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(03/05/10 7:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Student Association Election Commission heard a formal complaint from the Kirkwood Ticket on Thursday regarding a Election Code violation that could warrant disqualification.Elections Coordinator and senior Andrew Dahlen said both tickets were given the chance to speak, were questioned by commissioners and presented closing statements. The Election Commission will not issue a ruling until 4:30 p.m. Friday.According to the formal complaint issued by Kirkwood ticket candidate for president and sophomore Justin Kingsolver, iUnity violated the Election Code by failing to report expenses on a Feb. 12 financial statement.According to a financial statement filed by iUnity on Feb. 12, it had made no transactions and had no donations and no expenditures at that time. The second financial statement filed Feb. 26 shows two transactions made on Feb. 10 and Feb. 11. Kingsolver said the code stipulates these expenses should have been reported on the first financial statement.The transactions consisted of purchases made for pens and “rally” items on Feb. 10 and Feb. 11, respectively, and totaled $1,215.96.Kingsolver said this alone constituted a violation of Election Code but was less important than a second alleged violation by the iUnity ticket.The second part of the complaint alleges that because the transactions took place before any donations were reported, iUnity operated with a balance of $1,215.96, which Kingsolver alleges violated Section 603 of the Election Code. Kingsolver said this section of the code stipulates that a ticket cannot expend more money than it has at a given time.Finally, the complaint alleges that balloons and a banner used at the Feb. 15 rally were unaccounted for in the Feb. 26 report.The iUnity Chief of Staff and sophomore Neil Kelty explained the misreporting of expenditures as a result of the confusing nature of the Election Code.“There were some complicated financial transactions with our ticket, and there was some ambiguity in the code as to how to report those,” Kelty said.Kelty said he believes iUnity adequately explained its case to the Election Commission.“We’re going to accept whatever the Election Commission decides,” Kelty said. “We’re ready to be done with the Election Code and focus on students.”Kelty went on to say iUnity hopes to transition into campaigning over the next several days.Kingsolver’s initial complaint called for iUnity’s disqualification based on the terms of the Election Code. He has since rescinded that statement.“I would rather there be a fair and free election between the two tickets because I think we would win,” Kingsolver said.The iUnity presidential candidate and junior Michael Coleman said a call for his ticket’s disqualification was unnecessary.“I thought that was a really extreme reaction,” Coleman said.
(03/05/10 7:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>President and junior Peter SerVaas said he estimates each student pays IUSA about $5 per academic year entirely through student fees.Between $3 and $4 of that amount goes to IUSA Funding Board, an entity separate from the IUSA executive administration that distributes funding to student groups. Between $1.25 and $1.50 goes to the Collegiate Readership Program, which gives students access to The New York Times and USA Today with the swipe of a CampusAccess Card. The remaining amount is allocated to IUSA’s administrative budget, which this year totals $97,198. SerVaas said the amount paid per semester by each student is subject to change based on his or her enrollment status (full time or part time), graduate or undergraduate status and whether he or she is studying on campus or abroad.IUSA Congress accepted an updated administrative budget proposed by the current Btown administration Tuesday. The budget does not reflect any spending beyond what was approved last fall, but details ways in which the administration has redistributed funds from one budget area to another. TASK FORCESUnder the Btown administration’s executive structure, five task forces of approximately 10 people each handle the “5 B’s” on Btown’s platform. The newly accepted budget more than doubles task force funding from $12,000 to $29,000. As of today, $9,873.98 of that $29,000 has been spent. Vice President for Administration and senior Jack McCarthy said this $17,000 increase is task force allocation was possible because the administration chose not to rehire an executive assistant, which made about $30,000 worth of funds available for other uses.“When we took that out, that was allocated to other accounts that we felt would better serve the needs of the average student,” McCarthy said.DIRECTORSAt the start of its term April 16, 2009, the Btown administration budgeted $15,000 toward the salary of a graduate assistant to be hired to help with administrative needs after their executive assistant was not rehired, treasurer and junior Jen Chen said. However, they still had to pay the executive assistant $6,112.26 for the remainder of his work.Chen said when it was decided that a graduate assistant wasn’t necessary, that amount was allocated to other funds. Along with some of the funding made available by the decision not to rehire an executive assistant, more money was allocated to IUSA Directors, an IUSA department that organizes projects in areas of volunteerism, women’s affairs, sustainability and diversity.Chen said these increased funds will help cover the cost of digitally archiving student government files and documents, which IUSA hopes to put into effect soon. McCarthy said this would also help departments promote their projects, which he said is a more responsible use of student funds. “We feel that better promoting these big initiatives by spending $50 or $100 is a better use of student money than having an executive assistant or having phone lines for everybody or traveling as much,” McCarthy said.TRAVELIUSA’s updated budget provides for $1,500 in travel expenses. So far, $611.04 has been spent. McCarthy said most of travel expenses covered trips to student government conferences. Representatives were sent to the Associated Big Ten Schools Conference.“The reason we attend those is to pick up on ideas that other student governments are implementing at their schools, to build on their ideas, to share our good ideas that have worked,” McCarthy said.McCarthy said IUSA declines most of the student government conference invitations it receives. Chen and McCarthy said other travel expenses covered mileage used by executives who made summer trips to meet with University vice presidents and vice provosts.“Our administration took it very seriously that we were in office for a year, the calendar year versus the school year,” McCarthy said. CUTSMcCarthy said the current Btown administration has worked to ensure student funds are being used responsibly. He highlighted the cutting of as many as 20 unused office phone lines and release of an executive assistant as examples.“Despite the fact that we had a great executive assistant and he did a great job with IUSA, we didn’t think it was a responsible thing to spend money on, because it was benefiting such a small group of students — mainly us,” McCarthy said. As a senior, McCarthy has had the opportunity to see other administrations in action. He said while he respects their work and recognized they had to make tough decisions, he believes the Btown administration has been more responsible with funds.The Btown administration elected not to renew the $8,000 bus wrap advertisement used by previous administrations. The bus wrap advertisement is the black, red and white paint that covers an entire Campus Bus.McCarthy went on to say that IU’s financial climate has changed because of the cuts in state funding. With more tuition increases on the horizon, McCarthy said IUSA should pay even closer attention to fiscal responsibility.“We don’t want to give students any reason to think that we’re not using the fees they pay responsibly,” he said.INCREASESWhile IUSA’s revised administrative budget is no larger than its previous one, some funds were reallocated to cover other increased expenses. Chen said these expenses included office supplies and office furnishings, as well as technology. Three new computers and RAM upgrades on several other computers were purchased in an effort to update what Chen described as very outdated technology.Both budgets allocate $2,500 for technology expenses. The revised budget reflects $2,185.60 worth of expenditures to date for technology. Chen also said printer cartridges, legal pads, pens, envelopes and similar office supplies proved to be a greater expense than initially anticipated. She said these items would be purchased and would roll over to future administrations.THE BOTTOM LINEAlthough only $48,307.95 of the budget has been spent to date, the new budget anticipates large future expenses before the end of the year for digital archiving and the GPS bus tracking initiative, one of Btown’s “5 B’s.”SerVaas said IUSA administrations have traditionally had no surplus left over. In fact, SerVaas said administrations have generally left office with a budget deficit. However, Chen said she does not expect the budget to go into the red.“I highly doubt that we would spend more than we were budgeted,” she said.If surplus is left at the end of the Btown administration’s term, it will be rolled over to the next administration.Chen said the current budget will remain in effect until the next administration sets a new budget. This ensures that the new administration will not operate on a budget that does not have congressional approval, Chen said.
