Individual Awards Nomination Form Rising Star of the Semester This award is for the staff member that

t has grown a great deal over the course of the semester and has become a valued and integral member of your staff. 1. Why should this person be considered for the award? 2. How did this person accomplish being an active role within community development with the residence hall? 3. What are the nominees abilities in terms of administrative abilities, helping roles, role modeling, programmer, and student? 4. How has the nominee addressed issues pertinent to the development of a positive living community in the residence hall? Give SPECIFIC examples of how the nominee has handled difficult situations in the community. 5. Has the nominee been involved in programming outside of the residence hall? West Campus Apartments The reason Mike Rupnick should be nominated for this award is simple, he has improved in every aspect of being an RA since he arrived in August. When I met Mike during training I could immediately tell how outgoing, courteous, and responsible he was. He was more than willing to offer rides, and any assistance I or another staff member needed while setting up. As I have gotten to know him more over the last few months, these traits have resonated more. One of the great things about Mike is that it looks like he has done this job for years. He walks around with the same confidence and persona as Jonah and Cara, two third year RAs. You can tell he is comfortable in all situations, and is friendly with his residents yet stern when need be. Mike is very active in the West Campus community, something that can be very challenging in an area where each apartment can choose to be very secluded. On rounds Mike routinely will knock on doors, to see how people are doing, an act that is very effective in building relationships with residents. As far as programming, Mike always keeps it entertaining and informative. His Halloween program drew many residents and allowed an outlet for kids that did not want to go out and get drunk just to have fun. While also entertaining, his bulletin boards are always well done and completed on time. This month's "Wrap it Before You Tap it" board regarding male contraceptives has drawn grand reviews from residents. It seems every time I am in the office countless people are drawn in by the oversized condom to read all the important information Mike has regarding safe sex. Mike regularly goes above and beyond his RA duties while in the Rec Lounge, cleaning out the refrigerator when need be, tidying up after students leave equipment out, and even repairing equipment like ping-pong paddles when the padding starts to come off the wood. Again and again I see Mike doing little deeds that further the quality of life at West Campus. I can recall a time when two residents approached Mike about how another one of their roommates was not cleaning anything or taking out any garbage. The two were visibly annoyed so Mike talked to them for about fifteen minutes before proceeding to the apartment. The conversation turned to small talk after briefly discussing the roommate situation, and as the talk continued the two residents clearly were more relaxed. I thought this was genius in that he knew barging in on the roommate with both in a state of anger would not be good for anyone. Mike is more than a great RA. He is a great person and a great friend. Although he performs these actions looking for no thanks or recognition, he is more than qualified and deserving for SUNY Cortland's Rising Star of the Semester. Cheney Ashley Cattaneo does not always say a lot; but when she does, it is worth hearing. She puts a lot of thought into her words before they are spoken which results in an opinion that is carefully crafted. Sometimes, she observes the conversational climate before participating, but it is not for lack of interest in contributing. Her insights show a depth of character and sensitivity to others' feelings. She can be counted on to give an honest and fair outlook. During staff meetings, Ashley contributes her opinions with perception to the issues that are often overlooked. At the last staff meeting, she clearly and considerately explained to the rest of the staff how some of the language used to describe people with disabilities has a negative connotation because of the focus centering on the disability instead of the person. She incorporated what she has learned as an inclusive

special education major into her role as a staff member and helped the rest of the staff learn about the meaning of personcentered language, which is valuable to anybody in a leadership position. Ashley is being nominated for "Rising Star of the Semester" because of her growing role within Cheney Hall. She is Cheney Hall's RA senator in RHA and is very active in RHA programming within the residence hall. Her leadership skills contain a great deal of subtlety seeing as her courteous demeanor persuades others to help out and participate in RHA. When she is frustrated or disappointed with the level of involvement from residents in RHA, she puts on her game face and continues to act with greatest poise and civility. Her mature manner of behavior promotes cooperation and is a testament to her quality of character. As the semester has progressed, these qualities have become more evident to those around her. At this point in the semester, she now expresses her