Phi Beta Kappa Elects Juniors; Graduation Orators Announced

The Phi Beta Kappa honor society elected 20 juniors to join its ranks recently.

Eight women were elected to the lota and 12 men to the Alpha chapters of the society, which bases election on scholarly achievement.

"It's really not an award for all-around kids," Cecily O. Morse '62, vice president of the lota chapter, said yesterday.

Students are nominated for election on the basis of their grade point averages. A committee of peers reviews male candidates and a board of faculty, alumni, and peers reviews female candidates; both sets of candidates must submit two departmental recommendations for evaluation along with their transcripts.

John T. Bethell '54, corresponding secretary for the Alpha chapter, yesterday expressed concern that in order to obtain the academic records of students being considered for Phi Beta Kappa, those candidates must be informed so they can release their academic records--a provision made necessary by the Buckley Amendment.

Bethell explained that this formality causes Phi Beta Kappa "to get a final club sort of a complexion."

Also announced this month were three student speakers for this year's Commencement proceedings.

Michael T. Castori '82 is the recipient of the David Taggart Clark Prize and was given the traditional Latin speech--this year entitled "De Sapientium Modis" (On the Way of the Wise)--before the Commencement crowd. Castori assures those not fluent in Latin that translations of his speech will be handed out during the proceedings.

Jay A. Matlin '82 the recipient of the Le Baron Russell Briggs Commencement Prize, will give the undergraduate English Oration on "The Legacy of Confusion," and John McCullough will deliver the Graduate English Commencement Oration, presenting a speech entitled "On Moral Life."

Elected to the lota Chapter of Phi Betta Kappa were Janet B. Abrams, Joanne Cohn, Elizabeth Dobell, Noel M. Holbrook, Nancy E. Mills, Sophie I. Pirie, Amy G. Remensnyder, and Wendy A. Weiger. Elected to the Alpha Chapter were Jeremy J. Benstein, Paul A. Engelmayer, Michael J. Folz, Christopher Forman, Wesley R. Gardenswartz, James T. Hamilton, Marco Iansiti, Jeffrey W. Knopf, Frank S. Lee, Timothy W. McGuire, Bruce Tidor, and Christopher S. Wood All are juniors.