welcome speech to college students

Inspirational Welcome Messages For Students

Joining a new school or college, starting a new academic year or coming back to the campus after a long break- each of these seem like headaches to most students. Nevertheless, with a warm welcome , an institution or instructor can turn these very instances into exciting new beginnings. So, be it a new academic year, class, session, or even an online class, start it with a welcome message. And if you are struggling to write them up, go through our vast array of welcome messages and welcome notes for students. Each of these will boost your students’ enthusiasm and help them kickstart their academic programs.

Best Welcome Message For Students

You all have the potential to take your name to the Hall of Fame, and if you ever need any help along the way, we are here to provide it. Welcome back to class!

We are overjoyed to see you again. Now is the time to march towards success and have loads of fun together.

So glad to see you here! From this moment on, please dedicate yourself to the pursuit of knowledge and to becoming a better person.

We cordially welcome you to school, a magical place of learning. Your journey awaits, filled with inspiration, friendships, and exploration. Best wishes for your future success and growth.

Hello, bright minds! Welcome! Your success journey starts now.

Dear students, welcome to a new chapter! Embrace forthcoming challenges and opportunities. Believe in your abilities to achieve greatness. Have the courage to dream, work hard, and always strive for knowledge.

Welcome to a school that cherishes each one of you. Always practice good virtues and consider your classroom to be the starting point of making the world better.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s how we learn. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes and keep moving forward.

Welcome to a world of limitless possibilities! You have the ability to overcome challenges and attain your goals. Keep faith in yourself and strive for success. Let’s make this the finest academic year ever!

Welcome to a community of dreamers and achievers! We are excited to have you join us on this journey of learning and growth.

As you enter this institution of learning, remember that greatness is not achieved overnight. It’s achieved through perseverance, determination, and steadfastness. Welcome to the journey and look forward to new chances.

Welcome, dear students! You are the heart and soul of our school, and we know that you all will make us proud someday.

Foster your dreams within you, and work hard towards realizing those dreams. Welcome to school!

Greetings, students! Prepare yourself for an incredible educational journey where your aspirations will come true. Consider each obstacle as a chance to improve and boost your confidence. A promising future is ahead.

Welcome to an amazing journey of education, dear students! We are thrilled to have you at our school. Remember, you have true potential to work hard and be crowned with success. Therefore, aim high and never accept less.

Welcome Messages For Students For New Academic Year

Congratulations on passing the previous academic year, and welcome to the new one. Wish you many triumphs and accomplishments in the days ahead.

Welcome to this new academic year! Let’s make the best use of our classes and fill your brilliant minds with education and wisdom.

Cheers to our extraordinary students and this new academic year. May this entire year be fruitful and take you toward your goals.

Welcome to a brand-new academic year filled with endless opportunities for growth and learning. We are extremely delighted to have you on this exciting journey of learning.

Welcome to a new academic year of growth, knowledge, and achievements. We value your dreams and aspirations and are committed to supporting you in all aspects. May the days ahead be filled with brightness for you.

Dear students, we warmly welcome you to a new academic year full of lucky chances for making your dreams come true. Maintain your focus and confidence in your capabilities. Warmest regards.

Also Read: Encouraging Messages for Students

Welcome Message For Students In WhatsApp Group/Online Class

Welcome to the group! Even though we are not physically present in the class, together, we will make this journey worthwhile.

Welcome to the class! Regardless of this online medium, please feel free to interact and ask questions because it is our enthusiasm that will make the class lively.

Welcome to this online class, where we will embark on discovering our abilities. Happy learning to you all!

Greetings, students! We are delighted to welcome you to our educational platform. We hope you may find a new path of knowledge and wisdom here. Embrace forthcoming possibilities and shine brightly.

Welcome students! Greetings from our WhatsApp group. Get ready to exchange resources, connect with classmates, and make the necessary announcements. Together, let’s create a vibrant learning community!

Dear student, we warmly greet you for joining us. Prepare yourself for an exciting educational journey. We encourage you to actively participate, share unique ideas, and build lasting connections with your fellow classmates.

Welcome Messages For New Students In College

Welcome to this college! We are aspiring to unleash all the hidden potential within you while making this campus your 2nd home.

Our cordial welcome to all the talented freshmen! Let us be kind to each other and help each other grow. Best wishes for college life.

Welcome to a college that will not only guide you through the path of knowledge but also give you many wonderful memories. And if you ever need any help, just ask!

Dear students, welcome to your college, where endless possibilities await to make your dreams a reality. Embrace challenges, conquer setbacks, and celebrate your successes. A bright future waits you ahead.

Welcome to a wonderful stage of college life. I wish you a fruitful and gratifying academic year.

Dear students, as you begin your college journey, I congratulate you and believe in your ability to exceed expectations. Be confident, strive for excellence, and achieve remarkable success.

Welcome Messages For Students After Summer Break/Vacation

Welcome back! Hope you all had a tremendous vacation and are now ready to excel in your academics. Good luck for the classes ahead.

This campus was so lifeless without the chattering of you youngsters, and we missed you a lot. It’s good to have you back!

Hope you all returned from the break with renewed vigor and energy. Let’s learn again!

Welcome back! We genuinely missed your beaming smiles and lively spirit during summer vacation. May this academic year overflow with endless opportunities for growth and triumph. We wholeheartedly support your success.

Welcome back to campus! The summer break has ended, yet the thrill of learning commences. Prepare to discover, expand, and embrace your genuine passions. We’re here to cheer you on and celebrate your amazing achievement.

Welcome back, dear students! We are overjoyed to have you here after the summer break. Let’s create an unforgettable academic year together!

Read More: Back To School Messages

A good academic institution is one that treats its students warmly and inspires them to do better. And what’s a better way to do that than sending some welcome messages for new students or on a new academic year? It is natural for students to feel lethargic and unmotivated after attending a new school, starting a new academic year or coming back from a vacation.

During these times, use our messages to welcome them back to campus. Just give each student a note containing the words, or say it verbally. For online classes, you can write them in the group chat. Either way, it will create a lasting impression on the students, grab their attention and help them thrive.

