A single winner of this 'top gun' award for outstanding student performance in BOTN 201 was recognized at this semester's gala Golden Gourd Awards ceremony yesterday in lab. Selection was very difficult in that 17 students scored 803 or above in the 'A' range. However, the Golden Gourd goes only to the best of the best, this semester's class cucurbit goes to Colleen McDonald,  a senior Biology major, achieved the top score of 892, 27 points beyond the nearest competitor. This included perfect scores on all hour exams and all lecture pop quizes. Colleen, a graduating senior, is heading to medical school next Fall.

The gourd used for this prestigious award was provided by Lagenaria siceraria (Cucurbitaceae) plants grown by Dr. Wilson during the 1994 growing season. These particular plants represent a cultivar that is not available through commercial outlets. Known as 'Apache Dipper', seed was originally obtained from a BOTN 620 student that acquired them through a 'seed saver' exchange.