Students, groups receive honors

Ellie Loveman / staff photographer Junior Erin Powers, president of the women's rugby club, receives the Taylor Award during the 2003 Student Organiztion Services Leadership Celebration April 16.

The 2003 Student Organization Services Leadership Celebration honored students and organizations for their "Legacy of Leadership"April 16 in the College Center Grand Ballroom. Fourteen awards were presented at the annual event.

"The awards recognize the students and organizations that are making impacts to the JMU community now, in addition to what they will leave after they graduate," said Darci Contri, graduate assistant of SOS.

Reality Educators Advocating Campus Health Peer Educators received two awards at the ceremony, including one for "The Duke is Right," an entertaining presentation used to inform new students at freshmen orientation.

Senior Sam Wood, student coordinator for REACH Peer Educators, said, "I became a member as a sophomore and have watched the program grow into an organization of enthusiastic people who care about promoting leadership and contributing to the JMU community."

The University Program Board received the President's Award for hosting the Student Film Festival. Senior Meghan Hochkeppel, the director of cinematic promotions, said, "We were very surprised and quite honored. Receiving this award will definitely raise the bar for next year's UPB directors." The UPB also received the Outstanding Organization (FEB) Award.

A total of 54 nominations were received for the 14 awards presented, according to Kristin Muncy, associate director of the University and College Centers for Student Organization Services.

Nominations were accepted in February from students or faculty members. Another committee was assigned to review all the nominations in their award category, narrowing the field down to three finalists, and then choosing the recipient, according to Muncy. Each recipient was presented with an engraved acrylic trophy of either a flame or star symbolizing the leadership and legacy they had contributed to the JMU community during the past year.

JMU President Linwood Rose gave remarks and seniors Russ Hammond and Beth Bardeau, masters of ceremony, announced the three finalists and introduced the presenter for each category. The presenters gave short tributes to the winner and asked them to come onstage to receive their award. The presenters were mostly the previous year's recipients.

Full descriptions of each award and a list of the recipients is posted on www.jmu.edu/ucenter/process/sos.