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(09/21/11 4:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Alcohol-related deaths on campus could be a thing of the past. A newly implemented campus policy, the Hoosier P.A.C.T. or Proactive Alcohol Care and Treatment, is tackling the complicated issue of University discipline concerning alcohol- and substance-related emergencies.Cooperation between the IU Student Association and the Office of the Dean of Students made Tuesday’s signing of the Hoosier P.A.C.T. a reality.The policy lays out a new system of dealing with those involved in alcohol-or substance-related emergencies. It addresses three entities: the individual in need of medical attention, the caller seeking medical attention on behalf of another and the student organization that seeks medical attention on behalf of a member or guest. In the new policy, individuals who require medical attention will not face University disciplinary sanctions, provided the student completes an educational program through the Office of the Dean of Students.Those who contact emergency services for someone unable to call also will not face University disciplinary sanctions as long as they stay with the individual until medical personnel arrive.Student organizations also will avoid University discipline if they choose to call for medical assistance. If not, they could face more severe disciplinary sanctions, according to the policy. Regardless, organization members may need to complete educational programs or create organizational improvement strategies.This new standard operating procedure applies to students for emergencies both on campus and in the city of Bloomington. Currently, the policy only affects University response. Students are still subject to actions by the Bloomington Police Department and other bodies of law.A main focus of the policy is to remove the hesitation or fear of calling for medical assistance in an alcohol- or substance-related emergency, Justin Kingsolver, IUSA president, said. “There should never be an alcohol-related death on a college campus,” Kingsolver said. “It was the choice between a life and saving face. Now, it’s just the call between ‘do I call,’ or ‘does someone die?’”By encouraging students to speak up, a “culture of care” will be created, according to the policy.“If we have a culture where students genuinely care about each other, everyone is safer,” Kingsolver said.The theme of care carries into the new University responses, which focus less on punitive measures and more on education.Such education would come in the form of one-on-one counseling, aiming to target the problem and create individualized plans to avoid dangerous behavior.“Help does not come in the form of punishment. It comes in the form of education,” Kingsolver said. “We understand that people are going to drink. What’s important to me is that people learn how to responsibly drink.”While the policy removes stringent University action, Kingsolver disagreed with the idea that it will encourage more underage drinking.“It’s not saying you can do this as much as you want and not face any repercussions,” he said. “It means we’re being proactive.”Additionally, consequences from other authoritative bodies such as the BPD still apply.HISTORYHoosier P.A.C.T. began as the “medical amnesty” platform during the Big Six ticket’s campaign for IUSA office.The idea for the platform came after discussions with students and organizations, particularly greek houses and resident assistants, that centered around seeking medical help during alcohol emergencies, Kingsolver said.Once elected, Kingsolver made it clear to administrators that the platform was his No. 1 priority, he said.He and other IUSA officials began working on the platform two weeks after entering office in April. Leading up to Tuesday’s signing of the policy, Kingsolver estimated the document went through at least 15 different drafts, not to mention numerous conference calls and meetings and hours of research and evidence gathering.IU now joins 92 other institutions with similar policies and six others in the Big Ten, according to the policy.“This was not an easy task,” Kingsolver said. “We just have a very, very, very good team that did a lot of research, knew the administrators and knew how to get this passed.”IUSA worked with various IU administrators to get the policy approved on campus, particularly Dean of Students Harold “Pete” Goldsmith, Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities Steve Veldkamp and Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Ethics Jason Casares.“I’ve been very impressed by IUSA,” Veldkamp said. “They’ve done their homework looking at other institutions. They thought through all the key points. It was a very rational proposal. By the time they had distilled their proposal, it was very palatable for the administration.”Although it was a collaborative effort, Veldkamp said IUSA was the largest contributor.“They did the lion share of the work. We just gave them feedback here and there,” he said.Kingsolver acknowledged the instrumental nature of the deans and said future cooperation by outside officials, such as the BPD, would be vital to the expansion of Hoosier P.A.C.T.He said he hopes to increase the jurisdiction of the policy to the city and even state level, and believes it will make a strong statement and serve as a launching pad for future levels of approval. “We’ve done everything we can do at the university level right now,” Kingsolver said.
(09/20/11 2:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There’s a quick way to lose a pound and save a life.Donate blood.Now in its 15th year, the IU Blood Donor Challenge is again poised to provide more than 3,000 units of blood to those in need.The challenge, coordinated by the IU Alumni Association, American Red Cross, Indiana Blood Center and South Bend Medical Foundation, began on Sept. 11 and runs through Nov. 4.Alumni chapters, student organizations and other groups are competing to solicit the most units of blood. The winner will receive recognition at a home IU basketball game in November or December.Though there’s a competition aspect, the main goal is to simply raise units of blood, said Nicki Bland, alumni programs officer for personal enrichment and philanthropy.“We’re just trying to encourage our groups to do a blood drive and get involved in a different way,” Bland said. “It’s about the good will of donating blood and the feeling that comes with saving lives.”Forty sponsors have registered their plans to host a drive, and as of Sept. 16, 153 units of blood had been collected from three different drives. The challenge is on its way to reaching its goal of 3,000 pints of blood by early November.Last year, 3,766 pints were collected, exceeding the goal of 3,000.“We would love to match that number, but if we get 3,000, that’d be excellent,” Bland said.Considering each unit of blood can save up to three lives, IU has the power to save 9,000 lives if it meets its goal.Despite high fall yields, IU does not maintain such levels as the year goes on.“Typically, IU really overproduces in the fall, and then we tend to struggle in the spring,” said Ashley Lesage, donor recruitment representative for the Red Cross.Illustrating room for improvement, the penetration rate — the ratio of number of donors to members of a population — of Purdue University is 20 percent, while IU’s is just 4 percent, Lesage said.Students can on average donate four times per academic year and six times in one calendar year. Hospitals request monthly quotas of blood from the American Red Cross. Any campus organization or group can be a blood drive sponsor at no cost. These point people are responsible for providing a location to run the drive and signing up donors to give blood.Donors are recruited four weeks before the event. Students as well as community members are encouraged to donate if eligible. Those interested can sign up in a variety of ways, from registering with a campus volunteer via a sign-up sheet to visiting RedCrossBlood.org to find blood drives in the area.After filling out a few quick papers and passing a mini-physical, donors are ready to give. The entire process, barring any wait time, is about 35 minutes. As a thank-you, donors receive a free T-shirt that boasts the question “Is IU in your blood?”Ayesha Syed, freshman and member of IU’s American Red Cross club — which recruits many volunteers for blood donation events — signed up to donate at last week’s callout meeting. Though she had never donated, an interest in medicine and the Red Cross inspired her to give.“I read that a lot of people need blood, so if I can help some of them, that’s awesome,” Syed said after her donation Monday at Collins Center.Despite the momentary bee sting, as one Red Cross worker described it, Syed said the fleeting pain was worth it.Walk-in donors decide to donate on the day of the drive as they pass the Red Cross bus or donation center.The challenge is balancing pre-registered donors with new walk-ins, Lesage said. Red Cross phlebotomists, professionally trained blood-drawers, are equipped to handle the goal number of donors on any given donation day. If the number of potential donors exceeds that goal, long lines can form.The base goal for organizations is usually 25 units, or pints, of blood. However, goals vary from sponsor to sponsor and are usually based on the previous year. Volunteers are responsible — among other things — for attracting walk-in donors when pre-registered donor numbers are low.Katie Betancourt, junior and volunteer, was stationed inside the Red Cross blood donation bus on Monday. She tended to those who were finished donating, providing them with snacks and drinks as well as their free T-shirts.“Think if you got in a car accident and were injured. Wouldn’t you want blood?” she said. “That’s what we do. Give blood to help others survive.”
