Christine Cheng with her Wylde Q. Chicken Award,
given by the Class of 1972 for unbidden creativity.
(Gargoyle photo by Alan Liang) (click to enlarge)

By Gargoyle News Staff
Published May 22, 2007

SENIOR EMMA ANSELIN was named Student of the Year at Uni High's annual awards ceremony held this afternoon at the Illini Union. She was selected by a vote of the school's faculty members.

Anselin was honored for her work on behalf of the school and community, as well as for her commitment to academics and her demonstrated respect for the dignity and worth of the individual.

Winners of the following awards were also announced at the assembly for the first time.

A complete list of awards and honors earned by Uni students this year will be mailed out in June with the graduation issue of the U'n'I newsletter.

• Principal's Award:
Senior Martin Granick, for his spirited contributions to Uni High as a model student and citizen.

• June Mank Award:
Senior Maddy Hamlin, for her commitment to serving the school in a variety of activities and volunteer projects. This award is given to a student who most shares the late June Mank's supportive role on behalf of Uni High.

• Wylde Q. Chicken Award:
Senior Christine Cheng, for exhibiting spontaneous creativity, unbidden originality, and thinking that goes “outside the box.” The award is given each year by members of the Class of 1972. Cheng won for her creative way of handling history teacher Bill Sutton's assignment on the “Wheel of Respectability.” In addition, junior Julian Hartman was belatedly honored for his entry in last year's contest.

• Iris Chang & Peter Kolodziej Writing Awards:
Junior Michelle Gao and subfreshman Katayun Salehi, co-winners, first prize, fiction; senior Dana Al-Qadi, first prize, nonfiction. Honorable mention: Jackie Hedeman, fiction; Lydia Ansermet, nonfiction; Shara Esbenshade, nonfiction; Elaine Gu, nonfiction; Maddy Hamlin, nonfiction; Ruth Welch, nonfiction.

• Christopher Bannister Memorial Award:
Senior Alex Cahill, for the growth and resilience he has shown in many fields, including, but not exclusively in, music.

• Emma Koenker Foreign Language Award:
Senior Tanya Kostochka, for her interest in and respect for different cultures throughout the world.

• James Tobin Excellence in the Social Sciences Award:
Senior Martin Geiger, for his scholarship and his classroom contributions in the field of social science.

• Junior League of Champaign-Urbana Award:
Senior Amanda Grill, for her outstanding and consistent local volunteer work.

• Kiwanis Vic Shaul Award:
Senior Aria Collopy, for her significant service contributions to the community.

• Philip Anderson Award:
Senior Devika Bagchi, for her exceptional performance in science throughout her Uni career.

• Illinois State Science Teachers Association Award:
Senior Alex Cahill, for his academic excellence and desire to enter a scientific field.

• Bausch & Lomb Science Scholarship Program Award:
Junior Jennifer Roloff, for her outstanding work in science.

• Ella Leppert Award:
Uni seniors selected Student Services Office secretary Ellen Lindsey in honor of her dedication and willingness to help students.

• Student Technology Leadership Award:
Senior Ben Hyman, for his work in helping to develop, maintain, and improve The Online Gargoyle. This is a new honor, given by the computer science department.

• Matt Wilhelm Service with a Smile Award:
Junior Micah Berman, for his selfless work on behalf of Uni High. This is the award's first year, which was established in honor of 1999 graduate Matt Wilhelm, who died in September 2006.

Also at today's assembly, Dave Dickey of WILL AM-580 presented the Communicator Award, a national honor, to four Uni students who produced an award-winning radio documentary based on the Class of 2009's subfreshman oral history project on Judaism in Champaign-Urbana. Honored were seniors Amelia Breault and Bethany Hutchens, junior Ruth Welch, and sophomore Annie Machesky.

RELATED

— 2006 Gargoyle coverage: 2006 Uni awards: Student achievements honored at ceremony

— External link: AM 580 Airs Uni High Documentary on the Life and Journey of Champaign-Urbana Jews