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Welcome Speech

Creating an engaging Welcome Speech sets the tone for any event. In this resource, we offer a variety of speech examples to guide you in crafting a warm and impactful greeting. Whether it’s for a formal gathering, a corporate event, or a casual meet-up, our examples provide a framework for delivering a message that resonates with your audience. Learn how to start your event on a positive note, making every attendee feel valued and excited about what’s to come.

What Is a Welcome Speech? A welcome speech is a statement that signifies a beginning of any particular event, meeting, assembly, or celebration. It is used in order to cordially greet all participants in a gathering. In addition to that, it also contains important information about a special highlight in the event.

Just like any other speech, it follows a structure. Welcome speeches are intended to raise excitement, delight, and anticipation to every person in the crowd. Its very nature is to address an audience and deliver a message that is suitable for the special occasion speech .

Download Welcome Speech Bundle

There are different kinds of speeches according to the nature of its functionality. There is persuasive speech , retirement speech , and keynote speech. All of these requires skills and confidence to be delivered in the most convincing and appealing way. Adding to the list is the welcome speech which is important to mark a beginning of an event. A speech introduction has to be brief and energetic in order not to bore the audience. The speaker needs to be lively and high-spirited as well when delivering the speech. All these are but additives and factors to create a good welcome speech.

Welcome Speech Format

Greeting : Begin with a warm greeting to the audience. Example: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” Introduction : Briefly introduce yourself, mentioning your name and role or connection to the event.

Acknowledgment

Gratitude : Express gratitude to the attendees for their presence. Example: “Thank you all for being here today.” Special Guests : If applicable, acknowledge any special guests, dignitaries, or significant participants by name or title. Organizers and Sponsors : Recognize the efforts of the event organizers, sponsors, and volunteers.

Purpose of the Event

Event Significance : Highlight the importance and purpose of the event. This can be a brief statement that encapsulates the essence of the gathering. Expectations : Share what the attendees can expect from the event, such as key speakers, activities, or outcomes.

Agenda Overview

Schedule Highlight : Provide a concise overview of the event’s agenda or key highlights without going into too much detail.

Encouragement for Participation

Engagement Request : Encourage attendees to participate actively in the event, whether through listening, asking questions, or partaking in activities. Networking Encouragement : If relevant, motivate attendees to network with each other, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.

Concluding Remarks

Warm Wishes : Conclude with warm wishes for an enjoyable and successful event. Example: “I hope you find today’s event both enlightening and enjoyable.” Closing : End with a polite closing remark. Example: “Thank you, and let’s have a wonderful time together.”

Example of Welcome Speech in English

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,   It is my absolute pleasure to welcome each and every one of you to the annual Gala Night of [Organization’s Name]. My name is [Your Name], and I am thrilled to be your host for this enchanting evening.   First and foremost, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you for joining us tonight. Your presence adds a special warmth to our gathering and makes this event even more memorable. A special welcome goes out to our distinguished guests, [Names of Special Guests], whose support and dedication to our cause have been nothing short of remarkable.   I would also like to acknowledge the incredible effort of our event organizers, volunteers, and sponsors. Without your tireless work and generous contributions, tonight’s celebration would not have been possible. Your commitment to excellence is what brings our community closer and makes events like these a resounding success.   Tonight, we are gathered here not just to celebrate, but to reaffirm our commitment to [Organization’s Mission/Objective]. Through this evening’s activities, speeches, and performances, we hope to shed light on the impact of our collective efforts and the continuing need for support.   As we move through the evening, I encourage you all to engage with one another, share stories, and enjoy the array of performances we have lined up for you. Let this night be a testament to the strength and unity of our community, as we work together towards a brighter, more promising future.   Before I conclude, let me remind you to make the most of tonight. Let’s cherish these moments of joy, celebrate our achievements, and look forward to the new opportunities that lie ahead.   Thank you once again for being here. I hope you have a wonderful time and leave tonight feeling inspired and uplifted.   Let the celebration begin!   Thank you, and enjoy your evening.

1. Welcome Speech

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2. Welcome Speech for Students

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3. Welcome Speech for Event

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5. Short Welcome Speech for an Event Example

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6. Formal Welcome Speech Example

7. Opening Welcome Speech for Event Examples

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8. Welcome Speech in English Examples

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16. Sample Welcome Speech Example

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18. Event Speech Example

How to Write a Welcome Speech

A welcome speech is a key component of any event, setting the tone and making attendees feel valued and excited for what’s to come. Here’s a guide on crafting an engaging and warm welcome speech:

• Understand the Purpose: Recognize that the primary goal is to greet guests, make them feel valued, and set a positive tone for the event.
• Know Your Audience: Tailor your speech to the interests and demographics of your audience. Understanding who they are will help you connect more effectively.
• Start with a Greeting: Open with a warm and enthusiastic greeting. Use phrases like “Good morning,” “Welcome,” or “Thank you for being here.”
• Introduce Yourself: Briefly introduce yourself, including your name and role, to establish your connection to the event or organization.
• Express Gratitude: Thank attendees for their presence. Acknowledge any special guests and express appreciation for everyone’s effort to attend.
• Highlight the Purpose of the Event: Explain the significance of the event and what attendees can expect. This gives the audience a clear understanding of the event’s objectives.
• Mention the Agenda: Briefly outline the event’s schedule or highlight key segments. This helps set expectations for the audience.
• Recognize Contributions: Acknowledge the work of organizers, sponsors, and volunteers. Highlighting their contributions fosters a sense of community and appreciation.
• Encourage Participation: Motivate the audience to engage with the event. Whether it’s listening attentively, participating in discussions, or enjoying the entertainment, encourage active participation.
• Conclude with a Warm Note: End your speech on a positive note, expressing hope for an enjoyable and meaningful experience for all attendees.

Tips for a Welcome Speech

Your welcome speech doesn’t have to be four or five pages long like some graduation speeches . Here are a few tips to write one

• Keep it short and simple: You have to make sure your audience doesn’t spend too much time listening to your words or else they will get bored. Be brief with your simple statements .
• Use proper language: Knowing your audience is very important. If the occasion is business, be formal. Be careful with your words.
• Check your vocabulary: It is a must that your words are exactly how it should be used. Never confuse the crowd. You may also see presentation speech .

