Thread: College commencement speeches

My daughter graduated college today! Ye ha! According to the speakers, the USA is completely corrupted by rich white racists who use capitalism to to impoverish everyone else and the only thing good about it is that we could fix it. So, I knew that this school was liberal to say the least. But what the heck are they teaching? How to hate someone that doesn't believe like you? And if they don't then they should 'pay', give up what they have? Tolerance is living with those that believe and live differently from you. I thought.
Any one sit through anything similar?or was this a fluke. The words white supremists, rich capitalists and other were used. Sorry for the vent. Just feeling sad for people who believe that.

Who were the speakers? Representatives of the University? Graduating students?

Unfortunately we've all had to sit through speeches made by people with ideologically different views to ourselves. I always tell myself they are just this person's view and they are entitled to it but it doesn't make them right. In fact, nowadays I barely listen during these things (I attend most graduations at my University, at least 2 a year) and consider a speech a good one if it only goes a few minutes: content isn't one of my criteria any more.

James.

I'm sorry that the experience was not a good one for you. I know that you have been looking forward to her graduating for a long time. I just hope that your daughter found the day a good one, despite the rhetoric that is common place in all our schools from elementary through college. All you can really do is to be there for her, as another source of information and aid. There will come times in her life when the rhetoric will not provide her solutions to life's everyday struggles. Having raised her through college, you will have a lot of answers that will get her through difficult times; times when the guest speakers have long departed. Keep in mind, that "pulling" on the rope too hard in your direction, on her ideals & dreams, will create the opposite desired result. As you remember, when we were 22 years old, we had the world all figured out & our parents were outdated. Be there to pick up the slack in the rope, when she needs it.

I'm lucky to spend as much time with my son, as I do. I spend a lot of time undoing rhetoric & he's still in high school. The summer reading list for our county schools is a mess. I have to pick 2 books each summer , on top of the required 1 book. It's hard. I spend the rest of the year providing him study material that I want him to read.

Just be there for her & have options available.

I agree. One of the most important things that anyone can give another person in terms of education is the ability to think critically and to think for themselves. I believe these are the foundations of education and with them and a few other skills you can enable people to teach themselves throughout their entire life. But I digress a bit.

My hope for your daughter is that she learned these skills and practices them. That way no amount of one-sided speech making will influence her. She'll be her own person, as it sounds like you are.

James.

Sounds like the speaker carries a great burden on their shoulders.

Congratulations on your Daughters graduation, I'll bet you're proud!

Congratulations to your daughter!

I think we tend to forget that these speeches are pretty much meaningless - no matter how good they are they are quickly forgotten. I'm sure many, like me, have taken a peek at some famous ones, like from Bill Gates, or Steve Jobs, but I don't think anybody could now summarize these speeches off the top of their head.

It seems to be fitting to throw a cliche when the subject is speeches made of those, so what is important is not what they've learned in terms of facts, but who they've become.

I'm pretty sure that if a college's main goal in picking these speakers is pleasing parents they've already lost the battle, because they'd have to automatically disqualify huge number of very interesting and very successful people, just because they happen to be polarizing.
Personally I'd be as enthusiastic about a speech by Nancy Pelosi as one by Donald Rumsfeld (to pick two highly polarizing figures).

I checked and at my school the speaker is picked by a committee from the senior class, probably not the case everywhere else, but to me doing it that way seems quite reasonable.
I suppose picking a more obscure, yet interesting person while having the resources to get a celebrity is the real sign of maturity, because I've noticed a lot of this is about some rather odd notion of 'prestige'.

The last speaker we had was the just-retired Australian Air Chief Marshal. His speech was awesome (4 minutes, 20 seconds).

I cannot remember who was before that, but she was dire (about 15 minutes).

I agree with Gugi that Universities seem to want the biggest ticket speaker they can get. Nothing wrong with that, but it's definitely no guarantee of a quality (less than 5 minute) address.

James.

I believe it was Mark Twain who said something like, a good sermon has two parts...a beginning and an end.... and they're close together.

Commencement speeches are pretty much the same. If a speaker takes more than 8-10 minutes they aren't really sure what their point is.

Thanks guys. I think it mostly took me by surprise. I was expecting the usual stuff like 'Work hard, have integrity, do unto others...., etc.,etc. bell hooks a writer(she prefers no capital letters in her name), and Silas House a Novelist. My daughter is a smart girl, and we do engage in some pretty 'confrontational' issues. Always a hug after. We're just alike. Speeches are speeches. Truth is truth. Missed my shave this morning, time now! Have a good week y'all.