Students have the opportunity to win a free semester of in-state tuition or one of 25 other prizes in SGA’s Crimson Spirit Points Initiative.

Will Pylant, vice president for Student Affairs, said Crimson Spirit Points came about after student organizations voiced concerns that they were having a hard time drawing in crowds to events.

“We were looking for a way we could bring students together as well as provide them with valuable public service, and also give our student organizations a chance to boost attendance at their events,” Pylant said. “Spirit Points are a way we can bring students together for a good purpose.”

The athletic department, sports teams, students and student organizations can apply for Crimson Spirit Points by completing a one-page application and returning it to the SGA office or submitting it online at sga.ua.edu at least two weeks prior to the scheduled event, Pylant said.

Once the application is received, it will be turned over to the Spirit Points committee. From there, the committee will grade each application using a grading rubric.

“Once the Spirit Points committee grades their application, we have another form that the chair fills out, and then she turns it over to Rosalind Moore in the Dean of Students’ Office,” Pylant said. “From there, they will email the student organization and arrange for them to get an ACT card swipe machine.”

Meagan Bryant, SGA press secretary, said students can check their Spirit Points number through their myBama accounts.

“This is an organic process that we need everyone’s help to make come together,” Bryant said. “We need student organizations to submit their events so they can be available for Spirit Points, and we need students to come to the events, so it’s really a group effort.”

Along with a grand prize of one free semester of in-state tuition, the second and third prize winners will receive a new iPad, the top 10 will receive a Daniel Moore Painting and the top 25 students will receive a $100 gift card to the SUPe Store.

“This wouldn’t have been possible without the different moving pieces involved in this collaboration,” Pylant said. “We want to thank Dr. Mark Nelson for his contributions and Theresa Shreve for her contributions of the SUPe Store gift cards. We also want to thank Dr. Lowell Davis, Rosalind Moore and the Dean of Students’ Office. It’s really been the labor and toils of a lot of different people.”

Susan Griffiths, the assistant director of communications for Student Affairs, said Spirit Points are a great incentive for students to get more involved in things they wouldn’t have thought to be involved in.

“It’s really opening a lot of doors for different organizations to get their name out there,” Griffiths said. “I hope students take advantage of it.”