Student Impact Awards 2021

Melissa Griffith Phelps Author

04/20/2021 Added

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Our 2021 Student Impact Awards program, recorded 4/15/2021.

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[00:00:00.030][Joe]: Alrighty. Well, thank you all for coming.
[00:00:01.560]We're really excited to have such a big group with one of our first events to
[00:00:05.580]have so many people. So thank you all for coming, um,
[00:00:08.640]to the 2021 Impact Awards. My name is Joe Hagerty.
[00:00:12.420]I'm the program coordinator for Student Organizations and the office of Student
[00:00:16.110]Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement. And before we get started,
[00:00:19.380]we'd like to introduce the Red Keys and they're going to be performing for us to
[00:00:23.880]get us all kicked off.
[00:00:24.930]They're an acapella group and they perform at many campus and competitive events
[00:00:29.220]and have recorded music, which is available on all platforms for a download.
[00:00:33.540]So we're happy that they're here today to share their gifts.
[00:00:37.170]So we'll go ahead and let them perform.
[00:00:54.050][a Capella singing]
[00:04:01.380][a Capella version of Post Malone’s “Hollywood’s Bleeding”]
[00:06:26.000][a Capella version of CeeLo Green’s “Forget you”]
[00:10:25.070][Red Keys President, Madeleine]: Thank you! That's all we have. Thanks for letting us start off the show.
[00:10:57.380][Melissa] Wow. That was really great!
[00:10:59.690]Can we give Them another round of applause as they leave? Thank you!
[00:11:08.300]They found such great ways,
[00:11:09.860]The Red Keys, this year to continue to practice and perform even during the
[00:11:14.720]challenges that COVID-19 presented. So we wanted to celebrate that this evening.
[00:11:19.880]As a reminder, as we get started with,
[00:11:22.510]with the awards and the other things tonight, y'all doing great.
[00:11:25.430]Keep the seats where they are. Keeping your face coverings on.
[00:11:28.190]I appreciate that so much. Really quickly, My name is Melissa Griffith Phelps
[00:11:32.870]and I serve as the Assistant Director for Student Organizations within Student,
[00:11:36.650]Leadership, Involvement and Community Engagement.
[00:11:40.070]Today is my single favorite day of the year.
[00:11:42.950]I look forward to Student Impact Awards every year. In fact,
[00:11:47.240]I'm already looking forward to 2022.
[00:11:49.760]it's just such an amazing way to recognize our outstanding student organizations and the great
[00:11:54.490]things you guys did. This year is even more special for me because you guys
[00:11:59.320]showed us that COVID can't slow you down.
[00:12:01.900]we had some really awesome stuff happen this year,
[00:12:05.620]and I know I'm so proud of the work all 550 student organizations
[00:12:10.600]did, but especially if those of you who could join us tonight.
[00:12:14.920]We don't always remember, me specifically, to take a minute and say thank you
[00:12:19.840]to the people who help us.
[00:12:21.490]So tonight I'd like to take a quick opportunity before we dive into the awards,
[00:12:25.840]to thank some folks.
[00:12:27.880]First I'd like to thank our Student Impact award selection team.
[00:12:31.810]They took some extra time out of their day-to-day lives,
[00:12:34.420]which are always busy, to review all of our 71 nominations
[00:12:39.340]and review. And they had a really hard job to do that. That was a lot
[00:12:43.750]there were some really close categories.
[00:12:45.760]So I do want to recognize that that team of Kat Grier,
[00:12:48.970]Brian Stelzer, Anna Witte Preston Phelps, Judy Augustine,
[00:12:53.710]Carrie Jackson, Andrew Brown, Reshell Ray and Joe Hagerty.
[00:12:57.640]So if you could give them a round of applause.
[00:13:05.910]I would also be remiss if I didn't think our student staff, specifically our
[00:13:10.650]student organization staff, this year has been without a doubt hard,
[00:13:14.820]and it's been a unique challenge. So I do want to say thank you to Trace Larson,
[00:13:19.650]Brandy Kinnander, Justin Lalumandier, and finally Anneliese Christien.
[00:13:24.240]These four students have helped make RSOs so very successful.
[00:13:27.990]And I know I couldn't have done it without them. So I'm so grateful to them.
[00:13:34.500]Annelise was the very first student I hired when I,
[00:13:36.990]when I started at Nebraska, and she's been with me all three years by my
[00:13:41.940]side. And she's approaching graduation.
[00:13:44.430]And this is the final time I could publicly say how proud I am of you.
[00:13:48.540]I'm going to miss you, but I know I've got until January.
[00:13:51.960]But I know in January our team will feel a little different,
[00:13:55.320]but you'll be off doing all the good work to change the world.
[00:13:58.620]So I didn't want to miss an opportunity to say thank you.
[00:14:00.780]She deserves it!
[00:14:09.030]But I didn't cry. Let the record show. Okay.
[00:14:14.490]So next I would like to,
[00:14:16.590]welcome Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Leadership. Mr.
[00:14:19.680]TJ McDonnell.
[00:14:30.450][TJ]: Good evening everyone. Thank you.
[00:14:34.320]I want to say how much I enjoyed the Red Keys. I really enjoyed them.
[00:14:39.770]It's probably because I have no singing ability or talents whatsoever.
[00:14:44.310]I have no rhythm. I love hearing somebody beat box. And so I think I'm envious.
[00:14:49.030]Anytime I hear someone who can sing and has rhythm.
[00:14:53.720]Wow. It has been an incredible year and it's so good to actually be in person.
[00:14:57.770]And I mean, yes,
[00:14:58.580]we got to wear a mask and you all look funny sitting so far apart,
[00:15:02.270]but it's better than doing this over zoom.
[00:15:03.830]So I'm so excited to be here and to also give my welcome to you for the 2021
[00:15:08.630]Student Impact Awards. I too want to say, thank you.