(09/16/11 4:26am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>A timing issue seems to be the consensus problem.The Big Six administration will be responsible for paying approximately $7,500 in rollover expenses from last year’s iUnity administration, it was announced at the Sept. 6 IU Student Association Congress meeting.However, the new expenditures aren’t expected to have a negative effect, IUSA treasurer Kyle Straub said.The nine costs, ranging from an $18 picture frame to a $4,363.68 charge from Markey’s Rental and Staging, totaled $7,436.94.Recent developments, however, have knocked that total down to about $3,000.These rollover costs were submitted to Student Organization Accounts this year by mid-April, the cut-off for reimbursement requests. It was also during this time that IUSA passed from iUnity to the Big Six. This timing issue led to the current rollover costs. IUSA runs on an operating budget, which is an estimated forecast of both expected income — student funding, for example — and expenditures. These rollover costs were most likely earmarked in last year’s operating budget, but reimbursement requests were filed late and thus were passed on to the next administration, IUSA Advisor R.J. Woodring said. Neil Kelty, former chief of staff for the iUnity administration, confirmed Woodring’s thoughts and said members had budgeted for the costs but procrastinated on submitting their reimbursement requests. Past administrations and other student organizations also deal with rollover payments, as some college students aren’t always timely, Woodring said.The bulk of the rollover costs, the $4,300 payment due to Markey’s Rental and Staging for a November 2010 event, will not need to be paid by IUSA. This is due to the fact that it is, in fact, not IUSA’s bill in the first place.Straub, who received the bill early in September, was originally under the impression that the bill somehow escaped the attention of last year’s administration and had intentions to pay the company.By Sept. 13, however, Straub and the IUSA Student Organization Funding Board determined that the Markey’s charge stemmed from the board’s IU Dance Marathon funding. Danny Schuster, co-director of Funding Board, said he believes there may have been miscommunication between IUDM and Markey’s with respect to payment, he said. The board gives money to student organizations to spend as they see fit. Any fees from vendors that organizations deal with should then be directed to the student organization, not Funding Board or IUSA. This is the case with IUDM, Schuster said.Schuster has yet to speak with IUDM representatives, though he said he suspects the situation is a product of a misunderstanding of how funding of the board works.“I doubt they would maliciously defer a payment to us,” he said. “They’re going to have to pay it out of their budget at some point, if that turns out how it happened.”All other rollover expenses will be covered by Big Six’s operating budget of $91,400, which passed last spring, specifically from the $10,000 new initiatives fund. “Since we tend to over-budget, that doesn’t necessarily mean we only have $2,500 left,” Straub said. “We can partition money from other sources.”The Big Six also has the option to use money that doesn’t come from the operating budget.“IUSA has quite a bit of money that rolls over from academic year to academic year,” IUSA historian John Gillard said. “Any money that has been accumulated gets co-mingled.”This account, which Kelty estimated contained more than $60,000 as of his departure from office, can be used by administrations if they seek to work on large-scale, more expensive projects.Gillard expressed confusion concerning the Big Six’s choice to use money from its own operating budget instead of the continuous account.“I didn’t know that we were allowed to do that, and I think our main intention was to stick with what we were initially given,” Straub said.Regardless of the source of the payment, Straub said he is confident that the new charges won’t be an issue.“It’s not a big problem at all, and it’s not that big of an inconvenience,” Straub said. “I’ll let this be a learned lesson, that come the end of our administration, we will have all of our reimbursement payments in. You just have to be understanding. I guess it just comes with the territory.”
