The normally reserved streets of Cambridge came alive on Feb. 12, as Harvard celebrated its annual "Hasty Pudding's Woman of the Year" award with a boisterous parade. This year's recipient is Sandra Bullock (Speed). The Hasty Pudding Theatrical society began its tradition of honoring female performers who have made a "lasting and impressive contribution to the world of entertainment" in 1951. The past recipients include notable actresses such as Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Katharine Hepburn and Meg Ryan. Hasty Pudding Theatricals also established a Man of the Year of Award in 1963, with past recipients including Tom Cruise, Robert DeNiro, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford. This year's recipient was Robert Downey Jr., who received his award in a ceremony held on Feb. 19.The afternoon began with a colorful parade down Massachusetts Ave as Hasty Puddings rolled out its own version of the red carpet for its guest of honor. Leading the entourage was Harvard's marching band, sandwiched between the University's cheerleading squad. The squad stopped every so often to rouse the onlookers with school spirit as well as to perform impressive stunts. The Harvard dance team followed, also showing off various stunts and perky dance moves. As expected, the parade involved pudding in the form of an Echo Farms truck, delighting the crowd with tasty samples of tapioca and butterscotch. In full farm effect, a few cows sauntered behind the truck, led by Echo Farms workers. Sandra Bullock rounded off the parade, riding in a convertible among members of the Hasty Pudding Theatrical group. In traditional Hasty Pudding fashion, the all-male cast was adorned in vibrant and amusingly outlandish drag costumes.Once the parade arrived at the Hasty Pudding building, security rushed Bullock inside to partake in the roasting ceremony, a necessary precursor to receiving the "Pudding Pot" award. Clare Putnam, President of Hasty Pudding Theatricals, and Vice President of the Cast, John Blickstead, conducted the roasting ceremony. After discussing Bullock's accomplishments in film and poking fun at her for the unsuccessful film Speed 2, Blickstead and Putman informed Bullock that she would have to prove she could do the things she does in her movies, mainly picking up men in her trademark awkward fashion. Her first task was to go on a date with a Harvard student, starting off by luring him in with pick-up lines. Once the "student" (a cast member dressed in a cheesy muscle suit) came on stage, Bullock proceeded to work her magic. Although she was clearly uncomfortable, she managed to laugh off each task and improvise with masterful wit. The most clever pick-up line she used was the self-attested, no-fail statement, "Hi, I have more than one million dollars in my bank account, and I am single." Once Bullock and the student went on their fantasy date, Putnam and Blickstead felt things needed to heat up. They proclaimed the Hasty Pudding show a family show, so the love scene would have to be PG. The hilarious result of this requirement involved Bullock reenacting the love scene from Demolition Man, with Slyvester Stalone, which entailed virtual loving-making through neurotransmitting headsets. While Bullock looked wholly embarrassed, the student moaned in ecstasy for a few seconds and then got up and left with the comment, "I'll call you."Next, Bullock had to prove that as an action star, she was physically fit. While she pedaled confidently on a stationary bike, Blickstead received a phone call informing him that there was a bomb on the bike, transforming the situation into a parody of Bullock's movie Speed. Blickstead then urged Bullock to give the best impression of how Hugh Grant-one of many leading actors with whom she has worked-would react in the situation, to which she replied, "oh bugger, oh bugger." Following a few more outrageous and embarrassing tests, Blickstead and Putnam finally presented Bullock with the Pudding Pot. In her acceptance speech, Bullock thanked the Hasty Pudding Society for bestowing her with the honor. She admitted that she felt bad not having the opportunity to go to Harvard, although she said her resentment was remedied with the fact that the Unabomber attended Harvard. She closed her speech with an apology for the making of Speed 2.Subsequent to the roasting, Bullock fielded questions at a press conference. She promised to display her Pudding Pot with pride since she worked hard to earn it. She discussed everything from her defining moment of becoming famous-when someone slipped a camera under the stall while she was in a public restroom-to her love of live theater to her hesitancy to follow in her parents' footsteps as singers. The conference ended with the presentation of a gift basket compliments of contributors such as Alpha Omega Jewelers, the Andover Shop, Avon and Burdick's Chocolate.