February 15, 2011
Contest to decide bus route name, raise awareness
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A contest at Southern Illinois University Carbondale aims to create awareness about and usage of the Saluki Express late night weekend bus route.
All SIUC students are welcome to participate in the Saluki Express Bus Route Naming Contest, and the grand prize-winner will walk away with a free iPad. The bus runs from 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, on a route that covers the areas of Carbondale heavily populated by or visited by students, including the campus, downtown, and more.
The bus provides a safe travel option for students. The SIUC Student Health Center Wellness Center is promoting use of the bus route. By getting students involved in the promotion, hopes are they will get a sense of ownership of the bus route and that its use will grow, said Christopher Julian-Fralish, coordinator of the Alcohol and Other Drug Program at the Student Health Center Wellness Center.
“The purpose is to improve student behaviors when it comes to making safe choices about walking on highways or busy streets during nighttime hours, alcohol consumption and driving, prevention of attempted violence or sexual assault toward women on or off campus and prevention of violence and assaults toward students traveling on or off campus,” said Julian-Fralish.
Any current student can submit a contest entry that includes a name for the route/bus, a tag line to use in promoting the route, and a piece of artwork/design incorporating the name and tagline. All should promote the bus route and its purpose in a positive way. Entries are due by 4:30 p.m. on March 4. All entries must be by electronic and hard-copy submission.
E-mail entries in Adobe PDF, Illustrator EPS or Photoshop format to cfralish@siu.edu with “Saluki Express Contest Entry” in the subject line. Submit hard copies and the completed entry form to: Wellness Center -- Student Health Center, 274 E. Grand Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901.
Contest entries will go on display at the Student Center’s Old Main Lounge and students can vote for their favorite entry.
“We feel it is important for the students to be involved in both the naming and judging of the contest. Active participation is necessary to feel a sense of ownership, not only for the naming of the route, but ownership of the behaviors that will lead to the expansion and continued growth of the route as well,” Julian-Fralish said.
A volunteer judging panel including SIUC faculty, staff, and/or students will pre-screen all entries and help select the winner. The awards ceremony and new Saluki Express Bus Route 8 name unveiling will be March 24 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Old Main Lounge in the Student Center. All finalists must attend the awards presentation and present the motivation and inspiration for their contest submission.
For more information about the contest or to get entry forms and details, contact Julian-Fralish at 618/536-4441 or by e-mail at cfralish@siu.edu.