By Syndey Umstead, Assistant News Editor
Shawn Johnson, senior at Canisius College, accumulated the most Petey Points over the fall semester. His total point count was 5264, winning the top prize: a dinner with President Stoute alongside a guest of his choosing.
At first, his goal was to go out and support his peers while doing something fun, but, upon finding out the prize would be a dinner with the college’s president, Johnson said he became strategic in his efforts to accumulate Petey Points.
“When I heard I won, it was like receiving an award in a category with a bunch of top-tier nominees. … It was a rejoicing experience,” said Johnson, a senior communications major.
Johnson is the president of the Afro-American Society and the undergraduate advisor of the Higher Educational Opportunities Program. Some of the events that were highlights for him were those held by on campus organizations such as the Afro-American Society, ALANA Center and LASAF.
“This semester, I'm looking forward to the Afro-American Society’s fashion show on March 24 and the Afro Ball,” said Johnson.
During the spring, he plans to advocate for the point system and go to campus events. For him, the points provide students with something to look forward to while becoming active members of the community, especially following the pandemic. “The points allow school spirit to come back in a way that brings everyone together,” said Johnson.
The system encourages participation during events and rewards points for those who attend and engage with the educational opportunities that are held. Jason Francey, director for Student Engagement and Leadership Development, stated that currently a little over 60% of the undergraduate students have become engaged in some way.
As students receive points, the system automatically uploads them as they are accredited. Every week, Francey receives a compiled list of those students and their percentage, which is used to decide who has achieved the highest ranking.
“I was very happy and very surprised to see how much students bought into the system,” said Francey. For the spring, Francey revealed the store has been revamped with new prizes. However, some of these will remain a secret until a big unveiling following the arrival of one final item. The GriffNet features events and if something is worth points it will be found on the event listing.
“My hopes for this semester is that the Petey Point system continues to grow and that it continues to incentivize students to come and be involved,” said Francey.
The Petey Point economy has evolved since the beginning of last year, with the biggest attraction being tickets to Sabres games. As students continue to use and redeem their points, inflation may occur. To combat this, the prices will be adjusted to accommodate these shifts.