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Commencement Participants
Keynote Speaker
The keynote speaker at Hampshire’s commencement is chosen each year through a vote by the graduating class.
Comedian, writer, filmmaker, and Hampshire College alum Eugene Mirman 92F has been selected by the graduating class of 2012 to deliver the keynote address at commencement.
Mirman has his own half-hour special on Comedy Central and has appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Last Call with Carson Daly, John Oliver’s New York Stand Up Show, and Comedy Central's Premium Blend.
He has had memorable recurring roles on HBO's Flight of the Conchords, Cartoon Network's Home Movies, and Adult Swim's live action series Delocated.
His third album, God is a Twelve-Year-Old Boy with Asperger's, is available through Sub Pop Records. He is also the author of The Will To Whatevs, a parody of a self-help guide to modern life, published by Harper Collins.
Mirman has appeared at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen; the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival; Bumbershoot; and South By Southwest. He has performed as part of Patton Oswalt’s Comedians of Comedy, and has toured with Yo La Tengo, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Cake, and John Wesley Harding.
He covered the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen for Grist.org and produced the third annual Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, the first-ever ironic and sincere comedy festival.
Student Moderator
The moderator acts as master of ceremonies for the event; the principal job of the moderator is to introduce the keynote speaker.
- Ben Karisa Kalama, Nora Sheehan, and Liz McGourty
We (Ben, Liz and Nora) are happy to accept this nomination! The three of us are dedicated to the Hampshire community, and represent different aspects of our community, both in academics and extracurricular activities. We started out this year by helping to run a fabulous orientation as the three coordinators, and we would love to end this year by helping to facilitate an amazing commencement! (Fact: We will take this position and our outfits very seriously).
Student Speaker
The student speaker's primary job is to give a speech to the graduating class.
- Leanna Jade Pohevitz
My time here has been life-changing as I am sure it has been for you, and I want nothing more then to elaborate on it with love and thanks at our commencement. I took full advantage of the Hampshire bubble resources, and so I feel prepared to speak to a wide cross-section of our community. In the speech, I will express the appreciation you all feel, even when it comes with frustration, and I will do justice to the goodbye... I will further interlace some humor, curses, and stay under the time limit... so uh, please?!
Faculty Speaker
This is a speech offered by a faculty member to the graduating class.
- Jill Lewis, professor of literature and gender studies
Staff Speaker (formerly Staff Convener)
The convener leads the procession, officially opens and closes the ceremony, and gives a short speech congratulating graduates.
- Josiah S. Litant, associate dean of students
Contact Us
Merrill Student Life Center
Hampshire College
893 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002
413.559.5412
Fax 413.559.5663
studentlife@hampshire.edu
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