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(02/12/01 4:37am)
The IU Student Association sponsored its annual executive debate Thursday at the Indiana Memorial Union. Questions posed to the tickets' presidential candidates ranged from the University's academic decline to ATMs on campus.\nAfter the debate, candidates said they found common ground but also had a chance to define individual goals.\nEach ticket was represented by its presidential candidate -- freshman Dale Drizd of the House ticket; senior Sidney Bosley of the Imagine ticket; junior Scott Hamlin, the new presidential candidate for the Miracle ticket; senior Justin Treasure of the ONE ticket; and junior Jake Oakman of the Supernova ticket.\nSenior Joe Koleszar, presidential candidate for the disqualified TOGA ticket, sat at the table but agreed not to speak. He said he is challenging the ticket's disqualification.\nFour panelists asked questions of the candidates, and each candidate had two minutes to answer. After panelist questions, the audience posed queries.\nThe panel consisted of Assistant Dean of Students Jim Gibson, Residence Halls Association President Jason Dudich, IDS Managing Editor Liz Beltramini and Brian O'Neill, assistant to Interfraternity Council president Ben Schmidt.\nIn opening and closing statements, candidates explained the basic philosophy and goals of their campaigns.\nThe House ticket will focus on what students want, Drizd said.\n"Vote for us, and we'll prove it," he said.\nBosley said the Imagine ticket wants to bring IUSA closer to students. The Imagine ticket has no issue-specific platform, rather a "presence of vision," he said.\n"(We plan) to get IUSA off the third floor of the Union and out with the students," Bosley said.\nHamlin said tuition buys every student a voice. He said the Miracle ticket wants to amplify that voice, emphasizing student choices and accessibility, while addressing current campus issues.\nTreasure said the ONE ticket plans to focus on long-term issues and improve the environment on campus. He said the ticket has researched their proposals and tested them with students and faculty.\nOakman said the Supernova ticket wants to focus on unification -- especially with other student groups on campus. He said the ticket wants to bring new energy, new people and new ideas into IUSA.\nOne question posed during the debate asked the candidates for their thoughts and suggestions on the University's academic reputation.\nTreasure said the value of his degree has gone down. He said it is because of, among other factors, a lack of student involvement.\nDrizd said the problem could be blamed on both professors and students. What is needed, he said, is more access to professors.\nOakman said he hopes to improve the academic reputation of the University by "using the lobbying power of student government."\nBosley said one solution to improve the University's academic reputation is to start with a strong graduate program and build from there.\nAnother question addressed a perception on campus that IUSA does little to affect students' lives. Candidates were asked to explain how they would change the perception.\n"The fact IUSA doesn't do anything is why people don't care about the election," Treasure said.\nNot everyone agreed, but all candidates said they want to run campaigns that garner interest and increase voter turnout from about 15 percent in previous years' elections.
(02/07/01 9:39am)
The investigation into the death of freshman Seth Korona intensified Tuesday, when a preliminary report from the coroner indicated he might not have died of natural causes. Police said the investigation is ongoing.\nKorona died Sunday after several days in a coma. He was transported Jan. 29 by ambulance from his Foster Quad room to Bloomington Hospital.\nIndications of blunt force trauma to the brain were revealed during a preliminary autopsy, said Monroe County Coroner David Toumey. Toumey said he has not determined the cause of death and he won't conclude the report until he has more information, including the results of the investigation.\nToumey said he needs an explanation of what caused the trauma before he can issue an opinion on the cause of death.\nThe trauma could have been caused in any number of ways, Toumey said. He said blunt force trauma can result from a fall or from being hit on the head, among other possibilities.\nA student living on Korona's floor told police Korona hadn't been feeling well since returning from a Jan. 27 party at Theta Chi fraternity, said IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger.\nKorona was fine at the party, said freshman Chris Vargo, a friend and floormate. Vargo left the party at 2 a.m., but Korona stayed later, he said.\nWhen Vargo saw Korona the next morning, he said Korona seemed tired and complained of a headache.\nKorona had bruises under his arms and was holding the back of his head, Vargo said. And Korona told Vargo he didn't know where he got the bruises.\nVargo said he wasn't too concerned -- Korona was not a morning person, and he said he thought Korona was just hungover.\nThe next day, Vargo knew something was wrong. Vargo said Korona was clearly sick.\nWhen Korona's condition failed to improve, Vargo said he called for an ambulance.\nDean of Students Richard McKaig said he believes Korona was injured at Theta Chi. He said those who were at the party would be interviewed in the investigation.\nThe fraternity will be suspended, pending the completion of the investigation, McKaig said. He said he plans to announce the suspension today.\nTheta Chi national headquarters is also investigating the incident. The chapter was put under an order of suspension Feb. 1 by Theta Chi's national president, said David Westol, executive director of Theta Chi Fraternity.\n"Until we know what happened, we will not release more information," Westol said.\nWestol would not say why the chapter was suspended or exactly what was being investigated.\nTheta Chi President Dave Friedmann, a sophomore, declined to comment.\nIUPD responded to Theta Chi at 1:43 a.m. Jan. 28 on a complaint of a "loud party," Minger said. A house member promised to keep the party quiet, and police didn't return, Minger said.\nThe fraternity is only a part of the growing investigation, Minger said.\n"We're trying to determine what activities (Korona) was involved in prior to going to the hospital," Minger said. "We'll set up a timeline and interview people who had contact with him."\nIUPD will focus its investigation on finding out how the trauma occurred, McKaig said.\nMinger said he expects interviews to last until the middle of next week.\nAfter being transported to Bloomington Hospital, Korona did not wake up from a coma, said Rabbi Sue Shifron, executive director of the Helen G. Simon Hillel Center and a religious guide for Korona's family.\nShifron joined family and friends in prayer at Korona's bedside, she said.\n"Even though he was only at IU for three and a half weeks, he met hundreds of friends -- it speaks to how vibrant and full of life he was," Shifron said. "There was just something very special about him."\nKorona will be buried Thursday in New Jersey.
