Student Union
Is This the Best Graduation Speech of All Time?
David Foster Wallace's 2005 commencement address to Kenyon College, called "This is Water," is often cited as one of those favorites: Here it is at the top of Time's list of best graduation speeches ... and Policymic's, and Quora's, and Inspyr's. But whether or not you think it's one of the best commencement addresses of all time, it's now almost certainly the most-watched, thanks to a short film interpretation that's been going viral.
The nine-minute-long YouTube video (an abridged version of the original speech) has received over four million views in just about a week.
Why reinterpret this speech now, eight years after it was given? The Glossary, the video production company behind the video, told Adweek, "Our main goal was to expose people to the content of the speech," adding that "we felt like this message actually changed the way we thought about life in a way that went beyond the typical cliched advice into something actually useful."
Watch for yourself. Does it rank among your favorite commencement speeches of all time? What else makes your must-watch list?
See all News Updates of the Day
Ohio Public Colleges Told to End Race-based Scholarships
Ohio’s attorney general has ordered public colleges and universities to end merit scholarships that incorporate race-based criteria, saying they are unconstitutional.
The attorney general advised education officials that compliance with a 2023 Supreme Court decision on race-based admissions extends to scholarships, according to the Columbus Dispatch. (March 2024)
Greek Parliament Approves Branches of Foreign Universities
The Greek parliament voted to allow foreign universities to establish and operate branch campuses in the country.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the move was made to encourage Greek students to stay in the country for advanced studies, instead of going abroad for an education. (March 2024)
Virginia Bans Legacy Admissions
The state of Virginia has banned legacy admissions to public colleges and universities.
The New York Times reports the state has outlawed the practice of giving preferential admissions status to students based on connections to alumni and donors. (March 2024)
New Texas Law Prohibits Public Colleges, Universities From Having DEI Offices
A new Texas law prohibits public universities from having special programs supporting minority and LGBTQ students. Critics say these diversity, equity and inclusion programs are discriminatory and divisive. But many students say they are needed. Deana Mitchell has the story from the Texas capital.
Here’s What It Feels Like to Find Home Between Two Cultures
Cynthia Jia, a student at the University of Virginia, writes about how Chinese literature helped reconcile her to being part of two cultures. Read her story in The Cavalier Daily. (February 2024)