Funnyman Paul Downs will inject a dose of his Duke University Improv humor into this year's commencement, as Duke has tapped the DUI veteran and senior to be the student speaker at the May 9 ceremony. He will warm up the audience for the keynote speaker, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright.
While Downs described his speech as occasionally off-color and humorous, he said the general feel was more sentimental than some may expect from the comedy veteran.
"I'm kind of typecast as this zany wacko, but there are parts of the speech that are more subdued and heartfelt," he said. "I think some people who don't know me will be surprised that it's off-kilter, but those people who do know me and expect it to be just that will be surprised by the dimensions of it.... There's a lot of seriousness to it."
He will discuss the feeling shared by many students that there was simply "not enough time" to accomplish all they wanted to at Duke. He said he will urge students to remember that feeling of regret and, accordingly, never let things go left undone.
"In the end, the message is you can't really ever feel like you've done enough at every place. You always want 10 more minutes with your friends, or take one more class, or one more production," he said. "The overarching mesage of it is that everything works out okay, and what you should remember is to let this moment inform the rest of your days."
Sterly Wilder, director of the Annual Fund and chair of the student speaker selection committee, said Downs's speech had broad appeal, humor and good delivery that distinguished it from other qualified applicants. She added that Downs's on-stage experience with DUI benefited him insofar as it gave him poise and a sense of comfort while speaking. However, she pointed out that the speech is not a comedy sketch. "It's a graduation speech," she said.
Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek, who made a guest appearance at DUI's annual Big Show Thursday night, said Downs was a natural speaker on stage. "I think what was the most impressive part is [his speech is] really not a speech," she said. "His delivery is more like telling a story. Paul is just such an accomplished presence on stage and he's just very captivating."
Despite his considerable performance experience, Downs said he will likely be nervous when he steps up to the microphone at Wallace Wade Stadium. The difference between the speech and DUI, he said, is that he will not be playing a character--it will be just him, exposed, emotionally naked and trying to convey his own bits of personal wisdom.
The student speech lasts about five to seven minutes and must appeal to undergraduates and graduate students, Wilder said. Last year's speaker was Terry Schuster, Trinity '03, who combined elements of humor with an abiding sense of wistful nostalgia in his address.
Wasiolek said a good student graduation speech "really invites everyone--the graduates as well as their families and friends--to identify with what's being said [and] to feel the speaker is including them in their remarks, and [strikes] a balance between reflecting on the past and challenging folks to the future."
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