<p>Same thing, my daughter, two years ago. Did the edited speech, then added her original ending lines, no consquences. Played the game, added her own twist and moved on.</p>
<p>My D is giving her speech in three weeks. Hope that the administrators won’t edit her speech. She is already furious that they have to sit in alphabetical order for the graduation. So far they have only asked for the title of the speech. Knowing my daughter, she wouldn’t have a speech until the last minute.</p>
<p>She should have said it in Latin. That would have been more Harvardy.</p>
<p>The Latin oration is always the funniest and most irreverent. Saying “Vos amo” would just fine.</p>
<p>Here is the text of last year’s Latin oration (with translation!): John Harvard, Jedi Knight.</p>
<p>[Commencement</a> 2007: Charles J. McNamara](<a href=“http://harvardmagazine.com/2007/commencement/mcnamara.html]Commencement”>http://harvardmagazine.com/2007/commencement/mcnamara.html)</p>
<p>gadad–I’d be in the minority (I guess?) to say I think what your daughter did was respectful of her teachers/admins (no matter how misguided) and diplomatic. That’s a useful skill in navigating the world ahead of her. </p>
<p>“discretion is sometimes the better part of valor”</p>
<p>I think that’s an underutilized concept, today…</p>
<p>I would have written “I love you guys” on a big piece of poster board and held it up at the end of the speech. They only told her that she couldn’t “say” it, right?</p>
<p>"She is already furious that they have to sit in alphabetical order for the graduation. "</p>
<p>Does she not understand that’s so the diplomas can easily be given out in order? It’s also typically the way graduations are handled.</p>
<p>Seems an odd thing to me to be furious about.</p>
<p>I don’t recall very well, but it seems to me that at our hs, the val and sal got their diplomas first, then the rest of the class in alphabetical order.</p>
<p>““It doesn’t sound like something a soon-to-be-Harvard freshman would say,””</p>
<p>This kind of thing is said in Harvard commencement speeches all the time…</p>
<p>Personally, I have no trouble with the love. I have trouble with “you guys.” To me, it is too slangy and informal for such a speech. Are you sure it was the love part that was the problem?</p>
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<p>At my high school graduation we walked in and were seated by height. I’d much perfer alphabetical order.</p>
<p>Jonri:
Read the Latin oration I linked. That’s how Harvard seniors speak: much worse than saying “you guys.” I don’t see why the “h” in Harvard must mean "humorless."After all, Harvard seniors invited Ali G to be their Class Day speaker. I gather his speech was laced with profanities.</p>
<p>I think she should have signed “I love you” and said it in 10 different languages, just not English. Then she would not have been going against admin. and still would have gotten her point across. Best wishes to your D next year!</p>