MDXSU Awards Results 2017
Middlesex Students' Union are excited to announce the student winners of this year's MDXSU Awards!
The annual awards are our way of celebrating the work and achievements of Middlesex University students over the past year, and the contribution they have made to the university, their fellow students andthe local community.
Students were nominated by fellow students and staff at MDX, with these nominations then reviewed by a judging panel of elected students and staff to decide the final shortlist and winners.
This year's event took place on Thursday 11th May at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in central London, and was hosted by MDXSU President Simba Lkaderi and Vice President Joe Cox, alongside our guest presenter Robbiie Young, National Union of Students (NUS) Vice President Society and Citizenship.
Alongside the award-giving and results - including some special, surprise awards - guests were also treated to a three-course meal and entertainment from MDX student and singer Iva Angelicheva.
The celebratory evening marked the end of a really successful year by Middlesex Students' Union and students themselves - including the extension of opening hours on campus, the first ever winter graduation ceremonies, free bike hire on campus and thousands raised for charity by student groups.
Celebrations will continue at MDXSU's huge end-of-year event this Wednesday 17th May, with a big name line up, silent disco, fairground ride and more at Summer Shutdown.
Read on the for the full results, or visit the Middlesex Students' Union Facebook page for the full album of photos from the night. Click below for quick links:
The Results
Society Recognition Scheme Awards
These awards are attainable by any Society and recognise their work in a variety of areas. You can find out more about the scheme here.
Bronze -
Unlimited Potential Society
Vegetarian & Vegan Society
Silver -
Criminology & Sociology Society
Gold -
Debating Society
POW! Media Awards
This year POW! Media has continued to grow and has collaborated with a number of student groups to host a variety of events. From working with ACS, the Journalism Society and the Women’s Group to produce a fantastic evening at Pressure to be Perfect, to working with Singers & Musicians Society to organise on of their brilliant talent shows.
The shortlist...
Aldo Cetrollo
Malak Aya
Jamie Burnett
Petrana Zemanova
The winner...
Jamie Burnett
"The judges were really impressed by Jamie's passion for journalism and dedication to POW! Media. They have taken time out to help run promo stalls around campus and ensure students know what POW! is all about, and have submitted a variety of high quality articles for POW! Magazine."
Student-Led Event of the Year
There have been awide variety of student events this year, both in size and nature, showcasing Middlesex’s diverse students and their different interests and backgrounds.
The shortlist:
Wild Rose BG Music Festival - Iva Angelicheva
Stories of Success - Arab Society
Holi Festival - Bollywood Society and Indian Society
Pressure to be Perfect - African-Carribbean Society (ACS), Journalism Society, POW! Media and the MDXSU Women students’group
Cultural Event - Afghan Society
The winner...
Arab Society, with Stories of Success
"Arab Society put months of effort into organising this extremely successful event. Attendees mentioned how welcoming the atmosphere was, and how the high profile speakers gave great insight into how they got to be where they are today. On top of that, the event raised over £1,300 for charity."
Best New Society
This award celebrates the most successful new societies at Middlesex - those who have only been established within just the past academic year.
The shortlist:
Arab Society
Vegetarian & Vegan Society
Harry Potter Society
Unlimited Potential Society
Musical Theatre Society
The winner...
Vegetarian & Vegan Society
"This Society showed an incredible amount passion and enthusiasm, engaging with the Students' Union to recruit new members, and making positive change on campus by working with us to campaign for better food choices at Middlesex University."
Academic Society of the Year
Our academic societies continue to deliver fantastic opportunities for students, linked to their courses and careers.
The shortlist:
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Academic Society (CAMAS)
Criminology and Sociology Academic Society
Dance Society
Darko Zine Society
Natural Sciences Academic Society
The winner...
Criminology and Sociology Academic Society
"This Society has been consistently great over the last few years, developing excellent relationships with their course leaders, organising a variety of workshops and talks including some excellent problem-based learning seminars, and pushing their department to ensurethe Environmental and Green Criminology module is running next year."
