Summer 2017 Commencement Speech | Harris Smith

University Communication Author

08/15/2017 Added

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Harris Smith, director of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film at Nebraska and executive director of the Nebraska Repertory Theatre, delivered the commencement address "Playing Your Role." August 12, 2017.

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[00:00:00.608](audience applause)
[00:00:04.849]Can you guys move in closer together so I can ...
[00:00:07.638](audience laughs)
[00:00:12.938]Thanks. Thank you.
[00:00:15.013]Now.
[00:00:17.938]First of all, I wanted to thank you all
[00:00:20.462]for participating in being in my bucket list.
[00:00:24.344]I didn't even know I had a bucket list
[00:00:26.603]until I was asked by the university
[00:00:28.876]to be a commencement speaker.
[00:00:31.330]So I thought, "That's a great way to start a bucket list."
[00:00:36.230]So thank you for that.
[00:00:37.409]I also want to thank President Bounds and Chancellor Green
[00:00:41.789]and my colleagues for this esteemed honor.
[00:00:45.244]But before I start, I need to give a shout-out
[00:00:47.823]to a couple of our alum that are representing
[00:00:50.038]the University of Nebraska very well.
[00:00:53.188]First of all, my daughter Stephanie Reese Gibilisko
[00:00:57.773]who is a graduate from the J-School
[00:01:00.574]and she just won her first Emmy.
[00:01:03.003]So shout out to her.
[00:01:04.345](audience applause)
[00:01:09.326]And I want to give a shout-out
[00:01:10.433]to one of my former students.
[00:01:12.654]You've probably heard about her, Jessie Graff,
[00:01:15.617]who graduated from the Johnny Carson School
[00:01:17.511]and is tearing it up on American Ninja Warriors.
[00:01:20.421]So keep it up, Jess.
[00:01:25.890]Now when I was asked to be your commencement speaker,
[00:01:29.553]I immediately responded, "Yes, of course, I'll do it."
[00:01:32.991]Because as an actor, that's what we're trained to do.
[00:01:36.088]We take any gig that's offered to us, right.
[00:01:40.893]But this also gave me a little bit of concern.
[00:01:44.969]It made me kind of question the wisdom of our leadership
[00:01:51.232]to allow an actor
[00:01:53.540]to be alone, onstage,
[00:01:56.986]with a microphone, and a captured audience.
[00:02:03.345]So whatever happens, whatever I say, whatever I do,
[00:02:07.633]it's on them.
[00:02:12.080]Seriously once I realized what I would be doing
[00:02:16.466]and the tremendous responsibility I would have
[00:02:20.749]to inspire you to become successful in the business world,
[00:02:25.460]I started getting a little stressed out.
[00:02:28.199]And then I finally realized you already have what it takes
[00:02:31.902]to be successful out in the workplace.
[00:02:35.594]You already earned a degree by being disciplined,
[00:02:39.774]putting in hard work, and making sacrifices.
[00:02:44.864]So in reality, at least to me,
[00:02:48.247]there's no pressure at all.
[00:02:50.697]But I would like to take this as an opportunity
[00:02:53.956]to share with you my humble advice
[00:02:58.970]and to celebrate your success as graduates.
[00:03:03.012]So as you know, my speech is entitled Playing Your Role.
[00:03:07.030]Now I would be doing you all a great disservice
[00:03:09.265]if I didn't use a quote
[00:03:10.408]from one of the greatest playwrights, William Shakespeare.
[00:03:14.138]And I also want to take this time to apologize
[00:03:16.730]to some of the purists out there.
[00:03:18.922]I had to take theatrical license with the iambic pentameter.
[00:03:22.572]Okay.
[00:03:24.612]Some of you, yeah, that died. (laughs)
[00:03:28.391]William Shakespeare's The Seven Ages of Man,
[00:03:32.586]"All the world's a stage
[00:03:35.391]"and all the men and women merely players.
[00:03:39.211]"They have their exits and they have their entrances
[00:03:43.347]"and one man or woman in his or her lifetime
[00:03:48.201]"will play many parts."
[00:03:53.885]Upon you leaving this university, you'll be asked
[00:03:56.308]to play, and required to play many roles
[00:03:59.824]in your lifetime.
[00:04:01.916]So I would like to give you two pieces of advice
