In Florida, home of Disney World and people who can’t read voting ballots, Springstead High School valedictorian Jem Lugo wrote a valedictorian speech that was submitted to the principal for approval…and was declared unfit, insulting, “appalling.” (Insert whatever horror-filled adjective you wish.) The bowdlerized version of the speech she wound up delivering was soporific in comparison…deliberately so, I suspect. Jem Lugo, with her 3.98 GPA and wicked sense of humor is going places, while the principal is–I would guess–not.
Herewith the entirety of her speech as reprinted in the local newspapers:
Springstead High School’s class of 2009. Look around you. This is it.
No more essays, no more FCAT, no more required reading. We survived 13 grueling years of school, all for this moment, where we get to wear gowns that kind of remind me of a silk version of a Snuggie, and these hats that make every single one of us look absolutely ridiculous. Hate to break it to you, but no one looks good in these hats. Even you, Ben Noury.
So, I was stuck with this arduous task of extra writing to create this speech, and I decided to make this different. I’m not gonna get up here and start spouting these crazy incomprehensible seven syllable words I probably can’t even pronounce. Why would I want to do that? Last time I checked, we’re done with school. We don’t want to THINK anymore. I would never, ever put you all through that pain. Another thing, nobody in speeches ever tells you what you actually need to know in life. They stand up here and gush about these lofty, inspirational concepts that are supposed to make you feel all warm and gooey inside. You know, I could stand up here and tell you all that I have a dream for this class, that among us are future doctors, lawyers, maybe even the next president, and you guys need to go out there and seize the day! Carpe diem! But really, what good would that do you? How much help will my words be when you wake up tomorrow, and realize that it truly is over? The babied path that’s been set out for you since you were born has ended. You’ve left the womb, the cord’s been cut, congratulations, welcome to your life. Your choices actually matter now, and your future is finally in your own hands. Sure, telling you to seize the day sounds impressive, but how are you going to know how to seize it?
Instead, I’m going to remind you of some basic concepts you can actually apply to your life. Crazy, right?
First off, get money. You can’t do anything without money. Do something with your life where you’re able to have a steady, reliable, source of income. Gamers, I’m sorry, but farming for gold in World of Warcraft is not considered a RELIABLE, or socially-acceptable source of income.
Second, after you have your money, be sure to pay your taxes. I hear the IRS can get pretty nasty with tax avoiders.
Also, don’t get arrested. Sure, the jail lifestyle might seem like a luxury nowadays, but in 20 years, when you’re going for that top-notch CEO position, that misdemeanor you got for stealing a street sign with your friends might just come back and bite you in the butt.
Moreover, take some time in your life to stand up for something. Whether it’s a stance for pro-choice, religious debate, vegetarianism, or even something as simple as cleaner bathrooms, just make sure your voice is heard. It feels good to stick it to The Man every once in awhile.
And though you will be earning your steady income with your job, make sure not to waste your entire life working. You’re making this money for a reason. Use it to have some fun. Go out and party. Use all of your vacation days. Use it to travel. Explore the world. Free yourself from the monotony of the workforce. I promise you, having fun will keep you sane.
Be sure to have that one person or thing that makes you smile whenever you see it. I’m not going to put on an act and tell you you’re future’s going to be peachy. No, life is gonna suck sometimes. Believe me, you’re gonna need that one thing in your life that can always brighten your day, whether it’s a significant other, a dog, a lava lamp, or the blankie you’ve had since you were a baby. Hey, whatever it takes to smile.
A few other basics to remember. Always say please and thank you; it’s always appreciated. Wash your hands when you leave the bathroom; you’d be surprised how many people don’t. Listen to your gut instinct and your conscience. When there’s a choice between the little angel on one side, and the little devil on the other, please listen to the angel. Respect your elders, because one day, you’ll be old too. Plus, they might leave you something in their will. Don’t treat Spelling and Grammar check as a God. It definitely misses things. If you ever achieve any sort of fame or acclaim in your life, don’t mess it up. Think Michael Phelps and Britney Spears. And if your mother would not approve of your actions, then you probably shouldn’t be doing it. Don’t believe everything you hear or read, and definitely don’t click on every link someone sends you. Some of us have learned that the hard way. Countless times, I’ve been duped into clicking links that sent me to the music video of “Never Gonna Give You Up.” I’m not sure if I’ll ever properly get that song out of my head.
