The staff editorial from Friday, March 30 (“IUPU-whine”), was quite correct in classifying IUPUI as a whiner. However, several reasons why IUB is the flagship campus were not mentioned. If IUPUI questions IUB’s flagship status, it needs a reality check.
Here it is. IUB rightly deserves to be the flagship campus because of its incredible history and legacy. After all, as far as I can remember, IUB is the oldest of all IU campuses. Because of its legacy, IUB has always served as a model for the development of all subsequent satellites. This is why other IU campuses are called satellite campuses. A crash course in astronomy: Satellites are small objects that revolve around a big planet. Without the gravitational pull of the massive planet, satellites would not exist. Hey, without Herman B Wells (the greatest president of IU-Bloomington), other campuses might not even exist.
Sure, IUPUI might have the medical school, but IUB has the original, nationally acclaimed and unabridged versions of the Kelley School of Business, SPEA, Jacobs School of Music, and IU School of Law. That’s a whole lot more than IUPUI.
I have not heard much protest form the graduates of satellite campuses when on commencement day they receive diplomas that state “Indiana University.” If equality is what the satellite campuses want, then it would only be fair to distinguish among the universities based on their location. Though I doubt the graduates would be similarly happy to receive diplomas that say Indiana University-Kokomo, or Fort Wayne, or South Bend – you get the idea.
Finally, what about enrollment? More students want to attend the IUB campus than any of the satellites. Further, IUB boasts the greatest amount of donations by alumni. Popular choice by the students and alumni speaks for itself about who’s the true leader.
Another testament to IU’s preeminence comes from the mouth of IUPUI itself. IUPUI does have Purdue in its name. The fact that IUPUI whined to IUB, instead of Purdue, is a further testimony to IU’s superiority over Purdue.
Alexandra Chtchedrina
Junior