The Shoffice: 2009-2010 Student Honors Organization Area Government of The Year Bid

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the SHOffice

2009-2010 Student Honors Organization


Area Government of the Year Bid
“SHO is made up of brilliant people with beautiful souls, bound by a kind of genuine care and affection
you can't find anywhere else. SHO is innocent and charming and snazzy and incredible. I cannot hon-
estly imagine my college experience so far being nearly as fulfilling were it not for my involvement with
SHO . “ –Josh Achiam, Academic

3 The Boss‘s Report 9 Corporate (IRHA) 14 The Final Report


Spirit
4 Our Mission 10 Corporate 15 Letter from the CEO
Involvement
5 Our Training Program 11 Community Outreach 16 List of Events
6 Our Passion for 12 Learning Process and
Excellence Miscellaneous Tasks
7 Branch Functions 13 Our Breakthroughs
(Events)

Officer Team Academic Community Service Residential Social


Sierra Seaman Joshua Achaim Cory Lee Sarvenaz Jacob Speedy 4
Laussermair

Adam Lindsley 1 2 3 Stephanie Salazar Jordan Andreu Liz McNeill 4 Lerah Sutton
Kaitlin Cunningham Emily Warnock Tali Yohann Jennifer Traylor Hema Kher

Patrick Wanninkhof John Thibeault Ann Hentschel William Baumler Amber Suleskey
1234
Amy Adams Rupal Bhana Reagan Lee 3 4 Sean Fahy Tyler Benjamin
Lee Penn 4 Kathy Keeter Ginny Somers Maddie Jenni Potter
Bottenhorn
Jessica Watkins Jarryd Reed
Official IRHA Positions
1—Conference Delegate 2—Event Director
3—Event Assistant Director 4—Event Staff

2
Report from the Boss:

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as this year’s President for what is undoubtedly the

greatest Area Government around: the Student Honors Organization. It has been one of the most chal-

lenging, yet rewarding experiences of my college career. I was blessed with an unimaginable Officer

board: A VP who never let me down, a treasurer who always kept her cool, a Residential Chancellor who

Without a doubt, SHO has made my col- added spice to every meeting and event, a Business Manager
lege experience thus far. They are my
who kept everyone smiling and upbeat, and a Secretary who
family: in our SHOffice home, I have
SHiblings who support me, SHmama's and united the Officer and Executive board by befriending eve-
SHdaddy's who care for me when I need
ry member of our team. At the beginning of the year we
them. They are my role models: it is the
people who make an experience unforget- selected 26 of the most talented, creative, impressive un-
table and I'm fortunate to be surrounded
by the most inspirational and driven indi- derclassmen that I have ever met for our Executive Board,

viduals. Because of their tenacious exam-


a group of people we SHOfficers fondly refer to as our
ples, I have become not only a stronger
leader, but a better person. SHbabies. Our expectations were very high and they did
- Liz McNeill, Residential
not disappoint. The events that the SHbabies came up with

were exciting, innovative, and precisely addressed our purpose: entertain, inform, and serve our residents
I have been very impressed with SHO this
and honors students by offering opportunities they year. They began in Fall with a slew of fan-
tastic events that brought out my residents
couldn’t find elsewhere. We all worked hard, and it with different interests to immediately begin
building the community. As the year went
on, SHO continued to invent new events,
certainly showed through our continued and un- such as unexpected twists on old favorites like
Sundaes on Sunday- with Neon/80s, or
matched success throughout the year. I could not be Green themes and fantastic music! Their
committees that in the past seemed less
more proud of this area government. I hope that this prominent, such as Academic and Communi-
ty Service, have proven themselves to be
strong this year, and the Social and Residen-
bid can shed further light on why SHO deserves tial committees don’t rest in their easy popu-
larity, but push their imaginations to new
recognition as this year’s Area Government of the lengths to create bigger and more engaging
and creative events. SHO thinks and does
Year. “big” and I believe that they are a huge part
of the sense of community and home that we
have in Hume. As an RCA, I know that I can
Thank you and lots of SHlove, promote SHO events with confidence, and
my residents will have a quality and fun ex-
Sierra Seaman perience that will benefit their residential life.
SHO President 09-10 —Stephani Babcock, Hume RCA

3
Our Mission: Why is SHO the Area Government of
the Year?
Ten months ago, six freshly elected SHOfficers

came together for the first time in the SHOffice

and compiled the golden list of what was to

come in the most exhilarating months of their

lives, a list that would guide them through the

rest of the year. The ultimate goal- the big pic-

ture- the burning question: How would they lead

their AG to become the Area Government of the

Year? It was our destiny from the start.

