The Undergraduate Student Government approved the Society of Automotive Engineers club at its meeting Sunday night.

The Society of Automotive Engineers is designing and constructing a motor vehicle to compete against more than 100 teams in national racing and design competitions.

Club member and senior Michael Cowdrey said it is like building a small race car. The club started as a senior design project last semester and club members are currently trying to find local sponsors.

Senior James Moorman told USG the club is 50 percent engineering and 50 percent marketing. He also said he hopes the club will bring North and South Campus together.

“We want to recruit freshmen and want to be more than just a project,” Cowdrey said. “We want the club to be an organization where students go ‘Wow, that’s part of St. Thomas.’”

Oorman said the club is looking to communicate with other SAE clubs on the East and West Coast in the U.S. and in Germany and Australia. This would allow the clubs to exchange ideas and give advice to other groups.

The club currently has 25 members.

Tobacco Policy Review Committee update

The USG Tobacco Policy Review Committee will be launching its second survey Tuesday, March 29, to explore tobacco usage on campus.

Mike Orth, sophomore class president and committee chair, said the survey will be more in-depth. It will contain questions such as, “Do you consume tobacco on the St. Thomas campus?” and “Do you consider yourself a social tobacco user?” Orth said there also will be a section on the survey for students to express their opinion on tobacco consumption at St. Thomas.

The survey will end Tuesday, April 8.

Ashley Stewart can be reached at stew1177@stthomas.edu.