The Golden Phoenix Awards
grace larson | March 8, 2024 | features
Clubs are a prominent part of life at Stanton College Preparatory School, which is home to over 80 different clubs and organizations. From the start of their freshman year, students are encouraged to join groups that align with their interests. Up until now, the Club Fair has been widely considered the school’s biggest source of recruitment, as it allows students to browse an array of booths promoting various clubs. Now, the incentive to join has reached an all-time high with the Student Activities Office’s announcement of the first-ever Golden Phoenix Awards.
“[The Golden Phoenix Awards] is a way to get more club activism within the school and allow for people to join more clubs and be leaders,” said senior Tanner Watson, one of the award ceremony’s managers.
The Golden Phoenix Awards, also known as the GPAs, is an award ceremony hosted by the Student Activities Office to commend the work of various clubs and their contributors throughout the 2023-2024 school year. The event consists of 15 different awards based on either nomination, people’s choice, or application. Students are encouraged to participate in the selection process and support their clubs by attending the ceremony.
“[Students should participate] so they can have their clubs acknowledged for all their hard work throughout the school year,” said senior Tara Smith, one of the managers of the GPAs. “A lot of people don’t take clubs seriously, so [The Golden Phoenix Awards] is made to notice all the hard work [students] do.”
This hard work is acknowledged by the GPA’s nomination-based awards that include titles like Best New Club, Punctuality, Best Honor Society, and Renaissance. Nominees for these awards are selected by the voting committee, which consists of individuals like Smith and Watson. The top three nominees will be announced between March 6 and April 5. The selected clubs are required to attend, meaning the president and at least two other officers must be present at the award ceremony.
While the nomination-based award process is rather discreet, the other two require more involvement from the student body. People’s Choice Awards welcome direct engagement and allow students to vote for the individual or club of their choice. Voting will be open from March 11-14, and it will include awards like Outstanding Sponsor and Best All-Around Club. The top five nominees will be announced before the ceremony, reflecting all their accomplishments and hard work.
“We have so many clubs and organizations on campus that are doing lots of great things,” said Ms. Tangela Ennis, Stanton’s Student Activities Director. “We just thought it would be nice to highlight them and hopefully help the clubs continue to grow and for our students (current and future) to continue to get involved with activities.”
This sense of acknowledgment is fostered by the last of the three awards, which allows students to promote the hard work done by themselves or others. Application awards let students submit a form nominating individuals and groups for consideration by the voting committee. Submissions for this form were accepted between Feb.12-29, and are currently being evaluated by this year’s voting committee. Application-based awards include Best Social Media, Most Active, Cornerstone, Helping Hand, Shining Leader, First Class, Ubuntu, Prime Performer, and Legacy. This category makes up the bulk of the 15 total awards.
Once the voting committee is given the chance to review the various submissions, they will come to a consensus that will be revealed at the Golden Phoenix Awards ceremony on April 10. The event will be held in the school’s auditorium, where the winners will be announced. Tickets will be sold in advance, and all attendees are expected to dress in semi-formal attire. Participation is encouraged, but not expected, from selected club members. The award ceremony offers students an opportunity to represent their clubs and interests, allowing them to reveal their pride in these subjects.
“[The GPAs] promote club competition to see who can do more within the school and can qualify to win more awards,” said Watson. “[Students] can say ‘Well, my club has more GPAs than yours’ or ‘My club’s going to win this GPA over yours. ”
The Golden Phoenix Awards offer an opportunity for students to socialize and showcase their club-based talents. For those seeking additional details, the Student Activities Office’s Teams Page contains a short, informational commercial containing important details about the event. The Teams page also offers an informational packet with details about the ceremony and each specific award. Any additional concerns can be addressed by the previously mentioned managers, Smith and Watson.