(09/14/11 2:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>She’s happy just spending time with her dogs at home, but a bit of external recognition for her work in academia never hurts.No stranger to awards, Lynne Boyle-Baise, professor of curriculum and instruction in IU’s School of Education, can add one more to her list. The National Council for the Social Studies awarded Boyle-Baise with the 2011 Jean Dresden Grambs Career Research in Social Studies Award.Much like the award’s namesake — Grambs is famed for highlighting discrimination against female children in American textbooks — Boyle-Baise received the award after years of contributions to the field of social studies education.“I believe civic education is incredibly important to our youth,” Boyle-Baise said. “Democracy education is not something that happens by itself. We have to prepare our youth for that in school.”Boyle-Baise places particular emphasis on the presence of social studies education in elementary schools. She said that in the current age of No Child Left Behind and increased emphasis on standardized tests, where math and reading rule the agenda, social studies instruction often falls by the wayside.She’s on a mission to revalue the disappearing subject, she said.“The award is related to work in regards to service learning, which is a way to teach youth service ethics,” she said. “I help people who are trying to become teachers, so they in turn can help youth develop a more democratic world view.”Though she has been an undergraduate- and graduate-level professor for the past 18 years at IU, Boyle-Baise is by no means isolated in her classroom. She’s just as likely to be found engaging with teachers and students in a second grade classroom as she is to be in a lecture hall, she said.By reaching out to not only students but to current educators, Boyle-Baise is able to more widely instill the importance of social studies education, through which she believes students learn the basic principles of civility and liberty. She wants to help teachers make social studies more interactive, going beyond rote history lessons and instead showing students how local happenings shaped and were shaped by national events.It is this mentoring spirit that inspired Shaun Johnson to nominate Boyle-Baise for the award.Johnson, Boyle-Baise’s former graduate student and current assistant professor of elementary education at Towson University, came across the application for the NCSS award online in the spring.Boyle-Baise immediately came to mind.He solicited letters of endorsement from colleagues, which came back in force despite a short notice, in addition to many additional application requirements.“They were more than willing to do it and happy to do it,” Johnson said. “The strength of the nomination letters shows that she develops great relationships with others, and that she’s made a great mark on her disciples. She doesn’t give herself enough recognition, so other people have to do it for her.”Upon notification that she had been selected, Boyle-Baise was pleasantly surprised, as Johnson had kept her nomination a secret.“Every time I get a thank-you letter from a former student, it makes my day,” she said. “Those cards in the mail mean more than people think that they do. And of course, Shaun doing this is a testament. That is almost more meaningful than the award itself.”Johnson said he’ll never forget the way Boyle-Baise interacted with him and his fellow students.“It’s strange, but she really treated us as equals,” he said. “She took as many of our ideas as she gave us hers.”She sees the relationship quite similarly.“The best I can do for doctoral students and undergrads is to treat them as my equals,” she said. “Sometimes I learn the most interesting things about democracy and being a citizen from my students.”The two will reunite in December at the NCSS annual conference in Washington D.C., the same convention where the two originally met in 2005 — Johnson as a grad school applicant, Boyle-Baise as a conference attendee.There, Boyle-Baise will officially receive her award and lecture on her own research and educational philosophies.
(09/07/11 3:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Student Association Congress met for the first time for the fall semester Tuesday night. Thirty-nine of the 51 congressmen and women attended the first session, as did members of the executive branch.Treasurer’s talkKyle Straub, junior and IUSA treasurer, spoke to Congress about the budget, noting that the organization was incredibly below budget going into the fall. As of the meeting, nearly $1,000 was spent on executive transportation, $5,000 was given to the IU Hillel Center’s search fund for Lauren Spierer and $3,600 will be spent today on the Student Recreational Sports Center sustainability platform stationary bikes. Other expenditures included an undisclosed amount for office renovation, and $7,500 toward rollover costs from the last administration, which were a surprise to Big Six, Straub said.King’s speechKingsolver addressed Congress, highlighting summer activity of both Congress and the executive branch. He also asked interested members of Congress to help lobby for two statewide initiatives — tax-free textbooks and medical amnesty. He echoed Woodring’s call to speak against the tuition raises decided this summer. Kingsolver announced plans to re-commission a Vision of the Ideal College Environment, or VOICE program, aimed at surveying the student body concerning campus issues, Kingsolver said.ResolutionsCongress voted on Resolution 11.12.05, which approved spending $1,984 for vote-tallying clickers from Turning Technologies. Congress will use these clickers at its meetings, expediting the voting process.Adviser’s addressR.J. Woodring, IUSA adviser, asked all IUSA Congress members to help young members develop into able leaders on campus. He said he’s encouraged by the actions of Congress and the executives during the summer. He told Congress not to rest on its laurels but to actively pursue campus issues during the course of the school year.ElectionsDerrick Wade, sophomore, was reelected grammarian for the year. Laurel Crutchfield, junior, ran unopposed for parliamentarian.Will Brooks, senior, served as speaker of Congress during the summer and was re-elected by a 21-14 vote.The next meeting of Congress will be Sept. 20.
(09/02/11 2:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Research expenditures at IU have reached a new high.IU spent a record-breaking $509 million on faculty research during the 2010-11 fiscal year, according to the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey.Expenditures, money spent by the University, come from two sources. External funding from the government primarily comes from major federal funders such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. All other money is internal funding that the University itself spends.The rise in spending, a seven-percent increase from last year’s $475 million, was a welcome and multi-factored surprise, said Faith Hawkins, chief of staff to the vice president for research.“It’s a larger increase than we were expecting,” she said. “In the past, increases generally tend to run three percent from year to year.”Such an increase is indicative of the University’s heightening reputation as a research university, Hawkins said.There is no one explanation for the increase — rather, it is a combination of a few factors, she said.“I think one of the reasons we went up overall is because last year we had higher dollar amount awards that pushed up our total,” Hawkins said.Another explanation is the federal stimulus package of 2009.Awards from external organizations often come in the form of multi-year grants, meaning IU researchers are promised money that will be paid in installments for years to come, Hawkins said. The $509 million statistic takes into account award money actually spent during the fiscal year, not the money promised for future use, which explains why government funding from the stimulus is now being spent on research at IU.Though numbers are not yet in from other research universities, Hawkins said she speculates most will report increased expenditures for a while due to the stimulus.Increased spending at IU affects more than just researchers and their work. When money is awarded to researchers, research technicians, lab assistants and other personnel can be hired for support. Companies that manufacture lab supplies are also positively affected by award money, as are workers who construct new facilities, she said.“When we say the University spent $500 million on research, that affects the economy,” Hawkins said. “As our research expenditures increase, the positive effect on the economy is really important to remember.”While funding and spending increases do benefit many people, directly or indirectly, more money creates new issues.“Awards assume we have the capacity to do the research we have to do,” Hawkins said. “In many respects, we are working really close to capacity, and by that, I mean many of our facilities need to be upgraded.”For example, the new Multidisciplinary Science Building II is almost completely out of free space, said Roger Innes, chair of the biology department.Innes said he is well aware of the current constraints of the system.“We’re running out of space to conduct the research,” he said. “With more grants and more students and faculty doing research, the bigger the space is needed.”Innes has hired more faculty in recent years, he said. As those faculty bring in increased awards, they also require space to do their work.“As we get new money, as we become a more prominent research university, we need to make sure we have the facilities and support to take care of the research we promised to do,” Hawkins said.In spite of the record expenditures, funding from the state has decreased, putting additional pressure on IU departments to secure other means of funding.The College of Arts and Sciences usually receives the most external funding, largely due to its size and housing of the science departments, Hawkins said. Other academic units, such as the School of Informatics and Computing and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, also fare well with external funding.The School of Education, which Hawkins said traditionally receives more money from state awards than other departments, is particularly affected by the state’s funding decrease.Now, researchers’ proposals often must be stronger and better developed than ever.“For some departments, the situation has gotten more and more competitive,” Hawkins said. “They’re having to work harder to do what they traditionally do.”While the new statistic is an accomplishment for IU research, other University funding is at risk.“What I wish the students and parents understood, when the state talks about cutting the state budget — that has implication, it has a ripple effect,” Hawkins said. “When we cut the national budget, it has a ripple effect. We need to think carefully about what the long-term effects of those decisions will be.”
