Three York students from Glendon College were recognized for their contribution to student life at a ceremony held in the elegant ballroom of Glendon Hall last month. The awards were made by Louise Lewin, associate principal student services, with Kenneth McRoberts, Glendon principal, Françoise Boudreau, associate principal, members of faculty, as well as students, friends and families of the recipients in the audience.
Right: From left, Matthew Henzel, Paulo Bittencourt and Cristina Raimondo
This year’s winners of the Glendon Student Services Award, chosen from 12 finalists nominated by faculty and students, are fourth-year students Paulo Bittencourt and Cristina Raimondo, and second-year student Matthew Henzel . The awards were presented in a ceremony held on April 14.
Lewin said the awards were created “to recognize students who are active in the community and make a real difference to student life on campus.” She emphasized the importance of getting involved by commenting that “student activities, clubs and student spirit add up to that special quality of campus life that we are so proud of at Glendon.”
“These students are top academic achievers who also find time for pursuits which enrich every student’s life. We are proud to count them among the Glendon family,” McRoberts told the audience.
Throughout their years at Glendon, Bittencourt and Raimondo have collaborated to create many important cultural and community events on campus. Co-directors and participants of the Glendon Musical Ensemble, they have been the moving force behind such outstanding popular events as Noche Latina (see story in the March 28 issue of YFile) and “In Memoriam” (see story in the Nov. 24, 2004, issue of YFile), and they provided musical enhancement to recruitment and alumni events in duo performance and as part of the ensemble. Both have demonstrated their multiple talents as organizers, musicians and conscientious members of the student community, while maintaining excellent standing in their academic work. What made them stand out even more was their continued collaboration as a team.
Bittencourt has assumed leadership in the ensemble as spokesperson and artistic co-director. He is an impressive singer, keyboard musician, percussionist and conductor. Last April, Raimondo mounted a bilingual multimedia art exhibition in the Distillery District, under the title “Harmless et Inoffensif?” – an exposition, analysis and critique of our popular culture glorifying violence. Through this exposition, she addressed the question of whether the violence presented by the media is truly harmless. She is also an accomplished violinist, promising stage manager and dedicated community volunteer.
The third award winner, Matthew Henzel, was recognized for establishing the Glendon Amnesty International Club, which provides students with an excellent opportunity to learn about human rights issues. A student in Glendon’s International Studies Program, Henzel led the club’s team in their UNICEF fundraiser, organized group meetings and discussions on human rights issues, participated in the Women’s Rights Speakers Forum on campus, and has been a volunteer for organizations such as the Afghan Women’s Organization of Toronto and Students for a Free Tibet. His speech at the UNICEF fundraiser, declaring human rights as a “universal concept for every member of the human family”, received a standing ovation from those present.
This article was submitted to YFile by Marika Kemeny, communications officer at Glendon College.