Pitchfork Awards put ASU student achievement in the spotlight
The maroon carpet was rolled out for a distinguished group of Arizona State University students at the fourth annual Pitchfork Awards on April 9 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix.
The Pitchfork Awards are a student-driven event that celebrates student achievements. Groups and individuals were recognized for service, leadership and Sun Devil spirit.
Here’s a look at a few of the winners.
For Germany-born doctoral student Constantin Schreiber, the ASU Cycling club’s honor as Sports Club of the Year is a great reward for the hard work he and fellow club members have put in. As president of the club, Schreiber has nearly doubled its active membership and brought the Sun Devil Criterium to ASU, an annual bike race that attracted nearly 300 riders and 1,000 spectators to Gammage Auditorium.
"I have been involved in a variety of ways at ASU, but I saw the potential to make the most significant positive impact in the ASU Cycling Club," Schreiber said.
ASU students have many ways to get involved and improve the ASU, local and global communities. Mentor Dida, who won the 2015 Graduate Student of the Year Award, proves that being a Sun Devil is much more than attending classes.
Dida, who is a global technology and entrepreneurship graduate student, is an ambitious entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of two non-profit organizations and serves as a student leader at Changemaker Central on the Polytechnic campus. Changemaker Central provides students the opportunity and resources to inspire and sustain student-driven social change.
“This recognition shows that ASU sees the good work people do and rewards them,” Dida said. “Coming from Kosovo, a developing country, I had never seen how a university could affect the community and environment, until I came to ASU.”
Graduating in May, Dida has been selected as a convocation speaker at the graduate ceremony and plans to work in social entrepreneurship.
ASU is known for its spirit and pride. This year, one student stands out as the winner of the Sun Devil Spirit Award.
Alex Linse is involved in many clubs and organizations, including Devils' Advocates and the Alpha Epsilon Delta fraternity. He is also a community mentor within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is a research assistant in the Biodesign Institute.
His most spirited involvement is with the 942 Crew, students who fill the 942 lower student-section seats at men's basketball games and who are known for the "Curtain of Distraction." Linse makes it his mission to model Sun Devil spirit to the freshmen he mentors by showing enthusiasm for ASU athletics.
“Sun Devils are relentless, hardworking and have a passion for what we do both inside and outside of the classroom,” Linse said. “While our mascot is the Sun Devil, we show spirit and passion for all the athletic teams that we support and recognize ourselves to be so much more.”
For more information about the awards, visit the Pitchfork Awards website. View the full list of the 2015 Pitchfork Award winners here.