Senior Micah Berman was named Student of the Year at Tuesday's annual awards assembly. He also won the Matt Wilhelm "Service With a Smile" Award and first place in nonfiction in the Iris Chang & Peter Kolodziej Writing Contest. Gargoyle photo by Sindha Agha (click to enlarge)

SENIOR MICAH BERMAN was named Student of the Year at Uni High's annual awards ceremony Tuesday afternoon at the Illini Union. He was selected by a vote of the school's faculty members.

Berman, the Student Council executive president, was honored for his work on behalf of the school and community, as well as for his commitment to academics and his demonstrated respect for the dignity and worth of the individual.

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.

The following are some of the awards given at the assembly, with an emphasis on those whose winners were announced for the first time.

SPECIAL AWARDS FROM OUTSIDE UNI

Sam Walton Community Scholarship
Jamie Weiser, senior
This is a $1,000 scholarship given to a graduating senior who will attend college this fall. Tim Beckman, local Sam's Club Manager, presented Weiser with the scholarship.

Jeld-Wen Scholarship Award
Larissa Pittenger, senior
The Jeld-Wen Windows Division in Rantoul sponsored this $2,000 scholarship. Bev Wolken, benefits manager for Jeld-Wen in Rantoul, presented Pittenger with the award.

STUDENT SERVICES AWARDS

Kiwanis Club of Champaign-Urbana Vic Schaul Award
Lucy Zhang, senior
The Champaign-Urbana Noon Kiwanis Club started a scholarship program in 1989 in honor of one of their club's finest members — Vic Shaul, a member from 1945 until his death in 1993. This $500 scholarship recognizes him for his contributions to the C-U community and its young people. Zhang and her parents will be honored at a club luncheon in June.

Junior League of Champaign-Urbana Volunteer Scholarship Award
Rachel Hurley, senior
Each year, the Junior League of Champaign-Urbana presents a $500 scholarship to one young woman from each of C-U's six high schools. The recipients are selected by their high school’s internal process based upon their volunteer service to our community. Shelley Williams, past president of the Junior League of Champaign-Urbana, presented the award to Hurley.

DEPARTMENTAL AWARDS

Christopher Bannister Memorial Award
Ethan Berl, senior
This award is given by the fine arts department in memory of the late Christopher F. Bannister, a member of the Uni High Class of 1955. He was a master harpsichord builder who believed that Uni High was a unique and ideal place in which to grow and stretch one’s mind in many directions while still allowing one to specialize in particular interests.

Emma Koenker Award
Karen Woodley, senior
Emma Koenker, a member of the Uni High Class of 1998, died on Aug. 16, 1995, as the result of a brain tumor. In her memory, the foreign languages department presents the Emma Koenker Award each year to an outstanding foreign language student who displays enthusiasm about learning languages and has a spirit of adventure and shows an eagerness to try something new.

Illinois Science Teachers Association Award
Shivani Khanna, senior
This award, sponsored by the Illinois Petroleum Resources Board, goes to a junior or senior who has a strong science background. The student must have good leadership abilities, excellent laboratory and study skills, be able to solve problems, and have a strong scholastic rank. He or she must have an interest and desire for a career in science. Khanna plans to study biochemistry at the University of California at Berkeley.

Bausch and Lomb Science Scholarship Program Award
Richard Wang, junior
This award goes to a junior who has demonstrated superior achievement in all of the sciences and who has shown exceptional skill in laboratory experimentation, and who possesses the qualities requisite to a future career in the sciences.

Philip Anderson Outstanding Science Student Award
Geoffrey Beck, senior
This award honors Philip Anderson, who was a member of the Uni High Class of 1940 and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1977. Beck will attend Cal Tech, where he will double major in physics and chemistry.

James Tobin Award for Excellence in the Social Sciences
Ruth Welch, senior
The James Tobin Award for Excellence in the Social Sciences was established in honor of Uni graduate James Tobin, an economist who won the Nobel Prize in 1981. The Tobin Award is given each year to a graduating senior who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to the questions and principles of the social sciences.

SCHOOLWIDE AWARDS

Ella Leppert Award
Chris Butler, social studies teacher
This award is named in honor of Dr. Ella C. Leppert, a long-time social studies teacher at Uni High and recognizes outstanding teaching. Selection is made by the senior class. The recipient shall receive recognition by having his name engraved on the permanent plaque displayed at the school and a cash honorarium of $100.