SHO is a team-sport composed of the most dedicated and creative board you will ever meet. Each member of

the officer and executive board plays a vital role in our success. Each resident matters as well. Our board
As a confused, lonely freshman, SHO
spends hours on end planning and executing extremely successful events
has allowed me to discover my own
and that success is reflected in the atmosphere at Hume- one of a communi- comfortable niche in this vast col-

ty that shares in its quest for a healthy, fun, diverse, and academic environ- lege campus by putting on fun and
creative events in social atmos-
Goals for SHO 2009-2010 ment. We work to pro- pheres. It has given me the oppor-
 Select the greatest Executive Board
mote diversity, ac- tunity to not only form life-long
ever seen
 Co-Program more with outside or- friendships but also broaden my ho-
ganizations and within SHO commit- ceptance and under- rizons through community service
tees activities and academic events.
standing, to meet our
 Build and maintain a sense of strong
-Rupica Madhaven, Hume Resident
community within the Honors Pro- resident‘s needs and
gram and Hume Hall
 Improve IRHA relations and involve- desires, to fuel excellence academically and educate our
ment
 Leadership development residents, to encourage involvement and service, and to
 Create fresh, innovative events and
re-vamp traditional events have fun. Although the title of Area Government of the
 Continue to give back to the commu-
Year is one that we all strive for each and every day as we
nity
 Maintain close, personal but profes- pour our blood, sweat, and tears into making SHO a suc-
sional relationships with our Execu-
tive Board cess, the real truth about our time with SHO is:
 Win Area Government of the Year
This isn’t a competition. It’s an experience.

4
Our Training
Program
SHO prides itself in being a foundation for UF‘s next genera-

tion of leaders. SHO‘s organizational structure is ideal for this

purpose: the six officers serve as mentors for the 26 executive

board members, offering advice about programming within

SHO and involvement in general. Within the E-board, 4 chairs

are elected who serve as a link between the officers and their committee. The chairs also manage the various requirements

for hosting programs (such as budgeting and permitting) and coordinate the committees‘ efforts on large scale events.

One of the best ways to grow as a leader is through self- and peer- evaluation. After selection, Fall Retreat func-

tions not only to bring the executive board closer together, but to develop confidence, leadership skills, and new ideas. Lat-

er, our Spring Retreat gives the executive board a chance to reflect on the past semester, form stronger personal bonds, and

prepare for the rest of the year. Using enormous post-its, each committee reflected on four past programs and the rest of the

executive board wrote pros and cons about each event to help improve future events. Next they discussed their definition of

a successful program and their roles in completing the next semester‘s goals. The committees were then paired to plan a co-

program and to perform a skit about this idea (it was here that our successful Harry Potter Day event was born!). Groups

also competed in various team-building games. Finally, there was an open forum where everyone reflected on their experi-

ence with SHO and the SHOfficers offered guidance about involvement and life in general.

Because of the experiences and networking

opportunities that SHO provides, the executive

board has also become involved in a plethora of

university and housing committees. A SHOfficer is

on the executive board of NRHH and others are

active members. Two members volunteer with the

Museum university student educator program at the

Harn. One is a SG Senator. One is on the SG Budg-

et Committee. One is a Professional Development

TA. Yeah, we get around.

(That’s what she said)

5
The kind of closeness that the members of the Student Honors Organiza-

tion has is the kind that you can only find between white on rice and between

PB&J. It started from a board of six officers who grew even closer and more

pumped up during IRHA‘s Fall Leadership. During Weeks of Welcome we were

ready to prove ourselves as one of campus‘s premier organizations and Area Gov-

ernments. Handing out pamphlets and shirts bearing both a gator and the words

―Student Honors Organization‖ to over 600 members helped spread the word on

what our AG had to offer. Many residents expressed their interest to become more involved in SHO after seeing the

SHOfficer‘s enthusiasm and the bonds SHO builds within Hume.

