OT: Aaron Sorkin the 2013 commencement speaker

[Timonen]

This is my annual "I had the worst commencement speaker ever" post (a Harvard professor whose name I never remember without looking up...which sort of sums my complaint).

***Oops, 2012

 

[SU2NASA]

There just doesn't seem to be any options that won't piss off one side or another.

I enjoyed having Bill Clinton in '03, but even then, he spent a good deal of his time talking politics and basically campaigning for Hillary.

I had Bo Schembechler at my Michigan commencement. Absolutely fantastic, I would have charged San Juan Hill after his speech.

 

[KingOtis]

I had Robert Fulghum, author of "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." Just what I wanted to hear after dropping $150,000 on a college education.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

2012*

 

[Col. Bleep]

SU had a few good ones back in the day.
News people often make for speakers who can bridge politics.

William Safire was brilliant and funny.

Ted Koppel had something to say...especially when the Chancellor introduced him as being from NBC.

Al Haig I think did the first commencement in the Dome when he was Secretary of State. There was so much focus on protests...people have forgotten his commencement speech laid out the basic Reagan Doctrine that ultimately helped bring down the Soviet Union.

 

[KingOtis]

I just missed Phylicia Rashād. I think she would have been cool. In a way, she helped raise everyone from that generation.

 

[DCCuse]

This is my annual "I had the worst commencement speaker ever" post (a Harvard professor whose name I never remember without looking up...which sort of sums my complaint).

***Oops, 2012

Were you 1991? That was John Nesbitt author of Megatrends. So bad that I fell asleep during his speech.

 

[CusefanATL]

I had Frank McCourt. Terrible. Was totally out done by our student speaker (strangest speech ever, but it work magnificently)

 

[Timonen]

Were you 1991? That was John Nesbitt author of Megatrends. So bad that I fell asleep during his speech.

1997 - The one and only Robert Coles (just looked him up).

 

[SU2NASA]

I just missed Phylicia Rashād. I think she would have been cool. In a way, she helped raise everyone from that generation.

Surely you can't be serious.

Might as well get Alan Thicke too.

 

[DCCuse]

1997 - The one and only Robert Coles (just looked him up).

I guess the lesson to be learned here is stop having Harvard professors as commencement speakers.

 

[NailstheCusefan12]

I just hope someone gets his speech on film. Because there is no way I'm going to be in any shape to listen to a full speech the morning of graduation. I blame bnoro in advance.

 

[KingOtis]

Surely you can't be serious.

Might as well get Alan Thicke too.

Only if he sings.

 

[SU2NASA]

I guess the lesson to be learned here is stop having Harvard professors as commencement speakers.

Or electing them President.

 

[Frozen]

I had Robert Fulghum, author of "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten." Just what I wanted to hear after dropping $150,000 on a college education.

Me too.

 

[BleedsOrange44]

I had Frank Reich, former Buffalo Bills QB. It was pretty cool, and he gave a great speech. No it was not at SU.

 

[Etancuse]

We had Billy Joel, he was terrible. I am pretty sure he was drunk and he was definitely winging it.

 

[EastCoast2]

Fareed Zakaria. Actually gave a great speech, but I was still drunk from the night before, hadn't slept in 2 days, and it was 105 degrees. I was literally sweating beer from my pores. People were passing out it was so damn hot.

 

[BlackKnight76]

I'm really glad we got Sorkin. Last year's class got kind of hosed with that human genome doctor.

 

[Brian Orange]

SU had a few good ones back in the day.
News people often make for speakers who can bridge politics.
William Safire was brilliant and funny.
Ted Koppel had something to say...especially when the Chancellor introduced him as being from NBC.
Al Haig I think did the first commencement in the Dome when he was Secretary of State. There was so much focus on protests...people have forgotten
his commencement speech laid out the basic Reagan Doctrine that ultimately helped bring down the Soviet Union.

There was a streak where it was really good. I think it was Koeppel, Rudy Guliani (in the first graduation after 9/11, Bill Clinton, and maybe even someone else. Getting Rudy was huge, and if I remember correctly, someone around here had a big part in it.

 

[Brian Orange]

There just doesn't seem to be any options that won't piss off one side or another.

I enjoyed having Bill Clinton in '03, but even then, he spent a good deal of his time talking politics and basically campaigning for Hillary.

I had Bo Schembechler at my Michigan commencement. Absolutely fantastic, I would have charged San Juan Hill after his speech.

I had Clinton in '03 too. I don't remember it being too much about politics but who cares. It was a former president! He came out in the "2003 National Champions" hat before he got up on stage. Awesome. If I remember correctly he was a somewhat late find as a speaker too.

 

[KingOtis]

There was a streak where it was really good. I think it was Koeppel, Rudy Guliani (in the first graduation after 9/11, Bill Clinton, and maybe even someone else. Getting Rudy was huge, and if I remember correctly, someone around here had a big part in it.

A lot of students were not happy about Giuliani. Just because he happened to be mayor during 9/11 didn't erase everything he did leading up to that point.

 

[SU2NASA]

I had Clinton in '03 too. I don't remember it being too much about politics but who cares. It was a former president! He came out in the "2003 National Champions" hat before he got up on stage. Awesome. If I remember correctly he was a somewhat late find as a speaker too.

Agree, it was great to have a former President as a commencement speaker no more what his speech was. Though having Hillary running for Senate in New York sure helped...

 

[SU2NASA]

A lot of students were not happy about Giuliani. Just because he happened to be mayor during 9/11 didn't erase everything he did leading up to that point.

Like having all of the homeless secretly killed?

 

[EastCoast2]

Like having all of the homeless secretly killed?

killed or sent away to Georgetown U?