Hey guys, I was jst asked to write (and eventually, present) a graduation speech this June, so I figured I'd start now. I'm not one of the Val/Sal for our class, but regardless I want this to be special; not only to me, but to my classmates as well. Now it's not done yet (this is my second draft). so you'll notice the word "EDIT" appears a few times. Also, there are a few inside jokes that are prevelant only to my school (the monkey references, Dom)
I would really apperciate an honest opinion on what you guys think. Thanks in advance!
GRAD SPEECH 2ND DRAFT-
Kings Park High School…I can’t even begin to tell you what an honor it is being here. ***EDIT*** You know, it’s true; these walls have gotten older. The freshmen have gotten smaller, your friends have gotten wiser, your classes longer, your lunch shorter. And yet, we have barely changed. In 2005 we stepped through those doors, eager as anyone else in the school, wondering what that first day of High School would be like. I won’t lie to you, I really couldn’t savior that moment, because I was off and running to class. We only had 3 minutes! So, my fellow classmates, lets take just a second to understand where we are right now. Take a look around you, at each other, at your families, at your teachers… not at me, and certainly not at the lopsided jersey in the corner….*PAUSE* Breathe it in, class of 2009; we have come a long way.
She’ll kill me for saying this, but on this day, 3 years ago, my mother and I were in the car on the way to the graduation for the class of ’06. She began to cry and I asked her what was wrong? She told me that she’s not going to be able to handle me graduating in three years. I laughed at her and said, “Mom, that’s 3 WHOLE YEARS from now.” Yeah well, *chuckle* here we are……… I look up now and see those same eyes again, times 600 looking down at us. Mom, you and Dad have been there from the beginning. You put me through school- through Kings Park High School- for a reason: You wanted to see me succeed. And I love you for that, but let’s not hog the spotlight. There are 298 other students graduating tonight, and there are 298 other families watching. ... Kings Park, let’s take just one minute of our time to turn and find our families in the audience (encourage)… Take a look into those eyes, filled with hope, filled with promise, and filled with pride, and give your parents a round of applause!!
But let’s not stop there…friends, we certainly do not give our teachers enough credit, unless of course its for that 70 you managed to pull off in English, then it’s 100% their fault, right? Your teachers have done more work than you realize behind the scenes. Aside from planning every 80 minute lesson, they also have to grade tests, copy worksheets, hole-punch packets, and brainstorm new ways for us to miss out on every single one of our vacations…you name it. I’m sure you’ve, at some point in your life, wondering if teachers actually retire to a house every night and live ‘regular lives’. Well, friends, I’m here to tell you that under no circumstances has a Kings Park Educator ever lived anywhere BUT the basement of Kings Park High School, slaving away at your Quarterlies and attempting to interpret those hieroglyphics which we consider handwriting. Think of all that your teacher’s have done for you, and I mean really think about it. Give them, and any faculty who has helped you in any way -be it a custodian getting your best friend out of a locker, or one of the lunch ladies giving you the extra bag of chips (and always remembering never to give Rudy any ketchup), and especially the special education department; for distributing OTIS every day 1 and 3- the biggest applause you can muster!
Think about how long these 4 years have gone, and fathom this…we still have 20 more of those groupings left in our lifetime! Friends, they may tell you that time flys, but only if you’re living the way you learned to in High School!
Ralph Emerson warns us, “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Tonight, we may walk through those doors…or those doors, but from there is where we will begin the rest of our life. Make your path with the help of others. But never forget to travel your own path…and instead of carrying breadcrumbs, continue until you see where your path ends, and start a new one. Do not look back Kings Park. Archive and learn from these experiences, from your education, but never turn back screaming.
