Senior speech tradition continues – Conte
The 2016 Senior Colloquium and the Founder’s Day Convocation, events that occurred earlier this month, mark the 148th year of celebrating senior orations at Wake Forest, according to 2016 Senior Colloquium bulletin.
After Aishwarya “Ash” Nager gave her oration, The Unexpected Chaos of Life as a Deac, at the 2016 Senior Colloquium and the Founders’ Day Convocation she was selected to present her oration one more time before she graduates. Nager was selected by faculty judges to present her oration at the Honors and Awards Ceremony, on May 15th for the graduating class, according to Tammy Griffin, administrative assistant to associate dean for faculty governance.
The senior orations that were presented at these events included lessons learned through collegiate years, analysis of the Wake Forest motto Pro Humanitate and future plans for the years that lie ahead for these graduating seniors.
In preparation for the 2016 Senior Colloquium, which occurred on February 14th in the Porter Byrum Welcome Center, faculty members were asked to nominate “[Wake Forest’s] finest seniors,” according to the 2016 Senior Colloquium bulletin. These seniors were then asked to prepare an essay addressing Wake Forest University through their perspective.
According to Michele Gillespie, dean of the college, a large number of seniors were nominated for this recognition as compared to past years.
About sixty to seventy-five percent of students who were nominated by faculty submitted an essay to the faculty panel, according to Griffin. The faculty panel then selected ten, out of the thirty-one submitted, to be presented at the 2016 Senior Colloquium.
The ten that were presented at the Colloquium were evaluated by faculty judges in the audience and three orations were chosen to be presented at the Founders’ Day Convocation, which occurred on Thursday, February 18th in Wait Chapel.
The three selected orations that were presented at Founders’ Day Convocation were Enzymatic Inclusion by Sarah Fine, The Case for Generalism by Robert “Tripp” Maloney and The Unexpected Chaos of Life as a Deac by Aishwarya “Ash” Nagar.
From the three presented at Founders’ Day Convocation, Nager’s oration, The Unexpected Chaos of Life as a Deac, was chosen to be read May 15th during the Honors and Awards Ceremony for the graduating seniors.
Nager, a Biology major with the plans of attending medical school, structured her oration as a letter to her younger brother. Throughout the oration, Nager advises her young brother on what to look for as he searches for a university for himself.
Nager described her experience at Wake Forest as “chaotic magnificence,” and more specifically Wake Forest academics as an “academic smorgasbord,” which ultimately allowed her to declare three minors in addition to her Biology major.
In her oration, Nager encourages others to carry the school motto, Pro Humanitate, wherever life may lead as she admitted to the the bittersweet sentiment of graduating from Wake Forest University.
Rogan Kersh, Wake Forest provost, ended the night with final remarks reflecting on the senior orations as a tradition and its history at Wake Forest.
Kersh expressed his admiration for the orations of the Class of 2016, saying “You have so beautifully woven your words into the years of student orations.”
Griffin, who had been organizing the 2016 Senior Colloquium since September of 2015, was impressed by the student orations.
“The words of the students make us, as faculty and staff feel proud about what we can sew into our future,” said Griffin.
Rogan Kersh, Wake Forest Provost, congratulates Wake Forest seniors after their oration presentations
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