NGCSU FALL COMMENCEMENT 2007
If you ever find that you need inspiration here's some for ya... remix it to suit yourself. I'll start off with some YouTube videos, then share some links to some awesome speeches, and finally end up with great quotes. Since you will remember almost nothing from my address, I thought you might like this parting gift... for when you can be alone and semantically engaged.
This is one of my YouTube playlists entitled: "Commencement and Such"... you can choose from a variety of fine schools and speakers, including the likes of Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton, Mike Reiss, ConanO'Brien, etc...
Great Speeches that inspire me:
Alan Alda's address to Connecticut College when his daughter graduated... read this when you need the warm and caring voice of a parent in your life.
Guy Kawasaki speaks to Babson College... mostly for my friends in Business, but useful for all of us that dream of being entrepreneurs.
The novelist David Foster Wallace talks about paying attention/staying awake while addressing the Kenyon College class of 2005.
For the creative types... try the Michael Uslan speech to Indiana University
Woody Hayes commencement speech at Ohio State... for those of you that love football and football metaphors.
And finally, some of my favorite commencement quotes:
"A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that 'individuality' is the key to success" ~Robert Orben
"At commencement you wear your square-shaped mortarboards. My hope is that from time to time you will let your minds be bold, and wear sombreros." ~Paul Freund
"Your families are extremely proud of you. You can't imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing. This would be a most opportune time to ask for money." ~Gary Bolding
"Don't be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated; you can't cross a chasm in two small jumps." ~David Lloyd George
"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." ~Milton Berle
"Of course there's a lot of knowledge in universities: the freshmen bring a little in; the seniors don't take much away, so knowledge sort of accumulates." ~A. Lawrence Lowell