[00:15:13.190]Thank you to every one of you in this room for your leadership this year.
[00:15:18.290]You all helped us do what I believe,
[00:15:20.240]the three things we want to do in student life and leadership.
[00:15:23.180]You supported student success.
[00:15:25.400]You found ways to build community and you developed leadership. And you did that
[00:15:30.080]despite the COVID pandemic and the regulations. You
[00:15:34.370]adapted;
[00:15:36.110]you stay true to the mission; and you still found ways to make it happen.
[00:15:39.920]I want to share a number that I'm really,
[00:15:41.360]really proud of and you should be too in the last academic year until April 1st,
[00:15:47.270]student organizations, recognized student organizations hosted
[00:15:52.130]or facilitated - and facilitated
[00:15:54.650]3,873 events,
[00:15:58.910]3,403 of those had at least part of it in person.
[00:16:04.250]That is amazing. A lot of other campuses weren't doing anything in person.
[00:16:08.660]So the fact that you all helped host 3,800 events with 3,400 of them in person
[00:16:13.400]is amazing. And not a single one of those events was a super spreader.
[00:16:19.730]So thank you. Thank you for that.
[00:16:25.870]I mean,
[00:16:26.050]that's what I'm assuming it's none of them were, because I'm sure I would have
[00:16:28.660]heard if they were. I want to, I want to thank - thank the SLICE -
[00:16:32.650]The Student Leadership, Involvement, & Community Engagement staff.
[00:16:36.550]And if you would, if the staff were here, would you just please stand up?
[00:16:39.670]I know I don't thank you enough for all that you do to support students.
[00:16:44.470]Yes. Yes. Thank you.
[00:16:47.530]Thank you for all the ways in which you've adapted and supported students this
[00:16:51.250]year. I also want to thank those of you who serve as Advsiors.
[00:16:56.260]It's such an important role. It helps students make these things happen.
[00:17:00.400]So thank you to the Advsiors who are in the room. Please stand up.
[00:17:04.240]Let's - let's give you a round of applause too. Yes.
[00:17:10.240]Thank you. Thank you.
[00:17:12.730]I also want to say how grateful I am for those of you who took time to nominate
[00:17:16.180]students or organizations for these Awards. That takes time too. So thank you.
[00:17:19.300]I'm grateful to you for doing that. And finally,
[00:17:21.430]I just want to say congratulations to those of you who we're honoring tonight.
[00:17:25.210]You really have been partners. You really have truly made an impact this year.
[00:17:30.190]So thank you. And congratulations.
[00:17:47.200][Joe]: We’re going to move this up just a little back in the… - alright.
[00:17:50.370]Well thank you TJ for speaking.
[00:17:53.970]And now the moment everybody's been waiting for,
[00:17:57.150]we're going to move on to the actual Awards portion of our event.
[00:18:01.560]And if you're chosen for an award,
[00:18:03.120]what we'd like you to do is to please come to the stage, to receive your award.
[00:18:06.600]While we read all the lovely comments about you and all your accomplishments
[00:18:10.950]that your nominators have mentioned.
[00:18:13.980]So since we are navigating in the COVID pandemic,
[00:18:17.460]Veronica will indicate which award for you to pick up. So Vanna White,
[00:18:21.120]she will indicate which one to pick up
[00:18:25.320]and then we'd love to still get a picture. But during that time,
[00:18:28.650]please keep your facial covering on during the event, even during the pictures.
[00:18:33.360]So for the organizational categories, please,
[00:18:36.810]send one representative up to receive your award.
[00:18:39.120]So outstanding student organization, don't send the whole group up,
[00:18:42.240]just send one person that can be your president or someone else, but one person.
[00:18:47.430]So with that being said, we are going to move on to our first award.
[00:18:51.270]And the first award that we're going to start out with is the 2021
[00:18:55.980]outstanding new student organization. So with this award,
[00:19:00.120]it recognizes a newly recognized student organization.
[00:19:03.030]That's less than a year old that's exhibited initiative and organizational
[00:19:06.870]development, established a positive presence within the university and in the
[00:19:11.460]surrounding community. The nominees for the award are on the screen behind me.
[00:19:18.150]And with this, we had a really,
[00:19:19.530]really hard time picking the winner for this one because there's really good
[00:19:24.030]candidates. And for this award,
[00:19:26.010]it's really special to me since my role is mainly to help new student
[00:19:29.610]organizations. So with all of those,
[00:19:32.820]we're going to move on to announcing our winner.
[00:19:35.700]So this year's outstanding new student organization winner is,
[00:19:39.390]and we need more excitement. So drum roll please.
[00:19:46.400]UNL branch of medical students United with neighbors across America!
[00:19:51.230]Congratulations!
[00:20:00.620]So a little bit about this fantastic group.
[00:20:03.110]The goal of what they call MUNA is to build strong community through the
[00:20:08.030]union of public health and service to others.
[00:20:10.880]The mission is to engage with the community in ways that emphasize holistic
[00:20:14.660]wellness,
[00:20:16.700]focusing on healthcare education and creative partnerships with the community.
[00:20:21.410]through the MUNA box project,
[00:20:23.210]the group exceeded the highest expectations and had the opportunity to provide
[00:20:27.470]boxes of culturally specified food to over 100 families in the
[00:20:32.210]Lincoln community.
[00:20:33.560]And that included over 400 individuals. since introduction to
[00:20:38.090]campus,
[00:20:38.690]even just this fall, through both service events and meetings members have
[00:20:43.130]developed meaningful, educational, and long lasting relationships with the
[00:20:47.800]community leaders, immigrant and refugee families, medical students,
[00:20:52.510]and fellow family members.