Importance of Welcome Speech

Most of us have probably read or listened to a hundred or maybe thousands of speeches. That includes welcome speech outline. Maybe we can all agree here that the welcome speech sets the tone of the event. Welcome speech can be useful in many ways such as welcome speech for students , welcome speech for an event and many.

In reality, we always judge a thing by its first appearance. In the same way as in an event, we can tell how it goes by the welcoming or introductory rights. It is very important that the welcome speech template is prepared and well-versed in order to set the right expectations to the audience.

What are some lines for welcome speech?

• “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, a very warm welcome to [event/occasion].”
• “I’m delighted to see so many familiar faces and new ones in the audience today.”
• “Thank you all for joining us on this special day.”
• “It’s a pleasure to stand before you and extend a hearty welcome.”
• “I extend my warmest greetings to our distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends.”
• “We’re gathered here today to celebrate [occasion] and share in the joy of this moment.”
• “Welcome to this exciting journey that lies ahead.”
• “As we begin this [event/occasion], let’s embark on a journey of [purpose].”
• “I would like to express my deep gratitude for your presence and support.”
• “Our [event/occasion] would not be complete without each of you here.”
• “Let’s make this [event/occasion] a memorable and enjoyable experience for everyone.”
• “I hope you’re all as excited as I am for what’s in store today.”
• “The energy and enthusiasm in this room are truly contagious.”
• “To our first-time attendees, welcome to our [event/occasion] family.”
• “Get ready for a day filled with [highlights/activities] that will leave you inspired.”
• “Our goal today is to [purpose], and we couldn’t have asked for a better group to do it with.”
• “As we come together, let’s celebrate our unity and diversity.”
• “Let’s create memories that we will cherish for years to come.”
• “It’s not just an event; it’s an experience we’ll treasure.”
• “Without further ado, let’s officially kick off [event/occasion].”

FAQ’s

What do you say when welcoming guests.

When welcoming guests, express gratitude for their presence, extend a warm greeting, and convey excitement about their participation in the event. Make them feel valued and appreciated.

What do you say in a grand opening speech?

In a grand opening speech, acknowledge the significance of the occasion, thank attendees, share the purpose of the event, and express enthusiasm for the new venture or establishment.

What is a welcome address speech?

A welcome address speech is a formal or informal presentation given to greet and acknowledge the audience at the beginning of an event or gathering, expressing hospitality, gratitude, and enthusiasm.

How do you give a warm welcome speech?

To give a warm welcome speech, use a friendly and inviting tone, express gratitude for the audience’s presence, acknowledge the significance of the occasion, and convey genuine enthusiasm.

Crafting a captivating welcome speech is an art that involves understanding your audience and the purpose of the event. For additional resources on writing and delivering effective speeches, the University of Nevada, Reno’s Writing & Speaking Center offers valuable tips on speech introductions, which can be found here. These resources provide insights into creating impactful openings that capture the audience’s attention and set the stage for a successful event.

Welcome Speech Generator

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Speech on College Students

College students are on an exciting journey of self-discovery and learning. They are young adults stepping into a world full of opportunities and challenges.

You, as a college student, are not just gaining academic knowledge, but also developing life skills. You’re shaping your future while making unforgettable memories.

1-minute Speech on College Students

Ladies and Gentlemen,

College students are the bright future of our nation. They are the ones who will soon step into the world, full of dreams and ambitions. They are like young birds, ready to fly high in the sky.

College life is a crucial phase. It is a time when students learn to be independent. They make their own decisions. They choose their paths. It’s not just about books and exams, it’s also about life lessons. They learn to manage time, balance work and fun, and handle pressures.

Yet, college students also face many challenges. They deal with stress from studies, peer pressure, and the fear of the unknown future. They may feel lost and confused. It’s like standing at a crossroad, not knowing which way to go.

But, they are not alone. They have their friends, teachers, and family to guide them. They have resources, like libraries and the internet, to help them learn. They have clubs and societies to explore their interests.

In the end, college students are not just learners, they are leaders. They are the ones who will bring change. They will invent, discover, and create. They have the power to make the world a better place.

So, let’s support our college students. Let’s help them learn, grow, and achieve their dreams. Let’s believe in them, for they are our hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Also check:

• Essay on College Students
• 10-lines on College Students

2-minute Speech on College Students

We gather here today to talk about a group of people who are the backbone of our future: college students. They are the young, bright minds who will shape the world of tomorrow. They are the ones who will solve our problems and lead our society forward.

First, let’s talk about the journey of a college student. It starts with a leap of faith. Leaving the comfort of home, they step into a world of new experiences and challenges. They learn to balance studies, social life, and personal growth. They learn to handle pressure. They learn to fail, to pick themselves up, and to try again. This journey shapes them into strong, resilient individuals ready to face the world.

Next, let’s talk about the role of college students in society. They are not just learners; they are also creators. They create new ideas, new technologies, and new solutions to old problems. They are the ones who question the status quo and push the boundaries of what is possible. They are the ones who drive change and progress. They are the ones who make our world a better place.

Now, let’s talk about the challenges college students face. They face the pressure of grades, the stress of deadlines, and the anxiety of the unknown. They face the challenge of finding their path in life, of figuring out who they are and who they want to be. They face the challenge of making tough decisions and dealing with the consequences. But despite these challenges, they keep moving forward. They keep learning. They keep growing.

Lastly, let’s talk about the potential of college students. They have the potential to do great things. They have the potential to change the world. They have the potential to make a difference. They have the potential to inspire and to lead. They have the potential to create a future that is brighter, better, and more beautiful than anything we can imagine.

So, let’s celebrate college students. Let’s appreciate their hard work, their dedication, and their courage. Let’s support them in their journey. Let’s help them overcome their challenges. Let’s believe in their potential. Because they are not just college students. They are our future.

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Anchoring Script for Welcoming Guests in the Function

Whenever you have a function at your school, college, or university, the most important people who will make the function beautiful are the guests you invite. The guests can make your program charming and interesting for the audience, so they need to feel that they are special. Hence, how to warmly welcome them and introduce them to the audience. Let’s look at some good anchoring script for welcoming guests in the function.

