The Cardinal Community Awards, a new initiative sponsored by the Community Outreach Committee (COCo) of the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA), will honor students in ten categories, in an effort to showcase student leadership in co-curricular activities and projects.
Between last Wednesday and this Monday at midnight, students, faculty, staff and community members had the opportunity to nominate undergraduates for outstanding achievements in dance, music, oral performance or presentation, athletics, Residential Life, University Relations and the Office of Admission, student workers, spiritual activities, Greek life, and student groups. Students could also nominate themselves.
Nominees were informed Tuesday by noon.
Award winners will be announced at the first annual Cardinal Community Award ceremony, which will take place this Thursday from 2:00-3:30 p.m. in PAC 002. The prize will include an award certificate, as well as a small cash prize funded by University Relations, Public Safety, and Residential Life.
“We realized that there are very few awards that celebrate the co-curricular activities of students,” said Nishita Roy, chair of COCo. “We want to begin a tradition of formally recognizing some students who have devoted so much time and energy to campus activities. I think that there is a tendency at Wesleyan to be very critical of many things, and COCo really wanted to emphasize how we should take more time to celebrate all of the wonderful programs and people at Wes. There is no question that Wesleyan is such a great institution because of our passionate and active student body.”
According to Roy, the Cardinal Community Awards are one of the first student-led efforts to highlight achievements of student leaders. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. supported an award several years ago for leaders in Wesleyan’s African-American community.
The Student Activities and Leadership Development Office (SALD) currently rewards students and individual groups for leadership in community service, prominence in the WSA, organization of an “exceptional program,” leadership by first-year students and graduating students, creation of events that stimulate awareness about racial, ethnic, cultural, or sexual issues, and accomplishments in social activism. Winners for this year have been notified but will be formally recognized at Thursday’s event.
COCo has collaborated with SALD Director Tim Shiner and Coordinator Nicole Chabot for input on conducting the awards process and the upcoming ceremony.
“From my conversations with both Nicole and Tim, I think COCo and SALD want to plan a more elaborate ceremony for next year, and we hope that we can get bigger prizes for the winners” Roy said. “I am very confident that President Roth will be willing to work with us to celebrate the achievements of student leaders.”
Roy also hopes that the notification of faculty and administrators will result in their strong attendance at the ceremony. President Bennet has already expressed interest in attending.
For Roy, the ceremony will not only underscore student achievements but also provide a worthwhile link between professors and pupils that may not be as easily accessed within the classroom.
“COCo is working hard to increase communication and collaboration between students and faculty,” she said. “We hope that faculty will be very excited to hear about what students do outside of the classroom, and will want to work more closely with student groups in the future.”
COCo welcomes any ideas from students for new award categories. Possible categories for next year’s awards include film, publication, and theater.
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