For 14 seniors, Class Day and Commencement are not only a culmination of their four years at Dartmouth, but also a chance to serve their class as marshals, historians and speakers.
Carrying ceremonial wooden batons, the nine marshals led the class from Leede Arena to the Bema yesterday for Class Day and will lead the class to the Green today for Commencement.
"I'm really excited to have been selected," Cara Mathews '99 said. Mathews, a chemistry major, member of the women's golf team and former president of Delta Delta Delta sorority, will also carry the U.S. flag in the ceremonies.
Eight of the marshals as well as the historians and speakers were chosen by the Senior Executive Council from candidates nominated by the class as a whole. Senior Class President Rex Morey automatically became the ninth marshal.
"We tried to choose people we felt would represent the whole class," Committee Secretary Seth Kelly '99 said. "People who had really seized the opportunities and benefited from what Dartmouth had to offer."
According to Committee Vice-President Kendra Kosko '99, Mathews was selected to carry the U.S. flag as she was a great athlete and represented the finer points of Dartmouth.
The committee also selected Student Assembly Vice President Case Dorkey '99 to carry the Dartmouth flag.
"Case has given a tremendous amount to the school," Kosko said.
The other class marshals are seniors Shauna Brown, Kerry Bystrom, James Gallo, Andy Hatcher, Greg Johnston and Rahsaan Sales.
The four historians presented comedy routines on Class Day that covered the four-year history of the class.
"We also predict what will happen to the class in the future," said Class Historian Erica Rivinoja '99 who added that she really enjoyed the historians' skit at the 1997 Class Day.
"I'm really excited that my parents finally get to see me perform at Dartmouth," Rivinoja said.
Rivinoja, an anthropology and film double major at the College, hopes to work in the film and television industry. She is a member of the Jack-O-Lantern humor society staff, the Dog Day Players and Casque and Gauntlet senior society.
The other class historians are seniors Dave Sussman, Landis Fryer and Jen Parkison.
Kesner Bienvenu '99 is the class orator. He will give a classical or literary-type speech reflecting on the class's four years at Dartmouth.
The Council also selected English Professor Terry Osborne as the faculty speaker.
Osborne, who will speak to the entire class on Class Day said this selection was the greatest honor he had received in his thirteen years at the College.