[00:20:55.030]UNL MUNA emphasizes positively representing UNL in the community by giving back
[00:21:00.340]to Lincoln and providing students with a place to learn and grow. Once again,
[00:21:04.840]congratulations!
[00:21:14.130]All right. We will move on to our second award here. And for this one,
[00:21:18.240]this is going to be our outstanding student organization member award.
[00:21:31.830]So this awad is presented to a student organization [member].
[00:21:37.380]And students also demonstrate [leadership]. It is once again,
[00:21:39.690]going to be on the screen behind me.
[00:21:41.070]So congrats to both of our outstanding nominees, both key word, both.
[00:21:46.680]So the outstanding student organization and member award goes
[00:21:51.390]to drum roll, please.
[00:21:56.190]Madison Whitney from Sustain UNL.
[00:22:08.130]So sustains mission is to create sustainable world through activism,
[00:22:12.540]education, and service engagement,
[00:22:14.910]which they strive to achieve through living our core values of community
[00:22:19.560]empathy, growth, diligence, and integrity.
[00:22:23.040]Madison was the epitome of Sustain’s ideals with a campaign called Code
[00:22:27.720]Red, the aim to bring sustainable products, period products, education,
[00:22:32.070]and conversation to campus. Her campaign idea
[00:22:35.580]quickly gained traction through setting up the partnership receiving and
[00:22:39.990]delivering all of the menstrual cups and leading the campaign.
[00:22:44.130]Madison was a shining example of Sustain’s core values.
[00:22:48.180]Not only did Code Red provide free sustainable period products to UNL students,
[00:22:52.560]but Madison also created a space for the stigma around
[00:22:57.180]periods could be broken through conversation.
[00:22:59.940]Madison spread the word that cis women aren't the only menstrual humans,
[00:23:03.810]trans women non-binary folk and people with many other identities
[00:23:08.040]menstruate, too. Madison was as a true leader this year,
[00:23:10.830]bringing impactful and intersectional campaign to life to create a more
[00:23:15.180]sustainable campus. Once again, congratulations Madison!
[00:23:26.910]Alrighty. We'll move on to our third award.
[00:23:30.150]The outstanding student organization officer award.
[00:23:33.900]This award is presented to a student organization [officer].
[00:23:36.210]Who's played a major role in their organization.
[00:23:40.140]The nominees once again,
[00:23:41.310]we'll be seen on the screen and congrats to 10 nominees.
[00:23:46.880]So for this year's outstanding officer award,
[00:23:50.270]it will go to Jenna Knutson of Engineers
[00:23:55.010]Without Borders.
[00:24:04.450]So Jenna has demonstrated the qualities of an outstanding student organization.
[00:24:09.100]Officer.
[00:24:09.910]She regularly goes above and beyond Engineers Without Borders specifically on
[00:24:13.960]the solar team that she leads.
[00:24:16.270]She ensured that in-person gatherings with Engineer without Borders members are
[00:24:19.990]safe and well organized. To make sure that they ran smoothly and were as safe
[00:24:24.970]as possible. Most recently,
[00:24:26.890]she organized and ran a conduit program and it was very applicable training to
[00:24:31.660]the club because it helped them prepare for what they might expect when they
[00:24:35.080]travel internationally as a team to do their projects.
[00:24:38.830]Jenna has before even COVID-19 traveled to Madagascar and in order to help
[00:24:42.790]install projects to get hands-on experience.
[00:24:46.180]Her efforts have positively Impacted those living in Madagascar and to get
[00:24:50.710]electricity into elementary schools. Also,
[00:24:54.280]she leads through example and has helped lift up other members who are new to
[00:24:57.490]the organization. Once again, congratulations Jenna!
[00:25:08.320]The next award tonight will be the 2021 student organization
[00:25:13.000]Philanthropy and Service award.
[00:25:15.640]This award is presented to a student organization that designs and executes a
[00:25:20.140]philanthropy and service project that has a major Impact on the community,
[00:25:25.300]outside or within the university of Nebraska Lincoln.
[00:25:29.710]The nominees for the award can be seen on the screen behind us.
[00:25:33.070]We're really proud of these nominees and for all that they did in the community.
[00:25:38.800]So without further ado, the winner of the organization
[00:25:43.750]Philanthropy and Service award goes to: UNL branch of medical students
[00:25:48.490]United with neighbors across America. Congratulations. 00:26:00.670 --> 00:26:05.230 UNL MUNA is an exemplary student organization dedicated to assisting immigrant
[00:26:05.230]and refugee families with food insecurity in Lincoln. Over the past six months,
[00:26:10.120]they have organized and hosted separate food box distributions and events that
[00:26:14.680]supported 400 community members in Lincoln.
[00:26:17.980]MUNA has also handled every step along the process for that food distribution,
[00:26:22.060]from finding families, to shopping, to packing and even distributing the boxes.
[00:26:27.310]UNL MUNA has served refugees and immigrant communities from all over the
[00:26:32.200]world, in addition to UNMC with two different locations,
[00:26:36.490]they've held their own donation box events with Educare Lincoln,
[00:26:40.930]which is an early childhood school for low income community members.
[00:26:44.610]And mercy housing and affordable housing organization in Lincoln.
[00:26:49.200]Congratulations for all of your hard work round of applause for UNL MUNA!
[00:27:00.290]Now we'll move on to our next portion of our award,
[00:27:02.660]but I'd like to first introduce my colleague Kat Grier to present the next few
[00:27:06.920]Awards. So round of applause for Kat!
[00:27:20.780][Kat]: The next award tonight will be the 2021 Student
[00:27:24.890]Organization. [Joe, you didn’t flip the page!]
[00:27:30.440]Diversity and Inclusion award.
[00:27:33.440]This award is presented to the recognized student organization who has displayed
[00:27:37.610]inclusive excellence and commitment to awareness of diversity and inclusion of
[00:27:41.780]all students at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
[00:27:44.930]The nominees for this award are on the screen behind me.
