My first decade...

[TG1996]

Why does it smell like Geritol in here?

**ducking**

Cause your mom was just here. I told her you said hello.

She just said, "Mmmmmphfrmplmmmffmmm."

Go figure.

[Falcon Fanatic]

Yes that is who it was!! And TG was just hung over and cold, as it was a very good speech!! I may still have a copy of it around here somewhere if you want to read it!

I don't remember alot of it. Maybe it *was* very good... but to a college kid freezing his nuggets off, all I remember is "blah, blah, migrants need jobs, blah, blah, give migrants jobs, blah, blah..." and at that point, I think we just started making jokes amongst ourselves. That was the best part of the "mass conferral"... no seat assignments. So instead of sitting in alphabetical order next to people you don't know/couldn't stand... you got to sit with friends.

No one sits alphabetically. All students sit with people in their college, in any order they want. They carry little cards with their names on it, so the announcer knows whose name to call. Makes it a lot of fun for the students, so they can sit with their friends. (And Valasquez did not say "Migrants need jobs." )

[Falcon Fanatic]

Wait a great pair of speakers we had in 1987.

First, there was William F. Buckley, who sounded like he was talking with a mouthful of cotton. The only phrase I made out was "I became discombobulated ..." I couldn't stop laughing after that.

Mr. Rogers was there to receive an honorary degree. He wasn't scheduled to speak, but the crowd went wild and he stepped up to the podium and led us in a chorus of "Won't you be my neighbor?"

Poor Buckley. The crowd barely feigned interested in his ramblings. Meanwhile, the host of a kids TV show practically brought down the house.

You were at the same ceremony as the guy who was MY graduation speaker on Saturday. Wiley Blevins - not as bad as we had expected. He was amusing and kept my attention.

I am kind of a nerd though.

Wiley Blevins had one of the better speeches of the four graduations!! Wiley told us that Buckley had to ask who Fred Rogers was and why the crowd was going nuts. He had never heard of him!!!

[VAFalcon]

I can tell you that the 1993 graduation ceremony was hotter than Hell. A stark contrast to a few years prior, when it apparently snowed on graduation day... in May. Gotta love BG.

I don't know who our speaker was, but he was some state union labor leader. You can tell I was impressed...

[Falcon30]

Wow....I have been an alum for 10 years....

My wife and I got married before my senior year, and we had our first son 9 months later....on May 9.

I never attended my graduation

[Bleeding Orange]

My wife and I got married before my senior year, and we had our first son 9 months later....on May 9.

That's a good birthday your son has!

[Jacobs4Heisman]

Wait a great pair of speakers we had in 1987.

First, there was William F. Buckley, who sounded like he was talking with a mouthful of cotton. The only phrase I made out was "I became discombobulated ..." I couldn't stop laughing after that.

Mr. Rogers was there to receive an honorary degree. He wasn't scheduled to speak, but the crowd went wild and he stepped up to the podium and led us in a chorus of "Won't you be my neighbor?"

Poor Buckley. The crowd barely feigned interested in his ramblings. Meanwhile, the host of a kids TV show practically brought down the house.

You were at the same ceremony as the guy who was MY graduation speaker on Saturday. Wiley Blevins - not as bad as we had expected. He was amusing and kept my attention.

I am kind of a nerd though.

Blevins was a much better speaker than we had at my graduation. I don't really remember my graduation too much, except that it was 85 at 9 in the morning, and I was still drunk from the night before.

Those black robes can get really spicy in August.

[RobbyFalcon]

It's spring 1989.

Although I got a diploma, I didn't do the ceremony thing because I spent my robe money on beer.

Anyway, I went to graduation because all of my friends were there. The great Bernie Casey was our speaker and because it was drizzling rain his speech pretty much consisted of:
"Congratulations everyone. BG is a great place and a special place. I have fond memories and I'm sure you will too. Since it's raining, let's get this party started. Thank you!" The place went nuts.

This, of course, was preceded however, by someone else who droned on and on about responsibility and siezing the future and blah, blah, blah. Bernie ruled. The other dude sucked

Oh yea, I didn't see the Willie Mays speech, but I've heard it is legendary.

Oh memories of cold spring days in the Black Swamp.