Rudenstine Addresses Seniors at Service

Seniors who waded through a wet Tercentary Theeatre heard inspirational religious messages and an address by outgoing President Neil L. Rudenstine at yesterday's baccalaureate service.

Graduating seniors were able to attend the Memorial Church service, while their parents and friends sat outside under a white canopy in Tercentenary Theatre and listened via the speakers set up for tomorrow's Commencement ceremony.

The Baccalaureate service is the second oldest part of the graduation rites, and is traditionally a church service in which the reverend of Memorial Church delivers a parting sermon to the near-graduates.

Rudenstine's speech was filled with humor and a "few modest proposals" on how to approach the future confidently.

Referring to the announcement made May 22 that he will step down at the end of the 2000-2001 school year, Rudenstine said he will son be "graduating" from Harvard as well.

"I myself am being held back for another year," he said.

The Harvard's president has spoken at Baccalaureate since at least 1806.

Rudenstine spoke about the difficult task he faced in trying to provide the seniors with sound advice, humorously speaking about hours staring at a half-empty bottle of "diet avocado juice" as a fruitless attempt at inspiration.

"Veritas, Veritas, wherefore art thou, Veritas?" Rudenstine quipped.

Rudenstine said this year's class should remember to thank those parents and friends that made it possible to reach this ""transcendent, if also transient," moment.

Rudenstine spoke in tribute to the achievements, past and future, of this year's class and said he was looking forward to granting them diplomas at Commencement tomorrow.

He also said he wished to join the "very classy Class" as an honorary member. "Summa cum laude, of course," he said.

Reverend Peter J. Gomes also briefly addressed the assembled crowd yesterday and offered a concluding blessing. Undergraduates read inspirational passages from Jewish, Hindu, Muslim and Christian sources, and three of the University's chaplains spoke briefly, offering anecdotes and prayers for the graduating class.

"The way they try to include many religious groups and make it open to everyone was very impressive," said Anna E. Lumelsky '00, one of the students who participated in the service.

Lumelsky read the English translation to Jewish sources she had selected with Joshua S. Goodman '00, who read the passages in Hebrew.

"Trying to pick a text that gets across a message in 30 seconds or a minute is very difficult," Goodman said.

Yesterday's senior events also included the Phi Beta Kappa Society's induction of new members and an oration by Professor of Afro-American Studies and of Philosophy K. Anthony Appiah, as well as a cappella "Grad Jam."

The senior class picture, scheduled for yesterday, was postponed until today because of the rain.