Who said commencement addresses had to be dull and boring?
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a highly entertaining, very comedic speech during USC's main commencement ceremony this morning, earning several rounds of rousing cheers from the tens of thousands of people in attendance.
"I haven't heard applause like that since I decided to stop acting," Schwarzenegger joked to the crowd of 4,500 graduates and their friends and families in Alumni Park, one of the many times he elicited hearty laughter.
After being conferred with an honorary doctorate degree from President Steven B. Sample, California's 38th governor gave a crowd-pleasing speech that was more like a coach's halftime pep talk than a usually monotonous commencement address.
"I stand her now ... as a proud member of the Trojan Family," Schwarzenegger, whose daughter just completed her freshman year at USC, said at the beginning of his speech. "And now that I'm a doctor I can go back to Sacramento and maybe now the legislature will listen to me."
Schwarzenegger concluded his address with some words of advice -- half-jokingly entitled "Dr. Schwarzenegger's Six Rules of Success." They are, in order: Trust yourself; break the rules; don't be afraid to fail; don't listen to the naysayers; work your butt off; and give something back.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (black robe with a white sash) delivers a highly entertaining commencement address during this morning's graduation ceremonies at USC.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered a highly entertaining, very comedic speech during USC's main commencement ceremony this morning, earning several rounds of rousing cheers from the tens of thousands of people in attendance.
"I haven't heard applause like that since I decided to stop acting," Schwarzenegger joked to the crowd of 4,500 graduates and their friends and families in Alumni Park, one of the many times he elicited hearty laughter.
After being conferred with an honorary doctorate degree from President Steven B. Sample, California's 38th governor gave a crowd-pleasing speech that was more like a coach's halftime pep talk than a usually monotonous commencement address.
"I stand her now ... as a proud member of the Trojan Family," Schwarzenegger, whose daughter just completed her freshman year at USC, said at the beginning of his speech. "And now that I'm a doctor I can go back to Sacramento and maybe now the legislature will listen to me."
Schwarzenegger concluded his address with some words of advice -- half-jokingly entitled "Dr. Schwarzenegger's Six Rules of Success." They are, in order: Trust yourself; break the rules; don't be afraid to fail; don't listen to the naysayers; work your butt off; and give something back.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (black robe with a white sash) delivers a highly entertaining commencement address during this morning's graduation ceremonies at USC.
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