SOOIE's October Of The Month Winners

Submitted by SOOIE

Student Organization Outreach and Involvement Experience (SOOIE) announced its Registered Student Organization (RSO) Member, Advisor, and Event of the Month for the month of October 2020.

Student Organization Outreach and Involvement Experience (SOOIE) announced its Registered Student Organization (RSO) Member, Advisor, and Event of the Month for the month of October 2020. The winners are as follows:

The Member of the Month for October is Sydney Bates from Razorback Collegiate Foundation (RCF). Bates has been involved with RCF for over three years and now serves as the organization's President. She leads around twenty team members in this position and has used the time of change brought by the pandemic as not a setback, but an opportunity to restructure RCF. From individually delivering coffee to all RCF Board Members to planning a socially distanced dinner on the baseball field, she has found ways to make this year special for members. Her nominator notes that Bates is "a leader that creates more leaders," and is driven and compassionate as she turns problems into opportunities. Outside of RCF, Bates is also heavily involved in the Walton College of Business and was the 2019 New Member Educator for Chi Omega. SOOIE commends Bates for her outstanding leadership and appreciates her involvement in campus life.

The Advisor of the Month for October is Stephen Ritterbush, who advises UARK E-Sports. Ritterbush currently serves as the Honors College's Director of Information Systems. As the UARK E-Sports advisor, Ritterbush helps introduce students into the E-sports sphere, connects them to opportunities on campus, and invests his time and efforts into helping ensure the success of RSO events planned for the community. His students rely on him as a source of valuable information and mentorship, describing his constant availability for help and advice and his ability to maintain positive communications amongst RSO leaders and members. SOOIE applauds Ritterbush for his dedication to the advancement of UARK E-Sports.

The Event of the Month winner for October is the Zoom Q&A with Holocaust Survivor Pieter Kohnstam, hosted by the Diversity and Inclusion Student Council (DISC). The event was the first one hosted by DISC and sought to help educate the University of Arkansas' community about the Holocaust through Kohnstam's sharing of his personal experiences in light of a recent report showing Arkansas ranking highly among states with percentages of the population believing the Holocaust to be either fake or overly exaggerated. Over 280 people, including students, faculty, staff, and local community members, were able to attend via Zoom, and over 400 questions were submitted for the Q&A, prompting DISC to potentially host more follow-up meetings with Kohnstam in the future. SOOIE commends the hard work of the Diversity and Inclusion Student Council and the impact their event had on students across campus.

Winning these awards qualifies the individuals and the RSO for consideration for SOOIE's annual RSO Of the Year Awards, as well as the opportunity to attend the End of the Year Involvement Banquet. This banquet will highlight the amazing things RSOs accomplished throughout the school year. Attendance is limited and winning any of SOOIE's "Of the Month" Awards guarantees entrance. Nominees who were not selected for Member and Advisor "Of the Month" will roll over to the following months for consideration.

In addition, Member of the Month and RSO Event of the Month will receive a $10 gift card for themselves or for their organization. The Advisor of the Month will receive a framed certificate of recognition.

SOOIE is an RSO focusing on outreach and involvement. Members of the campus community can nominate a deserving member, advisor, or RSO event for one of SOOIE's "Of the Month" awards. Applications for the November/December cycle are due on Dead Day, December 11. For questions about "Of the Month Awards," please contact Katie Strickland, SOOIE vice president at sooievp@uark.edu. Applications are located under the forms section on the HogSync platform.

This program is sponsored by SOOIE through the Office of Student Activities and is supported by the Student Activities fee. Follow SOOIE on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and HogSync for "Of the Month Award" updates and much more on how you can get involved on campus! SOOIE is a program in the Division of Student Affairs.

About the Division of Student Affairs: The Division of Student Affairs supports students in pursuing knowledge, earning a degree, finding meaningful careers, exploring diversity, and connecting with the global community. We provide students housing, dining, health care resources, and create innovative programs that educate and inspire. We enhance the University of Arkansas experience and help students succeed, one student at a time.