Students |

Jacqueline Rossi's speech at Harvard College Class Day 2012

Humorous student speech at Harvard College Class Day 2012

Jacqueline Rossi

As the theme of her Ivy Oration, one of two humorous student speeches given on Class Day, Jacqueline Rossi ’12 used a twist on the inscription from Harvard Yard's Dexter Gate: not "Enter to grow in wisdom," but "Enter to grow in weirdness."

Rossi questioned whether wisdom is all it's cracked up to be, using several famous names as examples: "Take Sir Isaac Newton—he was surprised when an apple fell on his head while sitting under an apple tree? ...And if Mark Zuckerberg didn't invent Facebook, he still wouldn't have any friends."

She encouraged a definition of wisdom that includes making mistakes: "They make your life the joke that everyone can laugh at, just like Buddha's belly or Steven Pinker's haircut." This way, "after enough mistakes and unrelenting laughter, you'll find yourself as an old, wise Harvard graduate who made the world a better place just by being yourself."

Related topics
Students

You might also like

Phi Beta Kappa Speakers Call Out a ‘Deeply Troubling’ Moment

Former Harvard President Lawrence Bacow and poet Meghan O’Rourke urge graduates to focus on character and “radical attention.”

‘Effort Still Matters’ in AI Age, Garber Tells Harvard Graduates

In his Baccalaureate address, the University president urged a mindful—yet open—approach to the technology.

A Cap on A’s at Harvard? Students and Faculty Raise Concerns at Town Hall

Dozens debate the grade inflation proposal that faculty will discuss next week.

Most popular

Don’t Be A ‘Solo Superhero,’ Jonny Kim Tells Harvard Alumni

The astronaut, doctor, and Navy SEAL delivered keynote remarks at the University’s Alumni Day festivities.

Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard to ‘Destroy AI’ as Graduates Cheer

The comedian and The Daily Show host gave the keynote address for Class Day 2026.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

House - Email

Explore More From Current Issue

Katie Benzan stands on a basketball court holding a ball, with a hoop in the background.

Athletics

How Women Are Changing the NBA

From coaching staffs to front offices, female leaders are bringing new strategies to men’s basketball.

Brick archway with a sandy base, surrounded by wooden planks and boxes in a dim space.

Harvard Celebrates America’s 250th

How the American Revolution Freed a Future Abolitionist

Darby Vassall, an enslaved child freed after the Battle of Bunker Hill, dedicated his life to fighting for liberty.

Illustration of two students in Harvard hoodies, one speaking animatedly to a phone, the other reading, looking annoyed.

Undergraduate Column

We’re All Harvard Influencers, Like It or Not

In the digital age, it’s hard to avoid playing into the mythology.