Welcome Script 01.  Good morning/evening/afternoon to all dignitaries, guests, and delegates with great joy and immense exultation. I feel privileged to extend my warm welcome to all presented here for the celebration of Emerge [write the year here]. It has become a regular aspect and part of (insert name of your academy). Academical program to organize this emerging symposium which precedes college day function since_________.

Now, I invite Guests to today’s function with a request to come on to position and occupy the distinguished chair.

I invite (insert name of the guest) the chairperson of the__________to please come on to the stage. Two girls will go and comfort the chairperson.

We need not say about the chairperson. The whole campus is vibrating and echoes her prominence.

She taught her a humble career as a humble teacher and she rose to the position of a professor still without minding her health she showed a keen interest in the educative process.

Please give a warm welcome to__________. I request________ to offer her bouquet.

Welcome Script 02.  I am profusely elated to take this opportunity to introduce our chief guest of the day_________, the director of the________. (Add his/ her biography here)

On behalf of the management, I thank him for providing his gracious presence to join us today to enhance our joy.

Welcome Script 03.  We feel honored to have with us the honorable Chief Guest.  His Excellency Mr.________, – Sir you hardly need any introduction, you have made all of us proud of your distinguished work in numerous capacities. You are one of the most celebrated foreign service dignitaries.

Guests of Honor : Mr.________, the Pro-Vice Chairman of the School, the man of distinct vision and a fountainhead of illuminating ideas, an idol of knowledge and experience and inspiration to all of us.

Welcome Script 04.  I welcome________ honorable chief guest Mr./Ms._________. Director_______. Dearn academics_______. Vice Prinicipal_________. faculty members and participants.

I would like to request vice principal_________ sir to present flowers to the director__________. Thank you very much, sir.

I would like to request director__________ sir to present flowers to Respected chief guest________ sir. Thank you very much, sir.

Welcome Script 05.   I humbly invite_________ (also add the position here). Now I request_______ to offer bouquet to_______.

In addition, I cordially invite Mr./Ms.________ the principal of the college to occupy his honorable chair on the stage. Now I request______ to offer bouquet to_______.

Welcome Script 06. Good [morning/afternoon/evening] ladies and gentlemen! It is with immense pleasure that I extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you gathered here today. We are truly privileged to have a distinguished personality amongst us, someone whose presence adds immense value to our event.

Without further ado, let me introduce our esteemed chief guest for the day, [Name], the [designation] of [Organization/Institution]. [Name] is an individual of remarkable achievements and a source of inspiration for many. [Briefly mention key accomplishments and contributions].

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to [Name] for gracing us with their presence today. Your presence has elevated the significance of this occasion, and we are truly honored to have you here.

I would also like to acknowledge the presence of our Guest of Honor, [Name], the Pro-Vice Chairman of [School/Institution]. [Name] is a person of extraordinary vision, a beacon of knowledge, and a source of inspiration for all of us. His dedication and commitment to [mention any specific contributions] have truly set a benchmark for excellence.

Once again, a warm welcome to our chief guest, [Name], and our esteemed Guests of Honor, [Name]. We are looking forward to an enlightening and memorable event ahead. Thank you.

• Best ideas on how to arrange and organize school or college functions
• How to Start a Welcome Speech in English with a Sample

Expressions to invite the guests onto the stage:

• I consider it a great honor to welcome Mr./Ms/Sri/Smt/Dr./Prof  _______________ onto the stage.
• May I Invite the chief guest Mr./Ms/Sir/Smt/Dr./Prof  __________________ on the stage?
• The next dignitary to honor us with his/her presence is. Mr./Ms/Sir/Smt/Dr./Prof __________.
• I am glad to invite Mr./Ms/Sir/Smt/Dr./Prof_______________________ On to the stage.
• It will now be the turn of _____________________ to come onto the stage.
• I request Mr./Ms/Sir/Smt/Dr./Prof_________________________ to grace the stage.
• Next, we look forward to the presence of ___________________ on the stage.
• It is my privilege to invite Mr./Ms/Sir/Smt/Dr./Prof ____________________ onto the stage.
• With equal pleasure invite______________ on to the stage.

• How to Introduce and Honor Chief Guest in a Function
• How to Give Welcome Remarks in English

The comparing script for welcoming guests mentioned above will make your guest feel special and comfortable.

Was the article helpful? Feel free to write your views about the article in the comment box below. Moreover, if you need any kind of script don’t hesitate to contact us or write in the comment box.

If you need the complete and more relevant scripts to host different kinds of functions and events. Please check the following E-book which is covered with 150+ titles and scripts.

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You are welcome Nelson. And thanks for the appreciation.

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Indian Republic Day is on 26th January and the anchoring script will be published until that time.

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Hi, Please check ou this page:

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Messages to the Community

Welcome to the new semester, a message from dr. dwight a. mcbride, president and university professor.

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

Let me begin by wishing each of you a very happy New Year! I hope that your holiday season, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, provided some respite and time with loved ones.

I appreciate that you’ve had a lot of information to digest to prepare for this spring semester, and there will be more to come in the days ahead, so my message today will be brief. I simply want to express a warm and enthusiastic welcome as we begin this new term together. I’m glad you are here, and I hope you have an amazing semester filled with accomplishment and community engagement.

A special welcome goes out to those students, faculty, and staff members who have just recently joined us at The New School. And I send a shout across the ocean to our colleagues and students at Parsons Paris: Bonjour et bienvenue au nouveau semestre!

Thank you  all for your flexibility and cooperation with the necessary shifts and protocols that will allow us to fulfill our academic mission and prioritize community health. New information about COVID-19 will continue to shape how we design and use spaces, provide services, convene and engage with each other, and conduct ourselves in public settings. We will need to remain vigilant and adaptable. 

We are powered by the extraordinary scholarship and creativity across all parts of The New School. We are also energized not only by our legacy, but also by our aspirations and potential as an institution: to be a higher education leader for equity, inclusion, and social justice; to actively engage in civic and cultural life beyond our campus; to achieve the highest standards of service and support for our students; and to become an even more academically and operationally integrated university. 

I know we will accomplish many great things together this semester. And I look forward to experiencing, engaging in, and celebrating with you the ideas, initiatives, solutions, and breakthroughs to come at The New School.

