Each year the Students’ Union recognizes standout club members with awards and scholarships during an invite-only, community-wide gala in May. This year the SU will be honouring all clubs with a specific clubs event at the end of the year. Six awards will be given out to clubs based on an application available in February.
SU vice-president student life Jennifer Abbott said the awards will be based around leadership, charity, innovation and excellence.
“I think there is a lack of recognition for clubs,” said Abbott. “A lot of club executives said we need to do a lot more things like this. The best process to select the winning clubs would be to get clubs committee to decide.”
The award banquet will host all clubs for students to meet and connect with each other. With over 220 clubs on campus the SU recognizes it is not about winning the awards.
“It’s about celebrating clubs accomplishments at the end of the year,” said Abbott, “The top three clubs will be invited but everyone can buy tickets. It will be exciting — there will be an open stage where clubs like the Improv Club can perform.”
Student life commissioner Haley Kluge said the clubs awards and banquet is a huge step forward in recognizing clubs as the heart of campus.
“Clubs are really where everything comes from,” said Kluge. “It’s how students meet, how they connect, but lots of students don’t join them, so we are trying to get people more involved in that. By doing club awards, they will be able to be recognized for their accomplishments.”
Kluge said that in previous years club awards and scholarships were given to individual club executives. This is the first year clubs as a whole will be recognized.
“Clubs will be inviting their members to come and participate in this,” said Kluge, “It’s a celebration of basically all the people who make being at the U of C awesome.”
U of C youth for Christ club president Adrian Guevara said clubs are a very large part of campus life.
“It’s pretty good for the clubs to be able to feel like they are appreciated by the community,” said Guevara. “A lot of the clubs do a lot of cool things.”
Planning for the club award night is still under way, but Abbott said she expects the event to take place later in the winter semester.