[00:27:48.290]These groups have all done great work dedicated to diversity and inclusion.
[00:27:53.180]The winner of the student organization,
[00:27:54.870]diversity and inclusion award is the National
[00:27:59.270]Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals at the
[00:28:03.620]University of Nebraska Lincoln.
[00:28:15.170]This group consistently demonstrates its commitment to diversity and inclusion,
[00:28:19.520]not only for its members,
[00:28:20.870]but for the campus and broader community as well. NOGLSTP
[00:28:25.850]UNL played an active role in the Lincoln community by testifying in support of a
[00:28:30.800]recent proposal to ban conversion therapy for youth within the city limits.
[00:28:36.230]They have offered professional development training to its members through a
[00:28:39.470]diversity statement workshop.
[00:28:41.690]Their precedent has served in the Chancellor's commission of the status of
[00:28:45.230]gender and sexual identity,
[00:28:47.360]where he engaged with local professionals to prepare for a free legal clinic for
[00:28:51.560]name change services to transgender and gender diverse individuals.
[00:28:56.510]The vice president is involved with a team called Trans Collaborations that puts
[00:29:00.770]on a summer camp for transgender and gender diverse youth. In short this group
[00:29:05.570]and its leadership promote diversity and inclusion efforts within our student
[00:29:10.070]group, then our student group, but also in a very broad context.
[00:29:13.910]Congratulations again!
[00:29:22.310]Our next award is the 2021 outstanding new student organization
[00:29:26.990]Advisor.
[00:29:28.490]This award is presented to an Advisor with less than three years of experience
[00:29:32.150]as an Advsior of an RSO and has made significant contributions to the
[00:29:36.200]organization and its members.
[00:29:38.300]The nominees for this award are on the screen behind me,
[00:29:42.160]congrats to all of you.
[00:29:44.380]All three of these new RSO Advsiors have helped their RSOs grow and navigate the
[00:29:48.520]last year successfully. This year's outstanding student organization.
[00:29:53.050]New Advsior is Dr. Rachel Hart with the Classics Club.
[00:30:06.660]Dr. Hart, unfortunately, wasn't able to join us this evening,
[00:30:09.510]but one of the members from the Classics Club is here to accept the award on her
[00:30:13.590]behalf. Dr.
[00:30:16.080]Hart inspires students to examine the ancient texts and new
[00:30:20.760]ways that push the boundaries of what one would typically consider in the field
[00:30:24.600]of classics. Not only do her students come to Classics Club,
[00:30:27.930]on her encouragement,
[00:30:28.770]but many classic club members sign up for her classes because of her enthusiasm
[00:30:32.280]for the subject. Since then, Dr.
[00:30:34.290]Hart has been extremely helpful with running a club in the midst of a pandemic.
[00:30:38.760]In order to keep our members safe and healthy,
[00:30:41.520]We haven't been able to host the same sorts of events we would in a normal
[00:30:44.850]school year. Still we've made do with what we have. This year
[00:30:48.480]Classics Club has moved to zoom based club meetings and even hosted a virtual
[00:30:53.160]movie night and a virtual Halloween party.
[00:30:56.040]We are in the midst of organizing a streamed diversion of the Homearathon,
[00:31:00.150]where we will read the Homeric hymns as well as new event on the horizon.
[00:31:04.860]Congratulations again, Dr. Hart and the Classics Club.
[00:31:14.910]Our next award is the 2021 outstanding student organization Advsior award.
[00:31:20.460]This award is presented to an Advsior with more than three years of experience
[00:31:24.390]as an Advsior of an RSO, and has made significant contributions to the
[00:31:28.500]organization and its members. While we only,
[00:31:31.500]only received one nomination for this category,
[00:31:35.490]we received three unique nominations for Lori Romano.
[00:31:38.880]I think that speaks loud and clear:
[00:31:40.410]She really is an outstanding student org Advsior,
[00:31:43.140]and I am very happy to present this award to her Lori Romano with the First
[00:31:47.070]Gen Student organization.
[00:31:58.500]One of the nominees shared this about Lori:
[00:32:01.110]One of the many things I've learned from Lori is that college is not a one man
[00:32:04.830]show. It's a team effort,
[00:32:06.660]and it's honestly much easier asking for help than it is quietly
[00:32:10.050]struggling on your own.
[00:32:11.730]Lori is able to push students outside of their comfort zones and help them
[00:32:15.300]reach goals they never imagined themselves striving for in the first place.
[00:32:19.410]She is laser focused on dismantling barriers for first-generation scholars and
[00:32:24.060]providing resources and support to help them succeed from the moment they step
[00:32:27.810]on campus until they graduate and become successful alumni.
[00:32:31.830]She helped students start this RSO and has been a cheerleader from the beginning.
[00:32:35.760]Congratulations again, Lori!
[00:32:43.210]Now I'd like to invite our campus recreation colleague, Zac Brost,
[00:32:47.740]who will be presenting a few Sport Club Awards.
[00:32:58.870][Zac]: Thanks, Kat. It's my first Impact awards.
[00:33:02.770]I'm excited to be here. Um, in my shop over campus recreation,
[00:33:06.980]I oversee the intermural sports and sport clubs.
[00:33:09.790]So it's been a unique year to say the least and uh,
[00:33:14.200]in sport club land, but, um,
[00:33:16.690]we've got a group of student leaders over there that I've been nothing but
[00:33:19.900]impressed with as we've worked through all of the, uh,
[00:33:22.420]all the challenges this year has brought us.
[00:33:25.900]So our first award is the 2021 sport club athlete of the
[00:33:30.640]year. Uh, this award recognizes two students
[00:33:35.860]who demonstrate exemplary service, commitment,
[00:33:38.380]and strong leadership within their sport club,
[00:33:40.930]both on and off the playing surface.