(09/01/11 2:53am)
The legislative branch of the IU Student Association, called Congress, will be back in session next week with a few changes.
(08/30/11 4:03am)
IUSA’s specific initiatives change each year, as different
administrations choose to campaign on and, if elected, tackle different
projects. Nonetheless, the constant aim of IUSA is to “protect student
rights, enrich student life, and improve Indiana University,” as per its
constitution.
(08/26/11 4:11am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Big Ten administration of the IU Student Association campaigned on six platforms, or initiatives, in the spring. Here’s a summary of how each of the goals is shaping up.BASKETBALL STUDENT SECTIONProposalThe new method of seating would create a student section that would allow students who arrive early to secure better seats. ProgressAfter meetings this summer with a variety of officials, including IU Athletics Director Fred Glass, IUSA President Justin Kingsolver said the plan is currently on hold due to concerns about angering alumni and season ticket holders. Kingsolver said he does not share these concerns and is pushing ahead with a season ticket holders’ survey and requests for alumni support. IUSA plans to reintroduce the idea in November or December.SRSC SUSTAINABILITYProposalThe Big Ten ticket pledged to make the Student Recreational Sports Center more sustainable.ProgressAs part of the plan, three or four stationary bicycles will be installed in the lobby of the building during fall cycling week in October. These bicycles will convert exercisers’ workouts into electrical power for the gym. With an estimated cost of about $1,000 per bike, the project is getting started. Approximately $10,000 will go toward the project if the trial period is successful.MEDICAL AMNESTYProposalThrough lobbying the state legislature, medical amnesty would prevent student deaths by granting safe passage to hospitals for students who have consumed too much alcohol or drugs, Kingsolver said. ProgressIUSA has secured the support of key, unnamed state legislators who will help lobby for the issue in the statehouse. Also lending their support are Dean of Students Harold ‘Pete’ Goldsmith and Assistant Dean of Students Steve Veldkamp. Kingsolver and other IUSA members will meet with IU officials next week to solidify language in the plan’s policy, most of which was written during the summer. Kingsolver noted the plan is “almost there.”APP FOR CAMPUS MAPPINGProposalThe app would help students easily navigate campus with the addition of shortcuts and walking paths not available on other smartphone maps. ProgressThe developer of the app has changed since the spring. University Information Technology Services expressed interest in developing an app during the summer at no cost, instead of the old plan of seeking an outside, paid developer. IUSA now awaits word from UITS by Oct. 1. REFORMING THE IUSA BUDGETProposalKingsolver promised to cut the IUSA budget, including executive salaries.ProgressThe reformed budget of $91,400, passed in April 2011, is currently on track with IUSA having spent less than expected, Kingsolver said.TAX-FREE TEXTBOOKSProposalThe plan would create a once-per-year, 48-hour state-tax free period on textbooks purchased from a textbook store in the state of Indiana, saving IUB students millions each year. ProgressIUSA is still developing a proposal to be sent to the Statehouse and will be ready by December.FRESHMAN INTERNSHIP PROGRAMProposalThe Freshman Internship Program was implemented this school year in order to be for freshmen involved in their student government from the start of the year, Kingsolver said.ProgressIUSA has already received 49 applications from potential freshman interns. Executive branch members attended all sessions of orientation during the summer and spoke to incoming freshmen about IUSA and the internship program. As of now, Kingsolver estimated that about 35 applicants will be accepted in order to ensure proper mentoring. SUMMER CAMPUS ISSUESLauren Spierer DisappearanceIUSA was one of the groups on campus that helped lead and organize search parties for the missing IU sophomore. The organization also donated $5,000 to the Hillel Center fund for the search.“I would echo what the parents say, that someone knows something,” Kingsolver said. “Give the parents some closure, or help them find their daughter.” President Michael McRobbie’s RaiseIn the midst of a 5.5 percent in-state tuition increase this academic year, University President Michael McRobbie received a 12 percent pay raise during the summer. Kingsolver noted.McRobbie’s many achievements since his arrival at IU — increased enrollment and research funds in the face of a poor economy — remarking that the school is in much better shape than it was before his tenure. The timing, however, was off, he said.“I’m very angry,” Kingsolver said. “(He’s) really a good leader, but I think it was politically unwise.”
(08/25/11 2:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU Student Association was “well under” its $3,000 budget for the IUSA office renovation project, IUSA Deputy Chief of Staff Pat Courtney said. During the summer, the IUSA offices in the student tower of the Indiana Memorial Union underwent moderate, “long overdue” remodeling, Courtney said. “We wanted to provide a better place for students to come and interact with student government and to be able to integrate all the branches of IUSA,” he said.The only part of the updates that IUSA — and students — actually paid for is a new cubicle, which IUSA is in the process of ordering. As such, the entire project is estimated to be less than its $3,000 budget, Courtney said, although IUSA has not finished tallying the total cost.The renovations are more than an aesthetic overhaul. IUSA hopes the remodel will encourage cooperation and create an atmosphere of professionalism, which the office lacked in years past when few outside of the executive branch utilized the worn office, Courtney said. Before the renovation, only IUSA executive staff members had office spaces.The new cubicle will serve as a workspace for the IUSA Supreme Court and the Department of Student Rights, which IUSA executives hope will make the two groups feel more welcome in the offices.“We want to make sure the perception this year is that the office is home to everyone in the organization,” IUSA Chief of Initiatives Bailey Gerber said.A long conference table was brought in from the basement of the Union at no cost to IUSA. It will allow IUSA members to more professionally collaborate and have meetings with important visitors and associates, Courtney said. The office received a fresh coat of paint and spot re-plastering, also at no cost because the IMU had not recently painted the offices. Other minor changes were made to the office, such as hanging pictures and rearranging tables in an attempt to create a welcoming, more open atmosphere for visitors, Courtney said. “We wanted it to look extremely presentable to anyone who came in, and I think we accomplished that,” Courtney said.
