By Lara Sokoloff
Jordan Bryan ’11 will give the valedictory address at the graduation exercise for the class of 2011, school President Tom Hudnut announced Monday during the induction ceremony for the Cum Laude Society. Bryan, a varsity wrestler and jazz musician, will speak at graduation on June 10. He was selected by a vote of the faculty from the ranking scholars in the class.
Fifty eight seniors were inducted into the society at the ceremony in Rugby Auditorium.
Head of School Jeanne Huybrechts opened the ceremony by reading “Ithaca,” a poem by Constantine Cavafy.
Before calling the names of the inductees, chapter president and history teacher Eric Zwemer discussed the society’s motto by explaining how words can be both immensely powerful and convenient labels. The motto is Areté, Diké,Timé, which translates to excellence, justice, honor.
He then discussed the decline of the English language, specifically how old English is now seen as “quaint, even alien.” Zwemer called on the inductees to serve as the “champions of language,” hoping that they will preserve the beauty of the English language. Zwemer concluded his speech by thanking the inductees for reminding the faculty why they love teaching.
The ceremony concluded with the announcement of the valedictorian.
In his final remarks, Hudnut encouraged the inductees to care about their work ethic and their sense of integrity in their endeavors after they leave Harvard-Westlake.
