MSU Alumni Magazine, Fall 2004 issue - MSU Alumni Association ...

Editors Column
AMAZING SPURT
BY STUDENTS
By Robert Bao, Editor
A couple of
years ago, I
noted in this
column that
the MSU
Alumni Association
had become the fastest
growing association in the Big
Ten. Many of our initiatives to
increase membership began to
pay dividends and our numbers
rose by more than 50 percent.
Well, a similar spurt is now taking
place with the Student Alumni
Foundation, our student organization.
“We project that our
membership in SAF will go from
1,800 to more than 6,000,” says
Beverly VandenBerg, the SAF’s
adviser. “We are very excited by
what is happening.”
What has happened is a combination
of dynamic leadership
combined with some great marketing
and hard work.
One great example of improved
marketing is that the SAF now
markets memberships not just to
students, but also to parents. “To
date, parents have bought some
890 SAF memberships and the
number continues to rise,” notes
VandenBerg.
The numbers of the SAF’s student
spirit groups are also rising
dramatically. Corner Blitz, the
football spirit group, has grown
from 549 to 1007 members.
These students are the ones you’ll
see staying on at Spartan Stadium
applauding the team even well after
the game’s end, win or lose.
The Izzone, which has achieved
quite a bit of fame around the Big
Ten, could increase from 953 to
4,000, which would occupy both
the lower and upper decks at
Breslin with a seniority system to
determine the better seats.
The SAF has also launched
many new initiatives. For example,
they staged Rock and Rally, a
pep rally for the Notre Dame
game, at Munn Field. The event
included a live concert with five
area bands. They also launched
some innovative fundraising efforts,
such as Sparty’s Pizza Deal,
which sold more than 3,500 pizza
coupons to parents. SAF is currently
raising funds by selling
Chrome Automobile Emblems—a
cool-looking Sparty
head and Block “S.”
“Credit goes to the tremendous
leadership of the group,”
says VandenBerg, who cited as
key leaders President Ben Lorson,
VP of Operations Ross
Ramsey, and VP of Marketing
Matt Warpinski.
Given that one of the missions
of SAF is to provide leadership
training for future alumni leaders,
the future of the MSUAA
looms bright.
☛ For more information, visit
www.msusaf.com
PAGE 56
FALL 2004
MSU ALUMNI MAGAZINE