(02/06/01 6:01am)
Seth Korona, a 19-year-old freshman, died Sunday, three weeks into his first semester at IU.\nHe had been in a coma since he was taken to Bloomington Hospital Jan. 29. Friends said he was a fun, outgoing and positive person who often talked about his family. The IU Police Department is investigating his death, said Lt. Jerry Minger.\nKorona transferred from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, friends said. He was originally from New Jersey.\nMinger said IUPD was called to his dorm room at Foster Quad Jan. 29. Korona was transported to Bloomington Hospital by ambulance.\nMinger said Korona was "semi-conscious" when police arrived. Friends said Korona was in a coma until his death Sunday.\nMinger said that upon hearing of Korona's death Monday an investigation began immediately.\n"We were advised today that Mr. Korona had passed away," Minger said. "I also understan the coroner is investigating it."\nThe Monroe County Corner's office did not respond to pages from the IDS Monday night.\nUniversity spokeswoman Susan Dillman said the University could provide little information until investigations were further along.\n"We are very saddened by the death of this student," Dillman said. "We are continuing to monitor the investigation."\nFloormates of Korona's gathered to talk about their friend Monday in the Foster Quad formal lounge.\nDonning a green sweater that had belonged to Korona, freshman Chris Vargo remembered his workout partner.\nVargo said Korona was the first student he met at IU. The reverse was probably also true, he said, since both started second semester.\nVargo said Korona was an easy-going, fun-loving friend who was great to have around.\n"He always mentioned how much fun he had here," Vargo said. "He never had a bad day."\nKorona's New Jersey accent is one thing freshman Scott McCoy said he liked about Korona. \nMcCoy said Korona was "the quickest friend I ever met."\nHis ability to make friends was an asset to his residence hall floor, freshman Matt Wattley said.\n"Last semester, our floor wasn't that tight," Wattley said. "I prayed to be closer. I got my prayers answered with Seth."\nThe floor became even closer when Korona got sick, freshman Brian Eagles said. Floormates visited him in the hospital and prayed for him.\nThey said they are grateful to have known him.\n"I'm glad I met him, even though it was for a short time," Vargo said.\nThe floor organized a memorial gathering for Korona Sunday night at Foster. About 120 people attended.
(02/02/01 9:46pm)
The Golden Ticket dropped its bid for IU Student Association executive offices Thursday, said sophomore Chip Patterson, who was running for president. \nBut part of the ticket's platform will live on with the Supernova ticket, Patterson said.\nThe Golden Ticket had hoped to lead the IU Student Association with "A Student Quality of Life Platform." Now the executive candidates will throw their support behind Supernova.\nPatterson said he called sophomore Jeff Wuslich, Supernova candidate for vice president for administration, to discuss the platforms of both tickets. Patterson said he realized The Golden Ticket and Supernova had a lot of the same priorities.\n"Both tickets had a lot of strong platform ideas," Patterson said. "It's stupid for the sake of (IUSA) to pit ourselves against each other."\nHe offered to support Supernova and contribute his ideas to the ticket. Supernova presidential candidate Jake Oakman, a junior, said he was happy to accept the offer.\n"If we have people supporting the same things on two different tickets, we may have drawn votes away from each other," Oakman said. "Someone without the best interests of (IUSA) could have (been elected)."\nPatterson called the new ticket "Supernova with a bigger, stronger platform."\nOakman said his ticket would add several platform items The Golden Ticket had proposed.\nAmong the additions, Supernova will try to extend tutoring and help-center hours, educate incoming freshmen on rape prevention and alcohol management, develop a Minority Achievement Committee and look into student concerns about University fiscal responsibility, Oakman said.\nSupernova is running its campaign on four priorities: improving services to students, improving communication with the administration, instilling a feeling of University pride and continuing to increase technology on campus.\nWuslich said he admires Patterson for his devotion to The Golden Ticket's platform. Patterson was running for the platform, not the position, Wuslich said. \nOakman said speaking with one voice will strengthen the chances of getting the goals the ticket's shared accomplished.\nPatterson said he has already provided names of possible congressional candidates to Supernova. But no one who planned to run with The Golden Ticket will switch and run on the Supernova ticket, he said. Supernova has almost completed its slate of congressional candidates, Oakman said.\nOakman said that Supernova is open to new ideas and that the platform is not set in stone.\n"It's a living platform," Oakman said. "We're not going to ignore a good idea because it's not our own"
(02/01/01 5:44am)
A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck El Salvador Jan. 13, killing more than 700 and leaving about one million homeless in the country of about six million people.\nHistory professor Jeff Gould was there.\nGould, director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, has been in El Salvador researching a 1932 massacre of 10,000 Native Americans and peasants. He will turn the results into a documentary film and a book. \nIn his five trips to El Salvador during the last three years, he has talked to people from the countryside, which he said is an important part of his research.\nJan. 13, he was talking to an elderly man in Santa Anna, the country's second largest city, when the walls of the man's house began to shake. What followed, Gould said, was the longest 45 seconds of his life.\n"The house started to shake, and we all knew immediately this was at least a small tremor," he said.\nGould and the man cut off their discussion and ran outside.\n"It literally seemed like the walls were coming down, then they would straighten back up," he said.\nHe said the scariest part of his experience was driving back to San Salvador, the capital, where he was staying. The trip normally takes an hour. This time, it took six, he said.\n"The roads were covered with rocks and dirt from landslides," he said.\nOne road became blocked an hour after Gould drove over it, he said. It would take a week for workers to clear one lane.\nGould returned home to Bloomington Saturday. He said the quake dealt a serious blow to the country's people and economy.\n"Before the earthquake, these people were barely surviving," he said. "Now, with the earthquake, it becomes an impossible situation."
(01/31/01 5:20am)
Unveiling an agenda it promises not to fulfill, the TOGA party announced its candidacy for IU Student Association offices Tuesday.\n"I've been around here for a while, and IUSA has never done anything, and we're not going to do anything," said presidential candidate Joe Koleszar, a senior. "We're not going to lie to you.\nThe TOGA ticket's executive candidates are Koleszar, an IU student for seven years; graduate student Amber Coulter for vice president for congress; and senior Coreyallen Ross for vice president for administration. The platform lists no candidate for treasurer at this time, but whoever is elected will "do as they are told."\nThis is the second time a TOGA ticket has run for IUSA, Koleszar said. He said he was a member of the last TOGA party two years ago. The name was chosen then because every ticket was choosing a four-letter word for its name, he said.\n"It's a four letter word that goes well with party," Koleszar said.\nThe TOGA party decided to run within the last week, Ross said. He said the ticket's members plan to add a treasurer and at least one congressional candidate to fulfill IUSA elections rules.\n"We just found out we could run, so we're just putting together our platform," Ross said. "I think we make a pretty good team."\nThe ticket released some of its platform items in an e-mail.\n"(The platform is) what the most serious issues we feel facing the campus are," Koleszar said.\nThe ticket promises a "wet campus," in which "every sink will have three taps --hot, cold and beer." It said Dunn Meadow will become a miniature golf course, Ballantine Hall will be turned into a free parking garage, a Hooters restaurant will be added to the Indiana Memorial Union and a retractable dome will be installed above the University to protect students from the weather.\nThe TOGA party also promises to "end the plague of gnomes that the University has been suffering under for far too long."\n"(The gnomes are) just something that has to be experienced," Koleszer said. "We got rid of the pixies a few years ago, but the gnomes have to be dealt with."\nMembers said they will form the IU Dating Service and add a monorail system.\n"Sleep as long as you want and still get to class in 2 seconds!" according to the platform.\nThe TOGA party platform promises "to pay off bursar bills with fee money, hold back enough to (pay for) shelter and booze for the year and convert the rest into $5 bills that we will hand out at random places on campus."\nFinally, the ticket said it will set its candidates up as IUSA's permanent officers, so the campus doesn't have to go through another election.\nAt the end of its platform, the ticket states, "We at TOGA realize that, with the possible exception of the gnomes, none of the promises we made above will be carried out."\nKoleszar said he's looking forward to, among other things, handing out potatoes for votes.\n"Expect the unexpected," he said.
