Linder '04, Porter '04 win annual Pyne Honor Prize

Seniors Katherine Linder and Steven Porter were honored at the Alumni Day ceremonies this past Saturday with the University's Moses Taylor Pyne Honor Prize, the highest general distinction available to an undergraduate.

The two had never met, but as Porter mentioned in his acceptance speech, they occupy carrels directly across from each other in Firestone, where both have been working on their theses.

"It's kind of a testament to the sheer number of exceptional people you'll meet at Princeton," Porter said of the coincidence. "You're always wishing you had the time or circumstances to meet more people."

The Pyne Honor Prize, founded in 1921 in recognition of Moses Taylor Pyne, a member of the Class of 1877, is awarded annually to the senior who best demonstrates scholastic excellence, strength of character and support for the interests of the University.

On Monday, Feb. 9, the chosen seniors were told that Dean of Undergraduate Students Kathleen Deignan wished to speak with them, with no disclaimer except that "it wasn't bad."

"I guess in the past people have come in crying, thinking that plagiarism from freshman year had been uncovered," said Porter, an anthropology major writing his thesis on the ways by which traditional medicine is integrated into the national health policy of South Africa.

When asked by Deignan about the start of his semester, Porter said that he was so busy, he felt like he'd been shot out of a cannon. Deignan responded, "Well, be prepared to be shot out of that cannon again." And then she told him.

Porter, vice president of the University's Student Health Advisory Board and a member of the Student Global AIDS Campaign, called the award a welcome surprise.

"It's completely overwhelming to be honored in that capacity," he said.

Porter was one of those students who, on May 1 of his senior year in high school, was literally in the post office going back and forth between two universities — in his case Princeton and Stanford University.

"I asked the mail lady to decide for me, but she said no, that I had to decide," he said. "I literally did eeny-meeny-miny-mo."

Now, however, he can't imagine it any other way, he said, and calls the University the sort of place students "love consistently through their years."

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Porter plans to use the cash award which accompanies the Pyne Honor Prize to supplement the stipend he will receive from "some sort of nonprofit work — hopefully Princeton in Asia, Princeton in Africa, or Project 55" next year.

Linder, who is concentrating in the history department and writing her thesis on the democratization of travel in the 19th century, first thought that Deignan would ask her to serve on a committee.

After learning she had been chosen by the president of the University, the deans of the College and of Student Life and the secretary of the University for this top honor, she looked up Moses Taylor Pyne and "realized what an honor it is to receive this award in recognition of the passion and dedication with which he served Princeton."

Her sister, Elizabeth '07, a Daily Princetonian staff writer, said, "It has been delightful sharing this year at Princeton with my sister, and I'm so proud of her service to this community."

Linder, who will study modern European history at Cambridge University this fall, said the most significant thing to her about receiving the award is that she is sharing it with Porter.

Linder praised her time at the University.

"Each day, there are numerous moments when I realize how special Princeton is — whether it's a particularly fascinating lecture, an engaging conversation with someone down the hall, or even just a beautiful snowfall."

She said of the actual ceremony: "It was a humbling experience to stand before Princeton's alumni and reflect on the contributions they have made to Princeton and the rest of the world."