Onward and upward!

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EVENTS & ENTERTAINING

Food & drink, relationships & family, welcome ideas for a graduation speech, more articles.

• How to Write a Farewell Graduation Speech
• How to Write a Congratulatory Note to a High School Graduate

Christian Graduation Party Ideas

How to Phrase Graduation Announcements

Creative Graduation Ceremony Ideas

Earning a role as a speaker at a graduation ceremony is an honor, whether you're the principal, a faculty member, a student or the official commencement speaker. The commencement ceremony is one that graduates and their families will remember, so you want your speech to be inspirational and memorable. You should start your speech by extending a welcome, which you can do in several ways.

Inclusive Welcome

Although the focus of the graduation ceremony is, of course, on the students who are graduating, you can extend a welcome to everyone in attendance, from the graduates and faculty members to other students to family and friends in the audience. Kick off your speech by addressing each of these groups by name and briefly discussing the significance of the event. This welcome idea brings all of the groups in attendance together in celebration of the graduation.

Support Network Welcome

Everyone in attendance knows that the graduates are the focus of the commencement ceremony. What they might forget, however, is the support that family and friends have provided to the graduates to help them earn their diplomas or degrees. Take time in your opening remarks to welcome, in particular, the supportive family and friends of the graduates who played an integral role in shaping the graduates' success. Note the many ways they have offered their support, such as financially or by helping students with class assignments.

Graduate-Focused Welcome

If you're a student speaking at the graduation, you have enough knowledge of your fellow graduates to focus your welcoming remarks on them. Use inclusive first-person language to address your fellow graduates and reflect on how far you have come together since you started school. Reflect on shared experiences that you had. Though you do not directly address the assembled guests in these welcoming comments, they will enjoy hearing about the growth you have experienced as students.

Anecdotal Welcome

An anecdotal welcome works well for a small graduation ceremony in which you can find a common thread among students, faculty and audience members. If you are closely connected to the graduates, you can tell a story about their time as students, their achievements or the strides they have made since enrolling. Your speech can be anything from humorous to sentimental and should be able to engage the audience as well as the graduates.

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Barbie Carpenter worked as a technical writer and editor in the defense industry for six years. She also served as a newspaper feature page editor and nationally syndicated columnist for the Hearst Corp. Carpenter holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from the University of Florida and a graduate certificate in professional writing from the University of Central Florida.

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Welcome Speech For College Function - 10 Lines, Short and Long Speech

Welcome speech for college function.

At the event's start, the show's host will give a welcome speech and thank the guests for attending the event. A welcome speech should make everyone in attendance feel that more has happened because of their presence. Such a speech sets the mood, so the speaker should address the audience in a welcoming and warm-hearted spirit. The speaker should be engaging, and the words should be pleasing. The goal is for the audience to hear with all ears right from the start.

10 Lines On Welcome Speech For College Function

Welcome teachers, parents and our dear students to Kalinga Institute Of Industrial Technology, Bhubaneswar on our 50th annual college function.

Today with full pomp and gaiety we welcome you all for celebrating with us the 25th annual college function with the presence of our honourable founder Dr Achutya Samantha sir.

Today is the day to award awards and medals to all children who have been recognized for their talents throughout the year and have demonstrated their skills in various competitions at the school or inter-school level.

With that, I request our founder sir to kindly light the candle and start the function.

The whole educational process is incomplete without developing their talents. Once a year, we recognize this need and have designed our annual program to ensure that skills such as the arts are noticed.

We all have been waiting for this day as on this day the students of KIIT display their enormous talents in front of us.

Students have worked really hard in the last few months to celebrate our 50th college function.

Our tireless efforts to consistently deliver superior performance have yielded great results.

We won't keep you waiting. We leave behind a colourful and vibrant stage that fills us with laughter and fun.

I won't keep you waiting. It leaves a colourful and vibrant stage filled with laughter and fun.

Short Welcome Speech For College Function

Serving over 27,000 students through 19 schools, our college KIIT university was established in the year 1992. KIIT exists thanks to the vision of its founder, Professor Achyuta Samanta. He had no state and limited finances. In addition to global recognition and educational excellence, KIIT offers the best possible academic and non-academic development and empowerment, enabling them to become global citizens and make a difference in the global workplace.

About The Day

I hope you are all looking forward to the beautiful performances of our dear students. This day is special for all founders and people involved with this Institute. Today marks the 25th year, and 24 years have ended successfully. It feels like it was yesterday that we started this venture, but today we can proudly say that our Institute has reached great heights.

About The Institute

The Institute was established to provide quality education to students and help them achieve their career goals. Over the past 25 years, we have been honoured to have adhered to our principles and provided our students with a quality education and a friendly environment.

Therefore, to celebrate our victories and recognize the hard work of our students, we have celebrated our annual event with great enthusiasm and show. Everyone, from administration to students, is looking forward to this auspicious day when the entire institute unit will come together to celebrate the success of our Institute.

Long Welcome Speech For College Function

It is my great honour to have the opportunity to address you at this critical time as we celebrate our 23rd college annual day today. I am honoured to give a welcome speech at this annual college event of our esteemed college, KIIT University.

Founded in 1992 and opened five years later as a centre for higher education, KIIT is now one of the most prestigious universities in India. His commitment to excellence in education led to the awarding of university status by the Government Human Resources Development Office under Section 3 of the UGC Act of 1956. Established in India in 2004 and based in just seven years. KIIT is relatively young, but we value excellence and ambition. The contributions of KIIT faculty, staff, students, and alumni are recognized nationally and internationally.

Talking about today- children are the future of our country and nation. They can grow up to achieve great success, fame, and high human values. Education does not take place within the four walls of a classroom. You are lucky to have teachers and trainers who recognize this. Indeed, one of the joys of teaching is unleashing creativity, academics, and athleticism in students.

About The Chiefguest

Today we all gather here on this annual day to inspire young minds to display their talents. This is a significant opportunity for everyone. That being said, the celebration highlights the college’s continued success in education. And this platform is also an opportunity to say hello to tonight's primary guest.

I, [Name] of Grade XII (B), am pleased to moderate today's program which I am sure you all are looking forward to. This event is a valid showcase of the achievements and talents of this school and is decidedly unique. We are also very proud to welcome Ms [ name] as the primary guest at our school closure celebration.

