Every year, one of 1,200-plus seniors is chosen to receive the prestigious Wendell Phillips award, and invited to speak at the University's commencement ceremony. That list is down to five.
The Committee on Student Life (CSL), the student/faculty body vested with reviewing and selecting the award winner, chose five finalists at a meeting last Friday. The finalists are seniors Rachel Elkinson, Greg Propper, Angel Hossain, and Shou Min Tan. There were 18 applicants.
Finalists give a five-minute speech members of the Tufts community on which they are judged by the CSL. The winner will be the only undergraduate to speak at May's graduation. The speech topic for the final round is due out this week, said Hossain, who found out she was a finalist this weekend. The Wendell Phillips winner also receives a monetary award of approximately $400.
Anyone can run for the award, and many seniors receive nominations. The CSL reviews all applicants, who tend to be influential leaders on campus. Last year's winner was Keshia Pollack, the former president of the Society of Black Engineers.
This year's group runs the gambit of involvement. Some devote all their time to campus activities, while other are reaching out into the "real world" to try and make a difference. Several of the finalists are noted activists and others also politically involved.
Elkinson serves the campus as a Resident Assistant. She is also involved with the Tufts Femminist Alliance.
Propper has held several posts at Tufts. He is president of the Tufts Democrats and was the coordinator of Tufts Choice 2000, the University's election coalition last semester. He is also on the student development team of the University College of Citizenship and Public Service and on directional staff of LCS.
Hossain served as vice president of the Leonard Carmichael Society, an umbrella community service organization and largest on-campus group. She is also on the Ex College board and a member of Tufts Association of South Asians.
Tan is the student chair of the CSL and former co-coordinator of the Tufts, Transgendered Lesbian, Gay, Bisexaul Collective. In deliberations over the Wendell Phillips winner, Tan has recused himself.
In the first round, the 18 applicants were asked to give a speech elucidating the significance of an Arthur Ashe quote: "From what we get, we can make a living; what give however, makes a life."
Hossain said the inspiration for her speech came from visiting her father's home village in Bangledash. "The speech that I wrote was about learning the lesson of giving back from my father's village. When I went to visit it was a huge shock to see people who have so little but are so concerned about helping others," she said.
Wendell Phillips was a famed Boston orator from the late 19th century who championed the cause of abolition and women's suffrage. The award was established in his honor in 1896 by a memorial fund association. In the spirit of Wendell Phillips, award-winning students are selected based on their speaking abilities as well as their sense of public service and social activism. Harvard University shares the honor with Tufts, and each school selects one winner annually.
The award is prestigious because of its selectivity and the opportunity to speak before thousands of graduation attendees. "To be able to speak at graduation is an excellent opportunity for me to express what Tufts means to me and my experiences over the past four years," Propper said.
