Eleven Associated Student of the University of Nevada (ASUN) clubs and organizations were honored at an awards banquet last month recognizing their many influences on campus and in the surrounding communities. Among some of the winners were the Student Ambassadors, the Pre-dental Club, Humans vs. Zombies, Women's Lacrosse, Circle K and the Latino Student Advisory Board.

Student Ambassadors can frequently be seen walking backwards throughout campus in front of crowds, all while spewing out a plethora of facts about the University. These talented, multitasking history junkies were recognized as the Most Outstanding Club of the Year at the awards banquet April 23. From answering questions from prospective students' families to sharing their passion for the University, the Student Ambassadors role on campus is an important one.

Clubs and organizations account for some pretty peculiar sights on campus, and Human's versus Zombies, winner of the Best New Club of the Year Award, is no exception. It's a sports and recreation coalition because "humans and zombies" run around campus armed with only Nerf guns and socks.

Taylor Poole, communications and player relations administrator of Humans versus Zombies, said that she hopes the award will show that Humans versus Zombies is a serious club that many people are interested in.

"It also gives us hope that we will be able to ensure better games in the future," Poole said.

Nominations were made by any club leader, member or advisor. Members of the commission then went through the nominations and selected the winners for each award. The selection process took into account clubs' impact on campus, their use of self-promotion techniques, their goals, their mission statements and how active they are.

Christopher Gomez, the incoming ASUN director of Clubs and Organizations who helped organize the banquet, said that ASUN wants to encourage the student body to be as involved in their undergraduate academic careers as possible.

"The department is very proud to have more than 229 clubs and organizations on campus," Gomez said. "Whether they want to play a sport after class or prepare themselves for professional school, there is a club for every Nevada student."

Below is a list of the winning clubs and organizations in their respective categories:

• Outstanding Club of the Year: Student Ambassadors
• Pre-Professional/Academic: Science & Engineering: Pre-Dental Society
• Pre-Professional/Academic: Arts, Business, Education: Public Relations Student Society of America(PRSSA)
• Greek Life: Phi Mu Alpha
• Service and Community Outreach: Circle K
• Sports and Recreation: Women's Lacrosse
• Best New Club of the Year: Humans vs. Zombies
• Advisor of the Year: Alison Gaulden, VOX: Voices for Planned Parenthood
• Club Leader of the Year: Carla Castedo, Latino Student Advisory Board
• Club Member of the Year: Ziad Rashdan, Business Student Council

For more information, contact Christopher Gomez at fundmanager@asun.unr.edu.