SGA opens up block seating

The University of Alabama’s Student Government Association is making dramatic changes to its student block seating system for the 2010 football season.

The SGA says its new approach to student group seating at Bryant-Denny Stadium will be more inclusive and encourage diverse student groups to be a part of the system. To emphasize that change, student leaders have renamed the name of the block seating area to “Student Organization Seating.”

SGA President James Fowler said the name change is an effort to promote the inclusion of a wide variety of student organizations across the UA campus.

“I hope the new system and name change will encourage student organizations from all corners of campus to apply for student organization seating,” Fowler said. “The goal is to eliminate any divisiveness within the student body that has existed in years past and promote unity going forward.”

SGA Vice President for Student Affairs Stephen Swinson said the SGA is partnering with The Source and Student Affairs administrators to actively recruit a broad community of student organizations for the revamped Student Organization Seating.

“The SGA is encouraging all student organizations to apply for seating,” Swinson said. “We are eager for new student organizations to participate in Student Organization Seating and are excited about implementing a more inclusive student organization section.”

The SGA will also make adjustments to the mandatory arrival times for student organizations hoping to occupy their designated seating section. All seating not occupied 45 minutes prior to kickoff will be open to the general student population, a fifteen-minute extension from last year’s 30 minutes prior mandatory arrival time.

In addition, the Student Organization Committee will be imposing stricter regulations for those organizations with designated seating areas. Any student organization that on repeated occasion arrives late or departs early will be forced to go before a judicial review. Swinson believes these changes will force student organizations to take full advantage of the section they have received.

“The SGA has made positive adjustments to Student Organization Seating in an effort to motivate early arrival by decreasing the amount of time that the section is reserved,” Swinson said. “To deter early departure, organizations will be subject to judicial review if a significant portion of their members leave the stadium before the end of the 3rd quarter.”

Student Organization Seating will still be contained in the lower bowl. Which specific sections it will occupy in the lower bowl have not yet been determined.

Student Organization applications are due Aug. 27 by 4:45 p.m. at the Student Government Association office, 231 Ferguson Center. Applications to be a member of the Student Organization Seating Committee are due by Aug. 25 at 4:45 p.m.