 |
 |
What is the lottery?
Why is there a lottery?
What happens if there is a miscommunication in my group, and we don't turn in our application on time?
What happens if I miss my lottery appointment?
What happens if my organization's president sends me to the appointment but I don't know what to reserve?
The SORC coordinates the use of low-cost campus advertising services, including Diag boards, banner poles, and the Union banner. There are over 800 eligible student organizations and a handful of university departments vying for the spaces, which are affordable and effective. Consequently, the reservation process is highly competitive and must be conducted systematically in order to be fair. If you have never participated in this lottery before, it can be overwhelming. Please read through this page carefully and call or email The SORC if you have any questions.
The SORC conducts a lottery at the beginning of each semester for reservation appointment times. The SORC does not assign locations for Diag boards and banner poles; rather, each group is assigned an appointment time at random. Earlier appointments have better selection of the "good" spaces. Spaces that remain open after appointments are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Dates change every semester, but the full details of the lottery are
announced via e-mail about one month before the end of each semester. To get on The SORC's mailing list
so you will receive this announcement, click here.
If you have not heard anything by mid-December (for winter lottery) or
mid-August (for fall lottery), go to the
main page of The SORC website
for links to the applications and further details.
From the 1970s until 1996, Diag board spaces were reserved on a first-come first-serve basis. Diag boards are effective and inexpensive, so they grew steadily in popularity. The last time it was first-come first-serve was 1996, and when the Manager left for work on a Monday night, several people were already waiting outside the Union with their sleeping bags to reserve spaces the next day. By morning, there were over 100 people in line. SORC staff tried to be as efficient as possible, but the people who were near the back of the line had to wait over FIVE hours for completion of the reservations in front of them, and by then, many of the spaces were booked solid, and they got nothing.
We knew there had to be a better way. A lottery system was devised and launched in 1997. With few changes, that system remains in place today. Banner poles were added in 1998, and we eventually adopted the lottery system for the same reasons - too much demand; not enough supply.
We have conducted surveys periodically to see if our customers prefer to go back to the old way. Once they hear this story, there is inevitably a nearly unanimous vote to keep the lottery. We hope this explanation sheds some light on the subject for you. If you have comments on the lottery, please complete our electronic comment card.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to reserve Diag boards or banners during the lottery appointments if you did not submit an application on time. Spaces that are left-over, or not paid for by the deadline, are available to reserve on a walk-in basis starting two days after the lottery appointments are finished.
What happens if I miss my lottery appointment?
Spaces that are leftover, or not paid for by the deadline, are available to reserve on a walk-in basis starting two days after the lottery appointments are finished.
What if my organization's president sends me to the appointment but I don't know what to reserve?
SORC clerks provide as much advice and guidance as possible, but unless you know some basic information, you will not be able to make a reservation. You must know the date of the event, how many spaces your group wants to reserve, and for how many weeks prior to the event you need to advertise. This will largely be determined by budget.