Phillips, the 2011 winner of “American Idol,” announced this week he will be unable to finish his spring tour due to illness. He looks forward to getting healthy and plans to join singer John Mayer on tour this summer, officials said.

                Tickets for the May 9 Phillips concert will be honored at the rescheduled show in November. Ticketholders who choose to receive a full refund may bring their tickets in person or mail them to the Ticket Star Box Office at the Resch Center, 1901 Oneida St., Green Bay, WI 54304 or to the University Ticketing & Information Center in the University Union at UW-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311 (please note that UW-Green Bay students who purchased tickets with Pass Points must get their refunds at the University Ticketing & Information Center).

                Refunds for the show will begin on Monday, May 13, and will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 7. Tickets for the rescheduled performance on Nov. 18 will go on sale to the public at 11 a.m. Monday, June 10.

The Sea Dragon is a part of a master expansion plan for the park first approved in 2008, said park manager Tina Westergaard. Part of the plan was to include more rides in the development, including the Sea Dragon.

Westergaard said the idea for the ride came from the staffs at Bay Beach and the Green Bay Parks Department.

“We researched the classic rides that would fit in with the nature of the park,” Westergaard said. “We wanted to create a unique, historical experience.”

The swinging boat ride will become the newest addition to the park since the Zippin Pippin rollercoaster opened to the public in 2011.

First opened in the late 19th-century, Bay Beach is the ninth-oldest continuously operating amusement park in the nation and 21st in the world. It’s also part of a small handful of municipally owned and operated amusement parks, according to Westergaard.

In 2007, the last property on the west end of the park was bought up. Westergaard said before then, the property was mainly cottages and summer homes.

“Our history, our heritage and our tradition are very important to us,” Westergaard said.

Although the Sea Dragon already arrived at the park, the next step will be refurbishing the ride and preparing it for installation before it can open.

A site plan as well as zoning and building permits for the ride’s construction will be in order before installation can commence.

Westergaard said she hopes the ride will be up and operational by the end of Bay Beach’s season. By the middle of summer, people will be able to see the progress of the ride’s construction.

Refurbishing the ride will cost about $500,000. This is added to the $175,000 the park spent to acquire the ride.

Westergaard also said part of the refurbishing as well as the cost will be for constructing a waterfall in front of the ride.

As of now, the ride is being paid for so far through park revenue and donations. These donations mainly come from their partnership with The Friends of Bay Beach Amusement Park.

Bay Beach opened for the season April 27. While The Sea Dragon has yet to be available to the public, many students are excited to visit the park this year.

Freshman education major Lindsey LaBissoniere, a fan of the Zippin Pippin, said the Sea Dragon sounds interesting, and she would definitely check it out.

LaBissoniere said the cheap ticket price is one of the things she enjoys most about the park.

Meanwhile, sophomore biology major Kristin Short said she enjoys how the park does a good job of managing its traffic.

“You don’t have to wait very long for anything and you can get on any ride,” Short said. “It’s crowded, but never too crowded.”

Short said she thinks the Sea Dragon might influence people to come back to the park after a long absence.

“I’d definitely check it out,” Short said. “It sounds a little more exciting than other rides.”

Aside from the Sea Dragon, Westergaard said there are other ideas for the park. These ideas include a larger pavilion and fishing area as well as a larger Ferris wheel. The projects remain dependent on funding.

The PHOENIX Initiative — short for Preeminent, Holistic, Opportunity for Engaging New Ideas in Excellence — is a program designed to acclimate minorities to the educational process at UW-Green Bay.

The mission of the group is to support the educational success of underrepresented and first-generation students in higher education, especially African-American men.

The American Intercultural Center adviser, James Coates, is one of the professors spearheading the campaign. He said they have been working diligently to establish and coordinate the concept, mission and goals of the organization.

“There is always a need for a group like this for a campus where there is a very small minority population,” Coates said.  “African-American males who aren’t athletes have a very low graduation rate.”

Coates said the focus of the initiative is retention.  The program is not necessarily aimed at increasing the number of African-American males going to college, but rather keeping those in college enrolled until they graduate.

It’s a problem African-American men face on many campuses across the nation today. These students often face the same issues at each campus, according to Coates.

“We work with students on academics, individual development, leadership skills and public awareness,” Coates said. “We want them to develop confidence so we don’t necessarily focus on one thing. We help with a wide range of things.”

