What is the purpose of a commencement speech or address?
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Commencement speeches are given by special guests at the graduation ceremony. They're usually given at college graduation ceremonies but are sometimes offered at high school graduations too. Show
Who Gives Commencement Speeches?Commencement speeches are generally delivered by people of merit. Examples include Bono, Toni Morrison, Barbara Kingsolver, and Paul Hawkins, all of whom were speakers at various colleges. Some may be famous or otherwise noteworthy. Speakers often have ties to the school or college at which they will be appearing, and are invited to speak at the graduation as a motivating presenter... as one who once stood where the day's graduates now find themselves. A graduation is a momentous event and one which signifies a parting of ways. The graduates have up to this point, shared a mutual experience. Following the graduation ceremony, their paths will diverge, each proceeding through life on their own unique trail. This parting of ways is a significant change in all their lives. It is one laden with emotion: fear, excitement, anticipation, bittersweet happiness. The uncertainty of the future is scary, yet it is also inspiring. As one who has been in the graduate's shoes, you as the commencement speaker are intimately familiar with the feelings they're experiencing! And the fact that you've been invited to speak shows that you are an example of how an uncertain future can contain success and significant achievement. What Should You Include in Your Commencement Speech?It is essential that you communicate the excitement and anticipation you know the graduates are feeling about the new experiences that await them. Emphasize that each of them will be making new decisions and life choices. Up to this point, they have shared a common history - but from this point forward, they will have futures separate from one another and in pursuit of their unique dreams and goals. You'll want to draw on that common history in your speech, making it significant and meaningful to your entire audience, but especially to the graduates. They are your primary audience, and their achievements are what draw you all together on this special day. Celebrating their shared history and individual accomplishments is the purpose of the ceremony. Be sure to craft your speech in a way that reflects this. Commencement speeches can contain any variety of personal experiences and motivational messages. The addresses themselves are as unique as are the speakers who deliver them. There are, however, some elements which should be included in any speech given at a graduation ceremony. These include
Graduation is a historic occasion, and should be celebrated as one! So include well-selected quotations and stories that mark the importance of such events in life. Finally, be sure to emphasize the importance of celebrating achievements and moving into the future with hope and enthusiasm. Here are links to some of my all time favorite commencement speeches:Toni Morrison's Commencement Speech at Wellesley College in 2004 Bono's Commencement Address in 2004 at the University of Pennsylvania Paul Hawken's Speech at the University of Portland in 2004 Seems like 2004 was a good year for commencement speeches! I find the above four speakers to be brilliant, although their statements are vastly different. They are all inspiring and motivating. Personally, I would have felt incredibly honored to have been sitting in the audience on graduation day listening to them and soaking in all they had to say. An important part of the annual Cowell College commencement ceremonies is the moment of speeches delivered by one or two members of the graduating class. The five-minute speeches provide an opportunity for the audience--your fellow graduates, your families, and the faculty and staff in attendance--to hear voices from the graduating class of Cowell College. I hope that you will consider preparing a speech for consideration by the speech selection committee. By having one or two student speeches, we acknowledge the centrality of students in our educative enterprise. Although students cannot presume to speak for the whole class, the best speeches are ones that blend personal perspective with a sense of the significance of the moment. Commencement presents a natural time for expressing joy and gratitude. The occasion of the completion of your undergraduate degree also presents an opportunity to express reflections on the present and future life that you and your fellow students have and will lead. The faculty and staff as well as students who are helping to plan the ceremony offer their assistance to anyone who would like to develop a speech draft. Those who have been selected to speak are expected to work with me and some faculty members who provide editing and coaching help. Please contact Chloe Woodling, Assistant College Programs Coordinator (831-459-2255, [email protected]) if you have any questions or if you wish to see previous speeches. The entire Cowell community and I wish each of you the best as you reach the happy conclusion of your studies. May you always continue to seek the truth in the company of friends. Sincerely yours, Tips for Writing an Effective Cowell Commencement Speech• Brevity. You have only five minutes for your speech. Dawdling will kill your eloquence. • Occasion. It is a privilege to be chosen to speak on this occasion. Put at least as much effort into preparing this speech as you would into writing a crucial class paper. The chosen speeches will be heard by over 3000 guests and participants. Show them your best work, because it is our best work. • Role of Speaker. Take your role seriously. You may not be speaking "for the whole class," but you are a representative of Cowell, speaking before the assembled faculty, family and friends, and fellow students, as well as before the Chancellor or his representative. A commencement speech should make the community proud. • Content. It is not enough to want to speak at the commencement ceremony; one must have something to say. We will be seeking considered reflections that result from your years of education at Cowell and UCSC. Your audience will be interested in hearing intelligence, passion and wit, as well as an able use of the English language and a deft handling of the essay form. Don't be pretentious or pompous, but write a speech that takes a subject, a tone, and a form appropriate to the day. What is the purpose of a commencement speech or address what is its subject?Effective Commencement Speeches
The purpose of a commencement ceremony is to affirm each student's educational accomplishments. The most effective commencement speeches celebrate their current achievements in the context of their anticipated future goals and experiences.
What is the importance of commencement speech?The purpose of the commencement speaker should be to inspire the members of the graduating class, not to amuse or to instruct them, and certainly not to bore them. Of course, in inspiring, he may make use of humor, may instruct, convince, and actuate, but these should be incidental to the main end of inspiration!
What is the purpose of a commencement ceremony?Simply put, Commencement is a ceremony held once a year that honors students who just have or will soon graduate, which means completing all requirements of their degree program. Participating in Commencement does not automatically mean that a student has graduated.
What should a commencement speech be about?Reflect on them. You can focus on an important moment from your childhood if necessary, but be sure to include notable stories or lessons you learned during your time in school. This is also a great opportunity to talk about people who inspired and helped you along the way.
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