'Spoon' stirs nearly 150-year-old history of honors

In the middle of a slow-moving class last Monday night, College senior Erica Evans got an e-mail that connected her to a nearly 150-year-old tradition. Evans - along with seven other soon-to-be graduates - will be awarded a prestigious Senior Honor Award at Ivy Day this May.

"I literally started crying in class and left the room," said Evans, who was given the Goddard award for exepmplary service to the Penn community.

She said the award represents the hard work done by the organizations she is part of at Penn - including Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Makuu - which she is delighted to represent.

"It is an honor but also a humbling experience," she said.

The awards are some of Penn's oldest, dating back to the 1860s and recognizing all-around excellence and dedication to Penn.They are typically presented by alumni who won 25 years ago.

College senior and Senior Class President Brett Perlmutter is this year's "Spoon Man," the oldest of the four "Honor Men" awards. His reaction to the e-mail notification mirrored Evan's. "At first I couldn't believe it, and then I just felt deeply honored and flattered," he said.

He added that he is lucky to have worked and been friends with the other honorees.

College and Wharton senior Wilson Tong won the Spade award, College senior Noah Aptekar won the Cane award and Engineering senior Jamie McCarthy the Bowl award. College seniors Drew Tye, Rahima Dosani, and Mia Kumagai won the Hottel, Harnwell and Brownlee awards, respectively.

Tye said her leadership on the Panhellenic Council showed her how to make positive change on campus, and she took a chance by appying for the award.

And when she found out she won while in Van Pelt with three friends, there were "waterworks."

"Being involved on campus has made my love and appreciation for Penn grow exponentially," she wrote in an e-mail.

"It's a very holistic award," Perlmutter said. "They look at academic honors but most important are your leadership and involvement in the Penn community."

Many honorees go on to make big marks. One former Bowl winner is University Chaplain Chaz Howard, a 2000 alumnus.

The tradition is carried from the first incarnation of the Spoon award. In 1861, a small group of sophomores began bestowing a freshman with a large wooden spoon. Four years later at the first Class Day - a senior class celebration eventually combined with Hey Day - a spoon was presented to the most popular member of the senior class, according to the University archives.

The Bowl, Cane and Spade awards all originated in the late 19th century; the women's awards originated between 1959 and 1977.

The ritual of students selecting classmates for awards continues today, with seniors voting for their classmates on Penn In Touch.

Tye said the award represents something much bigger than the individuals who receive it: "I'm incredibly honored to be a part of that long-standing history."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.