When campaigning to be elected as leaders of Student Government Association, the Campus Alliance slate promised it would provide fan buses to some of the football team's biggest away games.
As the football season has developed into the most impressive Ball State University has ever seen, that promise has become even more important.
For next week's game at Central Michigan University, SGA has fulfilled its goal.
An e-mail was sent to students announcing SGA was sponsoring a bus to the game in Mount Pleasant, Mich., and all 55 seats were sold out within two and half hours of the tickets going on sale Wednesday.
This game will likely be the most difficult of the Cardinals' season, and fans are pumped to see the 10-0 team take on the Chippewas, led by star quarterback Dan LeFevour.
SGA has made it easier and cheaper for students to get to the game, which is about four and a half hours from Muncie. SGA got a group discount for tickets to the game, so students had to pay only $10 instead of the $15 they would pay at the gates. Students also get a ride on a coach bus and food for the price of a ticket.
Because of the enthusiastic response SGA got about the fan bus, it is now considering putting together a watch party for those who weren't able to get a ticket for the bus or aren't able to make the trip themselves.
The bus rental and food are costing SGA about $2,500, and that does not include the price of the tickets. This cost comes out of SGA's discretionary budget, which totals about $10,000 for the year.
SGA is kicking in a quarter of its funds, a huge amount, for this trip, and students are clearly interested.
It is great to see SGA take this measure to encourage school pride, and it is great to see students respond so whole-heartedly.
It's too bad, however, that only 55 students get to go to Central Michigan when more are clearly interested.
SGA has done what it can to help out, and it would be unreasonable to ask for more from them.
Other campus organizations, though, ought to consider pitching in.
University Program Board and SGA worked together to send the fan bus to Indiana University in September. Synergies like that not only strengthen bonds between Ball State organizations, but they also help students get what they want.
Organizations like UPB and the Residence Hall Association should follow SGA's good example and help sponsor buses.
Students would definitely appreciate the contribution.
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