After all, you’ve made it through the worst that life can throw at you. And through all of the drama, heartache, backstabbing, fake smiles, and tears shed; you’ve stumbled through. But we have to be optimistic here guys, it’s only been 4 years! We’re seniors in high school! About to embark on quite an interesting journey. We have been screaming all of our lives: for the past 4 years we have been screaming “class of ’09!”. From this point on, some of us will go onto college and begin to scream “class of 2011!” or “class of 2013!” Some of us will enter the work-place, screaming to our co-workers about the boss…or screaming to the boss about our co-workers. Some of us will enter the armed forces, screaming a command. More of us may take to the stage, screaming… although they’ll call it singing. A few of us may elect to take next year off to draft their life plans, screaming at their parents to leave them alone, or maybe at their significant other, screaming “it’s YOUR turn to take the trash out!” And the rest of us, are probably yelling for everyone else to stop screaming so damn loudly! Whichever path you take, you’ll begin to realize that it’s time to do a little less screaming and a little more listening. Because, class of 2009, this is only the beginning…
Even though graduation is a big step to the next level or however you wish to describe it, I don’t have enough fingers nor toes to count how many times I’ve heard people whining “man, graduation is so long and boring.” Actually, shoot that was me… But, in reality, this is what WE have all worked so hard for. This is OUR high school graduation ceremony. These are YOUR friends walking across the stage. This is YOUR time to smile and be proud of all YOU have accomplished here in Kings Park. Sure it’s long; sure we have over 300 kids in our class, but for god’s sake, stop staring at your shoes! Laugh it up at the kid who is wearing flip flops under his or her gown. Chuckle at the guy who is only 5’3” and takes 5 strides for each of your 2. Err, wait, that’s me. Right now I’m enjoying looking at a rather lopsided toupee somewhere out in the audience. My friends; enjoy this moment. Don’t rush through the motions. Yes there’s going to be parties as soon as we get out. But you know that no one here is getting our any earlier than you! This is a significant event. It deserves grins, laughter, and an optimistic attitude. Take advantage and pat your best friend on the back. You really want to create your own path? Go pat your worst enemy on the back! You set the course and see where the winds of life carry you.
Now, these past 12 years have served for some of the best memories of my life. I know that in 30 years from now I’ll be able to look back on something like Mr. Thompson’s Halloween costumes every year, and laugh thinking about Kenny Jones trying to grab at the unfortunate dog stuck between his 300 pound “cheeks”. How about the Helicopter crash? Ever notice how just about every student in Kings Park seemed to be “right next to the window” at the exact moment it flew by? I’ll never forget the Superthon’s, and the bonfires, and especially Kings Park’s participation in relay for life last year…which was one of the MOST SUCCESSFUL on Long Island that year. Levi and Kyle chasing each other around the school dressed as a monkey and a banana, and laugh to myself thinking, “Man, the only thing that could be better than that would be someone like Dick Strain dressed in a Monkey costume scaling the wall of the cafeteria and jumping 20 feet out the window…” *PAUSE* shhhhhh… But anyway, what I’m trying to say is that despite all of the fun we’ve had, the friends we’ve made, and the lessons we’ve learned; I, by no means, think that these should be the best 12 years of our lives. That is a pain, which I would not wish on my greatest of enemies. If ACT’s, English portfolios, and ‘mystery meat Wednesdays’ contribute in any way to being the best years of your life, then you have done something horrifically wrong. What I want you to do instead, is to take these memories, and pile them up, so that you may use them as a stepping stone which can only bring you up, climbing higher and higher until you have reached the pinnacle of your life. (Very cheesy, revamp) Look around at your fellow classmates, and imagine where their pinnacle may be. Some of us will go on to be Doctors, Lawyers, and those people who let you sample food in Costco! Hell, someone in here may even go on to be the next Dom!!
Guys, it’s been an honor being your peer, your student, your teacher, your friend, your acquaintance, your classmate. So let’s hurry up and graduate already! The world is waiting for us, its time to make it ours!
As one who has now sit through two of my own graduations (high school and college), as well as the graduations of friends and family members, I have one major piece of advice:
Short, sweet, and to the point.
Keep in mind, you're not the only one that's going to be talking. Your Val, your Sal, your principal (a couple of times, most likely), probably a guest speaker or two from the community, and perhaps another person or two. Then, there's the awards, honors, and scholarships that are given out, and the presenting of the diplomas. And there's a very real chance that you might have to hold it inside due to weather (and if not, this is June we're talking about, it will probably be in the 70s, if not warmer).
I had a class of about 90 people for high school and about 200 for college, and the ceremonies still took about two and four hours. That's a long time for anyone. I'd say a good goal for your speech is under five minutes or so. Too much longer and everyone starts getting bored (we had a speaker talk for about 20 minutes in each of my graduations and I think everyone started getting bored about half way through).
I know you said in your speech that you (your class) shouldn't rush the ceremony. In theory that's great, but on paper, that doesn't work out so well, especially if you're inside. Most auditoriums are quite hot and stuffy and people start getting uncomfortable after a while. (What you might want to consider, depending on how long your speech is when you're actually speaking it, is prepare a more condensed version in case you're inside, since being outside can be more forgiving of long ceremonies and speeches.)
Also, think about the positioning of everyone. If the graduates are sitting on a stage (or behind the speakers if outside), then they will more than likely not hear a word the speaker is saying, so "talking to the graduates" is pointless. If you know they're going to be sitting in the audience for the speeches, then you might be able to "talk to the graduates."
Finally, cheesy isn't a bad thing, and you've got a good lead-in for the "look around at your fellow classmates and imagine where their pinnacle may be" part.
I am treated as evil by people who claim that they are being oppressed because they are not allowed to force me to practice what they do. ~D. Dale Gulledge