In 2006, Stan Chernicoff, a principal lecturer of earth and space sciences, threw out Twinkies to the audience during his “Who Gets the Last Word?” presentation. Last year, biology senior lecturer Mary Pat Wenderoth toured the campus with a plastic skeleton.

For this year’s annual presentation, it is communication professor David Domke’s time to shine; the graduating senior class elected Domke as their favorite professor. Now it’s up to him to further earn that title with a unique presentation of his own.

Annually, an e-mail is sent to all graduating seniors asking them to vote for their favorite professor, teaching assistant or lecturer to speak at the presentation. Students write in the names of anyone they please, rather than voting from a list of candidates.

“You can really choose anyone you want,” said Courtney Acitelli, assistant director of Alumni and Student Programs. “So we get hundreds and hundreds of responses.”

This year, about 10 percent of the graduating senior class voted for their favorite candidates.

“Typical responses of online surveys is usually 2 to 3 percent, so we’re really excited,” Acitelli said. “It’s great feedback.”

The votes were manually counted after the poll was closed, she said. The nominee with the most votes was the winner.

However, the number of votes each candidate received is not disclosed to avoid competition.

“It’s great and I’m really flattered,” Domke said. “I didn’t even know about this competition.”

The presentation, meant to be unconventional and informal, is a valentine from the UW alumni to the senior class, Acitelli said.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” she said. “The professors have a go to try to make it really funny.”

The winner usually has three weeks to prepare a topic. While Domke has not yet decided on a topic, he knows that Gatorade will be involved. Domke’s favorite beverage happens to be Gatorade, a drink he consumes daily in class.

“I want to think about it a little,” he said. “The only thing I know is that there’s going to be Gatorade. My students will understand.”

In addition, Domke hopes to add optimism to his speech.

“I can only do what I do, which is connect with students,” he said. “I also want to find some hopeful things — that’s who I am as a professor. Despite the war and economic crisis we’re in, we have every reason in the world to be optimistic.”

The “Who Gets the Last Word?” presentation is one of many events of Washington Weekend, an open house at all three UW campuses hosted by the UW Alumni Association. The open house allows alumni, faculty, students and family to explore the campuses through class reunions, tours, live entertainment and sporting events.

The presentation, now in its fourth year, was modeled after those on smaller campuses, in which more of the student population participated in voting.

While the presentation serves as a farewell to seniors, “Who Gets the Last Word?” also allows visiting alumni to see who the students admire among faculty members.

“We encourage everyone to come,” Acitelli said. “It’s by and for the people.”

Domke is extremely grateful for all of the students who voted for him.

“I just want to say thanks to all the crazy students for taking the time to write in my name,” he said. “It brings a smile to my face.”

[Reach reporter Kim Lee at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]