(01/30/01 4:48am)
Labeling its six campus priorities "A Student Quality of Life Platform," Monday, The Golden Ticket announced its candidacy for IU Student Association offices. The Golden Ticket is the fourth group to join the race since the Jan. 18 kickoff. \nThe Golden Ticket will only have executive office candidates and no congressional candidates, members said.\nThe Golden Ticket's executive candidates are sophomore Chip Patterson for president, sophomore Daniel Fruchtman for vice president for administration, freshman Renon Thomas for vice president for congress and freshman Adrienne Cleveland for treasurer.\nPatterson, now an IUSA greek senator, said the name of the ticket was chosen because it was recognizable and creative. It also refers to the movie "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," he said.\nThe ticket's top priorities are student safety, education, diversity, campus, fiscal responsibility and parking. Patterson said the ticket will work on current IUSA initiatives but will take a different approach to campus issues.\nGolden Ticket members said they will focus on education to improve safety on campus. The ticket's platform said it aims to provide rape prevention, self-defense and alcohol management classes.\nThomas said such classes could be held at freshman orientation.\n"I think student education about self-defense and alcohol prevention are most important," Thomas said. A larger police force is a good idea, but that can't really prevent crime, he said.\nThe ticket said it also wants to improve education. It plans to do so by expanding resources that will benefit students, such as tutors, longer help center hours and more computer access.\nThe Golden Ticket's third priority -- diversity -- is one of the most important, members said. Patterson said despite the diversity of campus, some areas, such as the greek system, are still segregated. The ticket said it will take responsibility to ensure minority students succeed, forming a Minority Achievement Committee of mentors.\nImproving campus comfort and convenience is another priority. One idea the ticket will work for is enclosed bus stops. It said fighting for increased student input in financial matters is also a priority. At the very least, Patterson said, students should know where their money goes.\n"In financing things, there's not much of a student voice," he said. "I'm looking to put money where students want money."\nLowering fines and increasing options are solutions The Golden Ticket said it will work on, if elected.\n"We understand if they decrease the fines too much, people won't care," Fruchtman said. "(The tickets) can be just as much a deterrent without getting people into financial problems."\nPatterson said The Golden Ticket chose a realistic platform that will lead to improvements on campus and in student quality of life. \n"All these things I feel we could accomplish in one year," Patterson said.
(01/23/01 5:04am)
Junior Ryan Miracle said he couldn't resist using his own name for the IU Student Association ticket he leads as presidential candidate. The "Miracle" ticket announced its candidacy and platform Sunday.\nOther executive candidates on the "Miracle" ticket are junior Scott Hamlin for vice president for administration, junior Michael Blue for vice president for congress and senior Angie Cherry for treasurer.\nThey said they will strive to be the party of accessibility and student involvement, while addressing current issues and searching for new ideas.\n"We are concerned about what we can do for students right here, right now," Miracle said.\nSome of the ticket's goals are to move campus computers from low traffic areas to high traffic areas, to make online class registration available, to convert the Campus Access card to a campus "debit" card and to install clocks at all campus bus stops. The ticket also said it wants to provide more money to support student groups.\nThe candidates said they will address some of the issues facing the current student government. The ticket will not support a universal bus plan, Miracle said, because the plan would create more overcrowding and late buses. Cherry said some students are being charged twice -- for parking and for riding into campus.\nAlthough Hamlin said the ticket's priority would be its own initiatives, he said the ticket supports the current IUSA administration. As part of a new IUSA administration, the "Miracle" ticket would take current proposals to the next level, Hamlin said.\n"You don't want to tear down something completely every time a new administration comes in," he said.\nIn addition to building on past achievements, Miracle said accessibility is one of his main goals. He said he wants students and IUSA officers to share casual relationships -- for students to be able to walk into the IUSA office at any time, for any reason.\n"Our administration and our ticket will be the most accessible student government in the history of IU student government," Miracle said.\n"There are times when student governments feel distant", said Cullen Bollinger, candidate for College of Arts and Sciences representative.\n"Whether you're paying or your parents are paying, that tuition buys you a voice," he said.\nThe "Miracle" ticket members said they will listen.
