Outstanding UA clubs and individuals were honored for academic and service achievements last night at the Bobcats Senior Honorary’s annual Evening of Excellence awards night in the Grand Ballroom of the Student Union Memorial Center.

A crowd of about 270 people attended to give or receive awards, or wait anxiously to see if their name was called to be one of the new Bobcats.

“”Tonight is a special night, to say the least,”” said Devin Sreecharana, Bobcat president.

The attendees munched on buffet food and sat under floating balloon bouquets as keynote speaker and UA alumnus Tony Bouie spoke of his life and gave some advice to future leaders about keeping their ties to the UA strong.

“”You are part of the UA family,”” Bouie said. “”Ask. It goes a long way.””

The Bobcats Senior Honorary are a group of 13 seniors who work to serve the UA by working with the Alumni Association to promote a positive campus community, preserve traditions and do benefits and other philanthropy.

Sreecharana called the Evening of Excellence a great way to applaud the students and faculty that define the school.

He said this event is the biggest in the spring for the Bobcats, and it’s a way to recognize outstanding the work done at the UA this year.

New this year was UA memorabilia set out on tables to reflect the evening’s theme “”A Time Honored Tradition,”” that attendees could peruse outside the ballroom.

Sreecharana said about 10 clubs were in attendance, as well as many honoraries and faculty.

New Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society President and political science junior Joseph Rodriguez attended the Evening of Excellence to be honored along with the 34 other new Mortar Board members.

“”It’s kind of a rite of passage,”” Rodriguez said.

Master of ceremonies Tanner Phillips, Ronald Tang and Kyle Steinke broke up the seriousness of the evening with comedic dance montages, raffles and Jeopardy! based on Wildcat trivia.

The evening ended with the long-anticipated announcement of the new Bobcat class. Taylor Howard, Christophe Lindstrom, Tanya Radisavljevic, Jordan Rishel, Ashlee Gerfen, Mallory Staff, Jan Weichsel, Daniel Butler, Jared Cohen, Lia Troisi, Eric Brown, Seema Patel and Charles Wollin were named the 2008-2009 Bobcats to a standing ovation.

“”I’ve been wanting to be a Bobcat since my freshman year,”” said journalism junior Tanya Radisavljevic. “”I’ve had my whole heart into it for the past month I’ve been applying. I plan to plan the best homecoming U of A has ever seen.””

Chain Gang member and Chi Omega President Katie Hundere presented an award at the awards night. She said she had “”one of the best years ever”” being a member of Chain Gang. Chain Gang also recognized the new “”links”” at the banquet.

“”It’s a good end to the year to see tradition,”” Bobcat hopeful and senior biochemistry major Michael Ortega said about the banquet. Yesterday was his third Evening of Excellence.

“”They’re really fun,”” Ortega said. “”They are serious, but not.””

He applied for Bobcats because he said he sees it as prestigious and wants to help plan homecoming. Ortega was not selected.

“”It’s a great way to recognize student service on campus,”” Alumni Association President Chris Vlahos said about the evening. “”We have so many students that do great things.””

Vlahos said that students that are actively engaged in the UA as undergrads can continue those great feelings after they graduate.

“”Students involved with the university tend to become better alumni,”” he said.