Alumni association offers benefits to current students

By Shawnta' Green

December 10, 2007 | Being immortalized in stone in the surrounding area of the David B. Haight Alumni Center at Utah State University is only one of the perks that comes from being a lifetime member of the USU Alumni Association.

After only completing 12 credits at the university a student is considered an alumnus. This makes it so most students on campus are defined as alumni, although most do not know it or even what it means to be alumni.

Many students have probably heard of the Alumni association, been to a sponsored event (True Aggie night, anyone?), but many do not know what it means to be an alumni, exactly what the Alumni Association is, or what benefits being a member can bring to, not only students after they graduate, but students that are studying at USU right now.

Within the Alumni Association, there is also an organization especially for USU students called the Student Alumni Association or SAA. Both feature many benefits for members, some of the SAA benefits piggyback on the Alumni's.

The Alumni Association offers a plethora of benefits for their members. These include discounts at different ski resorts throughout the state, discounts at Logan River Golf Course, Blue Water Resort, Cub River Lodge and Guest Ranch, Old Lyric Repertory Company, USU athletics and cultural events, discounts at the Bookstore, among many others. Other benefits are discounts on car rentals and Home/Auto Insurance, Health Insurance, and student loan consolidation, and yes, lifetime members are immortalized in a Legacy Brick with a customized message which is placed in the front walkway or courtyard of the David B. Haight Alumni Center. For a complete list of benefits visit the USU Alumni Web page.

The Student Alumni Association offers events throughout the school year, service opportunities, leadership opportunities, helps students build networks with graduated alumni, and other benefits or the "free stuff."

Some of the events hosted by SAA include True Aggie Night and A-Day, and events are free to members. The most popular event is Cafe Sabor night which is open to all students but members receive the regularly discounted six dollar meal for free. Members also receive many of the same benefits of those of the Alumni Association, like a member card that will give members discounts at the bookstore, ski resorts, and on rental cars. An SAA member also receives an Aggie license plate, a license plate cover, and the year's themed T-shirt.

"Aside from all of the "free stuff" benefits SAA gives to students, members have a great opportunity to network and meet Alumni. This can lead to internships and possible job opportunities. It opens a lot of doors for students," said Ben Croshaw, president of SAA.

The SAA does this by putting students in contact with alumni who have graduated and by hosting events such as Dinner with 12 Strangers, which will be held sometime in the beginning of March, according to the SAA website.

Those who want to be more involved with SAA can be part of one of the six committees within it. These include the Public Relations commitee, Aggie Traditions, A-Day Committee, Senior Relations, Service, and Activities. The association gives students an opportunity to be as involved as they want. They can choose to just be a member or can also be a committee member.

"It's a very versatile program. Any student can fit in, and find what they like to do," said Croshaw.

The Alumni Association partners often with other organizations to put on events. Recently they partnered with the USU Service Center in the annual Stuff-A-Bus event. The event raised $6,000 in donated toys, 9,000 pounds of nonperishable food, and $7,000 total in cash, according to German Ellsworth, the director of the Service Center.

The Service Center is another way to help students get involved, and is also working with SAA to plan activities during A-week.

"We'd love to have anyone and everyone come and help with events," said Ellsworth, "The cool thing about us is that we are unique in the state because everything we do is student run. It's a great opportunity to learn, serve, and get involved."

The Alumni Association has also worked with the Career Center on programs and events. They currently are working on programs to further strengthen the networking possibilities between graduated Aggies and students still working on their degrees.

The new programs include a Business to Business program and the In Circle Network. Business to Business will connect students and businesses that are run by Alumni. The program will require a membership and does not have a set date when it will be up and running, according to Matthew Stone, Director of Marketing with Alumni Relations.

"Getting involved with the Alumni Association is a great way for students to get involved with the university and alumni. It's a great leadership opportunity, and adds more to the traditional college experience of just going to class and hanging out with your roommates. It gives so many opportunities to students," said Croshaw.

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