(07/25/11 12:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the Aug. 2 deadline to increase the national debt ceiling approaches, more than 120 student body presidents, including the IU Student Association president, are weighing in on the debate. Student leaders submitted a letter directed to President Barack Obama and members of Congress on July 20, asking them to cast aside partisanship and personal and party persuasions to focus on creating a solution to the nation’s impending debt default. The purpose of the letter is not to offer specific solutions to fix the country’s problem. “What we’re asking is to have the debt ceiling raised immediately, along with long term spending cuts,” IUSA President Justin Kingsolver said of the general plan suggested in the letter.The debt ceiling is the legal amount of money the federal government can borrow to pay its debts, and the U.S. will likely reach that limit sometime in the beginning of August, many analysts have predicted. At that point, millions of dollars in scheduled payments from the federal government will have to stop, potentially including student loan aid, Social Security payments, and Medicaid and Medicare payments.The Bipartisan Policy Center estimated the federal government would be unable to pay between 40 and 45 percent of the more than 80 million payments it needs to make every month.By signing the letter, student government leaders are giving a voice to more than 2 million students they represent, Kingsolver said.The letter reads, in part, “While you may disagree over which party shoulders more blame for our current situation, one thing is certain — young people will shoulder the consequences of gridlock during a time that requires bold action.”The movement to write the letter began just a week before it was sent. Mike Meaney, student body president at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., originally contacted Kingsolver when only a few names had been added to the letter. Kingsolver said he was eager to add his support, as well as rally other student body presidents in the Big Ten conference to do the same.“Leaders of this generation are not going to bear the burden of the bad decisions,” he said. “We are.”Kingsolver soon contacted the student body presidents at schools like Purdue and the University of Nebraska and was able to get their support. But, in Washington, a solution to the debt ceiling problem does not appear to be easily found. Republicans and Democrats in Congress and President Obama have been engaging in intense discussion over a potential deal to raise the debt ceiling, but neither side seems willing to cave to the demands of the other. Democrats want to raise new revenue and cut from programs, while most Republicans want to only cut from programs without raising taxes. The Republican-backed Cut, Cap and Balance Act was passed July 19 to try to remedy the situation in the House of Representatives, which is controlled by the Republicans. The bill would have raised the debt ceiling but also cut large amounts of money from many federal programs without raising any taxes. The bill was killed when it reached the Senate — controlled by the Democrats — in a party-line vote July 22. All of Indiana’s Republican members of Congress voted for the bill and Indiana Democrats voted against it. A self-described “Gang of Six” senators has formed a bipartisan group to broker a potential deal between the two sides. The stakes in the battle are huge with millions of Americans’ financial situations hanging in the balance. A default on the U.S. debt would likely send shockwaves throughout the U.S. economy and even send it back into a recession, analysts predict.If U.S. leaders cannot reach a deal before the deadline for raising the debt ceiling, many Americans will likely not receive Social Security and other payments until they do. Students would also be affected. Federal student loans could be on the chopping block if the debt ceiling is not raised, several analysts have predicted. This means millions of students across the country could suddenly find that they can’t afford to go to college this fall. Though Kingsolver is a self-proclaimed “proud Republican,” he said that was irrelevant to his involvement in the letter. He does not believe the letter expresses a Democratic or Republican agenda, but rather disapproval on the part of his generation.“This was our way to say directly to members of Congress that our generation has ideas and we deserve to be heard,” he said. “This was a good first step.”
(06/01/11 5:23pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU Student Association is your voice in the IU administration. The Big Ten ticket was the winning ticket this year. Meet the candidates and read about what they want to do for you.Justin Kingsolver, presidentBack for round two, Justin Kingsolver finally brought his ticket, Big Ten, a victory.The senior and Wells Scholar ran unsuccessfully last season.“I don’t know if I was ready last year. I tried to convince myself that I was, but I didn’t know the ins and outs of IUSA at that point,” Kingsolver said.“I didn’t know how to run a student campaign. I didn’t have the relationships built that I needed. I think I am ready now.” Kingsolver said he views IUSA as a connector between student organizations rather than as the head of student governance. “In the past, IUSA has been viewed as the supreme student organization, and I don’t see it as that,” he said. IUSA is supposed to embody the interest of every major student group on campus.” Kingsolver said he doesn’t believe individual executives should be the focus of IUSA.“This is not about me. This is not about my legacy. This is about what we as a compilation of 150 or 200 students can do to better this campus. IUSA belongs to everyone,” he said.Kingsolver said he defends his statewide initiatives, which he believes are equally worthwhile and feasible pursuits.“There’s a mentality that IUSA stops at IU’s end, and I would agree, most of our programs should focus on IU,” he said. “But if we can show every other school in the Big Ten, legislators and business leaders that we are serious about solving these huge issues, then I think that that benefits our entire generation.”Stephanie Kohls, vice-president for CongressWhen campaigning in high school for student government, sophomore exercise science major Stephanie Kohls baked hundreds of cookies to help her earn votes. This year, Kohls relied on the Big Ten ticket’s platforms. “We know that we can get them done within our term. They are things that will not only change our campus, but things that we hope to change for the whole state,” she said.One such statewide platform is Big Ten’s medical amnesty law proposal, which would grant safe passage to hospitals for students seeking medical attention for overconsumption of alcohol or drugs, according to the ticket’s website. “It’s not just a state legislative issue,” she said. “It’s a really serious issue on campus. People are just turning a blind eye to it. When we get this passed, it will change our campus and prevent tragedies on campus.”As vice president of Congress, one change Kohls said she would like to implement is students’ connectivity with their representatives in the IU Student Association Congress. A revamped Congress website, would provide contact information and biographies of Congress representatives.She said she would also like to have biweekly meetings with Congress committee chairpeople to keep an open dialogue between the two branches of IUSA.Kevin Courtney, vice-president for administrationKevin Courtney, senior and health administration major, is the Big Ten vice president of administration for the IU Student Association. Courtney is a member of Sigma Chi, where he has served as chapter president, and is also the vice president of member development on the Interfraternity Council.He said he believes these experiences will bring a fresh, personally connected approach to IUSA.“The biggest thing is that we exemplify an actual student’s experience at IU,” he said. Courtney worked on Justin Kingsolver’s Kirkwood ticket last year. From that experience, he said, he formed a working relationship with Kingsolver.“One of the things that I want is to have tangible, quick benefits that students can see right away and focus on improving the culture for years to come, thinking forward to the next administrations,” Courtney said. He cited “resounding” Big Ten platforms, such as enacting textbook reform and changing the culture at Assembly Hall through the basketball student section. “Once our year is over, there will be a breadth of initiatives that will be around for a while,” he said. “Everyone loves the culture here at IU, but you can always improve.”