But, the most important thing that I can tell you tonight is to remember where you came from. You were an eagle once. We’ve been through four long years here. Some of us have loved it, some of us have hated it, but we all had to endure it, and for all of us, it’s finally over. What’s Springstead going to be like without us? The academic world is going to be missing some of its top performers, and the sports are going to be hurting without some of their best players. Mr. Pennington is not going to know what to do without his core group of seniors that are graduating. No one’s going to be rampaging through the hallways, brandishing signs with their name. Frankly, Springstead’s going to be a lonely place without us. We’ve survived a lot. Making it out of Spring Hill alive is a feat in itself. Some of us even resorted to hanging out at a busy intersection to pass the time. We’ve gone from going to see A Christmas Carol every year with our elementary school, admiring over the actors, to actually being an actor in the production of A Christmas Carol, being the ones asked for their autograph by the younger kids. We’ve gone from getting our star pulled for bad behavior, to being relocated to STAR for bad behavior. From girls wearing bell bottom jeans to guys wearing girl’s jeans. From listening to N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys, to listening to Lil’ Wayne and Flo’Rida. From wasting all of our time creating a Neopet, to wasting all of our time talking to people on Myspace and Facebook. From collecting and playing Pokemon, to, well, collecting and playing Pokemon. Some things never die. Unfortunately for us, it looks as if High School Musical and Hannah Montana will never die either. You either love it, or you hate, but either way, we survived it.
Four years ago, we showed up for high school, short and innocent, totally baffled by why there were classrooms with the same numbers, and amazed that the water fountains were gold. Then in our junior year, after we had become more knowledgeable and grown taller (well, some of us), those numbers we came to learn so well were completely rearranged, forcing us to be just as lost as the incoming freshmen. The construction period was intense. We were squeezed through tiny aisles created by temporary walls, never making it to class on time. The outdoor lunch tables that some had religiously sat at were removed, and we were relocated to a grander, spacious cafeteria with plasma TV screens that never played anything but ESPN. Those of us lucky enough to get a lunch leave pass during our junior year had no idea that we’d be the last class to have that privilege. Sure enough, everyday you could find at least fifteen people meeting up at PJ’s for lunch. Oh, and you can’t forget the new parking lot rules, that you were trapped in the parking lot until all of the buses left, for fear of being hit by a parked school bus. We all know the countless deaths caused by those kinds of accidents, God rest their souls.
When it all comes down to it, we’re made for bigger things than this. We’re going to get out of here, and we’re going to live our lives, no doubt about that. Just remember to keep in touch. You’ll regret it if you don’t. As I said, there are hard times ahead. There are times where you’ll just sit there and think to yourself, “Man, I lost the game.” Times like that when you’re going to need a friend. Don’t throw away the friendships you’ve made here. One of these people might be able to get you a job someday, or might be able to lend you a helping hand. Life is all about connections.
Now I’ve been talking long enough. We’re all dying to just get this over with. So I’m going to resort to a cliché ending, and quote one of the most influential men of all time, Freddie Mercury. “Just gotta get out, just gotta get right out of here.” Congratulations class of 2009, we did it!
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That was effing brilliant. Brilliant.
The principal is an educated moron and didn’t deserve nor truly appreciated the talented student that wrote such a satirical, honest yet poignant work of prose.
If I were to conclude why this was received with such vitrol by that school administrator I would think the principal was simply jealous of this kid’s talent at writing.
My guess? The reason was that the principal feared parent backlash.
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How sad to live a life that much in fear.
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PAD
I’m going to concur; this is a great speech. I’m pretty sure this would make it through my school’s administration intact.
