Celebration of hard work in the running of the Student Union

Special awards ceremony to thank people for their service and dedication - News

Tuesday 24 June 2008
By Naomi Weston

Students from Imperial College were rewarded last week for their service, contribution and dedication to the Student Union.

The Colours Awards, held on Wednesday 18 June, celebrated the input of students in the running of the Student Union.

Imperial College Union relies on volunteers to represent the views of the student body to the College and to administer over 300 student clubs and societies, from the debating society to the sailing club.

There are five types of Colours Awards which are separated into two groups. The first three Colours, which are Half Colours, Full Colours and Outstanding Service Awards, are awarded in recognition of one year's service to the Union. The other two Colours, which are Fellowships and Distinguished Fellowships, are awarded in recognition of many year’s service.

Any student can be nominated for these awards, except the Union Sabbatical Officers and the Editor of the student newspaper.

Stephen Brown, President of the Student Union said: “Nominations were sought from the student body and then the Colours Committee, which consists of around 10 senior officers of the Union, spent over six hours over two nights matching them against the criteria for each award.

“I would have to say that this year the committee was particularly brutal, which means that everyone who received an award really deserved it. It was a pleasure to be able to take part in formally recognising the outstanding work and achievements of students though the Colours process and I hope that they continue their excellent work which is to the ultimate benefit of all students at the College.”

Full Colours were awarded to 15 students and 40 Half Colours were given out at the ceremony.

In addition, six Outstanding Service Awards (OSA) were given out. One of the recipients of an OSA, Shiv Chopra, has been at Imperial for six years and was rewarded for his continuous outstanding achievement across Union activities. Shiv has been involved in many events including East meets West, Mega Maalai and has participated in clubs such as Lacrosse and Boat and societies including Light Opera and Music.

Emiko Yoshikawa, external kendo coach, received the Fellowship Award for her continuous work serving the community. She has been teaching the Imperial College Kendo Club, since its foundation in 1998. Emiko regularly competes in international tournaments and teaches with great dedication, devoting much of her time and energy to the club, running at least two sessions a week.

President Stephen Brown said: “This award is particularly remarkable as Emiko is not a student of the College but has dedicated a lot of her time over the past 10 years to sharing her skills and experience with the Union’s Kendo Club.”

Four President’s Awards were given out by Stephen Brown to people he felt had made a significant contribution to the affairs of the Union over the course of the academic year.

The winner of the 2007/08 President’s Award for Clubs and Societies was won by the Surgical Society which has organised several conferences this year, drawing in students from across the UK. These include the first Undergraduate Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery Conference and a Trauma Conference, held in November 2007.

Ashley Brown, editor of student news website Live! was awarded both the Distinguished Fellowship and the President’s Award for his service to the Union. Following the website redesign and the introduction of new features, Live! won the Guardian Student Media Award in November 2007 and has seen readership increase to over 50,000 unique visitors in the past year. Ashley has also taken an active involvement in Imperial’s TV station, Stoic, and IC Radio, helping them to develop their content and increase their following amongst the student body.

Ashley Brown

“Colours awards are very special, as they are decided by peers, colleagues and friends. It’s wonderful to have several years of hard work recognised by the people I’ve worked closely with, particularly with a Distinguished Fellowship –not many are given out so the bar is very high,” added Ashley.

Recipients of the awards were presented with an award certificate at the ceremony, a tie or pin, and in the case of the higher awards, an engraved tankard or Honorary Life membership of the Union.

For more information on the Colours Awards please visit: Colours Awards