Students should choose class rings

IU President Myles Brand was recently quoted in the IDS saying that "IU is an academic institution first and foremost. Teaching, learning and research is what we're all about." \nWhat Brand actually meant to say was that financial gain is at the top of his agenda, not the students. An example of how Brand's personal agenda of greed supersedes the needs of the student body is the fact that a couple of years ago he made it no longer possible for the students to choose and create their own class rings from companies such as Herff Jones. \nInstead Brand had one type of class ring available to students with no variations allowed. The reason for this? So IU can license this ring and make a profit from them -- a profit IU no longer wanted to go to companies such as Herff Jones. So the reason is simply money. More money from us students that the University does not need. \nThat is the reason we don't have a choice as to what stone will be in our rings. In fact, there aren't any stones at all allowed in Brand's ring. It is also the reason we can no longer have our names, graduation years, sports played or area of study engraved into our rings. \nThis is nothing but a blatant disregard for what the students want. This is wrong. Please write or call President Brand's office and let him know you want control of issues such as this. Write the IU Student Association and let them know you are concerned. We should be the ones in control, not Myles Brand!\nJoe Cameron\nSenior