As for living in fear, my daughter taught in Florida until this year, and she says it’s a nightmare down there. The district she left is in such dire financial straights that they laid off 900 teachers at the end of this year–virtually no more Art, Music, or even phys. ed., and had she stayed, she’d be unemployed right now.
I’ve no doubt that everyone down there is keeping their heads down and trying to avoid any attention that would give someone the excuse give them their walking papers, particularly administrators who as a general rule don’t have the protection of a union or tenure to back them up when they make correct but controversial decisions.
Rich Lane–
Texas has the worst education system in the country, with the highest drop out rate, lowest graduation rate, largest population of non-educated people. What does Texas have in common with Florida? coughcoughBUSHcoughcough
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What arcee said. What a small, little person that principal is. What a great speech Ms. Lugo wrote, and how much more she has on the ball than people multiple times her age.
It read like a livejournal post, or an overwrought riff of ‘Wear Sunscreen.’
There’s something in it, she’s good, she’s got potential, but she’s still rattling around in her words. I also don’t argue that she isn’t right, or that her principal is a dingus. True facts.
Practice, lady, practice. Sardonic wit is the chosen armor of the new era.
Wear Sunscreen started playing in my head as soon as I started reading this speech. She’s a clever girl, but so were the valedictorians at my high school. Aside from the topical celebrity and pop culture references, this could have been the speech at any graduation ceremony in this country in the past 40 years. We are all generic.
Kudos to this young lady! I think the principal is just too mired in the platitudes that most valedictorian speeches have been and may continue to be. I wish somebody had told my class some of this.
Ahead of her time – well done.
The irony of this situation- well, one of many I suspect- is that by trying to limit his student’s freedom of speech, he actually set in motion a series of events of far greater magnitude than he ever would have anticipated. We live in an era of global communication, where that one speech rocketed around the world in mere second, thus securing that student a far greater audience than she would have had, had she just stood up in front of her class and recited it. As for the principal, he will now be subjected to incredible amounts of negative publicity that will dog him for months, if not years. And a decade from now, the writer of this fine speech will be on her way to greater things, while the principal will either be sitting behind the same desk he’s sitting behind now, or contemplating his retirement where he’ll never be heard from again.
FYI–The principal is female.
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PAD
Wow.
If that speech had been given (with cultural references more appropriate to the antediluvian mid-1970s), I’d have stood up and cheered. I would have felt, for the first time, as though I truly belonged in my class.
I know how tough the job of principal is. My father was one. That’s no excuse for gutlessness.
With any luck, Ms. Lugo will remember how it felt to be censored, her blood will boil, and she’ll fight tooth and nail to keep it from happening again.
I don’t even remember the speech in my high school graduation, and it was only 4 years ago. I’m guessing it wasn’t nearly as helpful as all the advice this girl gave, or else I would sure as hëll remember it.
I remember nothing of the speeches given at either High School or college graduations beyond the title of the one the college President gave. He based his speech on some collection of commencement speeches published around 1900: “Go Forth, Be Strong”.
He said every speech you ever hear at commencement boils down to those four words and it’s all you need to remember. Having sat through numerous commencement speeches, at my own graduations and others, I can’t disagree with him.
It’s unfortunate that there’s still no place for honest, blunt assessment in many schools today. My parents, in-laws, and my wife all work for schools in various districts, and the attitude is the same – a sort of head-in-the-sand approach that involves copying what other schools are doing rather than assessing their own student population and striving to meet their needs through education.
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Great speech. Long, but worth it!
I remember our speech. It was 1979 and the speaker kept hitting on that fact–“Last class of the 1970s” like that was of some significance. I felt like there was something I didn’t know about, like how all the subsequent classes would get glowing jewels implanted in their palms that would go off when they turned 30, a fate that we, the last class of the 1970’s, were fortunately grandfathered out of.
