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(07/25/02 8:23pm)
Little 500 balloon release questioned\nAs some may remember, last spring the Student Environmental Action Coalition expressed their concern about the Little 500 balloon release. Other concerned students and citizens also voiced their opinions about the negative effects of balloon releases.\nAlthough concerns were expressed too late for the Little 500 planning committee to change, we began early this year. The committee even claimed they would consider eliminating the release for this year's race. Now it is less than two weeks before the race and the plans remain the same. The committee repeatedly ignored our requests for information and discussion.\nThis lack of response to the concerns of many IU students is not only environmentally unresponsible, but also socially unacceptable. SEAC has been asked to discontinue questioning about the Little 500 balloon release. They have been told that it is a done deal.\nWell, when the balloons drift across land hundreds of miles from Bloomington it will not be a done deal. Someone or something will still pick up the remains. It is not just for good measure that such releases have been banned in all national parks. This activity harms our wildlife, rivers and oceans.\nJean Hanink\nGraduate Student
(04/23/02 5:46am)
Opinion editor failed to do job\nIt is a bleak day indeed when one page -- just one page, cannot be filled with the opinions of over 35,000 students -- not to mention faculty, alumni and administrators of IU.\nI opened up the opinion page (my favorite) April 12 and saw that fully half of the page (2 columns) had absolutely no opinion whatsoever. Jeanne Wilson told us that she lived with her parents, while Sarah Meinecke, who's the sports editor and therefore has no business on the opinion page, said "Happy Birthday, Mom" in about 600 words.\nWho's running this page? Are we to the point in apathy where we all have no opinions? Is this campus so PC that opinions are no longer allowed?\nWhat's going on?! If there is no opinion in the article, it obviously isn't for the opinion page! I challenge Travis Thickstun to do his job rather than running filler. Otherwise, we might have to start reading the ald-Times\nRobert L. Oprisko\nSenior
(04/04/02 5:00am)
Carson's wisdom nothing more than misguided ignorance\nIn his response to the IDS editorial opposing Roly Poly moving into the Gables, Glen Carson states that the editors should leave such community decisions to the "wise." I believe that Carson is insinuating that he himself possesses such wisdom.\nNow if you know your history, Carson, you know that Socrates was declared by the Oracle at Delphi to be the wisest man of Ancient Athens. When Socrates was asked, "Who is the perfect human?", his response was "All of humanity together." His point is that all people have something to contribute to society. So, Carson, you should listen to all points of view -- whether they originate from citizen groups, business groups or even the IDS Editorial Board. While I respect and uphold your right to hold your stridently anti-democratic opinions, I must denounce your self-proclaimed "wisdom" as nothing but pure ignorance.\nDionissi Aliprantis\nJunior
(04/02/02 8:41am)
Campus dining should be closed for game\nOn Monday, IU Residential Programs and Services Dining Service Director Sandra Fowler ordered the Read Center Hoosier Cafe open during the men's basketball NCAA title game. As a student supervisor to the cafe, I respected Ms. Fowler's decision by working my regular shift during the game. However, I completely disagree with the decision, due to the rarity and massive student following of this remarkable event. This is only the sixth time Indiana has made the title game and all students should have the opportunity to follow their team, even if they are workers of the university's dining system.\nThis decision makes me wonder if student workers are still considered students before workers. Students have a responsibility to their academics before the duties of their position if they choose to work on campus. But student also means that workers should have the opportunity to take part in a few of the very special university events such as Little 500 and the Homecoming parade along with the students they serve. Although student dining services are a vital part of the university, it should never become so important that it denies workers the opportunity to experience some forms of campus life.\nTo those students who argue that dining services should remain open during the game, I ask that you hold back your criticism and look at the numerous items and services RPS and its workers do for you. For example, when my father attended classes at IU in the 1970s, no on-campus dining hall was open on Sundays or Friday nights. This was because Sunday was considered a day of rest and reflection for students. But, because of the requests of students over the years, the university has at least one dining center open all day 'till midnight all seven days a week. Thus, student workers have had to sacrifice more of their academic and social time for their duties to their fellow students. This effort deserves some respect by the RPS by occasionally closing services to allow student workers to take part in some great IU events with their fellow students.\nBrian Flueckiger\nRead Center Dining Student Supervisor
(02/15/02 5:03am)
