Uniting students through transparency and open dialogue, the platform would establish a student leadership council, an organization made up of student representatives from a variety of student organizations and groups. It also calls for a more accessible IUSA website.
- Student rights
Would restore the advocacy role of IUSA, protecting all student rights by reaching out to specific student and minority rights groups. Includes the effort to bring the 2012 presidential debates to campus.
IN THEIR WORDS
Candidates speak in their own words about the main strength of their ticket and the weaknesses of the others.
Barrett Tenbarge, BtownUnited Vice-presidential candidate for administration
BTownUnited
After a year in IUSA that our opponents have called “incredibly successful,” BtownUnited provides experience that has delivered great change for IU students and will continue to do so if elected.
reviveIU
While they are well-intentioned, it is important for executives to have demonstrated prior experience and commitment to IUSA. Their lack of knowledge about how IUSA works is a glaring weakness.
Big Ten
Rather than lobbying at the Statehouse on proposals that have repeatedly failed, IU is better served by an IUSA that works on realistic proposals that directly affect students, not playing politics.
Danny Alexander, reviveIU Presidential candidate
reviveIU
Platforms have been researched and deemed achievable. We are also giving up the executive stipends and parking passes to free up money in the budget to foster projects the student body may have.
BtownUnited
“Six for six” on platforms is questionable. Fall Break done by Bloomington Faculty Council. Sustainability Fund driven by Student Sustainability Fund. This is the ticket backed by nine corporate sponsors.
Big Ten
Platforms are infeasible: The SRSC Sustainability platform is nonexistent at the colleges the Big Ten ticket cites as inspiration. Two platforms also rely on lobbying to the state, costing taxpayers millions of dollars.
Big Ten
Our ticket is comprised of diverse student leaders, each committed to our six "B-SMART" goals, which are realistic and attainable within a year. We've made the relationships with administrators and legislators necessary for our administration to "dream big."
reviveIU
ReviveIU is well intentioned, but lacks any understanding of the function and purpose of IUSA. The microgrants platform may indeed be illegal, as IUSA cannot give student fees to individual students, but instead must go through student organizations.