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Great speech. PAD is probably correct as to the unfortunate principal’s reasons, but it was a serious miscalculation and she will pay a serious price for it. Even assuming that some parent would have gotten upset–big whoop–she could have just shrugged and said “Hey. Kids. What are you gonna do?” There’s nothing really offensive at all in the speech, unless you are one of those folks who can find offense in the back of a chewing gum wrapper.
You’d be amazed how many people will find offense in the back of a chewing gum wrapper…if said wrapper is found on public school grounds.
Would also like to see her other speech.
It was easily available on line. I chose not to put it up because initially I wanted posters here to focus on the quality of the given speech rather than the differences between the original and the “allowed” one.
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PAD
Following the link Kevin supplied below, I see you have posted the rejected speech. I was confused about that.
Here’s the link for the original speech and the one she ended up giving:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/article1007369.ece
Alan, here it is:
Springstead High School’s class of 2009. Look around you. This is it.
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Ever since I learned what the letters GPA stood for, I have striven to be a part of this ceremony, presenting this valedictory address. Yet, I stand before you tonight, speechless. Here I am; having accomplished everything I had ever hoped to achieve in high school, and I cannot think of a single thing to say that may remain with you throughout your life. What is there left to say that has not already been said?
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The most important thing that I could think to tell you tonight is to remember where you came from. You were once an eagle. Stay true to who you are, and who you have become throughout the past four years. Do not conform your values or your personality for the sake of anyone else’s. We have all matured tremendously into unique, educated individuals, each with a strong sense of self and a firm grasp of reality. Do not relinquish your individuality to correspond with the common standard. When you do, you will begin to lose your grasp on who you are, and everything that has contributed towards the creation of your exclusive singular being will start to erode. Four years ago, we showed up for high school, short, naïve, and innocent, completely baffled by why there were classrooms with the same numbers, and amazed that the water fountains were gold. Then in our junior year, after we had become more knowledgeable and grown taller (well, some of us), those numbers we had become familiar with were completely rearranged, forcing us to be just as lost as the incoming freshmen. As seniors, we roamed the hallways with pride, as the crowning glory of our school. And here we are today; surrounded by those same kids with whom we first began our daunting ordeal with. What is Springstead going to be like without us? The academic world is going to be missing some of its top performers; the sports will suffer without some of their best players. Theatre productions will seem stale without our dramatics, and the hallways will seem bare devoid of our presence. Frankly, Springstead is going to be a lonely place without us.
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But the time is ours. Right now, this is the most important moment of your life, the pinnacle of everything you have worked for over the past 13 years. You will walk out of this stadium tonight as a changed individual. You have scaled the mountain, overcome the obstacles, won the game. However, in 30 years, when you look back at this moment, it will be nothing more than a distant memory, shrouded in foggy details and forgotten quotes. By then, you will have already encountered countless other challenges, some easier than others. There will be trials that, just like today, you will undertake and accomplish. There will also be those times where you will not succeed, but I urge you not to become discouraged. Instead, grow. You will learn that the obstacles you face will never cease to test you, and avoiding them is inconceivable. However, there is always so much more out there that we have yet to experience, and it is up to us to go out there and tackle life.
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Now, graduates, take a moment and look at the student sitting to your right. Where will they be in 30 years? You are now surrounded by more potential than you have been in your entire life. We are the doctors, lawyers, and scientists of tomorrow. Perhaps one of us will climb the political ladder, reaching towards a future presidency. The possibilities are endless. In the final analysis, life goes on. We are going to leave these hallowed halls, and we are going to live our lives, no doubt about that. The introduction to our story has now been completed, but the chapters have yet to be written. This is not something we have done before, such as another essay, or a response to an FCAT passage. This is our future and it is finally in our own hands. It is now up to us to seize the pen and start writing. The truth is, everyone wants to be remembered. We all want to leave our mark, our legacy upon the world. Whether we realize this desire or not, it festers within us all. Tomorrow will begin the first chapter of our lives, our first chance to lay down our own lasting impressions, to prove that we really did exist. The way it will be written is up to you. How will you be remembered?
