Members of Princeton's class of 2007 gathered on Cannon Green Monday, June 4, to celebrate the conclusion of their undergraduate careers in a Class Day ceremony honoring their service and accomplishments.
The Harold Willis Dodds Prize was given to Laura Boyce of Belmont, N.C., and Joshua Williams of Andover, Mass. The award recognizes seniors who best embody the qualities of Princeton's 15th president, Harold Dodds, "particularly in the qualities of clear thinking, moral courage, a patient and judicious regard for the opinions of others, and a thorough devotion to the welfare of the University and to the life of the mind." Boyce, a Woodrow Wilson School major and candidate for a certificate in the Program in Teacher Preparation, was a member of the College Democrats and P-Votes, a student-led initiative to promote student civic engagement. Boyce was also a peer educator on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, a volunteer with the Student Volunteers Council's Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, an Outdoor Action trip leader and an active member of her religious group, Princeton Presbyterians. Williams has been a leader of the Buddhist Students' Group and the Religious Life Council, encouraging campus-wide discussions on the role of religion and ethics. Williams, a comparative literature major and candidate for certificates in African studies and creative writing, also has served as co-editor of the Intercollegiate Journal of Religious Life and as a peer educator on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues.
Aitalohi (Aita) Amaize of Taichung, Taiwan, received the Allen Macy Dulles '51 Award, which is presented to a senior whose activities while at Princeton best represent or exemplify the University's informal motto: "Princeton in the nation's service and in the service of all nations." Amaize has served as a member of the Student Volunteers Council Executive Board, organizing trips during academic breaks, most notably to the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She also has organized volunteer projects at the Fisher Charter School in Trenton and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, coordinated music performances for the elderly and spearheaded river cleanup projects. A psychology major and candidate for certificates in neuroscience and African American studies, Amaize also has been a coordinator for the Black Student Union's Leadership and Mentoring Program, editor-in-chief of Prism magazine and the music director of the a cappella group, Culturally Yours.
The Frederick Douglass Award was given to Danielle Hamilton of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. The award, established in 1969 by the Association of Black Collegians, recognizes a senior who has exhibited courage, leadership, intellectual achievement and a willingness to contribute unselfishly toward a deeper understanding of racial minorities and who, in doing so, reflects the tradition of service embodied at Princeton. Hamilton, a comparative literature major, has been involved in the Black Student Union, serving as vice president and a member of its Leadership and Mentoring Program. She has engaged in many service efforts, especially those aimed at improving opportunities for at-risk youth. She has worked as a tutor for Project TEACH in Trenton, a summer resident adviser for Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America and a teaching assistant for the Princeton University Preparatory Program for academically talented area high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds. She also has served as a peer educator about eating concerns and as a residential college peer adviser.
Jim Williamson of Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was awarded the W. Sanderson Detwiler 1903 Prize, which goes to the senior, who in the judgment of his or her classmates, has done the most for the class. He has been president of his class since 2004 and was a member of the University Honor Committee, serving as chair this past year. Williamson, a politics major and candidate for a certificate in Chinese language, also has served on the Dean of Religious Life Selection Committee and the Whig-Clio International Relations Council. He has been an Orange Key tour guide and an assistant editor of Tiger Magazine.
The Class of 1901 Medal, which goes to the senior, who in the judgment of his or her classmates, has done the most for Princeton, was awarded to Alex Lenahan of Piedmont, Calif. He has been an active member of the Undergraduate Student Government and last year served as USG president. Lenahan, a politics major and candidate for a certificate in Spanish, also served as president of the University chapter of Amnesty International and was a member of Princeton Model Congress. He was an undergraduate fellow at both Mathey College and the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies.
Drew Frederick of Kingsport, Tenn., was awarded the Priscilla Glickman '92 Memorial Prize, which honors "independence and imagination in the area of service," for his long-standing involvement and leadership in civic engagement activities on campus and in the community. A Woodrow Wilson School major and candidate for a certificate in Latin American studies, Frederick was a founding member of the Civic Values Task Force, a student-led organization that explored ways to enhance civic engagement at Princeton. Through the Student Volunteers Council, Frederick volunteered for four years with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and served as a student leader for freshmen in the Community Action program. Frederick was also a member of the Pace Center Advisory Board and the Pace Council for Civic Values. As a Class of 1969 Community Service Fund intern, Frederick developed and conducted an economic survey of the Latino migrant community in Bridgeton, N.J., that identified the community's impact on the local economy. This past year, Frederick co-organized and co-ran the student-initiated course, "The Just University," with Stanley Katz, faculty chair of the undergraduate program for the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Athletic awards
Jon Charlesworth of Richmond, Va., was awarded the Class of 1916 Cup, which is presented to the senior varsity letter winner with the highest academic standing. Charlesworth, a molecular biology major, participated in the cross country and track teams and earned a varsity letter in cross country in the fall of 2006. He was also a two-time winner of Princeton's Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence and earned the national Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for students majoring in math, science or engineering.
