Ivy Female Orator Jenna Martin | Harvard Commencement 2014

TL;DR

There are only two answers to whether you peaked in college: "absolutely not" and "you know, probably." The reassuring one is that graduation lets you inspire someone who looks up to you, so the person who made you excited to come to Harvard should also make you excited to leave.

Transcript

ANTHONY PALOLA: Good afternoon seniors, friends, family, and loved ones joining us here today. Thank you to Raina and Basil for their touching and beautiful remarks. My name is Anthony Palola, and I am one of the 2014 senior Class Marshals. I am honored and excited to be introducing Quincy House native and a good friend, Jenna Martin, as our 2014 F... Read More

Key Insights

• Jenna Martin was the 2014 Female Ivy Orator at Harvard, an English concentrator, head writer of the comedic news show On Harvard Time, and a Lampoon lit staff member who interned at The Daily Show and the New Yorker.
• Graduation anxiety can make you prematurely nostalgic for smaller problems, like a five-to-seven page paper that was really a four-page paper with wide margins and a really long title.
• Harvard students accumulate an overwhelming number of advisors, including a freshman advisor, peer-advising fellow, Proctor, Resident Dean, sophomore advisor, concentration advisor, and thesis advisor, yet Luke Skywalker defeated the empire with only one.
• The scariest graduation question is "did I peak in college?" and Martin argues there are only two possible answers: "absolutely not" and "you know, probably."
• Martin realized she couldn't be changed: she came wanting to study English and write comedy, and four years later got an English degree with every club tied to comedy, comparing herself to television bad boys like Don Draper.
• The sadness of graduation comes from doubt about finding another place where you can be so completely yourself, surrounded by dorky people doing what they love, and still have friends and feel fulfilled.
• Graduation proves you didn't all peak because it lets you inspire someone who looks up to you, just as someone else inspires you, sharing a connection across the class.
• Her favorite Harvard grad is John Adams, whose life didn't turn out as he expected at graduation but who still became the second president, showing unexpected paths can still lead somewhere great.

Questions & Answers

Q: Who was the 2014 Harvard Female Ivy Orator?

Jenna Martin was the 2014 Female Ivy Orator at Harvard. Originally from Los Angeles, California, she was an English concentrator, the head writer of On Harvard Time, an on-campus comedic news show, and a member of the Lampoon lit staff. She was involved in campus sketch comedy and interned at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the New Yorker, where she was published twice on the magazine's website. After graduation she planned to return to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a television writer.

Q: What is the main message of Jenna Martin's commencement speech?

The main message is that graduating seniors probably did not peak in college. Martin argues that the value of graduation is sharing achievement with others: there is likely someone who looks up to you just as you look up to someone else. She reasons that the person who made you excited to come to Harvard should also make you excited to leave, so the future holds more than the past. She uses humor throughout while ultimately delivering this reassuring point to the anxious Class of 2014.

Q: What did Jenna Martin say about having too many advisors at Harvard?

Martin joked that too many advisors was one of the class's biggest problems. She listed a freshman advisor, a peer-advising fellow, a Proctor, a Resident Dean of Freshmen, a sophomore advisor, an Allston Burr Resident Dean, a sophomore advising coordinator, a concentration advisor, and for the masochistic, a thesis advisor. Though she sincerely thanked all her advisors, she pointed out that Luke Skywalker defeated the empire with only one advisor, who spoke in incoherent aphorisms and never offered him a mini Mr. Goodbar.

Q: How does Jenna Martin answer the question "did I peak in college?"

Martin says there are two, and only two, answers to the question of whether you peaked in college: "absolutely not" and "you know, probably." She entertains the pessimistic answer first, acknowledging fears of entering a scary world. Then she pivots to the optimistic view, arguing graduation proves you did not peak because you can inspire people who look up to you. She points to John Adams, whose life did not turn out as expected at graduation but who still became the second president, as proof that better things can come after college.

Q: Why does Jenna Martin say graduation makes her sad?

Martin says the day makes her sad for two reasons. First, she can no longer compare herself to television bad boys like Don Draper who "can't be changed." More seriously, she does not know for certain whether she will find another place where she can be so completely herself, still have friends, and feel fulfilled. She wonders where else she will be surrounded by so many people just being their dorky selves and doing what they love, joking that the only comparable place might be a white collar prison.

Q: What did Jenna Martin say about her English degree and comedy?

Martin admitted she could not be changed. When she first came to Harvard, part of her just wanted to study English and write comedy, while another part wanted to discover a new passion like anthropology, conceptual art, or hopefully investment banking. Four years later she was getting a degree in English, and every club she joined was somehow related to comedy, with the arguable exception of the Lampoon. She defended the English degree by using a simile comparing herself to television's illustrious bad boys who resist being changed.

Q: What did Jenna Martin say about John Adams in her speech?

John Adams was Martin's favorite Harvard grad, hands down. She noted his life probably did not turn out the way he expected when he graduated, but he still became the second president, joking he was "the Yale of presidents." He married an incredible lady and inspired an entire miniseries. Martin said when she was accepted into Harvard she couldn't wait to attend the same school as "our grouchiest founding father," joking she came for the John Adams and stayed for the Sam Adams, then asked the audience not to repeat that since her parents were present.