UWGB American Intercultural Center adviser Shawn Robinson is working with Coates on the new program. He also said the main focus of the group is to create best practices for black males in a collegiate institution.

“It’s an opportunity to get together to talk about things these men experience in a predominantly white campus,”  Robinson said. “We get together to help them navigate the system.”

Robinson said UWGB needs more motivation for the minority population. The African-American population makes up less than 1 percent of a campus of almost 6000 students.

“This program is about creating a sense of ownership on the campus,” Coates said. “It’s about making them feel a part of something so they keep coming back.”

One of the students currently involved in the program is Kinyada Watts, sophomore psychology major. Watts said the program helped him grow over the last year.

“The PHOENIX Initiative is giving me a voice,” Watts said. “My first year here, I wasn’t involved in anything, and it was hard for me to get out in the open. Now, I’m more outspoken and I want to achieve more within my community throughout my remaining years here.”

Watts said because there are so few African-American males on campus, it’s important to get the word out.

“We want to eliminate stereotypes and hopefully make a positive turnaround from it,” Watts said. “People can see that even though we are the minority, we can rise up and be the majority.”

Watts has high hopes that the group’s membership will grow and stand out on campus — a sentiment Robinson agrees with.

“There is a new group of young men coming in next year,” Robinson said. “We’re hoping to get them involved.”

The PHOENIX Initiative is open to all men from a minority group who are interested.

“The program is still in its early stages,” Coates said. “The initiative is continuing to grow and organize itself.”

Several focus orientations this summer will be open to any incoming freshmen interested in joining the PHOENIX Initiative June 5 to 7, 10 and 11 and again August 29 and 30.

UWGB Institute for Learning Partnership and Professional Program in Education invited the Nigerian educators to Wisconsin. They aim to provide educational training to the Nigerian educators not only to foster international collaboration, but also to allow UWGB students and faculty an opportunity to learn about Nigerian culture.

Tim Kaufman, Institute for Learning Partnership director, enjoyed the opportunity to demonstrate the university’s tradition of educational excellence.

“We’re really excited to gain this opportunity to exchange teaching practices with our Nigerian friends,” Kaufman said. “Showing off all the great partnerships we have with area schools is also exciting for us.”

As part of the weeklong itinerary, the Nigerian educators visited West High School, Wisconsin International School, Montessori School or Howard Suamico School District on Wednesday. The educators also spent time at St. Norbert’s College.

Theresa Okafor is the director of QAARDAN, a Nigerian based organization that trains teachers and encourages professional development through workshops and tours of schools in the United Kingdom, France, Canada and the U.S. Okafor said the relationship between UWGB and QAARDAN will provide Nigerian schools with better teachers and, ultimately, better students.

“We’re open to learning from the expertise we’ve witnessed,” Okafor said. “We’ve seen the teachers and faculty are very resourceful and experienced.”

Most events throughout the week were dedicated to professional development, but Tuesday’s welcome reception at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts gave UWGB leaders an opportunity to extend thanks and appreciation to the Nigerian educators for their visit. It also gave the Nigerians an opportunity to share their cultural traditions through song and dance.

To honor the travelers from Nigeria, several university dignitaries attended the gathering, including Chancellor Thomas Harden.

“I’m happy to hear how much you’ve already learned, but what we’re really proud of is our teaching and the learning our students do,” Harden said to the guests. “I know you have learned some things since you arrived, but I also believe you have taught us quite a bit as well, and we need to continue learning about your culture, your arts, so we can continue to foster this friendship and an effective partnership.”

Student Liz Simon, junior education major, was asked to emcee portions of the welcome reception.

Simon’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria in 1981 and, as a soon-to-be educator, she was thrilled to meet the distinguished guests.

“I’ve heard so many stories from my parents about Nigeria, particularly the struggles involved when they emigrated from Nigeria,” Simon said. “Now to see educators from Nigeria come here to learn from us and us from them fills me with pride.”

Understanding the American education system and becoming acquainted with strong practices in teaching and learning is the goal for the Nigerian educators.

Kim Desotell, professional development coordinator, said the visit would have a ripple effect for students and educators back in Nigeria.

“A lot of the experiences this week will help them better understand what are good teaching strategies and how to effectively teach their colleagues these strategies,” Desotell said. “They’re eager to learn and improve their craft in these areas to improve teaching and learning at their schools in Nigeria.”

When the Nigerian educators board their flight to traverse the 6,000 miles home, they hope to be better equipped to teach their students.

