St. Lawrence University: First Year Cup

First Year Cup Policies

Obtaining Information About Events: First year students earn points by attending events that are First-Year Cup Eligible. The major source of information on FY Cup eligible events will be emails sent to the first-year class listserv by the Associate Dean of the First Year. In addition, information regarding FY Cup eligible status is noted on emails and posters about various events, as well as on Student Activities posters, fliers, videonet and through AOL Instant Messenger. The screen name is SLUActivities, so add this screen name to your buddy list. A calendar of FY Cup eligible events can also be found on the FY Cup website: http://www.stlawu.edu/fycup/.

Determination of First Year Cup Eligibility: The decision of whether an event will be First-Year Cup eligible is made by the First-Year Cup Committee comprised of some or all of the following individuals: the Associate Dean of the First Year, the Assistant Director of Student Activities and Leadership, a member of the Residence Life staff, the Research Analyst for Institutional Research, a member of the Intramural Athletics staff, and two student representatives—one from the sophomore class and one from the current group of First-Year Council representatives.

In determining what events will be First-Year Cup eligible, the Committee will be guided by the following criteria:

the event is open and publicized to all first-year students;
the event is free of charge for all first-year students;
the event encourages first-year students’ positive involvement on campus and is consistent with St. Lawrence University’s Aims and Objectives;
one of the individuals organizing the event will be responsible for placing a sign-in sheet in an easily accessible location at the event and returning it to the First-Year Program office; and
the First-Year Cup Committee is notified by the organizing individual(s) of the desire for the event to be First-Year Cup eligible in ample time to notify first-year students about the event and its First-Year Cup eligible status.

The fact that FYP faculty might require their students to attend an event does not render the event ineligible. Also, events that are organized by a particular FYP college or colleges may also be First-Year Cup eligible, but see the discussion under “Awarding of Points” regarding the special process for awarding points to the organizing FYP(s).

For Individuals/Groups Interested in Their Event Being First-Year Cup Eligible: If you wish your event to be considered for First-Year Cup eligibility, you must send information about the event to Holly Asimou at hasimou@stlawu.edu. Please submit the information about your event at least two weeks prior to the event; exceptions to this rule will be made in extraordinary circumstances. You will be notified of whether or not the event is eligible as soon as possible.
If your event is determined to be First-Year Cup eligible, you will be provided with a sign-in sheet for the event. (See section below on the “Signing-In Process”) This sign-in sheet must be placed somewhere easily accessible to the first-year students who attend the event and in a location that reduces the chances for cheating by one individual signing the names of other students. Note that you will be asked to sign the sheet certifying that you have done the above. Sign-in sheets are to be returned to the First-Year Program office as soon after the event as possible.

Awarding of Points: Attendance at each event is worth 10 points per person (unless otherwise noted). For Intramural sports, FYP colleges receive 80 points per game. The points remain the same for post-season games, with the overall winner receiving an extra 20 points. Also, each student on the Dean’s List after the fall semester earns 5 points. Orientation Leaders, Community Assistants and mentors are eligible to earn points for the FYP(s) with which they are involved; faculty may not earn points for their FYP. Accumulated points are weighted based on the number of students in each college and the number of Community Assistants, Orientation Leaders and mentors assigned to that college.

In the circumstance where members of an FYP(s) organizes a First-Year Cup event, the organizing FYP(s) earn the average number of points earned by non-organizing FYP colleges whose members attend the event. This policy is in recognition of the possibility for unfair advantage on the part of the organizing FYP(s).

Awarding of Points for the First-Year Cup Festival: The following is the process by which points are awarded for the First-Year Cup Festival. Please note that all points earned at the Festival carry over to the overall First-Year Cup competition.

Each college receives 10 points for each event in which it has a team compete. Only one team per FYP is allowed.
The top three teams from the following events—Scavenger Hunt, Trivia Contest, Banner Competition, Alma Mater competition, and Puzzle Pickle—receive 15 points, 10 points and 5 points extra respectively.
The top two teams in the volleyball tournament, basketball tournament and tug-of-war receive 15 points and 10 points extra respectively.
The overall Festival winning team enjoys a special prize to be determined.

Signing-in Process: To earn points, an individual must sign-in at each event. The individual must present his or her student ID at any First Year Cup eligible event and sign-in with the First Year Cup representative; the representative may be someone involved with the event or a student worker. Sometimes the sign-in sheet will be posted at the entrance to the event. For events in the Winston room, students must sign-in during the first half hour of the event. At all other events (e.g. lectures, musical performances in Gulick Theatre, athletic events, etc.), students must sign in 15 minutes before or 15 minutes after the start of the event.

IMPORTANT: A first-year student may NOT sign-in for any individuals other than him or herself. If a student signs the sheet with a name other than his or her own, that student and the student whose name was signed will be disqualified from participation in the First-Year Cup for the remainder of the semester and may suffer judicial ramifications. If you witness someone cheating by signing another individual(s) name(s) on a sign-in sheet, it is your obligation to bring that information to a member of the First-Year Cup Committee (see membership above) or one of your Community Assistants.

First-Year Cup Intramurals: The two intramural sports for First-Year Cup are Soccer and Broomball. Intramural sports are coordinated through the intramural office. Participating FYPs must have a captain so that the intramural staff can contact them with game times and a location. Intramural rules are posted on the Intramural website: http://web.stlawu.edu/sports/intramurals/home.htm

Standings: Standings are updated on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. They are posted on the First-Year Cup bulletin board near the FYP Office and in the Student Center near the Student Activities and Leadership Office. They can also be found at the First-Year Cup website. The first, second and third place FYPs and the top individual point winners for the First-Year Cup will be announced at an event for first-year students at the beginning of the spring semester.

First Year Cup Competition Period: The First Year Cup competition period begins with the First-Year Cup Festival on the Friday of the first week of classes in the fall semester. The competition ends with the last eligible event in the fall semester.

Recognition for High Point Earners: Recognition of points earned occurs at several points during the year. These are the points of recognition and some possible prizes (the actual prizes may vary):

Winners of the First-Year Cup Festival: a pizza dinner and a private party at the Climbing Wall.
Winners of the First-Year Cup Soccer Tournament: dinner with President and Mrs. Fox and a hockey game viewed from the President’s box.
Winners of the First Year Cup Broomball Tournament: t-shirts and a pizza party for their FYP.
Top Individual Point Leaders (see below for determination of individual winners): $10.00 gift certificate to the Brewer Bookstore; the person with the highest number of points is presented with a certificate at Moving Up Day.
WINNERS OF THE FIRST YEAR CUP: their FYP name is engraved on the First-Year Cup Trophy, and they are announced at the Moving Up Day celebration. Prizes have varied based on the interest of the winning FYP; some have gone on day trips and some have had special parties.

Determination of Individual Winners: The individual winners for the First-Year Cup will be the following individuals: (1) anyone individuals earning at least 160 points; and (2) the top point earner from any FYP not already represented among the individual winners if that top point earner has earned at least 60 points.

Questions? Contact the FYP Office (x5909) if you have questions about the First Year Cup policies.