45 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(03/10/14 2:07am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Current Graduate and Professional Student Organization President Brady Harman was reelected to serve in next year’s executive council during the weekend’s GPSO elections. The council is responsible for organizing the GPSO Assembly and committee meetings. After several slow years of GPSO, Harman said he focused this year’s term on making the assembly more active, organizing committees and increasing campus involvement, creating a “culture of advocacy.” Harman said during his presidency, he accomplished his goal of giving the GPSO a good foundation for governance.“We’re the only body recognized by the administration as the student government for graduate students,” he said. “We need to be looking at issues proactively, examining current campus policy, bringing feedback to the administration. None of that was happening.” There were two candidates for GPSO president, Harman and a first-year graduate student. At the election, each candidate gave a short, timed speech and then answered any questions from the audience. Then, they left the room to let the audience discuss and vote on a secret ballot. The Executive Council, which Harman will once again lead, is composed of five elected positions, three appointed positions and two paid staff members. The next position voted on was vice president, the only paid position after president. There were two candidates, both first-year students, and physics Ph.D. student Justin Vasel won. Vasel was recruited to form a graduate student government when he was studying at the University of Minnesota. Though he was not there to see it completed, Vasel said, it gave him a better idea of what he would be doing as a member of the Executive Council. “I’m trying to make a difference in an arena that’s not just physics,” he said. Candidates for treasurer, parliamentarian and liaison ran unopposed. The GPSO has a new rule this year that candidates running unopposed have to gain 75 percent of the student vote. If they don’t, there is to be another election at the next meeting. All candidates received the required amount of votes, and Zach Bailey was elected as treasurer; Skyler Hutto was elected parliamentarian; and Julianna Gjonaj was elected liaison. Harman said his plans for the Executive Council next year include making the body more inclusive, surveying the student body more frequently and establishing a Presidents Council, which would be a council of graduate student organizations to discuss relevant issues. “I think we have a good foundation,” Harman said. “The next problem is that this student voice that the administration now recognizes needs to be as informed and accurate as possible.”
(03/07/14 5:21am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Campus driving service Safety Escort might soon incorporate some of SafeRide’s most popular features.IU Student Association proposed that Safety Escort include later hours of operation, picking up drunken students and driving to off-campus locations. The recommendations were based on ridership data from SafeRide, IUSA’s pilot program that began in summer 2013 and ended last weekend. Director of IU Parking Operations Doug Porter approved the policy changes, but they still need to be approved by the dean of students and the provost to be implemented successfully. IUSA President Jose Mitjavila said Safety Escort responded well to the proposed changes. “When Safety Escort received the SafeRide proposal, I think they had open minds and ears,” Mitjavila said. Students used SafeRide most frequently between midnight and 2 a.m., according to the SafeRide data and the 2013 VOICE Report. Though this was the most popular time for students to call for a ride, Safety Escort currently does not operate during this two-hour window. According to the proposal, 23 percent of students who used SafeRide were under the influence of alcohol. But more importantly, the proposal said drivers cited no operational complications as a result of these intoxicated passengers. IUSA proposed Safety Escort pick up intoxicated students as a result of these findings. “To me, the most surprising results of the data were that the majority of students who utilized SafeRide were not intoxicated and were not requesting rides from bars,” Mitjavila said. Director of Safety Escort Kelsey Timmer said Safety Escort traditionally hasn’t picked up drunken students because the service is reserved for academic purposes. Eighty percent of students were not on campus at the time they requested transportation, according to the SafeRide data. Because the majority of students needed this service when they were off-campus, IUSA recommended that Safety Escort expand their geographic area. Though Safety Escort will drive off campus, either the drop-off or pick-up location must be a building on campus.Safety Escort is currently trying to figure out the logistics, feasibility and timeline of implementing the proposal, Timmer said. She said Safety Escort will most likely extend weekend hours, but they are still working out the details of other proposed changes. She said Safety Escort hopes to incorporate some version of the proposed changes by the beginning of this fall semester.
