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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The Commencement Dream Machine



John Sutherland, in The Guardian, drifts into the dreamy world of the commencement speech.


... [Bill Clinton,] who's doing the rounds of six campuses this summer ... puts it this way:

"I always urge them to have dreams that are both timely and timeless, to try to live their dreams knowing that life's real regrets are more rooted in not trying than in not succeeding, and to find joy in the effort."

Dream the impossible dream - where have I heard that schmaltz before?

Addressing the most venerable of African-American campuses, Howard University, on May 12, Oprah Winfrey, "commencement oratrix", told her ecstatically cheering, begowned audience: "I stand here as a symbol of what is possible when you believe in the dream of your own life."

With that sublimely meaningless platitude Dr Winfrey, who has honorary degrees like Imelda Marcos had shoes, received another PhD in humanities. She may also have received a hefty fee. Or not. Universities are chary about revealing how much they pay their speakers: it rather takes the bloom off the platitude...




The last commencement speech UD covered was Villanova's, in 2004. The speaker was Big Bird.