Take control of your Union

Sorry mom. I know I promised you when I decided to write this column that I would not use it as a platform to share family secrets. Today I am forced by the nature of my column to break that promise.\nI was a good kid growing up, and only rarely did my parents need to discipline me for inappropriate behavior. But there were occasions where I broke curfew, neglected my academics or participated in some unspeakable foolishness that forced them to reprimand me. When I complained that their rules were too restrictive, a common refrain would occur from both of my parents: "As long as you live in our house you will abide by our rules." \nAlthough this saying frustrated me a lot at the time, I do understand where they are coming from. But as much as I love my parents, their set of rules was one of the reasons why college was such an exciting opportunity. I thought once I left home there would be no more rules governing my conduct. Boy, did I have another thing coming.\nPeople set rules wherever you go, whether it be the standard, "No shoes, no shirt, no service," or your landlord who does not allow you to have pets. I was shocked at this realization and decided that one of the real draws of becoming a parent was the ability to set the rules for your family. \nAs tempting as the proposition of starting a family for an ego boost was, I have decided that it is probably best if I wait awhile before having children. With that realization, I knew I needed to find another outlet for my massive desire to impose guidelines on others. After much searching I have found it, the Indiana Memorial Union.\nYou see, the Policy Affairs Committee of the Union Board of Directors sets policies for the Indiana Memorial Union. Five of the 16 student Directors currently sit on the Policy Affairs Committee, and as President of the Board, I chair that committee. We want the Indiana Memorial Union to be the living room of the campus. \nThe Union needs to serve the needs of all students on the Bloomington campus, and if we are falling short of that goal, I want to hear about it. In recent years, Union Board has tried to create policies for the students on the campus to make the Union feel more like home to you.\nAfter much soul searching, and a look through the past actions of the UB Policy Committee, I have decided that this is not the correct avenue to pursue my insatiable desire for power and control. \nIn the early 1990s, the Indiana Memorial Union Board of Directors made two important policy decisions. Both came as a result of students contacting Union Board and IMU personnel to let them know how they felt the Union could be improved. \nStudents used to be frustrated a decade ago when they would come to the Union to study only to be shut out before midnight because of restrictive building hours. Union Board and the IMU responded to student concerns by extending the buildings hours to 2 a.m., where they currently stand today. \nAnother policy decision with a far-reaching effect was the IMU becoming the first building on campus to go entirely smoke free. It is tough to imagine given current restrictions on smoking that there was ever a time when significant portions of the Union building would allow smoking. As students and staff became increasingly health conscious, the Union Board of Directors decided that the IMU should be the trailblazer for the University by creating a smoke free facility.\nYour input into the policies and services you want offered at the IMU is important. Therefore, I have slightly changed my parents' mantra to the following, "If you want to come to the IMU, you have to help make the rules." It might not have the same ring to it as your parents' stern admonition, but I speak just as seriously when I say it. E-mail ubpres@indiana.edu with your suggestions.