(03/06/14 5:56am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Culture of Care might become a separate organization from IU Student Association at the end of this year. The possible transition was discussed at IUSA’s most recent executive meeting.An organization aimed at promoting safety and well-being on campus, Culture of Care was started through IUSA and has been a part of the student government since the 2011-12 school year.“We’re kind of at the point where it’s self-sufficient,” sophomore and Culture of Care co-chair Andy Braden said. “It’s at the point where it can stand on its own.”Vice President of Administration Chris Kauffman said the IUSA executives have been meeting with members of Culture of Care and administrators to discuss this possibility.“We think that that will allow them more autonomy and allow our organization to be more nimble as well,” Kauffman said.Kauffman said everyone in Culture of Care and IUSA was on the same page about this transition.“We wouldn’t be making this decision if we didn’t feel Culture of Care was stable enough on its own,” Chief of Staff Dia Sharma said.Later in the meeting, Kauffman and IUSA President Jose Mitjavila said they had lunch with Provost Lauren Robel this week to discuss a variety of issues including intramural field space, unifying experiences on campus and the end of SafeRide. One issue brought up by the Provost was the lack of space for intramural and club sports. When the baseball field was added to the intramural fields, students lost practice space, Mitjavila said. He said now some of these intramural and club sports have been canceled. Students have also been practicing in parks and spaces off-campus to compensate.“This presents an issue for safety, student activity ... a slew of issues,” Mitjavila said.Kauffman said another issue discussed with Robel was the concept of having a shared experience amongst college students.“We discussed unifying experiences on campus and whether or not we have them, and if we don’t have them, what they would be for undergraduates,” Kauffman said. “What is that one common denominator that all of us have?”They also discussed the end of the pilot program SafeRide and the proposals to Safety Escort, including later hours and picking up intoxicated students.“She seems very receptive,” Mitjavila said, “so we hope to continue those conversations.” Follower reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(03/04/14 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Provost Lauren Robel has invited students to a Town Hall meeting today at noon to discuss the campus Strategic Plan and provide feedback.IU Student Association Vice President of Administration Chris Kauffman shares the student government’s take on the campus strategic plan, describing the document as “a forward-thinking, aspirational road map for the course of this institution as we approach its bicentennial.”He said he encourages students to attend the upcoming meeting. IDS What should students know about the Campus Strategic Plan?Kauffman It is important for students to recognize that our educational environment is constantly in flux, and that in recognition of this dynamism, 167 faculty, staff and students joined forces on 11 committees under the guidance of the Provost to comprehensively address the future of Indiana University Bloomington.Thoughtful dialogue from groups of diverse stakeholders that has resulted in recommendations, which directly affect virtually every facet of this institution means that all stakeholders — students especially — should dedicate time to reading, digesting and providing feedback on the Strategic Plan.IDS What is going to happen at the town hall meeting on the Campus Strategic Plan? How will students get the chance to be involved?Kauffman The Town Hall Meeting for the Campus Strategic Plan will provide the campus community with an opportunity to learn more about the Strategic Plan and to provide feedback in a public forum, with the Provost and other key stakeholders in the strategic planning process present. IDS Why is it important that students attend this meeting?Kauffman Attendance at this town hall provides students with a unique opportunity to learn and provide feedback on a long-term initiative that will directly influence the current and future environment at IU-B.Engagement of this sort speaks directly to the concept of university citizenship. We, as students, have an opportunity to be stewards of this institution through this and other mediums.To capitalize on such an opportunity and provide thoughtful feedback in a forum like a town hall yields benefits for the entire student population. IDS What did IUSA pinpoint as the big takeaways from the Campus Strategic Plan?Kauffman Several key themes emerge from the Campus Strategic Plan that IUSA sees as major takeaways.Across committees, an enhanced emphasis on interdisciplinarity and diversity within and outside of the formal learning environment became apparent. Similarly, the view of the institution as an integrated ecosystem, especially with respect to undergraduate life, manifested to influence and link several recommendations.Recognition of the reciprocal relationships between residence, academic and extracurricular life fostered dialogue surrounding enhanced linkages and learning outcomes between these three student domains.An outflow of this line of thought is a renewed emphasis on access to “high-impact” practices — internships, service learning, study abroad, and research — that significantly enhance the student experience at IUB. IDS Why is it important that students understand the strategic plan? How will it affect them?Kauffman The Strategic Plan maps the trajectory of this institution for the next phase in its life.It addresses virtually every primary function of the University, providing recommendations and measures of attainment therein. This document signals a commitment to thoughtful strategic thought and action, providing students and stakeholders with insight into the direction of their institution.Many of the recommendations within the plan are long-term in nature, which means that some students will have graduated before witnessing their implementation. Nonetheless, because the locus of the plan is institutional improvement, every recommendation wields the potential to increase the value of an IU degree long after students leave Bloomington.An earlier version of this story identified Chris Kauffman as IUSA's Association Vice President of Congress.
(02/28/14 4:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ice cream might have helped cool discussion of a hot topic Thursday. The Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center and the IU Student Association sponsored the Ice Cream Social and Justice Issues event in the Neal-Marshall Grand Hall for audience members to discuss issues like minority profiling, diversity admission rates and affirmative action. Students disagreed on who should take responsibility for IU’s failure to hit their goal of doubling the number of minority students on campus. Opinions differed over whether it was the school’s responsibility, or minority students’ responsibility, to recruit students of different races. “I don’t think IU is failing,” senior Noelle Gipson said, who is involved in different recruitment groups on campus. “I think the part where the issue comes about is there’s not enough minority students going out to recruit. As a minority student, we’re not doing enough to go out and recruit students that look like us.” Three students took the microphone to express their discomfort with being a minority student at IU.One law student said she was one of 12 black students in her law class of 250. “It makes the environment very hostile sometimes,” she said. “I would never reach out to an incoming black law student and tell them to come. I would never recruit because it has been horrible so far.” Another audience member asked why IU allowed TRAD Youth to continue as a school-sponsored organization on campus if they supported racism and anti-gay sentiments. “Right now, from the administration, we are tied to this legal framework that a state institution has to abide by,” said Steve Veldkamp, assistant dean of students and director of Student Life and Learning. “It doesn’t mean we have to like it.” Members of the panel of experts sitting at the front of the room said there has been discussion within the administration about editing the policies to eliminate hate speech on campus or making all University-sponsored organizations sign an anti-discrimination agreement. “One of the positive outcomes of this negativity is the fact that more things like this are occurring on campus,” Veldkamp said.The student participants and panelists agreed that the best response, as of now, was to fight hate speech with more positive messages. “We need to drown out their messages with our positive messages,” said Brandon Washington, a member of predominantly black fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi. Discussion ended on the acknowledgement that, despite the perception that racism is no longer prevalent in modern society, race is still an issue on the IU campus and in general society. Dr. Sylvia Martinez, an associate professor from the School of Education, stressed the importance of classes on more diverse subjects in college. She referred to K-12 curriculum as “vanilla,” because it left out a lot of history on minority groups. “It’s everyone’s history,” Martinez said. “Everyone had a part of it, whether you were the oppressor or the oppressed.”