Society of the Year
MDXSU Societies 
contribute immeasurably to student life, providing hundreds of students with support, opportunities and friendships! This was an incredibly close category, and it was amazing to read all the nominations.
The shortlist:
African-Caribbean Society (ACS)
Debating Society
Islamic Society
Pakistan Society
Singers &Musicians Society
The winner...
Debating Society
"Debating Society has consistently hadgreat attendance at each of their weekly sessions, and have organised a successful internal league. They have organised several collaborative events with other societies and Liberation groups, as well as getting involved in MDXSU campaigns and initiatives. Their meetings are described as extremely fun and educational, and ensure that all members are brought together to build a community with a common interest. As well as achieving Gold in the Society Recognition Scheme they have been competing nationally and internationally, including at this year’s European competition."
Society Impact Award
This special surprise award was created especially for one of the Societies shortlisted for Society of the Year.
This Society hashad a big impact on the wider community this year - from raising over £2,000 for charity in one weekin October 2016, to leading on a campaign as part of Islamaphobia Awareness Month, which include talks, workshops and 'Walk in her Scarf'.
The Islamic Society also sent food, blankets and clothing to those in war-torn countries, and worked with the MDXSU Women Students' group and Students for Syria to send female hygiene products for those in need in Syria. They were also nominated for a Leadership Award at the FOSIS Winter Conference!
The winner...
Islamic Society
Liberation Leader of the Year
MDXSU support four Liberation groups, supporting women students, disabled students, black students (of African, Asian and Arab descent) and LGBT+ students. This award recognises the work of the students who lead these groups.
The shortlist:
Sara Derrouiche
Jale Turner
Amy Perrin
Hafsa Momin
Vera Azevedo
The winner...
Amy Perrin
"Amy received some truly fantastic nominations which illustrate her passion for the work she does. She has worked tirelessly to promote liberation around campus, from organising small socials to planning and putting together the first ever Liberation Station at Middlesex University – an intersectional event that sought to give a platform to the liberation groups and increase engagement with them."
Student Voice Leader of the Year
Our Student Voice Leaders - representatives for each year of each course at Middlesex - are a asset to our organisation, working at the core of our course-led representation and ensuring everystudent is able to shape their own learning experience at Middlesex.
The shortlist:
Viktoriya-Azemina Balijagic (BA International Politics and Law)
Eva Szabo (MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship)
Giorgia Bellocchio (BSc Psychology with Human Resource Management)
Rajiv Shahi (BA International Business)
Hafsa Momin (BA Psychology with Counselling Skills)
The winner...
Rajiv Shahi (BA International Business)
"Rajiv received many carefully considered nominations which were a pleasure to read. They havegone above and beyond in representing their fellow students this year, proactively approach their classmates to gather feedback, and offering practical solutions to their problems. They are approachable, committed and passionate, acting as an effective mediator between students, lecturers, the University and the Students’ Union, helping to make lessons more engaging. They also do all this with a big smile on their face!"
Volunteer of the Year
Our amazing MDX student volunteers giving up their time play areally valuable role in supporting our campaigns, services or student groups.
The shortlist:
Douglas Morjaria
Sammy Hughes
Amy Satterthwaite
The winner...
Amy Satterthwaite
"Amyis always the first person to put their hand up when something needs doing. They have worked tirelessly throughout the year, despite a really tough degree programme. Amy who will always help out others; whether it is at the MDX Home Community Kitchen or running the next stall for the Women’s Liberation group, it is clear that campaigns and groups would not be the same without them."
Community Placement Student of the Year
This award recognises all those students who have been doing amazing things to support and grow local organisations and projects through our Community Placement scheme.
The shortlist:
Poppy Heap
Natasha White
Ayah Benberna
The winner...
Poppy Heap
"Poppy applied for her placement role not because of the wages, but because she genuinely loved the concept of the Community Kitchen project and what it is trying to achieve. The student has been described as ‘an unstoppable force’ and they are just that. They have even been able to build relationships between MDXSU and other organisations from across the local community, putting MDXstudents at the heart of that relationship. At the end of the day, this is what the Community Placementsscheme is all about."
