WHAT KIND OF GRADUATION SPEECH DO YOU WANT TO HEAR?
Graduation ceremonies always have speeches.
Some speakers make pretty good coin speaking at graduations. Some even make news with them.
Some, if not most, graduates couldn’t care less about hearing a speech from someone well-known or famous. Many just want to get the ceremonies over with, so they can get to the fun celebrations sooner.
Also, graduates mostly hear speeches talking about motivation, following one’s dreams, working hard etc. Most graduates know what they are going to do next, so the emotional speeches can ring hollow.
Some graduation speakers have taken to straying from conventional topics and talking about themselves, their grievances and what THEY – not the graduates – can do for the world.
That not only can ring hollow for graduates, but can be downright annoying for them, and potentially embarrassing for the speaker.
Still, the graduation speeches must be given, and endured, because it’s how we do things.
The truly outstanding graduation speech – one that has graduates soaking up every word – is rare, but not unheard of.
What if schools and colleges dispensed with the speeches and just handed out diplomas or degrees and sent everyone home?
That would put a real dent in what has become more than a cottage industry. Not only do a lot of these speakers get paid well for a speech, they also often collect honorary degrees from the institution.
Politicians, authors, athletes, celebrities and academics often thrive on giving these speeches.
To be fair, some good ideas and quotes arise from the speeches. As a graduate, wouldn’t you love to have a few quotes from the speech in the folder with your degree or diploma, rather than sit through a whole long speech?
Graduation ceremonies can be uncomfortable. It can be 100 degrees in a big venue with no air-conditioning, or outside in the heat or the rain.
To sit through a long speech in either of those conditions likely would mean you won’t get much from the speech, no matter how good it is. And, regardless of conditions, it’s unlikely a graduate will remember much from any speech a few weeks later.
If schools removed the speeches and cut to the chase of handing out degrees or diplomas, there would be more time for families to take pictures and enjoy a good celebration afterward.
Though speeches can be inspirational, educational and motivating, most graduates likely would rather do without them.
More comfortable clothes and more fun with family and friends are on most graduates’ wish list.
Some graduates opt to skip the whole ceremony and have their degree or diploma sent to them sometime later.
If one must sit through a graduation ceremony, those who plan them should think more about what the graduates want, and less about what the institution or the speakers want.
Peter