(02/26/14 6:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Graduate and Professional Student Organization has passed eight resolutions and statements this year — more than the last four academic years of GPSO administrations combined, according to President Brady Harman. In 2010 and 2011, the graduate student government did not pass any resolutions. In 2012, it passed two resolutions. “We are passing more resolutions, centralizing more resources and creating more professional development events than before, while still offering the same large number of awards and grants to help students contribute directly to their fields,” GPSO Communications Coordinator Cayla Bellamy said. Harman attributed this increase in the administration’s productivity to a strong assembly and executive committee, as well as an increased online presence. Although GPSO makes decisions affecting the whole campus, many students seem unaware of the organization or confused about its purpose, Harman said. The graduate student government operates very similarly to IUSA. However, GPSO offers graduate students scholarship money for research and travel, among other academic uses. “GPSO is equal to IUSA in the eyes of campus administration and is charged with providing graduate student representation in campus decision-making processes,” Harman said. Bellamy said the Bicycle Master Plan is one resolution that will affect the whole campus. It will make the campus more accessible and safe for cyclists. Improvements would include an extension of the Seventh Street bike lane between Woodlawn and Jordan avenues, construction of a bike path on the north side of the IU Auditorium and a bike route through the Arboretum. Of the students and employees who drive to work, 55 percent of students and 50 percent of staff said they would be more likely to bike to work if campus infrastructure improved, according to a Transportation Demand Management study.This year’s other resolutions advocated for fossil fuel divestment, a more fair pay schedule for graduate assistants, prioritization of preferred names and support of the Freedom Indiana movement, among other initiatives. As the end of the term approaches, GPSO’s next step will be working to solicit feedback about the Strategic Plan and helping to make the transition smooth, Harman said. “Much of the first portion of my term has been spent on building a stronger organization, especially focusing on advocacy efforts,” he said. “I am pleased to report that these efforts have been successful.”
(02/26/14 6:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Student Association election season has begun. To introduce interested candidates to the rules and the application process of the election, the IUSA Election Commission organized the first of three campus-wide callouts Tuesday night in the Indiana Memorial Union Oak Room.One ticket has declared its intention to run, and the Election Commission — a group of five student representatives who oversee and run the election — was unanimously approved at last Sunday’s Congress meeting.Former Union Board president and senior Jared Thomas serves as president of the Election Commission. This year’s biggest election change, Thomas said, will be his approach as president of the commission. “My goal is to get as many tickets and as much information out there,” Thomas said. “People think student voice isn’t being heard, and they want someone to do something about it. So I’d really like for students to get engaged and involved so they can put their money where their mouth is.” His goal, he said, is to get three tickets running. “Two is good,” Thomas said. “Three would be amazing.” He said since he has been a student at IU, he has noticed a rollover between students involved in IUSA the year before forming a ticket and winning. This trend, he said, has both positives and negatives.“I’m kind of torn,” Thomas said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily a terrible thing.” On one hand, Thomas said, students from the previous administration can continue progress made by the previous administration. Prior IUSA members also have previous institutional knowledge, which makes the transition smoother. He acknowledged this administration has done a good job bringing about positive changes like SafeRide and the Lifeline Law.However, Thomas said this trend creates the risk that IUSA is not representing the diverse interests of the student body. “With continuing to have that group of people carry it over, you run the risk of becoming a little bit isolated,” Thomas said. “So all of that is what I’m trying to push against. My job as the commissioner — even though I do have a personal relationship with these people — my job is to try to get as many voices involved in this election as I can.” Thomas will work alongside Brandon Walsh, Lexy Parrell, Brandon Hafft and Brittany Skibowski, the other four members of the Election Commission. “I want to be a resource to all of the different students running and answer their questions,” Parrell said. “I don’t want to just punish them for doing things the wrong way.” The election schedule was also finalized Tuesday.All interested applicants must apply by March 14. IUSA elections will take place April 1 and 2.Twenty students attended the callout meeting. Current student body president Jose Mitjavila discussed background information about IUSA positions, information on responsibilities the executive and legislative branch have and advice on running. “When you’re planning your campaigns, get big with it,” Mitjavila said. “Think of big things that are really gonna affect all students. You’re gonna want to do the most you can with the time you have.” After Mitjavila spoke, Thomas went over the election code with the candidates to inform them of the IUSA election rules and consequences of violating those rules. He noted the IUSA office, for current IUSA members running on an executive ticket cannot be used for campaigning. Additionally, total campaign expenditures may not exceed $3,000. The all-candidates meeting is March 24 and the debate between tickets will be March 25. March 26 is the last day for candidates to withdraw their name from the ballot.
