Manchester College’s Student-Athlete Advisory Counsel (SAAC) is a group of student-athletes who look after the well-being of all Spartan student-athletes.

  
Led by co-presidents Colin Denihan and Stephanie Rion, treasurer Andrew Tkacs and secretary Abigail Watkins, SAAC deals with decision-making in such areas as drug and alcohol policies affecting Spartan athletes.

The Council also deals with talking to professors about student-athletes missing classes, the conditions of facilities, practice times, student-athletes’ grades, issues with coaches, fundraisers, black out dates, cookouts during games, and more. “Anything that has to do with a student’s well being and rights/issues,” says Denihan, who has been associated with SAAC for two years.

  
The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, requires each member school to have a committee of student representatives from each sport to deal with issues common to student-athletes. Manchester College is a NCAA Division III school.

  
SAAC meets once a month, usually during the first Sunday night of each month. “Any athlete is invited to be a member and attend meetings,” Denihan says. “But each coach appoints one voting member from each sport.”

For officers, a member must nominate another member of the Committee, and elections for the nominees are held each spring. The winning candidates will hold their positions for the upcoming year.

  
Currently, SAAC is holding a clothing drive. Each sports team has a box labeled for it in the hallway leading to the auxiliary gym in the PERC. Each athlete is urged to donate old clothing items, and the team which donates the most will earn a prize.  

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