The Student Government Association has introduced a punch card reward system at the student recreation center.
Students can now pick up a punch card and earn a hole punch each time they visit the recreation center.
At the end of each month, students will have the opportunity to pick out prizes and rewards based on the number of punches their card has.
The event has been organized by the Physical Health Committee of SGA.
Integrative studies senior Ryan Sheahan serves as the chair of the committee, which is focused on getting students who live on campus active and in the gym.
According to Sheahan, the idea behind the punch cards is to offer students a little extra motivation when it comes to taking advantage of that campus resource.
“A lot of people go maybe a few times a week or once a day,” Sheahan said. “But I figure, there are a lot of people on campus who have unlimited swipes to the rec center. Why not give a little incentive so that people get that extra five, ten, fifteen minutes to go do cardio or mobility stuff?”
The Physical Health Committee has several other fitness events planned, including a bench press competition on Nov. 17.
This competition will have a men’s and women’s division, with the winners receiving a full-size barbell as the prize.
The committee has also planned a body weight fitness challenge that will take place in December.
This challenge will include pull-ups, push-ups and body weight squats.
Sheahan explained that the core of the committee is getting students motivated to work on their physical health.
“I believe that physical health is something that you have to work on to get proper mental health,” Sheahan said. “In order to be mentally healthy, you have to be physically healthy. In order to improve people’s overall lives, they should be staying active. It’s important to take that extra couple minutes each day to do something that you otherwise wouldn’t and giving these extra little bonus rewards helps with that.”
Prizes that students can win at the end of each month include protein powders, supplements and other fitness-related items.
The physical health committee was previously conjoined with the mental health committee but was separated this year to provide greater emphasis and focus on both subjects.
Nursing freshman Rayna Peterson expressed uncertainty about the success of the punch card program, motivating students.
“It’s important for some people to go to the gym, but I don’t think that is a priority for everybody,” Peterson said. “I think that it could help get people to the gym, depending on who the person is.”
Peterson further explained that a larger variety of prize options could help the program see more success, especially if among the prizes offered was school-branded merchandise.
Funding for the prizes comes directly from the SGA fund.
Prizes are purchased from the local business, Factory Gym, located in downtown Big Rapids.
The committee was able to secure a 25% discount with the local business due to the large number of items that were purchased to be used as prizes.
Criminal justice freshman Zach Bennett explained that as a personal patron of the rec center, he appreciates the punch card system.
“I think it’s really good and makes good motivation to go in and work out or do any sports, or even get together with friends,” Bennett said. “I think everything on the prize table looked good, but I do think that maybe a little more variety would be good for people who don’t really work out. Maybe more sports stuff, like basketballs.”
Students interested in participating in the punch card program can pick one up at the front desk of the rec center when they swipe their ID card.