(02/25/14 5:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IUSA-sponsored transportation service SafeRide, which started more than a year ago, ended this weekend. The pilot program was supposed to end last semester but lasted longer than IUSA had previously budgeted for after it underwent some reorganization, IU Student Association President Jose Mitjavila said. IUSA invested $30,000 to see if students would be interested in the service. The program was created as an expansion of Safety Escort, a similar service available to students on campus. However, SafeRide differed from Safety Escort as the latter will not pick up students from off-campus locations or transport intoxicated students, and non-IU students are excluded from service.Friday and Saturday nights, Safety Escort services end at 11:45 p.m. SafeRide allowed students to bring one non-IU guest and picked up intoxicated students, as well as going off-campus to retrieve students. It also operated later than Safety Escort, running 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Sunday. Mitjavila said he knows some people are worried since the program is ending right before Little 500, but said he did not think it was a crucial concern because the majority of students using the service during the pilot program were not intoxicated. “It was not abused as a drunk bus,” Mitjavila said. Instead of restarting SafeRide, Mitjavila said IUSA is trying to encourage Safety Escort to amend its restrictions and by next year make some of the changes that made SafeRide more popular. “The end goal is not to create two redundant programs,” Mitjavila said. Dani Castonzo
(02/20/14 4:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Student Association members discussed Google Glass, IUanyWare and new Congress members at this week’s executive meeting. IUSA plans to order Google Glass, a pair of glasses that displays a screen to the eyes and operates with a touch screen and voice command, for use on campus. Google Glass costs $1,500, and IUSA said they will order only one pair at this time. Students plan to use the advanced technology to develop software, Chief of Technology Trey Weeks said. “It’s gonna be a type of software that not a lot of other universities have access to,” Weeks said. Weeks said the order should be in this week, and will be available for student use in a month or so. At the last meeting, senior and Vice President of Congress Scott Borer said he had to fire some Congress members who weren’t showing up to meetings. Six of those spots have been filled as of Wednesday’s meeting. Members also discussed IUanyWare, which Weeks said is an unused technological resource through UITS. IUanyWare allows students to access IU-licensed software without needing to install them, according to iuware.iu.edu.Services include the ability to print through any printer on campus from student phones or laptops. The service has been around for the last three or four years, but members said the resource that was not well advertised.They said it could be especially useful during midterms and finals week. IUSA members agreed to try and spread this information to students, especially freshmen. “It’s our responsibility to tell students about this useful resource,” Chief of Staff Dia Sharma said. Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(02/18/14 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Lifeline Law has been unanimously amended to include a state-funded report that evaluates sexual assault and underreporting of cases in Indiana. “Based upon current reporting rates of sexual assault, it is obvious that across the state sexual assault is a problem,” IUSA President Jose Mitjavila said. “Especially on college campuses like our own. But, what is unclear are the number of unreported cases and circumstances in which rape cases occur.” Rep. Christina Hale, D-Indianapolis, proposed this amendment to Senate Bill 227 at the most recent committee hearing for the bill. Hale participated in last week’s WIBC radio show about the Lifeline Law with Mitjavila and Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis. Hale said the purpose of an in-depth study of sexual assault in Indiana is to determine causes of unreported rapes in Indiana and prevent them from happening, according to notes from the hearing provided by the IU Office of Government Relations. “The connection to the bill can be best explained by the example of an underage female who is raped and has alcohol in her system, then chooses to not report the rape because she was drinking underage,” Hale said. The time course of the study has yet to be determined. Though no one can say what this deeper investigation of sexual assault in Indiana will bring, Mitjavila said there is a possibility it could increase the statute of limitations on a rape in Indiana. Indiana’s statute of limitations is five years, one of the shortest in the country. The final reading, which will determine if the bill goes through or not, has yet to be announced. However, it will occur before March 3, the final day for third readings of Senate bills.“The impact of this amendment will be felt by campus and students in the near future,” Mitjavila said.Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(02/17/14 3:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ten minority students gathered for a Diversity Roundtable with the IU Student Association last week to talk about problems and isolation they had faced on campus.Leighton Johnson, chief of diversity inclusion and advocacy of IUSA, organized the event to discuss mutual diversity issues and solutions at IU and has been a vocal student advocate of diversity at IU in his four years here.“Is there a diversity problem at IU?” Johnson asked.All of the students, in some form, said yes.“A lot of students don’t wanna come to IU because they don’t think anyone like them attends IU,” said Noelle Gipson, education policy recruiter and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, a primarily black sorority.Although students were shy at first, as the event continued, they began to open up.“It’s almost a heritage thing,” Victoria Hicks said. “For most of its history, it’s been a very white university. People who are looking for diversity are probably going to head to a school that’s more diverse.”Victoria Hicks attended as a representative of student group DREAM IU, which advocates for the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act would give undocumented students an opportunity to become American citizens.Ali Haynes, a Filipino transfer student from University of Southern Indiana, said she felt isolated as a minority transfer student and had considered leaving IU.“I was expecting more strength and unity amongst the international community, because that’s what I was used to down there,” Haynes said. “Everyone supported each organization and supported each other, so it was just very different when I came here and I felt like I didn’t have anyone to connect to. I felt like I still didn’t fit in.”One problem many students mentioned was the divide between international students and domestic students on campus.They said both communities were underserved by a lack of collaboration between international students and domestic students.“You’re not getting an American education, you’re getting an education in America,” said Fred Diego, senior and president of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science.The group suggested merging international and domestic orientations and including some Welcome Week events to fix this divide.Another problem, the students said, was the struggle undocumented students faced in applying to IU. The undocumented students in the room agreed that the process to apply was unnecessarily complicated, and it was unclear if they could even be accepted at the school.