Words of advice from big-name speakers will be forgotten quickly
May brings college graduations, so we asked readers if they remembered who gave their commencement addresses.
Some actually came up with names: Poet William Meredith, author Mary Higgins Clark, economist John Kenneth Galbraith, Sen. Joe Lieberman, MSNBC's Chris Matthews, author Mitch Albom and publisher Malcom Forbes.
Ainslie Seeber had an impressive double bill: "George Bush Sr. and Bill Clinton...together, UNH '07. Bush talked about jumping out of helicopters ... and Bill talked about a tribe in Africa. But their main points of being involved in your community and making a difference were well done."
Most couldn't remember exactly what advice the speakers offered, but Julie Schneider gave it a try: "can't remember who it was but he had three points... 1. don't remember 2. make sure to go out and do something for yourself. You've worked hard to get to graduation so take a little money and have fun (I bought my first cell phone) 3. Open an IRA so you can retire! (I put all my graduation money in it.)"
-Tim Cotter
Here are some of this year's commencement speakers:
Coast Guard Academy, New London: President Obama
Miami Dade College: President Obama
Quinnipiac University, Hamden: Author David Baldacci
Spellman College, Chicago: First lady Michelle Obama
Lasell College, Newton, Mass.: Sen. Scott Brown
Mitchell College, New London: Gov. Dannel P. Malloy
Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic: Gov. Dannel P. Malloy
Catholic University, Washington, D.C.: House Speaker John A. Boehner
New York University: Bill Clinton
Fordham University, Bronx: Brian Williams
Barnard College, New York City: Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook
Hofstra University, Long Island: Phil Rosenthal, the creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond"
Yale University, New Haven: Tom Hanks
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: Denzel Washington.
Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.: Conan O'Brien
Hamilton College, Clinton, N.Y.: Al Gore
George Washington Universtity, Washington, D.C.: Michael Bloomberg
Washington University, St. Louis: Elie Wiesel
Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.: Rudy Giuliani
Elon University, Elon, N.C.: Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.
Saint Joseph College, West Hartford: Novelist Luanne Rice.
-Tim Cotter
Sources: Associated Press, New York Post, www.collegeconfidential.com
Here are some of this year's commencement speakers:
Coast Guard Academy, New London: President Obama
Miami Dade College: President Obama
Quinnipiac University, Hamden: Author David Baldacci
Spellman College, Chicago: First lady Michelle Obama
Lasell College, Newton, Mass.: Sen. Scott Brown
Mitchell College, New London: Gov. Dannel P. Malloy
Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic: Gov. Dannel P. Malloy
Catholic University, Washington, D.C.: House Speaker John A. Boehner
New York University: Bill Clinton
Fordham University, Bronx: Brian Williams
Barnard College, New York City: Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook
Hofstra University, Long Island: Phil Rosenthal, the creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond"
Yale University, New Haven: Tom Hanks
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia: Denzel Washington.
Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.: Conan O'Brien
Hamilton College, Clinton, N.Y.: Al Gore
George Washington Universtity, Washington, D.C.: Michael Bloomberg
Washington University, St. Louis: Elie Wiesel
Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.: Rudy Giuliani
Elon University, Elon, N.C.: Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.
Saint Joseph College, West Hartford: Novelist Luanne Rice.
Sources: Associated Press, New York Post, www.collegeconfidential.com
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