Following WoW, the 26 newly selected SHpirited Executive Board members hit the ground running, fueled by

their passion for helping the residents and community. They were quickly indoctrinated into the SHO lifestyle, surrounded

with words that would become common lingo, such as SHfamily, SHOfficers, SHbabies and pet

SHOcelot. Not only were the members of the AG SHpirited, but the rest of the area was, too! A

perfect example was this year‘s showing of the annual Haunted Hume. Together, the 18 floors

of Hume, RCA‘s and residents alike, put together an enormous, spooky haunted house for dis-

advantaged children to trick-or-treat. This kind of mass response to the needs of the surrounding

community is one of the key things that embodies SHpirit. Giving back became an important
Wally, a blow-up
focal point for SHO who raised over $1,300 for charities and served over 100 hours of service.
parrot, is passed on
The residents never lost their fire and excitement to be a part of the SHO community.
each Exec Board
Resident turnout at events remained high throughout the year. Throughout campus, Humies

meeting to an mem- represented the Honors community wearing their SHO shirts. And on the field, they participated

ber who went above in Fo‘SHO soccer along with the Executive and Officer boards, which included two-hour prac-

tices twice a week and attendance at the games. And if they weren‘t kicking it back with the E-
and beyond. The
board and SHOfficers on the field, they were cheering on the sidelines. Players were so excited
photographic “Wally
about this team that they created a photographic tribute on our SHOffice wall.
Chronicles” document
SHpirit is what beats in the heart of every Hume resident, from the SHOfficers to their
his journeys. SHbabies. One could best define it as as the passion for the community that we have here at

Hume. Some might even call it SHlove. It is this bonding, this closeness, this need to spread our hopes and joy to others that

breathes life into the true heart of SHO and makes it the great Area Government that it is.

6
Behind the Scenes of the SHOffice
The first step in the makings of SHO was the selection of a diverse board with a variety of skills and ideas. The auditions were

tough, and only the best of the best joined the ranks. SHO is organized into four committees, each with their own unique pur-

pose to ensure that a variety of programs are put on. There is an Academic, Community Service, Residential and Social com-

mittee. Each committee aims to create unique programs within their area of expertise, to meet these different purposes, and to

build a well-rounded community. Committees are responsible to put on a minimum of two events per month in order to ensure

that a wide variety of programs are offered to our diverse audience and that many interests are addressed. This year the SHba-

bies began holding regular think-tanks for our bigger events which allowed for more collaboration and better events. Here are

some of our favorite episodes from the year:

SHO recognized that resident attendance tends to drop throughout the Spring Semester. To combat event apathy, the

Executive Board decided to host three grand events in three days; what we refer to as ―Triple Thrill Weekend.‖ We wanted cost

-effective events that would interact with the residents, and every member of the Officer and Executive Boards contributed.

We kicked off Triple Thrill Weekend with the Murder Mystery event. On Friday, March 19 th the SHO Social Commit-

tee, SHO volunteers, and the Murphree Area Council opened the doors of Fletcher Library to over 120 residents. SHO and

MAC collaborated, planned, and rehearsed for five weeks, and the work certainly paid off. Residents stepped into a speakeasy

from the 1930‘s, while Mafioso characters strolled around and loosened up the audience. A dramatic performance unfolded ripe

with death, jealousy, and one falsely accused audience member. When the bodies had all fallen amidst fake blood and plastic

knives, it was up to the audience to solve the mystery.

The following night, 125 residents twirled into the Rion Ballroom for the SHO Annual Swing Dance. For the first

hour, the UF Swing Club hosted a lesson in the basics of swing. Following, it encouraged the residents to practice their new

skills over the course of two hours. Finger foods and drinks refreshed residents between dances.

Finally, Harry Potter Day brought out an astounding 175 residents on Sunday. SHO offered something for everyone:

wand making, Harry Potter movies, House sorting quizzes, bobbing for apples, candy dragon eggs, a mural, chess, palm read-

ings, tarot cards, and tea leaf readings. A reconstruction of Diagon Alley made residents aware of homelessness with trivia

questions, and a guest speaker gave a testimony of his work to combat homelessness. The UF Quidditch Team came out as well

and hosted a real Quidditch tournament, and Theatre Strike Force made the residents howl with laughter. Finally, we ended the

night with a ―Yule Rave‖ dance party.

Ultimately, residents from across campus and outside of campus found something to enjoy with Triple Thrill Week-

end. The Independent Florida Alligator published an in-depth account of our events: the first time that SHO‘s title has been

made known outside of the Area Government circles in recent years.