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Congratulations class of 2009, we did it!
Peter, thank you for the clarification re the principal. I would never dream of pointing out of course that Principal Duval can be reached at Frank W. Stringstead High School, which is located at 3300 Mariner Blvd, Spring Hill, FL 34609, but that being said, perhaps any letters praising the ORIGINAL 2009 valedictorian address of their fine student, Ms. Lugo would not go amiss.
Similarly, I would never dare to suggest that the simplest and least belligerent way to show this principal that she erred is to simply print out a copy of the first speech, and mail it to her, perhaps with a post-it-brand sticky message slip attatched reading “This is a very good speech”, and maybe your name and address.
Oh hey; this just gets better and better. The principal, Susan Duval, last made news when she plagerized other people’s writing during some of her own speeches. She was fined and reprimanded for it.
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so we have an admitted word thief, angry at a younger more talent woman who will be goingy off to Harvard while she (Ms Duval) has pretty much Peter Principled herself to the highest level of incompetance she is likely to attain…this has absolutely GREAT Lifetime channel TV movie potential.
Freedom of speech anyone?
For better or worse, the Supreme Court long ago held that there are limits to that when it comes to schools. As a high school journalism adviser of over a decade, I fought that battle a number of times.
I wouldn’t say it’s “brilliant.” It’s not even particularly well written, and is little different than an above-average teenage blog entry. However, I would much rather have listened to it than any of the graduation speeches I’ve ever had to sit through.
I must respectfully disagree. In this case to alter a famous Forrest Gump quote: “Brilliant is as brilliant does.”
As a teacher myself, if I come across a kid at that age writing with such talent and gusto, especially in contrast to the negative adjectives thrown at it, once I experience it, I feel compelled to praise as is.
And now with the added postings (on this thread) about the principal’s …misstep…let’s just say, it proved my initial ‘gut’ feeling about this school administrator.
Then again, since the kid is Valedictorian, one should expect no less than a great speech.
But in the end to each his own.
Agreed. It’s not well focused, filled with inside jokes, and hardly moving at all. Roughly on par with the speeches from my high school graduation, really.
Given that, it doesn’t really make sense why anyone would see fit to censor it, but that’s more deserving of a “WTF that makes no sense, haha” reaction than the “down with the establishment!” fury this has brought about.
I simply don’t get it. Whatever one’s opinion might be about the quality of the writing, I fail to see anything in the original speech that is “unfit, insulting, ‘appalling'”, or offensive in any way that would prevent its use in a high school graduation ceremony. I would hope that a high school principal’s personal ethics would preclude making a petty decision based on jealousy of a student’s writing ability, but I find Ms. Duval’s supposed reasons for rejecting Ms. Lugo’s original speech to be so unbelievable that such petty behavior seems to be the only logical explanation.
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Chuck
Earlier in my education, I realized that being the Valedictorian would entail having to present just such a speech, and I used this as a personal demotivational to avoid having to do so. Not that I would have been a Valedictorian threat anyway had I tried. 😉 My initial effort would likely have been less than five words, but then I’d have realized “no, wait, I have something to say,” and then I’d have crafted something similar to what was initially prepared by this young grad.
Only probably not quite so good. 🙂
Wildcat
“Moreover, take some time in your life to stand up for something. Whether it’s a stance for pro-choice, religious debate…”
I bet you that sentence right there was the reason it was rejected.
I thought the line about getting hit by a bus (even though it was parked) was more offensive. Had I lost someone in a car accident, I don’t think I would have recognized the joke at first, if at all.
I honestly don’t think that the Principal was jealous either- the essay is good for a high schooler, but I’m sure an adult professional can write better. The tone is sarcastic, frank, and critical- something not typical in a graduation speech. I bet the principal is just one of those people who fails to recognize that anything remarkable or memorable needs to be ATYPICAL. It was a true shame that this was not delivered.
The tone is sarcastic, frank, and critical- something not typical in a graduation speech
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And yet, that is the exact set of reasons why the original speech is so good: because it’s *honest*.