Increasing the cultural exchange of communities is how UWGB Institute for Learning Partnership and the Professional Program in Education will continue to cultivate learning throughout UWGB. As the reception April 30 came to a close, Okafor noted cultural collaboration and is an important aspect of the week’s visit.

“Learning is not just about transmission of knowledge, but is also about enriching relationships with students,” Okafor said. “We’ve noticed a lot of warmth from the people here. We have many commonalities, and this is one of them.”

But fortunately for the Phoenix, the team was able to add an experienced assistant under head coach Kevin Borseth when former professional basketball player, and current jack-of-all-trades,  Megan Vogel accepted the position.

Vogel’s path to Green Bay is unique and unlike many other coaches. She has only been coaching for five years, but she’s learned from a variety of respected coaches and players.

After becoming a dynamic player at South Dakota State, Vogel was drafted by the Washington Mystics in the first round. Over the next two years, Vogel moved between the WNBA and playing basketball overseas.

Unfortunately, her playing career was cut short when she suffered three separate knee injuries within two years. Vogel spent the last three seasons at the Division II level with St. Cloud State University in Minnesota and held many different positions, including strength and conditioning coach, recruiting coordinator and academic coordinator. As is the norm with smaller schools, she will retain some of those roles at Green Bay.

Five years into her coaching career, Vogel has been through more experiences than most, but she’s hoping to stay in Green Bay for a longer period of time.

“Though most people would see the negatives, I look at all the experiences I’ve had in a positive light,” Vogel said. “I have played for a lot of different players and coaches. I would like to get ingrained in Coach Borseth’s program, get involved in the community and stick around Green Bay for awhile.”

Vogel’s passion for basketball dates back to her playing days. Vogel said she was not blessed with an overwhelming amount of natural talent, so she had to work harder to succeed. The work ethic required to be a Division I basketball coach is strenuous, but it’s something that Vogel is used to from her days as a player.

“I love the game,” Vogel said.  “I love to play basketball, watch game tape and I love working with players at the collegiate level. I was never the best player, so I had to work harder than everyone. I’m looking forward to bringing that element to this coaching staff.”

Passion is established in the Green Bay women’s basketball community. Coach Borseth is passionate about his job, and the players are committed to sustaining success they have built over the years. The Kress Events Center is always full, and campus is buzzing during the women’s basketball season.

All of this happens despite Green Bay being a mid-major program playing in the Horizon League.

As successful as Green Bay has been over a long period of time,  they are not recognized in the same way as some of the bigger schools such as Baylor and Connecticut.

Vogel however, prefers being in a setting where teams are overlooked. Playing at South Dakota State is similar to playing at Green Bay since they are both small schools.

SDSU plays in the Summit League, which is similar to the Horizon League. Playing in that environment is a challenge Vogel relishes.

“I love the similarity between my playing career and where I am currently coaching,” Vogel said. “I enjoy having the underdog mentality and going in to play against bigger schools and beating them. There’s not a bigger joy in the world, and that’s something that attracted me to Green Bay.”

Beating bigger schools is something Green Bay is going to have to do in next year’s NCAA Tournament. For the second straight year, UWGB lost in heartbreaking fashion to an SEC school as Louisiana State beat the Phoenix in Baton Rouge, La.

Vogel brings about a similar presence to the Green Bay locker room. Vogel considers herself a players’ coach.

“Ultimately I try to have good rapport with all of my players,” Vogel said. “I want them to know I care about them as people first. I want to build those relationships with them first because ultimately that allows me to critique their play. They know it’s because I care about helping them reach their full potential.”

With the passion and work ethic Vogel displayed in her playing days, and her versatility within the coaching realm, there is little doubt that Coach Borseth has added another great coach to an already impressive staff.

But now, the questions can be laid to rest.

Brown officially announced his intention to return to the Phoenix via press release to various media outlets April 23. The announcement came more than a month after his team finished up its 2013 season.

The 7-foot-1-inch senior-to-be said he is excited to see what Green Bay can accomplish next season, especially after his team finished 10-6 in the Horizon League and came within a buzzer-beater of making it to the conference’s tournament championship game in March.

“It’s my senior year — my last go at it — and I’m excited to see what our team can do,” Brown said. “We have our core guys coming back We’re going to be a really fast and athletic team, and it’s going to be exciting to play with these guys.”

Brown also noted another reason for his decision to return to the program.

