The Student Activities Center received a record-high 148 applicants for the annual Excellence Awards, which honor students and student organizations.

The awards were distributed at a Thursday night ceremony featuring student performances. They honored, among other things, community service projects, student organization advisors and performance groups.

SAC also had its highest number of applicants, 37, for the Joint Committee of Faculty and Students Scholarship for Student Leadership Development. Last year’s applicant pool was significantly smaller – only 10 to 15 people – and received criticism for being comprised of mostly students involved with the Student Association. SA officials serve on the JCFS award selection committee.

This year, three of the five award recipients had ties to the SA; last year, five of the seven honorees were involved in student government.

The JCFS is a group of students and faculty that discuss issues affecting academic and student life. The JCFS publicized the scholarships more extensively this year in an effort to receive more applications.

“This year we made an expanded effort to diversify the applicant pool,” JCFS Committee member Shaina Schallop said.

“We’re proud of the fact that the applicants are truly representative of the University,” JCFS member Lee Roupas said.

Due to increased funding from Student and Academic Support Services, the JCFS scholarship amount increased from $1,000 to $3,000 per recipient.

“We were looking for someone who’s well-rounded academically and socially, and has the ability to be a leader as well as develop further leadership skills,” Schallop said.

Robin Nagel, one of five JCFS scholarship winners, applied for the scholarship after professors and supervisors sent her e-mails encouraging her to do so.

“I applied because I got the information from a lot of different directions,” Nagel said.

Nagel is a community facilitator on the Mount Vernon Campus and also holds a leadership position in EMeRG., a student organization that provides emergency medical treatment.

The other JCFS scholarship winners were David Richard Frenkil, Juliet Moser, Kyle Spector and John Van Name. Spector, a former SA senator, is The Hatchet’s assistant production manager and a contributing opinions editor.

“I think the JCFS did a great job publicizing the awards this year. I’m proud to be recognized among such a great group of student leaders,” Spector said.