If my child had written that speech, I would have been the proudest. The principal is going to regret her decision. I agree with Pennyforth – there was nothing wrong with that speech. The whole point of commencement speeches is to speak to her classmates, not to the parents or the community.
As a teacher, I am sad that she had to dummy it down for the event. I am glad it was given wings in print for all to read. And I’d like to say to Ms. Lugo’s teachers a hearty “Well done!” for the education and confidence they gave her.
Perhaps the principal is a Miley Cyrus fan. Or a Zac Efron fan. Which is the more perturbing option, anyway?
E-mailed a copy to my kids (years 8 and 11 as reckoned in the UK) and kept one for myself. I hope they actually read it. I never knew any high schooler that “aware”. You’re right – one to watch.
At my waste of time graduation, the student speakers were snore inducing.
The commencement speaker did a 20-30 minute commercial for the town’s upcoming 350th anniversary celebration instead of a real commencement speech.
After receiving the diplomas, the teachers and the honor society kids were supposed to leave first. However, the rank and file students had had enough of the bûllšhìŧ and walked out.
I walked through to the cordoned off area, ripped off the cap and gown dropped them on the floor and walked right out of the building.
My graduation was pretty much the same, Jay. I suffered through it because my mom and a dear friend were both there, and I wanted to do right by them, but it was boring as hëll, no commencement speech worth remembering.
This kid has wit, and the speech will be remembered for a long time. Her principal will be remembered as the woman who tried to stifle a sharp and agile mind, and failed.
Pete, I’m mailing this to Ellen DeGeneres. This kid’s gonna get some tv exposure.
Miles
This was national news, Miles; I suspect she’s already aware of it. But hey, feel free. Do you know her personally, ’cause that would be cool.
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PAD
For a 17 or 18-year-old, it was not that bad. But I think it begin to lose coherence in the paragraph that she started
I’m also surprised at her criticism of those who, according to her, treat Spelling and Grammar Check “as God”. Maybe it’s an inside joke between her and a particular person or small group of persons, but my observation of the problem with literacy today is that too many people treat it as nonexistent, not that they treat it as God.
I also don’t think that Michael Phelps should be mentioned in the same breath as Britney Spears in a comment about those who achieve fame or acclaim screwing it up. Phelps’ bong hit will likely be a blip on his career trajectory, and does nothing to take away from his extraordinary achievement. Britney, on the other hand, is several French Fries shy of a Happy Meal, has the IQ of a bag of hammers, and is deeply troubled.
As for not doing anything one’s mother wouldn’t approve of, well, what if one’s mother is a small-minded bigot, or something with a completely different worldview or set of beliefs and aesthetic tastes?
Er, I think they meant that too many people treat the imperfect grammar and spell *checkers* as ‘god’, not the concepts of spelling and grammar. And, looking at the sad number of errors many an Internet page or electronic mail contains, I’m tempted to agree.
Ack! I don’t know what happened, but that first paragraph above should’ve read “it begin to lose coherence in the paragraph that she started off talking about not forgetting where you came from.”
I disagree with Luigi, Michael Phelps is fair game. He doesn’t deserve a pass any more than any other celebrity.
I don’t remember any speeches in High School but then it was so long ago and I couldn’t wait to get out of there.
However, I like the original speech. It tells it like it is, not the way the educators want it to be. There are no guarantees out here in the “real” world. But if these kids actually get their heads on straight and don’t expect every thing handed to them on a silver platter and actually care about this world then there is hope. Thanks to this short Sighted screwed up principal I have fears that this will not happen.
I am reminded of the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln was mistaken that “the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.” This young woman’s words will be, as Lincoln’s were, remembered. They may not have been as poignant, or as historical, but they were honest and true. Shame on the principal.
Like most people here, I feel this is a good speech, and should not have been butchered.
