“If you are willing to be unapologetically yourself, you will find your people here,” Ian Dwyer ’14 told a crowd gathered in the Hall of Presidents for the Student Organization Recognition Banquet.
Dwyer was accepting the evening’s top award for Outstanding Group on behalf of , a student organization that sponsors events featuring activities ranging from board games, to video games, to large-scale Nerf wars.
It was a remark befitting an evening that honored the 136 diverse student organizations within the (CLSI), , and the .
Altogether, these groups planned and hosted more than 300 different events during the past year, including performances like , and religious and cultural events like the .
During the banquet, three major awards and 10 additional awards were presented to student groups and leaders.
“Some of these awards are in recognition of a job particularly well-done,” explained emcee Sam Flood ’14, president of the (SGA). “And some of the awards are meant to highlight the zany side of what it means to be a student organization.”
Without further ado, here are the winners:
Rookie of the Year
Recognizing: A student organization in its first year of existence that has proven itself to be an organization of excellence.
Winner: , a club aimed at raising awareness of eating disorders on campus and in everyday life, promoting a healthy diet and exercise regimens, and encouraging students to maintain a positive body image.
Event of the Year
Recognizing: The event that best reflects 51Թ students’ leadership, diversity, intellectual development, and inclusion.
Winner: , a bi-annual performance of original dances choreographed by nine different dance troupes on campus.
Outstanding Group of the Year
Recognizing: An exemplary student organization that has best served to enhance campus life, create opportunities for social interaction, and foster personal growth.
Winner: , a group engaging a large number of students in healthy and sociable gaming activities.