SGA held a dinner to honor students for their involvement on campus and in the community.
It has been a tumultuous year for student organizations given their navigation of budget cuts and new SGA regulations. However, student-run organizations have continued their efforts to create an enriching and diverse student life experience through clubs with interests in many different fields. Multicultural organizations, pre-professional societies, social groups, and interest-based clubs all give TU students opportunities to connect with other students, faculty, and community members with similar interests or backgrounds. It is truly powerful to have a school filled with motivated leaders who are dedicated to improving the campus community and making it their own.
On Thursday, executives from several student organizations attended a banquet hosted by SGA. Over a dinner of Panda Express and Nothing Bundt Cakes, these leaders saw their efforts over the last year celebrated. Organizations could nominate themselves for one of five awards: Community Engagement, Individual Event, Collaboration Event, New Organization, and Organization of the Year. The Great Hall was full of highly motivated, collaborative, and visionary students who have led their peers to great accomplishments this year.
Shared Services Committee chair Stefi Thanscheidt served as the MC of the night, praising all of the students present in the room before raffling off a few items to get the evening started. The first award for Community Engagement went to Best Buddies, a group that supports people with disabilities by connecting them with TU students to create lasting friendships. Best Buddies’ entire platform involves connecting with the community, including hosting a Friendship Walk this weekend, and so the award was certainly fitting.
The next award for an Individual Event went to the Latin American Student Association for their Festival de las Flores, held in the fall semester. LASA succeeded in organizing students and community members for a vibrant celebration, and were even featured on local television! The Collaboration Event of the Year Award was granted for the Moon Festival, a campus and community celebration held in the spring. The Festival was a collaboration between several organizations, including the Asian American Student Association, Korean Student Association, Vietnamese Student Association, and Chinese Students and Scholars. All of these groups worked together to invite students and members of the Tulsa community to a night of food, dance, games, and more as part of a celebration that is celebrated in many Asian cultures.
The New Organization of the Year Award went to the AI and Machine Learning Club, which has connected students with experts in the field in order to make the most of an expanding industry. This field of study is extremely pertinent at the moment, and fitting for a New Organization award. Finally, the Organization of the Year Award went to the Vietnamese Student Association, which has succeeded in organizing several large campus events, in addition to collaborating with other VSA executive teams throughout the region and the nation. TU’s VSA is a well-oiled machine which truly deserves recognition. A final “surprise” award was granted to the TU Hurricane and Rocketry Club for their outstanding executive team and efforts to get off the ground this year.
It was heartening to see students’ hard work appreciated after a long two semesters, and congratulations to all the deserving award recipients!
