Cornell Campus Sustainability Office | Spring 2018

The first annual Cornell University Golden Gorge Awards - honoring the contributions of student leaders in creating a more sustainable campus - took place on May 8th, 2018. The award ceremony recognized students, student organizations and student sustainability work on the Cornell's campus and in the community which advanced the climate action plan and related sustainability goals.



A new initiative launched at the awards was the introduction of a "Green Honor Tassle" for graduating seniors who pledge to commit to lifelong sustainability, honoring their commitment on campus and their potential as lifelong leaders in creating a more just and sustainable society and planet.  The event was co-hosted by the student organization ECO and Cornell's Campus Sustainability.



2018 Award Categories

• Rookie of the Year: Ruth Park
  
  This award recognizes an active and dedicated first-year student who contributed greatly to their student organization's events, initiatives, operations, and/or team morale.  

• Member of the Year: Trisha Ray 
  
  This award recognizes an active and dedicated member of a student organization who contributed greatly to their organization's events, initiatives, operations, and/or team morale.

• Event of the Year: Martha Williams for ECOuture 
  
  This award recognizes student organizations for conceiving, planning, and implementing an outstanding event for the Cornell community; an event that embodies the sustainability-related mission of the organization. All types of events are considered, including ones that are social, cultural, recreational, educational, etc. 

• Initiative of the Year: Climate Justice Cornell’s Education Team
  
   This award recognizes student organizations for conceiving, planning, and implementing an outstanding initiative for the Cornell community; an initiative that embodies the sustainability-related mission of the organization. All types of initiatives are considered, including ones that are social, cultural, recreational, educational, operational, infrastructural, etc. 

• Ripple Effect Award: Clifton Stacy  
  
  This award recognizes an influential student, student organization, event, or initiative whose impact has continued to spread, gain  momentum, and/or create new possibilities within the Cornell community.  

• Biggest Fail Award: Climate Justice Cornell’s first meeting attempt with Cornell’s CFO 
  
  This award recognizes a student, student organization, event, or initiative that heroically failed in pursuit of something awesome. This award celebrates an epic failure, knowing that it is better to attempt something astonishing and fail than to hold back.

• JUST Award (Justice, Unity, and Sustainability Triumphs): Tarannum Sarwat Sahar
  
  This award recognizes a student, student organization, event, or initiative for working to foster justice, inclusion, and sustainability through collaboration, education, and/or action within the Cornell community. 

• Lifetime Achievement Award: Elizabeth Chi
  
  This prestigious award recognizes an outstanding student leader whose contributions and accomplishments span their *educational career at Cornell. The recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award embodies vision, leadership, hard work, and collaboration. They represent the brightest and most influential minds amongst Cornell's sustainability student leaders. 

• Organization of the Year: Greeks Go Green
  
  This award recognizes an extraordinary student organization that contributed meaningfully to the Cornell community through its sustainability-related efforts and achievements. This award recognizes an active student organization whose members furthered its purpose through collaboration, innovation, adaptation, and perseverance. The Organization of the Year represents the most collaborative, hardworking, and influential sustainability student organizations on Cornell's campus.