The Simpson College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee’s purpose is to act as a liaison between the student-athlete and the athletic department concerning issues that affect the athlete and the college.

The committee itself meets once a month to reviews rules and policies from Simpson College, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and the NCAA.

The committee itself reviews rules and policies from Simpson College, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the NCAA. Bill Davis, SAAC president, and secretary Karen Smith will be attending the IIAC meeting this month to discuss possible policy changes.

The committee has a membership of 38 that is made up of two athletes from each sport including a junior and a senior member. Their respective coaches nominate the members because they have shown leadership in their particular sport

It is the leadership that was displayed in their respective sport that inspires S.A.A.C. members to work toward increasing school spirit and community awareness.

Lana Smith, head volleyball coach and advisor to the committee, works as the liason for the student athletes and the administration says that increasing school spirit was something the committee is looking at.

“One of the focus points is we see that maybe we need to increase fan support,” said Smith.

The committee tries to accomplish that goal by doing things such as sponsoring days where students are encouraged to wear Hawaiian shirts to a game.

According to Davis, they are trying to get complete athletic event calendars put on magnets for students to put on their refrigerators, in an effort hope to increase awareness about games. Davis also said that they are working on getting the large windows that are on the south end of Cowles Field-house and just north of Bill Buxton Stadium painted to help encourage student participation at football and soccer games.

The committee is also trying to organize a pep band for basketball games to help out the atmosphere of home games.

Even with all these things on the plate of our student athletes, the members of SAAC use their position to help out the community as well. Davis thinks that by doing things with the community it sends a good message to Indianola.

The students are serving as role models to Indianola Middle School students by sharing ideas with them and by working with the National Child Abuse Council.

They also donated money earned from a fundraiser to a program in Indianola called We-Care. They purchased things such as crayons and diapers for families that needed help.

For Davis and the members of S.A.A.C. it goes beyond the borders of Simpson College.

“We’re not just on campus here, we want to be an out reach program,” said Davis.