[00:33:43.480]They show exemplary sportsmanship to coaches, teammates, opponents,
[00:33:46.780]and officials. So we had some fantastic and deserving nominees this year.
[00:33:52.090]And since competition looked a little bit different for most of our clubs,
[00:33:55.420]this year's outstanding athletes showed remarkable leadership and love for their
[00:33:59.410]sports in a, in a bit different way than we may traditionally see.
[00:34:04.450]The first winner is Allison Heinrichs for UNL Water Ski.
[00:34:16.360]I know Ali couldn't be here tonight. Um,
[00:34:18.970]I'm pretty sure she couldn't get off work.
[00:34:20.350]She was in early this morning already, but, uh,
[00:34:23.140]Ali's the current president of the water ski club.
[00:34:25.540]She's currently in her second term in a position. She's put in a great deal of
[00:34:29.470]time in order to improve her skills both on and off the water.
[00:34:32.740]And there is a balance to both.
[00:34:34.900]She's been a member of the competition team since her freshman year and has
[00:34:38.170]continued to grow as an athlete.
[00:34:40.420]Alison is broken every Nebraska woman's water ski record,
[00:34:43.840]and each of the three events,
[00:34:45.340]including slalom, trick, and jump. Out of the boat.
[00:34:49.480]Ali spends hours, mentoring teammates, as well as skiers of all ages.
[00:34:54.310]She truly has a passion for her sport and shares it every opportunity she gets.
[00:34:58.450]Congratulations, Alison!
[00:35:06.790]Our second winners Jackson Goddard from Men's Soccer.
[00:35:16.900]Near and dear to my heart. As I, uh, personally, uh, uh, advise this club,
[00:35:22.510]uh, Jackson serves as the president of the Men's Soccer Club.
[00:35:26.440]He's among the most talented and experienced players in the club. Uh,
[00:35:30.100]but honestly this year, the physical abilities, uh,
[00:35:32.920]they kind of seem like more of an afterthought. Due to the COVID restrictions
[00:35:36.870]competition for the soccer club. Hasn't been in the cards. Unfortunately, uh,
[00:35:41.250]somehow Jackson has, has been able to keep his group together. Uh,
[00:35:44.940]he's found ways to organize and motivate club membership,
[00:35:47.520]to continue building and growing the club.
[00:35:50.310]So many students on our campus are craving that sense of community right now.
[00:35:53.850]And Jackson's ability to continue to provide the opportunity to engage really
[00:35:57.480]stands out to me.
[00:35:59.760]Men's Soccer is in a better place now because of Jackson's skills on and off the
[00:36:02.910]pitch. So congratulations Jackson!
[00:36:13.280]Next up is a sport club of the year award.
[00:36:16.910]This award celebrates the club that demonstrates success on and off a playing
[00:36:20.870]surface made a meaningful contribution to students,
[00:36:24.950]the university and the surrounding community, organized activities, events,
[00:36:29.630]and programs that have had a significant impact on the quality of campus life at
[00:36:33.140]UNL while upholding its mission and purpose. Uh,
[00:36:38.130]the nominees for this award are on the slide beside me here.
[00:36:42.380]Congratulations to all nominated clubs.
[00:36:45.740]This year's winner is Men's Rugby.
[00:36:57.890]No Brennan tonight either. We're gonna have to have a conversation here.
[00:37:03.680]Might change my mind. Again,
[00:37:07.460]we're talking about a club that's been hit hard by COVID restrictions. Uh,
[00:37:11.060]for those of you that aren't familiar with the sport of rugby, uh, it's rough,
[00:37:15.440]right? There's lots of contacts. Uh, unlike a sport like football,
[00:37:20.060]these athletes aren't wearing much in the department of pads or equipment,
[00:37:23.960]as you might imagine, it takes a, we'll say a special kind of individual,
[00:37:28.490]um, to play this sport. Uh, this,
[00:37:32.300]this club allows this kind of person to find a family on our campus. Uh,
[00:37:36.800]I have not been more proud of any club this year than I have been of Rugby,
[00:37:41.690]Sorry, except maybe Soccer.
[00:37:47.720]These guys rolled with every punch adjusting practice plans and fundamentally
[00:37:51.350]changing what they do and how they do it because that's what it took to play
[00:37:54.500]their sport as safely as possible in this environment. Through it
[00:37:58.580]all, the clubs stayed together. They modeled the behavior
[00:38:01.520]we'd like to see from all of our organizations, they follow the rules,
[00:38:05.300]they embrace change and they provided a welcoming environment for anyone that
[00:38:08.930]wanted to join them. By the spring semester, the club was able to hold a red,
[00:38:12.800]white game among themselves.
[00:38:15.030]I know this wasn't ideal and not the competitive season that they hoped for,
[00:38:19.730]but honestly it was a bright spot in my year to see the joy that came to the,
[00:38:23.530]to that group. Um,
[00:38:25.010]because they got out there and got to do the sport and participate in the sport
[00:38:29.000]that they love. I'm happy to award them this year's outstanding club.
[00:38:41.070]That does it for me in my shop. Um, but honestly kudos to all of you. Um,
[00:38:45.870]this has been such a unique year. Uh,
[00:38:49.860]the fact that we're here tonight,
[00:38:51.240]recognizing student groups that were able to stick it out and do what we
[00:38:56.040]do, um, is really impressive to me. You all should be, should be really proud,
[00:39:00.810]really honored, um, kudos to you all. Um,
[00:39:05.070]I'm going to stick to the script for everybody's sake because I'll go, uh,
[00:39:08.370]I'll go all night.
[00:39:09.420]So now I like to walk in Melissa Griffith Phelps back to the stage to
[00:39:14.190]continue with the award ceremony.
