Senior Class Gift no pie in the sky

The Senior Class Gift program added more than $700 to its coffers last week when nearly 100 members of the Class of 2011 gathered at Donovan’s Pub for the fifth annual Toll House pie-eating contest. Six undergrads noshed on 12 pounds of pie, racing the clock to see who could ingest the most in 10 minutes flat.

Teammates, fraternity brothers, and sorority sisters turned out to cheer on the competitors: Alexandra (Ali) Cassel, Jacqueline Colborne, Charles (Merritt) Jackley, Jackson Latham, William (Alex) McClure, and Gregory Reutershan. Each attendee was an investor in the class gift, which will benefit the Maroon Advantage — a partnership between alumni relations and career services that helps Colgate community members through professional transitions.

When the crumbs were cleared and the plates were weighed, Colborne was declared the winner. Her prize: bragging rights and a place in Colgate senior class history. A geology major and Raider hockey forward, Colborne’s victory speech was as short and sweet as the contest itself. “I feel disgusting,” she told the crowd.

While the pie-eating contest is the undisputed highlight of the Senior Class Gift Committee’s event calendar, it’s not the last item on the agenda. The committee will host a Maroon Advantage launch party on March 3, Tuition-Free Week commemorations, study breaks, and a happy hour for seniors between now and the end of the semester. All activities are aimed at helping the class achieve its 95-percent participation goal while increasing awareness of the importance of philanthropy.

For more information on the Maroon Advantage program, visit colgateconnect.org/careerservices.