MDXSU Student Intern of the Year
Our paid, part-time internships give Middlesex students the opportunity to play a key role in helping us to deliver events, projects and campaigns, and we are truly thankful for their work this year!
The shortlist:
Joran Frydenlund (Design Intern)
Themis Efthimiou (Research Intern)
Rebeca Cruz (Liberation Intern)
Hannah Lambe (Events Intern)
The winner...
Joran Frydenlund
"Joran is a very talented designer, and the standard of her work is particularly impressive given the speed at which she completes it. Her work often requires a quick turnaround, but she takes all this in her stride,happily takingon board feedback and using her knowledge and insight to make valuable suggestions. She has been dedicated and innovative, and despite an increasing numberofdesign requests, Joran has never faltered in her output, professionalism and reliability, despite the demands of her final year - which she is excelling in too!"
MDXSU Student Staff Member of the Year
Our paid, part-time internships give Middlesex students the opportunity to play a key role in helping us to deliver events, projects and campaigns, and we are truly thankful for their work this year!
The shortlist:
Ryan Entwistle
Louise Marquis
Kristine Clarke
Latasha Jarodia
The winner...
Louise Marquis, MDXSU Welcome Desk and Team MDXSU
"Louise is exceptionally competent, passionate, organised and professional. She isalways friendly and helpful to students and visitors to the MDXSU Welcome Desk, and is dedicated to her job. She helps to support projects from across the Students' Union, and takes on board any task thrown at her - always finding an answer or a solution!"
MDXSU Staff Member of the Year
MDXSU's full-time staff support your elected Student Officers and help to deliver our varied activities, events, campaigns, services and democratic structures.
The shortlist:
Hannah Roberts
Laura Higgs
Pete Offord
Michael Jones
The winner...
Michael Jones, MDXSU Advisor
"The work of the MDXSU Advice service can often be overlooked due to the confidential nature of much of it's work, but it plays a crucial role in supporting, defending and extending the rights of students, with over 300 cases in the past year alone. Michael clearly cares a great deal about his work, going above and beyond for students andtaking one very opportunity to support students and develop the service - such as his work around mental health provision. Michael is diligent, reliable and knowledgeable, and has a great relationship with students and staff."
Student of the Year
This award recognises the fantastic effort and commitment that Middlesex students make to the University, the Students' Union, the local community and wider world!
The shortlist:
Rebeca Cruz
Karim Chaibi
Monika Smiechowska
Sara Derrouiche
Zoe Ranford
The winner...
Rebeca Cruz
"Over the past year, Rebeca has been a School Voice Leader, Society Leader, Student Learning Assistant and an Intern for MDXSU! She has run workshops - including one on leadership at a Student Leaders Conference - and volunteered at the MDXSU Community Kitchen. One of the stand out nominations for Rebeca said, 'she is a boulder going down a hill, a landslide on a mountain, a tidal wave, by which we mean to say: she is unstoppable... it is students like this who put the SU in superhero’. On top of all that, she constantly has a smile on her face and her passion for Middlesex shines through."
Lifetime Membership
Honourary Lifetime Membership of Middlesex Students' Union was presented to our Vice President Health & Education and Science & Technology, Orla Hillary.
All students at Middlesex University are members of MDXSU, but we have the power to grant lifetime membership to those who have such a lasting legacy on our work as a Students' Union.
Orla has been involved in all areas of the University during her time her, and has demonstrated truepassion in using these opportunitiesto change the world.Her endless commitment to charity, social justice, and tackling inequality in the world is second to none, from organising charity trips, being pivotal in setting up MDX Home Community Kitchen - her achievements speak for themselves. Only a few weeks ago, she was awarded Outstanding Contribution to Student Affairs at the National Student Nursing Awards.
Congratulations to Orla Hillary!
Congratulations to all those who were shortlisted or won an award this year, and thank you to students and staff for the hundreds of nominations we received. If you would like to getinvolved in some of the opportunities students won awards for this year, have a browse of www.mdxsu.com or contact us at mdxsu@mdx.ac.uk
