Bookstore Promotes Student Involvement

The campus bookstore has been making big impacts on campus since the beginning of the semester by working with faculty and students to be more involved with the community and other student organizations.

The intended goal of these efforts is to promote the ideas and spread awareness of the organizations and events that are happening on campus. Collected donations are contributed to certain groups or events on campus by the bookstore as well.

At the beginning of the semester, Shelly Auer, the interim University Store and Text Rental manager, along with her team, sparked the idea to help promote and assist students. It has grown and received recognition from groups and coordinators on campus.

“People need to know what the students are thinking, and what their organizations do on campus,” Auer said. “Many of them have great ideas that could use a little promotional help. We can help the campus tell its story, and better serve the students by expanding recognition.”

Auer explained that through fundraising, they have been able to contribute to organizations on campus such as the Cupboard, the Performing Arts Center and most recently, the Change for Change Jar.

“We are currently looking forward to implementing newly created initiatives and partnerships, as seen with our efforts and promotion of Veterans Day and our Change for Change campaigns, with the spring 2014 semester,” Auer said.​The Change Jar was unintentionally started by simply having a cup of pennies on the counter for customers to use. There ended up being too much unused spare change just sitting there, so the workers at the bookstore decided to collect it and donate the money to a good cause. The collection is given to someone, or an organization, that the employees choose.

The first Change Jar donation was $116, which went to the Veterans Emergency Relief Fund, sponsored by the American Legion Post 6. The second collection added up to be $93, and it was given to the Family Crisis Center.

Justin Westover, Erica Clintworth and Morgan Schwartz are on the bookstore’s promotional team. They have been using social media to spread the word as to what the bookstore has been up to. The store now has a Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram and a Pinterest board. Some of the videos on Facebook give tutorials on certain things involving the store, such as the process of renting books.

There is a form to join the store’s Discount Club. By joining the club, students are eligible to receive special in-store discounts and notifications via mail and or email. Right now in Discount Club, students get a 35 percent off coupon.

“Since the ideas and promotions being spread by the students on campus, it makes more of a positive impact,” said Justin Westover, team graphic designer.

“The store is about more than what we’re selling. We want to support the students on this campus,” Auer said.

Vanessa Vincent

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