Students will have their own day to be recognized and appreciated for their contributions and support to the university.

As well as family, parents and alumni, students will now join the ranks of those groups the university publicly recognizes for their support, in a day-long showing of the university’s gratitude toward the group.

The Government of the Student Body has spearheaded an effort to create a Student Appreciation Day for students this Saturday before the Kansas State football game. GSB, as well as the ISU Division of Student Affairs and the ISU Athletics Department, is sponsoring the event.

The appreciation day will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Lot S-4.

“Family, parents and alumni get their own day to be recognized and appreciated for their support to the university, but there really hasn’t been a day showing appreciation for students,” said GSB President Mike Banasiak.

“We want a day where students and only students get recognized for their participation in game day events and their support and spirit toward Cyclone athletics.”

Banasiak said students are appreciated and recognized by the university to a degree and are not ignored. However, he said he wanted to make sure an event was held for students by the end of the football season because of the tension the tailgating controversy has caused between students and the university.

“Everyone got caught up in the controversy and I wanted to ensure students had a day for themselves,” Banasiak said.

“I didn’t want the controversy to hinder us from putting on an event by students for students to show just how much of a difference students make on game day.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Hill said the university has always appreciated students and recognized their support, contrary to the tension and discussions with students over the issue have indicated.

The university has said it was an oversight not to include adequate student input in its decision to move student tailgating to general public lots.

This happened when parking next to the stadium was reserved for National Cyclone Club members.

“This is an attempt for the university to say the same thing in a different way,” Hill said.

“We’ve always been out front saying we appreciate students, and with the current circumstances with the tailgating issue, we felt it was appropriate to help with an event that shows students are and have been very much appreciated.”

He said the university has made concessions to students and has indicated they value students by creating two student positions on the National Cyclone Club Advisory Board, making public statements apologizing for the oversight and supporting the implementation of a student-only, alcohol-free area in Lot S-4.

“This is just one step in the university’s process of working to show students we are working to ensure they are included in the future,” Hill said.

Banasiak and Hill said they hope the event will help to ease tensions created by the parking decision.

However, both said the event is not designed to relieve tension, only to show appreciation for students.

The space in the lot will only be available to students and will be alcohol-free.

Students will be required to present a valid student ID to park in the 150 parking spaces available, as well as to receive free food. Student radio station KURE will provide music for the event.

GSB and Student Affairs volunteers will be on hand to enforce a no alcohol policy, and DPS officers will patrol the lot.

Banasiak said if the event goes well, it could become a yearly event.