<p>With the economic pressures on both institutions and families, time might have come to reevaluate the need for those over-the-top affairs. </p>
<p>In this environment, one should wonder about the total cost paid to the “needed” speakers throughout the nation. Add the travel cost and other “needed” expenses associated with parties, and one ought to believe in blindly supporting the hospitality industry to justify the costs. </p>
<p>I am pretty sure that most graduates would gladly skip the entire affair in exchange of getting a check for the total that will be spent by the family and friends to attend. And would gladly accept a refund representing the cost associated with flying in the famous speakers. The cash will surely be helpful in the dead period between graduation and gainful employment.</p>
<p>But again, iI doubt that none of those ceremonies was ever designed with the graduate in mind. :)</p>
<p>PS <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1094538-commencement-speakers-2011-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1094538-commencement-speakers-2011-a.html</a></p>