Every student who gets tested for COVID-19 on campus will receive a free T-shirt and will be entered into a drawing. Students might win football tickets, a tour of the President's house or either a meal plan or parking pass depending on the week, Student Body President Issy Rushton said in a senate meeting on Wednesday.
Rushton said incentives for students who get tested for COVID-19 on campus will go into effect within the next two weeks.
“So pretty good, pretty decent incentives,” Rushton said. "I hope that you all, all go out and get tested on our campus, as well."
At the meeting, the student senate also discussed its partnership with the Student Health Center to encourage students to get their flu shots throughout the month of October.
Flu shots will be administered at the Pharmacy School from Tuesday to Thursday of next week between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m, student senator Katia Livas said. Flu shots are also available at the Student Health Center.
Student Body Vice President Hannah White said she had contacted Clemson’s student body president to discuss a potential flu shot drive.
“We’re hoping that they will get on board ... so that we can have this competition to see which student body can get the most students vaccinated,” White said.
The 1801 Challenge is aiming to get 1,801 USC students to register to vote before Oct. 31. White said the initiative is currently pushing awareness of absentee ballot registration deadlines.
“This week is the prime week to where those deadlines, as far as registering to go straight to the polls, are ending, but especially during COVID-19, we are wanting to amplify registering and applying to get your absentee ballot,” White said.
The initiative is about 700 students away from meeting its minimum goal, according to White.
Student senator Mollie Jenkins said she had concerns that students and organizations were not fully aware of resources such as the Care Incident Report or the Bias and Hate Incident Form.
The Care Incident Report “sends a report to a team of intervention specialists to help students who may be in crisis or a threat to themselves or the community,” while the Bias and Hate Incident Report is "a way to report, obviously, acts of bigotry on campus that might be threatening to any minority population on campus,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said she is looking into having the forms brought up during RM meetings or University 101 classes.
“I just think it's important for students to have access to these and know what they are, in case they are victims of some sort of bigotry, or they know someone in crisis that they don't know how to help otherwise,” Jenkins said.
Additionally, last week's recommendation to rename Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center was formally adopted in an unanimous vote. The purpose of the recommendation is to "express the desire" of the student sentate, according to the Student Government Consitution.