Candidates vying for the prestigious Wendell Phillips award will deliver their speeches tonight in an attempt to win the privilege of being the only undergraduate speaker at the University's 146th Commencement. The speeches will be given at 5 p.m. in the Coolidge Room of Ballou Hall.
The Committee on Student Life (CSL), a student/faculty body that selects the candidates, will choose from the group of eight finalists, which passed the first round last January out of 20 nominations. Seniors Tommy Calvert, Michael Ferenczy, Seren Levinson, Jesse Levey, Alethea Pieters, Erin Ross, Michele Shelton, and Anoop Swaminath were all selected.
The candidates will give three- to five-minute speeches in a competition open to the public. Contestants will not be allowed to hear other contestant's speeches.
Since the finalists were announced last month, some students have said the pool is too homogenous, and that the CSL should have better attempted to diversify the group. Seven of the eight finalists have been involved in student government at Tufts.
"They're all the same, all political science people," one senior said yesterday. "I think it shows a lack of serious attention on the part of the administration to look beyond the people who are not always in the spotlight."
Another senior expressed frustration at the pool being composed of "the same names you always see."
Senior Malissa Ortiz, disagreed. She said homogeneity is not a fault of the system but rather reflects upon a lack of campus-wide interest in the award.
"I think if they're similar, its not the fault of the system," Ortiz said. "Everyone had an equal chance to be a part of it."
All seniors may apply for the honor, and many receive nominations from faculty. The CSL reviews all applicants, who tend to be influential leaders on campus.
The CSL determines the finalists by having the nominees record a speech and write a 500-word essay, one of which must relate to community service. CSL member Talia Alexander said that she thinks that the honor's requirement of community involvement tends to attract a certain type of person.
The topic of today's speeches will be a response to one of two observations made by Phillips, the famed Boston orator who championed the cause of abolition and women's suffrage in the late 19th century. "Seldom ever was any knowledge given to keep, but to impart; the grace of this rich jewel is lost in concealment," is one option; the other: "The best education in the world is that got by struggling to get a living." Candidates will explain how education will be a part of their efforts to make a difference in society.
In addition to speaking at commencement, the Wendell Phillips winner also receives a monetary award of approximately $400.
The award was established in Phillips' honor in 1896 by a memorial fund association. 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 - each school selects one winner annually.
Last year's winner was Thea Lavin, a former organizer of Tufts Students Against Discrimination (TSAD).