“It’s a huge goal of mine to play in the NBA,” Brown said. “I will be working on it as much as I can this offseason and do whatever it takes to be prepared heading into next year’s season and next year’s draft.”

Phoenix head coach Brian Wardle is well aware of the NBA’s interest and mentioned that had a big impact in the decision for his star center to return for his senior season.

“After the season, I talked with Alec and his family and decided to gather as much information as possible regarding Alec’s prospects for this year’s NBA draft,” Wardle said. “I spoke with a number of NBA general managers and scouts who had seen Alec play this past season to gauge their thoughts.

The majority of the GMs and scouts were consistent in what they said and projected later second round pick if he were to enter now.

NBA scouts have kept tabs on Brown since his freshman season in 2010-11, in which he started all 32 games and averaged 25.1 minutes, 10.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks per game and shot 48.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range.

But it was the following 2011-12 season, Brown vaulted into national prominence.

That year, Brown didn’t miss a game for the Phoenix and improved his inside game by leading the conference with 3.1 offensive rebounds per game, while finishing second in blocks with 3.0 and scoring 13.8 points per game. His outside production curtailed, however, shooting just 21.1 percent on three-point field goals.

But Brown rededicated himself the following offseason in preparation for his junior year, and in turn, had one of the best seasons of any center in the nation. Starting every game for Green Bay, he finished the year shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point land and averaging a career-best 14.1 points per game to go with 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 assists per game.

It was that commitment to improving his outside shot that Brown said will give him a chance for success in his senior season with the Phoenix, and will also put him in ideal position to be a high NBA draft pick next summer.

“One thing people were excited about was that my 3-point shot has improved a lot and they were excited to see I could do some more things off the dribble,” Brown said. “I really worked to try to get more well-rounded as a player.  I was able to do that this past year by adding a 3-point game. It was good to see that pay off in games.”

Wardle agreed, saying Brown’s ability to shoot effectively from long range makes him a strong prospect.

“The consensus is that there is a lot of interest in Alec due to how his skill level translates to today’s NBA game, which features big men who have the ability to shoot and face the basket,” Wardle said. “He’s in a very select group of seven-footers out there, and a lot of NBA teams are looking forward to watching him during his senior season.”

Brown, a two-time All-Horizon League selection, is one of two players in conference history to surpass 1,200 points, 600 rebounds and 200 blocks in his career, according to the Green Bay Athletics website.

Valparaiso won the tournament with a score of 884, four strokes better than runner-up Cleveland State. Detroit rounded out the top three, followed by Loyola and Green Bay. Youngstown State and Wright State finished sixth and seventh, respectively, at the par-72, 6,670-yard course.

Green Bay senior Chad Ebert, the defending individual champion of the Horizon League Championship, once again posted the team’s top individual mark with a final-round score of three-over-par. Ebert had four birdies in the final round and finished in a tie for 12th place at ten-over-par.

Last year, Ebert played the final round at even-par 72 to take home the conference’s individual championship with a three-round score of six-over par.

Fellow senior Cam Fuller closed the book on his career with the Phoenix, finishing in a tie for 16th place with a three-round score of 229, 13 strokes over par. Fuller got out to a fast start in the first round, making par on 14 of the 18 holes.

Junior Dan Ozga ended up two shots back of Ebert’s team-best score of 226 for the weekend. Ozga finished in a tie for 14th place. In the second round, Ozga posted a team-best 74, racking up four birdies and playing the final six holes in two-under par.

Freshman Gene Kiela carded a score of 14-over-par for the weekend, which was good for fourth on the team. His final round of four-over 76 was tied with sophomore Tom Boockmeier for the second-best score on the squad.

After landing a team-best score of one-under-par at the Butler Spring Invitational April 18, Boockmeier had a rough first round of 81 at Mission Inn. But the sophomore bounced back from his first-round woes, knocking out a 78 in the second round and a 76 in the final round to finish in a tie for 27th place at 19-over-par.

Valparaiso and Cleveland State separated themselves from the rest of the seven-team field headed into the final day. The two teams exchanged the lead throughout the final day, but the Crusaders shot four strokes better than the Vikings to take home to conference championship.

Valparaiso junior Thomas Wettstein, of Neenah, Wis., posted a three-round score of two-under-par, 214 to take home this year’s individual championship. Wettstein played the first two rounds at even par before finishing with a round of two-under 70.

