Graduation Orators Announced

Two independent judging committees have selected a slate of six student orators to speak at Commencement and Class Day exercises this June.

On Class Day, June 10, Ian S. Dyer '86-87 of Quincy House, Victoria G. T. Bassetti '86-87 of Winthrop House and Christopher J. Georges '86-87 of North House will deliver the Harvard, Radcliffe, and Ivy Orations, respectively.

The three Commencement addresses--Latin, undergraduate English, and graduate English--will be delivered the following day by Martin H. Brinkley '87 of Adams House, Karen L. Fingerman '87 of Winthrop, and Brock Putnam of the Graduate School of Education, respectively.

A student-faculty committee chose the Commencement speakers from a group of more than 12 applicants, Putnam said.

The three Class Day speakers were chosen from a pool of 19 candidates, said Raphael W. Bostic '87, a Class Marshall and co-chairman of the student committee that selected the speakers.

"We tried to choose speeches that would appeal to everyone--the whole class, families, professors. We tried to foresee what they'll be responsive to in choosing the speeches," said Marilee L. S. Chang '87, co-chairman of the Class Day committee.

In his Harvard Address entitled "Ministers of Harvard," Dyer will discuss the duty of Harvard graduates to work for the good of others. The way to achieve this goal is "to stop denying the power of Harvard and use its mystique," said the Government concentrator, who plans to teach at an inner-city school next year.

Bassetti will discuss the unique experience of women at the College. "In many ways we're not on the same plane as men at Harvard," she said. "We should face the differences and draw strength from them."

The traditionally humorous Ivy address will this year "take a light look at some of the things the [senior] class has gone through and put them inperspective," Georges said, adding, "I'm actuallynot very funny."

At Commencment, the graduating seniors willhear a classmate speak about life as a Southernerat Harvard--in Latin. Only the Class of 1987,however, will receive the English translation ofthe speech.

"It's a somewhat unconventional orationcompared to some that have been given in pastyears," Brinkley said. "I'm planning such specialeffects as calling up Robert E. Lee from thedead."

Fingerman will speak to those who have not yetlearned Latin. In her address "The Time to Grow,"she will urge the audience to continue to broadentheir interests after they graduate.

"When I walk through the Yard I see all thesekiosks and think, I wish I had the time to dothat,'" she said. "You always think that you'llmake time for something next year, but now you'regraduating and you still haven't. When you leaveit will be worse.

In his graduate oration, Putnam will discusshis experiences after leaving a lifetime career ofteaching to return to school. "My address is aconfirmation of what it's like to go back toschool and learn about a field you've been in fora while," said the 41-year-old formerschoolteacher, who is working on a M.Ed. degree.

Terri E. Gerstein contributed to thereporting of this article.