Winners Shine at STARS Awards
Societies members were out in their Sunday best last Thursday to see who would walk away with the STARS Society Awards for this year. Awards were to be given out for Society efforts like Best Event, Best Financial Management etc. among individual awards like Bene Merentis and Society Achievement Awards. Following the Societies Guild’s decision to withdraw from the UCC Works system, the Societies Guild also gave out new “Society Contribution Awards” to recognise individual contributions to societies. This award has different levels based on the amount of time spent devoted to societies, a measure the Societies Guild has been asking of the UCC Works system since its inception.Feminist Society was among the most successful societies on the night, winning three awards for the society: Best Campaign for “Rise Above It,” Best Society Promotion & Best Political/Debating Society, adding individual awards for current & former committee members Matthew Kennedy (Auditor, UCC LGBT*), Daisy May Pemble (Auditor, UCC Knitting) and current Auditor Ellie O’Mahony.The Philosoph, UCC’s oldest society, were also rather successful, netting one society award for their Death Row speakers event with Amnesty & Int Dev (Best Collaborative Event) and two personal awards for HLM & former Auditor Sarah Dunphy and outgoing Auditor Clodagh Feehily.More awards, namely Society Of The Year, will be awarded at Clubs & Socs Ball next week. Among those nominated for that award will be the winners of the society category awards (i.e. Best Social Society, Best Political/Debating Society etc.) and their runners-up.Full List of Winners at STARS Awards:Best Campaign - Feminist, Rise Above It. Best Financial Management - NetSoc. Best Poster - NetSoc. Best Promotion - Feminist. Mental Health Awareness and Promotion - Psychological. Best Charitable Event - WARPS, WARPCon. Best Weeklong Event - Commerce, Digital Marketing Summit. Best Collaborative Event - Philosoph/Amnesty International/International Development, Death Row Speakers. Best Academic Event/Conference - Law, 15th Annual Law Conference. Best Creative Event - Music, Battle of the Bands. Best Community Engagement - WARPS. Best Innovation - Environmental. Best Academic Society - Surgical. Best Religious/Charitable - MSF. Best Political/Debating - Feminist. Best Social Society - Macra na Feirme. Best New Society - Music. Most Improved Society - MSF.STARS Society Achievement Awards:Patrice Dunlea (Macra na Feirme), Enda Kerr (Law), Matthew Kennedy (LGBT*), Caroline Clifford (Surgical), Daisy May Pemble (Knitting), Oral Bredin (Amnesty International), David Hardwicke (Entrepreneurial & Social), Daniel Sheehan (LGBT*), Sarah Dunphy (Philosoph)Bene Merenti Awards:Keith Kavanagh (Societies Guild, LGBT* & SVdP), Seán Whelan (MSF), Ellie O'Mahony (Feminist), Sean O'Regan (Accounting & Finance), Martha Ewence (International Relations), Clodagh Feehily (Philosoph Soc), Marie Claire O'Sullivan (Commerce)(all awards information provided by Jerome Wholihane, UCC Societies Guild)