PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — During their time at Brown, seniors George Kubai and Siddhi Nadkarni dedicated themselves to more than just getting an education. They worked hard to strengthen the communities around them, providing support for fellow students and the people of Providence. Both plan to carry that ethos of service with them as they pass through the Van Wickle Gates, and they will encourage their peers to do the same when they address their fellow graduates during Commencement as this year’s senior orators.
The speeches will be part of a 253-year-old Brown tradition of elevating student voices at Commencement. And in what may be a historic first, each speaker will deliver their address twice — to adhere to state gathering size limits during the COVID-19 ceremony, Brown will host separate morning and afternoon College ceremonies for Commencement on Sunday, May 2, with graduating seniors opting to attend one or the other. Nadkarni and Kubai plan to attend both.
As in years past, the orators were selected through a rigorous review process, which began with a call for nominations in the fall and submission of sample speeches. A selection committee comprising faculty and students then invited the top candidates to deliver their proposed addresses earlier this semester