The tumultuous academic year is coming to a standout end for the university class of 2024, although so far the graduation speech that has raised most eyebrows has nothing to do with Israel’s war in Gaza.
From the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that affected President Biden’s speech this weekend to the viral comments made by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker about women and their future, here are the speakers who got the most attention at the ceremonies this year’s graduation ceremony:
Harrison Butker at Benedictine College
Butker stirred up a firestorm with her speech at a small Catholic school in Kansas, where she told graduating students that they could find more satisfaction being wives and mothers than they did in their careers.
“I think it was you, the women, who heard the most diabolical lies told. How many of you are sitting here right now about to walk across the stage and thinking about all the promotions and titles you’re going to get in your career?” he asked.
“Some of you may go on to successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that most of you are more excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world,” Butker added.
“I say all this to you because I’ve seen firsthand… how much happier someone can be when they ignore the outside noise and get closer and closer to God’s will in their life,” the kicker said.
Butker also criticized Biden for “pushing dangerous gender ideologies on America’s youth” and took advantage of Pride Month in June, saying graduates need Catholic pride and “not the kind of mortal sin pride that has an entire month dedicated to to this.”
He also denounced the “tyranny of diversity, equity and inclusion,” abortion, in vitro fertilization and COVID-19 lockdowns.
“The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker’s comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned and in which we have invested so much,” the nuns said. affiliated with the school said.
The NFL also sought to distance itself from the speech.
“Harrison Butker gave a speech in a personal capacity,” a league official said in a statement. “Your opinions of him are not those of the NFL as an organization. The NFL is steadfast in our commitment to inclusion, which only makes our league stronger.”
A petition was started to try to get the player fired over his comments.
But conservatives have rallied to his side, with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) saying in the X social media platform that he was never “so proud to call Harrison Butker my friend.”
Biden at Morehouse College
Biden’s commencement address at Morehouse College on Sunday was marked by the weeks of pro-Palestine protests that have roiled campuses recently, with some fearing that his commencement address could be a prime target for demonstrations.
While his 30-minute speech focused primarily on the struggles facing 2024 graduates and domestic issues, Biden made a direct appeal to students about the situation in Gaza.
“Your voices must be heard and I promise I hear them,” he said.
“It’s one of the hardest, most complicated problems in the world,” Biden added, referring to war. “There is nothing easy about this. I know this angers and frustrates many of you, including my family. But most of all, I know this breaks your heart. This breaks mine too.
He also highlighted that he called for a ceasefire in the region.
Although some students and teachers turned their backs on the president during the speech or wore symbols associated with the Palestinian movement, he did not face a mass demonstration.
Biden applauded after valedictorian DeAngelo Jeremiah Fletcher called for the release of the hostages and an “immediate and permanent” ceasefire in the conflict.
Jerry Seinfeld at Duke University
Dozens of Duke students walked out of the commencement address given by comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who has largely supported Israel in its war against Hamas.
The graduates left while shouting Palestinian slogans, and others remained loudly shouting “Jerry” in response.
The speech mainly focused on general life advice for the students, as well as a few jokes.
A joke hinted at the tension in the room.
“I grew up as a Jewish boy from New York,” he said. “That’s a privilege if you want to be a comedian.”
Chris Pan at Ohio State University
Chris Pan, Ohio State alumnus and founder of MyIntent, gave a highly unusual commencement speech that had the audience looking around in confusion as he called on people to stand and sing with him.
Pan, who said he used psychedelic drugs to write the speech, wanted his speech to focus on “financial, emotional and spiritual freedom,” he said. told 10TV.
The businessman got off to a rocky start when he tried to praise the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, which drew boos from the graduates.
“I know this may seem polarizing, but I encourage you to keep an open mind,” said Pan. “Right now, I see Bitcoin as a very misunderstood asset class.”
Pan then asked the school president to stand, along with family and friends, while singing “What’s Up?” by the 4 Non-Blondes.
But the second time Pan tried to sing along during the speech, angry comments could be heard from the stands and fewer people tried to participate.
Pan was criticized on social media, with The Columbus Dispatch calling his speech “bizarre.”
“That was certainly an interesting speech, I would say very untraditional. There were some who liked it and many who didn’t,” Ohio State President Walter E. Carter Jr. said after the event.
Bernie Sanders at the University of New England
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) took advantage of his commencement speech at the University of New England to lament one of his favorite topics, the current state of the US healthcare system. The university has the only medical schools in Maine.
“I wish I could say that out there you will be able to act aggressively to take care of the people of our region and country to the best of your ability, but if I said that, I would be lying to you,” Sanders told the graduates.
The senator attacked the high cost of health care and the amount of school debt that medical professionals typically incur to work in the field.
Sanders had some words of encouragement for the graduates, saying they need to provide “the best quality care possible” and that “I know you can do it.”
The senator has long advocated free, universal health care and spent much of his 2016 and 2020 presidential bids advocating for “Medicare for All.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
