Adams House Will Hold Memorial Service for Narayan Today

A memorial service will be held this afternoon at 2:30 in the Adams House Library for Navin Narayan '99, the Adams House resident, Rhodes scholar and summa cum laude Social Studies graduate who died of cancer last month.

"I think we feel it really important to demonstrate to his parents and sister how special he was here," said Otto Coontz, the assistant to the Adams House Senior Tutor.

"[Narayan] was one of the most compassionate, outstanding people I've met in 12 years here," Coontz added.

The program will begin with an invocation by former Adams House Master Robert Kiely. In addition to addresses from family members and friends, the service will include a variety of musical selections performed by campus groups like the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones and the Kuumba Singers.

A letter from President Clinton will also be read at the service, Coontz said.

A reception will be held following the service from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Apthorp House.

Friends of Narayan will perform a rendition of Billy Joel's "The Longest Time"--a song which, according to Coontz, had special significance for Narayan.

Its first verse reads:

"If you said goodbye to me tonight /

there would still be music left to write /

What else could I do / I'm so inspired by you / That hasn't happened for the longest time."

--By ALEX B. GINSBERG