Dartbeat Asks: Commencement speaker 2013

By Joseph Kind | 5/7/13 8:30am

As the Class of 2013 awaits the announcement of their Commencement speaker, many have been thinking about who they would like to see speak behind the tree platform. A list of ideas from '13s is below. Share yours in the comments!

-Jay-Z. Could he freestyle for us?

-Jon Stewart. An immediate comparison would be to Conan O’Brien, who spoke in 2011, but Stewart’s a great comedian and orator nonetheless.

-Oprah Winfrey. “Divine” is the first word to come to mind. I can’t wait for the moment in the speech when she tells everyone to check under their seats…

-Michelle Obama. She was the commencement speaker at my cousin’s college graduation in 2010 and was fantastic.

-Lena Dunham. The Oberlin grad and star of HBO’s “Girls” would definitely have interesting things to say about the liberal arts.

-Sheryl Sandberg .Lean In has gotten lots of press for its take on the future of feminism — her ideas are very applicable to students entering the workforce.

-Mindy Kaling ’01. Kaling’s a young, successful female writer and television star, first on NBC’s “The Office” and now on “The Mindy Project,” and a Dartmouth alum to boot.

-Alec Baldwin. What would the “30 Rock” funnyman say and/or do in a commencement speech?

-Peter Dinklage. The “Game of Thrones” star captivates viewers each week with his performance as Tyrion Lannister. He could certainly inspire 1,100 Dartmouth students as well.

-Timothy Geithner ’83. The former Treasury secretary and Dartmouth alum would be the second secretary to speak at Commencement since his predecessor Henry Paulson ’68 spoke in 2007.


Joseph Kind