Bike Usage Leads to Further Development
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the Enjoy the fall weather with a trip to a local pumpkin patch A letter to the editor FEATURES, p. 7 regarding Hetereo- normativity ArgusIllinois Wesleyan University OPINIONS, p. 8 Titan football steals a win against Franklin College SPORTS, backpage Volume 121 | Issue 3 blogs.iwu.edu/argus/ September 19, 2014 Bike usage leads to further development The new bikes are better for stu- of Hansen.” said Gorman. “The bike Normal adopted a Bicycle/Pedestrian Schmidt. EMILY CONSIDINE NEWS EDITOR dent use and for the life cycle of the repair stand will enable students to Master Plan a few years ago, and they “Very soon, you should see “shar- bike. The bikes are single-speed, so make quick and easy repairs and ad- are currently making great progress rows” (share the road arrows) paint- Illinois Wesleyan University ex- the drivetrain is much more resilient. justments to their bikes any time, day on implementing the Southern Corri- ed on Park, Beecher and Franklin panded its bike share program this They have coaster brakes, which or night, absolutely free. Second, the dor, of which both Jersey Avenue and through the Illinois Wesleyan cam- year, adding new bikes and other means fewer moving parts since one Friends of the Constitution Trail do- Bryan Street are a part of. pus, which is part of the City’s pilot features on campus. just has to pedal backwards rather nated an eight-bike rack for Pfeiffer “Being able to ride my bike project in advance of the Bike Mas- The bike share program started than using handlebar brakes. The Hall.” around campus is great, but hearing ter Plan,” said Gorman. last year, with four bikes donated by chains are more protected from rain, An indoor storage area in Harriett that Bloomington Normal is mak- Those “sharrows” will help show “Walk In Bike Out,” a local group snow and other elements. Baskets are is also available for use. Signups are ing changes as well makes me very students a safe way to get to Down- that collects abandoned bikes from also attached to the front of each bike accepted on a first-come first-serve excited. I would love to see the cit- town Bloomington by bike, connect the community and gives them, free to make carrying things easier. basis. About 14 bikes are able to fit ies safely on my bike and I’m glad with “sharrows” on Park, Walnut, of charge, to people in need of bikes. Students, faculty and staff can in this space. For more information the cities are acknowledging bik- and Prairie and the new bike lanes on The program began to gain popu- check out bikes either at the Hansen about signing up and how the stor- ers’ presence,” said senior Emma Front Street into Downtown. larity, causing the committee to look Student Center Information Desk or age process works, visit https://www. into making some changes. the Ames Library Help at Ames desk. iwu.edu/bikes/storage.html. “We decided to start the bike They can keep the bike for 24 hours According to Gorman, who is share as a pilot program and gauge at a time by showing their university also on the board of Bike BloNo, the interest before seeking any money ID. The bike can be returned at either community’s bike advocacy group, to invest in the program,” said Bike location, regardless of where it was Bloomington and Normal have Committee Chair Michael Gorman. checked out. painted their first bike lanes in the “As it turned out, there was a great “As of Tuesday, September 16, past few weeks. deal of interest in the bike share; we the bikes have been checked out 92 Bloomington’s bike lane runs for launched on September 27, 2013 and times since the start of classes –an av- two blocks on Front Street on the east by the end of December, the bikes erage of 26 times a week,” said Gor- side of Downtown Bloomington, and had been checked out a whopping 91 man. People are able to check where Normal’s runs for several blocks of times.” bikes are available before heading Jersey Avenue, from Belt to Ewing Based on the high usage of the out at https://www.iwu.edu/bikes/ Park III. bikes, the Bike Committee started available.html. “Both Bloomington and Normal looking for money to buy new bikes. Not only can students, faculty and have a lot more they can do to ac- Donations from several depart- staff check out bikes, but they can commodate bikes, but this is a great ments on campus, such as the Presi- also service their personally owned step in the right direction,” said Gor- dent’s Office, the Dean of Students’ bikes for free on campus. man. Office, Student Senate, the Action “We have received two donations The City of Bloomington signed Research Center, the Wellness Office recently that