“There are not a lot of us, and the process to apply is difficult and biased,” Hicks said.The solution, members of the round table agreed, would be to form an IU Diversity Coalition Alliance that would bring together the different ethnic, religious and academic groups on campus to foster a culture of diversity.Johnson said IUSA organized an event April 8 to bring together the different cultural centers on campus.“I challenge you all to speak to someone new, discuss the issues we talked about tonight,” Gipson said. “Bring a friend, see if we can get the conversation larger ... I think its 100 percent feasible to do.”Although the meeting focused on diversity problems, students also noted some strengths.“We have wonderful diversity in our staff and faculty,” Hicks said. “Instead of advertising that we want diversity, we have diversity and we want to encourage it.”Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(02/14/14 5:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Ten minority students gathered for a Diversity Roundtable with the IU Student Association to talk about problems and isolation they had faced on campus. Leighton Johnson, chief of diversity inclusion and advocacy of IUSA, organized this event to discuss mutual diversity issues and solutions at IU and has been a vocal student advocate of diversity at IU in his four years here. “Is there a diversity problem at IU?” Johnson asked. All of the students, in some form, said yes. “A lot of students don’t wanna come to IU because they don’t think anyone like them attends IU,” Noelle Gipson, education policy recruiter and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the primarily black sorority, said. Although students were shy at first, as the event continued, they began to open up.“It’s almost a heritage thing,” Victoria Hicks said. “For most of its history, it’s been a very white university. People who are looking for diversity are probably going to head to a school that’s more diverse.”Victoria Hicks attended as a representative of student group DREAM IU, which advocates the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act would give undocumented students an opportunity to become American citizens. Ali Haynes , a Filipino transfer student from USI, said she felt isolated as a minority transfer student and had considered leaving IU. “I was expecting more strength and unity amongst the international community, because that’s what I was used to down there,” Haynes said. “Everyone supported each organization and supported each other, so it was just very different when I came here and I felt like I didn’t have anyone to connect to. I felt like I still didn’t fit in.” One problem many students mentioned was the divide between international students and domestic students on campus. They said both communities were underserved by a lack of collaboration between international students and domestic students. “You’re not getting an American education, you’re getting an education in America,” Fred Diego, senior and president of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science, said.The group suggested merging international and domestic orientations and including some Welcome Week events to fix this divide. Another problem, the students said, was the struggle undocumented students faced in applying to IU. The undocumented students in the room agreed that the process to apply was unnecessarily complicated, and it was unclear if they could even be accepted at the school. “There are not a lot of us, and the process to apply is difficult and biased,” Hicks said. The solution, members of the round table agreed, would be to form an IU Diversity Coalition Alliance that would bring together the different ethnic, religious and academic groups on campus to foster a culture of diversity. Johnson said that IUSA has organized an event to bring together the different cultural centers on campus, which will be taking place April 8. “I challenge you all to speak to someone new, discuss the issues we talked about tonight,” Gipson said. “Bring a friend, see if we can get the conversation larger ... I think its 100 percent feasible to do.”Although the meeting focused on diversity problems, students also noted some strengths. “We have wonderful diversity in our staff and faculty,” Hicks said. “Instead of advertising that we want diversity, we have diversity and we want to encourage it.” Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(02/13/14 4:14pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Student Association’s executive meeting agenda this week included plans for a new Union Lounge, talk of an update in sexual assault fund runs and a new initiative that would provide recycling bins to every dorm room on campus. IUSA has presented their proposal to the directors of the Indiana Memorial Union for a Union Lounge, a hangout spot in the IMU with the goal of keeping students on campus. “The Lounge is really exciting because it kind of came about so that students and administrators could have a place where they can go and hang out,” Michelle Chung, IUSA chief of policy, said. “Starbucks is nice, but a lot of people just study there and you can’t really have a drink with your friends.” Chung said the Lounge would be located in the old Trustees office, at the top of the stairs from the hotel entrance.During the evenings, Chung said, the Lounge would hold events like slam poetry readings and crafts to promote students staying on campus. They would aim to get the beer and food from local Bloomington locations. “The point is to bring out some traditions in IU,” Chung said. The next step, Chung said, is going to the provost, presenting their proposal to her and then taking it to the Board of Trustees. Chung said she predicted that the Lounge would be up and running in about a year. Additionally, representatives from IUSA’s Culture of Care introduced the idea of expanding the sexual assault fund to donate to different student organizations on campus that were involved in raising awareness of sexual violence. The sexual assault fund is optional and does not use student fees. At the beginning of the year, students have the opportunity to donate this fund on Onestart by checking a box. Currently, this money goes toward the Bloomington Middle Way House and Raising Awareness of Interactions in Sexual Encounters, a student organization on campus that aims to educate IU students about sexual assault, relationship violence and gendered communication. “There are other groups that have interest in sexual assault prevention program and we want to make sure that, as a representative of the students, everyone has access,” Co-chair of Culture of Care Andy Braden said. Braden said these decisions were made in past years by IUSA, and Culture of Care was focusing on making the fund more student-oriented because it’s students’ money.“You should always be reviewing what you do,” Braden said. Another big initiative discussed was a plan to eventually implement recycling bins in every room of every dorm on campus. Although some of the newer dorms like Rose, Union Street and Briscoe have this feature, many of the older dorms do not. IUSA is currently working with Residential Programs and Services to do a trial run in Teter this semester. The trial would run on a pledge system, where students could ask for a bin if they want to recycle. “We thought it would be a better idea if we had people that want to recycle pick up bins and do the recycling, so we’re making them more proactive,” Chung said. “Which I think is a better route.” Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter at @Dani_Castonzo.