The William Winston Roper Trophy was shared by Jeff Terrell of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and Peter Trombino of North Huntington, N.Y. The award goes to "a male senior of high scholastic rank and outstanding qualities of sportsmanship and general proficiency in athletics." As quarterback, Terrell led the football team through the 2006 season, which ended with Princeton's first Ivy League title since 1995. Terrell, a religion major, won the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League Player of the Year and was named the National Offensive Player of the Week after rallying Princeton from a trio of 14-point deficits and throwing for 445 yards in a dramatic 34-31 win at Yale last fall. Trombino, one of the top offensive players in Princeton men's lacrosse history, is the only player to have four seasons of at least 20 goals and at least 10 assists. He was a two-time All-America and three-time All-Ivy League selection and the 2004 Ivy League Rookie of the Year for lacrosse. The history major ranked ninth in career scoring among all players in Division I lacrosse this past season.
Elyse Colgan, Kathleen Miller and Claire Rein-Weston shared the C. Otto von Kienbusch Award, which goes to a "senior woman of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated a general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of true sportsmanship. Colgan, a Woodrow Wilson School major from Annapolis, Md., led the women's water polo team in scoring this past year. She was a two-time All America selection and won her fourth consecutive Southern Most Valuable Player Award at the completion of the 2007 season and was also an All-Southern and All-Eastern selection. Miller, an art history major from Alexandria, Va., is one of just five players in Princeton's women's lacrosse history to score more than 200 career points. She was a four-time All-Ivy League selection and the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2004, helping Princeton to an undefeated regular season and a third straight appearance in the NCAA championship game. Rein-Weston, an English major from Seattle, jumped into the No. 1 position on the women's squash team her freshman year and held that spot for the majority of her career. She earned All-Ivy and All-America honors all four years and led her team to the 2007 Ivy League and national championships. Rein-Westin also served as team captain through the Howe Cup National Championships, where Princeton swept Brown, Yale and Harvard to claim the national title.
The Arthur Lane '34 Award was given to Dustin Kahler, Caitlin Reimers, Brig Walker and Sandra Zaeh. The award is presented by the Princeton Varsity Club to honor selfless contribution to sport and society by undergraduates. Kahler, a Woodrow Wilson School major from Bonita Springs, Fla., was a member of the men's soccer team and has contributed to the Princeton chapter of Oxfam International, served as treasurer for the Global Issues Forum and was co-director of "An Evening for Darfur" event to raise money for Sudanese refugees. Reimers, a women's lacrosse player from Greenwich, Conn., has served as a children's summer camp director in the Dominican Republic and worked at a social services home in Costa Rica with adolescent boys who were without paternal care. Closer to campus, Reimers, a Woodrow Wilson School major, has participated in the Trenton Bridge Program, served as a volunteer in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program and was a Spanish tutor at the Princeton Community Center. Football team member Walker has served as a health promotions assistant, collaborating with Princeton's Department of Public Safety to combat sexual violence by creating information sheets to encourage reporting by victims. A molecular biology major from Vancouver, Wash., he also developed a program to focus on safe and reduced alcohol consumption as a member of the Healthier Princeton Advisory Board. Zaeh, a member of the women's swimming and diving team, traveled to Botswana in the summer of 2006 as part of the BOTUSA project, a joint initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and the Botswanan government. In Africa, her work focused on assisting children with HIV. Zaeh, a sociology major from Berkeley Heights, N.J., coordinated a Teams for Toys project with her team and also has served as a social work intern for Lawyers for Children, a firm in New York City that represents children in foster and abuse cases.
Honorary class members
The class of 2007 also named five people as honorary class members: Bradley Whitford, the Emmy Award-winning actor from NBC's "The West Wing" and Class Day speaker; Maitland Jones, the David B. Jones Professor of Chemistry; Murray Peyton, a 1957 alumnus; Charlie Wilder, a manager at the University's Rockefeller and Mathey dining halls; and Fred Hargadon, who retired as the University's dean of admission in 2003.