By: Savin Mattozzi ~Staff Writer~

The sixth annual Muskies celebration took place yesterday evening in the Arrupe Overlook. Individuals and student organizations from across campus attended the award ceremony that honored exemplary student leaders.

Students in formal to semi-formal attire sat patiently in the Arrupe Overlook to see if they or their organizations were awarded one of the 17 different awards.

They anxiously watched a presenter duo of a student and a faculty member introduce the award category and its description.

The awards consisted of the Cultural Program of the Year, Educational Program of the Year, Innovative Program of the Year, Unsung Hero Award, Advisor of the Year, Positive Award, Embracing Diversity Award, All for One & One for All Award, First Year Member of the Year, Sophomore Member of the Year, Junior Member of the Year, Senior Member of the Year, Look At Me Now Award, Campus Engagement Award, Recognition of New Organizations, New Organization of the Year and Outstanding Organization of the Year.

Citizens of the World won the Cultural Program of the Year.

Political Science Club won the Educational Program of the Year with its PlatForum political party debate, Voices of Solidarity won the Innovative Program of the Year with its mock border wall and convergence trip to the U.S./Mexico border and Ryan Behrndt won Unsung Hero Award with the X-treme Fans.

Dr. Kyra Shahid won the Advisor of the Year for her work with the African Students Association, Black Students Association, Ladies With and Emphasis on Achievement & Distinction and the Student Organization of Latinos.

Asian Pacific Society won the Embracing Diversity Award, Ladies With and Emphasis on Achievement & Distinction won the All for One & One for All Award and Sara Hamer with the Student Activities Council (SAC) won the First Year Member of the Year.

Both Elizabeth Zalla with SAC and Mary Elizabeth DeWitt with Club Swimming won the Sophomore Member of the Year.

Both Sylvia Chemweno of the African Students Association and Leo Biette of Student Activities Council won Junior Member of the Year.

Thomas Kozlovich with Dance Marathon won Senior Member of the Year.

Sara Ochieng of the African Students Association won the Look At Me Now Award, and X-treme Fans won the Campus Engagement Award.

New organizations that were recognized were American Advertising Federation of Xavier, Don’t Tell Anna, XU One Heart, Community of Engineers and the Irish Dance Team.

In The Loop won the New Organization of the Year. In The Loop is an on-campus organization takes plastic bags and cuts them into strings that can be used to crochet sleeping mats for people experiencing homelessness.

Men’s Club Rugby, Dance Marathon and Voices of Solidarity all won for Outstanding Organization of the Year.