As a college professor, I attend many graduation ceremonies.
Our campus is located in a poor, semi-rural area, and it is especially moving to see students who are not only the first in their families to earn a college degree, but also the first to graduate from high school.
It’s boring at times, but it never gets old. This was routine for me, but for some graduates and their families, it was the event of a lifetime.
That makes what happened to the speaker at Ohio State University’s recent spring commencement ceremony particularly sad.
You see, Crispin thinks it all has to do with him. Perhaps he wishes to promote himself as a professional speaker or guru.
To make matters worse, according to the Columbus Dispatch , Pan wrote his speech while taking the psychedelic drug ayahuasca. He reportedly said he also sought help from ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence.
This shows.
Pan, an Oregon State University graduate and Harvard MBA who worked at PepsiCo and Facebook before starting a jewelry business, mentioned commonplace things like hard work, late-night study, and achievement in his college commencement address.
He led students in praising their families for their support in their achievements.
I’ve heard it all before—many times. It’s standard commencement fare, but it means so much to the graduates and their loved ones.
But then the Ohio State crowd and the rest of us heard something new through X.
No, not novel. Strange. And completely inappropriate.
The worst commencement speech in the history of commencement ceremonies.
Chris Pan, 05/05/24 | The Ohio State University pic.twitter.com/UlX16R4yuZ
— Kevin McMahon (@Kevin__McMahon) May 7, 2024
Pan called on the crowd to stand and sing a song with him, with prepared lyrics projected on a screen.
There are also hand movements. Lots of hand movements. There are also breathing exercises – breathing exercises are compulsory for graduation.
After properly getting everyone in the right frame of mind, Pan then told the old fable about a blind man perceiving different aspects of an elephant (the trunk is the snake, the sides are the wall, and the tail is the rope), he said.
There is nothing wrong with expressing a point of view.
Pan then said (imagine the uproar if he did this in a Christian context) “My goal today is to share new perspectives that will lead you to financial, emotional, and spiritual freedom.”
Then he talked about money and government policy. When promoting Bitcoin, he invited university president Walter Carter to be his assistant and performed a magic trick to change quarters into Bitcoins.
No-then-boom.
Teacher Pan talked about his self-treatment of emotional health through singing and talked about the spiritual aspect that allows the soul to grow.
As the music starts playing, he leads the audience in a meditation/TED talk about people they might admire and how they can change their lives.
He then told the crowd that he would give each of them a free bracelet “as an apology for listening to me talk about Bitcoin,” according to the Dispatch.
Pan concluded by launching into what might be considered a traditional commencement speech, exhorting people to learn forgiveness, compassion, resilience and tolerance.
He returns to the fable of the elephant, describing how tolerance allows people to hold multiple viewpoints, especially in gatherings of different cultures, and how inner peace can lead to world peace.
The usual opening theme.
But then, back to the music (Pan drank from a coffee cup that still had the price tag on it), it was more about breathing, and being encouraged to learn from others with different perspectives.
Overall, Pan provides some appropriate representations of perspective and harmony.
Despite Pan’s talent and creativity, there were some ways in which the material was presented that would not be appropriate for an occasion such as a graduation ceremony. Especially if they come from a noble source and use artificial intelligence.
An early version of his speech posted online addressed the current conflict in the Middle East and called for him to take off his shirt. Thankfully, he did neither.
Perhaps the motivation for Pan’s little work is contained in his statement that he is willing to be your lifelong teaching assistant.
Next, of course, is a slideshow of his contact information and website.
Meaning, Pan’s little show really seemed to be about him.
Among them, City Hall’s Kevin McMahon posted on X: “Worst commencement speech in the history of commencement speeches.”
This article originally appeared in Western Daily News.