Wettstein’s teammate, Kyle Henning, of Brookfield, Wis., joined Wettstein in the individual top five, finishing in a tie for fifth.

Cleveland State concluded its season by falling four shots short of the conference title, despite having four players finish in the top ten individually.

Junior Andrew Bailey, a two-time Horizon League Player of the Year, led the field after two rounds, but a 76 in the final round dropped him to second place, allowing Wettstein to grab medalist honors.

Sophomore Michael Balcar finished tied for third place with a three-day score of 222, while senior Jon Riemer and junior Brendan Byrne tied for eighth place with a score of 224.

The men’s All-Tournament team featured two players from Valparaiso, Cleveland State and Detroit. Loyola sophomore Nick Dennis finished in a tie for third place and earned a spot on the conference’s seven-man All-Tournament team.

Headed into next season, Green Bay will have to replace its lone two seniors Ebert and Fuller. While Ebert took home last year’s individual championship in the conference tournament, Fuller was the runner-up.

Green Bay will hope Ozga, the team’s lone junior to participate in this year’s conference tournament, is ready to take over as a senior leader for the team next season.

Juniors Joe Collard and Sam Weber each appeared in four events this season, playing a total of nine rounds. Collard and Weber will join Ozga in next year’s senior class.

Sophomores Chad Bonis, Tyler Schmidt and Kyle Shafer each appeared in three events during the 2012 season. With Ebert and Fuller moving on, two spots will be up for grabs on next season’s tournament team.

Current Young Professionals, a network created in order to recruit and engage young talent in Green Bay, offers numerous opportunities for people ages 21 to 40. According to Chad Heath, chair of Current’s steering committee, the network can be a valuable resource for students looking to make connections in the business world.

Heath said professional development and networking are just a few benefits of joining Current. Many members also gain lifelong friendships through the social events Current hosts.

“The easiest thing to do in order to get jobs is make friends with people,” Heath said.

Brian Johnson, program manager for Current, agrees.

Johnson said being part of this network is beneficial for all UWGB students because networking leads to jobs, and that’s what Current is all about. According to him, 70 to 80 percent of all jobs are never posted online.

This poses a problem to job seekers. Since many jobs are filled by referrals, even the best resume can be no match for a recommendation from someone with close ties to the company.

With such a high number of jobs never being made available to the public, Johnson stresses the value of networking. With that many jobs being filled by referrals, it is important to gain these referrals by making business contacts.

With almost 1,100 members, Current creates chances to network with local professionals.

Members range from college students to lawyers, company presidents and CEOs. Johnson said becoming a member of Current allows access to people who may otherwise seem inaccessible.

Current organizes events that allow members to interact with one another. One of Current’s most important events, according to Heath, will be the new member orientation. While it’s still developing, this new activity will help new members become familiarized with the organization. Heath said the orientation program, along with the new ambassador program, which is designed around people who are socially engaging, will help new members feel welcome.

Other events Current hosts are structured to be professional. Heath said such events help teach attendees how to develop a personal brand and how to be a good leader.

Current also holds group activities, bringing members with similar interests together. Interest groups include arts, sports and sustainability, among others. Group activities help promote social interaction. They are meant to foster personal friendships.

Heath said Current is also developing a mentorship program. In this program, members within certain interest areas will be matched with an appropriate mentor. While this mentor is not meant to hand out jobs, he or she is will teach mentees how to better themselves for their field of interest.

While attending events is not mandatory for Current members, Johnson said the events are beneficial. The organization is there to serve members and help young professionals gain business contacts. Ultimately, though, the level of involvement is up to the individual.

“You’re going to get out of it what you want to get out of it,” Johnson said.

Heath said that members gain a vast amount of overall life skills. During his years in the organization, he has learned how easy it is to give to the community and how much comes back to him in return.

“If you’re sincere about it, it’s going to come back to you,” he said.

Current is free to join for young adults who are not employed full time. That means UWGB students can join and not pay dues until they hold a full-time job. Johnson said many employers will subsidize dues as well.

Each event has a fee associated with it. Johnson said fees cover event expenses. Business casual dress is recommended for events.

For more information about Current, visit greenbaycurrent.org.

Members of the UWGB Dietetics Club collaborated with the Salvation Army to take extra steps to reduce food waste and give back to society.