(01/22/01 5:07am)
The Eigenmann Hall judicial board ruled Friday that the Eigenmann Residents Association and the Residence Halls Association will not merge. \nThe board decided the Nov. 28 referendum was not valid because the minimum 20 percent of Eigenmann residents did not vote.\nThe referendum would have combined Eigenmann Residents Association with RHA, which comprises the other 10 dorms. RHA's residents passed the referendum 414-21, while students living in Eigenmann voted 25-15 against it.\nIndividuals from both organizations said they thought the referendum had passed because of a sentence in the Eigenmann Residents Association constitution that reads: "Upon approval of 20 percent of the residents voting, the amendment shall become part of this Constitution."\nBut the judicial board decided the sentence was interpreted incorrectly.\nThe board said it means that 20 percent of the residents must vote in the election, and of that 20 percent, there must be a majority to pass, junior Mark Illingworth said. As one of four authors of the Eigenmann constitution, Illingworth argued the sentence was a mistake and filed a contestment with the board.\nFriday's decision will not change the wording of the Eigenmann constitution. But the Eigenmann Residents Association is in the process of fixing errors in the document, Illingworth said.\nEigenmann Residents Association President Dietrich Willke, a senior, said he wants to see the merger happen. But it is up to the residents, he said.\n"Although I voted for the merger, I agree with the decision," Willke said. "I would feel bad if the minority of 'yes' votes can overrun the majority."\nRHA President Jason Dudich, a senior, said that the members of the judicial board have the final say in the decision.\n"I am upset by the fact that no one from the General Assembly or from the ERA executive council was present at the hearings to defend the referendum and be a witness to the board," Dudich said.\nDudich and Willke said they hope the two organizations will merge in the near future. For now, RHA continues to work with the Eigenmann Residents Association, keeping it informed. And Eigenmann will keep its nonvoting seat at the Presidents' Council, Dudich said.\n"RHA's concern is making sure that ERA has adequate representation to IU," Dudich said. "That could be done through joining RHA and becoming a voting member on the Presidents' Council"
(01/19/01 5:36am)
Marking the first official day of the IU Student Association election season, the IUSA president explained the rules to a handful of potential candidates Thursday at Ballantine Hall. Two tickets are expected to announce their candidacies Sunday.\nPresident Meredith Suffron, a senior, handed out the timeline for the election and pointed out key dates. \nApplications will be available Thursday at the Indiana Memorial Union Student Activities Office and are due Feb. 1. \nExecutive candidates will debate Feb. 8\nThe IUSA election will be held Feb. 20-21. Students will vote on paper ballots or online, Suffron said.\nCandidates will be organizing their tickets, deciding on goals and looking for votes in the next few weeks, said senior Steven Bierly, treasurer. He said he hopes the candidates will be dedicated to improving the campus.\n"It's easy to get into a schedule and lose your focus," he said. "If you have a big plan, you have to make sure you don't get lost in the little things."\nBierly said it's a chance for current officers to see if their initiatives will be continued. \nThis year's election schedule will differ slightly from last year's schedule, Suffron said. At Thursday's meeting, she said special attention will be paid to a few rules governing the election.\nE-mail messages sent by candidates will be limited to single addresses, except within the ticket, she said. Also, election officials will strictly enforce a rule keeping election business outside of the IUSA offices.\n"(Election business) distracts people from what they're there for," Suffron said. "No matter who they are or what they're doing, it's outside of the office."\nSuffron said questions about the elections should be directed to the elections commission's e-mail account, iusaelec@indiana.edu.\nRules limiting spending to $1,000 for executive tickets, banning campaigning within 50 feet of a polling site -- including computer labs -- and other election regulations will be enforced by 10 election commissioners, Suffron said. They are also responsible for tabulating votes.\nIt is "a chance to do something different," said senior Matt Feczko, one of the commissioners.\nAlthough candidates may now announce and begin campaigning, they still must apply and meet certain residency, academic and application requirements.\n"They're not formally running until they sign up," Suffron said.\nExecutive candidates have to receive 40 percent of the vote or lead by 20 percent to win. If no executive ticket meets these requirements, a run-off will be held the week after the election.\nCurrent IUSA members said the elections are a highlight of their time on campus.\n"Student government elections offer new and returning students an opportunity to get involved in the University community and to meet friends," said junior Ben Piper, co-director of the IUSA legislative relations office.
(01/18/01 5:06am)
Trevor R. Brown, dean of the School of Journalism, was named Freedom Forum Journalism Administrator of the Year Jan. 13.\nThe award recognizes outstanding leadership in journalism education. Brown was selected by a panel of educators and news professionals from nominations submitted by his peers. He is the 12th recipient of the award.\n"We look for people who have done an outstanding job in journalism education, not only in their own school, but also in terms of the larger professions as well," said Donna Fowler, director of communications for Freedom Forum.\nBrown has been dean of the school since 1985. He began his career at IU as an assistant professor in 1972. He has also taught at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Brown holds a doctorate in communications-public affairs from Stanford University, and master's and bachelor's degrees from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.\n "This is an award that's long overdue," associate journalism professor Owen Johnson said. "He has provided important leadership; not only in curriculum, support and research, but also in giving moral and ethical leadership to the journalism field as a whole."\n Brown received a medal and $10,000 from the Freedom Forum, and IU has received a $10,000 grant in his honor.\nBrown has served as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. \nThe dean worked to make the School of Journalism an independent unit within the University. He also has tried to change the curriculum to help prepare graduates for the technological demands of the 21st century.\n"The challenge of the school is to adhere to certain fundamental values of journalism, despite changes that threaten values," Brown said.\nThe Freedom Forum is a private, nonpartisan international foundation. It concentrates on four priorities -- press freedom, diversity in journalism, world press freedom and the Newseum in Virginia.\n"The most significant part of (this award) is that it recognizes the School of Journalism," Brown said.\nHe said the credit for the award belongs to his predecessors, especially former dean Richard Gray, who died in November 1984. In his acceptance speech, Brown honored Gray's legacy.\n"Dick Gray, only the third chair since the creation of IU's Department of Journalism in 1911, had the passion and courage to shift the course of his inheritance and to shape the vision of his successors," Brown said in his acceptance speech Jan. 13.\nThe award didn't exist when Gray was dean, Brown said, adding, "I have no doubt (Gray) would have won this award."\nThough the Freedom Forum receives high quality nominations each year, Brown's stood out, Fowler said.
(01/18/01 4:24am)
Don't let the name scare you.\nThe members of Full Frontal Comedy, an IU improvisation troupe founded in 1994, do not perform sans clothes. The name, as it turns out, is more indicative of their brand of comedy.\nWith Full Frontal, every show is different, any topic can be funny and almost nothing is sacred.\nAnd unlike their shows, clothes are apparently optional in practice.\n"There's something to be said for complete, open honesty within an art form. The ability to strip down naked and do whatever you want is really strong," junior Sean Ellis joked with a straight face. "That's why I'm always getting naked at practice."\nFull Frontal practices about four hours a week, although the 75-minute shows are mostly improvised and audience-oriented, senior Tom Ridgely said. \nThe real story behind the troupe's name is a mystery to current members, they said. They have some ideas, but aren't all that concerned with the origin of their title.\n"I haven't spent any time rationalizing the name," junior Ian Martin said.\nEvery Full Frontal show includes a monologue, Chicago-style improv, games and suggestions from the audiences of the residence halls, Indiana Memorial Union, sorority and fraternity houses and Ben & Jerry's, to name a few.\nBut Ridgely said making people laugh is harder than it looks. It takes discipline and practice. He said it's a lot like playing basketball, or any other sport for that matter. The audience is like the other team's defense: you have to get a feel for how to make them laugh (to score), and to turn audience suggestions into "points." \nIn that sense, what makes Full Frontal good is not individual talent, but rapport between members.\n"We know what someone's gonna do before they do it," sophomore Erik Johnson said.\nIn fact, Full Frontal has no leader; rather, members alternate directing shows. This rotation usually does not produce drastically different shows, as the members have similar styles.\n"The more you're around someone, the more you start to think like them," senior Jeffrey Schwab said.\nGood improvisation starts with a foundation the audience can relate to, Ridgely said. If the foundation has been properly laid, "Stuff starts happening, and you really don't understand why," he said.\nSometimes the audience works with the troupe with their suggestions, rather than trying to stump them. \n"If (the audience) throws out 'dildo,' you know the audience is rooting for you, because they know you have something for dildo," he said.\nThe key, Martin said, is to get a feel for how far the audience is willing to go.\n"The audience provides the fuel," Martin said. "The biggest goal is to actually connect with the audience."\nThat's when great improv is possible, Ridgely said.\nThe troupe said they have been stumped in the past by such words as "cyborg" and "Dungeons and Dragons," but they usually manage to overcome it. The spontaneity is part of the fun, they said. \n"There's something about knowing this is being said for the first time, without any planning, and being said off the top of our heads," he said.\nFull Frontal Comedy holds open auditions every semester, and members are in until they graduate or quit for other reasons.\nJohnson and junior Amy Odgers joined in December as the 13th generation of Full Frontal Comedy. A generation is equivalent to a semester in the troupe.\nOdgers said she was surprised by how the show works, although she saw the show before she auditioned.\n"It's not so much about throwing out the jokes, but developing your scenes, which is a lot different than how I thought it worked," Odgers said.\nEllis compared their efforts to an action film, with scenes of high intensity and scenes of suspense.\n"A Full Frontal show is a lot like a James Bond movie," Ellis said. "We have moments of pure scene work, and then moments of comedy. Moments of high action, and we have different elements of humor."\nFull Frontal's next show is 8 p.m. today in the Georgian Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. Admission is free. For more information about Full Frontal, tonight's show or to book the troupe, visit www.fullfrontalcomedy.com.
