Transcript Staff Writer
Housing center Traditions Square East, fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon and sorority Pi Beta Phi are the President's Trophy winners for 2007-2008, University of Oklahoma President David Boren announced Friday.
Boren congratulated the winners, saying they have exhibited overall excellence. The awards were announced at a luncheon at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.
Boren highlighted the community service of students at the University of Oklahoma. He said he wanted to say "how proud I am to be associated with you."
The great thing about America is its sense of community, Boren said, a sense of community that's developed by giving to others.
"There's nothing that binds us together more than to share," he said.
The organizations that were honored Friday gave of themselves to others, he said.
"We have come together in our giving and in many ways that's what we're celebrating today," Boren said.
Awards given out went to students and organizations exhibiting overall excellence in academics, campus activities, community service and volunteerism, and multicultural activities.
The President's Trophy competition was established by Boren and his wife, Molly Shi Boren, in 1995, with the first awards presented in the spring of 1996, according to a press release.
The purpose of the competition is to encourage students to raise standards for themselves and their organizations in four areas of emphasis. The competition is coordinated by Crimson Club.
Winners recognized for superior achievement in the individual categories of Academics, Campus Activities, Community Services and Multicultural Participation received $250.
Housing, fraternity and sorority runners-up for the President's Trophy received a $500 cash award.
President's Trophy outstanding commuter student winners were given a trophy and $500, and the President's Trophy first-place organizational winners received a trophy and $5,000.
For housing, Campus Activities individual category winner was Sooner Housing Center; Community Services category winner was Adams Center; and Multicultural Participation category winner was Sooner Housing Center.
President's Trophy runner-up was Cate Center, and President's Trophy Housing Winner was Traditions Square East.
For sororities, Kappa Alpha Theta won the academic individual category, Alpha Gamma Delta won the campus activities category, Delta Sigma Theta won the community services category and Chi Omega won the multi cultural participation category.
The runner-up for the President's Trophy was Delta Delta Delta. The President's Trophy sorority winner was Pi Beta Phi.
For fraternities, the category winners were: Alpha Phi Alpha for academics, Lambda Chi Alpha for campus activities, Delta Epsilon Psi for community service and Omega Delta Phi for multicultural participation.
The competition for the President's Trophy was so stiff this year, Boren said, that two runners-up were named in this category: Lambda Chi Alpha and Omega Delta Phi.
The President's Trophy fraternity winner was Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Two outstanding commuter students were also honored: Amy Dawn Bourlon and Barron Ryan.
Julianna Parker 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com