Her achievements in the field of science are admirable, and I am impressed by her dedication to working for the advancement of vulnerable groups, especially disadvantaged children. Madam, we are genuinely fascinated by your personality. Like you, I sincerely hope we will make your country proud through your noble deeds. I am delighted. We are sure that you will have the best time here.

These students are the epitome of talent and creativity. Whether we are talking about sports, dancing, singing, etc., our college keeps up, and our students do it all year after year. Our students have worked hard for their achievements. I wish them the best in their efforts today. Our Principal, Vice Principal and teachers are proud to have received awards and rewards from outside the school. The zone has represented educational institutions at various levels across the country.

An awards ceremony will be held at the end to recognize and celebrate the efforts of those who contributed in some way to the school, as well as some spectacular performances by the students. Their actions should not go unnoticed. It is time to celebrate their victories and the endless glory of our school.

Applications for Admissions are open.

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Student Development Message: “Welcome Back. We’ve Got This!”

Aug. 17, 2020

Dear Billiken Companions, 

Over the last week or so, the campus has come alive again. We’ve been welcoming you (new Bills) and welcoming you back (returning Bills). And it has been so good to see your smiling eyes above your face masks! As we restart on-campus learning for the fall, I wanted to take a moment to issue a friendly challenge, to share some important reminders and priorities, and to wish you a smooth start to the new academic year. (Apologies for the length of the message … I’ve just really missed you, and I’ve been saving up!) 

First, the challenge . . . As I am sure you have heard, there are lots of folks around the country who expect on-campus education to fail this fall. People think there’s no way a college campus can contain the spread of COVID-19 and avoid massive outbreaks that send us all back to online learning. In particular, “they” doubt you. “They” are sure you will put parties ahead of purpose, socializing ahead of social commitment. “They” think there’s no way we can make it all the way to Thanksgiving break before we send everyone home again.

And here’s something else: sometimes, “they” might even  be   you ! Sometimes, “they” are  me . When I am feeling overwhelmed by how many safeguards we must have in place this fall, and what they mean for how we do this thing we care so much about, I can succumb to fear and worry. I can forget that there are plenty of folks around campus who may not abide by the public health safeguards we’ve committed to, and many of those folks aren’t students! 

The truth is, every member of this campus community has a responsibility to keep it safe and to make it possible for us to safely stay on campus this fall. Because there are more students on campus than staff and faculty, you’ll be more visible. But know the burden isn’t yours alone. I am here to carry it with you. All staff, faculty, and administrators should be, as well, since this is our common home. 

You have a deep commitment to being persons for others, and you know - even better than the rest of us - that this commitment is what honoring campus safeguards is all about. And if you see others -- including staff, faculty, and other students -- who are at risk of proving the skeptics right, offer a gentle nudge. Most of us want to do the right things, but we sometimes forget. I’ve been thinking of this not as “policing others” but more as “encouraging others.” I’m grateful when someone encourages me. 

Second, about those safeguards . . . I want to take a moment to recognize that the safeguards we need in place this fall are going to challenge us all. They are challenging me, and they will continue to do so. On paper, the safeguards seem easy enough –– wear a mask, keep your distance, wash your hands, etc. –– but the truth is we don’t live our lives on paper. In the real world, we find ourselves in situations where there can be more gray than black and white. And sometimes, the way we write policies can lead to more confusion, not less, and my goal today is to help resolve any confusion. Most students truly want to do the right thing, understand the importance of the safeguards, and are committed to following them -- but sometimes there are nuances in the gap between words in a policy and the lived reality on the ground.

For instance, what happens when you’re walking outdoors alone with your mask off (allowed under the University’s Interim Face Mask Policy  if  you are assured of 6 feet or more between you and others at all times), but find yourself on the sidewalk between classes, when there are many more people on the sidewalks?  (put your mask on and leave some space as best you can)  What if you’re going for a walk outside with friends, do you all really need to wear your masks then?  (yes; it’s just too hard to stay 6 feet apart from those we’re socializing with!)  And if the science suggests a “close contact” is someone exposed to someone with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more, closer than 6 feet, with masks off, does that mean it’s okay to be up close without masks for 14 minutes? 12 minutes? 6 minutes? ( no; we want to do everything we can to reduce risk, and having everyone follow all the safeguards all the time is key)  One important thing I’ve been trying to remember is that the safeguards work together; we practice each one  in addition to the others , not one at a time. 

The truth is, we are all learning new ways of being in community, and we’ll keep learning all semester. We all will struggle to resist the default of physical hugs and high fives, to sitting right next to someone on the steps of a building, to walking out of our rooms with our masks off. That’s muscle memory. We did those things much longer than we’ve done these.

Below this message, I offer some brief reminders of our key safeguards, as well as a few tips for navigating more ambiguous situations. You can review the full list of campus safeguards here and in the  Campus Commitment  you have (hopefully!) signed as a promise to do your part.

Third, a few priorities for the new academic year . . . In addition to honoring our Campus Commitment to University safeguards and to “proving them wrong,” I also am asking you to do three more things: 

