Sunday, May 10, 2009

Graduation speeches

What do you remember from your graduation?

I've been to two graduations in the last three days (counting today). At one graduation, the commencement speaker basically read what sounded like a term paper. It didn't help that the ceremony was in an old gym with poor acoustics. But anyway, at the end of the speech, the applause seemed more out of gratitude that it was over than for the content.

At the other graduation I went to, the speaker was definitely more interesting but went for 30 minutes and had eleven points he wanted the audience to remember. I liked this guy but I think asking the audience to remember eleven points is a lot.

Last December, at U-T's graduation, USA Today sportwriter and Toledo native Christine Brennan spoke and gave us words of advice from her father who said, "This ain't no dress rehearsal."

Looking back at my undergrad at BG and my Masters Degree at Kent, I don't remember either.

3 comments:

Cliff said...

Seeing that I only have my high school graduation to reflect upon, and that was *gasp* 35 years ago, I don't have any recollections except for the fact it was very hot inside the gym.

struke said...

Cliff...packed in tightly in warm place isn't good, especially if some people have some intense body odor. I experienced some of that this past weekend...being near people with b.o., I mean. I take care of my hygiene.

Connie said...

I don't remember much about either my high school or college graduations except that they both seemed to be way too long, and I just wanted to have them be over and done with. :)