by Caitlin Cecilia Gilespie '05
Authorized English translaton follows...
Praeses
Aestive, Decani, Professores, vos qui geritis et exercitis nostros
manipulos Harvardianos; amici et familiae, qui nos honati sunt sicut
fautores avidissimi in Campo Paludum; matres et parres, vos ante omnes,
qui nobis cre- diderunt, qui pro nobis precati sunt, qui nummos
innumeros solverunt ut hie nos possemus esse; et denique mei
condiscipuli, manipulus anni MMV; salvete omnes! Post IV annos adhuc
superstites sumus - cursum peregimus - et dum ad metam tendimus,
victoria certa est.
Vere enim, studere hie aeque est
arduum quam ludis Olympicis contendere sub tot spectantium oculis.
Abhinc IV annos, alligavimus nobis calceos et in campum ingressi sumus,
et cum "Thwacko!" digno Magni Mannii, quam cel- errime profecti sumus.
Cum primum Bostoniam, domum Soccorum Rubrorum adveni, Maledictum
cognoveram, et scivi non facile fururum esse id frangere. Pro Infante
autem vel pro Capra, habemus nostrum calcem Achilleum, quia alii nos
semper optimos esse opinantur. Dum in ludum litterarium ibamus, ver-
tice sidera ferire videbamur, sed simul ut hie studere coepimus,
impares omnibus visi sumus et talis iactis verebamur nos semper canem
esse missuros. (De canibus expertae credite - fui fautor Catulorum tota
mea vita!) Mox, cer- tamine fortiter a Soccis facto, novo Praesidi
supervenimus et facti sumus 'Pueri et Puellae Aestivorum.'
Primo anno statim sentimus hanc universitatem suum ipsius esse ludum,
in quo annus quisque habet suos propugnatores, suum Giannium Damon,
suum Curtium Nummi. Cum Romani petivissent 'Panem et Circenses!' nos
'Veritatem' maluimus. Nam confusi rogabamus 'Quis est Primus?' 'Quid
est Secundum?' 'Nescio de Tertio...' 'Nonne perveniam ad Domum?'
'Quern' primo anno inquirimus, dum invenimus nostras Harvardianas per-
sonas. 'Quid' anno secundo constituimus, dum velocius movemur, et ultra
progredimur, eligimus animi intenriones, et habitamus in superiorum
domis. Nobis videmur meliores - sumus nempe sapientes stuiti - et nos
paramus ad alteram cursus partem. Futuri adhuc nescientes, iuniores
utimur nostris ingeniis, et perseveramus ut finem petamus. Ferimus opem
quibusdam, aliis animos addimus, aliorumque GPA ignorare temptamus.
Postremo, seniores diem carpimus et quid sit futurum eras quaerere
fugimus, ut clamor incipit et finimus nostrum cursum ad Domum! Sed
postquam ibi pervenimus, sentimus nos ad novum quendam locum
pervenisse. Incredibile visu, manipulus facti sumus, et novam domum
habemus - hanc universitatem.
Inter hos IV annos, locus hie erat noster 'Campus Somniorum,' sive
biolo- giae studuimus, seu philosophiae, seu linguis morruis, et hie
semper acceptis- simi erimus. Cum gradum suscipiamus in hoc anno
Bostoniensi mirabili, nos quoque, sicut Socci Rubri, terrarum domini ad
caelum uehimur. Expectamus spem insequentis anni, et ut abimus ad alias
urbes, alios manipulos, alios cam- pos, scimus semper nos memoria posse
hue reverti, somnium renovare, redire domum. Vicimus — pergamus
vincere! Nunc est celebrandum! Nunc sunt deducendae Aves Naves!
Cantemus 'Deduc me ad ludum pilae Harvardianum,' nam haec est palma
cuius numquam oblituri sumus. Gratias maximas et valere!
"Campus of Dreams"
by Caitlin Cecilia Gilespie
President Summers, Deans, and Faculty, you who manage and coach our
team at Harvard; friends and family, you who have cheered us on in
numbers that must equal those at Fenway; mothers and fathers, our
number one fans, you who have believed in us, prayed for us, and even
paid for us to be here; finally, my fellow classmates, the team of
2005; welcome to all! We have survived our four years here - we have
rounded the bases - and as we head towards home plate, we are ensured
of victory.
For indeed, going to Harvard is like moving up to the Big Leagues, and
finally going to the Show. Four years ago, we tied on our cleats and
stepped up to the plate, and with a "Thwack!" worthy of the Great Manny
himself, we were off and running.
When I came to Boston, home of the Red Sox, I knew about the Curse, and
I knew it wasn't going to be easy to succeed. Instead of the Babe or a
Goat, however, Harvard has its own Achilles' heel, the inflated
expectations created by being in a league of its own. After no doubt
being All Stars in our own high schools, here we had to overcome fears
of inferiority, the sense that the odds were against us, the feeling of
the underdog. And believe me, I knew about underdogs - I've been a Cubs
fan all my life! And, as the Sox struggled along bravely, we joined the
team with a new President and became the "Boys and Girls of Summers."
As a first year, one realizes right away that Harvard is a whole
different ball game, each class with its own champions, its Johnny
Damons, its Curt Schillings. And where the Romans demanded "Bread and
Circuses," we desired "Veritas" instead. Confused, we asked, "Who's on
first?" "What's on second?" "I don't know about third!" "Will I make it
home?!"
"Who" is first year, as we discover our Harvard personas, and live
through the confusion. "What" characterizes our sophomore year, as
building momen- tum, we round second base, choose our concentrations,
and enter the upper- class houses. We think we look good - after all,
sophomores are wise fools - and we prepare ourselves for the second
half of the ride. Still uncertain of the future, as juniors we take
advantage of our talents to round third, and build the perseverance to
go all the way home. We help some with RBIs, and try not to think of
others' ERAs. Finally, as seniors, we put off thinking about tomorrow
as the cheering begins, and we finish our home run! Yet we arrive at
home plate only to discover that our homecoming has brought us to a
different place. Amazing to see - we have become a team, and we have a
new home — Harvard.
For the past four years, Harvard has been our "Field of Dreams,"
whether we concentrated in biology, philosophy, or even a dead
language, and we will always be welcome back. Graduating in a year of
bests for Boston, this event makes us feel as if we too are world
champions. We look forward to the hope of next year, and as we head off
to different cities, different teams, different fields, we know that in
our memories we can always return to Harvard, to relive the dream, to
come home. We have won - let us keep on winning! Now there must be
celebrating! Now is the time for the Duck Boats! And let us sing "Take
me out to the Ball Game of Harvard," for this is one homer we will
never forget. Thank you and farewell!