7
WoW…and so many other great events!
On a weekend morning, sporting identical SHO uniforms and high-performance

sweatbands, SHO Exec walked into the packed gymnasium full of parents

cheering and kids laughing in rhythm to the harmonic beat of dribbling basket-

balls. We arrived at Sidney Lanier School with our hopes high to topple our

goliath. Be it the flashing pom-poms or our tough opponents, our team left de-

feated in sport but victorious in mission. After celebrating the victory of our

opponents, the mentally and physically disabled students who attend the school,

we left feeling never more satisfied. We may have lost, but we gave the parents

of the phenomenal kids the often-infrequent chance to see their children play.

Not only did the kids get to demolish a bunch of college students, but the par-

ents also expressed gratitude in being able to watch their successful traveling

team that they seldom have the means to follow.

Open Mic Night is a torch passed down from A-team to A-team, and the

spring Open Mic Night was one of the Academic Committee‘s most success-

ful events this year. Even residents who were not normally SHO regulars

came by to showcase their talents and share their deepest thoughts. Acts

ranged from stunning vocal pieces to vaudeville on the piano to witty read-

ings from original works of fiction. The packed room burst into warm ap-

plause with the closing of every act, and sometimes even began to sing along

with the performers. So many residents had something to bring to the table

that performances continued well after the two-hours allotted for the event!
Sunday, 16th Monday, 17th Tuesday, 18th Wed., 19th Thursday, 20th Friday, 21st Saturday, 22nd Sunday, 23rd
Ancient Waterpalooza Ultimate Frisbee RockBand Com- Dodgeball Annual

Mocktails @ Scavenger Hunt @ 2pm @ 2pm (Hume @ 2pm SHO BBQ


Greeks petition
@ 2pm Field) @ 2pm
8pm
and Hon- @ 2pm
Poker Night
ors Geeks
Sex, Drugs, and
What is SHO? @ 8pm
@ 2pm Honors Invades:
Dead Celebri- BBQ&A @
@7pm
Manhunt GatorNights
ties @ 7:30pm 6pm
Meet Your Ma-
@ 9pm @8pm
jor @8pm

*15 Events. 7 Days...Talk about WoW!*

8
IRHA Spirit ran rampant throughout SHO this year with an increased

interest in other AG happenings and IRHA programs. The Executive Board

rocked their IRHA stationary, pens, and shirts, and expressed excitement in

the latest developments in residence hall events. Indeed, it was not only the col-

lective Board's enthusiasm for IRHA that was impressive, but the individual efforts within the body that

exceeded all expectations set for AGs. The IRHA representatives

from SHO contributed greatly as they found their place among Campus-Winning Of The Month
Awards
other AG leaders. Community Service
Caroling at Oaks Hammock (Dec)
Jacob Speedy, barely functioning on little sleep and with Diversity Program
Cultural Dessert Night (Jan)
sore legs from a recent soccer practice, was a beacon of light dur-
Educational Program
ing the balloon filling parties. Impressively withstanding the urge Engineers: Get In Gear! (Nov)
Organization
to sleep, to rest his head for a moment in the luxurious Keys Student Honors Organization (Aug)
Social Program
Commons, a muddy and tireless Jacob trouped on in his love for Childhood Olympics (Jan)
Student
IRHA and the daunting task at hand; he left the event twenty-
Elizabeth McNeill (Sept)
five hours after his initial arrival. Patrick Wanninkhof (Nov)

Also, Patrick Wanninkhof constantly expressed his en- …And three OTMs for IRHA events

chantment with IRHA and consequent appreciation of his espres-

so machine; indeed, he would rather forego sleep than IRHA. His indefatigable exuberance for IRHA es-

tablished himself as a role model for his SHbabies and other AG members.

Overall, SHO established a new be-

ginning in residence hall life. Our co-

program with MAC brought out many IR-

HA leaders and helped to bolster the bond

between SHO and IRHA. We showed the

residence hall community that we can form

close friendships, residents can have a great

time, and we can make a difference when

AGs combine their powers.

9
If Hume is where the heart is, IRHA is where our passion lies ...
It can be hard to finally see when you have

accomplished such an abstract goal, especially one as

lofty as ―improving IRHA relations.‖ But we take

great pride in the fact that this year, SHO has gone

above and beyond any previous board in terms of IR-

HA involvement. In fact, SHO is one of the most

involved area governments in IRHA this year.

