SGA sponsors sportsmanship campaign

The SGA, with the help of the Director of Public Relations Debbie Lane, will sponsor a sportsmanship campaign in the fall. The campaign's focus will be to ensure that students, as fans, are supporting all teams from football to basketball to volleyball in a positive "UA-Way" --- loud and with class.

To get ideas for the campaign, the SGA will be conducting an online survey to better understand students' perceptions of being an Alabama fan.

"We want to get as many people to take the survey to see what they want, and to revamp so that we can have a better image of our fans," said Elizabeth Watters, a junior majoring in public relations.

The survey will be available for students to take from today to April 30. Students can find the survey linked to the MyBama and SGA websites, Watters said.

After the survey is completed, the SGA will compile the results and figure out what areas need to be targeted, and the most effective way of turning the fans' image around, Watters said.

Louise Crow, SGA vice president of Student Affairs, will be the spokeswoman for the sportsmanship campaign.

"The reason we are conducting the survey is now that spring sports are wrapping up, we need students to have a reason to get excited and have fun with this next fall season," said Crow. "We want to encourage the student body to participate so we can continue to be loud and supportive fans."

SGA officials said they hope to not only work with current students, but also work with incoming freshman at Bama Bound by allowing them to take the survey too.

"We need to remember that the players are also college students, and as students, we should be there to support them," said R.B. Walker, former SGA president.

Crow said she hopes that with the help of the sportsmanship campaign, fans will stay in the stands until the referee blows the final whistle, and if a student is unable to attend a football game, then they will donate the ticket back into the system.

Crow said she thinks that with the new sportsmanship campaign, students will be reminded to be a good supportive fan.

"We want to be the fans that people respect and want to be. There is a fine line between fun and disrespectful fans," said Crow.