Moore Leads '06 Class Marshals

The last votes for this year’s senior class marshals—eight students who will shape the social schedule for the Class of 2006—poured in on Friday, appointing Tracy “Ty” Moore ’06 as this year’s First Marshal and lifelong leader for his class. Speaking shortly after their appointments, this year’s marshals said they want to get an early start on planning senior-class events.The other Class of 2006 marshals, who are responsible for planning both special senior events and future reunions, are Christina L. Adams ’06, Hana R. Alberts ’06, Aaron D. Chadbourne ’06, Theodore E. Chestnut ’06, Jack P. McCambridge ’06, Neil K. Mehta ’06, and Kwame Owusu-Kesse ’06.

When the marshals—minus two, who spent the holiday weekend off campus—convened at John Harvard’s on Sunday night to congratulate each other and chat over refreshments, their conversation centered on broad goals for the year—many of which depended on hitting the ground running, they said.

“We want to start early on Class Day speaker, one of the focal points of what we do,” said Chestnut. “One reason last year was not so successful was that they didn’t get an early enough start,” he added, referring to what Mehta called disappointment over last year’s speaker, Tim Russert.Many of the marshals said they hoped to keep an open ear to their peers’ needs.

“I am absolutely looking forward to this upcoming year and getting as much input from as many seniors—and getting as many seniors involved—as possible,” said Moore, who is the third consecutive first marshal to be a member of both the Black Men’s Forum and the Spee club.

All of the newly elected marshals have held positions that center, in one way or another, on student network-building. Five are current or former Undergraduate Council members, and others are active on their House committees. Many said their peers are their greatest pleasure at Harvard.

“This summer I was in New York, and a lot of places I went I saw Harvard people. And regardless of whether I knew them or not I felt this strange sort of transcendent connection,” said Moore.

“What I have found most valuable about my time at Harvard are the people I’ve been able to be around,” said Adams.

Moore said he hopes this enthusiasm will snowball within the class as the year progresses.

“I feel like the way to really get to know people is through shared work experiences, collaborative efforts towards a common goal,” Moore said, “which is sort of circular, because the goal is to help all the members of the class form stronger friendships with each other.”

The marshals said they hope this final year will bring together students who grew apart as they moved from the Yard.

“During sophomore and junior years, because the undergraduate experience focuses so much on House life, people tend to lose touch with people they were close with in freshman year...people they would sit with in Annenberg,” said Chadbourne.

For this reason, the marshals said they are focused on what Chadbourne calls “events that can help reunite and build a more cohesive class spirit.”

“We are trying to build that relationship for life,” Chadbourne adds, “so that people are going to be excited to come back for reunions.”

The marshals will be joined on the Senior Class Committee by House representatives, the class secretary, the class treasurer, and the Senior Gift co-chairs, all of whom will be chosen within the next two months.

Alberts, who is also a Crimson executive, said she hopes that the selection of these other committee members will bring more female representation to class planning. Only two of this year’s marshals are women.

“I do hope that when the other members of the Class Committee are elected...there will be a stronger representation of women,” she said. “But I am looking forward to working with Christina and six amazing guys.”

Marshals will continue to prepare reunions and keep the Class of 2006 in touch as long as they are alive. Most say this long-term responsibility is part of what attracted them to the position.

“Harvard people are good at picking up where they left off,” said Moore. “But I’d like to never leave off.”

—Staff writer Nina L. Vizcarrondo can be reached at nvizcarr@fas.harvard.edu.