Iris Chang & Peter Kolodziej Writing Awards
Micah Berman, senior, first place, nonfiction
Kumars Salehi, senior, first place, fiction
Hadley Hauser, sophomore, honorable mention, fiction
These awards honor the memory of writer Iris Chang, Class of 1985, and scientist Peter Kolodziej, Class of 1979. Peter's younger brother, Daniel, worked with Chang on the Unique student literary magazine. He established the awards in recognition of the central role that good writing played in the lives of both Iris and Peter. First-place winners in each category receive $100, a book award, and a plaque.

Wylde Q. Chicken Award
Eunice How, senior
The Class of 1972 established this award 11 years ago to honor students who think creatively and aren't afraid to challenge orthodox ways of doing things. How was honored for the approach she took to an assignment in her U.S history class. In an attempt to make a diary from the point of view of a Cherokee boy on the Trail of Tears appear careworn and authentic, she dyed the pages and bound the work with a primitive-looking tie after singeing the edges of the pages. That is, after she inadvertently ignited an entire page of her work, and had to watch helplessly as the page was consumed in flames in her backyard. How received a $150 cash prize. In addition, Scott Wyatt from the Class of ’72 presented her with a Wylde Q. T-shirt, a chicken coffee cup, some “Eggs”-traordinary Chickens Note Cards … and a fire extinguisher.

Illinois Principals Association Award
Rachel Hurley, senior
Ethan Stone, senior
This award recognizes students who have exhibited excellence in a variety of areas, including grades, co-curricular activities, and involvement in community activities. Rachel Hurley transferred to Uni from Danville High School. She and her friends spearheaded a food drive on Halloween night in two cities with the donations to given to the Food Bank. Hurley planned publicity, recruited the students from both Uni and Danville High School, set up the guidelines, and trained the students. Stone excels in giving back to his community through dog training, tutoring, being a Uni note taker, working for Katrina Relief, United for Uganda, Illini Bike Project, Habitat for Humanity, and more.

Matt Wilhelm Memorial “Service with a Smile” Award
Micah Berman, senior
Matt Wilhelm, Class of 1999, was a dedicated member of the Uni student body who was constantly helping others. Each year, the Matt Wilhelm Memorial “Service with a Smile” Award is voted on by the faculty and goes to a member of the Uni student who, like Matt, went above and beyond the call of duty to serve the Uni community. Comments about Berman, a repeat winner of this award, included: “He is the embodiment of service with a smile. Whenever asked to do something, he is more than willing.”

June Mank Award
Eunice How, senior
June Mank was the bookkeeper for Uni High from 1972 to 1988. She served on the Champaign City Council from 1979-2003. In her spare time she drove cancer patients for treatment, delivered meals on wheels, and served on various neighborhood committees, plus church activities. This award is voted on by the faculty and given to a student who most shares June’s supportive role in the interest of Uni High. The student may have a long-term commitment to a single project, a short-term commitment to a variety of projects, or is engaged in service to the school without being asked. Comments about How included: “Organization and responsibility out of this atmosphere … She will take on a job and make it work … Conscientious … Works hard … Always smiling and willing to jump in and do a job.”

Principal’s Award
Jennifer Roloff, senior
This award is given at the discretion of the principal. The award is intended to recognize a student who exhibits strong character and is a good role model for others both in the classroom and outside it. In Director/Principal Steve Epperson's words: “This year’s winner of the Principal’s Award has quietly gone about achieving excellence in the classroom and in fine arts. She is conscientious, dedicated, and represents what being a Uni student is all about.”

Student of the Year Award
Micah Berman, senior
This award is determined by the faculty. The following are the criteria used to select the winner:

1. The student demonstrates respect for the dignity and worth of the individual.
2. The student is sensitive to the needs of his/her school and community and initiates constructive action without seeking self-glorification.
3. The student is willing and able to operate as a leader or follower as the situation demands.
4. The student is creative and demonstrates ability to inaugurate and carry out original proposals. The student is not bound by tradition.
5. The student has a strong interest in and commitment to their academic program.

Comments about Berman included: “He serves Uni and I believe loves the school. He volunteers his time without seeking glory. He is sincere, a hard worker, and an excellent student. … He is the most well-rounded, organized, polite, and professional student I have witnessed at this school. We have been very lucky to have him.”