(02/10/14 9:49pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU students will soon be able to access a new online marketplace for buying and selling textbooks, an alternative to campus bookstores. Textbook Friend will benefit students trying to sell outdated textbooks and class-specific course packets, which bookstores like T.I.S. will not take back. “It’s sometimes tough to approach the textbook issue because prices are high, and they’re high because that’s the marketplace for textbooks,” said Scott Borer, senior and vice president of the IU Student Association Congress “If they can sell them for a high price, they’re going to sell them for a high price.” Students set the price for the textbooks or course materials they want to sell.Textbook Friend will be available shortly for interested students to create an account. Borer said Textbook Friend approached IUSA representatives and asked if they would like to provide this service to their students. The service is free, as long as the respective student government provides campus-wide marketing.He said the biggest benefit for students is the ability to buy important resources at a lower price than the campus bookstore might offer. “It’s nice to have an alternative to that,” Borer said. “When the campus bookstore is the only place you can get these, they can charge you a pretty steep price.” Borer said the congress dedicated $500 of its budget to marketing this tool to students. Chris Kauffman, vice president of IUSA Administration, said IUSA is making no further efforts to reduce the costs of higher education at his time. “We think the University is making good strides there,” Kauffman said. However, he said IUSA’s discussion about more affordable higher education throughout the past two years has included a potential tax holiday for textbooks, which would designate one day of the year students can buy books without being taxed.Kauffman said the Textbook Friend service would probably take a few semesters to reach its full potential. “The costs are low, the potential benefits are high,” Kauffman said. “So we’re going to move forward and see what happens.”Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(02/07/14 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU is responding to concerns expressed by many faculty, parents and students last year about the lack of emphasis on diversity at IU by creating three new administrative positions and revamping other administrative positions devoted to increasing diversity. The IU student body consists of 4 percent African-American students, 4.2 percent Latino students and 4 percent Asian-American students, according to the fall 2013-14 enrollment report. “Things are being done. These sensitive matters and issues are being talked about,” IUSA Chief of Diversity, Inclusion and Advocacy Leighton Johnson said. ‘“I’m satisfied with the progress.” Johnson was one of the student leaders who started the rally last year to call for more underrepresented minorities and fix understaffed and underfunded programs, such as Groups and the Hudson and Holland Scholarship program, which were intended to recruit and assist minority students. He said these new administrative positions “speak volumes to the University’s character” and focus on diversity issues. One of the biggest administrative changes, Johnson said, was the selection of James Wimbush as the new vice president of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs, who brings “new energy” to the push for more diversity at IU. The three new administrative positions include Vice-Provost and Associate Vice President of DEMA Educational Inclusion and Diversity, Vice President of the IU Foundation and Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity. History professor Claude Clegg will fill the Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity position July 2014. The goal of this position, Clegg said, will be to recruit and retain faculty from underrepresented minority groups. “The big thing is that the University’s diversity mission will need to be absorbed by the roots of all of its departments, schools and other units, not just some of them,” Clegg said. “It’s a cultural shift that will require the buy-in of various faculty colleagues and administrators, a shift that I hope to help advance by working corroboratively with units and people across IUB.” One of the issues brought up last year was the discontinuation of the Hudson and Holland Scholars incentive scholarships for current students due to a lack of funds. This program is an incentive for academically gifted minority students to attend IU, Johnson said. However, with the new emphasis on diversity, the incentive program has been reinstated. Program director Marsha McGriff said the program is going in a positive direction and this temporary discontinuation was necessary to maintain the integrity of the scholarship fund. “I think it was a good thing to just kind of stop for a moment, to relaunch the funding and then start again,” McGriff said. Currently, the Hudson Holland scholarship program is funding 914 minority students, with almost 1,000 in the group total, McGriff said. “We have the stats to support that it is successful,” McGriff said. “The students are phenomenal.” Johnson said he is satisfied with the reimplementation and focus on diversity programs and IU’s general willingness to address such a touchy subject by getting more involvement in diversity at the administration level. “There were diversity issues last year, and there still are,” Johnson said. “But is today better than yesterday? Yes.” Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(02/06/14 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s Friday night, and a student takes his 12th shot of vodka. It’s been a long night. He waves to his friends, grabs a final beer and heads toward his car. He is surrounded by people, but no one takes away his keys. This is just one of several dangerous scenarios that Step UP! IU aims to prevent, according to junior and Culture of Care co-chair Rachel Green. “The goal is to encourage Hoosiers to have the courage to care, and the courage to intervene on behalf of a friend or stranger,” Green said. Step UP!, part of IU’s Culture of Care program, is an organization that promotes student-to-student aid in the areas of alcohol abuse, drug use, mental health awareness, sexual well-being and respect.Last school year, IU officially implemented Step UP!’s bystander intervention training. Each intervention training session is 90 minutes long and uses real-life scenarios to teach intervention strategies, according to the Culture of Care website.Step UP! has trained 1,600 students from campus organizations, residence halls, fraternities, sororities and academic classes. “Participants were engaged with the material, and it struck a chord,” said Andy Braden, sophomore and Culture of Care co-chair. “These are issues and situations we witness every day, and most of us want to do something to help. However, for various reasons, we question ourselves.” Students cited drinking as the most prominent issue on IU’s campus in the 2011 campus-wide survey to define issues for the program to address.