(03/04/10 5:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>iUnity’s attempt to reserve several high-traffic polling locations during the upcoming IU Student Association election was disputed at an IUSA Supreme Court hearing Wednesday night.The Court heard arguments and will allow evidence to be submitted until 5 p.m. today. A decision will be reached tonight on whether or not to impose an injunction. iUnity ticket vice president for administration candidate and junior Peter SerVaas, chief of staff Neil Kelty and freshman and campaign manager Barrett Tenbarge argued against Elections Commissioner and senior Andrew Dahlen and the Elections Commission.The ticket filed a petition seeking injunctive relief on the basis of alleged Elections Code violations by Dahlen and the Election’s Commission. If granted, the injunction would stop the Elections Commission from taking sole control of polling locations from iUnity.In IUSA elections, each ticket is allowed to reserve polling locations that will be staffed exclusively by ticket members on election day.The iUnity ticket reserved polling locations at 10th Street and Fee Lane on Feb. 12, and at the Indiana Memorial Union Literature Desk and the Kelley School of Business lobby shortly thereafter.Tenbarge said the Elections Commission’s attempt to reserve those polling locations itself with congressional approval would stop iUnity from holding sole control over the highly trafficked polling areas.“It would put us at a huge disadvantage to take those away,” SerVaas said.Tenbarge went on to say that because these polling locations were not approved by congress until three weeks before the election, the Elections Commission violated the Elections Code.According to the newly adopted Election Code, congress must approve polling locations at least four weeks before the election. Dahlen said it was the Elections Commission’s responsibility to choose popular polling locations, and that although Congress’s meeting schedule did not allow them to approve the polling locations within the four week time span, the Elections Commission believed they should still choose polling locations.“We can’t let one ticket have a stranglehold over the most highly trafficked locations,” Dahlen said.Kirkwood ticket candidate for president and sophomore Justin Kingsolver responded to the petition by saying it was another example of iUnity’s attempts to use questionable campaign tactics.Kingsolver said Kirkwood had not reserved polling locations as early as iUnity had because he believed the Elections Commission had to reserve them first. If iUnity was allowed to hold their polling places, Kingsolver said, Kirkwood would be put at a disadvantage.“I’m asking you to do this in the spirit of a free and fair election,” Kingsolver said.Dahlen said the Election Commission would support whatever decision the Court reached.“The Election Commission is charged by Congress to have the most fair election possible, and that’s what I have been trying to do since day one, and we will certainly accept whatever conclusion the Supreme Court makes and hope to enforce it throughout the campaign,” Dahlen said.
(03/02/10 5:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Elections heated up for Kirkwood and iUnity Monday night when the two IU Student Association tickets met face to face to debate issues and describe platforms.The debate, which was jointly sponsored by IU Student Television and the Indiana Daily Student, was moderated by Chancellor Ken Gros Louis, IDS Opinion editor and freshman Jarrod Lowery and IUSTV political correspondent and senior Alex Roy. Tickets were given five minutes each for opening and closing statements and three minutes each to answer questions posed by moderators.Candidates answered questions about communicating with students and faculty, managing funds and defining the purpose of IUSA’s executive branch.In his opening statement, iUnity presidential candidate and junior Michael Coleman emphasized his experience and personal desire to lead.“Indiana University has really blessed me, and with that I wanted to really leave my mark as president of IUSA,” Coleman said. “I believe it’s how you leave your mark that really defines you.”iUnity’s arguments placed emphasis on its experience, as well as on its plans to continue progress made by the Btown administration, of which iUnity vice president for administration candidate Peter SerVaas is the current president. The ticket also spoke about its platform, with particular emphasis on its iConnect initiative, which would reach out to less represented campus groups.Kirkwood presidential candidate and sophomore Justin Kingsolver contrasted iUnity’s experience with his ticket’s relative lack of previous IUSA participation.“It’s been said that we’re the IUSA outsiders, and you know, I’m going to embrace that,” Kingsolver said. Kingsolver went on to say that while he has experience as IUSA’s speaker of the house, his fellow candidates have experience in athletics, greek houses and other campus programs. Kirkwood’s arguments focused on what it described as its ability to pinpoint problems students are truly interested in addressing. The ticket also emphasized the advantages of its fresh outlook and the value of changes it would make to the current IUSA executive branch structure.Both presidential candidates said they were interested in running a clean election and debate. “I will not discredit the other ticket at all, I know that they are trying to do the same thing,” Coleman said. “Whoever you elect, I just hope you’re making the best responsible decision that you can so that you know that you have students in office who are representing you to the best of their abilities when they’re speaking to your administration.”Kingsolver also said he wanted to focus on helping students choose a ticket, not on tearing down the opposition.“I definitely do want to reiterate what Michael said about not wanting to disparage each other, just wanting to provide a clear choice for the student body,” Kingsolver said.But the debate was not without conflict, with tickets calling into question the opposition’s campaign strategies. In his closing arguments, Kingsolver said iUnity’s conduct throughout the debate was characteristic of its campaign. “iUnity did not lay out their six I’s, they bashed on Kirkwood’s five ideas, and unfortunately that’s the kind of negative politicking and negative campaigning that has mired IUSA in the past, and I’m just fed up with it,” Kingsolver said. In response, SerVaas said iUnity’s campaign did not aim to personally attack the Kirkwood ticket, but to place emphasis on the differences between the two platforms.“We think on a personal level these are phenomenal people and we would never attack them or anything, but this needs to be focused on the platform issues, so they can dissect and comment and criticize every one of our platforms,” SerVaas said. “I’m more than welcome to hear them dissect their platform issues, and we will do the same.”
