Senate members pose after the fall blood drive. Senate Sponsor Michelle Foutz says she hopes to see increased student involvement in the spring blood drive with the T-shirt design competition and partnership with Riley Children’s Hospital. (Submitted Photo)

With March Madness approaching, Senate members are beginning to plan a bracket competition between SSRTs. Kyle Grove, chair of the March Madness tournament and junior, said students can form a team with their SSRTs and create a bracket to join the competition.

“Students will get involved through their SSRTs. They can come together as an SRT and enter the bracket tournament, where whoever has the most accurate bracket wins,” Grove said.

Senate sponsor Michelle Foutz said SSRT teams will be able to join the tournament via ESPN following Selection Sunday on March 12.

Foutz said, “We’ll send out an email (to SSRT teachers) once we have Selection Sunday, and then (we) can give them the link to ESPN.”

Grove added that Senate encourages students to join this tournament because it is fun for students interested in college basketball, but also provides an opportunity for an SSRT to win a prize.

Grove said, “Last year, we ended up doing an ice cream party for the (winning) SSRT so that’s an incentive to win.”

Aside from March Madness, Senate is also in the midst of preparations for the spring blood drive. Foutz said there are more opportunities for students to be involved in the blood drive this year with a T-shirt design competition.

“We’re going to have a $250 prize for the person who designs the blood drive T-shirt. These T-shirts are going to be given out to the diners at the blood drive,” Foutz said.

However, the T-shirt competition is not the only incentive for students to be involved with the spring blood drive. Foutz added that the Versiti Blood Center of Indiana will be donating money to Riley Children’s Hospital for each blood donor.

Foutz said, “They’re going to partner with Riley (Children’s Hospital) and give $1 for every donor to Riley Children’s Hospital. If we get more than 200 donors, then they will give $200 for every donor. If we have more than 300 donors, then they’ll give $3 for every donor to Riley.”