thoughts more frequently, to the benefit of all since her ideas are well developed and helpful. Ashley has had many opportunities to voice her opinion during staff program planning and while she may not have spoken up at every chance, what she does say is far more important than how often she speaks. Hayes I nominate Brittany Mazurkiewicz to be the Rising Star of the semester. Brittany will do anything for anybody at anytime. She is involved in everything! The list includes President of Gospel Choir, member of BASIC, member of AGAPE, member of bible study, and on top of that she is an RA. I nominate her for the Rising Star award because there isn't a 'Shining Star' award. The way she balances all of her clubs with her job is amazing. All of the resident love and respect her. She attends every single program that she can just to show her support for her fellow staff members. She even goes so far as to rally residents up to attend everyone else programs. She is a great student as well and she tries her hardest to motivate other people to reach their potential. All of Brittany's residents trust and respect her enough to come to her with any problems they may be having or even to just say hello because her cheery outlook on life makes even the saddest person in the world smile even if only for a second. When I am on duty, I get so happy when she comes in even if I dont show it. With her sense of humor and kind heart, being around her is nothing but enjoyable. I seek her advice on even the trivial of tasks because her opinion means a lot to me. That's just Brittany as a person. As an RA, she is phenomenal. Like i said earlier, this award should be awarded to Brittany because she started the semester at a level higher than most other people and just continued to rise. She has never ceased to amaze me and i don't believe she will any time soon. In review, I believe Brittany should win this award because I would guess most of the other nominees started out rough and rose to be a great staff member. Brittany however never was lower then excellent but she rose to a star very quickly. Brittany deserves much more recognition for the little things she does then this nomination can give to her but it's a start. Thank you for considering Brittany as the Rising Star of the semester. Fitzgerald There are several key phrases that stand out in the definition of a rising star. The first phrase emphasizes a persons growth throughout the semester. The second says that a person must be a valued and integral member of a staff. Both of these phrases describe Rachel Dumas. Rachel has been an active and crucial component of community development on her floor. I have witnessed Rachel having a girls night with several of her residents. At this girls night everyone told ghost stories and shared things they were afraid of. You will not find another RA that is willing to spend the time with their residents the way Rachel does. Not only has Rachel helped develop the community on her floor but she also inspires a sense of community within the entire building. In her free time Rachel sits in the lobby and says hello to residents as they leave and return from class. Rachel is also the RHA senator for Fitzgerald Hall. Rachel has received involvement from residents throughout the building. Through hall council, Rachel has spearheaded Fitzgeralds efforts to fundraise for Adopt-A-Family.

The female residents on Rachels floor truly have a role model to look up to. Rachel has shown her residents that she cares a great deal when she attends their athletic events to cheer for them. Rachel understands what it is like to be a resident and gears her programs toward the residents. She has hosted a program called study break, in which residents could take time from their busy schedules to relax. Residents where given the opportunity to color, watch a movie, and even make their own heating pad. Rachel has become a valued and integral member of our staff because of the little things she does. Rachel is always in the staff

office when others are on duty. As a student, Rachel aspires to be a teacher someday. When Rachel interacts with residents she uses her teaching skills. Her goal is not to get residents in trouble. She strives to teach each resident about the policies so they can make an informed choice the next time. Rachel has had no shortage of issue to deal with on her floor. Dealing with these issues is where I have seen Rachel grow the most. The feeling of a community is jeopardized when there is a conflict between roommates. Rachel has been very proactive in handling roommate disagreements. She makes herself available at all hours. She also utilizes the roommate agreement form. Most important of all, Rachel does not forget about the rest of her residents while she deals with conflicts. She continues to interact and maintain the healthy community she has developed. Rachel is involved with programs outside of our residence hall as well. She is actively involved with RHA. She had an irreplaceable impact on the successful running of the haunted hall during Halloween weekend. As you can see Rachel has developed into a rising star and is extremely deserving of this award. Higgins As a first-year RA in Higgins Hall, Andre has shown that he has the potential to be an outstanding RA. As he continues to transition into the role of an RA, Andre has found a way to balance his academics, social life, athletics