(04/27/11 4:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 2011-12 session of the IU Student Association Congress was called into session for the first time Tuesday evening. Stephanie Kohls, vice president of Congress for the Big Ten administration, began the meeting by calling upon IUSA Supreme Court Chief Justice Tara Maloney to lead Congress members in the oath of office.Maloney congratulated the 45 Congress members and encouraged them, if they had not already done so, to read the IUSA Constitution before their full term starts in the fall.Congress unanimously appointed Alicia Nives, Matthew Bower and Andrew Nielsen as Supreme Court Justices. Kristen Walker was named the new Funding Board director. The body also approved additional Big Ten administration executives outside of the core president, vice presidents and treasurer. Justin Kingsolver, IUSA student body president, addressed Congress, calling them the most important branch of IUSA. He gave Congress a brief overview of current initiatives, such as the pending bike share program and Eco-font program. He also called on them to not be “lackadaisical,” but rather be active members of Congress, acting as a check to the executive branch. He encouraged members to use the IUSA office in the Indiana Memorial Union, which he said has not been used to its full potential in the past. Kingsolver said he plans to utilize a variety of meeting venues instead of only the Kelley School of Business, which he hopes will be a more inclusive approach for all of Congress.
(04/27/11 4:23am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At the first Congress meeting of the Big Ten administration, members voted to approve a $91,400 operating budget for the 2011-2012 administrative year. The bulk of IU Student Association funds, $47,000, will go toward IUSA initiatives working toward implementing the BSMART platforms. The push for Student Recreational Sports Center sustainability and an app for campus mapping will each receive $10,000. The statewide initiatives, medical amnesty and tax-free textbooks will receive $5,000 total. The previous administration’s bus tracker system will be allocated $8,000 for yearly maintenance. The last item on the budget, $10,000 for “new initiatives,” will be used for projects that may crop up throughout the year and can be used by either the executive or legislative branch.Operational expenses fall second in this year’s budget, totaling just under $35,000, about 38 percent of the total budget. The biggest area receiving funding is “Advising & Support” at $8,000 while $6,000 has been allocated to travel, which the administration will use in lobbying efforts for the medical amnesty and tax-free textbooks platforms.As promised during the campaign, the Big Ten executives will not be accepting salaries. Funding Board co-directors have been allocated $1,500. However, their contracts were negotiated before the Kingsolver administration assumed office.Less than 10 percent of the total budget, $8,000, will go toward IUSA departments, including the IUSA Funding Board, Congress and Supreme Court. Hoosier Youth Advocacy, a nonpartisan research organization, will be given $5,000 for their efforts in following and aiding the progress of IUSA’s statewide initiatives.
(04/22/11 2:42am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If all goes smoothly, IU students will be able to rent bicycles from hubs across campus for a modest fee this fall. Heed the word “if.”IU Student Association executives have spent the last week meeting with Social Bicycle System founder and CEO Ryan Rzepecki, among others, in an effort to further develop a campus bike share program. The system, referred to as SoBi, was founded in 2008 and is based in New York City. It is a public bike-share system that uses GPS, a mobile app and a secure lock, according to its website. Students would be able to check out a bike for a period of time from various locations on campus, using secure pin numbers to unlock the built-in bicycle lock. The system is intended for short commuting trips throughout the day as opposed to longer recreational rides. Exact details regarding pricing and locations are still being worked out, as no contract is currently in place. IUSA’s tentative plans include a subscription-based payment system and bike hubs located both on and close to campus.“This would be a great school for the program,” Rzepecki said. The biking culture is very strong. Conditions are great for cycling.” Both the iUnity IUSA administration and its predecessor, the Btown administration, included bike sharing in their election platforms. The program’s future, however, has changed a number of times this school year.Junior Neil Kelty of the iUnity administration first contacted Rzepecki last August. Work then began to bring the system to campus. This fall, Kelty had said the bike share program would not be ready by the end of the current IUSA term. Weeks later, the IUSA Twitter feed declared, “Get ready for bikes this spring!!!” Similar messages touting the bike program’s imminent arrival on campus followed throughout the winter and spring.The program’s delay was not caused by IUSA but rather due to changes in the design of SoBi bicycles, which was actually spurred by IU’s interest in the program, Rzepecki said. Rzepecki’s new design features a lock welded to the bike’s frame and a shaft drive instead of a chain drive. Since January, it has passed the industrial design phase and is currently being tested by mechanical engineers.When junior Justin Kingsolver was elected IUSA student body president, he said in March that despite liking the idea of the program, he wasn’t entirely sold on the logistics. At that time, he saw three crucial requirements the program would need to meet: a guarantee of cost-effectiveness, the option for students to charge payments to their bursar bill and assurance that the program would be sustainable in future years.As per the IUSA Constitution, all lame duck session contracts must be signed by both the outgoing and incoming student body president, meaning that both outgoing president Michael Coleman and Kingsolver would have had to agree upon the program. Kingsolver wanted to further explore the proposals and wait until Rzepecki visited campus this week. Being in Bloomington allowed Rzepecki to gather all parties with a vested interest in the initiative and get them on the same page, as well as learn campus relationships and politics, he said. “It was about making sure everyone was comfortable with what their role is. We’re getting close,” he said. Yet there are still roadblocks to the implementation of the bike share program, as Kingsolver looks for the “most favorable terms for IUSA and students.”These terms are still being negotiated. Rzepecki will submit to IUSA a first draft of a contract within one to two weeks. From there, the program terms could be accepted, or rejected and the contract process would start over again. “There’s still a lot of things that could delay us,” Rzepecki said. Kingsolver noted that discussions concerning the program involve more than just IUSA and SoBi. Those present at this week’s meetings included IU Parking Operations, the Division of Transportation Services, IU administrators, local bike shop representatives, IU Outdoor Adventures, the IU architect’s office and the City of Bloomington. Successful passing of a contract requires cooperation by and the satisfaction of these groups, Kingsolver said. As of now, if a contract is signed, Kingsolver hopes to have all infrastructures in place on campus by the first or second week of September, kicking off a one-year trial program with 50 bikes.“With everything we’re hearing, it could be a feasible program,” he said. If the contract were accepted, it would be one of SoBi’s first major programs. “It would be an important milestone.,” Rzepecki said. “It’s pretty important to get these out on the street, to move from concept to reality.”