“We talk about why they see drinking more often than other issues,” said Leslie Fasone, doctoral student and program coordinator. “Maybe it’s because they’re behind closed doors, and it’s harder to identify the red flags.”Fasone said tragic deaths like Rachel Fiege’s send a strong message about the importance of calling 911 when someone hits their head or is showing signs of alcohol poisoning. “I do know Step UP! has been formed out of a number of set incidents that we’ve dealt with over the years,” Fasone said. “One of the things we’ve realized is that, in those situations, could someone have intervened?”After the training, 91.1 percent of participants said they could successfully intervene in a situation that may be harmful to themselves and others, according to a survey issued after the course.“Given the numbers of students who have expressed concern about issues on campus, and the numbers of students indicating that many of these issues could be eliminated or alleviated if someone would have intervened, it is vital that students participate in the Step UP! training program,” Green said.“Without it, the bystander effect is overwhelmingly powerful on our campus and in our society.” Green said Culture of Care organized a #spreadthelove campaign for next week to bring some positivity to students on Valentine’s Day. Representatives will be located around campus handing out treats to students who tweet nice things about themselves or others with the hashtag. “I think more people might be calling for help than in the past,” Fasone said. “I can’t say that its definite. But anecdotally, I’ve heard that they’ve reached out more for help, and I think that’s a good thing. The idea of students helping students is catching on, it’s definitely catching on.” Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(02/03/14 8:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Student Association proposed amendments to the Indiana Lifeline Law on Jan. 22 that expand the language to apply to victims of sexual assault and other crimes, as well as situations involving underage drinking.The Lifeline Law is a protective law in Indiana that provides immunity for intoxicated minors calling police on the behalf of an intoxicated individual. The Senate Judiciary Committee heard SB 227 Jan. 22. It passed with a unanimous 9-0 vote.“First and foremost, we hope to increase instances of 911 being called in life threatening situations related to drinking, drug overdose, sexual assault and crime in general,” IUSA President Jose Mitjavila said. “Students under the age of 21 should not have to feel afraid of making the call in life-threatening situations.” Members of IUSA have been working on SB 227 with Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis, and Attorney General Greg Zoeller for the past year to add these provisions to the lifeline law. IUSA Vice President of Administration Chris Kauffman testified in support of the bill at the Senate hearing.“This past semester, the IU community lost several young students, two of them freshman women,” Kauffman said in his testimony. “What inhibited a swift call for action? While we may never have answers for the tragedies that cause immense grief for families and communities, we do know that barriers to reporting still exist.” Mitjavila said this law would particularly benefit IU because of its prominent underage drinking culture. “We have a large population of students who are under the age of 21 and partake in drinking at parties,” Mitjavila said. The original Lifeline Law, which passed during the 2012 Indiana General Assembly legislative session, provides immunity for public intoxication, minor possession, minor consumption and minor transport to people who sought medical assistance for a person suffering from an alcohol-related health emergency. “The goal is not to condone underage drinking but to acknowledge that mistakes are made — mistakes which should not cost the life of a young Hoosier,” Kauffman and Mitjavila wrote in a letter to the executives of other student governments in the state, urging them to support this motion. After its approval, a clause was added to make it effective immediately. The bill will go to the full Senate to be voted on in late February or early March. If approved, it will immediately take effect, Mitjavila said.“With more encompassing language and added protection to both the caller and victim, we hope to see increases in reporting,” Mitjavila said. Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(01/31/14 4:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU has completed and planned 52 building projects for the campus in the last six years, with the goal of completing these renovations by the bicentennial. Approved projects include the second phase of the Forest Student Room Project, student program spaces and new dining options, renovations on the Wright Quad dining hall and Teter Window Replacement. “What we’re trying to do for 2020 is to either renovate our existing housing stock or replace them while keeping the bed total roughly the same, but improving it across the board,” said Vice President of Capital Planning Tom Morrison. Work on all these approved projects will start this summer. Plans to upgrade on-campus housing and dining options were outlined in President Michael McRobbie’s State of the University address in October 2013.In addition to these approved plans, Morrison said there are many more housing renovations on the horizon that have not yet been approved by the Board of Trustees. The next round of housing will work to replace some graduate apartments on the Northern part of campus, he said. IU also anticipates another phase of renovations on Read, Forest, McNutt and Teter. Another large future project is the addition of residence halls in Wells Quad, which originally held women’s residence halls in the 1930s and ‘40s. “At some time in our history, we needed more academic space because our enrollment was growing,” Morrison said. “Wells Quad became academic.”According to a story in the Sept. 5, 2013 issue of the IDS, the cost for the renovation of Wells Quad alone is projected to cost about $60 million.Buildings like Memorial Hall and Morrison Hall would be repurposed to include student housing and dining, somewhat similar to Collins, Morrison said. “Having student residence hall space in the core of the campus is a great option for students,” Morrison said. Patrick Connor, executive director of Residential Programs and Services, said IU would try to keep dining and housing fees competitive with other large universities despite the numerous renovations. “Each year, part of the rate increase for residence halls and apartments is directly related to ensuring that RPS has the financial resources to continue to improve facilities,” Connor said. IU anticipates spending $1.5 billion on completing these renovations, but no sources would comment on exactly how much tuition rates would increase as a result. “This is in total the most ambitious renovation and repurposing project ever carried out at Indiana University,” McRobbie said in an address.Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo .
