Singers, Politicians, Doctors among 2022 College Graduation Speakers

Singers, Politicians, Doctors among 2022 College Graduation Speakers

Popular singer Taylor Swift is expected to be one of the well-known people speaking to students and their families at graduation events in the United States this May.

The singer planned to perform in places around the world in 2020. But she canceled her tour because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, if you are a family member of a 2022 New York University graduate, you will be able to see Swift next month.

The performer is receiving an honorary degree at the university's graduation ceremony, also called commencement, on May 18. The event will be held at Yankee Stadium, the home of the famous baseball team.

Swift is one of many well-known people who will be speaking to students and their families at graduation events in May.

This year's list includes Dr. Anthony Fauci, actor Tyler Perry, and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Fauci is director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy¹ and Infectious Diseases, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services. He has been the top U.S. infectious disease official during the pandemic. Fauci will speak at Princeton University in New Jersey² on May 23.

Perry will speak on May 9 at Emory University in Atlanta. Perry is an actor and movie maker³ known for creating the humorous character Madea. But he is also known for parts in Precious, Gone Girl and Don't Look Up.

Ardern won praise for strong policies at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those policies are credited with keeping case numbers low in New Zealand. She will speak at Harvard University on May 26.

NYU students graduating next month told the publication Inside Higher Ed that they are already being contacted by strangers. People are asking to buy their tickets for hundreds of dollars. NYU students only receive two tickets to the event, which normally go to their parents.

Sean Nesmith is graduating in May. He used Twitter to post the image of a message he received from a person asking for his tickets to the event.

The person said they would "make a huge sign" and cheer for Nesmith using a device that increases the sound of your voice called a megaphone. "I promise I will be your biggest fan there," the person wrote.

"It's just crazy," Nesmith told the publication. However, he did note that there will probably be some people, especially international students, who sell their tickets because their parents will not make the trip to New York. However, NYU has said it could punish students who sell their tickets for money.

NYU's president is Andrew Hamilton. He said the 2022 commencement is exciting since it is the first time since 2019 that NYU will be able to correctly honor its graduates.

"I cannot overstate how thrilled I am to be coming together in person," Hamilton said in a story posted on NYU's website.

The university will have two events, in fact. One honoring the class of 2022 will be held in the morning. That one includes Swift. Another one honoring students from 2020 and 2021 will take place in the evening.

Fauci will speak at the Princeton event known as Class Day. It takes place the day before the school's commencement. The university's Class Day is organized by a group of students. It will be the first time the event will be held in person since 2019.

The organizers of the event said Fauci played a big part in helping⁴ students have a "much more normal senior year." They credited his work on public health policy during the pandemic.

At Harvard at the end of May, Ardern will be the main speaker at the university's event for graduates. President Lawrence Bacow noted⁵ Ardern's efforts to deal with such issues as gender⁶ equity⁷ and climate change, in addition to her work keeping New Zealand safe during the early days of the pandemic. He praised Ardern's "compassionate⁸ leadership."

Harvard will hold a separate event later in May for students who graduated in 2020 and 2021 who could not attend their graduation in person.

At Emory University in Atlanta, Tyler Perry will be the main speaker at the school's graduation on May 9. Perry centers his movie production in Atlanta.

Costly⁹ speakers

Universities sometimes pay their famous commencement speakers. In 2016, the Associated Press wrote that Rutgers University in New Jersey paid writer Toni Morrison $30,000 in 2011 and the University of Houston paid actor Matthew McConaughey $166,000 to speak in in 2015. The actor donated the money to charity.

A spokesperson for Kean University in New Jersey said a well-known speaker "makes their commencement just that much more memorable¹¹."

Some schools including Harvard and the University of California-Berkeley usually do not pay their speakers. Others only pay travel costs. The honor of speaking at Harvard seems to be payment enough for people, such as movie director Steven Spielberg, who spoke¹⁰ in 2016.

Speaking to CNN last year, Scott Jaschik from Inside Higher Ed, described what he thinks students want from a commencement speaker.

He said: "Students expect somebody who is reasonably famous and who will inspire them in some way."

Words in This Story

tour –n. a series of related performances or appearances

graduation – n. a ceremony at which degrees or diplomas are given out

character – n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show

ticket – n. a piece of paper or other sign that lets a person see an event, show or performance

crazy – adj. very strange or unusual

overstate –v. to say that (something) is larger or greater than it really is

thrill – adj. to cause (someone) to feel very excited or happy

compassionate – adj. showing concern for people who are sick, hurt, poor or in difficulty

charity –n. the act of giving money, food, or other kinds of help to people who are poor, sick

inspire – v. to cause someone to decide for themselves that they want to do something; to cause someone to feel emotions

1 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

2 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

3 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

7 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

8 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

9 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 memorable   

adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的

参考例句：

• This was indeed the most memorable day of my life.这的确是我一生中最值得怀念的日子。
• The veteran soldier has fought many memorable battles.这个老兵参加过许多难忘的战斗。