Wang wins Wendell Philips

Senior Elaine Wang was chosen as the Wendell Philips Award winner last night, after the eight finalists each gave a speech on their ideal service project and ideal partner for it.

"It is really a great honor to be chosen from such a talented group of people and to be able to share a part of me with my class and the community," said Wang, who hopes to study international law in New York next year.

Wang, who will be the only student speaker at graduation, was chosen by the Tufts Committee on Student Life (CSL).

"It was a very, very close competition," said Barbara Grossman, CSL co-chair. "The committee was impressed by caliber of speeches, how substantive they were, how thoughtful. It makes you wish that you could give eight prizes."

The award is named after Wendell Phillips, a Boston preacher and philanthropist, who was known for his oratory skills.

Although Wang is not certain of the subject of her speech, she said that in many ways, it will be similar to what she spoke about yesterday. "I shaped my speech so that it could be a graduation speech," she said.

Wang chose helping to lessen inequity causing gaps between young people as her project, and the person within who "doesn't always want to understand" as the project partner.

"I took a more unconventional approach [to the topic]," Wang said. "We're in a time right now when there's a lot of uncertainty... our individual responsibility is to try to think open-mindedly and to be as perceptive and unbiased as we can."

Citing both personal experiences with prejudice, and recent hate crimes around the world, Wang said that people must "combat prejudice and combat intolerance."

"We're very far from an ideal world," she said.

Three of the speakers spoke about the AIDS epidemic. Two focused on AIDS and another on the spread of diseases in general. Other topics included education, discrimination, and eating disorders.

The speeches were a culmination of several weeks of work. The initial application focused on academic accomplishment, along with a focus on service and speaking. The finalists were chosen based on a taped speech, essay, and service experience.

For finalist Jamila Moore, speaking in front of other people was a large part of the process. "It's so easy to write out, but a lot harder to speak and still convey to the listener your meaning, while keeping their attention," she said.

Wang did a lot of public speaking in high school. "It has always been a part of my life, so it was natural for me to do this," she said.

The final speeches were given in front of a crowded Coolidge Room in Ballou Hall yesterday. The finalists were cut off when they reached the five-minute time limit, although one speaker was inadvertently cut off a minute early.

"To be able to speak in front of your class is something that anyone would be honored to do," Wang said.