[00:04:04.840]to help you be successful.
[00:04:07.132]One for your professional life
[00:04:09.266]and one for your personal life.
[00:04:11.934]Professionally, throughout your professional career
[00:04:15.674]you should continue to be self-motivated.
[00:04:19.111]They say that 65% to 80% of today's students
[00:04:24.162]will have employment in jobs that don't exist
[00:04:27.576]and that most of you will have six to eight career changes
[00:04:31.579]in your lifetime.
[00:04:33.777]They also say 47% of the current jobs
[00:04:38.663]will no longer exist in the next 25 years.
[00:04:44.240]Now I looked on various websites, and I've listed
[00:04:46.435]some of the most desirable skills and values
[00:04:48.596]that employers are looking for.
[00:04:51.692]First one is communication skills, being able to communicate
[00:04:54.665]effectively with other people, right.
[00:04:57.322]Organization skills;
[00:05:00.071]teamwork, being able to work with other people.
[00:05:02.804]Adaptability, being used to and being able
[00:05:05.761]to adapt to change.
[00:05:09.082]A positive attitude, now I listed positive attitude last
[00:05:13.183]on purpose because it ties into your professional life
[00:05:16.835]as well as your personal life.
[00:05:19.828]At one time or another in your professional career
[00:05:23.393]and personal life, you're going to have to deal
[00:05:25.359]with some challenges and rejection.
[00:05:28.973]And the way you're going to succeed is all going
[00:05:31.639]to depend on your attitude.
[00:05:34.158]Now I'd like to use a quote
[00:05:35.483]from the great pastor Charles Stanley.
[00:05:37.629]And he said, "We cannot change our past.
[00:05:41.695]"We cannot change the inevitable.
[00:05:44.889]"The only thing we can do is play on the one string
[00:05:47.706]"we have and that is our attitude.
[00:05:51.574]"I'm convinced that life is 10% what happens to me
[00:05:55.375]"and 90% how I react to it.
[00:05:59.216]"You cannot control what happens to you in your life
[00:06:01.982]"but you can always control how you respond to it."
[00:06:07.979]Personally, for you as an individual,
[00:06:11.204]if you want to be fulfilled professionally
[00:06:14.908]as well as personally, you need to connect
[00:06:18.353]and be part of something bigger than yourself.
[00:06:23.033]Something which helps keep you grounded spiritually,
[00:06:25.832]emotionally and physically.
[00:06:28.226]Because it challenges you to look beyond yourself
[00:06:31.552]and reminds you to look at the bigger picture
[00:06:36.880]using tools such as prayer, meditation,
[00:06:40.751]hobbies, recreational activities,
[00:06:43.790]service to your community.
[00:06:46.718]All of these things can help you stay grounded and focused
[00:06:50.334]to help you be more successful.
[00:06:53.890]Now between your personal life and your professional life,
[00:06:57.194]that is quite a few roles you'll be playing.
[00:07:00.582]Now in just a minute, I would like all you graduates
[00:07:04.169]to stand and join me in recognizing
[00:07:06.589]all the major role players in your life.
[00:07:10.076]The people that I'm willing to bet
[00:07:12.837]that if it were not for their hard work, sacrifice,
[00:07:17.130]wisdom, you would not be here today.
[00:07:21.317]So please graduates, stand and join me in recognizing
[00:07:24.850]moms, dads, grandparents,
[00:07:28.650]spouses, aunts, uncles,
[00:07:30.195]siblings, and recognizing them for all that
[00:07:33.011]they've done for you.
[00:07:34.566]Give them a big round of applause.
[00:07:36.085](audience applause)
[00:07:40.382]Now you need to make like Kendrick Lamar and
[00:07:43.366]♫ Be humble
[00:07:44.994]♫ Sit down
[00:07:46.698]♫ Be humble
[00:07:48.310]♫ Sit down
[00:07:50.061]♫ Be humble
[00:07:51.445]♫ Sit down
[00:07:52.920]No really, sit down.
[00:07:56.161]Thank you.
[00:07:58.952]Lastly, thank you and congratulations.
[00:08:02.659]And as you make your grand entrance
[00:08:04.959]into the main stage of life, I wish you the best of luck
[00:08:09.320]and as we say in show business, "Break a leg."
[00:08:13.616]Thank you.
[00:08:14.869](audience applause)

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