On the morning of Wednesday, April 23, Indiana University Northwest joined the university's eight other campuses in celebrating the annual IU Day. Not only is this event an opportunity to celebrate all things IU, but it also offers participants the chance to make donations that will support the university’s students for years to come. For a monetary donation – a minimum of $5 for IU Northwest students and a minimum of $10 for other attendees – IU Day participants passing through the Moraine Student Center could receive an IU Day 2025 t-shirt, as well as a single-serving pizza from Aurelio’s. All IU Day donations went toward IU Northwest’s General Scholarship Fund.
Amy Diaz, chief of staff in the office of the chancellor and interim vice chancellor for university advancement and external affairs at IU Northwest, was instrumental in the planning and execution of the IU Day 2025 celebration. She considers IU Day to be an important event for multiple reasons.
“While this is a day of philanthropy, it is also a day of fellowship,” Diaz said. “Philanthropy is not just about monetary donations; it’s also about spending time with other members of our community. In my culture, there is no greater fellowship than sitting down to enjoy a meal together. We’re here to celebrate all of the great things that our students and the rest of the IU Northwest community do. IU Day is an opportunity to celebrate this campus’s mission and all that Indiana University represents.”
Since IU Day is typically recognized around the same time as Arbor Day, IU Day celebrations feature a campus planting activity. Since 2018, IU Northwest has been a member of the exclusive Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus program, which promotes the sustainable and strategic planting of trees at institutions of higher learning.
This year, IU Northwest students assisted in the planting. Among them were members of the Nu Lambda chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and the university’s biology club. IU Northwest custodial staff and members of the Wild Ones community organization also offered their assistance. The group planted trees and other foliage that will help develop a wet woodland area on the northwest side of campus.
IU Day also featured a station where students could make handwritten thank-you notes for anyone who has donated to the university. Gabe Ashbach, an IU Northwest sophomore and vice president of marketing and communications for the IU Northwest Student Government Association, was one of the volunteer attendants operating the thank-you card station.
“IU Day is an important event on campus because it allows all of the students, faculty and staff to show support for IU,” Ashbach said. “We also get to show our support for all of the donors that make all of this possible. My favorite aspect of IU Day is the donor thank-you card station. Even if students don’t have $5 to donate, they can still support the university by writing a thank-you cards. Not only do the donors see how grateful we are, but the students also get a t-shirt and a pizza. It’s a win-win.”
One of the celebration’s most exciting events was the car smash, a time-honored IU Day tradition. After making an IU Day donation, participants could head outside and smash a junked Chrysler minivan with a sledgehammer. The assembled crowd cheered the participants on as they hit the van with all they had. Even Rufus the RedHawk joined in on the fun!
Diaz enjoys connecting with the rest of the IU Northwest family at IU Day.
“I hope that everyone leaves knowing that, together, we are strong enough to help our students get to where they need to be,” Diaz said. “IU Day is all about promoting student success. We are here with the students and for the students. We’re all together sharing positive energy, showing our IU pride with the t-shirts, enjoying some fun and games, and expressing our gratitude to the donors. It’s a really great opportunity for everyone to come together.”
If you're interested in learning more about IU Northwest's events and educational programs, please visit northwest.iu.edu.
