From our news partners at The Seattle Times: Award-winning author David Guterson’s speech at the Roosevelt High School graduation Wednesday was unorthodox, with frequent references to death and a gloomy tone that had a few audience members heckling him.
High-school graduation speeches are often upbeat confections that melt from students’ memories before they finish crossing the stage to claim their diplomas.
The speech that author David Guterson gave Wednesday at Seattle’s Roosevelt High already has lasted longer than that.
Students and parents are still talking about the 25-minute address Guterson gave Wednesday evening, which upset some members of the audience so much that they heckled Guterson from the stands at Memorial Stadium, and tried to cut his speech short by clapping before he was done.
“It certainly was an intelligent talk, but the overall tone was very, very negative,” said parent Diana Brement.
Some thought Guterson’s message was that students would be unlikely to ever find happiness.
“He had very odd references,” said senior Dexter Tang. “He referenced marijuana use for one. He talked a lot about his death. … Something along the lines of metaphorical death. About dying inside.”
The hecklers — a handful of parents and one student — yelled at Guterson to be more positive, to stop speaking, to stop ruining the graduation.
But most students listened respectfully and some liked the speech, Brement said.
Principal Brian Vance and some parents also thought it was fine, saying that, while dark at times, Guterson challenged students to be thoughtful about how they spend their lives.
