Sen Kerry is giving the commencement address at 3 graduations this year

[TayTay]

Friday, May 16th at 11:00 am at Wheelock College. This will be the 120th commencement ceremony at this school.
More info at: http://www.wheelock.edu/commencement/speakers.asp

Saturday, May 17th, at 11:00 AM at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Moe info at: http://www.mcla.edu/About_MCLA/MCLA_Annual_Events/Commencement/index.php

Saturday, May 31 at 10:00 AM at UMass Lowell
More info at : http://www.uml.edu/academicaffairs/commencement/Commencement_Ceremony/Keynote_Speaker.html

Thanks and I am working on pics, audio, video, etc. (Swear I am. Honest to Gawd.)

[beachmom]

1. Oh, this is wonderful for those Mass. schools.

Yes, definitely, I would love to see or hear what he has to say. I have always loved his commencement speeches.

[wisteria]

2. How nice these colleges will be honored by commencement addresses by Senator Kerry.

Lucky graduates.

[Luftmensch067]

3. Thanks for the heads up, Tay!

I really love the bio at the Wheelock site! Did someone from the school put that together?

[TayTay]

4. Yes, that was done internally.

And it was very nice.

[beachmom]

5. There is a write up of Kerry's speech at MCLA plus pics (ahem, with glasses)

http://iberkshires.com/story/27160/Kerry-Urges-MCLA-Grads-to-Fight-for-What-s-Right.html

Kerry Urges MCLA Grads to Fight for What's Right
By Jen Thomas - May 18, 2008
iBerkshires Staff

In his keynote address, U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry addressed the nation's ecomomic woes and warned graduates about getting caught up in a fast-paced life where it is "difficult to be a citizen."

"In the 1980s, in America, the top one percent of income-earners took home eight percent of the total of America's income. In the 1990s, when we had the tech bubble, the top one percent of income-earners took home about 16 percent of America's income. Today, because of the institutional unfairness that is legislated and allowed to be put in place, the top one percent of income earners in America take home 23 percent of America's income," Kerry said, his voice hoarse after battling a surprise bout of laryngitis.

A candidate for the presidency the first time many of these students could vote, Kerry told the 2008 graduates and parents who filled the seats in the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium that the time to take action on making "this great nation of ours great again."

Their Turn

"When I was graduating back in the 1960s, when I was your age, Bob Dylan asked 'How much do I know to talk out of turn?' Well, let me tell you something. You know everything you need to talk out of turn and it's not out of turn — it's your turn," Kerry said.

The Boston Democrat charged the class of 2008 with holding the system accountable and working to make change.

Go to the link and check out the slide show. :)

[beachmom]

6. And another article in The Berkshire Eagle. Apparently, Kerry was pretty darned funny:

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/localnews/ci_9299298

Kerry calls students to action
By Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Article Last Updated: 05/18/2008 06:36:49 AM EDT

Sunday, May 18
NORTH ADAMS — When U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., began his remarks to the MCLA 2008 graduating class and their guests yesterday, it was not with the voice the nation became familiar with during his 2004 run for the White House.

It seems the senator had a frog in his throat.

It quickly became apparent, however, that while his voice was ailing, his wit was not.

"I'm told that you were desperate to find a wealthy guy with a full head of hair who's all over TV and who desperately wanted to be president. But Donald Trump was not available," he said. "So here I am."

The senator was the keynote speaker in a ceremony that celebrated the awarding of 332 bachelor's degrees and 38 master's degrees. He was also one of four people that MCLA President Mary Grant presented with honorary degrees.

Kerry left the ceremony abruptly after his speech: Grant told the gathering that the senator had just learned that his colleague, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, had been hospitalized after suffering an apparent seizure.

During the address, Kerry's humorous remarks tumbled out one after the other, keeping the hundreds of members of the audience gathered in the Amsler Campus Center Gymnasium laughing for several minutes.

He told the gathering that MCLA has an impressive legacy, and noted that the list of commencement speakers was also impressive, citing last year's speaker Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, and the year before was "my good friend Ted Kennedy. But I couldn't believe the big name the school got as its very first commencement speaker back in 1894 — John McCain."

And so it went for a few minutes. Just when it seemed he was getting down to business, he was setting up another punch line.

Read the rest at the link.

[Island Blue]

7. Thanks for the link.

I love the photo of JK bending down so they could put the stole around his neck. (I guess that's what you call it.) Two words - wicked tall. :)