Q: How does Jenna Martin open her Harvard commencement speech?

Martin opens by thanking Anthony and the audience, then jokes that no one likes going to graduations. She says kindergarten graduation is the last cute one and that attending Harvard's ceremony is like going to a wedding for 1655 couples when you really only care about one. She tells professors and TFs she hopes they are playing a drinking game to get through it, offering key words like "Harvard," "graduation," "future," and "compassion" to get them chugging, setting a comedic tone for the address.

Q: When and where did Jenna Martin deliver this Harvard commencement address?

According to the description, Jenna Martin, the Ivy Female Orator, addressed graduating seniors at Harvard's Senior Class Day ceremony on May 28, 2014, at Tercentenary Theatre. She spoke to the class of 2014 along with their families and friends. The description directs viewers to visit news.harvard.edu/gazette for more information. In her speech she also referenced that Oprah had spoken at the previous year's Commencement, and joked about the upcoming Commencement Day speaker scheduled for the following day.

Summary

This video is a graduation speech given by Jenna Martin, a 2014 Harvard graduate. She reflects on her time at Harvard and shares her thoughts on the future. She talks about the various advisors and mentors she had during her time at Harvard and raises questions about the future and whether she has peaked in college. She also encourages her fellow graduates to embrace the uncertainty and challenges that lie ahead.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Jenna Martin's background and involvement at Harvard?

Jenna Martin is originally from Los Angeles, California. At Harvard, she was an English concentrator, the head writer of an on-campus comedic news show called "On Harvard Time," and a member of the Lampoon lit staff. She was also involved with sketch comedy and interned at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The New Yorker.

Q: What are some of the questions that Jenna Martin raises in her speech?

Jenna Martin raises questions like whether the clubs she joined in college will be enough to convince her future children that she used to be cool, whether her concentration will have any application in the real world, and if she has peaked in college.

Q: How does Jenna Martin feel about having had multiple advisors during her time at Harvard?

Jenna Martin expresses gratitude for all her advisors but mentions that having many advisors can feel overwhelming. She humorously compares her situation to Luke Skywalker defeating the Empire with only one advisor who had inconvenient office hours and never offered a mini Mr. Goodbar.

Q: What does Jenna Martin think about the future after graduation?

Jenna Martin acknowledges that the future can be intimidating and uncertain, but she also believes that there is a chance for each graduate to find their passion and fulfill their potential. She encourages her fellow graduates to embrace their uniqueness and authenticity.

Q: Who does Jenna Martin consider her favorite Harvard graduate?

Jenna Martin admires John Adams as her favorite Harvard graduate, despite his life turning out differently from what he expected after graduation. She sees him as an inspiration and compares him humorously to the "Yale of presidents."

Q: What is Jenna Martin's overall message to the class of 2014?

Jenna Martin's message to the class of 2014 is that they shouldn't worry about whether they have peaked in college. She believes that they have the potential to accomplish great things and that graduation allows them to share their unique qualities with others.

Q: How does Jenna Martin feel about graduation day?

Jenna Martin feels a mix of sadness and uncertainty on graduation day. She is aware that this may be the end of a chapter where she could be completely herself and have friends who appreciate her quirks. However, she also sees it as an opportunity for growth and the chance to find new environments where she can be fulfilled.

Q: What advice does Jenna Martin give to her fellow graduates?

Jenna Martin advises her fellow graduates to embrace the challenges and uncertainties that lie ahead. She encourages them to believe in themselves and their abilities, even if they can't control everything in the future. She also emphasizes the importance of finding inspiration in others and being inspired by those who think highly of them.

Q: What does Jenna Martin say about the Harvard gen ed requirements and activity fairs?

Jenna Martin humorously mentions that the Harvard gen ed requirements and activity fairs are like characters who think they can change her. She jokes that she can't be changed and reflects on her concentration in English and her involvement in comedy-related clubs.

Q: What does Jenna Martin say about the graduation ceremony?

Jenna Martin shares her thoughts on graduation ceremonies, acknowledging that many people might find them dull. She compares attending a graduation ceremony to going to a wedding with many couples when you only care about one couple. She humorously acknowledges the presence of esteemed professors and hopes that they are playing a drinking game to get through the ceremony.

Takeaways

In her graduation speech, Jenna Martin reflects on her time at Harvard and raises questions about the future. She shares her doubts about whether she has peaked in college and discusses the various advisors she had during her time at Harvard. She encourages her fellow graduates to embrace the uncertainties and challenges that lie ahead. Overall, her speech serves as a reminder that there is still much to learn and accomplish beyond college.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Introduced by Class Marshal Anthony Palola, Jenna Martin, an English concentrator and campus comedy writer from Los Angeles, delivers the 2014 Female Ivy Orator address, opening with jokes that graduations are dull, comparing attending one to a wedding for 1655 couples when you only care about one.

• Martin captures the class's mix of anxiety and relief, mocking Harvard's excess of advisors versus Luke Skywalker's single one, and voicing unanswerable worries about whether clubs and concentrations like Celtic studies will matter, culminating in the fear that they peaked in college.

• She reframes the peak question hopefully: graduation lets you inspire someone who looks up to you, and the person who made you excited to arrive should make you excited to leave, citing John Adams, who exceeded his own graduation expectations to become the second president.