(01/12/01 5:30am)
While a final decision on a proposed universal campus bus plan is yet to be made, some students have been voicing their concerns.\nThe plan would make it possible for any student to ride any IU or Bloomington Transit bus with their student ID.\nBut, like any service, it would come with a price. \nThe plan would cost each student $40 per semester -- if all Bloomington and IU services remained the same, said IU Student Association President Meredith Suffron, a member of the transportation committee.\nThis year students were charged about $21 per semester for the first phase of universal bus service, which provides access to Bloomington Transit with a student ID.\nThe bus plan -- first proposed by IUSA in 1998 -- was approved by the board of trustees in 1999, said Suffron, a senior. Since then, the plan has been the responsibility of the transportation committee, composed of student leaders, administration officials and representatives of Bloomington Transit.\nSince implementation of the first phase, Bloomington Transit has increased its fleet from 18 to 28 buses and has seen ridership jump 80 percent, said Joe Lilly, Bloomington Transit operations manager.\nWhile the committee is still looking at several options, University Transportation Director Maggie Whitlow said the new bus plan has gone well so far. \n"What we've done this year has been very successful and has accomplished a bunch of things," Whitlow said.\nWhile the bus plan was first proposed by IUSA, the current plan differs, Suffron said. \n"My concern is that this bus plan is nothing like the one IUSA proposed," she said. The IUSA plan favored access to both IU and Bloomington Transit buses the first year rather than the current phase-in plan, she said.\nSome students, who say they rarely or never use the service, aren't happy. One has set up a Web site to voice his discontent.\nJosh Wells, a graduate student, said he has never ridden a bus in Bloomington. He said his house is outside the pick-up area of both Bloomington Transit and IU campus buses.\nThis school year, he paid the bursar $42 for Bloomington Transit service.\nHe said he is distributing "Stop the Bus" fliers and has set up a Web site at geocities.com/stopiubus.\n"The bus plan is a misuse of funding. It's obvious that other schools can do much better with the same amount of money that we're providing," he said. "I think the University is terribly overestimating the number of students that ride buses around campus."\nDuring the eight years he has lived in Bloomington, graduate student Staffan Peterson said he has always ridden his bike or walked to classes.\n"It's unfair. This thing I purposely tried to avoid, I now have to subsidize those who don't choose to walk or bike," he said. "I think the bus pass is a good thing for a small group of students, but it shouldn't be mandatory for everyone to subsidize a small group of people."\nBecause of his proximity to campus, Residence Halls Association President Jason Dudich, a member of the transportation committee, doesn't ride the bus either. But he looks at it differently.\n"I've never used the bus, but it's a mandatory fee," Dudich, a senior, said. "It supports everyone to use this service."\nDudich compared it to the Health Center -- students are charged a fee, even if they never need or use the service.\nStudents who want a fee exemption can go to the appeals board, Dudich said. Exemptions can be granted if the individual has a handicap or can't access the bus system, does not live in Bloomington or take classes at the Bloomington campus or studies abroad, he said.\nThe transportation committee will meet in the next few weeks to discuss the plan. It will determine whether to stick with this year's system, to offer access to both IU and Bloomington Transit buses or to design some other plan. It will share its decision with the board of trustees in April, Dudich said.\nWhitlow said there is no rush to make a decision.\n"The team that is looking at this is exploring all kinds of alternatives," Whitlow said. "One of the best might be to wait a while longer and really consider some major other things … look it over more closely before we make a change next year."\nMembers of the transportation committee said they're looking for feedback. IUSA plans to set up a straw-poll on its Web site at www.indiana.edu/~iusa, Suffron said. Some time in the next few weeks, she said, she will ride all campus bus lines with Dudich to get more feedback.\nDudich said the goal of the transportation committee is to decide what services to add or remove, while keeping costs as low as possible.\n"We have to find common ground, where we can make a decision best for the students of IU," he said.