• Stay connected : It’s important to stay connected. This is always true, but it feels even more important during a pandemic. For starters, you or someone you know may well need to be in isolation or quarantine this fall (if you haven’t already!). That’s hard. It’s tough to not be with or see others for an extended number of days. Additionally, some of your closest friends may be learning remotely. Or you may be learning remotely. For all these reasons, I am urging you to go out of your way to stay connected. Whether through social media or text messages or old fashioned paper notes and cards - your friends need you, and you need them. Social distancing does not mean social disconnecting. I think we can make each other  feel  close, even when we can’t  stand  close. If you are struggling, please connect -- with the  University Counseling Center , with the  Dean of Students Office , with  Campus Ministry , with  Campus Recreation and Wellness , with the  Student Involvement Center , or even with me.
• Don’t make assumptions : there are lots of reasons why someone may be choosing to learn remotely this fall or arriving on campus after the start of the fall term. Don’t automatically assume they have COVID-19. And even when you know someone who has contracted COVID-19, don’t assume they did something “wrong”! We all risk exposure every time we leave our homes. Many people have contracted the virus while also doing everything they can to limit their risk. And if you are the person who has been exposed or has contracted the virus, you are just as much a member of our family as ever before.
• Keep your other commitments alive : In addition to stopping the spread of COVID-19, Billikens have all sorts of commitments they need to maintain in order to feel a sense of purpose and to live out their higher purpose and serve the greater good. I can tell you that the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped me from working to advance racial equity and dismantle institutional racism in my own sphere of influence. It hasn’t stopped me from working on ways to enhance students’ mental health and well-being here at SLU. And it hasn’t stopped me from serving others, campaigning for candidates I believe in, or reading books that challenge my worldview. I hope it won’t stop you from engaging in activities that bring you alive.
• Reframe your experience of the campus safeguards : I am grateful for Oriflamme leaders who challenged me last week to reframe how I have been thinking of the campus safeguards. One said that, instead of thinking about “putting on your mask,” you could think of it as “putting on your love for your neighbor.” Another said that, instead of grumbling about how annoying the safeguards are (especially the face mask requirement), you could think of it as honoring your commitment to others. I am deeply grateful for Oriflamme’s leadership -- on all things and especially on these ideas for reframing -- and I am accepting their challenge. I hope you also can find ways to reframe the safeguards as expressions of love rather than restrictions on autonomy. 

Returning to campus this fall is a tremendous privilege. Many undergraduate and graduate/professional students across the globe are not able to be in community on campus. But accepting the invitation to return comes with a serious responsibility. We all –– and this means me and my colleagues, too ––  we all  have to do our part. If we have any hope of staying on campus this fall, we all have to prove the critics wrong. 

It will not be easy. As I said to Oriflamme leaders a week or so ago: I am an extrovert and a Southerner. This means I not only need people … I need  to hug  people! The pandemic has definitely been a challenge for me in this regard. So if you see me out on campus, please send me an “air hug”! Even though it won’t be easy, I do think it will be worth it.

Happy that we’re a community less dispersed than we were last spring. Proud to be a member of a community that is going to prove all the nay-sayers wrong. 

Warmly, 

Debra Rudder Lohe, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) Interim Vice President for Student Development 

Campus Safeguards 

You can find the complete list of safeguards  here . Here are some key safeguards and some tips for navigating them. 

• Wear them indoors everywhere (except in your own room/apartment as long as your roommate agrees or when you’re actively eating).
• Wear them outdoors any time 6 feet of distance between you and others cannot be maintained. Most of the time, you likely will be closer to others than 6 feet and should have your mask on even outdoors. 
• Wash them frequently.
• Keep them close by, even when you’re walking around campus or sitting outdoors alone, just in case others come up to you. 

Social Distancing

• Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others everywhere, as much as possible. 
• This includes in classrooms, walking across campus, eating in the dining halls, studying in an empty classroom, walking through the library, and working out in Simon Rec.
• When walking in groups, try to stay spread out as much as possible. If entering buildings in a group, try to break into smaller groups to move through the doorways and hallways. 

Events and Meetings

• Plan to socialize outdoors as much as possible, always wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
• Events are virtual-only this fall. No in-person events are being held on campus.
• Meetings should be virtual as much as possible. Only groups of 10 people or fewer may meet in person (and even then, you may have trouble finding a room large enough to gather safely). 

Hand Hygiene and Sanitizing

• Wash your hands frequently.
• Use the hand sanitizer stations placed throughout campus.
• Use the foot pedals on the bottom of public bathroom doors to open the door with your foot after you’ve washed your hands.
• If you use a public or common area (classrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, etc.), take advantage of disinfectant spray and paper towels (if available) and wipe down the surfaces you’ve touched. 

Monitor Your Health

• Take your temperature daily if possible.
• Understand the  symptoms of COVID-19 .
• Monitor your health and share symptoms daily through the  #CampusClear app .
• Contact Student Health Center (314-977-2323) right away if you experience symptoms of COVID-19.
• Cooperate with Contact Tracers if you are contacted about potential exposure. 

A Few Other Reminders

Thanks to those who’ve already completed these important tasks. If you haven’t yet done so, please:

• Download and begin using the  #CampusClear daily symptom tracking app
• Sign SLU’s  Campus Commitment
• Complete the  Return to Campus Module

70 Short Welcome Speech Samples To Address any Event

May 1, 2024

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A big hello to my chivalrous crowd. How about that for a mind-altering beginning to Short Welcome Speech Samples ? Welcome – the most paramount gesture to make your guest feel attended and addressed and respected! Yes, the host is loaded with uncountable responsibilities to make their guests feel special and counted on. And all of it starts with a nice, heart-warming “#Velkommen” that you mark the event and tell what that day is all about. If you are preparing for an event and need someone to tell you that you are doing great, let it be you. Check on this list of Powerful Quotes to Boost Your Self Confidence , It helped me a lot, see if it could do a little magic for you as well.

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Feeling stuck and not being able to find just the right words to introduce events is so irritating that it could make you smash your own head (by personal experiences; wink). A welcome could either cheer them up or make them leave the event and rather have cozy sleep at home . Martin Luther King, in 1943, delivered a speech “I have a dream” and that still doesn’t fail to inspire people.

Short Welcome Speech Samples To Address any Event

Welcome speech for annual day.

I am extremely overwhelmed to get this opportunity to address you all on this auspicious occasion of 50th Annual day of our elite institution. Children are the future of tomorrow. All these students we witness today, receiving honours for their talents will grow up to be the responsible citizens of tomorrow. May they grow up to make us proud and achieve the highest human values.

I feel proud to be a part of such an elite institution where we are taught by such great teachers, whose teaching goes beyond the classroom. Also, they are the ones to be thanked for organizing such a huge function. We all have assembled here today, today to motivate and cherish the young minds present among us. Apart from it, this is a great occasion to welcome our Chief Guest of today.

Welcome of the Chief Guest

On behalf of the school, I welcome our chief guest Mr. James, who is a dean of the most renowned institution functioning under the government of India. She is working towards connecting young minds to strive toward success and achievement. We are grateful to him for accepting our invitation and becoming a chief guest of today’s event.

