Rev. David O’Connell
Rev. David O'Connell, a Niagara University alumnus, offers graduates a set of "rules to live by" for their lives after college. He encourages them to believe in themselves, respect others, put others first, live their faith, and make a difference, framing these within the university's Catholic and Vincentian identity. He emphasizes gratitude and grounds his advice in faith, scripture, and the example of St. Vincent de Paul.
Key moments
- 01 Recalling his own 1978 graduation and a lengthy commencement speech by Marshall McLuhan
- 02 Urging graduates to believe in themselves as loved by God
- 03 Calling for civility and respect rooted in human dignity
- 04 Encouraging graduates to put others first and live their faith without compromise
- 05 Defining commencement as a beginning and a call to make a difference
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Rev. David O'Connell at Niagara, 2008
A Niagara address about self-belief, respect, faith, service, gratitude, and making a difference.
Speech arc
- 01Niagara University
Opening move
- 02Rules to live by
Speech beat
- 03Believe
Speech beat
- 04Respect
Speech beat
- 05Put others first
Speech beat
- 06Faith
Speech beat
- 07Gratitude
Speech beat
- 08Make a difference
Final charge
Return: An alumnus gives rules to live by
O'Connell frames commencement as a beginning shaped by Niagara's Vincentian identity.
Source
Grounded in a substantive transcript.
Pattern
The poster maps the speech into visual claims.
Charge
The closing lesson turns advice into action.
O'Connell frames commencement as a beginning shaped by Niagara's Vincentian identity.
Self: Believe and respect
The speech links self-belief to dignity, civility, and respect for others.
Source
Grounded in a substantive transcript.
Pattern
The poster maps the speech into visual claims.
Charge
The closing lesson turns advice into action.
The speech links self-belief to dignity, civility, and respect for others.
Service: Put others first
Faith and service become practical habits rather than slogans.
Source
Grounded in a substantive transcript.
Pattern
The poster maps the speech into visual claims.
Charge
The closing lesson turns advice into action.
Faith and service become practical habits rather than slogans.
• Key takeaways •
Respect
Connects to faith.
Put others first
Connects to self-belief.
Faith
Connects to respect.
Gratitude
Connects to service.
Make a difference
Connects to gratitude.
Closing charge
Graduates are asked to carry gratitude into useful action.
Make a difference
Source
Grounded in a substantive transcript.
Pattern
The poster maps the speech into visual claims.
Charge
The closing lesson turns advice into action.
Graduates are asked to carry gratitude into useful action.
Visual speech maps
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Transcript
The full transcript is hosted by the original publisher. Commencement Archive links to the source rather than republishing copyrighted text.
Read the full transcript at source →Provenance
Imported from Open Commencement DB
Open Commencement DB transcript; not independently verified against the original recording
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