and the RA position. He works hard to ensure that he is meeting the expectations of his fellow staff members and is constantly looking to improve. He gives this position his full attention and always follows through with what is required of him. Andre has had no problem getting to know residents on his floor and throughout the building. He has built a rapport with residents from all different backgrounds and relates to them on some level. His positivity makes him approachable, and I know that when I ask him something about his residents, he already knows the answer or is willing to get it for me. He also promotes a positive environment by studying with his residents in the various lounges or kitchens in the building. Some of his residents have already requested him as their RA for next year. Administratively, he always turns his paperwork in on time and completes it thoroughly. Other members of the staff want to work with him on programs, such as the diversity program because they know he will accomplish what needs to be done. He is always willing to help others out and helped p-card shop for a program when I was unavailable. He also has quickly found a way to balance his studies in a rigorous academic program (athletic training), his RA responsibilities and still participates on the track team. Andre is also secretly creative. His bulletin boards are always neat, contain accurate information and have an artistic element that really shines. This past board on sexual health awareness featured a 3-foot tall cut-out of "Mr. Condom," who was teaching a class on safe sex. His board also featured a 3-D chalkboard with information on it and a border of smaller condoms that Andre drew and cut out by hand. His first bulletin board as an RA was awarded the Bulletin Board of the Month award for his attention to detail in cutting out fire ladders as a order and his use of materials to create a fire. He also listens to his residents when it comes to programming. Andre had planned a sex awareness program for October, but when he learned that they wanted a Halloween-related program, he changed his program to pumpkin carving and saved the Condoms & Candy program for November. His first program, Battle of the Sexes, also went over very well and have residents calling for a re-match. Andre knows how to enthuse his residents and provide them with programs which both interest and teach them. Andre is a staff member who can be called on to address any situation and he will do so with a smile, including hunting down a possible hamster in one of the building's suites. He is a solid member of Higgins' staff who would be missed greatly if he were not here. Bishop My nomination for Rising Star of the Semester goes to Michael Tony Terry, not only for his interpersonal relationships with residents, but for his positive presence on our staff. Michael Tony Terry is always out and about with residents, doing everything from Neubig trips to just hanging out in the lounge gossiping. He actively tries to be involved with not only his

residents on his floor, but all residents on all floors. He has to be, hands down, the most recognized staff member in the building because of his incredible social skills. But that is not all Michael Tony Terry brings to the table, his positive attitude during all things staff related really brighten the mood. It doesn't matter what is going on in his life, he brings good vibes everywhere he goes and it's infectious. Our staff would not be as tight if it were not for him. Whitaker Upon arriving to Whitaker Hall I wasnt sure what to think of Tim Wood. Tim seemed like the shy quiet type of person and I wasnt sure how he would fit in with some of the other staff members. As days went on, Tim seemed to grow more and more as he spent time with the staff, coming more and more out of his shell. Day in and day out he started to learn more and more about the position and get better at it every week, after all we were all new staff members. Tim has made wonderful strives to keep our hall together as a community. As a Resident Assistant he has made sure that everyone is comfortable when it comes to Whitaker hall. At first Tim wasnt the most outgoing with his residents, but now he makes sure everyone he passes before leaving the building is invited to Dinner or Friendlys. Tim is also an avid pool player when it comes to his residents; lately he hasnt turned down a single game to enjoy with the residents-his informal activities are endless. Tim has been a role model to a lot of students in Whitaker hall. Some have even taken the large step of planning on joining the residence life and housing team because of their support and discussions with Tim. When it comes to being an administrator he has been leading his hall council team through the many difficulties they have faced this year, from talkative members to programs not being approved-Tim continues to show a positive outlook. Not only is he always there for his hall council but his programs are geared towards his residents, such as deciding to do a lockout program when he found out how many residents tend to leave their doors unlocked and a how to use my red dragon and CAPP report for his collaborative. Tim is strongly against the use of slang or derogative terms that are commonly used in the residence halls. He is always the first one to tell students to not use terms that could hurt others feelings. He makes