The Student Government Association is instituting a new reward system designed to increase student attendance at educational lectures, athletic games and other community events held on campus.
Dubbed the “Spirit Points” program by co-creators Will Pylant, vice president for student affairs, and Matt Calderone, SGA president, students will be able to accumulate Spirit Points at various qualifying events throughout the semester and earn several attractive rewards.
Some of the anticipated rewards to be offered to the highest attendees each semester include an iPad, Daniel Moore paintings and potential scholarship money.
“Spirit Points are a great way to get students out there to attend UA events,” Pylant said. “This system will help promote events and organizations that may not always have a large number of attendants.”
All students, organizations and athletic teams active on campus will be able to apply for their event to qualify for Spirit Points through a standardized form soon to be available in the SGA office.
The form will ask the applicant several questions outlining the event, including logistical constraints and expectations, a declared purpose and the potential for an admission fee for the proposed event.
Events must be open to all students to qualify under the Spirit Points program.
“The new Spirit Point reward system will be a great way to get students more involved on campus,” Jose Ruiz, an SGA senator, said. “Oftentimes, students are hesitant to participate in events offered by various organizations on campus because of the lack of advertising or previous knowledge of the event. This program will give them the added incentive they need.”
An SGA board titled the Crimson Spirit Points Committee will meet weekly to review and consider campus events for qualifying status, as well as to determine point values for each approved event.
The SGA will then loan ACT Card readers to the organizations conducting qualifying events. The weekly meetings will be open to the public, allowing for transparency on the part of the SGA in selecting qualifying events.
The Spirit Points program is not the only program of its kind on campus. The Crimson Rewards program, sponsored by Tuscaloosa Toyota, offers students several incentives to attend sporting events across campus, ranging from free concession vouchers all the way up to the chance to win a brand new car.
“Programs like these benefit the entire campus,” Justin Popielarski, a senior majoring in geological sciences, said. “It affords the students the opportunity to earn something tangible for participating in the various events on campus, and it gives the organizations that sponsor these events far greater exposure than they would otherwise have without the incentive programs. I haven’t participated in any of the other reward programs in the past, but the addition of non-athletic events to the list of events where points can be earned may convince me to participate in the Spirit Rewards program.”