(01/09/01 6:16am)
Students and community members will celebrate the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., with cultural, educational and volunteer activities through next week.\nMonday is the federal holiday that honors the civil rights leader who was assassinated April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tenn.\nActivities include "Archie Bunker's Neighborhood" 8 p.m. today at Teter Quad -- one of several teach-ins sponsored by Residential Programs and Services' CommUNITY Educators; Wednesday's free showing of "Remember the Titans" in the Indiana Memorial Union's Wittenberger Auditorium; Friday's free concert at 8 p.m. at the School of Music; and next Tuesday's Unity Summit at noon in the Indiana Memorial Union's Frangipani Room.\nAnother highlight is "A day on! Not a day off," a program that pairs community and University volunteers in more than 40 community service projects, said Darrell Ann Stone, associate director of student activities. Service activities will take place Saturday and Monday.\nGloria Gibson, co-chair of the campus Martin Luther King Jr. Day Committee, said planned activities, including "A day on! Not a day off," will teach people about King and work to continue his legacy.\n"It's a day to be involved, it's a day to meet new people, it's a day to have new experiences in the community and on campus," Gibson said.\nNow in its fourth year, "A day on! Not a day off" has grown from 10 projects to 40, said Craig Brenner, Bloomington special projects coordinator.\n"We organize projects so members of the University and community can work side by side," Brenner said. "We get people from different backgrounds to rub shoulders -- to actually do something."\nJames Cameron, who survived a racial lynching, will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Willke Auditorium. Preceding his lecture, at 5 p.m., history professor James Madison will have a teach-in.\nThe festivities King will culminate in the annual King Birthday Celebration 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Bloomington Convention Center, 302 S. College Ave.\nManning Marable, Columbia University professor of history and political science and founding director of the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia, will be the keynote speaker. He has written 13 books and is a prominent lecturer and interpreter of political and racial history in America, Brenner said.\nMarable will be introduced by IU President Myles Brand, Brenner said. Campus buses will be provided Monday evening to encourage student participation.\nGibson said the events will be both entertaining and educational.\n"We hope that students will not only learn about the legacy of Martin Luther King, but will take the opportunity to learn about cultures different than their own and learn to celebrate other cultures," Gibson said. "We hope students can carry away a message that will be part of their educational experience here at IU."\nFor more information about volunteering for "A day on! Not a day off," contact the Volunteer Student Bureau at 855-8290.
(12/11/00 5:46am)
When Eigenmann Hall was built in 1968, it cost $9.8 million, said Bruce Jacobs, associate vice chancellor of administrative affairs. The 14-floor residence hall was the first on campus to be air-conditioned, and it was also the most expensive residence hall for students. Original plans even called for full maid service, Jacobs said.\nToday $9.8 million would pay for a two or three-story building, he said.\nA group of about 25 students, teachers and administrators celebrated the 30th anniversary of Eigenmann Friday. They also remembered the residence hall's namesake, Carl Eigenmann.\nThose in attendance were treated to performances by jazz musicians and an a cappella group. Speakers also shed light on Eigenmann's history.\nThe diversity of the celebration was fitting for Eigenmann, said Patrick Connor, Residential Programs and Services director.\n"This ceremony reflects the personality of the building," Connor said.\nJacobs was one of two keynote speakers at the celebration. The other was senior Dietrich Willke, president of Eigenmann Residents Association.\nEigenmann was dedicated Nov. 15, 1970, the 150th anniversary of IU, Jacobs said. Over the years, he said, Eigenmann has changed to meet the needs of the campus -- it was built for graduate students and now houses undergraduate, graduate and international students and a sorority. At one time, it was a major campus conference facility, Jacobs said.\nAs Eigenmann Hall's history has been diverse and changing, Jacobs said, its namesake had much the same experience during his time on campus.\nCarl Eigenmann was born in 1863 in Germany, Jacobs said. As a student, Eigenmann changed his major several times. It was David Starr Jordan -- for whom the Jordan River and buildings on campus are named -- who inspired Eigenmann to become a professor of zoology, Jacobs said.\nAfter teaching zoology, Eigenmann later became the dean of graduate studies. In that capacity, he recruited Alfred Kinsey to study zoology. He also tried to purchase Spring Mill State Park for the University because he was interested in researching the blind fish for which the park's caves are famous, Jacobs said. \n"(Eigenmann) is a building that has left its mark on IU, much as (Carl) Eigenmann left his mark on IU," Jacobs said.\nWillke said the anniversary was "a proud moment" for Eigenmann, and he said he is proud to call the residence hall home.\n"I do believe this building deserves this honor," Willke said. "Though it still needs improvements, I love it here"
(12/08/00 5:55am)
Students, alumni and administrators are invited to a celebration from 6-7:30 p.m. today at Eigenmann Hall to commemorate the residence hall's 30th anniversary.\nThe event will be a chance to learn about the history of Eigenmann and meet former students and officers, said sophomore Hope Marasco, Eigenmann Residents Association vice president of programming.\nThe celebration will include jazz musicians, hors d'ouevres, the a cappella group Delusions of Grandeur and speeches from senior Dietrich Willke, Eigenmann president, and Bruce Jacobs, associate vice chancellor.\nWillke said the 30th anniversary will be a memorable event and "a proud moment." Eigenmann's residents and its history were two of the reasons he chose to live there, he said.\n"Eigenmann has this natural flavor of diversity," Willke said. "You have sororities, graduate students, freshmen, out-of-state and international students all living together in one building."\nThe construction of Eigenmann Hall was completed in 1969, Willke said, and the official dedication ceremony took place in 1970. The building was designed by Rollin McLaughlin.\nEigenmann Hall is coed and air-conditioned. It offers the Market Place dining facility, a music practice room, an exercise/weight room, darkroom, library, computer cluster and laundry facilities, according to Residential Programs and Services.\nEigenmann is the only dorm that has never closed during breaks, Willke said.\n"Eigenmann remained open, giving a home to thousands of students during every day of the year," he said.\nThe hall was built for graduate and international students, said Patrick Connor, RPS director. But through the years, its residents have resembled the population of the other dorms more and more, he said.\nFreshmen began living in Eigenmann in 1998, and half of the floors were reserved for them, Willke said. This year, only three floors are for students older than 21.\nThe first student government of Eigenmann was the Graduate Resident Association Council. Recently the name was changed to Eigenmann Residents Association, but Eigenmann has never been a part of Residence Halls Association, Willke said.\nMarasco said one characteristic she likes about Eigenmann is the hall's uniqueness.\n"The social dynamic is changing -- the makeup is changing," she said. "You get a really good range of students, a really unique group of students"
(12/08/00 5:00am)
