Comedian Satirizes Life at Harvard

The heavy clouds hanging over Tercentenary Theatre during yesterday’s Class Day ceremony gave way to bright sunshine as Al Franken ’73 had his audience of around 8,000 doubled over in laughter.

Drawing from his experience as a Harvard undergraduate and the parent of a current junior, Franken joked about everything from the drug habits of the House residents in the ’70s to the way parents need to boast of their child’s acceptance to Harvard.

“You will all have your Harvard degree and you should never let others forget it,” Franken told members of the Class of 2002.

Franken, one of the original writers for Saturday Night Live and author of several best-selling political satires, including Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot, based much of his humorous address on the year’s controversial campus issues.

“I was all set to give a speech today titled ‘American Jihad,’” he said. “But after receiving several complaints, I decided to change it to ‘The Case for Profiling Young Arab Men.’”

Franken also alluded to the ongoing criminal investigation of Suzanne M. Pomey and Randy J. Gomes for allegedly embezzling money from the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

“As long as you don’t kill someone or embezzle $100,000 from your student organization, you’re going to graduate,” he said.

Franken, who gave the Ivy Oration at his Class Day in 1973, said being invited back yesterday gave him a chance to make up for using profanity during his first Class Day speech.

But he said he was not pleased to learn in a story published in The Crimson that Madonna had been one of the first choices for Class Day speaker—and that he was not even on the initial list of candidates.

Franken critiqued former Class Day speakers, a mix that included Aretha Franklin and Mother Theresa.

“I read [Mother Theresa’s] speech and I have to tell you I don’t think she was funny at all,” Franken said. “‘Sanctity of Life’? Haha. I don’t get it, Mother Theresa.”

Franken also offered the Class of 2002 some serious advice about how to live their lives—sort of.

“Take risks, sure, and don’t be paralyzed by fear, especially fear of failure—at least until you’re 30,” Franken said.

Two seniors, Kathleen L. Guico and Emilio J. Travieso were presented with the Ames Awards for their four-year record of exceptional community service, both on campus and in the larger Boston community.

The ceremony also featured several speeches by graduating seniors, including the Ivy Orations given by Taii K. Bullock ’02 and Jeremy D. Bronson ’02.

Like Franken, Bronson mocked the way many seniors spend their last days on campus in self-reflection.

Bronson said he is plagued by different questions—like “Which of my roommates will get to keep the futon?” and “Where is this Science Center everyone keeps talking about?”

Bronson also poked fun at the controversy concerning honors inflation throughout this academic year—saying that just last semester he received an A-minus in a class he wasn’t even taking.

Four members of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, decked out in flamboyant drag, concluded the event with the 2002 Class Ode, a satirical song with references to the closing of the Crimson Sports Grille and the campaign on campus for a living wage.

Franken ended his speech by asking all graduating seniors to turn to hug and kiss their parents as thanks for their years of support. Members of the Class of 2002 followed Franken’s suggestion and embraced their parents.

As final words of advice, he offered the seniors the cheer “Go forth, unafraid!”

—Staff writer Anne K. Kofol can be reached at kofol@fas.harvard.edu.