A small group of strategic communication majors stood outside the library on a chilly Monday afternoon, handing out free money to anyone who passed by.
“It’s really intriguing, and it sparks curiosity for students when they’re given a free dollar,” said Gillian Hogan, a senior strategic communication major.
The event, called “Money Monday,” is part of a series of events to raise awareness for Popmoney, a phone app that allows users to transfer money electronically.
Some students that participated in the event took to Twitter Monday to share what they did with their free dollar using the hashtag #tcupopmoney.
Donated my money to help a stranger pay for her father’s funeral #TCUPopmoney #rip #giftofgiving
— Alex Sborov (@alexsborov) February 11, 2014
@TCUBateman thanks for comin in clutch with that dollar I be makin it rain on this foggy day #TCUPopmoney
— Ryan Sisco (@ryan_sisco3) February 11, 2014
I gave my dollar to my little sister! @brookesnyder #helpingasista #TCUPopMoney @TCUBateman
— Allie Snyder (@allie_snyder) February 10, 2014
@TCUBateman #tcupopmoney Gave my dollar to a friend in need.
— Parker Levy (@Parker_Levy) February 10, 2014
I’m going to buy a snack from the vending machine #TCUPopmoney @TCUBateman @leahiris
— Chris Cochran (@ChrisSCochran) February 10, 2014
On Wednesday, the same students will stand outside Frog Fountain to hand out free popcorn and inform other students about Popmoney.
“It would be a fun idea, just the play on words. Pop, popcorn,” Hogan said.
The students will also host the Pop Fly Tailgate before the TCU baseball game against Jacksonville University on Saturday, giving away free stuff while promoting Popmoney.
The students campaigning for Popmoney are competing in the Bateman Case Study Competition, a national public relations competition. The competition asks competitors to design and implement a campaign to raise brand awareness for a real client.
After implementing the campaign, students must compile a report and send it to the Public Relations Student Society of America headquarters in New York. Judges will then evaluate the report and notify students if they placed in the competition.
TCU placed third out of 76 universities in the 2008 competition. In 2010, TCU was an honorable mention.
Amiso George, who teaches the class that competes in the Bateman competition, said winning the competition is not her most important goal.
“It’s much more about what our students are going to learn in the process,” George said.
One of the competitors, strategic communication major Grant Szurek, said the team does not really feel the pressure of a national competition.
“We all are really competitive, and I think we have a good mindset,” Szurek said, “but we kind of just want to have fun with it at the same time.”
The next Popmoney event will be beside Frog Fountain on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Pop Fly Tailgate will take place Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Lupton Stadium.