# Commencement Speaker Complaints **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commencement-speaker-complaints/688678 "2014-05-18T14:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrumBum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e79b87/32.png) [@DrumBum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrumBum)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commencement-speaker-complaints/688678/21 "2014-05-20T12:56:57Z")
The speaker for my undergraduate commencement was Justice Sandra Day O’Conner. I don’t recall much of what she said but I assume it dealt with the law. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commencement-speaker-complaints/688678/22 "2014-05-20T13:16:16Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > This was my choice. > > Just out of curiosity, has there ever in the history of commencements been a speaker who _didn’t_ utter the words “Webster defines _\_ as…” Or is that limited to valedictorians? Our speaker (last week, yay me!) was Alcee Hastings (D-FL). He didn’t speak in cliches at all but his speech was mostly just funny stories. He also “concluded” at least five times by my count; we were talking about making it into a drinking game by the end. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commencement-speaker-complaints/688678/23 "2014-05-20T20:22:28Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Why wouldn’t we? Speeches are often used to mark important moments in time- inaugurations, memorials, religious ceremonies, toasts at parties etc etc. It’s a nice way to be reflective and wring some meaning from the event. This years validictorian’s speech at my college was fantastic and really set the celebratory mood. A speech from a student celebrating what everyone accomplished would have been nice, and I don’t know why I never experienced one. I was thinking of the speeches I sat through where the city comptroller ran through a list of cliches on how to live your life after college. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commencement-speaker-complaints/688678/24 "2014-05-20T20:24:42Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Give me some time, I’m sure I can top this one. New ice cream flavor: Hooks ‘n’ worms! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2014, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commencement-speaker-complaints/688678/25 "2014-05-20T20:28:27Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > New ice cream flavor: Hooks ‘n’ worms! Thank you so much. I’ve been needing a really good laugh, and that did the trick 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commencement-speaker-complaints/688678/26 "2014-05-21T00:51:00Z")
Ours was Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell. He told us to keep striving for excellence, and try not to be incarcerated for tax evasion. Funny coincidence, thinking back on it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commencement-speaker-complaints/688678.md?page=1)