will improve cycling a contract with the League of Illi- and an anonymous donation allowed conditions around campus. First, the nois Bicyclists to develop a citywide PHOTO COURTESY OF: THE TOOL LIBRARY the committee to purchase ten new Tool Library donated a bike repair Bike Master Plan, which should be This bike service station features screwdrivers, corkscrews and other such tools to maintiain personal bikes, all free of charge. bikes over the summer. stand that was just installed outside unveiled later this fall. The Town of IWU among top economically diverse colleges per student, Illinois Wesleyan Congress to expand the Pell- For the 2013-2014 academic ition,” said first-year Citlalli REBEKAH SMITH STAFF WRITER University is on par with many grant program, which provides school year, IWU issued $34 Gonzalez. highly ranked schools including need-based scholarships and million for University scholar- “Coming from a low income Higher education is expen- Cornell, DePauw, Boston Col- grants to qualified low-income ships and grants. family, IWU really made me sive, but is also important for lege and Rochester. undergraduate students. Sixty-three percent of IWU feel like seeking higher educa- not only the individual but the “For students to be able to A decade ago, there was a students receive need-based fi- tion would be afforable.” American economy as well. successful in the future, we need drop in economic diversity in nancial assistance, and 33 per- To ensure that Illinois Wes- The income gap between col- IWU to reflect the glowingly di- some of the nation’s top educa- cent receive merit scholarships. leyan University is able to fund lege grads and high school grads verse world that we are all going tional institutions. “Being from Bloomington, I and provide scholarships for has reached record levels. to enter in the coming years,” In 2006, Vassar College always grew up thinking Illinois students, IWU hosts the “All in According to statistics of the said junior Austin Aldag. “This President Catharine Bond Hill Wesleyan was a more expen- for Wesleyan” challenge to fun- Economic Policy Institute in being on the spectrum of many became an advocate for the pro- sive school with students whose draise. Washington, Americans with a areas, one of which is greatly motion of need-based support families were far better off than Titan student callers contact degree from a four-year univer- overlooked in socio-economic for students to attend college. mine,” said senior Jenny Dar- alumni and parents for dona- sity earned 98 percent more an levels and class.” Universities, including IWU, row. tions. This past spring, current hour on average than those with- Throughout the last decade, have been working to recruit top “I almost did not even look and alumni Titans raised more out a degree. there has been quite a push for academic students from all eco- here because of that. After my than $700,000 in just one day Despite good high school more generous financial-aid nomic backgrounds. They have visit I found that this was one for scholarships. GPAs and high SAT scores, policies because rising tuition also been increasing budgets to of my visit I found that this “As a first-generation col- many students from low-income costs are a major barrier for col- provide more financial-aid op- was one of my less expensive lege student these scholarships families find that college is still lege hopefuls from low-income portunities. schools thanks to the scholar- played a vital role when choos- out of reach. Upward mobility families. “Through the use of these ships the university offers.” ing which university to attend,” is far less common in America Iowa Republican Senator scholarships and other initia- Most IWU students re- said senior Nicole Bacigalupo. than it is in other countries. Charles Grassley held various tives, we are able to allow all ceive scholarships, and many “Both my sister and I are Recent statistics show that hearings in 2007 to determine amazingly motivated students in wouldn’t be able to afford IWU lucky to attend a school that lower-income students make whether or not colleges were us- our doors to learn not only from without these scholarships. awarded scholastic achievement up large portions of the student ing endowments to help student professors in classes, but more “Without scholarships or fi- so our parents could afford the body at Wesleyan schools. tuition costs and scholarships. importantly from each other,” nancial, my family would have tuition of a prestigious univer- In terms of endowments President Obama worked with said Aldag. not been able to afford my tu- sity.” 2 NEWS SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 NEWS 3 On Wednesday, Sept.