Really generic graduation speeches?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>I was watching my high school's graduation a few weeks ago, and our Principal was speaking, and he gave, hands down, the most generic, ambiguous graduation speech I have ever heard.</p>

<p>Here's a random line.</p>

<p>"What separates the seniors from this class from all other classes I've overseen in my 14 years at this school is their kindness and their ability to do." </p>

<p>Kindness? I thought kindness was something found in people everywhere, not just my school's most recent senior class. </p>

<p>Their ability to do? Do what? Math? Laundry? </p>

<p>Is this commonplace? (Generic speeches, that is, not human kindness.)</p>

2

<p>Yeah, they were pretty awful at my school too. I think people feel somehow required to write a boring speech. </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Each other?</p>

3

<p>The Valedictorian’s speech: 4/10 didn’t even cry. wouldn’t recommend.</p>

4

<p>I hate graduation speeches where the speaker tries to include lines from some popular song. If I hear any more mention of Started from the Bottom I will rage.</p>

5

<p>@Swinter - The Valedictorian’s speech started off with “I guess you could say we started from the bottom (applause)… now we’re here. (more applause)”</p>

6

<p>One of my teachers from 8th grade uses the same speech each year. Does that count?</p>

7

<p>Well, look at it from the principal’s perspective. You may think your class is unique, but after 12 years, they’re all kinda the same.</p>

<p>And 18 year olds aren’t supposed to be making great speeches. They’re barely legal adults.</p>

8

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</p>

<p>So you’re telling me that Hollywood got it all wrong? That’s just crazy talk.</p>

<p>I dunno, [url=<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCN6FjqDcHg]this[/url”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCN6FjqDcHg]this[/url</a>] one is pretty good. Delivery could’ve been better.</p>

9

<p>We had one that was painfully cheesy. It was really cliche but mainly painfully cheese. Like painful. Like “I learned about leadership and why drugs are bad at this school”. That definitely a line if not the actual title of the speech.</p>

10

<p>I think the problem is that you’re expected to address the whole class, which encompasses a wide range of people and experiences. It’s hard to be very specific about anything without excluding anyone.
I also don’t think having good grades has anything to do with whether someone will give a good speech, and I don’t see why who gives a speech is based on class rank. For the most part, high school grades aren’t actually dependent on intelligence, and you can get good grades by following directions and just doing the work as it’s assigned without really thinking about anything. Valedictorians are really good at this, so they tend to give boring speeches.</p>

11

<p>they’re just HS graduation speeches. some good lines and some bad ones.</p>

<p>

not in high level classes. at least, it wasn’t that easy in my school</p>

12

<p>My biggest pet peeve about high school speeches is that /everyone/ starts like “We’re graduating. According to the dictionary, graduation means _______”</p>

<p>Like hello I’m going into college I think I know the definition.</p>

13

<p>@cem did you know that speech was plagiarized. The original version is much better.</p>

<p>And here we have 4 graduation speeches. Valedictorian, salutatorian, student body president, class president. This year the sal had the best speech. Last year the class president had the best speech.</p>

14

<p>We’re guilty of: Started from the bottom now we’re here…</p>

<p>I didn’t really care for the Val’s speech, it was too happy for my taste, sort of like “We’re gonna do great things” and the such.</p>

<p>I liked the Sal’s thiugh, it was insightful, and serious. Very nice.</p>

<p>(The definition thing also annoys the hell out of me)</p>

15

<p>I’m watching my school’s graduation speeches on YouTube and some baby in the audience started screaming in the middle of the valedictorian speech. I think that captured the audience’s feelings pretty well.</p>

16

<p>Our val’s speech was good, but one line was super-plagarized/generic:</p>

<p>“There are red ships and blue ships, but the most important are friendships”</p>

17

<p>our grad speakers were super boring…</p>

<p>cite Dr. Seuss’ “All the Places You Will Go”</p>