Pahk the Cah in Hahvahd Yahd
So Monday I was catching up on the recent deeds of J.K. Rowling. Turns out she gave the commencement address at Hah-vahd on June 5th. I am so out of the loop. Anyway, I received an email from my library program’s list-serv that gave a link to a video and transcript. I actually decided to look at the message, instead of immediately deleting it like most of the other junk I receive, and enjoyed wasting 20 minutes of my life watching a recording of J.K. addressing the snobbery that is most of the graduating class of 2008.
Watch the speech or read through the transcript here.
I never made it to my undergraduate graduation – I was too busy living it up in Scotland, England and Ireland to be bothered flying back to the states to hear some old fogey ramble on for 20 minutes while I sat sweating in the NC heat, wanting nothing more than to have my diploma and go out and get smashed with friends. Nonetheless, I think Rowling did an admirable job of interspersing humor throughout her address and delivering a good message to those who chose to listen. True, it did end up sounding a bit like free advertising for Amnesty International, but they are an admirable organization, so I forgive her. I also give her kudos for taking a small, yet still very apologetic, stab at the affluence and privilege of Harvard students and graduates. Go J.K. – don’t be so apologetic about it, some of the comments about you being the commencement speaker only prove that you are correct in your assumptions.
Ina quote from an NPR report, one senior commented:
“I think we could have done better,” shrugged computer science major Kevin Bombino. He says Rowling lacks the gravitas a Harvard commencement speaker should have.
“You know, we’re Harvard. We’re like the most prominent national institution. And I think we should be entitled to … we should be able to get anyone. And in my opinion, we’re settling here. “
Another student said about past speakers in comparison to Rowling:
“It’s definitely the ‘A’ list, and I wouldn’t ever associate J.K. Rowling with the people on that list,” says senior Andy Vaz. “From the moment we walk through the gates of Harvard Yard, they constantly emphasize that we are the leaders of tomorrow. They should have picked a leader to speak at commencement. Not a children’s writer. What does that say to the class of 2008? Are we the joke class?”
No wonder people snobby, entitled brats from Ivy League schools like Hah-vahd ! Seriously, you are complaining that someone as interesting and famous as J.K. Rowling is willing to take time out of her schedule (infinitely busier than yours, sitting at a computer screen writing defunct fortran just because you think you are the shit for being able to do it) to write a speech encouraging you to use your blessings of wealth, power, and education to improve the world around you? All I can say is that I hope you trip over your gowns from having your noses too high in the air to see anything other than what’s handed to you on your silver spoons. Grow up.
Fortunately, some graduates grew up – or not all came into Harvard with the sense of entitlement most seem to possess – and have this to say about the comments of the grumblings of class of 2008:
“They’ll grow up,” says 1983 graduate David Epstein. “They’ll have a broader worldview and they’ll understand that there are many, many ways to contribute. You know what they say — the freshman bring so much, and the seniors take away so little.”
Thank you, NPR, for ending your report on such a lovely quote. It made me cackle in glee, even though I suppose it makes me just as much a snob as those boorish graduates. Well, we all have our vices, I suppose. I’ll keep wishing that they grow up sooner rather than later and contribute to the world in a positive way to make up for my contempt of their foolish snobbery.
