Everyone has heard of the Oscars, but few students are aware that Sam has their own “Oscars”, known as the Sammy’s.
This year’s Sammy’s are going to be held on April 12 at 6 p.m. in the Gaertner Performing Arts Center, celebrating the 23rd annual event hosted by both Student Affairs and Student Activities.
The Department of Student Activities Program Coordinator Kelly Patterson highlighted their involvement in the event.
“The Department of Student Affairs and usually Student Activities assists, we’ll select the emcee’s and announcer and help prepare them for the show,” Patterson said.
The last day for nomination forms to be submitted is February 3 by 5 p.m. to Student Activities located in the LSC, room 328. The forms can be submitted either in person or through the mail to SHSU P.O. Box 2507, or by fax to 936-294-3652, and can be received to fill out in that same office.
A student of any classification can receive the individual awards, for there are awards dedicated to each year, however, those students who are nominated must have minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and must meet the minimum required number of hours.
There are also individual college awards dedicated to students who have shown an excellence in service to that college. To be nominated for an individual college award the students must have a junior classification, a minimum GPA of 3.0, and can only be nominated by faculty members.
These awards come in various shapes, such as the Sammy Award which is a “glass silhouette of Sammy Bearkat.” said Patterson.
The Sammy Award is considered to be the most prestigious of the awards and is only awarded to two students and two faculty members.
“Students that really stand out with their service to the university and in general, it’s also a graduating student.” said Patterson.
Patterson goes on to define the service expectations of Sammy nominees.
“Their involvement and perhaps if they did have a hand in starting a program…. In addition to their high GPA, they would need really big involvement around the campus. And as our motto says, ‘Every life is measured by its service’, the student chosen should really represent that.”
One last award presented that is not on the form is called the Cane Award.
“It is fairly new and actually started a few years back, it has to do with a campus organization or group that does not fall into the other categories,” said Patterson.
One former recipient of the Cane award was the police department. People cannot be nominated for it since the Sammy Selection committee are the ones who choose who will receive it.
The committee is comprised of administrators, deans, and more campus faculty who review all the biographies of the nominees (who remain anonymous) and select the winners.