A Letter Concerning Thoughs on Graduation
Dearest Friends,
Hey there, how are you? I hope all is well with you and this this letter finds you doing swimmingly. So once agian, I have managed to lazily engineer a great delay in my writing. I cite as excuses the time consuming whirlwind of moving to Elgin from St. Louis, starting my bar review class in Chicago, studying, going to Cubs games, going to concerts, and graduating from law school. And drinking. I'm going to try a new format for the summer and offer shorter bursts of the words, but with greater frequency and incorporating this letter model that you are experiencing now. We'll see how this works out...
I read in the local rag this afternoon that Stephen Colbert delivered the commencement speech at tiny Knox College right here in good old Illinois. I immediately grinned and imagined what it must have be
en like to sit in that audience as a 22 year old, laughing at Colbert's limitless wit and savvy political / media satire. I bet it was quite an event. Read about it here and here. As many know and have most likely already seen on the web or on DVD, Ali G spoke (not at the actual commencement ceremony) to Harvard graduates in 2004. Here is some of that Ali G fun for those of you not in the know.
I have been to 6 graduation ceremonies. Three for my brother and three of my own. Larkin High School: 1995 (Blayne) and 1999 (Darren). University of Illinois: 1999 (Blayne) and 2003 (D-Pat). Harvard Law School: 2002 (Blayne). Washington University School of Law: 2006 (Dinner /Two Scoops). Apart from my law school gradutaion, that took place about 2 weeks ago, I remember essentially nothing about the substance of the ceremony. For instance, for my college graduation, all I can recall is that I was incredibly hungover and I was told to stand, told to graduate, and told to sit. Memories of my law school graduation ceremony will no doubt quickly leave my mind as other more memorable memories take up that space.
What I do remember about my gradutions is the revelry engaged in with friends before and after the ceremonies. These are the memorable moments at which I will grin as I look back on my academic transition events. My guess is that those kids at Knox College will have these moments too, but most will remember the ceremony with just as much delight. This leads me to my ultimate conclusion and the point of all this; Graduations these days should be a little more "pimp" than "pomp" and a little more "celebration" than "circumstance." What say you to that?
All the best,
Stay focused,
Two Scoops
Post Script: Here is some bonus Colbert.
Post Post Script: The new Calexico record Garden Ruin is quite excellent. I thank Glandypants Arner for that rec. I once dogged "Tex-Mexico" for a less than stellar opening performance for Wilco a cupla years ago at the Fox in the Lou, but this record has made the worm turn for my relationship with Calexico.
Hey there, how are you? I hope all is well with you and this this letter finds you doing swimmingly. So once agian, I have managed to lazily engineer a great delay in my writing. I cite as excuses the time consuming whirlwind of moving to Elgin from St. Louis, starting my bar review class in Chicago, studying, going to Cubs games, going to concerts, and graduating from law school. And drinking. I'm going to try a new format for the summer and offer shorter bursts of the words, but with greater frequency and incorporating this letter model that you are experiencing now. We'll see how this works out...
I read in the local rag this afternoon that Stephen Colbert delivered the commencement speech at tiny Knox College right here in good old Illinois. I immediately grinned and imagined what it must have be
en like to sit in that audience as a 22 year old, laughing at Colbert's limitless wit and savvy political / media satire. I bet it was quite an event. Read about it here and here. As many know and have most likely already seen on the web or on DVD, Ali G spoke (not at the actual commencement ceremony) to Harvard graduates in 2004. Here is some of that Ali G fun for those of you not in the know.I have been to 6 graduation ceremonies. Three for my brother and three of my own. Larkin High School: 1995 (Blayne) and 1999 (Darren). University of Illinois: 1999 (Blayne) and 2003 (D-Pat). Harvard Law School: 2002 (Blayne). Washington University School of Law: 2006 (Dinner /Two Scoops). Apart from my law school gradutaion, that took place about 2 weeks ago, I remember essentially nothing about the substance of the ceremony. For instance, for my college graduation, all I can recall is that I was incredibly hungover and I was told to stand, told to graduate, and told to sit. Memories of my law school graduation ceremony will no doubt quickly leave my mind as other more memorable memories take up that space.
What I do remember about my gradutions is the revelry engaged in with friends before and after the ceremonies. These are the memorable moments at which I will grin as I look back on my academic transition events. My guess is that those kids at Knox College will have these moments too, but most will remember the ceremony with just as much delight. This leads me to my ultimate conclusion and the point of all this; Graduations these days should be a little more "pimp" than "pomp" and a little more "celebration" than "circumstance." What say you to that?
All the best,
Stay focused,
Two Scoops
Post Script: Here is some bonus Colbert.
Post Post Script: The new Calexico record Garden Ruin is quite excellent. I thank Glandypants Arner for that rec. I once dogged "Tex-Mexico" for a less than stellar opening performance for Wilco a cupla years ago at the Fox in the Lou, but this record has made the worm turn for my relationship with Calexico.
posted by Dinner at 6/04/2006 05:29:00 PM
3 Comments:
i say i agree. i celebrated your law school graduation so hard that i was in bed til 6:30 pm. literally.
Graduations are lame...and graduation speakers almost inevitably fall short of expectations (unless it is Ali G or Colbert).
Seeing Band of Horses Thursday in Bloomington. Giidddddyyyuppp.
a friend of mine attended the much ballyhooed colbert appearance last weekend. apparently the buzz is that someone in the administration over there used to work as a close advisor to clinton - hence the securing of high profile graduation speakers at the relatively low profile school. you can read barack obama's truly inspirational address from last year's KC graduation at http://www.knox.edu/x9803.xml.
as for graduations: i have no idea who spoke at my college graduation, some lame diplomat lady or something (never mind that the year before me got kofi annan), but i CAN tell you that the girl in front of me tripped on a wire during the processional and fell flat on her face. it was classic.
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