The Undergraduate Student Government announced that for the 2012-2013 school year, the council will focus on Tommie pride, health and wellness and sustainability, for its three main initiatives.

Vice president Jenna Johnson said council members brought initiative ideas from their respective constituencies, discussed them in small groups and then the ideas were voted on by the full council.  

“People got really into it. There was good conversation and debates about which ones we should choose,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the majority of council members voted for the Tommie pride initiative, which would increase student involvement and student unity on campus by promoting campus events, resources, clubs and organizations.

“Tommie pride is just about bringing the whole campus together and uncovering the little hidden treasures that we have,” Johnson said.

Many students don’t take advantage of things like free weight equipment lessons in the Anderson Athletic Recreation Complex, take-out pizza from Scooter’s, or even free legal advice. Johnson said this might be because students do not know about the opportunities.

Increasing attendance at sports and other campus events is one aspect of the initiatives Johnson said the council is already exploring. USG is working with Information Resources & Technologies to launch an application that would allow students to gain points by checking in on a smartphone or getting a plastic card punched.

“Once you have so many points, you would get a prize,” Johnson said.

Junior Kate Pearson said the idea sounds similar to STAR’s FANAMANIAC promotion and isn’t sure the similarities will necessarily benefit USG.

“I don’t know if it was even that big of a success,” Pearson said. “I only got (my card) punched once.”

Freshman Bailey Strand said as a first-year student, promoting an event is key to attendance.

“I know there’s a lot of good stuff out there, but we really don’t hear about it that much,” Strand said.

The council voted to continue working on a health and wellness initiative, and although Johnson said last year’s council also chose this as a focus, student demand motivated the 2012-2013 council to take it on again.

“We’re going to focus on the same umbrella…with different initiatives under that umbrella. This one was really chosen because we’ve heard a lot of students talk about it, and ultimately we serve the student body,” Johnson said.

Improving food options for students with allergies and special diets, getting locally grown and fresh food on campus, and offering calorie counts and nutritional information at campus eateries are some of the first goals Johnson said the council wants to see accomplished.

Junior Britney Gorman said she sees this health and wellness initiative as a positive advancement for the university, especially for those students living on campus.

“I felt that living in the dorms and being on a meal plan was tough at times because I didn’t feel there were many healthy options offered. Having the nutrition facts will be really helpful for students who are interested in knowing what is in the foods they eat,” Gorman said.

Johnson said the sustainability initiative goes hand in hand with the Rev. Dennis Dease’s commitment to reducing the university’s carbon footprint and will focus on making the campus “greener.” USG wants to educate students on recycling and energy saving practices.

Freshman Martha McKinley said investing in this initiative is a good idea.

“Education regarding energy is important,” McKinley said. “It could be something as simple as turning off the lights when you leave your dorm room.”

Johnson said the council also hopes to make St. Thomas a plastic water bottle-free campus this year.

Neighborhood relations has been one of USG’s three main initiative’s for the past two years and although it didn’t top the list this year, Johnson said the council still voted to form a committee and to continue working on the issue.

“It’s just a topic that needs to be addressed. Everyone’s very passionate about this issue,” Johnson said.

Johnson said another of the secondary issues is student finances. The council is considering partnering with a company that works with local businesses to offer 10 to 15 percent discounts to students who show a St. Thomas ID, Johnson said.

“Any way that students can save money is huge,” Johnson said.

Heidi Enninga can be reached at enni5264@stthomas.edu.