Harvard Honors Paris Hilton (The Lampoon, That Is)

By Paysha Stockton Rhone

02/06/2008 at 04:30 PM EST

Hundreds of screaming (in a nice way) fans turned out Wednesday to catch Paris Hilton accept the Harvard Lampoon's Woman of the Year award on the steps of the "Lampoon Castle" in Cambridge, Mass.

The sporadically given honor is much like the Harvard Hasty Pudding award, said Lampoon member Hayes Davenport, but "better than or equal to Woman of the Year."

Added Davenport, 21, about this year's selection: "The choice was pretty easy when you think of who's had the most profound effect on our lives."

Hilton, 26, looked her usual tan and radiant self as she was handed the silver urn-like trophy from the staff of the university's 132-year-old humor magazine. Despite being more than an hour late, thus forcing fans to wait in a cold drizzle, the hotel heiress was still greeted with cheers of "I love you, Paris!"

"Thank you all for coming," she said demurely. "An international icon meets countless people every day," she began to say, obviously getting into the jokey nature of the gathering.

Her life in California, she soberly assured the crowd, was much like what students face at Harvard. There are libraries in Hollywood, as there are at Harvard, only out there celebrities dance on the tables.

And just like the students, "I have a best friend, she's standing right over there," said Hilton. "It's Nicole Richie!"

When everyone in the quad craned his or her neck to check out the guest celebrity, Hilton said, "Just kidding. She's in L.A. with her baby."