Official Off Topic Thread

[JesterIF]

Wait, God's birthday is known to man?

 

[Xtopher]

and you all thought it was Dec.25th.

 

[DoomsdayZach]

http://blog.swiftkickonline.com/201...t-against-schooling-in-graduation-speech.html

Anyone read this? thoughts? I personally think it's fantastically written and the message is 100% right on.

 

[Marwen]

By far one of the best graduations speeches I have read.

I relate a lot to what she's saying, and if I had to write one it would definitely be something along those lines.

 

[DoomsdayZach]

The buddy of mine who passed it along to me said "This is what me and all my "fuck-up" friends have been saying. Finally someone who they'll listen to" or something to that effect.

I personally am not as retarded as I may come off sometimes but just because I've got some level of intelligence doesn't mean a school is going to listen to me or let me talk in front of the entire class for exactly the reasons outlined in the speech. No one is going to cut her off though, because she played the game. The beauty was she also painted herself and her experiences in a somewhat negative light to illustrate how the fuck-ups were actually bettering themselves as humans, though not necessarily grooming themselves properly.

At any rate, really great food for thought.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Fucking Ace speech. I don't care who wrote it or how constructed it is, how many thesaurus peeks she took to make it. It's dammed true and America needs to wake the fuck up.

 

[noble savage]

Thanks for sharing that, Zach! It was one of the most dead on things I have ever read about our education system!

 

[Postulate]

http://blog.swiftkickonline.com/201...t-against-schooling-in-graduation-speech.html

Anyone read this? thoughts? I personally think it's fantastically written and the message is 100% right on.

Pretentious bullshit complete with false modesty and "all fired up and nothing to do" - but that's all I expect from a valedictorian. Meep!

 

[Kenneth R.]

What, would you prefer to listen to the same rehashed motivational speech drivel they usually present? Some tired allegory about roads or some such? Rather than a tirade patting those present on the back for doing what they're told, this raises questions. Like I said, I don't care what her motives were or how much of this is even her original work. I don't have high expectations on those counts: what does matter is that the message, pilfered or otherwise, is for once a good one.

 

[Postulate]

What, would you prefer to listen to the same rehashed motivational speech drivel they usually present? Some tired allegory about roads or some such? Rather than a tirade patting those present on the back for doing what they're told, this raises questions. Like I said, I don't care what her motives were or how much of this is even her original work. I don't have high expectations on those counts: what does matter is that the message, pilfered or otherwise, is for once a good one.

I'd rather it be easier get a job.

 

[Prismatic Sphere]

I just wanna know if she got a round of applause. :Shedevil:

 

[Kenneth R.]

Iraq: "US Pulls out prematurely"

 

[Marwen]

 

[ABQShredHead]

The video of the speech is better. The looks on the administrators sitting directly behind her is worth paying money to see.

 

[DoomsdayZach]

Her delivery isn't as good as I'd like it to be in the video, but I'm sure she's very understandably nervous saying that while they're watching her.

For those who didn't see the link at the bottom:

 

[ABQShredHead]

Yeah, she talks as if she's expecting them to stop her and finding herself surprised when they haven't.

 

[Postulate]

Yeah, she talks as if she's expecting them to stop her and finding herself surprised when they haven't.

Because, surprise: there's nothing daring or interesting about what she's saying!

Then again, false rebellion that consists entirely of calling "other people" and "the system" stupid is TOTALLY METAL

 

[DoomsdayZach]

Why is there nothing interesting about what she's saying? I don't understand why calling for public education reform coming from someone who was screwed by a system which is in place only to indoctrinate is "false rebellion". I'm curious what your reasons are, otherwise i can only assume you're just "that guy" who has to say the opposite of everyone else just for a reaction.

It's a well written speech, regardless of if you were as enthralled by it as I was.

 

[Phanto]

It's the same in western-european universities as well.

 

[Postulate]

i can only assume you're just "that guy" who has to say the opposite of everyone else just for a reaction.

But that's exactly what the girl was doing? I just can't see the point in this speech other than shock value, which she didn't even get.

How were you screwed by the school system? And what kind of reform do you want? I mean, I thought everyone knew the point of public school is to keep you off the street, not to actually teach you anything. You just have to accept it and move on.

From the speech:

A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition - a slave of the system set up before him.

Work is slavery now? Oh, poor you! I too, wish my life could be like the Adventure Time cartoon, and that everything I did would be useful, easy, and interesting.

why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it?

The next question you ask her: would you like us to replace your A's with F's, then, and prevent you from graduating? Talk about being disingenuous.

When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost?

You're a valedictorian and not half bad looking - so, uh, no. Maybe if you'd been born ugly and stupid (or poor!) you'd have a problem. But no, here you are, whining in spite of your blessings.

H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence.

And how the hell do you expect a standardized institution to awaken the individual potential of everyone? What do you want, a 1-on-1 Zen teacher to meditate with and teach you the meaning of life? Or can you honestly not determine your own interests and make your own effort outside what the government puts in front of you? Bad enough the school tries to be your parents, now I guess they should be everything else too.

I am now enlightened

I'm pretty sure everyone was enlightened at the end of high school.

We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force.

Money is what allows a free-market economy to work. You're free to starve on a socialist collective, if you like, instead. No one is stopping you. Sorry if you can't determine your own values and curb your own "materialism."

We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation?

Yes, and apparently we all deserve to have that purpose handed to us as teenagers.

But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!

Is that a naturalistic fallacy I see? I could refer to human beings as sacks of flesh, too, if I wanted.

In short: COME AT ME I DONT GIVE A FUCK