Daniel H. Pink at Ringling School of Art and Design
May 2004
"I was nervous when I started that job—just as many of you are nervous about the careers you're about to begin. Then I read something that Peggy Noonan once said. Peggy Noonan, who wrote speeches for President Reagan, said she had a three-stage reaction to working in the White House.
Stage One: I hope nobody figures out how stupid I am.
Stage Two, after few months in the White House: Hey, I'm as smart as everyone else.
Then a few months later came
Stage Three: Oh my God, we're in charge?
That three-stage reaction has been the same no matter where I've worked. It may be the defining recurrence of my adult life. And trust me: I guarantee you'll have a similar reaction no matter where you choose to ply your trade.
And so, Ringling class of 2004, on this happy day, I've got some news for you: Oh my God, you're in charge."
Tom and Ray Magliozzi, hosts of the National Public Radio series Car Talk, were the featured speakers at MIT's Commencement Exercises on June 4, 1999. The full text, one of the of the funniest commencement speeches, is copywrited but luckily still available online. Their show is still going on strong.
"You will never have more energy or enthusiasm, hair, or brain cells than you have today."
Tom & Ray Magliozzi
This year's article from Washington Post focuses on the light side of commencement addresses. A few lucky graduates get to hear big names of qualified entertainers who "do funny" as a way of living. In her article Valery Strauss compiled a list of some of the most entertaining graduation speeches. I am actually planning on adding a whole new section on this site dedicated to funny speeches. Until then, this article is indeed a great start. Read the full article on the funniest commencement speeches at WashingtonPost.com »
"...the unfortunate, yet truly exciting thing about your life, is that there is no core curriculum. The entire place is an elective."
The Entertainment Weekly online edition just published a short article on graduation speeches. The nice part about the story by Emily Exton is that she is essentially asking readers to contribute by sending in their favorite speaker. There are already a few good leads in the comments section, speeches that I might be adding to the Graduation Wisdom collection. You can access two of the speeches mentionned by a few of the readers on this site: Ellen DeGeneres Commencement Speech at Tulane University and J.K. Rowling at Harvard University. Read the full article on the best pop culture commencement speakers at EW.com »
"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default."
Tagged as "Who's speaking where -- and what they said", Paolo Turchioe's article in Forbes.com has an impressive list of over 100 commencement speakers lined up for this year's summer graduation season. It also promises to add the transcripts as the speaches are delivered from May 1st to June 18th. I can't wait to search for these speeches and find the gems to share with you. See the list of graduation speakers at Forbes.com»
Since I brought up Forbes.com I should mention their excellent collection of "inspiration on demand", quotations that make up the thought of the day. It's worth browsing the collection and maybe use it for your next speech or, why not, for getting through the day.
May 04, 2010
Unlike the comprehensive list from Forbes.com, Politics Daily goes for highlighting a few speakers and creating some interesting categories including the "big score" as in David Axelrod at tiny Beloit College (which happens to be right here in Wisconsin), the most intriguing, and the student favorite, among others. See the list of commencement speakers at Politics Daily »
May 03, 2010
I am starting a new blog within the Graduation Wisdom site. For two months, from May till the end of June and maybe into July I will be posting regular updates with links to news articles and blogs, even the occasional worthy tweets, related to the 2010 graduation season. If you find good reads please send them my way and I will make sure to give you the credit for submitting the link. Email at gradwisdom@gmail.com. Thank you in advance.