Photo by Ashley Anklowitz

Ana Richards signs a goodbye bannner for Leadership Program coordinator J.J. Boggs at Saturday’s SOAR Awards in the Wood Center Ballroom.

Saturday night’s first ever Student Organization Awards and Recognition or SOAR event was an emotional event that celebrated student organizations and leadership around campus. The event has been in planning for a year now. There have been five other similara events, all with different names and usually attached to another awards ceremony. It was a roller coaster of emotions to be sure as a heartfelt farewell was said to Leadership Program Coordinator J.J. Boggs.

The evening started with opening speaker, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life, Don Foley. Foley explained, “Over my 17 years of working at UAF I have seen the growth of these organizations.” He also gave credit to Carey Gurshwin, Tim Barnett, and J.J. Boggs, who contributed to the growth in the past years.

“There are 120 organizations which is a 70 percent increase since 2004 and 3,000 registered members on campus for all organizations” said Foley in the middle of his speech.

Foley also gave a list that explains the meaning and goals of all organizations on campus:

First, it defeats the myth that there is nothing to do on campus. Second, it broadens the horizons of the students. Third, it builds leadership skills. Fourth, it gives people a chance to perform community service. Fifth, it allows students to find a niche in college. Sixth, it can lead to major movements such as protests of the Vietnam war were largely staged on college campuses. Seventh, it connects students with the academic community. Eighth, it just looks good on a resume. Nine is a combination of fun, productivity, and students gaining the sense that the world is bigger than themselves.

Foley’s final message to the audience was a quote from Albert Einstein, “Education is what remains when we forget everything from school.”

Entertainment ranged from Native dancers like the Inu-Yupiaq Dance group and dances from across the seas such as the Namaste India Dancer as well as UAF’s own Middle Eastern Dance Group and Latin Dance Club.

The awards were placed in-between all the entertainment of the night and truly showcased the accomplishments of all the organizations at UAF.

Two awards new this year were the Diversity Enrichment award and the Rookie of the Year award.

The winners of the Academic Achievement award for the fifth year in a row were the Great Alaskan Accounting People. Alpha Phi Omega, a co-ed service fraternity, won the Community Service award. The winner of the new Diversity award was the Inu-Yupiaq Dance Group. The Exceptional Event award went to the Sustainable Campus Task Force for the Sustainable Living Conference (this year’s event is this week). Outstanding Advisor and the Rookie of the Year award went to Cindy Hardy and her University Equestrian Network group. Hardy also advises the Ice Box student literary publication and the Mixed-Martial arts club.

One of the most honored of the awards was the Legacy award that went to the Society of Women Engineers to honor their growth from four to twenty members in the last year.

The most emotional award given out was the Student Organizations Honoree Award, newly named the J.J. Boggs award, which was given to ASUAF Vice President Danielle Ryder just before intermission. When asked how it felt to win this particular award because of its meaning to all involved Ryder said, “I feel really honored to win this award and I’m happy that my accomplishments have been noticed. I do feel that this is a shared award and I am truly grateful to have won it.”

The night not only went to the clubs and entrainment but to J.J. Boggs with an emotional good bye from Mariah Acton, the student organizations program assistant, and one of the hosts of the night. Acton told the audience that Boggs is “moving on to greener pastures.” Boggs was brought to tears when Acton called students who know and have worked with Boggs to stand and describe her in one word.

She was described as passion, laughter, dedication and more. Boggs came to the stage and addressed everyone, especially the students she works with.

“I’m off to an exciting new adventure and running like crazy trying to keep up with these wonderful students has been wonderful,” she said, “My only hope is that you keep your new director on their toes and don’t let them get away with anything.” At the end of the awards ceremony Boggs came back on stage and congratulated hosts, Mariah Acton and James Smith, and Jodi Jorgensen for a wonderful show. Then it was revealed that Acton herself will be leaving UAF for new adventures. As a final word Acton said, “To quote J.J., give my replacement hell. They can do a lot for you and don’t let them do anything less.”

A farewell banner for J.J. can be signed in the leadership office.