First annual Rammies Awards gives student organizations, staff taste of red carpet fame

Last night at the University of Rhode Island Memorial Union Ballroom, the Student Senate honored recognized groups for their achievements during the first annual Rammies Awards.Modeled after the Grammy awards, the show included dance performances by the URI Dance Company and Alima. Stand-up comedy acts from URI students Joe Savastano and Autumn Gillette highlighted the night that began with a musical performance from URI-based Ticonderogas.

URI's Uhuru Sasa, a group dedicated to the academic and cultural enrichment of all individuals involved with URI, won the Organization of the Year Award.

"They made me who I am," said Richlieu Norris, president of Uhuru Sasa. "My mother always told me it takes a whole village to raise a child. It took all the ladies and gentlemen in the back there to make Uhuru Sasa. I keep telling them, I will take the blame and you can take the credit."

Alima not only performed but was honored with the Best Dance Group Award and the Multicultural Event of the Year Award for its Rhythm of the Soul event.

"We are really excited about getting the awards," said freshman group member Naana Mends. "Rhythm of the Soul was an amazing show. Getting the award showed that it's all been worth it."

The URI Snowboarding Club was also awarded twice with the Revamped Group of the Year Award and the Most Unique Fundraiser Award for its Rail Jam event.

"I was one of the originators of the idea for the Rail Jam," said Colin Giblin, a sophomore member of the URI Snowboarding Club. "The fact that we got the props we deserved was something really good."

The Habitat for Humanity chapter of URI won the Philanthropic Group of the Year Award for its construction projects.

"It was a complete shock, but a very great surprise at the same time," said Katie Rose, a sophomore member of the group. "It definitely shows that our group has started to get more out into campus and hopefully this will increase the awareness in the student body."

The Students For a More Accessible Campus won the Awareness Event of the Year Award for its event entitled "Disabled for a Day." The Panhellenic and Interfraternity councils won the Best Annual Event Award for their organizing of this year's Greek Week.

The Scuba Club won the Most Original Event Award for its Underwater Pumpkin Carving program during the fall semester. Maxwell Adepoju, a junior communications major at URI and president of the URI Contender Academy won the Mark Chearino Involvement Award for his service to URI. Officer Mark Chearino is a member of the URI Police.

"I'd like to thank the nominations committee for having that category and Officer Mark Chearino for the nomination of that category," he said.

President Robert L. Carothers and former Student Senate President Tom Ahrens both won the Student Senate Lifetime Achievement Award.

Chearino, Memorial Union Director Bruce Hamilton and Kim Bolton, administrative assistant to the Student Senate, were also recognized for their contributions to the awards show with honorary Rammies.