[00:39:16.110]And I'm going to take my sheet because I learned my lesson.
[00:39:34.800][Melissa]: Zac's getting us in trouble. All right. Thank you, Zac.
[00:39:37.650]That was very kind of you to come and join us and give out the first ever
[00:39:41.040]student sport club Awards that we've added to our lineup.
[00:39:45.900]I want to take a moment and say again,
[00:39:47.430]congratulations to all of our winners so far, we do have a couple more Awards.
[00:39:51.360]Um, but I also want to thank my colleagues who've helped me tonight.
[00:39:54.720]Help present Kat, Zac, Joe, and Veronica helping us out tonight.
[00:39:59.700]And Mike's taking pictures for us as well.
[00:40:04.050]it goes without saying, and everyone said it tonight.
[00:40:07.140]The last 18 months have been weird. They've been a little different. Um,
[00:40:11.070]when the pandemic first began, many of us stayed home, found ways to stay safe.
[00:40:15.840]We learned how to bake bread, watched probably every episode of The Office,
[00:40:20.460]at least twice in my household. And we stocked up on hand sanitizer,
[00:40:24.510]wherever we could find it. As a pandemic continued you all our students
[00:40:29.760]were itching to come back and trust me, We wanted you back! Everyday, we were like,
[00:40:34.440]“when did they come back? We were missing them so much.”
[00:40:37.200]You also found unique ways to keep each other safe.
[00:40:40.800]This is not what I expected for tonight,
[00:40:43.200]but it's one way we can keep each other safe.
[00:40:46.050]Our social media timelines went from fear, loss, frustration, and anger,
[00:40:51.330]and some burnt bread to vaccine cards, spring flowers,
[00:40:55.440]and maybe just maybe that one loaf of perfect sourdough.
[00:40:59.490]It didn't happen in my house, but maybe it happened in yours. But through it
[00:41:03.660]all our student orgs never gave up.
[00:41:06.480]Our RSOs found ways to host your events, your meetings, elections,
[00:41:10.650]Team-building - mostly virtually. When campus began formulating safety
[00:41:15.360]precautions to come back in person,
[00:41:18.000]Many of our - when many of our peers said we're going to stay remote. Our RSOs,
[00:41:23.010]a campus partners never took no for an answer and consistently found new and
[00:41:27.570]innovative ways to build community and engage.
[00:41:31.440]I would have never guessed that this year would have been one of my professional
[00:41:34.250]best years. I would have never thought that possible. And I did stumble.
[00:41:38.990]But overall, this was one of the single greatest years for me,
[00:41:42.170]because I got to watch all of you and - everyone who couldn't be here tonight -
[00:41:45.620]those on zoom,
[00:41:46.790]I got to watch you all grow and develop and learn as well as watch my
[00:41:50.660]colleagues. You, you just simply put,
[00:41:55.550]you never, ever gave up.
[00:41:57.920]So we put together a short video to celebrate some of the cool things that you
[00:42:01.430]all as RSOs did. So we'd like to take just a few minutes to share that.
[00:45:16.080]Thank you. Now we'll get back to our Awards.
[00:45:19.520]Our next award is the 2021 outstanding student organization president.
[00:45:24.320]This award is presented to a president of an organization who has played a major
[00:45:27.950]role in the development and execution of their student organization and has
[00:45:32.840]demonstrated a commitment to the purpose of the organization.
[00:45:37.520]We're all a little rusty today. The nominees for this award are behind me.
[00:45:41.480]Let me tell you, this was a really close category.
[00:45:44.600]The next four categories were all incredibly hard to pick from,
[00:45:49.130]and it took many of us a long time to make these decisions.
[00:45:55.130]This Year's outstanding student organization,
[00:45:56.810]president award goes to Nicholas Harp from the National Organization of Gay
[00:46:01.760]and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals at the University of Nebraska
[00:46:04.940]Lincoln.
[00:46:14.630]The mission of this RSO as we've talked about in the earlier award is to empower
[00:46:18.650]lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer,
[00:46:21.410]and allied individuals with interests in science, technology, engineering,
[00:46:26.180]and math, through education, advocacy, professional development, networking,
[00:46:30.860]and peer support.
[00:46:32.390]Nick has upheld this mission over the past three years in numerous ways.
[00:46:36.410]For instance, he has consistently collaborated with city council,
[00:46:40.760]city council members to have the organization members testify in support of
[00:46:44.780]legislative actions to protect LGBTQ+ people.
[00:46:49.760]Nick has positively represented the organization through his commitment to
[00:46:53.000]diversity and inclusion across the university and community.
[00:46:57.320]Nick has continued to innovate as it relates to this organization and has used
[00:47:01.850]each academic year to create new initiative, to -
[00:47:05.320]to advantage LGBTQA+ individuals.
[00:47:09.080]He's organized workshops and social events for the members. Put simply Nick is
[00:47:13.850]having a big impact on many different groups in units on campus,
[00:47:17.420]but is unquestionably having the largest Impact as it relates to the LGBTQA+
[00:47:21.920]community. Congratulations, Nick,
[00:47:31.980]The next award, It might've even been even closer than the president award.
[00:47:36.450]It is our 2021 student leadership award.
[00:47:39.780]This award is presented to an individual student who shows exceptional
[00:47:43.500]leadership and commitment to the advancement of the University of [Nebraska] Lincoln.
[00:47:48.630]This student shows philanthropy, service,
[00:47:51.570]leadership and academics as their core values.
[00:47:55.020]The nominations are here on the screen.
[00:47:59.220]This one kept me up at night, choosing this student leader. It took like,
[00:48:02.810]like president, many of us weighed in on this one.
[00:48:05.160]And this I'm telling you guys I lost sleep to this one. It was so close.
