Dejá Vu
Tonight, I attended graduation, not as a staffer (which I'd done several times), nor as a graduate. This time, it was to cheer on some friends. At the 11th hour, though, one of the friends was able to get her application for graduation rescinded so that she could pursue a second major in foreign language.
Another graduated tonight and quite a few people I'd attended classes with were among the ranks, too-so I sat in the audience and took pictures and video of the ceremonies.
However, the President of the university gave his speech and it sounded familiar. Too familiar. Then he mentioned his fondness for the St. Crispin's Day speech in Henry V and extolled what it meant. Too bad I heard the same speech as I sat in the audience as a member of the December graduating class.
The student government president also spoke tonight, as she did in December. Back then, I commented to another friend how her body language and facial expression said she wanted to be anywhere but at that ceremony representing the student body that put her there, that the speech was lackluster and obviously had not been practiced. Tonight, she used the same speech, fumbled the same exact sections, but at least she was more animated. Perhaps because this was her graduation ceremony.
Ed laments my memory retention, especially when it is used to recall something he'd rather forget. Tonight, I was lamenting my ability to remember that I'd heard these speeches before. I would have thought that graduation would have merited an hour or two of reflection to write something new.
Guess I was wrong.
Another graduated tonight and quite a few people I'd attended classes with were among the ranks, too-so I sat in the audience and took pictures and video of the ceremonies.
However, the President of the university gave his speech and it sounded familiar. Too familiar. Then he mentioned his fondness for the St. Crispin's Day speech in Henry V and extolled what it meant. Too bad I heard the same speech as I sat in the audience as a member of the December graduating class.
The student government president also spoke tonight, as she did in December. Back then, I commented to another friend how her body language and facial expression said she wanted to be anywhere but at that ceremony representing the student body that put her there, that the speech was lackluster and obviously had not been practiced. Tonight, she used the same speech, fumbled the same exact sections, but at least she was more animated. Perhaps because this was her graduation ceremony.
Ed laments my memory retention, especially when it is used to recall something he'd rather forget. Tonight, I was lamenting my ability to remember that I'd heard these speeches before. I would have thought that graduation would have merited an hour or two of reflection to write something new.
Guess I was wrong.
Comments
You would think that for an institution of higher learning you would get something fresh and 'exciting' for graduation.
I joked to my wife that PSC graduated 750 people and that the president was the most photographed person during that hour. I thought rather sarcastically, I didn't graduate so I could shake the presidents hand- yet why is that regarded so highly on the agenda? Have I twisted my world view with that opinion?
It harkens to the oft-quoted McDonald's 10 Commandments of Customer Relations, in that these are the people who pay your salary, and you should treat them with respect and dignity.
Perhaps it was too much for me to expect that both of these people who are paid a salary for their roles (USF SGA offices are paid roles), couldn't find it within themselves to write something new as part of their jobs...