By Gargoyle news staff
Posted Wednesday, May 2, 2007, The OG, news & student awards

EACH YEAR DURING graduation season, local CBS affiliate WCIA airs a series of one-minute TV spots called “Best of the Class.”

It's a local tradition that began in 1983. “Best of the Class” recognizes top area seniors — usually valedictorians — and their schools.

For those high schools such as Uni that don't rank students, WCIA has provided a formula that selects the featured students. Usually no more than two students represent each school.

Last year, Katie Carmody and Michael Pitt were Uni's featured students.

But WCIA is doing something different this time around. According to college counselor Lisa Micele, the station invited area high schools to submit the names of all students who will graduate with the highest GPA in their class.

Uni's senior class has 16 students with current 4.00 grade point averages, Micele said. She spoke today to the WCIA producer in charge of the series and confirmed that all 16 seniors will be featured in the TV spots.

“I think he's getting prepared for phone calls from area principals — questioning why so many Uni students were honored,” Micele commented. “I told him that all 16 have a top 4.00 at Uni High.”

So be on the lookout for these seniors, who will be appearing soon on your TV screens:

• Emma Anselin

• Michael Belmont

• Alexander Cahill

• Christine Cheng

• Kathleen Easley

• Martin Geiger

• Daisy Hassani

• Benjamin Hyman

• Daniel Ito

• Tomasz Kalbarczyk

• Tatyana Kostochka

• Annie Liang

• Paige Martin

• Yuv (Chandra) Pathuri

• Rebecca Wallig

• Victoria Wang

The taping will take place on May 19 at Lake of the Woods Park, near Mahomet. Details of the taping will be sent directly to the students' home addresses. A make-up day, if necessary, will be scheduled for May 21.

RELATED

— 2006 Gargoyle coverage: Carmody, Pitt rank as “Best of Class”

— External link: WCIA's home page