Flo Gonya, Student Government Association president, urged the senate to make plans for a peaceful protest on the day the Faculty Senate meets with representatives from Barnes and Noble on Oct. 16.
Gonya said part of her concerns include Barnes and Noble’s plan to put International Standard Book Numbers on the IUS Bookstore’s Web site, which was announced at a faculty senate meeting on Jan. 17, 2008.
The ISBNs are still not available on the IUS Bookstore’s Web site.
“Let’s face it,” Gonya said. “Barnes and Noble is here to make a profit. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Gonya suggested senators make signs for the protest and to talk to the IUS Police Department about setting up the protest.
Gonya said Barnes and Noble should be more forthcoming with information about the textbooks they sell.
“I see no reason why Barnes and Noble can’t put that information up there unless they want to make a market just for themselves,” Gonya said.
At the Faculty Senate meeting on Jan. 17, 2008, two representatives from Barnes and Noble, Chris Peterson and Marcia Stewart, said they would work with the IU Southeast’s administration to make ISBNs available to students on the IUS Bookstore’s Web site.
Stephen Taksar, who was the vice chancellor for Administrative Affairs at the time, said he would be in contact with Barnes and Noble to work out the plan. Taksar is no longer the vice chancellor for Administrative Affairs, and that position is still vacant.
In other business at the meeting, Josh Garcia, SGA senator, voiced his concerns about a bill that allotted $50 to buy 1,000 business cards for the senate.
Garcia said the senate could find a number of different ways to get business cards for free.
“I don’t even see us going through 200 business cards in one semester,” Garcia said. “I’m just saying we don’t have to spend money if we don’t want to.”
Garcia said since SGA’s budget was cut last year, the senate should look consider more cost-cutting measures, and said he was concerned about the senate being tight on money.
James Bonsall, SGA treasurer said the senate had its budget cut, but doesn’t need to worry about spending their whole budget.
“It’s not going to kill our budget or anything to buy business cards,” Bonsall said.
The vote passed with four abstains. Jeff Martin, chief justice, said senators should only vote abstain if they feel there would be a conflict of interest in voting or if they don’t know enough about the issue on which a vote is being taken.
Martin said senators shouldn’t feel uncomfortable with voting against a bill if they don’t agree with its terms.
The senate also reviewed a bill to get a new lock on an SGA suggestion box in Crestview Hall.
Bonsall said SGA can’t find the key to the lock, and it needs to be cut off and replaced so SGA can have access to any suggestions students have put in there.
“It’s important to have access to that box and the papers in it so we can better serve the students,” Bonsall said.
Bonsall said the bill for the lock would allot $15 for a new lock. The bill passed unanimously.
Jeff Martin raised his concerns about alcohol violations on campus and gave a warning to senators who live in the residence halls.
“There is going to be some alcohol in the lodges,” Martin said. “Let’s hope nobody in here gets caught up in that. It would just look bad on SGA.”
Martin said if senators were punished by the university for alcohol violations, SGA might not give a good word for that person.
By JEROD CLAPP
Senior Editor
jlclapp@ius.edu