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Now that we have YouTube, we live in a world where just because you didn't go to Harvard doesn't mean you can't hear the awesome speakers they get for their commencement ceremony each year. (Unless you did go to Harvard, in which case you obviously have to stop reading this right now. Seriously. Leave.) And while some speakers are probably very serious and inspirational and not the sort of thing you watch at your job when no one's looking, this year the speaker was Amy Poehler! Not surprisingly, her speech captures both the deadpan snarkiness of her SNL years and the the heart-warming adorkability of Parks & Recreation.

Oh, it's also fifteen minutes long, though, so don't get too invested if you actually do have work to do:

Sure beats my commencement speaker, who capped off his speech about environmental problems by assuring us, "We can work to solve these issues, but it is probably too late and we have already failed." (Really gave us all a strong sense of what those first few post-college years would feel like, in his defense.)

Commentarium (7 Comments)

May 26 11 - 11:44am
Tender Umbrella

Ahhh, I remember that speech well. It haunts me.

May 26 11 - 5:26pm
Crime Son

The most prestigous university in the country, and they bring in a comedian to speak? Were no pundits or wonks available?

May 27 11 - 8:18pm
bdubsy

At 1:09- what was that guy eating???

May 28 11 - 12:01pm
KT.

I enjoyed Poehler's commencement speech.
We had First Lady Michelle Obama ( GWU 2010) as our speaker. It was pretty good.

May 28 11 - 5:36pm
Robert Paulsen

If she had spoken when I graduated from undergrad, I'd have stayed awake.

May 29 11 - 1:12pm
profrobert

Actually, it was the Class Day speech, which is selected by the senior class. The Commencement Address was by the President of Liberia (who was selected by the administration).

May 30 11 - 7:54pm
Vocal

What a joke...
Soon enough Indian/Asian comedians will be delivering puns at Yale.

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