Correction appended
Allied in Pride, the Caribbean Student Association and GW’s Impact on Substance Education (GWise) were presented with the Pyramid Award for Student Organization of the Year at the University’s 25th Annual Excellence in Student Life Awards Wednesday night in Lisner Auditorium.
Awards were presented in 26 categories which recognize student, faculty and staff extracurricular achievements. A selection committee of faculty and staff selected the winners from among over 200 nominations.
Michael Komo, president of Allied in Pride, said he was elated his organization was honored.
“All of the hard work and dedication by all of the executive board members and all of the general body members has really come to fruition and I couldn’t be happier for the organization,” Komo said.
Komo highlighted the fights for an LGBT studies minor and gender-neutral housing as two of Allied in Pride’s greatest accomplishments this year.
The evening was not without some laughs. To begin the evening, University President Steven Knapp recalled what he thought was the most memorable event of the year, Snowmageddon, by throwing styrofoam snowballs into the audience, prompting one student to shout, “Does this mean classes are canceled tomorrow?”
Senior Vice President for Student and Academic Support Services Robert Chernak said the University would be remiss not to honor the extensive extracurricular achievements of its students.
“We have such an active community here at GW in terms of the whole out-of-classroom experience, D.C. experience, leadership experience,” Chernak said. “I think that people appreciate, after all the time and effort they’ve put in to their activity, to be recognized by their peers and by the faculty and staff.”
The winner for Performance Group of the Year was determined by online and in-house voting by students. The five finalists – Capital Funk, Forbidden Planet Productions, GW Vibes, Fourteenth Grade Players, and GW Ballroom – each performed during the event before the winner, Capital Funk, was announced.
14th Grade Players caused a stir when its showcase featured two male actors performing the development of a homosexual relationship between a Catholic priest and a Jewish rabbi. The story involved two female actors – a Hollywood producer and a writer pitching a story idea. As the writer told the story, the two males acted it out. The scene ended with the Catholic priest performing oral sex on the rabbi. One audience member screamed “This is offensive” at the actors, with another audience member countering with “Get over it.”
Kelley Stokes, of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Nicky Sampogna, of Pi Kappa Alpha, were named Greek Woman and Man of the Year, respectively. Pi Kappa Alpha, Delta Gamma and Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad/Lambda Pi Chi Sorority, Inc. were honored as Greek Chapters of the Year.
GW Interfaith Action and the Indian Student Association both won the Multicultural Student Services Center Excellence in Diversity Award.
Tim Miller, executive director of the Student Activities Center, honored faculty member Honey Nashman by dedicating the Spark A Life Award, which is presented to an outstanding member of the faculty and staff, in her name. Nashman is the director of the Human Services program at the University and was one of the first recipients of the award. She will be retiring this year.
Political science professor and faculty in residence Steven Kelts was honored with the Spark A Life Award for faculty. Joan Mitchell, financial manager of the Student Activities Center, was honored with the Spark A Life Award for staff.
Correction appended (April 22, 2010)
The article originally stated Forbidden Planet Productions showcased the scene involving the rabbi and priest. 14th Grade Players put on that showcase.