The SHOfficers led the way for SHO in IR-

HA by serving as three IRHA Directors. Patrick

Wanninkhof took on the IRHA Art Gallery in the Fall semester and IRHAPalooza in the Spring. With Art Gallery, he

transformed an event that had often been overlooked in years past to a campus and community-wide phenomenon. Instead

of one simple art gallery featuring only UF students, he reached out to the Gainesville and north Florida communities, find-

ing artists for not one, but TWO Urban Art galleries. The program was featured in local media around campus and the

Gainesville community and helped IRHA greatly expand its presence on campus.Adam Lindsley worked as the Winter Ball

Director, taking the position in October. It was a tough challenge to host a successful event with what was essentially half

of the usual planning time. But, after spending countless hours working with his Assistant Director Reagan Lee, another

SHO Executive Board member, and Jessica Arnieri ( RYMAC), they certainly met the high expectations. By drawing the

largest attendance in recent years including a diverse group of IRHA members, residents, RA‘s, GHD‘s, and Professional

Staff, Adam was able to strengthen the IRHA community.

But it has not been just the directorships that brought SHO back into the
By The Numbers
IRHA community. It has been the little things that SHO members have contributed
3 Event Directorships
that have solidified our involvement and acceptance within the IRHA community. Art Gallery
Winter Ball
There have been 6 individuals on SHO that have had significant committee or event
IRHAPalooza
involvement in IRHA this year, many more than in any previous year (see specific 3 Event Assistant Directorships
BurgerFest
recognitions on page 1). The SHOfficers, though not all voting members, have been Mardi Gras
Tie n’ Tails
present at both Fall and Spring Retreat. Our voting members were active in General 3 Conference Delegates
1 on NACURH
Body and Elections meetings – SHO members gave four different Pro speeches for 2 on FARH
5 Event Staff Members
the past elections. SHO was also active in the lighter side of IRHA such as the ulti-
2 Gator Box Recipients
mate Frisbee team, socials, and AG events across campus. And to top it all off, SHO 4 Election Pro Speeches
2 Ground-Breaking Co-
worked with GAC and MAC this year, marking the first and co-programs SHO has Programs

ever done and IRHA‘s first ever East-West campus co-program.

10
Community Outreach and Communication: Quiet on the Set!
One of the major goals for any Area Government is to successfully create a strong sense of community within

their residence hall (and within the Honors Program in our case). This is one check box that we were able to fill very early

in the semester. We started out with a bang during an action packed Weeks of Welcome series.

Attendance throughout all of WoW was unbelievable. Every day we saw more and more residents coming out,

excited to try new things and meet new people. We had constant positive feed-
Co-Programming
back from our residents, some of whom made their first college friends thanks
This year SHO sought to reach out to a
to our programs. The diverse nature of our events also allowed students to meet
wider audience including the entire
other residents with similar interests. Diversity is very important to our AG, a
honors program, UF, and the Gaines-
tenant that was plainly evident even during our first week of programming:
ville community (through community
WoW offered wide array events which incorporated social, academic, athletic
service). One way to reach this goal
and educational events. From WoW on, a sense of community was easily
was to co-program with outside organ-
maintained within Hume Hall.
izations. Some of notable organiza-
SHO came up with several other methods for preserving an atmos-
tions we worked with include:
phere of community. Continuing the well established SHO tradition, Column

 Honors Ambassadors cup went into effect and kept competitive residents coming out for more. The

four wings of Hume (Saraswati, Arcadia, Shangri-La and Xibalba) competed


 Hume RCAs
throughout the year to win the Column Cup. The purpose of Column Cup is to
 Murphree Area Council
encourage attendance at Residential events, allow students the opportunity to
 Graham Area Council
meet other members of their column that they may not have met otherwise, and
 Reitz Union Board
(of course) have fun!
 Theater Strike Force
Of utter importance to maintaining community is open and active
 UF Frisbee Team
communication. In order to get the word out to all 2000+ honors students, sev-
 UF Quidditch Team
eral methods had to be used. In addition to announcements at our General
 UF Tea Society Body Meetings, one easy way was through event invitations and messages sent

from the Student Honors Organization Facebook page which has 725 members. Posters and fliers were created for each

event to help spread the word as well. Perhaps our greatest asset though was the mass email list-serv created by the SHO

Advisor, Melissa Johnson. Every day MJ sends out a compilation of the upcoming events, opportunities, scholarships, etc.

via the Honors Daily Opportunities List. SHO posted announcements on the Honors Daily regularly to reach out further

to the entire honors community, beyond the walls of Hume Hall.

