More to the CCSAI than meets the eye
Although Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, there’s a certain place in the Ashtonbee Campus that isn’t feeling the love. In fact, it’s feeling downright neglected.
The student centre offers many perks but Melissa Miller, CCSAI vice president at Ashtonbee, says students don’t seem to be aware of them. Some of the benefits include:
* cheap photocopies (just five cents!)
* the use of a fax machine
* long distance and local phone calls can be made in the centre
* a Playstations 3 can be signed out (student ID required)
There’s also a computer lab at the student’s disposal, as well as chatting/studying areas. When class is done, head over and take advantage of the pool and foozeball tables.
“It’s a nice hangout spot for them with their friends,” Miller said.
The Muckish Irish Pub is close to campus, and Miller hopes to have a pub night there every Tuesday starting Feb. 17. The pub offers discounts to students who flash their Centennial card. If you buy a pitcher, you get a pound of wings cheap, a steak for only $9.99, and “tall boy” cans of beer for a discounted price.
“With their Centennial ID they’d be more than willing to offer other specials as well,” Miller said.
Millervsays attendance for events is usually low, even though students indicate they want them. She wants to encourage students to take an active role at the college. The main strategy to spread the word using posters throughout the campus. When asked why they don’t attend events, Andrew Palmer and Michael Lommick had a simple excuse.
“We don’t know about them,” Lommick said.
Miller says that the centre can get busy, but only for a short time. She’d like to see people using its services more regularly. When there are crowds, they are invariably all male – something else Miller would like to see change.
“We want to see more women in the student centre. We’re trying to encourage them to use it more,” Miller said.
Every Thursday between 1 – 4:30 pm. girls can have the run of the pool tables free of charge. There is also something new coming to the student centre that might increase the female demographic at the centre: movies.
“We’ll have one for sure on Friday, and possibly for the whole week,” Miller said, “They’ll be Valentine’s themed movies.”
While Miller is still working out the details of other events, she plans to have a Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt, a free hot dog day at the end of the month, and even an “Ashtonbee’s Got Talent” show.
“And there’s more in the works,” Miller promised.
Besides showing school spirit and having a fabulous time, the CCSAI offers reward points as an incentive for attending their events. You go on the CCSAI website (http://www.ccsai.ca/ccsai-rewards) and make an account, then add the points as you build them up. Creating an account gives you 1,000 points right away. The website also offers bonus points, such as 1,000 points for completing a quick survey. The points can get you, among other things, iPods, movie passes, designer purses and gift certificates. Coming soon are Print Credits, Book Store gift certificates and Student Centre vouchers too, according to the website.
“You can get pretty good prizes for about 2,000 points,” Miller said. “The more events you go to, the more points you get.”
Another idea being tossed around is having points hidden throughout The Courier. Besides keeping you up to speed on all the hot deals and special events, CCSAI points give you just one more reason to read it.