A small room on the third floor of the Indiana Memorial Union was full of busy students this week. Scissors, tape and wrapping paper were strewn about a table. Colorful packages were stacked against the walls.\nMore than 50 campus organizations have been working to make the holidays brighter for about 90 Bloomington-area underprivileged children.\nCoordinated by the Volunteer Student Bureau, these organizations and individuals have "adopted" children -- purchasing, wrapping and delivering wanted and needed gifts, said senior Erin Keneally, Volunteer Student Bureau president.\nThe group's efforts culminated when volunteers gathered Wednesday and Thursday to pack and wrap the gifts.\nGifts are primarily for the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington, Keneally said. They will also be distributed to Child Protective Services and children of students in on-campus housing, Keneally said.\nKeneally said the diversity of the campus groups participating -- from fraternities and sororities to the Tai Chi Chu'an club -- is an important aspect of the project.\n"One of the main goals is, through service, to create a bond between student organizations," Keneally said.\nStudents had a variety of reasons for helping. \n"It's a break from pressure for finals, plus it's a good cause," freshman Stephanie Peters said.\nFreshman Sam Lawrence said he learned about the service opportunity from an e-mail and thought it sounded like a good cause.\n"I wanted to do something for the holidays," he said.\nKeneally said she's always been impressed by how much campus organizations focus on community service, and organizing the project was natural for her.\n"I felt very fortunate in my childhood, so it comes naturally to provide for needy children, especially during the holidays and the cold," Keneally said.\nPurchasing and wrapping gifts were not the only ways students supported the project. Many also donated gifts and donated cash to sponsor a child. For instance, Keneally said, the IU Student Association matched individual donations up to $100.\nMore than $500 has been raised through donations. Volunteer Student Bureau suggested a donation between $10 and $30 for each child sponsored. Thursday, volunteers shopped for gifts for those children, Keneally said.\nJoe Walterman, a graduate student, sponsored a child with a donation.\n"I thought the least I could do is sponsor a child -- they're not asking for much money," Walterman said. "It's two Burger King meals."\nThis is the first year for an organized, campus-wide effort to participate, said Bobbie Brooks-Steinhauer, Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington unit director.\nAbout 130 moderate to high-need children participate in Boys and Girls Club activities after school each day, Brooks-Steinhauer said.\nEvery year, the club asks community organizations to sponsor about 200 children. This year the campus group is sponsoring about 60, Brooks-Steinhauer said.\n"Once a year, we have an opportunity to go out into the community and get to see these kids get something, so they know that someone in the community cares," she said.\nBrooks-Steinhauer, who has worked for the club for four years, said some children lack necessities like coats and boots. But things that they want are just as important, she said.\nKeneally said the key is providing both. One particular child will get a winter coat -- and Pokemon Monopoly game, candy and card games, she said.\nMany children will also get gift certificates, Keneally said, and a Boys and Girls Club representative will shop with the children. Volunteers have been invited to a party, which will include Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas activities. This is when they will give their gifts to the children, Brooks-Steinhauer said.\n"There are years we get a little nervous," she said, "but I have never been here in a year when kids haven't all been sponsored"
(12/06/00 5:10am)
About 60 students and senior citizens tried to narrow a perceived generation gap Monday night.\nThe Residence Halls Association and Volunteer Student Bureau sponsored a Caribbean-themed mixer with senior citizens at the Willkie Auditorium. Drinks, hors d'ouevres and dessert were provided, but the ultimate goal was interaction.\nIt was a chance to "build a rapport between generations," said senior Erin Keneally, Volunteer Student Bureau president.\nKeneally and senior Gunjan Sharma, RHA vice president of philanthropy, coordinated the event. They said they were afraid Willkie Auditorium would look like a middle school dance -- hushed and awkward -- and "ice-breakers" and "mixer" exercises would be needed to convince a group of students to interact with senior citizens from Meadowood Retirement Community.\nIn fact, planned activities were replaced by two hours of conversation.\nSeniors had a chance to meet and talk to conscientious students, Sharma said, and students learned from the seniors -- through shared interests and the seniors' stories and experiences.\nThe white Meadowood Retirement Community bus pulled up to the Willkie Auditorium promptly at 7 p.m.\nMonte Robinson, the driver and a resident of Unionville, Ind., said the 25-person bus he drives had two empty seats.\n"Hey guys, they're here," Sharma said, directing students to hold the doors and take coats.\n"What are you going to do with all these young people?" asked one Meadowood resident, as he walked throught the doors.\nAs they came in, seniors made nametags, writing on them one thing that is unique about themselves. Then the students and seniors found someone by reading name tags, introduced themselves and began to chat.\n"We have all years represented here, don't we?" Meadowood resident Winifred Wickes asked a student.\nIt took no time for the room to be abuzz with conversation.\n"I was surprised how many people just appreciated talking to students," said senior Victoria Redstone, RHA historian.\nBut it wasn't just the seniors that appreciated the conversation.\n"People our age tend not to appreciate the wisdom of people before us," said junior Joe Bissmeyer, Willkie community service director. But, he added, that wasn't a problem for these students.\nSharma said she thought the event was a success.\n"This is a nice, fun way to learn more about the holidays and learn more about Bloomington culture," Sharma said. "We're all part of a big Bloomington family."\nSophomore Jennie Woolf, RHA director of center stores, agreed. She said it was well worth RHA's support and hopes the event will continue.\nWhen the Meadowood bus drove away, with waves from students and seniors, some had plans to meet again. Meadowood residents Frances Young and Alvera Paskell said they left with plans for breakfast Saturday morning -- Keneally, Sharma and sophomore Katrina Walker will join them.
(11/30/00 6:17am)
While the presidential vote is being contested in Florida courts, on a decidedly smaller scale a campus vote might be contested in a student-run court.\nA referendum to merge two dorm organizations representing more than 9,000 students has been cast into doubt, at least temporarily, by an apparent mistake in the Eigenmann Residents Association constitution and a contestment to throw out the Eigenmann referendum.\nThe Nov. 28 referendum was to determine if the Eigenmann Residents Association would become part of Residence Halls Association. To pass, it had to be approved by both organizations.\nRHA's 10 residence halls passed the referendum, 414-21, said senior Chris Boudi, RHA election commissioner.\nAt Eigenmann Hall, 25 students voted against the referendum and 15 voted in favor of it, said senior Cynthia Frazer, Eigenmann Residents Association vice president for finance and election commissioner.\nBut because the Eigenmann Residents Association constitution requires only a 20 percent consensus, the bill was considered passed, said Sarah Nagy, Residential Programs and Services assistant director for student involvement and orientation.\nUnder Article VIII, Section 1 of the Eigenmann Residents Association constitution is the sentence: "Upon approval of 20 percent of the residents voting, the amendment shall become part of this Constitution."\nBut the provision is a mistake, said senior Dietrich Willke, president of Eigenmann Residents Association. \n"The purpose of the sentence was not as it reads now," Willke said. "The sentence doesn't really make sense if you're looking at a democratic way of voting."\nSenior Jason Dudich, president of RHA, said the wording of the Eigenmann constitution is clear.\n"Going by what is stated in the constitution and what is in the rules, Eigenmann has to abide by the rules, no matter what," Dudich said.\nDudich pointed out that the constitution was approved by the students of Eigenmann, and he said they should stick to what it says. \nBut a formal contestment has been filed, and the merger of Eigenmann Residents Association into RHA will likely come down to the Eigenmann judicial board, Nagy said. She said results won't be certified until the contestment is cleared up.