[00:48:09.990]So all four of you should be incredibly proud of yourselves and the impact
[00:48:14.550]you've had on campus,
[00:48:17.460]this year's winner of the student leadership award is Fernanda Krupek.
[00:48:31.200]Fernanda’s leadership and relationship with fellow students and the UNL community
[00:48:35.040]as a whole are truly remarkable.
[00:48:37.500]In addition to balancing her coursework and research responsibilities,
[00:48:41.250]she has undertaken numerous leadership roles within Agronomy and Horticulture
[00:48:44.820]Graduate Student Association. In less than one year as a member,
[00:48:49.020]she helps support planning and execution of several events,
[00:48:52.590]including the elevator speech competition, multiple fundraising events,
[00:48:57.090]the plant sciences symposium,
[00:48:58.890]and a network session at our main scientific society’s
[00:49:01.770]annual meeting. Her academic works are plenty. They are.
[00:49:06.870]and she has even given back to the community in a variety of ways. While reading
[00:49:11.550]for her extensive publication and community service the
[00:49:15.600]committee itself was so impressed with the dedication to her studies,
[00:49:19.620]the RSO in the larger community. So congratulations!
[00:49:29.910]I'm not supposed to have favorite awards, but I do.
[00:49:33.660]And I would say my favorite award is the award that - the next one,
[00:49:38.670]our program of the year award. This is an award that I love giving out.
[00:49:42.150]I love reading about the different events that y'all put on because I know it
[00:49:45.960]was hard in a normal year, but it was even harder this year.
[00:49:50.790]This award is presented to a program that enhances the University of Nebraska
[00:49:54.870]Lincoln community by engaging the student body in a unique way,
[00:49:59.010]emphasis on unique this year. The nominee is on the screen or on the screen.
[00:50:03.600]This year's nominees has worked so hard to make both in-person and virtual
[00:50:06.810]events possible. Like TJ said, our RSOs hosted over 3,400 events,
[00:50:11.730]3,800 events. That's nothing to balk at.
[00:50:16.200]The winner of this year’s
[00:50:17.010]Student organization program of the year goes to the Classics Club for the UNL
[00:50:21.210]Homerathon.
[00:50:31.330]If You're unfamiliar.
[00:50:32.140]This event is a really neat traditional event that has a really unique
[00:50:36.700]following here on campus. Um, this year, or last year in 2020,
[00:50:41.620]this event couldn't happen, right?
[00:50:43.030]We had all gone home and we're protecting ourselves and staying safe. That didn't
[00:50:47.410]stop the Classics Club. Um,
[00:50:49.810]quickly after they realized they weren't going to be able to host this in person
[00:50:53.380]event, they came up with an alternative, uh,
[00:50:56.080]to do an online shortened version of this event.
[00:51:00.340]They were able to put together a plan for implementing the online Homearathon.
[00:51:04.090]The idea to have a podcast like Homearathon that centered on the theme of
[00:51:07.480]plagues was something that they discussed at length to ensure it wasn't going to
[00:51:11.470]be considered in their words, tacky.
[00:51:14.710]We were thrilled to have the mayor introduce the material and speak to the
[00:51:18.280]timeliness of having such an event to the community.
[00:51:21.610]Community is central to the spirit of the Homearathon.
[00:51:24.190]And as is the collaboration of Classics Club’s with other departments and
[00:51:28.540]colleges at the unit at UNL. So congratulations to our Classics Club.
[00:51:41.230]We've done it. We've reached the final one. We've had a great night so far,
[00:51:45.130]but we do have one more to give out.
[00:51:47.170]So the final award tonight is our 2021 outstanding student organization.
[00:51:52.450]This award is presented to a student organization that demonstrates commitment
[00:51:56.080]to growth of its individual members and to its mission statement and purpose.
[00:52:00.610]This organization will have made an outstanding contribution to the University
[00:52:04.210]of Nebraska's campus culture and the community.
[00:52:08.350]These are our nominees this year. Again, very good nominees.
[00:52:12.700]The winner of this year's outstanding student organization is the Agronomy and
[00:52:17.230]Horticulture Graduate Student Association.
[00:52:29.530]In 2020 and 2021,
[00:52:31.360]the group's goals were to bring professional development - development activities,
[00:52:35.590]collaborate with other RSOs and clubs of the College of Agriculture and
[00:52:40.570]Natural Resources and innovate by taking close attention to the students'
[00:52:44.170]wellbeing.
[00:52:46.810]The student org reached these goals through events offered for the graduate
[00:52:50.410]students in the organization
[00:52:51.700]and beyond. One such effort was offering a mental health workshop.
[00:52:55.630]This raised awareness for mental health and helped us discuss the importance
[00:53:00.370]among our peers.
[00:53:01.930]It was a relevant to highlight this as it highlight this workshops
[00:53:06.730]instead addressed the very timely situations and realities that many are facing
[00:53:11.320]given our current conditions. Mental health
[00:53:14.080]first aid experts presented an overview of mental health first aid.
[00:53:17.440]Learning more about this important and timely subject helped everyone success. In
[00:53:22.240]partnership with plant pathology department and entomology Bruner club,
[00:53:26.670]the elevator speech contest was hosted virtually for the first time ever.
[00:53:30.180]The new adoption displayed a clear example of innovation, creativity,
[00:53:34.080]and resiliency of the student club by not giving up in times of uncertainty or
[00:53:37.440]difficuly.
[00:53:39.240]There's no playbook in this unprecedented time in this club is so proud of the
[00:53:42.990]students and leaders who have stepped up to provide some normalcy
[00:53:47.610]within Agronomy and Horticulture, Graduate Student Association.
[00:53:51.690]Congratulations to your RSO!
[00:54:02.840]One more round of applause for all of our winners this evening.
