Hello Union Board Alumni,
My name is Laurie Frederickson, and I have the pleasure of serving as the 115th President of the Indiana Memorial Union Board. It has been an eventful year thus far, and I am excited to share some updates about what 115 has been up to!
This spring was packed with 87 events, reaching over 8,000 students. We’ve embraced long-standing UB traditions like LFB concerts and the UB film series, while also creating new traditions like the BKB Bollywood Dance Competition and the “Little Little 499” tricycle race, a fun twist on the Little 500. Looking ahead to fall, we’re excited for the second annual “Meadow Motion Film Festival,” featuring student-made short films. We had a great time at the Out & About Committee’s trip to Kings Island and the Concerts Committee’s Block Party with headliner d4vd, a rising Indie/Alternative artist. I’m continually amazed by what the directors on 115 accomplish, and I’m proud of the incredible events we’ve brought to life as a board.
Union Board continues to make our mark on the IMU and ensure that it is a welcoming space for all. We recently received $14,000 from various IU Foundation Philanthropy circles to continue diversifying the art displayed in the IMU. Meanwhile, the Art Initiative Committee, thanks to generous donations from the John Whittenberger Society, is working to commission a mural representing Latine culture to be displayed in the IMU. We are grateful to have so much support from IU alumni to make the art of the IMU display the diverse mosaic of the IU community.
Beyond the art initiative, we have approved a new process for event reservations that will make it easier for student organizations to hold meetings and events in the IMU. Finally, exec participated in the IMU visioning process, in which we worked with key IMU stakeholders to re-envision the future of the IMU. We are eager to hear the positive results of this process.
I would be remiss to not address the events that unfolded on Dunn Meadow this spring. As many of you are aware, protests on Dunn Meadow this spring caused a great deal of tension on our campus and left many students feeling unheard, unsafe, and unsupported. Through all of it, the Union Board has remained steadfast in our commitment to providing unity and community to all IU students. We participated in the Student Voice Coalition—made up of Union Board, IU Student Government, IU Funding Board, IU Graduate and Professional Student Government, and the Residence Halls Association—to advocate for the importance of including students in institutional decision-making. The Union Board has released non-partisan statements encouraging peace on campus and will continue to advocate on behalf of all students to ensure that student well-being remains the top priority of IU’s administration. Moving forward, we will maintain our close relationship with other student organizations and work together to ensure that all students receive the welcoming, high-quality student experience that has always existed at IU.
I’d like to thank the alumni of Union Board for all of your support over the past few months. From your donations that have funded so many wonderful trips and governance initiatives, to your kind words and sage advice in times of need, you have gone above and beyond in supporting the directors of the 115th Board.
I am deeply honored to lead this organization, and I thank you for entrusting me to do so. If you have any questions about our programs or governance initiatives, do not hesitate to reach out to me at ubpres@indiana.edu or laifred@iu.edu.
In Unity,
Laurie Frederickson
115th Indiana Memorial Union Board President
You have done an outstanding job as leader of Union Board, Laurie, and continue to do so. Your measured yet savvy responses to urgent challenges to our campus wellbeing, while speaking truth to power, is heartening and inspiring. Congratulations to you and your fellow UB leaders.