In an effort to encourage more students to attend events on campus, a group of students have started an initiative called Mission: Bleed Blue. According to the new group’s official Facebook About page, Mission: Bleed Blue is designed to reward all CCSU students for attending events on campus.
The group is being headed by Brian Choplick and Michelle Zohlman, and is endorsed by Dr. Tordenti, Vice President of Student Affairs.
By swiping their Blue Chip ID at the beginning of a Bleed Blue event, students will earn a certain amount of points for attending (points vary by event). By accumulating points, they earn free rewards as they hit different plateaus.
Some upcoming events that students may go to include family day, the club fair, CAN carnival and the Homecoming football game.
The initiative is based on a similar program that runs at UMass Lowell, which is more focused on getting students to athletic events, versus the more broad outlook that CCSU will take.
The program, which was extremely successful at UMass Lowell, is something that CCSU could really benefit from if students embrace it and get more involved.
It is common knowledge for many on campus that the attendance rates at events are less than spectacular. Any movement and efforts to improve that issue should be embraced with open arms. We are in the process of building a new, gigantic residence hall which will be filled with students by Fall of 2015.
Students are constantly looking for a reason to stay on campus, so bringing events to light and motivating them with free swag cannot go wrong. And according to Choplick and Zohlman, although nothing is set in stone, they are not planning on having the same kinds of freebies to give away that are given away at events like Devils Den at 10. They will be much “cooler” and “useful” – not to give away any surprises.
This enterprise will also help smaller, less popular clubs get a chance to recruit new members. There are over 100 clubs at Central but many struggle to get members involved. Each get funding and support from campus officials, but also need the participation of students.
We shouldn’t have to bribe people with “stuff” to get them involved with events on campus; that should be something you want to do on your own as a college student. You never hear about students having the best “college experience” by staying cooped up in their dorms or spending time at home with their parents.
It is important to make sure you get all of your schoolwork done, but by no means do we believe that you have so much homework that you can’t get involved in one or two groups. It could be weekly fencing, karate or the book club. It doesn’t matter. Make the effort and don’t be afraid to get involved. And if getting a free hat, backpack or T-shirt is what it takes to get kids out of their comfort zone, then so be it. A little moxie never hurt anybody.