Appalachian State University’s Student Government Association was awarded more than $7,000 in several grants from the Association of Student Governments in a meeting Saturday at Winston-Salem State University.

The $7,012.85 awarded will sponsor multiple upcoming SGA initiatives, including a counseling center marketing campaign and appreciation day, SafeRide extension hours to match the 24/5 hours of the library, a nutrition week, a Silence the Stigma event to promote the counseling center, a faculty and staff appreciation breakfast, the Equality in Action conference and a sustainability initiative.

“To receive grants from ASG, individuals must fill out a grant application detailing the program they are seeking money for, along with an itemized budget to show where the money would go if awarded,” said Alyssa Frizzelle, SGA’s director of Student Affairs. “Grants must be submitted a week before the ASG meeting and are then presented at the meeting to be voted on for approval.”

With the recent money awarded, the total amount of grants received by the Russell-Page administration is now $18,012.85 for the 2013-14 academic year, SGA President Dylan Russell said.

“No other UNC school system has received as much money as the Appalachian delegation did this past year,” he said. “We have almost doubled our operating budget by applying for these grants.”

Russell said it was a goal of his administration to get a dollar awarded in grants for each student Appalachian has.

“We wanted students to reap the benefits of what they’re paying for,” he said.

Of the $7,012.85 granted, $1,000 was awarded to the extension of SafeRide hours during the upcoming exam week in May.

“We will begin extended hours for SafeRide this coming exam week to service the students studying late at the library,” Frizelle said. “Instead of having a dispatcher in the office with students calling for rides during the extended hours, two vans will be stationed at the College St. traffic circle from 2:30 to 6 a.m. to take students back to their residence halls.”

A total of $2,000 was given to the Counseling Center, including $1,000 for a marketing campaign and an additional $1,000 for an appreciation day.

The marketing campaign will be focused on increasing student awareness of the services the Counseling Center has to offer.

“We want to encourage students to take advantage of these resources and to understand that seeking assistance doesn’t make you ‘crazy’ or reflect negatively on you as a student,” Frizelle said. “The marketing campaign will kick off at the Silence the Stigma event and will include T-shirts, posters and other giveaways, in addition to a stronger social media presence to help increase awareness.”

Silence the Stigma is an event that was also granted $1,000.

The date for the event is tentatively set for April 19 and will be set up in a fashion similar to the popular Tunnel of Oppression event, Frizelle said.

“This event will be all about increasing awareness of the ways in which we allow the stigmas surrounding mental illness to negatively impact our lives,” Frizelle said.

Counseling Center Appreciation Day will be May 1, as May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Frizzelle said the event is still in its early planning stages, but SGA intends to have free food and giveaways on Sanford Mall. There will also be an opportunity for students to sign a banner honoring and thanking the Counseling Center.

SGA will sponsor a nutrition week with another $1,000 granted for the event. Nutrition week will be April 28 to May 2.

“The week will include an open forum on campus nutrition resources, a showing of a nutrition-focused documentary, a lecture on eating healthy on campus and a nutrition game night,” Frizzelle said.

Money will go toward food for the nutrition game night and toward promotional giveaways such as portion plates and water bottles, she said.

SGA was awarded a $212.85 grant for the first annual Equality in Action conference to pay for registration costs. The conference focuses on LGBT issues on campus.

SGA is one of many organizations sponsoring the event, making it possible for the initial registration fees being charged to students waived for the conference.

The remaining $1,000 went toward a sustainability maze. The $1,000 will fund the construction of the maze and other materials used during the event.

SGA’s Sustainable Director Carson Rich said the event will be in late April and will be an educational opportunity for students to learn about sustainability on Appalachian’s campus.

“The maze will consist of questions that students must answer in order to find out the right way to go in the maze,” he said. “It will most likely be on Sanford Mall.”

The single largest grant SGA has received this academic year from ASG was a $7,000 civic education grant, written by SGA Chief of Staff Adam Ezell to provide more voter education to students, according to an Oct. 3 article of The Appalachian.

Story: Nicole Caporaso, News Reporter