Garrett Dorris, a senior majoring in finance, decided this time last year that he wanted to get involved with the SGA and gain leadership experience without going through the stressful campaign and election process. So he applied to be the Director of the Date Auction through the SGA website. What could be more fun, he thought, than raffling off high profile student leaders for money?

Dorris worked with the treasurer, Mark David Kennedy, and the Society of Black Engineers to plan an event that raised almost $14,000.

“We worked on the project starting at the end of October, and I met bi-weekly with Mark David and Katie Malone for a couple of months,” Dorris said. “Then we met once a week for the few weeks leading up to it.”

In addition to the weekly meetings, Dorris had a committee of five people to whom he could delegate tasks. To make the Date Auction happen, they encouraged people to participate, spread the word to student organizations on campus and got local businesses to donate raffle prizes.

Dorris said the Supe Store donated an iPad and Chick-fil-A brought the Chick-fil-A cow to escort people onto the stage.

Other aspects of the preparation for the Date Auction included booking the Zone, designing t-shirts and arranging for professional lighting. After the auction, the group date was held at the Cypress Inn, and Dorris said it was a fun time for everyone involved.

“It was great planning the event and seeing it through from start to finish,” Dorris said.

Dorris will graduate in May, and the Director for the Date Auction position, along with many others, is becoming available. Applications are available online now at sga.ua.edu.

“Whether you have been involved with SGA in the past or not, we are looking for students with a passion for making a difference on our campus,” SGA President Grant Cochran said. “It is our goal to recruit the most talented students from every corner of campus to take an active role in their student government. If we are going to continue making strides toward campus unity, we must ensure that our governing body is composed of a diverse collaboration of students.”

Director positions include everything from the Women’s Political Initiative, to Bama Dining to Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs. The descriptions are available online at sga.ua.edu.

“Whether you are interested in public relations, event planning, policy creation, graphic design, or a specific area of campus, SGA offers students the chance to work in their areas of interest,” said Nicole Bohannon, chief of staff. “The experience one gains while working in student government can prove highly beneficial when students enter the job market.”

Interviews will be held April 25-27, and director positions will be announced on April 29.