Ivy Female Orator Jenna Martin | Harvard Commencement 2014

TL;DR

Jenna Martin’s 2014 Harvard commencement speech answers graduation anxiety by arguing that students have not necessarily peaked in college because they can inspire people who look up to them. Mixing reassurance with jokes about 1,655 graduating couples, too many advisors, and her devotion to English and comedy, she presents graduation as both an ending and a shared beginning. Read on for her funniest observations and central message.

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: What is the main message of Jenna Martin’s 2014 Harvard commencement speech?

Martin’s main message is that graduates should not assume they peaked in college. Graduation lets them share an achievement with people they admire while recognizing that someone else may look up to them, giving them a reason to feel hopeful about leaving Harvard.

Q: Who was Harvard’s 2014 Female Ivy Orator?

Jenna Martin was Harvard’s 2014 Female Ivy Orator. The Los Angeles native concentrated in English, served as head writer of On Harvard Time, joined the Lampoon literary staff, and participated in campus sketch comedy.

Q: How does Jenna Martin answer the question “Did I peak in college?”

Martin says there are only two answers: “absolutely not” and “you know, probably.” She ultimately supports the hopeful answer by arguing that graduation reveals how graduates inspire one another and still have meaningful possibilities ahead.

Q: What did Jenna Martin say about graduation anxiety?

Martin says the Class of 2014 is likely feeling a mixture of anxiety and relief, with anxiety capable of overwhelming everything else. It can even make students nostalgic for smaller problems, such as a five-to-seven-page paper stretched from four pages with wide margins and a long title.

Q: Why did Jenna Martin joke that Harvard students had too many advisors?

Martin lists numerous sources of guidance, including a freshman advisor, peer-advising fellow, Proctor, Resident Dean of Freshmen, sophomore advisor, concentration advisor, and thesis advisor. She contrasts them with Luke Skywalker, who defeated the empire with only one advisor: one who spoke in incoherent aphorisms and never offered him a mini Mr. Goodbar.

Q: What did Jenna Martin say about studying English and writing comedy?

Martin arrived at Harvard wanting to study English and write comedy while also hoping to discover a different passion. Four years later, she was receiving an English degree and had joined clubs largely connected to comedy, leading her to joke that Harvard could not change her.

Q: Why did Jenna Martin say graduation made her sad?

Martin was uncertain that she would find another place where she could be completely herself while still having friends and feeling fulfilled. She especially valued being surrounded by people openly embracing their dorky interests and doing what they loved.

Q: What experience did Jenna Martin have before graduation?

At Harvard, Martin led the writing team for the comedic news show On Harvard Time and belonged to the Lampoon literary staff. During her summers, she interned at The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the New Yorker, where she was published twice on the magazine’s website.

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.