11
Malfunction Junction
While our large executive board is full of strong, hard-working personalities, it is impossible to always syner-

gize smoothly. Regardless, the Student Honors Organization handles each bump with grace.

Our first Residential Chancellor, Raksha, accepted a job as a Resident Assistant and thereby had to relinquish

her position within the organization. This posed a serious problem because the residential chancellor administered permit

requests. We could not host events without her! At the same time, she had served as a liaison for the Social Committee

and as a SHO voting member within IRHA meetings.

The SHOfficer board began to seek a replacement immediately. We posted fliers, hung up posters, and used list-

serves to advertise an opening to elicit candidates. We specifically encouraged former SHO Executive board members to

apply for the position. Graciously, Patrick Wanninkhof, who attended IRHA Fall Retreat, accepted the position. He has

more than exceeded expectations because of his organization skills and IRHA involvement.

Another issue was that the dynamic between the committees and their respective chairs wore down by the end

of Fall Semester. To remedy this situation, the officer board allowed each committee to anonymously vote for a new

chair. The committees have worked much more cohesively during Spring Semester as a result.

Finally, the Student Honors Organization faced problems relating to attendance within the Honors Community

and within the committees. We put on large-scale events, such as Murder Mystery and Harry Potter Day, in order to uni-

fy the Executive Board under a common cause and to appeal to a wide range of residents. Said events took the most ef-

fort and had the highest attendance of the semester.

Residents Two-Faces
It is important to recognize that our AG would be One of the unique aspects of SHO is our dual

nothing if it was not for those who support our efforts- the purpose as both an area government and an honors or-

honors community. In particular, the residents and RCAs of ganization. Although our duties/responsibilities are sim-

Hume Hall are greatly responsible for our success. With over ilar for both, what really sets us apart is the number of

60 events throughout the year, one would expect some ups students we serve… over 2000! With added responsibil-

and downs; but thanks to the unfaltering support of our resi- ity comes added benefits as well, and we are fortunate

dents, our attendance average remained high! Each event, our in having the financial backing of the Honors Program

residents and honors students returned for more, each time to help aid us in our quest to serve all 2000 honors stu-

full of energy and enthusiasm as well as a willingness to try dents in addition to our Hume Hall Residents. This dual

new things. This attitude from the audience kept our E-board purpose also means we have the pleasure of working

motivated to keep up the hard work and strive to put on big- closely with both IRHA and the Honors Office.

ger and better programs as the year progressed.

12
At the beginning of this school year, SHO was already a well-established, respected or-

ganization. But that did not mean we could not make it better. The SHOfficers evaluated their po-

sitions and accordingly made improvements to better serve and communicate with our residents.

The President utilized a SHO Gmail account in order to effectively communicate

amongst our exec board, campus organizations, and members of the UF and Gainesville communi-

ty. Sierra also worked to build strong RCA relations, without whom our events would not have

been as successful.

Adam focused his energy on clarifying and expanding the scope of our governing documents. He examined the

entire SHO constitution and revised it to better reflect the actual function of the organization in recent years. He also pro-

posed several amendments intended to increase SHO‘s engagement with IRHA. Furthermore, he established firm expecta-

tions that each committee, SHOfficer, and Area Representative fulfill their constitutional duties.

In past years, the RCA reimbursement system was haphazard at best. They submitted their receipts only after their

programs which often caused them to exceed their strict budget. Kaitlin implemented an online form that RCAs used to

estimate their programming costs. She then informed them of their remaining budget when they received their checks. Kait-

lin also diligently sustained SHO‘s financial health. She worked with all of the committees to create a budget for each event

while emphasizing the necessity of being thrifty shoppers. She also had no qualms about vetoing needless purchases.

As SHO‘s Business Manager, Amy worked closely with Housing Staff to head off issues on the floors and in the

area in general. Although she never encountered anything much worse than a broken remote, she immediately addressed

each problem. Amy was also active in the ―In Students Eyes‖ program which resolved a large number of problems within

Hume. Finally, Amy completely revamped SHO‘s office hours. She mandated that if a SHOfficer needed to miss their

hours, they had to announce it online. Being very detail oriented, Amy emphasized the importance of having a clean office

and politely chastised anyone who disturbed its serenity.