(01/29/14 4:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Representatives from the IU Student Association co-sponsored a resolution at the annual Association of Big Ten Schools conference supporting tuition equality for undocumented residents in Indiana and throughout the Big Ten. “This is a formal statement of our advocacy for tuition equality and access to higher education,” Chris Kauffman, IUSA VP of Administration and an IU senior, said. Several states have already enacted legislature that provides access to higher education for undocumented youth, according to the resolution. The resolution was co-sponsored by the student government of the University of Michigan, which has already adopted the resolution as university policy, Student Body President Jose Mitjavila said. To qualify, IU senior Mitjavila said, students would have to meet certain criteria. This tuition equality would not apply to international students who moved to the United States in the last year or two. “What this is really for is targeting those kids who were brought here at a very young age and never become formal citizens of the US, but they’ve lived their whole lives here and, for all intents and purposes, are citizens of the state,” Mitjavila said. He said this resolution would apply to students who have lived in the state for at least four years, obtained a high school diploma or GED and can provide proof of state residency.Although the resolution is simply a declaration of the ABTS’s views, both Mitjavila and Kauffman said it was important for future lawmakers and policy makers to know that students support this issue. “We want to create this resolution, so if anyone is trying to tackle this issue, you can reference this resolution and say, student leaders are in support of tuition equality,” Mitjavila said. The ABTS represents the voices of more than 500,000 students. It is comprised of all the executives in the Big Ten student governments. The ABTS meets twice a year at conferences to discuss mutual concerns and collaborate with counterparts from other schools. “My biggest takeaway was the acknowledgement and knowing that student governments across the conference are facing similar challenges, and that there are innovative solutions to address some of those challenges,” Kauffman said.This was the first time all 14 schools had the opportunity to collaborate in the same room at the same time. “When we look at schools that are traditionally sports rivals, it’s nice to know that in the context of student government and higher education that they can be potential collaborators and colleagues in the future,” Kauffman said.Follow reporter Dani Castonzo on Twitter @Dani_Castonzo.
(01/24/14 4:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Professor Richard Janda’s class materials include a Harry Potter audiobook, two Potter movies and a real-life Marauder’s Map from his recent trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter with his daughter. During the second eight weeks of this semester, Janda will be teaching L210, Language and Harry Potter, a linguistics course studying the Harry Potter books and movies. “I want to stress that this is a rigorous course ... but if people love something, they’ll want to learn all about it,” Janda said. “They’ll actually do more work for a course that seems fun than something that isn’t fun, so they’ll actually learn more this way and work harder.” Students in the class will analyze the spells and runes in Harry Potter, as well as the differences in translation between the books and movies in other languages, he said. One of Rowling’s biggest strengths is her careful choice of character names, Janda said. For example, Rowling chose the name “Harry Potter” because it is an average English name, and Harry is supposed to sound like “the everyman” who does great things despite his namesake.“I don’t believe that a name determines your character, but many names do have connotations,” Janda said. “Names can be like another level of the story.” Janda said that despite some students’ assumptions, there will be homework, a midterm and a final exam. Though the Harry Potter class is only eight weeks long, students receive three credits for this course. The class meets four days a week.His Harry Potter class is similar to his already established course L210, Language and Lord of the Rings, which he will teach for the 12th time this summer.Linguistics student Anna Leggins has taken the Lord of the Rings class and was a member of the experimental Harry Potter class, which was offered last spring. “He’s not only knowledgeable on linguistic subjects, but he’s genuinely interested in it, and it comes through in his teaching,” Leggins said. “It makes the subject that much more interesting when the professor is passionate about what they are teaching.”Janda is a professor, a linguist, a father and a fantasy enthusiast.He speaks Quebec French, Spanish and German, and he has studied some Italian, Dutch, Latin and Old English. He said he was inspired to teach the Harry Potter class by his daughter, who started reading the books when she was 8-years-old. “Partly, my love for Harry Potter is seeing what it did for my daughter,” Janda said. ”That made me see, well, if this can make a child want to read and get to be an advanced reader, that’s worth using to teach, and confirmed my belief that this was a good way to go.” Janda said the reason the books and courses based on those books are so popular is because their authors created a world that people would want to live in. “It’s having depth,” Janda said. “When Tolkien says, ‘They approached a staircase and they could see that the sidewall had carvings,’ you know that Tolkien has also thought about what’s on the other side that you can’t see.” According to Janda, his Lord of the Rings class has been one of the most popular courses in the department. He had to expand the Harry Potter class from 35 students to 40, and all the spots but one have already been taken.Colleague and friend Brian Joseph said he has known Janda for 35 years. He worked with Janda at Ohio State University and was best man at Janda’s wedding. The two also co-edited a linguistics book called “The Handbook of Historical Linguistics.” “He puts a tremendous amount of effort into his teaching, and he seeks out a lot of material from popular culture that will grab students’ attention,” Joseph said. “It’s never entertainment just for the sake of entertainment, there’s always a point to what he’s doing.” Janda said that he hopes to write a textbook on the linguistics of “Lord and the Rings,” a project he has already started to work on. “It’s important for everyone to be sensitive to language issues,” Janda said. “It’s a great subject because it opens your mind up to how there can be a mixture of what’s systematic and what seems kind of random.”