Don’t be fooled: The best things at IU are free

The budget of a college student can be a downward spiral. The moment a postage stamp is out of the price range, it’s time to step up as a responsible adult and take some action. So what kind of change is in order? A life-altering change: Seek out free stuff on campus!

While it may seem like the university system is draining students of their funds, benefits to the “poor college student” stereotype exist. From newspapers to movies to hip-hop dance classes, your life can feel pretty rich without spending any money at all.

Union Board Film Series
The Union Board’s weekly film series is the oldest in the country, according to the its site. The movies change, the auditorium gets renovated, but one thing remains the same: free tickets for students.

“We try to cover a wide genre of films,” said Union Board Director of Films Rachel Elman. “Our committee is formed out of a wide variety of interests that we try to reflect in the series.”

The 2007-2008 series included the Oscar-winning “Atonement,” the romantic comedy “27 Dresses” and a special International Film Festival during the month of February. Films run at 8 and 11 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in the Whittenberger Auditorium at the Indiana Memorial Union.

Student Newspaper Readership Program
News-hungry students will be happy to find The New York Times, USA Today and The Indianapolis Star free at IU. Thanks to the IU Student Association, newspapers can be found around campus and in the dorms Monday through Friday during the school year.

Counseling and Psychological Services
When the stress of class and college life weighs students down and they’re not sure where to turn for help, CAPS can step in as a valuable resource. With two free counseling sessions per semester, CAPS Director Dr. Nancy J. Stockton said the service can be helpful for students dealing with the transition from home to college.

“There are some temptations for students to isolate themselves in their own rooms on such a large campus,” Stockton said. “CAPS groups can be good for people to use their social skills in a safe environment.”

CAPS offers both individual and group sessions. Stockton also noted the CAPS section of the IU Health Center Web site additional resources for students.
“There are stress management tips and relaxation exercises on our Web site that can be downloaded,” Stockton said.

Students will also find assessment tests for depression or stress on the CAPS Web site.

CAPS has appointments available as well as regular walk-in hours. For more information on CAPS and its resources, visit www.indiana.edu/~health.

Jacobs School of Music performances
With the exception of ballet and opera performances, most musical performances at the Musical Arts Center are free. Midweek orchestra concerts and jazz jam sessions can take studenwts away from their finite math homework – if only for an hour. Student performances on everything from piano to the saxophone also deliver high-caliber performances, sometimes more than one in a day.

Recreational Sports group exercise classes
Besides free access to workout equipment at the HPER and SRSC (as most students refer to the two most popular exercise centers on campus), Recreational Sports offers many free exercise classes every day of the week. If you miss high school varsity soccer practice, check out the sports conditioning class; if students count the Electric Slide or the Tootsie Roll among their best dance moves, they can upgrade their style with a hip-hop dance class.

For students worried they won’t be able to get around campus easily to the free events, they can use both the IU and Bloomington Transit buses for free with their student IDs. And don’t neglect the assortment of museums, either: the IU Art Museum, Mathers Museum of World Cultures, Lilly Library and the Kinsey Institute Gallery are all waiting.

With so many free offerings on campus, what do students still hope to see at zero charge?

After a moment of deep contemplation, junior Chris Kremser came up with his perfect answer.

“Basketball tickets,” Kremser said.

Well, maybe next year.