Offering the graduates words of wisdom gleaned from her own life and career, Poehler urged them to lean on others and take to heart the knowledge that the world is filled with smart people. George Plimpton, Ted Koppel, Hank Aaron, Bill Clinton, and Bono have all addressed graduating seniors. The list of such speakers is eclectic and includes everyone from politicians, peacemakers, and playwrights to authors, activists, and athletes. She joins the ranks of other SNL alumni, comedians Will Ferrell and Al Franken ’73, who gave back-to-back Class Day addresses in 20. Well, Harvard … has five exceptional jazz bassoonists. “Maybe you thought like I did that you were an exceptional jazz bassoonist. She became a regular on the famed late-night TV sketch comedy show “Saturday Night Live.” She has appeared in several movies and currently stars in the TV series “Parks and Recreation.” In his oration, Scott Alan Levin-Gesundheit noted that Harvard students are not special. Born just around the corner from Cambridge in Newton, Mass., she honed her acting skills first at B.C., then at the famed Second City comedy club and school of improvisation in Chicago. “I bet you are great, but, um, just work with the human genome instead.” “Sorry, no more room at the inn,” she quipped. There are too many talented, out-of-work actors, complained Poehler. Her advice on becoming an actor was simple: Don’t do it. If she were offering the graduates advice as a Bostonian, Poehler said, she would “remind you that just because you’re wicked smart doesn’t mean you are better than me.” Advice as a New Yorker would come with an edgy tone in the form of “Excuse me, ma’am could you move, please?” Referring to her own nearby alma mater, the Massachusetts native told the crowd during the ceremony Wednesday (May 25), “I graduated from Boston College, which some call the Harvard of Boston, but we all know that Harvard is the Harvard of Harvard. Comedian Amy Poehler brought her trademark sarcasm and sass to Harvard for Class Day, addressing seniors in Tercentenary Theatre on their last day as Harvard undergraduates, and providing a witty send-off under azure skies.
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