(02/22/10 4:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A case competition sponsored by the IU Student Association and Global Sales Leadership Society on Friday produced a new Wiki information project to be funded through IUSA. The winning idea came from one of eight competing presentations. The panel of judges included Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities Steve Veldkamp, IUSA members Sean Damer and Eric Slivka, and GSLS members Lori Bellino and Stephanie Steidle.Slivka said the case competition was a great attempt to harness the brainpower of a large school such as IU.“From 40,000 students we could probably figure out — not all the world’s problems — but we could figure out a lot,” Slivka said.The winning team’s Wiki idea would allow students to edit and receive information via the Internet, similar to the Web site Wikipedia. This would include information about classes and student groups and would help foster communication between groups, Slivka said.The idea will receive $2,500 of IUSA funds and will be implemented by the team and the current administration.“The team that won, we decided because their idea was extremely relevant,” Slivka said. “It was a creative idea that we didn’t necessarily think of ourselves.” The winning team was made up of senior Bryan Stephens, juniors Rachel Eldert and Austin Piech and sophomores Chris Ebling and Greg Myers.
Slivka also said that while the winning team’s idea was most feasible based on time constraints and the size of the case, the first and second runners up presented interesting ideas as well.A team from Coal Free IU won second place in the competition.“The idea, primarily, is to use our experience, knowledge and manpower to team up with the IUSA and their connections and funds to pressure the administration to transition away from coal power,” said sophomore Hannah Hunt, director of media for Coal Free IU.The team hoped its idea would combine with IUSA to improve the community as a whole.“If IU did switch to alternative energy, it would have a large impact,” said freshman Nick McKay, director of research for Coal Free IU.Slivka said while this idea would be beneficial to the IU community, it was ultimately “a larger-scale plan than we can fix.”In third place was a team pushing for IU to improve its student section at games. The team’s plan would focus on non-guaranteed student seats and would revoke seats from students who didn’t show up to games or behave poorly before or during games, Slivka said.
(02/22/10 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Peter SerVaas wants to finish what he started. After almost a year as IU Student Association President, the junior from Indianapolis is running for a second term, this time as the candidate for Vice President for Administration on the iUnity ticket. SerVaas served as class president during his senior year at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School. He was also actively involved in speech and debate, which he says allowed him to make personal connections before he even set foot on campus.It was through those connections that SerVaas became involved in IUSA during his freshman year and served as Director of Student Services under the Big Red administration.“You were really able to find issues or problems and work on those, whether they were projects on how to change things or there was a huge tragedy and concerns on campus, and you were able to go meet with administrators and make sure that the students opinion was heard,” SerVaas said.As a sophomore, he constructed a ticket on which he ran as candidate for President. That ticket, known as Btown, won the 2009 IUSA election.Senior Jack McCarthy serves as Vice President for Administration on the Btown ticket and said SerVaas has a desire to connect people.“Peter has a great ability to create connections on campus with students and administrators,” McCarthy said. SerVaas said his decision to run for another term comes from the relationships he has built as president and a desire to finish work on the initiatives he set out to accomplish on the Btown ticket, some of which he said he hopes will be completed in the next several months.***So with one foot in the current administration and another in the race for the next, the question remains: Why should students give SerVaas a second chance?SerVaas said the answers to questions about the future should come from a look into the past. He has met as many as 10 past IUSA presidents and heard them describe a cycle of productivity and non-productivity that varies from year to year. He said this happens because there is no tie between each administration.“I think there has to be continuity,” SerVaas said. “Students don’t realize that these changes don’t occur over night, and it’s obvious that in an election you want ideas that are popular among students, so these are going to be large-scale issues.”Walking this line between big promises and big results has led to problems for some administrations, SerVaas said.“The only president that ran twice, served twice, really should be credited with accomplishing buses on campus, but it took three or four years to get through the initial stages, to get free buses,” SerVaas said.SerVaas said discussing IUSA with David Orensten, the two-term president responsible for the bus initiative, provided him with inspiration and motivation to continue to tackle his unfinished business.Opponents offer a different view. Sophomore Justin Kingsolver, Kirkwood ticket’s candidate for president, said SerVaas has had a chance to accomplish his goals and hasn’t made tangible progress.“He had a great set of ideas to run off of last time, and the campus agreed by voting for them that those were important,” Kingsolver said. “None of those five issues have been resolved yet.”SerVaas’s Btown Ticket ran on a platform that supported five issues: cross campus bike rental, tax-free textbooks, GPS tracking on buses, fall break and gym camera installation. SerVaas said he is willing to accept defeat on the issue of tax-free textbooks. Due to the economic climate, he said, that initiative has been unsuccessful. However, SerVaas said he has seen success. “Some of these common issues that have been themes of past IUSA elections hadn’t really seen any improvement, but finally this year we made major leaps in terms of getting to these points,” SerVaas said.SerVaas said this progress can be attributed to internal restructuring. Instead of having each executive tackle one or more of the platform issues, the Btown administration developed a structure of task forces, with one chief and multiple people on teams devoted to a single initiative.“Now we have a group of students who are working on it, it’s their entire job for the entire year to make headway,” SerVaas said.In contrast, Kingsolver said this restructuring was actually a weakness. In his time as Speaker of the House in Congress, Kingsolver said he became frustrated with a “parade of directors” who came before congress to debate issues. Kingsolver said a single appearance by SerVaas would have been far more effective.Kingsolver said the lack of a centralized government hurt Btown’s efforts to make change.“I think that’s why a lot of the issues they cared so much about did not come to fruition,” Kingsolver said. He added that the Kirkwood ticket would attempt to create a more centralized structure, in which the President and Vice President for Administration would serve as speakers for the student body. The task force would function as advisors and researchers, gathering facts that would help the two executive make decisions before going before faculty or administrators.***If SerVaas is elected to another term, he’ll have the opportunity to continue to work on three Btown initiatives also carried on iUnity’s platform. IBreak is accompanied by iBike and iBus, which expand on Btown’s bike rental and GPS bus tracking programs.SerVaas said the strength of the iUnity ticket comes from their experience. Candidate for Treasurer and sophomore Sierra Hsieh and iUnity’s Chief of Staff and sophomore Neil Kelty are both current members of IUSA’s executive staff. Along with SerVaas and other staff members, they would be the bridge between the iUnity and the Btown administration.SerVaas said the Vice Presidential position would allow him to focus specifically on initiatives, rather than just representing the student body. He also said he was comfortable passing his role on to Coleman.“Mike is a very strong candidate,” SerVaas said.Kingsolver said SerVaas’s experience might be an advantage, although the Kirkwood ticket has been working hard to build new relationships with administrators as well.“The only thing I think it means is he has more experience meeting with administrators,” Kingsolver said.However, SerVaas said the ticket’s experience will ease the transition from this administration to the next.“I believe we’re gonna have more success continuing these topics,” he said.
