In a Year of Merger, Dunn Discusses Transition

Quoting from sources as diverse ranging as Kafka's Metamorphosis and the Harry Potter series, Mary Maples Dunn welcomed first-years at the annual Radcliffe Lecture last night.

Dunn, the interim president of Radcliffe College, presented "an extended riff" on translation and transformation to an audience of about 50 people, mostly first-years.

"You should expect to change," said Dunn, who has served as the president of Smith College and, most recently, director of the Schlesinger Library. "But do not take lightly the transformative power that you yourselves bring."

Although Dunn focused mainly on adapting to a new college environment, she noted that her words applied to changes at Radcliffe as well.

"Metamorphosis is a useful metaphor for the transformation of Radcliffe," she said. "Metamorphosis means that a step that seems sudden...is actually part of an ongoing process."

Dunn said the current merger with Harvard was only one incremental part of Radcliffe's long history.

During the 40-minute lecture, Dunn quoted from Kafka and Vladimir Nabokov as well as children's authors like Lewis Carroll, C. S. Lewis and J. K. Rowling, author of the popular Harry Potter books.

She emphasized two meanings of the word "translation": to transform or transmute as well as to change into another language.

However, Dunn added that there were other possible meanings.

"Maybe when you got your letter of admission you fit another meaning of the word 'translation'--you thought you had gone to heaven without dying," she said.

Dunn's dry wit drew laughs from the audience. She compared the process of translating between languages to that of interpreting the slang of current college students.

"In New England, 'wicked' has resurfaced as an intensifier or term of approval, which for someone my age is really weird," she said. "'Sketchy,' when applied to a new acquaintance, is definitely not a compliment--though what it is is not clear to me. My students tell me on the DL, or 'down low,' that I'm really random. Whatever."

Dunn warned the first-years that they would have to get used to an entirely new vocabulary at Harvard.

"We do not have a campus, but a Yard and a Quad," she said. "We don't have majors, we have concentrations... the Core, PBH and the FDO, the MAC, the QRAC, FUP, FAP and FOP."

Students who attended the speech said they were impressed, although they were not sure what to expect at first.

"I didn't realize what the topic of the discussion was going to be," said Grace E. Fu '03. "But it was very interesting to hear her relate so many different things. She's very well-read."

Others thought that the Radcliffe Lecture would relate more specifically to the college itself.

"I thought she was going to talk about Radcliffe's transformation," said Lynn T. Huynh '03.

But Krish N. Subrahmanian '03 said he enjoyed that the talk "was more applicable to a wider audience."

The Radcliffe Lecture is an annual speech by the president of Radcliffe College to welcome first-year students. Last year's address was given by former President Linda S. Wilson.

Radcliffe spokesperson Michael A. Armini said he did not know whether the Radcliffe Lecture would take place next year.