sure that everyone understands why it is hurtful and makes sure that it isnt said anymore. He has learned to always follow up with residents so they understand why they are being documented and what the next steps will be. One example, we had one resident who would use the word queer constantly. Tim made sure to educate him, give him a warning and let him know how that word could be offensive. Tim shows up to all his staff members programs when he is able to, and he also helps put on programs for the Residence Hall Association. He is in Gospel choir and is involved in numerous diverse organizations. Throughout all his commitments, Tim has grown and matured with each responsibility and task he takes on; he truly is our staffs rising star. Hendrick Julia Tuttle should be nominated for this award because as a First Year RA, because she has gone above and beyond expectations. Coming into training, Julia was very unsure of herself and had doubts about her abilities as a resident assistant. Since then, she has grown exponentially, especially since all her programs are very successful and her bulletin boards are intriguing and engaging. She is always involved with the community and the girls on her floor, and I always see her coming back from going on runs with them and always saying hello to everyone. Difficult situations are an absolute ease for Julia, as she addresses them with a certain, special type of sensitive authority. One incident, right before halloween where a student from another building came in highly intoxicated and possibly drugged, showcased Julia's talents. She was able to do her job in a non condescending manner, and take all appropriate actions and information. She managed to keep the incident under control, while showcasing how much she truly cares about any resident in any hall. She puts so much time and effort into Hendricks RHA, and does a spectacular job in helping the residents plan and execute wildly successful programs. Julia Tuttle went from doubting herself to taking her job by the reigns and making it an awesome experience for her, and all of the residents in Hendrick Hall.

Clark I am nominating Dan Scura as Rising Star. This is his first semester as an RA but not his first semester as a student staff member. Being that he held a different student staff position in the past, he already had many of the skills that it takes to be a great RA coming into the job. As an RA time management is a necessity and that is something that Dan knows how to do well. He balances his time well between being an RA and a student. Everything that he needs to get done always gets done on time and Dan puts in a lot of effort into everything that he does. When it comes to programming Dan likes to think of ideas that would attract the most residents as possible. His program Good Deeds Dont Go Unnoticed recognized the good deeds that

our residents do every day in the hall that usually dont get recognized. This was a great idea because by recognizing the good deeds that residents do encourages them to do more. Not only does Dan try to get as many residents as possible to attend his programs, he also encourages residents to attend other RAs programs. When we did pie a staff member, a fundraiser for Adopt A Family, Dan personally went and knocked on every single door in the building to encourage residents to come. Dan has a good relationship with everyone on staff and everyone knows that they can count on him. Whether its a duty switch or a situation where you need back up, Dan is always approachable and willing to help out. Just as important as the relationship with the rest of the staff, Dan has put in an enormous effort into building positive relationships with residents throughout the building. Whether he is out to lunch, at the gym, on just hanging out in the staff office, Dan is always seen hanging out with residents. With everything that Dan has done, I think it is important to recognize all that he has contributed to the Clark Hall staff and the Clark Hall residents. Although Dan has already contributed a lot to the building, I still think he has plans to do even greater things for Clark. This is why I am asking for Dan to get the Rising Star Award. Randall On the Randall staff, we had quite a few possible candidates for the Rising Star award. DJ Johnson was agreed upon by our staff to receive this award. DJ is a first semester Resident Assistant this year and had done a fantastic job of learning to balance his life while giving equal attention to school, his outside job, being an RA, being a good friend and staff member, and taking time to keep himself calm and organized. DJ is friendly and very approachable by residents in our building; he is always willing to help and would go the extra mile to help anyone who asked him. He is open to new experiences and opened up to being on an already established staff with excitement and expectations of a great year. DJ always has a positive attitude in staff meetings and around the building. He is a creative, enthusiastic member of the Randall staff and we feel more like a family through his contributions. I think DJ deserves to be the Rising Star of the semester because of how well hes seemed to balance his incredibly busy life. He is a full time student and works 20-30 hours a week at the Corey information desk as a Building Manager and through the Recreation program at Cortland running the football