(02/16/10 5:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>With the words “we like Mike, what’s not to like?” the iUnity ticket for IU Student Association officially kicked off its campaign Feb. 15, with junior Michael Coleman as its candidate for president. At a rally in the Kelley School of Business, the ticket discussed its campaign platform and encouraged student involvement. “We’re building one of the largest campaign organizations, we’re hard at work trying to get someone on every floor of every dorm and every pledge class of every fraternity and sorority,” said sophomore Neil Kelty, iUnity’s chief of staff.The ticket emphasized its age and experience as a strength over its opponents on the Kirkwood ticket.Sophomore Sierra Hsieh, candidate for treasurer, said having current IUSA president, junior Peter SerVaas, on the ticket will help make the transition into office easier.She said most administrations have a difficult time accomplishing what they set out to do because they have only one year in office. Hsieh said iUnity will pull upon the experience of SerVaas and other members such as junior Jen Peterson, candidate for vice president for congress, Kelty and herself, who have all been involved in IUSA, in order to more effectively implement the ticket’s platform.“We’ve made so much progress on all of our goals as well as some others this year, and I see that they’ll easily be able to be completed next year, and that’s because we have so much knowledge that will be rolled over into the ticket this year,” SerVaas said.Coleman emphasized his own personal experience and passion for diversity, which he said he believes puts him in competition with Kirkwood ticket’s candidate for president, sophomore Justin Kingsolver.“I represent different communities. I’m greek, I live in the residence halls where I have a leadership position, I’ve been an RA and, I mean, a host of other things really set me apart from Justin,” Coleman said.Coleman also said iUnity has worked hard to represent many organizations within its campaign.iUnity’s ticket centers around six platform initiatives, which candidates have titled iSustain, iSafe, iBreak, iBike, iBus and iConnect. iSustain, iUnity’s most heavily touted platform initiative, would push for the implementation of the Green Initiative Fund, a way for students to donate money during course registration.The Green Initiative Fund could then be used to fund projects such as hybrid buses and solar-panel installation in residence halls, Coleman said. This will first require 10,000 signatures from students who support the proposal.“We’re working with the Student Sustainability Council and the Greeks Go Green Initiative as well as other groups and clubs to deliver the 10,000 signatures needed to make the Student Sustainability Fund a reality,” campaign manager freshman Barrett Tenbarge said.SerVaas said it will be great to have Coleman “at the top,” which will allow SerVaas to focus on working with students.SerVaas challenged many of opponent Kirkwood ticket’s platform initiatives by saying that Kirkwood does not have the experience necessary to accomplish its goals. In a segment meant to prepare iUnity supporters for questions from voters, SerVaas challenged the Kirkwood ticket’s experience with city officials and administrators. “Both the current administration as well as our ticket has been in contact with their representative, the school representative, as well as we have our own, so we’ve been a part of this process,” SerVaas said.Sophomore Danielle Coffin said she attended the rally because she is interested in running for a position as the Kelley School of Business representative in Congress. Coffin said she was attracted to the ticket because of Coleman’s message of diversity.“Mike really cares about the student body; cares about unifying everyone, which I think is something that will really make the University stronger; the student body as a whole,” Coffin said.
(02/16/10 12:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Fall break won’t become a reality next year.However, IU Student Association executives said they’re working with administrators and faculty to develop a proposal that would give students both Labor Day off and a fall break in 2011, if accepted this year.Senior Abby Kaericher is the chief of platform for the fall break initiative. Kaericher said her team is working to develop a proposal to be put before the Bloomington Faculty Council, the body of faculty who will ultimately provide approval for the break.“They’re worried about symmetry between the fall semester and having the fall semester be so much shorter than the spring semester,” Kaericher said.IUSA executive director of public relations and junior Liz Billman said implementing a fall break would be great “just because so many have tried to do it before.”In fact, the Kirkwood ticket has already made fall break one of its platform initiatives for 2010. If the current administration accomplishes their goal, Billman said she is unsure how the campaign will proceed.“I think it would make the election really. I don’t know what they would do in the election,” Billman said.Executives said if the proposal is not passed this year, they hope to be able to pass all they’ve accomplished on to the next administration.“All the work that everyone in our administration has put in, we wouldn’t want that to go to waste and so everyone like Abby is making sure that their work is picked up next year and built upon,” said senior Jack McCarthy, vice president of administration.Since the calendar is already set for next year, anything accomplished this year would not go into effect until at least 2011.McCarthy said the IUSA administration is working to show student support for the proposal before it goes before the BFC. A link on the IUSA Web site will be created to allow students to enter their username as a show of support for the proposal, McCarthy said.However, the online document will not be a petition, but a less aggressive way for IUSA to demonstrate student support for the proposal.Kaericher said she is heavily invested in the initiative because of family ties. Her brother worked on a similar initiative during his time at IU as vice president for IUSA Congress.“They had a proposal for it in 2007, and the Dean had a review, and a lot of research was done then and then it got shut down, so we’re kind of picking up the pieces from there.” she said.McCarthy said the new structure of the current administration has helped them accomplish more than past administrations. While others might have had the president work on accomplishing several campaign promises during his term, this structure devotes a single person to the task.However, the fact remains that fall break was one of the “Five B’s” on the campaign platform of the Btown ticket and current administration. McCarthy said that students should understand that these initiatives take time, and he feels his ticket explained itself well during the campaign.“I think that when students asked about it we were clear, and I think we were pretty knowledgeable because we had met with a lot of administrators before we got elected so we understood how fall break was going to work,” McCarthy said.Kaericher said one proposed plan would require the fall semester to start on a Wednesday three days earlier than the normal date. Fall break would then be worked in as a long weekend beginning on a Wednesday, similar to Thanksgiving break.Additionally, IUSA is working to give students the Labor Day holiday. Kaericher described this as one of the “baby steps” her team is trying to accomplish. The current proposal would allow for both holidays, but Kaericher said Labor Day is at the top of her list since it is already a national holiday.McCarthy said despite the fact that no proposal has actually been accepted, the IUSA administration has made leaps since the beginning of the year when even mentioning fall break was taboo.“When we first started talking about it, it almost was like a lost battle,” Kaericher said.
