Splashing into freedom week, Shark Tank took the stage, Oct.5, in the Zion Room of the Holland Centennial Commons as 11 groups, representing various campus departments, presented their ideas.
After prescreening applicants, DSUSA was able to decide on 11 groups that would present their ideas for potential funding for their various departments.
“[To determine contestants][the ideas presented] just had to [have]an educational tie, academic tie, or a tie to a club on campus,” Weston Zimmerman said, vice president of academics, and senior accounting major from St. George.
The 11 contestants represented various topics such as; physics, elementary education, computer information technology and photography.
Members of DSUSA surrounded the podium where the contestants presented their ideas, in three teams of three, prepared to judge as the sharks for the event.
Each group of judges possess an amount of $1,000, that they will decide who it can be given to or dispersed amongst the contests, based on their necessary funds.
“The best part about [the event] is it puts some of our bylaws to the side [and] allows us to fund the entire trip, instead of funding half a trip or conference,” Zimmerman said.
Colton Campbell, vice president of public relations from Long Beach, California, said funds for the event come from student fees each year and are set aside for the academic branch of DSUSA.
The bylaws previously mentioned by Zimmerman have allowed DSUSA to fund all the ideas this year.
“There’s really no losers; there’s always a winner, especially this year,” Zimmerman said.
With ideas ranging from different departments on campus the competition looked quite stiff.
“There was a lot of great ideas presented today, and there should definitely be more funding [for those other ideas],”said senior Ross Salona, a CIT major from Laie, Hawaii.
Solana and his partner Bredyn McCombs, a senior computer science major from Detroit, Michigan, created a presentation that revolved around the idea of a CIT simulator.
This arcade system interaction would bring a fun side to the programming world for the CIT department. They estimated around a total of $740 to create just one of these arcade systems. If all goes well perhaps there will be more in DSU’s future.
After five days of discussion, the senate decided to disperse a total of $3,000 to five of the contestants :
Shell Tutors, representing the education department, is a program that focuses on tutoring international students at DSU. The senate awarded a total of $648.64 to fund a trip for four individuals to attend the Intermountain Teaching English Speakers of Other Languages Conference.
Bass (Biomechanics and Sports Science) Lab is a self-funded organization that received $750 from DSUSA, to purchase equipment, a fly scope and swing tracker, for further exercise science research in baseball.
PRSSA,Public Relations Student Society of America, with their first semester as a club this program intends on making a stance at DSU in full force. The $789 awarded will go directly towards membership fees, that will result in many public relation opportunities.
“The national mission statement of PRSSA for its members includes three things: to enhance their education, broaden their network and to launch a career in public relations,” said Skye Clayton a senior media studies major from Birdseye.” Those fees also give us [PRSSA] to attend competitions and the National PRSSA Conference .”
Recycling at Sandstone Elementary is a group a group of elementary education majors who have decided to help fund a local school recycling by paying the necessary fees for the garbage trucks and teaching young children the importance of environmental awareness. DSUSA will provided the total $280, $35 a month, fee for Dixie Waste Services to pick up Sandstone Elementary’s recycled trash.
Finally X-Club, a tradition-filled and service oriented club primarily made up of male DSU students who plan to repair the lights on the ‘D’. The provided, $675 from DSUSA, will allow X-Club to replace the current lights to new energy efficient LED lights.
DSUSA offers funding for clubs and organizations like these each year. If you have an idea for your club or college department be sure to catch a hook of Shark Tank next year to submit your ideas.