score boards or doing anything the sports teams need. DJ runs the sound at Cortland Gospel Choir concerts, is on the Student Activity Board, and runs around like a crazy person making sure everything is in order for all of the things that he is involved in. Somehow, with all of this going on in his life, DJ manages to be present in the building and takes time to know as many residents as possible. DJ is very serious about all aspects of his life which is extremely admirable. He puts so much time and energy into every part of his life it is amazing that he finds time to sleep. I was so impressed by DJs willingness to jump into an RA position with such fervor and genuine heart to help the people around him. DJ is greatly admired in Randall hall for his dedication and desire to succeed. He has good rapport with everyone on staff and in the building. He is a fantastic RA and has risen to the top of our chart, and we hope yours, too! DeGroat Rising Star is an understatement for one of our staff members in DeGroat. When Jackie first arrived at our hall, she was nothing but a bundle of nerves with a head filled of worst case scenarios. The only thing that would get her through the day was her vice of coffee and chocolate. The staff perceived her to be a space cadet since she was always in the clouds half the time you spoke to her. I bet you she would be surprised to know that we feel that she is a force to be reckoned with. Its Funny that we mentioned clouds before because she literally came out of nowhere like a bolt of lightning, shining among the staff with utter brilliance. She can be considered the students advocate, always speaking on their behalf. In Hall council, she always ensures that all voices are heard even those who are soft-spoken or unable to attend. She consistently empowers residents to make their mark in the hall. She empowered students to create a standard on their floor and trusted them to enforce it. Her encouragement allowed students to create rules of engagement in our lounges involving the TV and Recreation Equipment. Her guidance helped students lay down the law on how their floors should be treated. She also assisted the residents find their voice by allowing them to visit each floor meetings to remind the other residents that this is their hall and that they should treat it as such. Her programs such as Real World DeGroat challenged students to step outside their comfort zone to engage in conversations with other students with whom they never met, testing them by figuring out how to deal with difficult situations that can occur in a room.

As a staff member, she holds everyone accountable, even her boss. She expects high standards from all of us because she knows that we are providing a service to our residents and that they deserve the best out of us. Standing firm in her beliefs, she voices her opinion in opposition to the majoritys say. This was a total transformation from what she was in the beginning. She was quiet and inconspicuous. Now she is loud and proud of her role in the building. Without her involvements in hall government, I can honestly say that this would be considered a dorm, a place where people sleep as opposed to a resident hall, where residents live, learn, and prosper. I am proud to see her grow from a space cadet to the peoples champion. Alger Paul has shown a great deal of growth from the beginning of the semester until now. He came into this semester with a negative outlook on life, but has learned to become more optimistic and helpful to those who need him. He may have not been the most outgoing or friendliest person, but he has shown that he can and will be there for his staff and his residents when they are in need. The residents on Pauls floor have become a community and they know they can talk to him even as a friend. Paul is a good role model because he is a hardworking student and is a member of the equestrian club. Glass Emily is a first semester RA and she has done an awesome job. She is always willing to help, but also knows when she needs to ask for help. She is also the first to step up when the staff needs something. For example, this semester she took Cortaca weekend duty as well as Halloween weekend duty. Those are two really big weekends but she had no problem taking them. During staff meetings shes usually the one to keep us on track, and many times is the one to settle disagreements within in the staff. As her outside assignment, she is the representative of Glass Towers RHA, and she has done a great job with the group. I went with her to her first meeting because she was nervous but she had no reason to be. She relates really well to the residents, and very quickly had a lot of residents wanting to participate. She really lets the members run things, and just supervises, giving them a great leadership opportunity. As a student she is really busy because shes in her block for her major and is completely swamped with work, but I have never seen it affect her job. She has a really good balance between school and her job, and never lets one get in the way of the other. I rarely ever see her door closed, because she does most of her work in the library so that she wont get distracted and when shes home she can leave her door open. Her programs always have great outcomes, and she always does programs that really appeal to her residents. Her last program that I went to that she did was a relaxing