(02/12/10 3:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A case competition will give students a chance to implement their ideas to improve campus.Winners will receive a $2,500 prize and work with IUSA to implement their plan. The competition will be judged by a board of faculty and students Feb. 19.“I would encourage any student to get some friends together and think about what’s always been at the back of your mind as something that could be better at IU and think about how to fix that,” said IUSA Vice President Jack McCarthy. The competition’s theme is “How would you change Indiana University?” Broad categories of sustainability, transportation, safety and health, student rights and athletics have been established for submitted ideas. Vice President of Social Corporate Responsibility for Global Sales junior Lori Bellino said Global Sales and IUSA are looking for any creative submissions that would be feasible to employ.The winning idea will be funded and implemented through IUSA, Student Body Treasurer Jenn Chen said. The winning team will become a part of IUSA for the remainder of its term and will ensure its idea is put into place.“Basically it allows students a chance to kind of voice their views, because not everyone could be a part of IUSA. ... We really want to open that up and let students have more of an impact for the changes that go on within the campus,” Chen said.The competition is open to all students.“It’s the first time we’re ever doing this, so we don’t know how many teams are actually going to e-mail and want to participate,” Bellino said.Interested students should plan to submit a mini case summary, approximately one page in length, to gsls@indiana.edu by Feb. 15, Bellino said. Submissions will be judged for feasibility, and teams with realistic proposals will progress to the competition on Feb. 19.
(02/04/10 5:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Student Association Congress passed all proposed election code changes Tuesday, IUSA Vice President for Congress and senior Shobha Pai said.Seven of the eight resolutions concerned specific policies regarding polling locations and times, rule violations, advertising and disqualification, as well as a $5,000 limit on campaign expenses.“It was quite highly contested,” Pai said of the campaign expenses.The new code will also limit the hours when a ticket is allowed to campaign. Tickets can campaign from 10 a.m. on the first day of elections to 10 p.m. on the final day of elections.This change is part of an effort to keep tickets from garnering votes in bars while other establishments are closed.“Last year there was not restrictions against that, so people were not only allowed to campaign there, they were also allowed to get people to vote,” speaker of the house and sophomore Farihah Hossain said.The new code will also specifically limit the use of smart phones and laptops used for voting purposes within 50 feet of bars, Hossain said.Tickets will be able to discuss campaigns and wear campaign clothing inside the establishments, but individuals will not be able to vote there.Hossain said IUSA didn’t want to be associated with alcohol and that encouraging students who might be under the influence to vote carried a negative connotation.Last year fewer than 8,000 ballots were cast in the IUSA election. Hossain said this highlights the need for more IUSA advertisement, especially because Congress decided to stop using the wrap-around bus displays.Pai said some argued that not imposing a cap on expenditures could potentially provide funding for marketing because the winning ticket could use its extra funding to finance initiatives and projects. Others argued that the cap would help tickets learn to budget successfully before a campaign.The code will limit the amount of money to be spent, not the amount of money a ticket can raise. However, Pai said she thought tickets would not try to raise more than they were allowed to spend.
(02/03/10 5:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It might be “green,” but the Kirkwood ticket kicked off its IU Student Association campaign with a bang. At an eco-themed rally Feb. 2 at the Indiana Memorial Union, the ticked announced its candidacy and introduced its platform, “The Kirkwood Promise.”“Tonight is really about getting people excited about the student government,” sophomore Justin Kingsolver said.Kingsolver is Kirkwood’s student body presidential candidate.Sophomore Chris Bailey, Kirkwood’s candidate for chief of staff, said the structure of the Kirkwood Executive Board will set the ticket apart from opponents. The board will include seven members rather than the traditional five.Those attending the event seemed excited about the campaign’s fresh outlook.Kingsolver said that some campaigns “say a lot that they really don’t mean.” He said the title “Kirkwood Promise” highlights the ticket’s pledge to follow through on its campaign platform.“We are organized, we are on the move, and starting tomorrow we are hitting the ground running,” Kirkwood Student Body Treasurer candidate Bailey Gerber said.Kirkwood has added positions for chiefs of internal and external affairs that would be filled by candidates junior Laurence Cormier and sophomore Sally Phillips, respectively.Kingsolver explained that while these new positions already exist within the IUSA administration, it was important for them to be included on the ticket because Kirkwood expects to have a large campaign staff.“We’re trying to get as many people involved as possible,” Kingsolver said.Sophomore Matt Ahlberg will run for vice president for administration, while sophomore Jenna Fischer is Kirkwood’s candidate for vice president for congress.Gerber, who is a freshman, said the general youth of the ticket is an advantage and doesn’t indicate inexperience. The ticket brings experience from other leadership positions and schools, Gerber said.“This will be the first time in IU’s history where the freshman class, or the class of 2013, will be represented in IUSA,” Gerber said.