That said, many above have been commenting on the speeches from their graduations, and that they were bland. I can’t recall the one from my year (2001) but was part of the high school band and went to graduation each year. In 1999, I remember the speech vividly, as the valedictorian threw away the approved speech she’d run past the administration, reached into her robe and pulled out a new speech to read. The administration was too shocked to do anything, and her oration was a tirade criticizing the school for how it treated her and discriminated against her because she was female, because she was obese, because she was Asian-American, and because she was a lesbian.
It’s interesting to note that she was allowed to finish her speech and not hauled off stage, but that something as positive and encouraging as Ms. Lugo’s, by following the rules and trying to get it approved, was deliberately truncated. I wonder what that says about our society at large.
~Chris
Wow, Cris, at least yours was memorable. How was it received by the students? Were her complaints valid?
I graduated from a 5A school in Texas 20 years ago. Our valedictorian was tasked with writing a speech that centered around a William Browning poem (I forget which one now) containing the phrase, “the best is yet to be.” The speech he wrote and gave was approved by the senior class honors English teacher who knew it would be controversial. In effect, he implied that everyone at the graduation ceremony was either stupid or lazy due to the fact that he could graduate with a 4.0 without trying. He tasked parents, faculty, and students to challenge themselves and each to find that “the best is yet to be.”
Although the speech sounds smug, he certainly was not. And, it’s the kind of motivational, like Jem Lugo’s above, that needs to be given (or reported) more often.
Kathy: I disagree with Luigi, Michael Phelps is fair game. He doesn’t deserve a pass any more than any other celebrity.
Luigi Novi: I didn’t say he wasn’t fair game or deserved a pass.
My point was that he is hardly the best example of a celebrity who has achieved fame or acclaim of “screwing things up”. He hasn’t screwed anything up. His achievements and records remain intact. He hasn’t had to return any of his medals. Being suspended from swimming for three months by USA Swimming is a hardly a substantial punishment. And of all his endorsements, he lost exactly one, Kellogg’s, the result of which was that Kellogg’s brand reputation that took a hit! (http://www.businessinsider.com/dumping-phelps-over-bong-rip-damages-kelloggs-brand-reputation-2009-2)
Britney is a pretty good example of celebs who can’t handle what they’re given, and are ruined by it. Phelps isn’t.
The second “revised” speech was better and more appropriate for a graduation ceremony. Consider the families in attendance. While she has a sense of humor, the first speech really does nothing to inspire people. It may contain a lot of truths, but in the end graduates and their families want to be inspired, not depressed. It’s an important milestone. There were quite a few insulting lines as well, from the “ridiculous caps and gowns” comment to “surviving” high school. I side with the principal on this one.
“…nothing to inspire people. It may contain a lot of truths,…”
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Wow.
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I find the truth to be very inspirational. In fact, be bluntly honest with me, and I’ll respect the opinion. Mealy mouth and pussy foot around, and I’ll dismiss the opinion out of hand.
“I find the truth to be very inspirational. In fact, be bluntly honest with me, and I’ll respect the opinion. Mealy mouth and pussy foot around, and I’ll dismiss the opinion out of hand.”
Pussy foot around? Mealy mouth? Are you friggin’ kidding me? This is a HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION SPEECH. Imagine yourself the parent of a graduate, and you heard a speech like the first one delivered. You’d probably be offended. I would be slightly annoyed. Being a valedictorian is a privilege and with it comes a share of responsibility to those in attendance, students AND family. It is not a time for showmanship or to hone one’s comedic skills. If she didn’t enjoy her time in school, then she should save it for another venue. Her tone was innappropriately sarcastic and frankly not all that well-written. I support the decision to revise.
Imagine yourself the parent of a graduate, and you heard a speech like the first one delivered. You’d probably be offended. I would be slightly annoyed.
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And I’d be shaking the kid’s hand, so…
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PAD
It is not a time for showmanship or to hone one’s comedic skills
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And, if you had your way, not a time to be honest and realistic about how, in essence, life as they know it is over for these kids.
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High school is not the real world. It doesn’t prepare you for the real world.
