After Mrs. Serrano and I watched the second episode of the Woody Allen doc we started talking about the how we (and Rass and his wife) went to college (Drew U.) with Soon-yi (never saw her despite Drew’s minuscule enrollment) and how creepy it was that Allen could be seen watching the ‘96 commencement from a window overlooking the ceremony which included Hillary Clinton as the speaker.
Mrs. Serrano is still a little miffed that her, Rass, and Mrs. Rass got stuck with Christine Todd Whitman in ‘97 while I had James Earl Jones in in ‘98. Jones ended his speech with “may the force be with you” which made the place go nuts (even though he never said that line in the films.). But as far as commencement speakers go, he was pretty good.
First-term Senator Rick Santorum. A positive, uplifting speech. Don't remember any of it, but certainly nothing to be offended by. That came later, I guess.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:39 pm
by DaveInSeattle
Former National Security Advisor (though not when he spoke to us) Brent Scowcroft.
I was so hungover I don't remember anything that he said.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:12 pm
by A_B
Didn’t go to mine but I was a 29 year old part time student by the end.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:31 pm
by sancarlos
I'll try to do a little research but I presently have no fuggin' idea who was our speaker for either our high school or college graduations.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 10:39 pm
by Ryan
Gwen Ifill. Missed Al Gore by a year.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:58 am
by Johnnie
I graduated online only college through AMU.
So I watched Daveed Diggs' speech and figure I'll use that as my own.
Edit:
I graduated in 2014. So maybe this one makes more sense:
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 5:58 am
by serrano
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 7:56 am
by Sabo
High School: Montel Williams (He was a motivational speaker before he went into TV)
College: Dr. Charles Ping (long-time Ohio University president who was retiring)
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 9:51 am
by DSafetyGuy
Steve Kroft of "60 Minutes". He, like everyone else who had access to a microphone, got to make jokes about snow because there was some on the ground on Mother's Day.
Things picked up in the 2000's, though - Giuliani, Bill Clinton, Phylicia Rashad, Jane Goodall, Billy Joel, Frank McCourt, Biden (while VP), and Jamie Dimon (although the head of JP Morgan Chase was somehow not particularly popular with the graduating class right after the housing bubble burst).
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2021 2:39 pm
by The Sybian
I feel like I've typed this before, but I skipped my undergrad graduation ceremony. I think the class was around 5,000 graduates. My parents were pissed when I told them I wasn't going. They intended on sitting through the ceremony, but after sitting through two ceremonies for my majors, they satiated. No idea who spoke at graduation, and I think it was just the Dean of the schools for the majors. Law school was David Kelley. I don't remember much, but I thought it was a really good speech at the time, and I kept thinking "this guy is married to Michelle Pfeiffer, I'm going to follow his advice."
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 7:54 am
by rass
serrano wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 8:58 pm
After Mrs. Serrano and I watched the second episode of the Woody Allen doc we started talking about the how we (and Rass and his wife) went to college (Drew U.) with Soon-yi (never saw her despite Drew’s minuscule enrollment) and how creepy it was that Allen could be seen watching the ‘96 commencement from a window overlooking the ceremony which included Hillary Clinton as the speaker.
Mrs. Serrano is still a little miffed that her, Rass, and Mrs. Rass got stuck with Christine Todd Whitman in ‘97 while I had James Earl Jones in in ‘98. Jones ended his speech with “may the force be with you” which made the place go nuts (even though he never said that line in the films.). But as far as commencement speakers go, he was pretty good.
I bet he'll be an entertaining speaker even if the grads don't know who he is (though I think Dawson's Creek may have had a moment at some point unless my oldest just randomly decided to watch the whole series).
And I'm positive there is photographic evidence of me (and cerrano?) hanging out with him before a dance. He escorted a friend of our then-GFs/wives-to-be-they-should-have-run-when-they-could-have.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 8:01 am
by L-Jam3
I don't recall college. Law School was then-US Attorney for NJ Chris Christie. Did anything come of that guy?
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 8:01 am
by Giff
Was it him or Zach Morris who went right-wingy?
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 8:09 am
by rass
Giff wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 8:01 am
Was it him or Zach Morris who went right-wingy?
Worst I can find for JVDB is one "Biden is too old" rant that Fox News picked up on. I think the alma mater would have avoided him if he'd gone anywhere approaching full-MAGA.
Giff wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 8:01 am
Was it him or Zach Morris who went right-wingy?
Worst I can find for JVDB is one "Biden is too old" rant that Fox News picked up on. I think the alma mater would have avoided him if he'd gone anywhere approaching full-MAGA.
What probably made me think this is when anyone moves from California to Texas it's either a) they are rich and rightfully abandoning that state due to high taxes or b) they're dirty fucking hippies who are ruining our state and I'm going to make it a part of my personality by wearing t-shirts that say "don't California my Texas". JVDB falls into the former.
Giff wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 8:01 am
Was it him or Zach Morris who went right-wingy?
Worst I can find for JVDB is one "Biden is too old" rant that Fox News picked up on. I think the alma mater would have avoided him if he'd gone anywhere approaching full-MAGA.
