Class of 2003

Browse commencement speeches from 2003, including addresses by Will Ferrell, Alejandro Toledo, and Jerry Zucker. Each record links to the available source material, transcript, video, and archive context.

15 addresses 10 themes 6 highlights

Previous: 2002 Next: 2004

Highlights from 2003

Records with stronger source signals, summaries, transcripts, videos, or visual archive material.

  01     Will Ferrell Harvard University In a satirical Class Day address, comedian Will Ferrell jokes that he was mistakenly invited and never attended Harvard, claiming instead to have graduated from the 'University of Life.' He delivers a mock-serious portrait of the 'real world' filled with absurd celebrity complaints, reads a fake congratulatory message attributed to President George W. Bush, makes recurring jokes about classmates' futures, and closes by humorously rewriting the lyrics of 'Dust in the Wind.'    InfographicSummaryTranscriptVideoOfficial source   02     Alejandro Toledo Stanford University Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo recounts his personal journey from extreme poverty in the Andes—shining shoes and selling newspapers as a child—to studying in the U.S. and earning graduate degrees at Stanford. He credits education and Stanford's emphasis on independent thinking for enabling his rise to Peru's presidency, and describes the challenges of leading a developing nation, including a recent hostage crisis and teachers' strike. He argues that poverty must be eradicated in a lasting, dignified way and urges graduates to join the collective fight against poverty.    InfographicSummaryTranscriptOfficial source   03     Jerry Zucker University of Wisconsin Filmmaker Jerry Zucker, a UW alumnus, delivers a humorous commencement address structured around five rules for life drawn from his own career in Hollywood. He urges graduates to live in the present, pursue their dreams before acquiring responsibilities, question authority, embrace failure boldly, and prioritize love over accomplishments. He closes by finally playing a flawed version of 'On Wisconsin' on a keyboard, fulfilling a childhood recital he missed.    InfographicSummaryTranscriptOfficial source   04     Anne Lamott University of California, Berkeley Anne Lamott recounts her own meandering path as a college dropout turned writer, arguing that the success and fame the culture promises do not fulfill the spirit. She urges graduates to ignore parental and societal expectations, slow down, resist the endless chase for money and status, and instead seek the truth of their spiritual identity. She advises caring for the poor, defending civil liberties, and finding joy, rest, and humor in life.    InfographicSummaryTranscript   05     Lewis Lapham St. John’s College Lapham argues that the humanities are necessities rather than luxuries, essential for guiding a technological society and for sustaining democracy. He devotes much of the address to a tribute to his late editor and mentor Otto Friedrich, holding him up as the embodiment of true humanism—curiosity, learning, and intellectual courage in the face of hardship. He urges graduates to distrust the guardians of the status quo and to make the future through independent thought.    InfographicSummaryTranscript   06     Yoko Ono Maine College of Art Yoko Ono's commencement address to 84 graduates of the Maine College of Art began with a brief stylized shriek and centered on the idea that art is love and that love is what society most needs. She congratulated the graduates, encouraged them to practice their passion, and quoted Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa to underscore her message.    InfographicSummaryTranscript   