To promote a sense of community amongst all honors students, SHO invites all incoming freshman to the SHO

Facebook group. This page provides a forum for honors students to discuss majors and college life in general. SHO also

announced various volunteer

opportunities through the Face-

book group and the Honors Dai-

ly. These innovations and count-

less others created a strong foun-

dation for excellence among the

executive board.

13
Each Area Government has been phenomenal, so what makes SHO the IRHA’s Area

Government of the year? Just as no Fortune 500 Company is defined by one employee, SHO’s

strength lies in the relationships between its members. The bonds between every member of this

board could only be likened to a family. As a family, we encourage each other to serve the resi-

dents of Hume and the Gator Nation as excellently as humanly possible. Nobody forced us to

plan the Triple Thrill Weekend: we could have easily settled for three smaller events. However,

we are in the business of unforgettable experiences for the residents. To do anything less would

be corporate espionage.

Greatness can only be achieved by those who selflessly dedicate themselves to a single pur-

pose. Not one Executive Board member of SHO does this for lines on a resume. If this were the

case, their sleep-deprived efforts would soon cease. Each person who dedicates themselves to this

organization does so out of the purest and most powerful emotion: love. Some people might say,

“How on earth do you love planning events for your dorm?” After informing them that the prop-

er terminology is “residence hall,” any member of SHO would breathlessly recount how he met

his best friends, discovered his passion for leadership, and created community within the vast ex-

panse of Hume Hall.

It is well known that the best employees are the happiest employees. Make a sound invest-

ment:

Select the Student Honors Organization for IRHA’s Area Government of the year.

14
15
Horror at Hume Hall 10/22/09 37.41
Halloween Candy Grams 10/23/09 33.33
Where in the World is Carmen 10/25/09 30.60
SHandiego?
Haunted Hume 10/29/09 1,193.41
Honors Invades: Track Meet 11/5/09 0.00
Engineers: Get in Gear 11/12/09 2.53
Karaoke Night 11/12/09 0.00
Sundaes on Sunday: ‗70‘s Theme 11/15/09 66.00
Event Date Budget SHO and RUB Present – Laser 11/18/09 800.00
Mocktails 8/16/09 $116.50 Tag
Ancient Greeks and Honors 8/17/09 180.72 Are You Smarter than a Semi- 11/22/09 0.00
Geeks nole?
Game Night 12/1/09 15.00
Manhunt 8/17/09 8.73
Scavenger Hunt 8/18/09 30.00 Theatre Strike Force 12/2/09 0.00
Sex, Drugs, and Dead Celerities 8/18/09 22.57 SHOliday Party 12/6/09 61.82
Waterpalooza 8/19/09 294.24 Toy Drive 12/7/09 0.00
Exam Cram 12/8/09 142.94
BBQ&A 8/19/09 130.57
It‘s SHO Nice to See You! 1/7/10 0.00
Ultimate Frisbee 8/20/09 6.26
Book Club 1/13/10 5.00
What is SHO? 8/20/09 22.57
Sundaes on Sunday 1/17/10 72.00
Meet Your Major 8/20/09 0.00
RockBand Competition 8/21/09 42.57 Cultural Dessert Night 1/19/10 85.09
Honors Invades: GatorNights 8/21/09 0.00 Childhood Olympics 1/20/10 15.54
Movie at Midnight 1/22/10 0.00
Poker Night 8/22/09 56.35
Air Potato Round-Up 1/30/10 37.93
Annual SHO Barbecue 8/23/09 2,216.84
Open Mic Night 2/9/10 26.00
Pie Your RA 9/20/09 118.89
Movie Night 2/11/10 0.00
Sundaes on Sunday 9/20/09 74.24
Book Club 2/18/10 5.00
Capture the Flag 9/22/09 0.00
Open Mic Night 9/24/09 14.54 Sundaes on Sunday 2/21/10 72.00
Ghosts in the Graveyard 10/12/09 0.00 Blackout Party 2/23/10 0.00
Candy Drive 10/12/09 0.00 2010/2011 Elections Meeting 3/2/10 0.00
Honors Invades: Howl-O-Scream 10/15/09 0.00 Creative Writing Workshop 3/16/10 5.98
Sundaes on Sunday: Nothing but 10/18/09 80.00 Book Club 3/18/10 5.00
Neon! Murder Mystery 3/19/10 160.00
Fall Festival 10/21/09 0.00 SHO Swing Dance 3/20/10 437.36
SHO Book Club 10/22/09 5.98 Harry Potter Day 3/21/10 332.14

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