(02/01/10 1:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Do compromising Facebook photos constitute tangible evidence? Does looking through a private online photo album mean a breach of privacy? During IU Student Association’s second-annual judicial conference Saturday, judicial board members debated those questions. A hypothetical case gave participants the opportunity to discuss important judicial issues and address common sticking points. “We basically have it just to talk with them about their experience this year, to make sure everything’s running smoothly with them,” said Tara Maloney, Supreme Court Chief Justice and a student at the Maurer School of Law.Maloney said IUSA’s Supreme Court sponsors the event to foster conversation between judicial boards.While the Supreme Court has no authority to tell other boards how to function, members do want to help them address common issues, Maloney said.“This is more of a chance for the students on the j-board to talk and speak about their experience and also to speak to other students,” Maloney said.The hypothetical case was designed to create discussion among attendees. It created a scenario in which a student was found drinking in a residence hall and asked students to address the issue of photo evidence in such a case. One area for discussion in the scenario queried the students about the legitimacy of photo evidence found on a public or private Facebook profile page.“It’s just a new aspect of technology that needs to be addressed,” said Ashley Martin, associate justice of the Supreme Court and law student.Private Facebook profiles provided a problem for judicial boards, as some individuals believed that allowing boards to actively search for incriminating pictures constituted a breach of judicial ethics. “It’s not there to be a prosecutor; we’re there to be an impartial group of students,” Martin said.Martin said another important aspect of the conference was in improving communication between boards. The Supreme Court hoped to help improve the consistency of sanctions issued for comparable violations. Participants discussed the importance of educational sanctions, such as requiring an essay from students about their violation.“It’s all about education,” Martin said.Sophomore Stacey Vosters said discussing future improvements, particularly in the area of sanctioning, was an important part of the conference. Vosters is chair of the Willkie Residence Hall Judicial Board.“I found it very informative to see what the other boards are doing,” Vosters said.After the hypothetical case was discussed in small groups, attendees were given a chance to privately discuss any problems they’ve encountered throughout their terms. These issues will be presented to Associate Dean of Students Pamela Freeman and the Office of Student Ethics.
(01/29/10 4:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When the Btown ticket took over IU Student Association last year, its platform consisted of “five B’s,” one of which was a proposed cross-campus bike rental program for students. Now the administration is more than halfway through its term, and the bike rental program is progressing well, senior Ben Schulte said.Schulte is the chief of platform for the bike rental initiative.“We’re working through the different departments of the University to figure out how a program like this will get on campus,” Schulte said. This collaboration includes work with University Planning and Institutional Research on the development of a student survey. The survey would be sent through e-mail and used to gauge student interest in the rental program to “make sure that students actually want it,” Schulte said.IUSA is also working with the IU Office of Sustainability and the City of Bloomington.Schulte said some other successful programs have existed as collaborations between campuses and cities.While attempting to develop a structural base for the program, IUSA has received proposals from outside companies to help implement the program logistically. Schulte said this will require a solid source of funding as IUSA aims to break even on the project. Schulte explained that IUSA will need to either guarantee funding in the long term by gauging student interest or find another source of funding in order for the program to sustain itself. “Other schools that have been successful with this have often gotten a big grant,” IUSA Vice President Jack McCarthy said.Other sources could include previously allocated IUSA funds or an incremental fee for usage paid annually or by semester, Schulte said. Tuition increases or non-optional fees paid by students aren’t funding options Schulte favors. “The charges will be limited to the people who either sign up for or are intending on using the bikes,” Schulte said.Schulte also said he hopes to keep costs affordable for students. “Obviously we don’t want to make it prohibitively expensive to the students,” Schulte said. “Our goal is to make it a very, very solid option, and if we’re charging 100 dollars a year, that’s not affordable. That’s not a feasible option.”Senior bikes task force member Alan Hearth explained that while it might cost a nominal fee, the bikes program is important to him for a variety of reasons. Hearth’s father is an avid biker, and he sees the program as both an environmentally friendly and healthy alternative to driving.“It’s a great project and worth everybody’s time and effort,” Hearth said. Hearth also saw a similar program while in Seville, Spain and thought it could be successfully implemented in the U.S.It might seem like the program is moving slowly, but Schulte said such a large initiative takes time to implement. He is hopeful that the next administration will be able to take on the project after he and his task force have completed most of the work. “I think that this is exceptionally large and exceptionally expensive and that if we can show enough progress, that the end is in sight, I think we’ve done our job,” Schulte said. Schulte said his administration is driven by a desire to work for the students.“We’re not cocky enough to think we can decide something for the whole student body, so if we’re going to spend a whole lot of money, or when we’re going to push for something that’s a really big initiative, we want to make sure that it’s set up in the best way that all students would want it to be set up,” McCarthy said.
(01/27/10 5:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 2010 IU Student Association Elections Commission has introduced this year’s election timeline. The election will take place March 9 and 10. It also released application due dates and detailed instructions for potential candidates.The exact time of the election is not determined, pending Congressional approval of the new election code. While the polling hours are not yet announced, the date when voters will head to the polls marks an intentional change by members of the Election Commission. By moving the election forward at least two weeks, officials hope to smooth the post-election transition. “We moved it up significantly in the semester to allow the new administration more time to get the ball rolling,” said Andrew Dahlen, head of the Election Commission.Jack McCarthy, IUSA vice president of student affairs, said his administration benefited from an earlier election date last year. He and other members of the executive branch were able to appoint executives to all non-elected positions before the school year was finished. This allowed them to focus on achieving platform goals during the summer, McCarthy said.Applications for potential candidates are available on the IUSA Web site and at the IUSA office and must be submitted to that office as well. An open debate will take place in March that will include potential executives, and students are encouraged to attend, Dahlen said. A series of meetings will follow for candidates, along with the mandatory submission of an itemized list of campaign expenditures. If the election code is replaced with the one currently before Congress, these expenditures would be limited to $5,000.Past elections have allowed tickets to spend as much money as they raised during their campaign. The new election code proposes putting a cap on these expenditures, as well as regulating several other aspects of the campaign process.McCarthy said any student interested in applying or learning how IUSA works should plan to attend the call-out meeting on Feb. 5.He went on to explain that the meeting will allow individuals to meet others interested in student government and learn about different aspects of IUSA.
