Outstanding students to be honored for service and leadership

Each spring students and organizations are nominated and selected to become recipients of the Golden Bishop Awards. This year over 22 students and organizations will receive awards at the “Golden Bishops Go for the Gold” themed ceremony on Saturday, April 21at 2 p.m. in the Benes Rooms.

Nancy Rutkowski, the interim director of student involvement and assistant director of student involvement for leadership, said that ceremony is an OWU tradition that has been in place for years.

“The Golden Bishop Awards are a tradition that started back in 1987 and has been evolving over the years,” Rutkowski said. “The recipients are nominated for their leadership by open nomination or their services by the Service-Learning Center on campus.”

The students receiving a Golden Bishop Award for leadership are nominated by an OWU community member who directly knows the student.

They also must be in good standing with the university and show the pride and spirit of OWU.

These recipients are seniors Sharif Kronemer, Ronnesha Addison, Tim Carney, Anthony Harper, Bhavna Murali and Alex Bailey.

Bailey said that as a graduating senior he feels honored to receive the award because it shows his work has been appreciated.

“As a senior on my way out of OWU, it was an honor to receive a Golden Bishop,” Bailey said. “I am privileged to know that the work I’ve done the past three years has had an impact.”

The students receiving the service-learning awards which have been selected by the Service-Learning Center are seniors Jennifer Federer, Gretchen Curry, Yvonne Hendricks and junior Iftekhar Showpnil.

Curry said that her award was a surprise, and she is glad to help the House of Peace and Justice to keep the award with the house members for another year.

“I was so surprised when I found out which award I had won,” Curry said. “This award is a special one for the members of the House of Peace and Justice, seeing as we all won it last year. It is a great feeling, and a flattering one, knowing that the Sarah Paullin Casto Student Humanitarian Award is staying with the house for another year.”

There are also other awards that have become part of the ceremony over the years. These awards are from WCSA and the athletic department (“W” Association awards).

Gene Castelli, the senior director of dining services, said that receiving the Friend of WCSA award came as a surprise, and he is glad to receive it for something he enjoys doing.

“I’ve been on campus for 10 years and have always walked by the HamWill wall where the Golden Bishop photos were displayed,” Castelli said. “I would look at those recipients and (sort of) wistfully wish I could get one. As a contractor not directly employed by the university I always assumed these awards were for university personnel only.”

“To say I was surprised when told I was getting the Friend of WCSA award would be an understatement,” Castelli said. “To receive an award for something you enjoy doing makes the recognition all the sweeter. Truth be told, the students I have had the pleasure to work closely with (Carly Halal and Sharif (Kronemer) to name a few) should share in the moment. It is through their efforts at working together to improve the dining program that makes my job the best job on campus.”

Rutkowski said that all of the recipients will receive a Golden Bishop plush beanie as well as jewelry, which is a new addition.

“All of the winners will receive a Golden Bishop beanie, and this year they will also be receiving jewelry,” Rutkowski said. “The women will receive a charm that can be put on a necklace and the men will receive a lapel pin. This is the first year that we will be doing this and we are very excited about it.”

In addition to the award recipients that have already been announced, there are a few more awards that will be kept a secret until the award ceremony.

The Student Involvement Office feels that by keeping these awards a secret, it will make receiving them more fun for the recipients.