Editor’s note: This article is a part of The Daily Illini’s Semester in Review issue. Regular publication will resume Friday, Jan. 11.

In order to increase its campus visibility, the Illinois Student Senate upgraded its publicity campaign from paper fliers in the Union to the jumbo screen in the United Center this December. For the first time, the senate is sponsoring the men’s and women’s basketball teams with $7,500 to get their faces up on the big screen.

The senate taped four 15-second public service announcements that will be shown at the remaining home basketball games. The resolution also included an advertisement on the Fighting Illini website for a cost of $1,500.

The announcements were aired for the first time at the Dec. 11 men’s basketball game against Norfolk State and again on Dec. 12 at a women’s game against Oregon.

Damani Bolden, campus affairs chair and junior in ACES, wrote the resolution that passed in the senate on Sept. 26 and said at least 15 senators participated in the creation of the announcements.

“There are four versions all inviting students to come to the meetings and encouraging them to come see us,” Bolden said. “We represent them and we are their official voice, and if they have any concerns or issues, they should come to us.”

After the purchasing order was approved by the University last week, Bolden worked with Jonathan Ihrig from Fighting Illini Sports Properties, the University’s official multimedia company, to write the script and film the announcements.

“We decided one of the best ways to help (ISS) is to raise awareness directly toward the students at U of I,” Ihrig said. “You want to raise awareness here with the students that you represent.”

Ihrig said their focus is to reach out to the highest quantity of students possible, and the timing of the promotional videos will reflect that.

“We are your voice, and we are here to help,” Ihrig said.

Kevin Seymour, ISS treasurer, said the idea is a new and creative way for the senate to reach out to students.

“Most people don’t know about us, and if they ever had an issue, they’d need to know who to go to to talk about these issues,” he said.

While debating the issue in the senate, other senators, however, were concerned with spending such a big portion of the senate’s budget on self-advertising. Matt Gold, senior in LAS, said the announcements make up part of what he considers wasteful spending.

“Advertisements to promote ourselves are a waste,” he said. “I think the senate should publicize itself through helping the community, volunteering and being out and about. That’s how they should know about us, not because we make commercials at basketball games.”

Bolden said he plans to propose a similar resolution at the next assembly, sometime in April, to sponsor men’s football for fall 2013 in hopes to reach out to a bigger demographic of students.

Corinne can be reached at [email protected].