(04/15/11 3:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Reformed budget The new 2011-2012 IUSA budget is already written and will hit the floor of Congress on April 19 for voting. The proposed budget will reduce overhead spending from 73 percent to 33 percent. This cut was achieved through the elimination of executive salaries and cell phone plans, as well as slashing of department budgets.“That’s tough for us. That’s tough for some of our departments. Every one of us is going to have to make sacrifices. It’s not that we think that their or our mission is any less than it was last year, but we think we can operate on less.” Medical amnesty Kingsolver has already met with state legislators to begin building strong relationships and support for the platform that he calls “a tough sell.” The recent election of a Purdue student body president who also ran on a medical amnesty platform will aid in Kingsolver’s efforts, he said. Campus mapping app“We’re very, very far along with that,” Kingsolver said. IU informatics students are currently developing the program. A fully functional, albeit plain, model is expected by Welcome Week in the fall and a complete “pretty” version is expected by December. Ecofont Originally a reviveIU platform, the Big Ten administration is seeking to bring the Europe-based company’s ink-saving system to IU. The administration was given a $109,000 quote on a four-year pilot program but has been able to negotiate the cost down to $5,000 for a three-year program. If it is successful, IU will be the first U.S. post-secondary school to enact the program. Kingsolver would like to purchase the program by late May and pilot it during the summer in five to six computer labs. Office makeover The new Big Ten administration will bring a fresh look to the IUSA office in the Student Activities Tower. Kingsolver, with his executives, plans to personally paint and clean the office to the tune of $4,000. “The office is very old and decrepit. It’s not very professional right now. It needs to look professional because we need a place where we can bring administrators and they will take students seriously,” he said. The new look will help facilitate the increased use of the office, which Kingsolver intends to be utilized by members of not only the executive branch but members of Congress, the Supreme Court and funding board. Rape crisis fund Kingsolver is concerned about the welfare of the Rape Crisis Fund, which supports RAISE and Middle Way House, the steward of which is IUSA. “It has been dangerously close to dying,” he said. When registering for classes, Kingsolver would like as many students as possible to check the box in support of the fund.
(04/15/11 3:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While most students will leave IU behind this May for the delights of summer, Justin Kingsolver, IU Student Association president, and the newly inaugurated members of the Big Ten administration will be keeping close ties with campus, working to accomplish campaign initiatives. Since he was elected early last month, Kingsolver has spent his time delegating responsibilities and appointing staff to work on various platforms. These platforms will have three tiers of support, with an overseeing executive member liaison, a chief of the specific platform and five platform directors. He has also been meeting with key IU administrators to begin building bridges between student government and University officials. “It’s just a lot of coordination that needs to go on right now, and a lot of laying the groundwork. I would say we’ve hit the ground running,” Kingsolver said.Before winning the IUSA elections, Kingsolver considered applying for an internship with a congressman in Washington, D.C. However, after realizing the time commitment, he instead applied for a closer internship in Indianapolis. Assuming he is accepted, Kingsolver will split his time this summer between the state capitol and Bloomington. He plans on coming down to Bloomington about 20 to 25 times during the summer, as it is one-third of his administration, he said. “Every day is a gift, and we’re blessed. There’s a lot of pressure on us. I have a responsibility to not waste a single day. I don’t want to look back in a year and wish we had done more,” Kingsolver said. Megan Lillie, junior and chief of staff, will oversee executives and make sure IUSA is acting as a cohesive whole, she said. She intends to take full advantage of the summer months. “We’re looking at the summer as a key time for our initiatives. Hopefully, we’ll get a lot of the grunt work done,” Lillie said. Lillie also has made it a personal goal to work on uniting the student groups on campus and finding out what their needs are. In line with this goal, Kingsolver’s administration will focus on being open to all students, he said. “We’re going to be very responsible to student needs. It’s going to be accountable. I’ll have an open door policy. I want that office to be open at all times,” he said.Kingsolver emphasized that IUSA is about more than just him or his executives. “Any person on this campus can be in IUSA. That’s what makes us great. Every single student opinion should be valued as much as mine is,” he said. “Hard work won’t get done by itself. I can’t do it by myself. It’s going to be a team effort.” R.J. Woodring, associate director of student activities and IUSA adviser, said he fully supports both the new administration’s platforms and desire to incorporate more student input. “That has been a recent trend to include more and more people in the administration and getting them involved with initiatives they care about,” Woodring said. He said he looks forward to the new group of student leaders, while noting the record of their predecessors. “I’m very impressed with each of the executives. Their hearts and minds are in the right place. If they continue to have that as their compass, they’ll get a lot done. I hope that they continue the spirit of work the iUnity administration had. That administration was very focused on goals and accomplishing platforms,” he said.Specifically regarding platforms, Woodring is fully supportive yet acknowledges the potential difficulties. Woodring said he totally supports the new administration but he thinks its goals are a tall order.“What’s difficult about medical amnesty and tax-free textbooks is that to make these happen they need a lot of cooperation with entities that they don’t control,” Woodring said. Though the medical amnesty and tax-free textbook platforms will require state lobbying, Kingsolver is confident his administration can deliver on his promises. “I think we have the interest and the team put together to finish all six. As of right now, I think we can finish all six next year,” Kingsolver said.
