By Ripon Media in College Days on August 29, 2016
By: Brendan McCoy
The Student Athletic Leadership Team, otherwise known as SALT, is a body of student-athletes who come from the various NCAA DIII teams to promote events of all kinds on campus and in the community. The campus organization is made up of representatives who are seen as spokespeople for their respective teams. The goal of the organization is to promote well-rounded individuals both on and off the field.
The Student Athletic Leadership Team meets every other week to discuss upcoming events, issues, and promotions in the world of Ripon College athletics. Many of the meetings are centered around upcoming volunteer activities or campus wide campaigns. For example, SALT headed initiatives such as “Spread the Word to End the Word,” and “It’s On Us,” which was designed to raise awareness for sexual assault on college campuses.
The student athlete leadership team ended the 2015-2016 school year with a first-time volunteering experience just down the road at the Boys and Girls Club in Berlin. Eight different varsity teams took a turn participating with children in the after school program. While volunteering, the student-athletes worked to promote the importance of reading and having fun. In addition, $500 of books, bookmarks, pencils, and activity books were donated thanks to President Messite and the Midwest Athletic Conference.
Student – athletics are a large part of our campus and community.The role that the campus and community play in athletics if often overlooked play in athletics. Without the support and passion from students and community members alike, sports teams at Ripon College would not be as successful as they have been in recent years.
Winona Holmes Robbins ‘17, the student president of SALT and a member of Ripon’s women’s swim team,says, “The READS program is a (NCAA DIII Midwest) Conference wide initiative and we decided the Boys and Girls Club would be a great place for us to promote reading to a large group of children coming from very diverse backgrounds.”
Winona also hopes to get more student engagement in all of SALT’s campaigns, including the food drive, homecoming events, and D3 week.
Zach Bart ’18, a member of the men’s basketball team said, “We are all in a position that not many people can say they are in. A lot of these kids do not have the same opportunities that we all were able to take advantage of to become college athletes. Being able to brighten a kid’s day or inspire them to believe they can do whatever they want is really amazing. We could tell how much the kids enjoyed having us there, which made it even more fun for us.”
