2023 awards ceremony The Xavierite
The nomination forms for the 2024 Scarlet & Gray Awards opened on Feb. 1 for the April 23 ceremony.
Among the available awards are the Cougar Spirit Award, the President’s Award for Distinguished Service & Leadership, and the Vice President’s Award for Student Life & Leadership.
Blanca E. Correa, M.Ed., Student Development Specialist, stated that there are “committees that are formed who will go through all nominations, ensure that candidates meet the criteria and make recommendations, as a collective, for the awards.”
Each of the previously listed awards has a set of requirements that must be met in order to be considered.
For the Cougars Spirit Award, a student who has “made the most”– according to Correa–– of their semesters at Saint Xavier will be the recipient. The student must be a first-year or sophomore student, or a recent transfer. Academic performance and co-curricular involvement are also considered for this award.
The President’s Award for Distinguished Service & Leadership is awarded to a student who does the ordinary extraordinarily well, the same phrase that Catherine McAuley-the founder of the Sisters of Mercy-used to inspire her sisters.
“In that spirit, this award is presented by Saint Xavier University to recognize one student each year who has contributed most greatly to the University mission by serving the students of Saint Xavier University, while embodying the core values of hospitality, integrity, and compassion,” stated Correa.
“This student has, in a spirit of humility, contributed to the life of the campus by putting the needs of others first and demonstrating dedication to the services and programs of the University. This award has a cumulative GPA requirement of 3.5 or higher,” she continued.
Kyla (KT) Turner (Class of 2023), former winner of the Dean of Students Award for Student Leadership, stated that winning the awards meant a lot to her. The award, in a way, “mirrored the impact that I made at Saint X. I didn’t think about how much I did until I received that award and it really warmed my heart” noted Turner.
“I wanted all women and students of color to be heard, acknowledged, and appreciated on campus. Which is why I did a lot of service projects as well as join multiple organizations. And to know that my effort actually made a difference in my four years there still amazes me to this day” added Turner.
Similar to the Cougar’s Spirit Award, the Vice President’s Award for Student Life & Leadership is presented to a student who has made the most of their time at the university through exceptional leadership and service. However, this is bestowed to an upperclassman or graduating student.
Other areas of the university also present awards. From the Media Center to the Center for Learning and Student Support, involved students across the university are put in the spotlight.
These awards include: RSO Officer of the Year Award, RSO of the Year Award, RSO Advisor of the Year Award, and the Xavierite Student Journalist of the Year Award.
Correa noted that the winners of these awards are “selected in the same manner; committees meet to go over all the nominations, ensure that candidates meet the criteria and make recommendations, as a collective, for the awards.”
Students who completed the Cougars LEAD Certificate will also be granted their certificate at the awards ceremony.
The awards, which are to “honor outstanding student leaders, student organizations, advisors, and extracurricular achievement,” added Correa, will be given on April 23 from 6-8 p.m. in McGuire Hall.
The 2023 ceremony also took place in McGuire Hall. It featured two hosts– Giuliana Islas and Kyla Turner (both of whom have written/currently write for the Xavierite)– and intended to draw the audience in with comedic banter and engaging entrances.
This year’s ceremony will also be hosted by Islas, alongside two co-hosts.
The Scarlet & Gray Awards have been hosted since around 2013, noted Correa.
As a fun fact, Correa added that “prior to 2013 they were called the All-Campus Excellence (ACE) Awards and they dated back to 2004.”
The form can be found via TheDen email sent on Feb. 12 or through TheDen.
The nomination forms will close on Feb. 29.
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