Recruiting students is for diversity\nColumnist Vincent Carr poses a lot of questions about the term minority ("The meaning of minority," Jan. 30). I have no answers for most of his questions, but I would like to correct two misunderstandings.\nFirst, Mr. Carr believes that the Minority Achievers Program (MAP) is "exclusively for African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans." This was true until last year, when a major change was made. MAP now includes Asian Pacific Americans.\nSecond, Mr. Carr wrote, "very rarely, will you find schools tirelessly trying to entice Asians." He said there was no need "to recruit and help people who do not have trouble getting in to college." IU recruits Asian Pacific Americans to provide a diverse environment and not because it is too easy or too difficult to get into IU. I'm not sure we do so tirelessly; we were bone tired after a three-day phone-a-thon last June during which our volunteers enticed students and parents in five different Asian languages. This University believes students learn and benefit from being surrounded by people from various backgrounds. Diversity is not primarily for the purpose of achieving justice or equality (although we would certainly welcome these) but to allow our students to achieve an education.\nOur office, the Asian Culture Center, works closely with the Office of Admissions in ensuring that Asian Pacific Americans know about the opportunities at IU and feel welcome when they come here to school. We encourage Mr. Carr to call or visit our center to discuss these issues.\nMelanie Castillo-Cullather\nDirector, IU Asian Culture Center
(02/01/02 4:21am)
SRSC shuttle offers alternative to waiting for a parking space\nAs Nick Moore's letter (Jan. 25) points out, Student Recreational Sports Center (SRSC) users who drive to their workouts often wait (and wait, and wait) for available parking. If you're tired of wasting time, energy (of the fossil fuel variety) and want a longer workout, consider riding the SRSC Shuttle.\nAlthough SRSC Shuttle ridership has doubled over the past year, I'll bet many who regularly wait for parking spots don't know that IU Transportation offers this FREE shuttle service. That's right -- no bus pass needed! The SRSC Shuttle runs every 15 minutes between the Memorial Stadium White Lot and the SRSC, Monday through Thursday from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. Simply park your car in the White Lot, and the shuttle will whisk you to your SRSC workout in just nine minutes!\nFor more information, visit IU Transportation or IU Division of Recreational Sports Web sites: www.iubus.indiana.edu or www.recsports.indiana.edu.
(01/25/02 4:59am)
SRSC parking spots intended for patrons, not those going to class\nWith the New Year comes a lot of faulty promises on how people will continue to work out and remain healthy. I realize that these are good goals and do cause a lot more traffic at the Student Recreational Sports Center. But what does not make any sense is having to wait at least 20 minutes for a parking spot at 9 a.m., only to go into a gym that is nearly empty. Where are all the people that parked cars at the SRSC? They are carrying their bags from their cars and walking to class. Yes, the SRSC has E parking spots, where anyone with an E pass can park, but with any common courtesy, people should ONLY park there if they plan on going into the SRSC and not down the block. This is not a new problem. In fact, IU must have been listening to all of the prior complaints and added an addition to the parking lot, with several more E spots to park in.\nFor some reason, this has actually worsened the problem, creating fewer parking spots for those of us who wish to workout. I find it a grave inconvenience to have to wait for a parking spot for sometimes close to half an hour when I only plan on working out for 30 minutes. I have no huge solution to offer the University, but I only ask this of the other IU students: Have some common courtesy and only park at the SRSC if you plan on working out there. Otherwise, get a bus pass.\nNick MooreSenior
(11/26/01 5:05am)
Ending miss-a-meal \na mistake\nLast weekend, the Meal Points Committee ended the miss-a-meal program. \nThe only reason cited for the ending of the miss-a-meal program is that only 40 percent of the money donated is given to the charity. It has been this for a very long time, but only recently is an issue. The IDS ran a story critical of this donation/overhead ratio on Sept. 20 after an appeal for donations for Sept. 11 relief funds. \nRPS claims that donations dropped following the story, but there may be other reasons for this. It may be that those who would have donated did so before the story ran. It seems the fact that at least some money is being donated to charity is being missed. Money was raised despite the fact that people knew where the money was going. \nAn article published in the IDS on Monday suggests charities are utilizing the fact that few people know about the distribution of the funds, stating this directly before mentioning that the Spirit of Sport raised about $6,000 though the miss-a-meal program last year. \nThe Spirit of Sport raised half through the RPS miss-a-meal program, half through greek miss-a-meal. As someone who volunteered at the centers, I would frequently say that 40 percent of the $7.50 donated goes to the Spirit of Sport. Despite this, $3,000 was raised. On some occasions, cardholders wished to donate much more than the $7.50 maximum. One student even wanted to donate more than $100.\nEliminating the miss-a-meal program has stripped charitable organizations of a way to provide money that is greatly needed. At the end of the year, thousands of students will have $7.50 in meal points that will go to RPS, including the $3 that could have been donated to a charity. \nLast year, McDonald's at Read Center made hundreds of dollars because students bought french fry boxes for a chance at Monopoly prizes. They did this because meal points must be spent or RPS confiscates the money. \nJust because certain people do not want to give doesn't mean that the option should be taken away from all. I want my option back.\nChris Pierson\nSophomore, Spirit of Sport Committee Member