(01/22/10 5:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s that time of year again. As potential candidates gear up for coming elections, IU Student Association’s Congress discusses proposed changes to the standing election code.At Tuesday’s bi-weekly meeting, Congress was presented with a revised copy of the current election code. Congress member Andrew Hahn, who is responsible for the initial revision of the code, said changes were necessary because of the impermanent nature of the current code. A dispute during the 2008 election left IUSA with an invalidated version, and a new one was generated. Among the proposed changes are both small adjustments made to wording and larger ones such as campaign expenditures, polling locations and times, advertising, rules violations and disqualification. “Last year’s code was sort of a patchwork sort of code ... but wasn’t necessarily a permanent solution,” Hahn said. Vice President for Congress Shobha Pai echoed this statement, saying Congress and executives “really want to legitimize it and make sure there aren’t any holes.”The first significant change addressed polling times. During past elections, polls were open from 10 a.m. on the first day of elections to 10 p.m. on the second day. This 36-hour window allowed tickets to campaign in bars during the evening polling hours, an activity IUSA Student Body Vice President Jack McCarthy said reflected negatively on IUSA. The new code would allow polls to be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on two successive election days, creating two 12-hour polling windows. Another major change addressed polling locations. During the 2009 election, polling locations were reserved and staffed by IUSA elections commissioners, Hahn said.He described this method as both ineffective and costly.The new code proposes that neutral, highly trafficked locations will be reserved ahead of time and staffed by no more than two members of each ticket, with no more than three computers. Less trafficked locations could also be reserved by tickets, Hahn said. A second proposal would limit campaign expenditures. In the past, tickets could spend as much money as they raised. The new code would limit each ticket’s expenditures to $5,000.Rules and disqualifications were also discussed. The code specifies that violating the rules of polling locations or other University rules would constitute a violation of the election code. These stipulations weren’t included in past versions of the code. Likewise, previous versions didn’t specify the meaning of disqualification. The newly proposed code would limit disqualification to one election cycle, allowing students disqualified as freshmen, sophomores or juniors to run again. Finally, a smaller change to the code would allow tickets to use the sidewalk chalk advertisements popular with student groups across campus. Hahn described this change as a “relatively benign way for IUSA to have an amount of advertising.”While the election code will not be finalized for at least two weeks, Pai said it’s important for congress members to begin to familiarize themselves with its code as soon as possible.“The decisions voted by Congress really do impact what happens with the elections and the outcomes, how people can and can’t campaign,” Pai said.McCarthy also encouraged congressmen to know the content of the code and decide whether or not they agree with the proposed changes. The code will also be viewed and revised again at Tuesday’s Rules Committee meeting.
(01/22/10 5:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After the ethical scandal surrounding the 2008 IUSA elections, when the winning ticket was disqualified for six election code violations, the group’s congress is considering several changes to improve the current code. POLLING TIMESDuring past elections, polls were open from 10 a.m. on the first day of elections to 10 p.m. on the second day. This 36-hour window allowed tickets to campaign in bars during the evening polling hours, an activity IUSA Student Body Vice President Jack McCarthy said reflected negatively on IUSA. The new code would allow polls to be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on two successive election days, creating two 12-hour polling windows. EXPENDITURESThe proposal would limit campaign expenditures to $5,000 per ticket. In the past, tickets could spend as much money as they raised. POLLING LOCATIONSLast year, polling locations were reserved and staffed by IUSA elections commissioners, said Andrew Hahn, the congress member responsible for the initial revision of the code, which he said was ineffective and costly.The new code proposes that neutral, highly trafficked locations will be reserved ahead of time and staffed by no more than two members of each ticket, with no more than three computers. Less-trafficked locations could also be reserved by tickets, Hahn said.VIOLATIONS AND DISQUALIFICATIONS The code specifies that violating the rules or other University rules would constitute a violation of the election code. These stipulations weren’t included in past versions of the code, which didn’t specify the meaning of disqualification. The proposed code would limit disqualification to oneelection cycle.
(01/20/10 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the spring semester began, members of IU Student Association’s executive branch surveyed their work and discussed what is left to accomplish. In the second half of their term, this will mean both working to achieve goals and implementing a plan to transfer initiatives and power to a new administration.IUSA Vice President Jack McCarthy described three areas the administration hoped to address when they stepped into office last spring. The first of these involved representing students through committee appointments.“We appoint students to all the committees, whether it’s something big like the faculty council or a smaller sort of ad-hoc committee that comes up throughout the year, like pedestrian safety,” McCarthy said.The administration also hoped to address the day-to-day issues of students by establishing departments to help increase collaboration between campus organizations. In turn, these organizations would deal with smaller issues students face on a daily basis. A newly established volunteer department, for instance, provides a central forum for many student volunteer organizations.A third goal of the executive branch was to tackle the “five B’s” described in the Btown ticket’s campaign platform. These included the implementation of a bike rental program, a fall break for students, publicly accessible gym cameras to help students check for open basketball courts, improved public transportation and support for a bill creating tax-free weekends for purchasing textbooks.McCarthy said their approach to the “five B’s” has changed over time. “They’ve sort of adapted a little bit from when we were running, just based on, you know, we find out more information about what’s feasible,” McCarthy said. He said state budget cuts have also put a damper on the administration’s plans for the year.“But the overall goals of those ‘five B’s’ are still there,” McCarthy said. Regarding achievement, IUSA Treasurer Jenn Chen said the bike rental program is coming along as planned. Executives and task force members are currently evaluating several bike rental companies in an effort to determine which one will best help them meet their goals.“Hopefully we’ll be able to see this, especially on campus, if the next administration carries it out and everything,” Chen said. The idea of turnover is one that is also important to members of the executive branch. By developing a strategic plan, McCarthy said they hope to smooth the transition after elections and pass initiatives on to the next administration.“With all these initiatives, we’re forming sort of reports on what has been done and what needs to be done, so that if the next administration chooses, they can continue on with some of these issues,” McCarthy said. McCarthy described this step as crucial because of the difficulty associated with making real change in a single year on a large campus.As elections approach and the current administration works to achieve its goals this term, IUSA Executive Director of Public Relations Liz Billman said working for a campaign is a great way for all students to become more involved with government on their campus.“It’s a great way to start to learn about IUSA and the different things people can do.”Despite entering the second half of their term, McCarthy emphasized the fact that nearing the finish line doesn’t mean running any slower. “You know, we have four months left in office, and I still think that we’ll be working for those four months to continue working for what students want and to make the campus even better.”
