UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT GOVERNMENT WINS NATIONAL LEADERSHIP AWARDS

	COLUMBUS -- Undergraduate Student Government’s leadership 
qualities, community activities and positive impact on students 
at The Ohio State University have earned the group two national 
awards.

	The Excellence in Student Government and Distinguished 
Service Learning awards will be presented to USG Feb. 15 in 
Indianapolis by the National Association for Campus Activities 
(NACA), an educational foundation that develops and provides 
programs and services for college and university students and 
staff.

	USG is being recognized for several of its activities, 
including Community Commitment, a service-learning project 
organized last September in which 1,200 students performed 
community service work at 14 sites around Columbus.

	“To be recognized by the NACA is a huge statement about the 
quality of student leadership being produced out of Ohio State,” 
said Tracy Stuck, director of student activities and adviser to 
USG.  “The students put a lot of hard work into this project, and 
benefited from what they learned in terms of their growth as 
leaders and individuals.  We couldn’t be more thrilled.”

	The Distinguished Service Learning Award recognizes quality 
collegiate service-learning programs -- student-driven learning 
experiences related to curricular or co-curricular activity, with 
a goal of solving community problems.  The Excellence in Student 
Government Award recognizes outstanding achievements and 
contributions of student governments.  All student governments at 
colleges or universities representing 10,000 or more students 
were eligible to compete for the awards.

	Other projects for which USG was recognized include:

	-- establishment of a universal student COTA bus pass.

	-- publishing a student evaluation guide of professors at 	   
	   Ohio State to help students register for classes. 

	-- lobbying the state Legislature to secure university 	 
	   funding.

	-- registering some 3,000 new student voters.

	-- creating a state-of-the-art resource room open to all 
	   student organizations.

	-- organizing campus visits by President Bill Clinton and 	  
	   Vice President Al Gore.

	“We wanted to make a significant commitment to service-
learning and show our commitment to the student community and the 
community at large,” said Colin O’Brien, a member of USG and co-
chair of Community Commitment.  “This recognition demonstrates 
that large-scale programs can be led by students and be 
successful.  It is a testament to the work of a core of student 
leaders and several offices at Ohio State who chose to invest in 
our programs to help make them a success.”  

	The awards will be presented at the NACA national convention 
at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15 in the Indianapolis Convention 
Center, room 208.  A delegation of USG members and student 
affairs staff will be present to receive the awards.

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Contact: 	Tracy Stuck, director of student activities, 
		(614) 292-8763.