program where she printed pictures out to color and had a Disney movie on. She was sure to print out things for boys and girls and had a really nice turnout. Personally, from the incidents that I have seen her deal with, she always remains calm and handles it really well, and if shes nervous she doesnt show it. I was in the office with her one night when one of her residents came down to talk about the problems he was having with his roommates and she did so well. She made sure he knew what he was and wasnt allowed to do, and told him how sorry she was that he was going through what he was. She made him feel so much better, and he left knowing that she was there to help him. Outside of the residence hall she is also involved. She goes to many of the events held on campus and has gotten many residents to come with her as well. Being that shes not 21, I feel like a lot of residents look to her for things to do when they cant go out. Casey Tower I have known Alyson for almost 8 years. Last year, at the end of the semester, she was determined to get an RA position. She worked so hard and put in everything she had to be the best candidate possible. She was so excited when she got the job and this year, I was privileged to become a RA along side her. She has grown into a great RA and a wonderful person to work along side. Just this year I have seen a huge difference in the way she treats people and sees them as more important than herself. She is always willing to work with others to complete a task and has become a great team member.

Alyson has put forth a lot of time into her job and sees it as very important. She has been an active role in community development because of this. She seeks to get people involved with other staff member's programs and will go out of her way to make any program a success. In regards to administrative abilities, Aly sees her job as important and demands respect because of the position she holds. However, she is still able to maintain a level of friendship with the residence in order to make them feel comfortable. Along side this, her helping roles can be seen because she is always willing to help whoever needs. Aly's first program was the most successful program I have ever seen. She had so many people attending and everyone loved it. Aly has been able to maintain good grades through the process of being an RA. She works hard towards her Bio Major/Chem Minor degree and keeps her mind focused on what is important. This has helped her to demonstrates how to be a leader by being a good role model to the people around her. Before Aly became as RA she had to experience something that not many people would ever want to. Last year, during finals week, her cousin attempted to commit suicide and went into a coma. Fortunately, she survived, but this incident seriously impacted her. Dealing with suicide is one of the hardest things for a person to have to deal with as an RA, but especially now for Aly. Unfortunately, Aly had to deal with this one of the first weekends she was on duty. She stayed strong and dealt with the problem the way she was suppose to and demonstrated to many people around her the strength and courage that this took and was able to encourage the people that were part of the incident, as well as just residents within the building. Aly has helped to maintain a positive community in this major way as well has many other minor ones. Shea Mairead Fogarty should be nominated for Rising Star of the Semester because she has developed into a stronger leader and an even stronger person in general since she entered the role as a Staff Member. Throughout all of the moments we have shared together as staff members, not once have I seen Mairead have a negative attitude toward any situation. She is an active runner and she inspires residents and Cortland students to run as well. Mairead is involved in "Wellness Wednesdays" and she is constantly encouraging residents to go by leading as a great example. Mairead is actively involved in the blood drives that are frequently held on campus. She encourages people to donate blood to help those in need of blood. For her outside assignment of raising money for Adopt-A-Family, she organized a talent show to raise money for the cause. Not only did she raise money but by her leading by example and performing for the talent show, she inspired her residents to do the same. There were some residents I have never even heard speak and she gave them the confidents to sing in front of a fairly large group. Mairead is a confident role model who inspires others to follow her respectable actions. The reason why she should be specifically nominated for rising star was because in the beginning of the semester, she seemed hesitant to speak to residents. She told me one time that she felt uncomfortable approaching some of her residents. I was feeling the same way. As the semester progressed, she maintained a positive attitude and approached her residents more and more. I was inspired by her to create the same atmosphere on my floor. Through her optimistic outlook on her position and on the community within or outside our building, she has developed more confident persona that is radiated through her interactions with other people. I personally look up to Mairead because of how genuinely cheerful and bright her personality is and how she can remain optimistic no matter how difficult life can be sometimes.