During the final meeting of the semester, the Student Government Association and Student Activities Board discussed upcoming events to provide students with a break and relaxation during the stress of finals week.

   The group will sponsor a Late Night Breakfast Tuesday, Dec. 11 in the John F. Gibson University Center Cafeteria.  The event will begin at 9 p.m., and members of SGA and SAB as well as student volunteers will serve all participants breakfast.

   The group also plans to give away over 15 prizes.  Lindsey Kight, director of Student Programs and Activities, encouraged students to arrive at the event on time in order to enter the drawing.

   “Once we start the drawing, we won’t add any more names,” she said.

   Kight also said the group wanted to keep the prizes under wraps until the event in order to surprise students.  She said showing up is well worth the chance of winning one of 15 surprise give-aways.  In addition, the event will give students the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves while their fellow students serve them breakfast.

   The group also discussed bringing one or more licensed massage therapists to the campus to help alleviate stress and tension on students.  The group discussed three possible massage therapists in the area they could bring in.  Students should monitor their student e-mail account for more information on this event.

   The rest of the meeting included discussion on events for the first week of school in the spring, as well as ways to increase student participation and involvement at campus events.

   The group already put a Welcome Back Day in the works for Tuesday, Jan. 8, the day prior to the first day of classes.  The event will include human bowling, laser tag, bouncy boxing, bungee basketball and Dance Dance Revolution.

   Due to the large number of events planned for the day, the event will probably take place in both the U.C. Green Room and gym.  The group will provide more information in January through the university e-mail and fliers around campus.

   The members also discussed hosting another movie on the outdoor movie screen in the spring, though they will have to wait until the weather warms up.  In an attempt to increase student participation, the group discussed holding the movie showing in the quad.

   To avoid confusion, Kight coined the open courtyard between the Fred J. Taylor Library, Horsfall Hall, the Memorial Classroom Building and Harris Hall as the quad during the meeting, and the name seemed to stick.

   Increasing participation at sporting events also took up a large portion of the discussion.  The group aims to increase not only student attendance at the games, but also the attendance of the Monticello community.

   Since football season ended, the group mainly discussed the upcoming basketball season for both men and women’s teams.  In order to increase participation in the campus and Monticello communities at basketball games, the group discussed give-aways and halftime events.

   The members voted to host a "Pack the Pit" competition at two of the home games next semester.  The idea behind "Pack the Pit" is to encourage members of the campus and town communities to fill up the bleachers at the game to show support for UAM athletes.

   The group plans to sponsor "Pack the Pit" at the Ouachita Baptist University game Feb. 14 and the Christian Brothers game Feb. 28.  During these games, cheerleaders will throw "Pack the Pit" green and white T-shirts to UAM fans during the game. SAB and SGA will also hold a drawing for prizes during the Pack the Pit games.

   Other ideas to increase attendance at the basketball games included:

• Offer free tickets to Monticello and Drew Central students who excel in school.

• Host a pee-wee basketball halftime game between the top two pee-wee teams.

• Hold halftime shoot outs for attendees to win prizes.

• Host musical basketball chairs, which includes dribbling the ball to make a lay up and dribbling it back to a chair by the time the music ends.

   During the basketball season, SGA and SAB will bring children from the Presbyterian Home for Children to a free basketball game.  This semester, the groups brought the Baptist Children’s Home to a football game, including the tailgating event.

   SGA and SAB meet the second Tuesday of every month at 12:40 p.m. in the U.C. Caucus Room.  SGA and SAB invite all students to attend meetings and offer their ideas or suggestions for events, changes or improvements on the campus.  For more information, contact Kight at kight@uamont.edu or President Landon Grimes at lkg3609@uamont.edu.