\nAnd the judicial board is not scheduled to meet until January, said sophomore Mark Illingworth, Eigenmann Hall director of business operations.\nIllingworth filed the contestment last night. He was one of four who wrote the Eigenmann Residents Association constitution.\nThe contestment to the Eigenmann judicial board argues that changes must be made because of the sentence's ambiguity, Illingworth said. All four of the writers of the Eigenmann constitution support the contestment, Illingworth said.\nThe contestment requests the judicial board hear arguments as soon as possible. It argues that the Eigenmann constitution is "ambiguous and written incorrectly," therefore the board should use its authority to declare the amendment null and void. \n"I don't want to fight," Illingworth said. "I just want to see the mistake corrected. It's grossly unjust the way it is now."\n"As a framer of the ERA constitution I can say with certainty that we did not intend for the constitution to be interpreted the way that it was," he said.\nIllingworth said he believes common sense dictates an amendment can't be passed without a majority.\nJunior Sara Ripp, a senior vice president of Eigenmann Residents Association, saw it much simpler.\n"I'm for what the students want," she said. "And the majority voted no, so I go with them." \nTo be considered, a contestment must be filed with Frazer within 48 hours of the vote, Illingworth said. When she receives it, she can decide either to approve contestment (allow it to be heard by ERA judicial board) or she can decline it.\nDudich said he said he has faith in Eigenmann Residents Association to handle the contestment situation.\n"Eigenmann will look at if the majority speaks louder than what the constitution says," he said.\nThe RHA constitution requires a two-thirds vote to pass amendments, Nagy said.\nAfter meeting with the four authors of the constitution, Illingworth said he changed his mind about a contestment he originally planned to file.\nHe said he was prepared to file a contestment on four grounds: the Eigenmann judicial board has judicial review of all legislation, the board must "declare null and void legislation" interfering with a center's operation, the Eigenmann General Council didn't inform the students of Eigenmann properly as determined by the constitution and the General Council's vote by e-mail to allow the referendum violates the state's sunshine laws.\nThe confusing part of the Eigenmann constitution was noticed prior to the referendum, Frazer said.\n"I had questioned the constitution before the election," she said. "People were confused about the interpretation."\nBut she said nobody could tell her how to interpret the amendment rules.\n"Even to the end of the evening, I did not know how the votes would be tallied," Frazer said.\nFrazer volunteered to serve as the election commissioner when Eigenmann officials told her they planned to pay someone to do it, she said.\n"No one was going to run the table down there," she said. "They were going to use the general council fund to pay someone."\nAlong with the fact that only 40 out of 1,000 residents voted, that is evidence that many in Eigenmann are apathetic, partly because it's not a controversial issue for many students, she said.\nAnother problem was promotion. Illingworth said the referendum wasn't adequately promoted -- and that's why only 40 people voted.\n"There wasn't a lot of opposition, because not a lot of people knew about it," he said.\nDudich agreed.\n"I do have a concern that maybe some things weren't conveyed to the residents and maybe some things were not answered," he said.\nIf the judicial board decides to uphold the merger of RHA and Eigenmann Residents Association, as of January, Eigenmann will be considered a voting member of RHA, except for financial matters, Nagy said. Eigenmann activity money would be first transferred to RHA beginning fall semester 2001, she said.
(11/28/00 6:40am)
In a campus-wide referendum today, dorm residents will decide whether to unite the two student governments in the halls of residence. \nThe Eigenmann Residents Association and the Residence Halls Association have operated separately for 30 years but would be joined if members of both organizations approve the merger.\nThe referendum will be from 2-7 p.m. in each dorm and will decide whether the Eigenmann Residents Association will become part of Residence Halls Association. \nRepresentatives from Eigenmann Residents Association and RHA have met several times this semester to work out details of the proposal, said Eigenmann Residents Association President Dietrich Willke, a senior.\nThe decision to allow a referendum was passed by the RHA Presidents' Council Nov. 1 and by the Eigenmann Residents Association General Council Nov. 6, Willke said.\nWillke and RHA President Jason Dudich, a senior, have both supported the change.\n"Instead of two different residence hall organizations, we could come together as a collective group, using the resources of both organizations together." Dudich said.\nBut not everyone is sure it's a smart move.\n"We've been able to do a lot as it stands now for Eigenmann," said senior Cynthia Frazer, vice president of finance for Eigenmann Residents Association. "As of now I don't think we have any issues where we're not heard on this campus."\nSince Eigenmann was built 30 years ago, Eigenmann Residents Association has been independent of RHA, giving Eigenmann financial leeway but excluding the dorm from representation in RHA, Willke said.\nWhen Eigenmann was built, it was intended for graduate students, said Sarah Nagy, Residential Programs and Services assistant director for student involvement and orientation. She said that at the time residents felt RHA couldn't represent their needs, so they formed their own student government.\nNow 70-80 percent of Eigenmann's students are undergraduates, said RPS Executive Director Patrick Connor.\n"(Bringing Eigenmann Residents Association into RHA) is something worthwhile, considering the population has changed at Eigenmann over the last 10 years," Connor said.\nBecause a majority of the dorm's residents are undergraduate students, they will be better represented by RHA, Nagy said.\nWillke said he expects the referendum to pass.\n"Although it's a technically big change, the change in the constitution is minor," he said.\nA small number of graduate and international students living in Eigenmann are concerned their issues still aren't the same as the rest of the undergraduate population, Connor said.\nBut he believes their issues can be still be represented in a combined student government.\n"If the Eigenmann students throughout the government are doing a good job, all student voices in Eigenmann will be brought to the RHA table," Connor said.\nA referendum is required for any change in the RHA constitution.\n"If you change the constitution, it has to be approved by the student body it represents," Willke said.\nFor RHA, there will be only positive outcomes from the change, Nagy said. RHA will add about 1,000 people to its constituency, she said.\nEigenmann's government will gain a vote in RHA and an opportunity to run for RHA offices but will lose some financial independence. Its executive board will lose stipends, and some of Eigenmann's activity fee will go to RHA if the referendum passes, reducing the programs offered only at Eigenmann, Willke said. Nagy said this change in funding amounts to $3.15 going to RHA per Eigenmann resident.\nBut Willke said the change will give the combined student organizations one voice. \nNagy agreed, saying that would bring better representation.\n"I think there are really more positives than negatives," Nagy said.\nEigenmann Residents Association will not cease to exist if the referendum passes, Nagy said, because each center has its own government.\nBut Frazer is worried more about apathy in Eigenmann.\n"I haven't seen a lot of people who want to be active, but I've seen a lot of people who have gripes," she said.\nFrazer said she's worried Eigenmann students will not participate in campus-wide RHA activities, their money benefiting other dorms more than their own. \nBut despite her worries, Frazer said she sees some positive results of the change. For one, RHA has said they will be behind Eigenmann all the way, she said.