Class Day Orators Selected

Four seniors with plans to deliver speeches with styles serious, humorous and melodious have been named Class Day speakers, the Class Day speeches committee announced yesterday.

Sharmil S. Modi '99 will deliver the Harvard Oration, which is always given by a male undergraduate, and Molly J. Hennessy-Fiske '99 will deliver the Radcliffe Oration, its female counterpart.

Noam I. Weinstein '99 will deliver the traditionally humorous Ivy Oration, and George W. Hicks '99-'00 has written the Class Ode, which will be sung to the tune of "Fair Harvard" on Class Day.

A seven-member speech committee chose the orators from a pool of about 40 applicants, according to selection committee co-chair Danielle A. Hootnick '99.

Writers of the Harvard and Radcliffe speeches had carte blanche in choosing their topics, Hootnick said.

"They can be about just about anything," she said. "There was a range of topics from people's personal experiences to their families to world issues and religious issues."

Modi said his oration is about "humility and staying true to things that were important to you as a child" and will reflect on the lessons he learned during his time at the College.

"I came here on top of the world, like I think a lot of people come here, and like most people I was very quickly humbled to the point where I absolutely hated life here," said Modi, who originally hails from Cleveland, Ohio.

"You come out of that slowly and find your little niche," added Modi.

At Harvard, he has served as president of the South Asian Association and is senior class treasurer.

Hennessy-Fiske said her speech would touch on women's issues, in particular.

"It's mainly dealing with the challenges that women are going to have to face in leaving this school that are to face in leaving this school that areparticular to our point in time," saidHennessy-Fiske, who said her speech will touch onthe upcoming millennium and Radcliffe's changingrole in the University.

Since Class Day planners said they do not knowwhether the tradition will continue now that thecolleges have announced their intention to merge,Hennessy-Fiske's speech may be the last Radcliffeoration.

"No one's really sure, but in case this is, itwill probably say something like 'This could bethe last one,'" said speech selection committeeco-chair Kimble Poon '99.

Hennessy-Fiske, who is also a Crimson editor,said her speech will speak to students like a"voice in the crowd."

"I really wanted it to be something that wouldappeal more to people's personal experiences andto their unguarded selves than to their finelytuned academic minds," said Hennessy-Fiske, asocial studies concentrator from Albany, N.Y.

Other speeches will touch on more humoroustopics.

Weinstein, a member of a semisecret SorrentoSquare social organization which used tooccasionally publish a so-called humor magazine,will deliver the Ivy oration, the only speechwhose guidelines specifcally mandate humor.

"Ivy is humorous so you hope the submissionsare funny," Hootnick said. "Some are funnier thanothers."

Weinstein, who could not be reached for commentlast night, has also performed original songs atClub Passim and the Arts First festival.

Hicks promised that his Class Ode--three newverses to the College's alma mater, "Fair Harvard"--will include elements of levity as well.

"It's not intended to be falling-down funny butmore to raise a smile," said Hicks, an economicsconcentrator originally from Indianapolis, Ind.

"It's light verse...It's stuff that the Classof 1999 will appreciate. I'm not going to includetoo much rag-on-Harvard humor," Hicks added. "Thatcould go on for 20 verses."

Hicks said his singing experience with theHarvard Krokodiloes prompted him to write the ode.

"We do a lot of writing for the group," hesaid. "We have to write a lot of originalmaterial, and [writing the ode] fits right in withthat stuff."

In spite of his musical experience, Hicksadmitted he was not familiar with the originalversion.

"I actually don't know the real words myself,"said Hicks, who said he would not have written theode if he had to perform it by himself.

The ode is usually performed by a group ofsingers put together from the senior class.

Hootnick said the process of selecting thespeakers was especially difficult this year due toan unusually large applicant pool.

"They were really all outstanding speeches,"Hootnick said. "We had a difficult time deciding."

In addition to the three speeches and the odefor this year's class day exercises, Institute ofPolitics Director Alan K. Simpson will address theclass of 1999 June 9

Since Class Day planners said they do not knowwhether the tradition will continue now that thecolleges have announced their intention to merge,Hennessy-Fiske's speech may be the last Radcliffeoration.

"No one's really sure, but in case this is, itwill probably say something like 'This could bethe last one,'" said speech selection committeeco-chair Kimble Poon '99.

Hennessy-Fiske, who is also a Crimson editor,said her speech will speak to students like a"voice in the crowd."

"I really wanted it to be something that wouldappeal more to people's personal experiences andto their unguarded selves than to their finelytuned academic minds," said Hennessy-Fiske, asocial studies concentrator from Albany, N.Y.

Other speeches will touch on more humoroustopics.

Weinstein, a member of a semisecret SorrentoSquare social organization which used tooccasionally publish a so-called humor magazine,will deliver the Ivy oration, the only speechwhose guidelines specifcally mandate humor.

"Ivy is humorous so you hope the submissionsare funny," Hootnick said. "Some are funnier thanothers."

Weinstein, who could not be reached for commentlast night, has also performed original songs atClub Passim and the Arts First festival.

Hicks promised that his Class Ode--three newverses to the College's alma mater, "Fair Harvard"--will include elements of levity as well.

"It's not intended to be falling-down funny butmore to raise a smile," said Hicks, an economicsconcentrator originally from Indianapolis, Ind.

"It's light verse...It's stuff that the Classof 1999 will appreciate. I'm not going to includetoo much rag-on-Harvard humor," Hicks added. "Thatcould go on for 20 verses."

Hicks said his singing experience with theHarvard Krokodiloes prompted him to write the ode.

"We do a lot of writing for the group," hesaid. "We have to write a lot of originalmaterial, and [writing the ode] fits right in withthat stuff."

In spite of his musical experience, Hicksadmitted he was not familiar with the originalversion.

"I actually don't know the real words myself,"said Hicks, who said he would not have written theode if he had to perform it by himself.

The ode is usually performed by a group ofsingers put together from the senior class.

Hootnick said the process of selecting thespeakers was especially difficult this year due toan unusually large applicant pool.

"They were really all outstanding speeches,"Hootnick said. "We had a difficult time deciding."

In addition to the three speeches and the odefor this year's class day exercises, Institute ofPolitics Director Alan K. Simpson will address theclass of 1999 June 9