For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for June 21, 2023

That’s it? That’s all he’s got?

Sat through quite a number of these long-winded speeches myself. Much prefer for high school graduation to have a slideshow of seniors during their senior year doing various of activities, showing their first-grade school pictures and senior picture side by side, etc. Much more enjoyable and have some seniors come up and give a brief reflection on their senior year. Better than having some school officials or guest speakers give these boring speeches about nothing.

I think rotten tomatoes would be more effective than spitballs.

I can see the point of a graduation ceremony (and attendant parties etc) when one gets a degree (or doctorate etc) but not for simply finishing school exams (or, God help us, nursery or primary school!) When I finished school after our final exams (which were all on different days as we had various subjects) we just went home, and that was it. Although it would have been nice to have had a special assembly to mark the end. Now it seems there has to be a major celebration and party for everything – which, while fun, is not only expensive (now almost any kid can expect six ‘graduations’) but rather devalues any significant achievement such as obtaining a degree.

I graduated high school in 2002. I would not have even attended if my grandmother hadn’t come in from out of state.

All the adult speakers, of which there were several, droned on and on and on and on about 9/11. I thought at the time that this was wholly inappropriate, that at least some of their speeches should be about the graduates. I did consider that when I was older I might feel differently.

Two years ago, my older nibling graduated high school. My mother and I watched it on zoom video, because of course this was the middle of the pandemic. We were probably the only people who watched the entire thing, because it sure started glitching out once the kids actually started to walk! And compared to my graduation, it was positively short! Almost no speeches about the pandemic. And you know what? It’s now 21 years after my high school graduation and, nope, I haven’t changed my mind at all. It was still inappropriate to talk of nothing else but 9/11.

A degree is like a marriage license. On one you can cheat before the other you can cheat after, Neither has to be renewed and neither says that you know what you are doing or if it will work in the end.

These days, they’d call the cops if someone shot a spitball.

Actually, all I really wanted was for someone to say we don’t have to come back next fall. That’s all I needed. Closure.

Validictorian speeches have to be to dullest speeches ever written. BORING!! They never change, same old words over and over. My grand-daughter’s graduation validictorian just had the song “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Anne Womack. Said everything that needed to be said.

What’s Michael squinting at?

Not quite grown up yet, are they?

For all the male graduates, this is you practice for you wife wanting to tell you everything, and for you female graduates, this is practice for when you husband wants to tell you about the fish that got a way or the marvels of the 1968 Plymouth Super Bee.

I prefer the Matt Foley (SNL’s Chris Farley RIP) graduation speech one-liners.

“You’re probably gonna find out that as you go out there, that you’re not going to amount to j**k sq**t!!”

Public schools are diploma mills anyway. They were started in response to anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly the 1850s when hordes of Irish were coming due to the Great Potato Famine. By forcing young ones to go to public school through compolsory attendance laws, it made sure the Irish became “good citizens” by beating the Catholic out of the child.

If this strip weren’t 30 years old, I’d wonder if she used AI.

I concur, the serious tone is a high falutin bore and some light comedy would be a welcome relief

Today’s strip does a good job at showing Social Darwinism.

The old spit ball trick…….long gone!

At our commencement address, the guy started by saying he had 5 points to make with us us. After about a half hour of talking he said, “And second…” I can’t even remember what “prominent” person he was.

I am grateful that the speeches at our graduation were given by the students. No long-winded pontificating by the principal or school board members.

Well said catchup

Is the valedictorian a character we’re supposed to recognize? Seems like with such a large supporting cast you wouldn’t just create a cypher for that role.

Participation trophy!

Love the third panel—-looks like a Secret Society hiding from the authorities

When I graduated high school in 1961, it was a big deal. This was because most the parents of students that age had not been able to get a high school diploma growing up in the depression but had to start working at 10 or 12 to help the finances of the family.

I noticed these robes reveal their chests. That being said, there is no way Michael could get away with dressing like a slob. Elly knew what she was doing by demanding he put on a shirt and tie.

I graduated with 4 other cousins. One party. That’s all I remember about the party, sharing it with other people, and feeling very, very unimportant. My father felt other people were important, and I shouldn’t want recognition or appreciation. Every day of my life. It still carries over with my family, but only for me. My brother is made much of, and my sister was a close 2nd. Both were younger. I think once in awhile, an accomplishment should be celebrated, like graduating from high school. Kindergarten, not so much.

I spent my HS graduation reading Stephen King and I skipped my college graduation to hang out with my friends. Either way, I got my piece of paper that said I graduated.

har-har, Michael’s classmate about the spitball