A good commencement speech walks a fine line. It addresses graduates but will be heard by family, friends, faculty and the wider community. It should be memorable â?? but only for the right reasons. As college commencement season begins, USA TODAY asks students, faculty and others for advice on how to strike the right balance.
Stories appeal to our emotions and our ability to empathize. In 2003, film director and producer Jerry Zucker engaged University of Wisconsin-Madison graduates early on in his speech with a few simple words: ‘One day, when I was a kid, our house caught on fire â?¦’