Sports administration graduate students are back this semester with Green Fever, a campaign to fund scholarships and graduate assistantships.
The initiative that raised money for the Ohio University sports administration master’s program in October is now going “green” for the men’s basketball game against Miami University (OH).
The initiative, dubbed Bobcat Blackout in the fall, has been raising money for graduate student scholarships through its Green Fever campaign.
This campaign will culminate Saturday with the men's basketball game at The Convo, which starts at 2 p.m.
Both campaigns aim to raise money for scholarships and graduate assistantships for the OU sports administration master’s program by selling green T-shirt packages, which come with coupons to various Athens businesses.
Each T-shirt costs $15 this semester, a $5 decrease from last semester’s Bobcat Blackout apparel.
Most notably, the T-shirt also comes with a free night at the Baymont Inn, 20 Home St. In addition to clothing and a hotel stay, 10 additional coupons are available.
Most students working on the campaigns are pursuing a dual-master’s degree in sports administration and business administration.
Gary Pasqualicchio, a second-year graduate student in the dual-degree program, is a member of the group of 50 graduate students behind the campaign. He said the money raised goes toward their general student fund and helps pay for networking trips as well throughout the year.
Harrison McIntire, a first-year graduate student in the same dual-degree program, is a member of the marketing committee and said the benefits of the fundraiser, however, do not lie solely in the program.
"From a selfish perspective, (the benefits are) learning a lot," McIntire said. "But at the same time, we’re able to give something back to the community by offering them something they’re proud to wear and give them a good deal at the same time."
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Though she isn't sure she'll purchase a package this year, Molly Brady, a senior studying wildlife and conservation, is planning to attend the men's basketball game this weekend.
"I bought one the last two years," Brady said. "I just wanted to see what they look like."
Brady added that she has used the coupons sold by the group in previous years, as well.
"This year, we wanted to go with quality over quantity in terms of these incentives," McIntire said. "Instead of having a book of 70 coupons, we want to focus on 10 that we know you’re going to use.”
Despite being less expensive, the T-shirts are not selling at the same pace as last semester's Bobcat Blackout ones that sold out a week before the event.
"We’re not on pace to do the week before, but it’s expected that we will," McIntire said.
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