A night at the OSCARs
The 14th annual OSCARs Award Ceremony took place at UW Tacoma on May 19th at the University Y. The ceremony highlighted students and faculty with awards and recognition for their work during the 2016-2017 school year.
The OSCARs acronym stands for Outstanding Student Ceremony for Awards and Recognition. Over a dozen of awards were given to individual students, faculty and staff as well as to committees and organizations. Student Engagement plans and hosts the event each year and students are able to nominate and then vote for each award previous to the event.
Student Program Specialist Brittany Sanchez Reed worked on organizing the event and said that voting was higher than last year and has been “steady the last four years.” Over 185 attendees arrived at the event in semi formal attire to celebrate the accomplishments of those around them.
“This ceremony brings students, staff and faculty together to celebrate student achievement inside and outside
the classroom,” Sanchez-Reed said. “ Whether the awards are for students or chosen by them, the entire evening is intended to focus on their experience.”
This year at the OSCARs a new addition to the program stood out. The incorporation of video allowed the audience to see and hear more experiences of students through interviews and highlighting events throughout the year on film. Zvon Casanova produced and put the videos together to be shown at the event. “I think they were the highlight of the evening and we definitely want to continue that in next year’s program,” Sanchez-Reed said.
Among the awards given at the OSCARS were the Student Volunteer Award given to Chase Powell, the Tahoma West Contributor Award to Erika Wigren and the ASUWT President’s Award given to Elizabeth Hansen.
“I was very honored to receive the ASUWT President’s Award this year,” Assistant Director of Student Engagement Elizabeth Hansen said. “It means a lot, as this award comes from the students, and I’m proud of the work I get to help them accomplish every day”
