Both last year’s Ivy Ode, a poem written by a graduating senior on Class Day, and the first Ode in 1852 were read aloud in Latin.
But this year, Ivy Ode author Peter Jamison ’02 said he will not read the poem in Latin while senior class representatives plant ivy — though he said he may read the poem in Spanish.
Jamison was selected as the student author this year. He said his poem is not yet in final form but is about the experience of being at Yale.
“I’d say that the sort of theme that was driving me when I wrote it was the idea that the real education that we get here doesn’t happpen in the classroom, which sounds like a trite idea, but it was the only thing that I could get excited about after four years here,” Jamison said.
Jamison is a former scene editor for the Yale Daily News.
Jamison’s poem was one of eight submissions to the Class Day chairmen, Senior Class Secretary Ravi Paidipaty ’02 said.
Paidipaty said the Class Day chairmen and Yale College Assistant Dean Philip Greene selected the poem based on both its content and how it sounds when read aloud.
“All the submissions were really good, but his sounded really good when it was read out loud, and I think that it conveyed the pride we have in our school and the hope we have for the future,” Paidipaty said.
Jamison said his poem is approximately 50 lines long, but he added that there was no set length for Ode submissions.
The Ode is read as senior class representatives plant ivy.
Last year’s Ode was written by Isaac J. Meyers ’01 and was read aloud in both English and Latin.
The Ivy Ode is just part of the Class Day celebration. Held on May 26, the day before Commencement, the event features a prominent speaker as well as the Ode and a class history.
This year, the Class Day chairmen have invited New York Gov. George Pataki ’67 to speak. Pataki has not yet accepted the invitation.
Past Class Day speakers have included Hillary Clinton LAW ’73, David Gergen ’63, Bob Woodward ’65, Tom Brokaw and Henry Winkler DRA ’70.