Rows of empty chairs.
That is how the Student Government Association’s town hall meeting started on Thursday, Feb. 11, in the Hoosier Room during the lunch hour.
SGA associate justice Josh Sesar, mathematics and secondary education junior, went to the Food Court and rounded students up by promising them free pizza. A herd of students piled in to talk about issues on campus and get some free pizza.
“This is our first time doing something like this, so we’re gonna learn here,” SGA president James Bonsall, business junior, said.
Bonsall and SGA vice president Amanda Denbo, business senior, stood at the front and opened the floor for discussion.
Bonsall said the purpose of the town hall meeting is to give students a chance to discuss issues.
The issue of the IUS Bookstore came up. Some students expressed frustration with the cost of books.
Bonsall said he had a plan to target professors, encouraging them to order their textbooks early enough for the IUS Bookstore to know what it needs for the next semester, which would result in increased book buybacks.
Bonsall also said there are efforts to encourage professors to order textbooks that are re-sellable.
“Unfortunately, there is nothing [we can do] about the actual prices,” Bonsall said.
Contracts and preset prices prevent changes in textbook pricing.
One student began to complain about troubles with getting a specific textbook affordably because of the way her professor had timed his ordering, just as a new edition was in print.
Another student from the same class began to argue with her. Bonsall interrupted the argument and summed up the IUS Bookstore conversation.
“It’s absolutely bogus that we’re getting our books from an outside bookstore,” Bonsall said, referring to the IU contract with Barnes and Noble.
A student changed the subject, raising the issue of the new building for the Education Department. There were concerns that the new building would worsen parking.
IU architects plan to build the new education facility in front of the University Center, sprawling into the Central Parking Lot and taking away some parking spaces.
“I get a lot of complaints even now about parking,” Bonsall said.
Bonsall said they planned to build a supplementary parking lot back behind the IUS Library.
“They are going to add parking, but the only place they can add parking is back by the Athletics Building,” Bonsall said.
Bonsall said he had tried to get a say in where the new education building would go, but was not allowed because that is the jurisdiction of IU architects.
Bonsall said he had wanted the new education building to be built close to the Activities Building, but that would interfere with plans to expand the Activities Building.
So, in the interest of campus expansion, students will be losing some parking spaces.
“It sucks for students because they’ll have to walk further,” Bonsall said.
Michael Atkinson, political science senior, then said he wanted to talk about vending machines around campus.
Some of the vending machines on campus have complications for students wanting a beverage. Atkinson said there are some machines that will not allow students to use their UCard to buy drinks, while others are often sold out except for the inevitable stock of Sprite.
“Sprite is for wusses,” Bonsall said.
Another student complained the paper-cutter in the education building needs to be sharpened or replaced. It cannot cut paper anymore. It only makes an indent in the paper that education students must then cut around with scissors. Bonsall said he promised to talk to someone about that problem.
Bonsall also asked students to help him brainstorm a way for the SGA to show support for Haiti.
Bonsall referenced a previous idea to hold a peanut butter drive. He said his reasoning for proposing the peanut butter project was that peanut butter has plenty of protein and is clean and easy to ship.
He said this idea was thrown out because of the backlog of people already trying to send supplies to Haiti.
“What they really need is money,” Bonsall said.
A few ideas for different Haitian fundraisers were tossed around with no real consensus.
Relays or partnerships with campus organizations that had already made plans were suggested.
Bonsall said he would look into those options and see what would work for the SGA.
Changing the subject, Bonsall asked students what they thought of the campus closing on Tuesday, Feb. 9, due to snow.
Most students complained the campus wasn’t closed on Wednesday, as well, saying that the roads were still dangerous.
Bonsall and Denbo wrapped up the meeting by keeping their word on the free food and giving every attendee a certificate for two pieces of pizza from Dining and Conference Services.
Staff Writer
mhop@ius.edu