[00:54:15.380]Before you get rid of me,
[00:54:16.460]I'd like to just a few more thanks to our review committee again,
[00:54:20.810]to the Red Keys for their great performance, Awards Unlimited,
[00:54:24.440]where we purchase our Awards, the Nebraska Union team and the reservations team,
[00:54:28.370]TJ McDowell, our student affairs, marketing and communication tea -
[00:54:32.210]Taking pictures tonight. And of course, Zac, for joining us this evening.
[00:54:36.560]Now I'll turn the microphone over to our Director, Veronica rapey,
[00:54:40.070]to say a few words.
[00:54:47.810]I always get to bat clean up.
[00:54:50.780]So each year, when I sit down to prepare my remarks,
[00:54:54.980]I try to make sure what I say is at least a little different than the year
[00:54:58.790]before, because some have to hear it over and over again. Um,
[00:55:02.780]but it typically carries the same theme. This year.
[00:55:06.740]Nothing seems the same to, to anything. And so,
[00:55:11.240]as I reflected on the past 14 months,
[00:55:14.630]not only does the way that we do our work change,
[00:55:18.680]but so has our vocabulary. A year ago,
[00:55:22.160]we started hearing and using words like social distancing,
[00:55:26.000]Coronavirus, shut down order, state of emergency, contact
[00:55:30.740]tracing, essential businesses, essential workers, flattening the curve,
[00:55:35.930]working from home, homeschooling and personal protective
[00:55:40.430]equipment or PPE in case
[00:55:43.310]you didn't know. That was soon followed by zooming, zoom bombing,
[00:55:48.500]You're on mute, which I used I used twice earlier today,
[00:55:53.360]uh, quarantining, isolation, elbow bumps,
[00:55:57.470]pivot, my personal favorite community spread, new normal,
[00:56:02.030]and we're all in this together. By the fall,
[00:56:05.090]we just couldn't help ourselves from, from saying unprecedented,
[00:56:08.840]uncertain times, hoping for herd immunity, uncharted waters,
[00:56:13.640]super spreader events - thank you, TJ - it is what it is.
[00:56:18.950]and out of abundance of caution dot, dot, dot.
[00:56:22.340]I'm sure there's.
[00:56:24.100]Even more, but you get the idea.
[00:56:26.280]In the world of recognized student organizations, I have said the words,
[00:56:30.330]risk assessment and event approval forms more times than I
[00:56:35.160]care to count. And I'd be fine if I never had to say them again.
[00:56:39.990]I've never talked so much about how far apart tables and chairs and
[00:56:44.370]students standing in line
[00:56:46.920]need to be, or how much
[00:56:48.780]Sanitizer - hand sanitizer we should have available or how often something needs
[00:56:53.220]to be wiped down. Food is always a great draw at an event,
[00:56:58.530]but not during a pandemic. Food is almost the enemy,
[00:57:03.270]hence your pre-packaged snacks instead of our hot and yummy hor d'oeuvres,
[00:57:07.380]which we always have at this event.
[00:57:10.290]I say all of this because the last 14 months, our language,
[00:57:13.920]our behavior, our work, our schooling, our relationships,
[00:57:18.600]our activities, and even our
[00:57:20.140]movement has all changed. But so have we.
[00:57:24.450]We adjusted to our circumstances sometimes quickly,
[00:57:29.130]sometimes slowly, sometimes
[00:57:31.470]kicking and screaming.
[00:57:34.380]Sometimes a strategy worked for a while and then the circumstances
[00:57:39.000]changed. And so we had to change again, but we all adapted.
[00:57:44.310]We all adapted. Students, RSOs
[00:57:48.570]Sport clubs, facility
[00:57:50.490]staff, all over campus.
[00:57:51.990]And especially here in our Nebraska Unions and our team in Student Involvement,
[00:57:56.640]which is now known in case you didn't gather Student Leadership, Involvement &
[00:58:01.380]Community Engagement. Yes, we realize that rolls right off the tongue.
[00:58:05.430]But some of my favorite words or phrases are the ones that gave me the most
[00:58:08.880]hope: resilience, perseverance, courage,
[00:58:13.830]flexibility, creativity, trust.
[00:58:18.120]We will find a solution, patience,
[00:58:21.840]We will be okay. What if we tried this?
[00:58:25.980]I think this will work. We will get through this.
[00:58:30.420]And thank you for working with us. I know students are tired.
[00:58:35.430]I know faculty and staff are tired. I'm tired,
[00:58:39.990]but I'm so proud of you and what we have all accomplished together.
[00:58:46.110]I won't lie. I believe that I work with some of the coolest,
[00:58:49.980]most talented and resourceful colleagues. I thought that before COVID arrived,
[00:58:55.410]and now I'm even more confident. As
[00:58:58.410]For our students and our student organizations, I think you all rock.
[00:59:02.250]You never stopped engaging.
[00:59:04.530]You never stopped holding meetings or hosting events.
[00:59:08.130]You never stopped trying to find safe ways to accomplish your goals
[00:59:12.990]and achieve your mission, What you have done in the past – When -
[00:59:17.910]When what you have done in the past, wasn't possible. You found a new way.
[00:59:23.180]Maybe you even found a better way.
[00:59:26.330]Your creativity impressed me and our teams and your willingness to respect the
[00:59:30.860]university guidelines, which made me proud.
[00:59:34.880]I think there was a lot of people that doubted your ability to follow the
[00:59:38.600]guidelines that were set before you.
[00:59:41.180]I think all of you for what you do as individuals and organizations to make our
[00:59:45.110]campus better and more engaging.
[00:59:47.960]I look forward to putting at least some of these COVID specific practices behind
[00:59:52.790]us and see all that you accomplish next year.
[00:59:56.450]Good luck with the last few weeks of this semester, you are almost there.
[01:00:00.740]And then we can rest a little bit before we do it all over again.
[01:00:05.630]Have a good evening.

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