(01/14/10 4:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For IU Student Association congress members, the start of a new semester means new challenges and another chance to represent their fellow students. It also means new problems to solve.IUSA Executive Director of Public Relations junior Liz Billman said there is not yet a set calendar for spring elections, but they traditionally take place in March. However, some congress members expect their impending arrival will mean an increase in the number of resolutions addressing the election code.“We might encounter resolutions that deal with election codes or elections in general,” said sophomore Farihah Hossain, a first year congressman and chairman of the rules, membership and internal affairs committee. Hossain also represents Wright Quad in the student assembly. She joined IUSA last year after a friend from home encouraged her to check out the organization. Since her election on the Btown ticket, Hossain has attended weekly meetings and worked to represent her fellow students’ interests.“We do a lot of resolutions and policy. One of my minors is a policy study minor through SPEA, and it kind of goes well I think,” Hossain said.Sophomore Kyleigh Turk said she also found a campus connection through her work as a congresswoman for Willkie Quad.“I am pretty involved in Kelley as a student, but I wanted to branch out and become more involved,” Turk said. “I really love IU and Bloomington, so this was my way to give back to it.”Turk also ran on the Btown ticket last year and currently serves on the education committee. She stressed the importance of IUSA as a voice for the student body. Turk said IU is seen as more open to student opinions than some other institutions. The administration, Turk said, can benefit from a better understanding of what it is that students want.“It’s good when we can help them understand that side and what issues we’re facing,” Turk said.This service as a voice for the student body is something Hossain said she takes seriously. Resolutions are distributed to congress members before being discussed, and Hossain said she uses this time to canvass her fellow residents for opinions. She said this is especially true with broad issues affecting much of the student population.“You get different perspectives around your area,” Hossain said.Those opinions are translated into votes, motions and resolutions, and IU’s student government stays hard at work. Both Hossain and Turk emphasized the importance of student involvement in this process, both through membership in IUSA and contact with representatives. Turk said this allows students to be involved in the process of student government, even if they are not serving in an official role.Hossain echoed this sentiment simply.“It’s IUSA,” she said. “It’s for students, it’s their government.”
(11/30/09 1:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Kermit the Frog might not believe that it’s easy to be green, but one company is making it a little simpler to be good to our environment. GreenCells has made it its mission to provide refurbished, discounted phones to consumers with the goal of eliminating harmful electronic waste.GreenCells was founded in 2005 by Brian Moore and Jay Hines. Both had taken a traditional approach to business through work in consulting and engineering before starting their own business, Moore said. However, traditional business didn’t satisfy their desire to work for the greater good.“We just always felt we could do something more,” Moore said.With that belief, Moore and Hines founded a company based on ideas of reuse and waste reduction. GreenCells provides a variety of refurbished phones for about half the price of a new device. These phones range in sophistication from smart phones to those with basic features like calling and texting, Moore said.He said many people are reluctant to purchase a previously owned phone. However, he emphasized that the company makes up for this hesitation with several customer service features. GreenCells offers free shipping, a free 33-day money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty.“We try to make the offer better than new,” Moore said.GreenCells also offers a “trade-in/trade-up” program, which allows customers to exchange their used phones for cash.The idea of reusing cellular phones resonates well with college students, Moore said. Unlike older people, who might be interested in a “green” lifestyle because of guilt based on a lifetime of wastefulness, Moore has found that the younger generation lives it automatically.“There’s a level where green just became a given – it’s not work, it’s not really a choice, it’s just something you incorporate into your life,” Moore said.Freshman Natalie Piontek said she’d be willing to purchase a GreenCells phone as long as it worked as well as a new phone.“Anything that would help the environment would be good,” Piontek said.GreenCells operates with the ultimate goal of creating a “greener” way of life. Their small-scale goal is to eliminate harmful electronic waste, which is often shipped to third-world countries where it can cause pollution, Moore said. Their long-term goal is to inspire a new market.“It’d be really exciting if this thing catches on,” Moore said, “and we can open up a greener market for reuse.”
(11/30/09 1:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As organizations prepare for the holidays, city groups are seeking student volunteers to fill the gaps.Many nonprofit organizations in Bloomington depend on IU student volunteers, and as students head home for the holidays, organizations find themselves without the majority of their workforce, said Bet Savich of the City of Bloomington volunteer network.“There are a lot of organizations who offer it year-round at the capacity they can run while the students are here. When the students are gone, they have problems,” Savich said.With the campus mostly empty, Savich said staff members are often forced to take on jobs they wouldn’t normally do, such as working on the serving line at a local soup kitchen.In order to fill these holes, many community organizations are looking for students to volunteer during the holiday season. June Taylor of the American Red Cross said students who aren’t leaving for the holidays might find comfort in spending their time helping others.“I know we have students at IU who may not have the opportunity to go home over the holidays, and sometimes that is a very lonely time,” Savich said.The American Red Cross is looking for people to send cards to veterans as part of their Holiday Mail for Heroes program. Individuals may pick up cards at a local branch.Savich said nursing homes, community kitchens and Adopt-A-Family programs are also in need of volunteer assistance during the holiday season.In Bloomington, Adopt-A-Family programs exist at Backstreet Missions, Inc., Bloomington Housing Authority, Foster Care Select, Middle Way House, Inc., Monroe County United Ministries, Salvation Army and Shalom Community Center.Novella Shuck of the Bloomington Housing Authority also emphasized the importance of student volunteers during the holiday season.A lot of students are going home for break, but that is one of the reasons why volunteering for the holiday season is so important, Shuck said.The Bloomington Housing Authority is seeking volunteers to purchase gifts for its Adopt-a-Family program as well as for its resident Christmas party Dec. 7. Individuals may also volunteer to help at the party itself, Shuck said.A variety of other organizations are seeking volunteers as well. Bloomington’s Cardinal Stage Company is one such organization.“We have students who volunteer in a lot of different areas,” said Katie Becker, director of administration for the company.Becker said eight students are needed to usher the company’s production of “The Sound of Music,” which will run from Dec. 22 to Jan. 3. Ushers are given the chance to see the performance for free. Volunteers are also needed for set construction and tear-down.“It’s a good time for students to volunteer all-around,” Savich said.