(04/13/11 1:52am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the iUnity administration draws to a close this week, take a look at the Indiana University Student Association’s year. 2010March10: iUnity wins the elections. Michael Coleman is named IUSA student body president.April14: Zimride, a ride-sharing program, launches with the support of IUSA.15: iUnity executives are sworn in.September21: Congress approves a $97,996 budget for 2010-11. Coleman motions to appoint junior Hannah Kinkead to a vacant Supreme Court seat.OctoberIUSA teams up with the Muslim Student Union and the Pakistan Student Association to help raise money for Pakistani flood relief efforts. 12: Congress rejects Kinkead for the Supreme Court seat by a vote of 17-16.19: Fall break, an IUSA platform for more than 20 years, passes.26: Congress passes a resolution to sponsor a walkway near the intersection of 17th Street and Jordan Avenue. 2011January23: A campus safety report highlighting weaknesses in campus lighting and night transportation is released.26: IUSA unveils its digital archives, providing online records of decades of IUSA documents and records.26: The BtownUnited ticket launches, headed by junior Neil Kelty.February2: The Big Ten ticket launches, headed by junior Justin Kingsolver.8: Congress approves a resolution affirming the support of a strong American-Israeli relationship as well as the contract between IUSA and DoubleMap, the GPS bus tracking company. 9: The reviveIU ticket launches, headed by junior Danny Alexander.18: A petition is filed, calling for the impeachment of current IUSA administrators. Two days later, two filers withdraw, while one withdraws without prejudice. 21: The three IUSA tickets engage in a public debate.24: Justin Kingsolver co-files for injunctive relief against Neil Kelty, who is accused of funneling IUSA funds. March1-2: Big Ten wins the IUSA elections in unofficial results.2: BtownUnited files a formal complaint against Big Ten for election code violations.4: Big Ten is fined $957, and election results stand.7: IUSA sponsors a discussion with coach Tom Crean .8: The IUSA Congress rejects a resolution to impeach Kelty.April10: The Big Ten administration is sworn in.15: Coleman spends his final day in office. He accomplished five of his six proposed platforms.
(04/11/11 4:05am)
A new IU Student Association president was sworn before a crowd of about
30 Sunday in the Faculty Room of the Indiana Memorial Union.
(04/11/11 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It’s his third interview of the day. A video crew preps outside of his office to film a piece for Lead IU. An administration member pops in to ask a quick question, which he answers promptly. Such is the early evening for IU Student Association President Michael Coleman in the final days of his administration.As he enters his last days in office, Coleman reflects back on a year in which IUSA completed the majority of its platforms. His administration has completed five of six platforms in the areas of campus safety, fall break, a GPS bus tracking system, student group connection and the establishment of the IU Sustainability Fund.“I’m astonished to see what we’ve done with connecting with the campus, connecting different student organizations and working with student organizations,” he said. “We want to make sure we are the voice without overpowering the voice of other student leaders because I think we are all important and have vital roles in what we do.” Despite the passing of fall break, an IUSA initiative for decades, Coleman said he wants his legacy to be a different platform.The iConnect platform aimed to unite underrepresented and minority student groups on campus.This year IUSA did more programming and partnering with other organizations to present events, such as the Pakistani flood relief efforts last October, the Middle East panel discussion and the coach Kevin Wilson meet-and-greet in March.“IUSA needs to serve as a medium of bringing student groups together,” Coleman said.Inspiration for the iConnect platform came from Coleman’s freshman year.“I went to CultureFest my freshman year and I saw all my friends there, and I started to realize that IU does this thing where students start to sector themselves off into the environment that they’re used to and they stay in those types of environments. I wanted to fight and combat that,” he said.Coleman got involved with IUSA during his sophomore year, when he served as representative of Teter Quad in the IUSA Congress.However, Coleman had higher aspirations upon entering IU.“I knew I wanted to be president of whichever organization was student government,” he said.Coleman and Peter SerVaas, senior and Coleman’s current vice president of administration, met each other during their freshman year.Since then, SerVaas went on to serve as IUSA president during the 2009-10 school year, and it was during that time when he was approached by Coleman, who was interested in running for president.“I knew what it took and I saw that in him,” SerVaas said.SerVaas noted Coleman’s charismatic nature, saying that unlike during his presidency, students on campus know who their IUSA president is, largely in part due to Coleman’s dedication to getting out on campus.“People know who Mike is. Mike is always out there, always ready to be the face of the organization,” SerVaas said. “Whether or not students are in support of IUSA, they should be appreciative for Michael and those that serve in the role in the future. They’re spending countless hours trying to better the University and the student body.”Serving as IUSA student body president has made Coleman more assertive, SerVaas said.“Sometimes I’ve been no-holds-barred just because I want to see some things done,” Coleman said. “I want to voice my opinions. I haven’t held back a lot. This year, I’ve been very vocal about things I didn’t agree with, that I wanted to see change. That’s been different for me because I haven’t been like that. It’s different because you hear politicians say that they hold their tongues, but I’ve found it more beneficial for me not to.”Though there were many high points to his administration, such as fall break and interacting with the student body, Coleman said, there were some negatives.“Congress didn’t go exactly as I would have wanted it to go,” he said. “Students need to appreciate their roles in it, and it needs to be marketed better than it has in the past. If we could get students from different organizations to serve in Congress seats it helps out Congress a lot more. Congress is always something I always appreciate. They’ve got a lot done this year, but we could have been a little bit stronger.” Another subject is his final platform: the bike-sharing program.“The bike program might not be able to happen under my administration and that’s something I’m a little sour about. Hopefully that can happen if the next administration wants to take it on. Hopefully they do. We’ll see,” he said.With the successful record of accomplishing platforms, the next administration has much to live up to, Coleman said.“Next year, it’s going to be on the next IUSA administration to be just as successful or better and build on the things that we’ve done. It’s going to be expected by the student body. The bar is pretty high right now,” he said.After a year in office, Coleman has some advice for his successor, Justin Kingsolver, who will assume office Friday.“Be open to different individuals. Not everyone’s going to have the same mind-set. Have an open door policy. Be everywhere that you can be. You’re going to be an ambassador to the student body. Be positive and uplifting to all student organizations, not just those you may have served in. Everybody’s important and value their opinions when making big decisions,” Coleman said.Though Coleman will be leaving the office of the president in the Student Activities Tower behind, the senior will be staying on campus for at least another semester.“I’ll miss the position definitely, but I’ll make up for it in other things,” he said.He plans to work on IUSA’s Committee for Fee Review and is considering getting involved in a position in his fraternity before eventual plans to attend law school. Before he leaves, however, Coleman will leave one last mark on IUSA.Coleman pulled out a large wooden drawer from his desk, revealing lines filled with signatures and past presidents’ business cards, some white and crisp, others bent, yellow and faded.He hasn’t yet signed the board. After all, there’s still a week full of work ahead.