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That first speech, the one that should have been given? THAT is reality. That is the cold slap in the face that these kids are going to need as they move forward.
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A parent might be offended? Perish the thought. If a kid can’t survive that, then I hope they’ve got a cave they can hide in for the rest of their life.
“High school is not the real world. It doesn’t prepare you for the real world.”
Too right. I recall the case of a girl here who stopped going to class to protest not being allowed to wear shorts in school. I wonder how she’ll react if she pulls a boneheaded stunt such as that in the workplace and gets summarily canned for it? Welcome to the real world, sweetie. :p
Valedictorian is not “a privilege”; it’s an earned honor for having the best GPA in one’s class (at least most places; there are some schools which don’t believe in competition and do vote or teacher/administration select a “valedictorian”). Me, I’d support the concept of a kid saying pretty much anything, thinking that if they deliberately screw it up, it falls on their head.
I thought it was a pretty good speech, given the restrictions of subject matter (it’s hard to write an inspirational speech that doesn’t sound like every other inspirational speech ever) and the age of the writer. Is it the next Gettysburg Address? No. But it shows a lot of potential and talent that, with practice, could become great writing.
http://www.jemlugo.com/
All I ask is that she join the Harvard Lampoon as soon as she hits campus, and that she not let her 15 minutes go to her head and end up in the Priory next to Susan Boyle.
http://www.jemlugo.com/ That website’s setting off alarm bells – it (and the myspace and twitter profiles it links to) look like they were set up by someone else to profit from this story. There are no personal touches on any of the sites and the main site includes an invitation to donate money…
In my experience, such events are more for the parents than the children. And that speech was not for the parents.
I vaguely remember some event in school–maybe it was high school–that the parents attended. Beforehand, all of us were gathered in the gymnasium and given a very riveting and heartfelt speech along the lines of “Don’t f*** this up you little turds.” It was either the principal or vice principal who gave us this inspiring speech. We were told, and I remember this part very clearly, “You owe us.”
Now, I was not a profound thinker back then, nor was I one who actively looked for opportunities to question authority. But even back then I thought that this was not the right way to talk to us. Furthermore, my life at school was not terribly pleasant, so I really was forced to wonder just what I owed to that fine institution. On the other hand, maybe all the other students really were little sh**s and my head was too far up my ášš to notice.
My point being, a lot of what schools do is really just a show for the parents, and the students are just performers.
I agree, that was effing brilliant..that would make it through most school administrations just fine. The students should be able to listen to a real speech like that, this is the students’ day, they are the ones that worked for it, not the parents.
As seniors and being their last day at the school..ever..they should probably ease up a bit with the restrictions. If the students will enjoy it let it go, who cares if it offends some people, it’s impossible not to. Leave it to Florida.
One more thing…we’ve all lost the game.
Hooray for intelligence in Generation Y.
And Freddie Mercury.
A fabulous speech- I hope someone does one like this for mine. Hey, maybe I’ll try to do it myself! This is the sort of speech people want to hear, not the one we ever get. Thank you, Jem Lugo, for your decision to actually speak the truth.
Oh, and of course I hate you forever for making me lose the Game. 😉
I wonder how many potential writing careers twits such as that principal have killed a-borning? A friend is known in our circles for his creative wit. Especially as shown in short, satirical pieces he’s written. Unfortunately, he’s only done a handful over the years. Not that he lacks imagination, but thanks to the way his teachers treated his writings in high school, thus rendering the actual act of creating written works a minor hëll for him. The teachers are a thing of the past, but their negative influence endures to this day.
I wasn’t too thrilled with this speech… It seemed like she was just trying to shove as many relevant references to pop culture in there as she could. This is…. Rather bland.
Just my two cents….
There are times where you’ll just sit there and think to yourself, “Man, I lost the game.”
FFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU….
Your blog is marvelous. Fantastic work!
This principal is a perfect example of why education is far too important to be let to professional educators. They are too locked into their pet theories and political games to even consider what constitutes their real purpose – providing an environment in which students can educate themselves.