What probably made me think this is when anyone moves from California to Texas it's either a) they are rich and rightfully abandoning that state due to high taxes or b) they're dirty fucking hippies who are ruining our state and I'm going to make it a part of my personality by wearing t-shirts that say "don't California my Texas". JVDB falls into the former.
I think he did say that at least some of the reasoning for the move was "moral"...so I do think there are some right wing tendencies.
And I'm positive there is photographic evidence of me (and cerrano?) hanging out with him before a dance. He escorted a friend of our then-GFs/wives-to-be-they-should-have-run-when-they-could-have.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:17 am
by Ryan
Masterful
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:29 am
by mister d
I don't know my most quoted movie line ever, but that's in contention.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 10:25 am
by Giff
mister d wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:29 am
I don't know my most quoted movie line ever, but that's in contention.
I've seen the whole movie, but never in sequential order. There's one scene where they start a scene in the huddle on the face of a Vietnamese guy I grew up with who was in extra in the movie as an OL.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 10:29 am
by mister d
It remains a tremendous movie in the way some of those 90s movies are tremendous to a certain subset of 40-somethings.
serrano wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 8:58 pm
After Mrs. Serrano and I watched the second episode of the Woody Allen doc we started talking about the how we (and Rass and his wife) went to college (Drew U.) with Soon-yi (never saw her despite Drew’s minuscule enrollment) and how creepy it was that Allen could be seen watching the ‘96 commencement from a window overlooking the ceremony which included Hillary Clinton as the speaker.
Mrs. Serrano is still a little miffed that her, Rass, and Mrs. Rass got stuck with Christine Todd Whitman in ‘97 while I had James Earl Jones in in ‘98. Jones ended his speech with “may the force be with you” which made the place go nuts (even though he never said that line in the films.). But as far as commencement speakers go, he was pretty good.
I bet he'll be an entertaining speaker even if the grads don't know who he is (though I think Dawson's Creek may have had a moment at some point unless my oldest just randomly decided to watch the whole series).
And I'm positive there is photographic evidence of me (and cerrano?) hanging out with him before a dance. He escorted a friend of our then-GFs/wives-to-be-they-should-have-run-when-they-could-have.
My wife wanted to show Dawson's Creek to the kids to see how it aged, I think it was after my daughter became obsessed with Outer Banks. We got through maybe 15 minutes. The only thing I ever saw with JVDB was The B in Apt 23, where he played a cartoonish version of himself. His willingness to portray himself as an utter buffoon made me a fan. I can't imagine he is remotely controversial as a right winger. We took a tour of Drew, and I was uncomfortable with the level of extreme left-wing vibes on the tour.
Giff wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 8:01 am
Was it him or Zach Morris who went right-wingy?
Worst I can find for JVDB is one "Biden is too old" rant that Fox News picked up on. I think the alma mater would have avoided him if he'd gone anywhere approaching full-MAGA.
What probably made me think this is when anyone moves from California to Texas it's either a) they are rich and rightfully abandoning that state due to high taxes or b) they're dirty fucking hippies who are ruining our state and I'm going to make it a part of my personality by wearing t-shirts that say "don't California my Texas". JVDB falls into the former.
I think most California residents who move to Texas (or Florida) are right-wingers looking for a more like-minded home. See: Musk, Elon. (Possible exception if they are moving to Austin.)
mister d wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 9:29 am
I don't know my most quoted movie line ever, but that's in contention.
I've seen the whole movie, but never in sequential order. There's one scene where they start a scene in the huddle on the face of a Vietnamese guy I grew up with who was in extra in the movie as an OL.
I hope he didn't get typecast as a Vietnamese offensive lineman.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed Apr 10, 2024 1:29 pm
by mister d
The Sybian wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 10:54 amThe only thing I ever saw with JVDB was The B in Apt 23, where he played a cartoonish version of himself.
Also excellent on HIMYM.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 6:36 pm
by rass
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Mon May 06, 2024 7:00 pm
by The Sybian
That explains the jumper at the ceremony. (A student either slipped or jumped and died at the end of the ceremony). Too soon, yes, but I feel like I need to fill the TT-sized void on inappropriate death jokes.
Also, what percentage of students know that song?
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 10:32 am
by DaveInSeattle
My friend's kid graduated from Loyola Marymount this past weekend. Their graduation speaker was John Legend. My friend said he was great.
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 2:43 pm
by Jerloma
This is well worth the 12 minutes if you have the inclination...
Re: Commencement Speakers
Posted: Wed May 08, 2024 12:41 pm
by GoodKarma
The Sybian wrote: ↑Mon May 06, 2024 7:00 pm
That explains the jumper at the ceremony. (A student either slipped or jumped and died at the end of the ceremony). Too soon, yes, but I feel like I need to fill the TT-sized void on inappropriate death jokes.
Also, what percentage of students know that song?
Article I saw said it was the mother a graduating student...suspecting suicide!
I believe one should never try to apply logic to that type of situation but seems like an odd choice for the act.
