6A NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2007
ATHLETICS
New program draws students to sporting events
Point system gives fans incentive to attend games
Seniors Darin Amsberry, Denver, Colo., Brandon Sejera, Denver, Colo., Alex Brand, Eden Prairie, Minn., and Arom Mahobian, Overland Park, cheer the Kansas soccer team on during Sundav's game against Southern Methodist University. The athletic department has instated a reward points system to attract more students to sporting events aside from football and men's basketball.
BY THOR NYSTROM
tnystrom@kansan.com
A new athletics department program will reward students for attending varsity sports events other than football and men's basketball games.
Sarah Leonard/KANSAN
The free Rock Chalk Rewards program allows students to accrue points by attending regular-season home events. Students will earn one point for each Kansas soccer, volleyball, baseball or softball event and two points for each women's basketball game they attend. Rock Chalk Reward points can also be earned at select cross country, golf, rowing, swimming and diving, tennis and track and field events.
"I go to those sports on occasion," Richie Welton, Topeka, sophomore, said. "But if there was incentive, I would probably go to more."
Students who purchased the All-Sports Combo for football and men's basketball will receive two Rock
Chalk Rewards points. Admission to all other sports events is free to KU students with a valid KUID.
"What we want to do is encourage KU students to attend other sports besides football and men's basketball," associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said. "We are very interested in increasing student involvement in women's basketball and what we call the Olympic sports."
The Athletic Department ran a trial points program a couple years ago with women's basketball. This is the first time they have implemented a program across several sports.
Registration to the Rock Chalk Rewards program is free. Students can sign up at any upcoming home soccer or volleyball match, or by visiting the marketing office in 227 Allen Fieldhouse. Upon registration for the program, students will receive a free key tag to carry on their keychains and scan at each event to record their attendance.
Ry Roth, Larned sophomore, said he occasionally attended volleyball games, but he might go to more games with the new point system.
"I think it will get students to support more teams," Roth said. "But I won't watch swimming because of it."
More than 3,000 students have signed up for the program. Marchiony said he hoped this would raise attendance to smaller sports.
Andrew Steinberg, assistant athletic director for marketing, said periodic updates would be sent via
e-mail to students informing them of their point totals and which level they have attained.
The All-Big 12 drawing for the conference basketball tournaments will take place during the Feb. 27 women's basketball game against Texas. The All-American drawing for the airline tickets will be held during the April 29 softball game against Oklahoma, and the National Champion drawing for the television will take place May 2 during the baseball game against Oklahoma.
Edited by Kaitlyn Syring
Rock Chalk Rewards
There are six point levels in the rewards program. Students will receive a gift upon reaching each level.
Walk On (5 pts): Rock Chalk Rewards T-shirt
Starter (10 pts): Local food coupon
Captain (25 pts): KU Crocs and S5 KU Store coupon
All-Big 12 (40 pts): $25 Gift Certificate and the opportunity
to win 2 tickets to the Big 12 Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments
All-American (60 pts): Adidas apparel and chance to win 2 airline tickets to anywhere in the continental United States
National Champion (85 pts):
$50 Gift Certificate and the opportunity to win a 42 inch flat panel TV
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Students aid community while pumping up transcripts
Andrew Wacker/KANSAN from left to right, Ryan Casey, Boston, Jenna Sheldon-Sherman, 2006 KU graduate from Lawrence, Mary-Kate Haworth, 2006 KU graduate from Lawrence, TJ Tram, Stillwell senior, and Danielle Strauber, Centennial, Colorado senior, work together on community projects through the Center for Service Learning at the University. The students study problems within communities and use what they learn from their classes to try to fix them.
Andrew Wacker/KANSAN
BY JEFF DETERS
jdeters@kansan.com
Students who want to become more involved in the community can earn college credit for their efforts. In correlation with the Center for Service Learning, faculty and students participate in group activities that examine problems in communities.
Students then work to help solve those problems by doing a variety of tasks, going on alternative breaks or becoming a volunteer. Students can also become certified in service learning.
To become certified, students must complete four tasks. First, they must enroll in a corresponding service learning class from a variety of subjects, including history and sociology. Students must then complete a series of directed readings of articles or book chapters. Third, they must complete an independent project, which could range from taking another service learning class to being a volunteer in the community or going on an alternative break. The students must then submit a reflectc
tion piece that explains what they learned about the problems in the community and how those findings might apply to other community problems.
Danielle Strauber, Centennial, Colo., senor, is certified in service learning. She has done volunteer work for the Humane Society and United Way. Strauber went to the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind in Spartanburg, S.C., and worked one-on-one with children, helping them learn Braille.
"It was really kreat." she said.
T. J. Trum, Stillwell senior, is also certified in service learning. A double major in political science and psychology, Trum became interested in the program following his internship in Washington D.C. Strum later incorporated some of the things he learned back home. In Stillwell, he worked in a therapeutic writing center and helped teach religious studies.
"I think that's when the most learning occurs, when people interact," Trum said.
Trum said that one benefit of being certified was that he learned from the experiences of others.
"I can take the messages that they learned and taught me, and then apply that to my own work, and I hope I can do the same for them," he
said. "It's like the old ethic: You can take what you learn and apply it in all fields."
Ryan Casey works at the CSL and is a volunteer in the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America, or VISTA, program. VISTA is a one-year commitment where members work to address community needs, like improving health care services and creating new businesses.
Casey, a native of North Attleboro, Mass., is in his third week in the program. Prior to joining AmeriCorps, he worked as a research associate for a health care investment bank in Boston.
"While I greatly enjoyed my time there, I wanted to live and serve outside of the Northeast for a while," he said.
Casey said this year's goal was to have 200 students certified in service learning, which would be 50 more than last year.
"Students not only gain an enhanced appreciation for their course material and civic involvement, they also gain a valuable addition to their transcript, useful during the all-important first job interview and/or graduate school application," Casey said.
For more information, go to www. servicelearning.ku.edu/ .
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