Eight seniors spent last Friday night celebrating after learning they were elected Class Marshals for the Class of 1999.

Newly-elected Nicholas K. Davis '99 celebrated his 21st birthday with a visit from his parents and a couple rounds of daiquiris.

His recent election gave Davis further reason to engage in the bacchanal activity of the night.

"You could say I received the perfect gift from the Class of 1999," said Davis, who is also a Crimson editor.

The announcement of the Class Marshals came after two rounds of highly competitive voting. Four men and four women were finally honored with this lifetime distinction.

The Harvard First Marshal is Baratunde R. Thurston, who is also a Crimson executive. The other Harvard Marshals are Mawi H. Asgedom, Kimble Poon and Davis.

On the Radcliffe side, Tally Zingher received the privilege of being elected First Marshal, with Jante-Charee Santos, Elizabeth S. Drogin and Janhavi M. Kirtane as her fellow marshals.

All of the marshals were enthusiastic about their new positions.

"The Class of 1999 is the bomb," Thurston said.

Seniors running for Class Marshal this year faced an unusually high amount of competition.

Ninety-one students vied for the eight Marshal spots this year. Not since 1989 has such a large group competed.

Santos said the competition was also steep because, like their classmates, so many of the candidates were highly-qualified and capable.

It may sound kind of cheesy, but this class just has a particular niche that separates itself from all others," she said.

Perhaps another interesting result of this year's elections is the selection of two best friends: Santos and Davis.

The two met during their first year in Moral Reasoning 50, "The Public and the Private in Politics, Morality, and Law." The class drew them together, and their friendship has only become more fruitful since then. In many ways, the two say they are more excited for the other than for them selves.

Marshals are responsible for organizing senior-year activities, including Class Day, maintaining contact with their classmates aftergraduation and coordinating reunions and otheralumni events.

Thurston said he looks forward to continuallystaying close to his classmates through hisposition as marshal.

Drogin said she anticipates the fun involved inplanning the senior events. Preparing for SeniorWeek will be good practice for class reunions,another appealing idea to Drogin.

"It seems exciting to stay attached to theHarvard community in the future," she said.

Perhaps Davis explained the mood of the groupbest: "I love this school--everything about it,"he said. "You find personal satisfaction inknowing that people have considered you admirable,that they enjoyed you as much as you have enjoyedthem.