Dietetics Club members attended the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Conference in Stevens Point April 19.  More than 200 professionals and students in the nutrition and dietetics field from across the state attended. The sessions included The Obesity Challenge: Aging, Obesity, and Long Term Health; Importance of Meal Timing on Appetite; Control, Satiety and Body Weight Management; and Managerial Communication Skills.

Denise Halbach, UWGB Dietetics Club co-president and junior human biology major with an emphasis in dietetics, has been a member of the Dietetics Club for one year and attended this year’s conference.

During one of the lunches served at the conference, Halbach realized the hotel was going to throw away numerous untouched plates of food.

Halbach collaborated with fellow club members Caitlin Banker, Alex Stenner, Gail Feldkamp, Lisa Rabe, Jamie Hurley and Sara Schmitz, lecturer and director of Didactic Program in Nutrition and Dietetics, to create a plan of action to help solve the problem of food waste.

Halbach sprang into action to contact a local Salvation Army and coordinated a perishable foods donation of the lunches.

The Dietetics Club members were able to collect 54 boxes of healthy food containing spring mix salad, chicken, dinner rolls, cookies and granola bars.

Halbach said she had overheard a food service worker say that they throw all the food out at the end of the day. As a college student, Halbach doesn’t like to waste anything. She used the time between sessions to call the Salvation Army to ask if they would accept the different healthy foods. After the Salvation Army agreed, Halbach recruited the UWGB Dietetics Club attendees to go from table to table asking the people to put the untouched food in to-go boxes.

“I was impressed with how receptive everyone seemed to the idea and how willing they were to help,” Halbach said. “Everyone worked so well together, and it just seemed to fall into place.”

Halbach was overwhelmed with the success of their efforts to reduce food waste.

“I didn’t realize just how many untouched plates there were,” Halbach said. “I initially thought there were only 20 to-go boxes, and I could easily fit them into my car. That wasn’t the case. I had to call the Salvation Army,  and they kindly came and picked them up with their much larger vehicle. It feels great to have been able to recover such high-quality food and give it to those who need it.”

Their success inspired the members of the Dietetics Club to continue their efforts at home.

According to Halbach, they are currently trying to coordinate a new program called Campus Kitchens Project with Sarah Himmelheber, UWGB social work professor. The idea is to reduce food waste in the community by collecting uneaten food from local places and repackaging it into meals to deliver to a population in need.

The Chancellor’s Medallions  honor those who have demonstrated academic achievement and leadership through campus and community involvement during their college careers.

The University Leadership Awards recognize undergraduates who are dedicated to campus life or community service while remaining in good academic standing. All recipients are nominated by faculty, staff and students.

It’s not just something to put on a resume, but also an honor to those who have committed themselves to leadership and service  during their college careers.

Jena Richter, senior communication major, is one of the winners of the Chancellor’s Medallion.

“Receiving the Chancellor’s Medallion means a lot to me because it recognizes my deep commitment and investment in this campus as well of all the hard work that I’ve put in,” Richter said. “It also represents the great memories I’ve made earning it.”

Richter has been involved in many different campus organizations including professional clubs, teaching assistantships and Student Ambassadors. She was also a resident assistant during her time at UWGB.

Nellie Schafer, senior education major, was one of the recipients of the University Leadership Award. Schafer said she was honored when she won, but that wasn’t the best part.

“It’s not so much about getting the award and being recognized as it is about hearing who  nominated me and some of their reasons,” Schafer said. “I don’t do what I do on this campus for a plaque. I do what I do because that’s me and I’m grateful and blessed for the opportunities I’ve had the past four years and how much I have grown because of them.”

Schafer and Richter believe it’s important for students to get involved on campus.

“There’s a quote by Thomas Edison I like to live by: ‘We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work,’” Richter said. “I try not to miss opportunities, but at the same time, you must be selective and not bite off more than you can chew because you want to be able to do quality work in every role you play.”

Schafer said part of leadership is inspiring others.

“I want every student to find his or her own niche,” Schafer said. “If I didn’t have individuals pushing me to be the best and encouraging me, then I can’t say I would be receiving this award today. You never know the impact you’ll have on another individual through your leadership.”

There were 29 recipients of the Chancellor’s Leadership Medallion and 46 recipients of the University Leadership Award. Other awards that were given were Outstanding Student Organization, Most Improved Student Organization, Outstanding Service Project, Outstanding Support Staff and Outstanding Adviser.

The awards will be formally presented May 17 at 6 p.m. in the University Theatre located in Theatre Hall. All are welcome to attend.