By Casey Wheeless

Student Government has been providing an incentive to students to attend campus events with the hope that they will “accidentally learn something,” said SG President Tyler Montell.

The incentive is free iPods, 20 of them, totaling about $4,580. 

“We make the iPods available for student organizations and they can come to us … at no cost to the groups,” said Ben Duncan, SG Chief of Staff.SG budgeted to give 20 iPod Touches to event organizers on UK’s campus, 10 for diversity events and 10 for educational events. Deputy Chief of Staff Madison Young said each iPod costs SG $229. 

Colby Khoshreza, SG presidential candidate, said the iPods are somewhat effective, but people will come to events if they are actually interested in the event.

“People are not going to come to events, meetings or activities because there is an iPod there,” Khoshreza said.

Khoshreza said the iPods are a good incentive on the side but money would be better spent helping organizations program and promote events.

Ryan Smith, SG presidential candidate, said the iPods are given as a resource for student organizations to help to develop programs and are used to increase student involvement.  

“I think it’s really increased involvement on campus as a whole,” Smith said. 

Kara Osborne, SG Senator At-Large, said the incentive may have helped improve attendance at diversity and educational events. However, Osborne said she is concerned students are not aware that the iPods are being offered and student organizations are not aware this service is available to them.  

“It’s a great idea but maybe it wasn’t completely followed through with because the advertising and the knowledge of the iPods were not put out there,” Osborne said.  

A better advertising plan could help students and organizations better utilize this service, Osborne said.

Duncan said the response to the iPods has been overwhelming positive. Duncan also said the events needed to meet certain criteria and must benefit the campus to get iPods from SG.

Other organizations on campus, such as the Center for Community Outreach, have started creating similar programs because of the success SG has seen, according to Duncan. 

This is the first year SG has offered the iPods, Montell said, and SG is open to ideas for changes in the current project and plans to recommend this to the 2009-10 SG.