Ever been told you’re a “ham?” Probably. Ever been named after a ham sandwich? Probably not. Wow, that was cheesy.
By submitting an application on the Ohio Union website, individuals and groups could have a sandwich named after them.
Sloopy’s Diner at the Ohio Union has a long name of special sandwich and breakfast items that are named after an award winner in the Sloopy’s Diner Sandwich Club.
The Buckeyethon American Classic, San Antonio OSU Alumni Club Smothered Breakfast Burrito and TJ Stewart Turkey Club are the examples on the Sloopy’s Diner menu.
Sloopy’s Diner and the Ohio Union have been looking for students, faculty, staff and alumni to honor who strive to make the OSU better throughout the years.
“We want to recognize those folks who play a big role in making the Ohio State great,” said Kurtis Foriska, a director of strategic marketing and development of Student Life. “We are trying to think of what’s a new and different way to honor some folks that contributed substantially to the institution.”
Among a list of questions, applicants must explain why they deserve a sandwich to be named after them, how they have enriched their academic experience at OSU and what they hope their legacy will be. The application must be submitted by at 5 p.m. Sunday.
The third Annual Sloopy’s Diner Sandwich Club will award six outstanding individuals and three outstanding groups who give their time and energy to make a difference on the campus. Individual awards are open to current students, faculty, staff and alumni and group awards are open to student organizations, academic departments and alumni groups. The sandwich will be named after the individual award winner and a breakfast item will be named after the group award winner.
Students are required to have at least a 2.5 GPA to apply.
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee of staff, alumni and student leaders. The winners will be notified in July 2012 and the revealing ceremony will be held the beginning of the Autumn Semester.
Foriska said the committee will evaluate the application focusing on who makes a contribution in a distinctive way.
He also said the revealing ceremony will be like a “Harry Potter revealing.”
“You don’t pick your sandwich. The sandwich picks you,” Foriska said. “The chef will match winner’s personality with the sandwich itself.”
Applicants will not be able to request which sandwich they want named after them, however dietary restrictions will be taken into consideration.
A winner’s biography will be on the menu and the winner’s picture will also appear on a revolving basis on the Buckeyes of
Distinction Wall in the Ohio Union. Winners get one free meal per semester in Sloopy’s Diner, valued at about $60 for an individual winner and $120 for a group.
“I think it is fun and a good way to recognize winners,” said Julian Giardello, an operations manager at Sloopy’s Diner. “I think a lot of students actually like to see who have some type of significant background with Ohio State and what they’ve done for Ohio State. ”
Buckeyethon, the largest student run philanthropy group at OSU, became a part of the Sandwich Club last year.
Suraj Hinduja, the president of Buckeyethon and a second-year in special education, said they took a great opportunity to market them and to help build their name and message.
“The main reason of why we applied the Sandwich Club last year is we want to get our name out there,” Hinduja said. “We thought it was a great marketing tool.”
Cicily Murray, a first-year in business administration, has already applied to the Sandwich Club.
“I think it is a really cool idea that you can have the sandwich named after you,” Murray said.