Our chief guest doesn’t require an introduction as he is a well-recognised figure in our city. She is known for his wonderful administration and high achievements of the Institution she is in charge of. Apart from this, she is a Philanthropist and renders selfless services to society. She has moulded the life of students and served people with her kindness.

We are so honoured to have her as the Chief guest for the evening. I am certain that all the parents present here are also moved and assuredly want their children to be like him.

Welcoming Parents

Parents are the world for children. Not to overlook that we are here, joined by the wonderful parents who have raised the best students this school possesses. With immense admiration and affection, we welcome all the parents who made the efforts to join this ceremony.

At last, I would like to thank all the teachers, other staff members and all the students present here to make this ceremony worthwhile.

Welcome Speech for Freshers Party

Good Morning to everyone present here!

We all have gathered here today on the occasion of a Fresher’s party. Welcoming people is part of Indian culture, followed for centuries. We maintain this custom and welcome today the fresh faces in the college with a fresher’s party.

I thank all my teachers and everyone who gave me this opportunity to welcome all my fresher’s today. It’s a moment of great pleasure for me to welcome you all.

My dear friends, studying in our institution is pure joy, the professors, students, and other staff members are an epitome of compassion and we are quite sure you will be perplexed by their sagacity.

All in all, I would like to say that you have made an absolutely secure decision to be a part of this institution. Our college welcomes all the students joining us today. I hope all of you will operate along with the values of the college and magnify its reputation at every go of life.

Now, I will halt my words and start with the programmes for the day which includes some astounding performances by the students of our college.

I guarantee, your next few hours will be delightful and memorable. Thank you for being a patient audience and hearing my thoughts.

Welcome Speech for a Farewell Party

I welcome you all on this occasion of the farewell party, for which we have assembled here today.

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who gave me this opportunity to welcome all my seniors and teachers on this memorable occasion.

School life is undoubtedly the best phase of life for everyone. Our parents, teachers and friends all have made this phase of life so memorable for us. We learned so many things, from our inspiring teachers. Made mistakes, made memories with friends, and whatnot. It was a long journey in itself.

Today marks the end of this school life of sweet and bitter moments to cherish all our lives. We do feel a touch of sadness but it is the nature of life, to move forward. So, today we will celebrate this moment with our beloved teachers and friends to bid a good farewell to all who have to leave now, with a smiling face.

Welcome Speech for College Function

Good Morning to all!

Honourable Chief Guest Mr. Swamy, Principal Sir Dr. Reddy, Staff Members, and all the students present here. I welcome you all to the annual function of our esteemed college.

My name is Lakshita Kumar, a student of B.Sc. and also a secretary of cultural programs organized under our college authority.

I feel extremely proud to announce that our elite college has completed 25 years and we all have gathered today to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the same. Behind huge success over the years are the dedicated teachers, motivated students, and helpful staff who give their best to make the college achieve great heights of success.

Also, It is a great honour for me to pronounce that today we are joined by a lady who hardly needs an introduction. She is well known for her work in educating poor children. Besides, he is a published and extensively read author of the contemporary world. (the title of his book) is one of her treasures that have gained a huge international acknowledgment.

Moreover, she is extremely loved and respected by her readers which include the youth population of the country, whom she has influenced the most with her writing. With that being said, let us call upon none other than Miss/ Mrs. (name of the chief guest).”

Welcome Speech for Teachers Day

Respected Principal Sir, Teachers and dear students!

We welcome you all today, to celebrate this auspicious occasion of teacher’s day. We celebrate teacher’s day every year on 5th September, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Teachers are our ideals. They inspire us each day and make us strive towards the route of success. They equip us with the power of knowledge and propel us with endless wisdom to become better citizens of the future.

On that note, I would now like to invite our Principal mam on the stage and to deliver her thoughts on the day.

Welcome Speech for Children’s Day

Good Morning Everyone!

We welcome all the students as we celebrate Children’s day today.

It is true, the imagination of a child is incomparable. Children are a creation of God and their smile is irresistible to not make us smile alone. Their innocence is overwhelming.

For children, school is a second home and teachers are equivalent to the parents in times when students need them the most. This day is celebrated with many events which cannot be possible without the contribution of our lovely teachers.

Thanking you all, I would like to start the events for the day without any further delay. 

It is simply not possible for everyone to come up with the right kind of words to use in a welcome speech. It is something that one has to plan and think about so that the right tone is set for the person you are welcoming to make his or her speech. Plus care has to be taken to ensure that none of the vital details are missed but at the same time, the speech cannot be too long. It is not as simple as writing a heart melting long distance relationship quote and requires a lot more consideration.

Focus on the TONE While Delivering the Introductory Speech For an Event

Understanding the basic idea and being able to think about the feel is really important in order to make the listener feel connected. Make sure they don’t yawn or even doesn’t end up rolling on the floor laughing too! Your speech should be making them feel eager to know what going to come up next. If at all it is the professional conference that you are conducting, you can’t pour in too much fun in your speech but a family function demands the same. Choosing tone and focus on how you talk to the audience will vary with the different types of event. Decide if its “Howz it going peepz?” event or “Blesses morning, ladies and gentlemen.” event. A few Maid of Honor Speeches if at all you are thinking to make the #Bigday special for your BFF.

Important Points to Consider while Giving Welcome Speech For an Event

• What is the purpose of the event and what it aims to achieve out of it? The objective, unless made clear to the audience, leaves the speech incomplete. Be specific as you introduce the event and its significance ’cause being brief helps people register it seriously. Tempting them is all you have to do and then stop – make them feel excited about the event.
• Welcome speech must address all the guests and the chief guests of the event (if any) thanking them for being present and giving the auspicious event their valuable attention.
• Make proper introductions of the Chief guests and hosts along with the motive of the function to achieve more attention and appreciation. Make sure you have all the names beforehand and you know how to pronounce them correctly.

SSS Mantra for Appreciable Hosting

Short-Simple-Sincere, it should be! The speech better not exceed a minute or two. Use simple and understandable language along with a sincere tone and vocab as to make sure your audience gets impressed by your way of expression.

4 Comments - Add Comment

Wonderful, very Nice, super…..

awesome content. really worth!

It’s really wonderful and meaningful it will help for others who is really In need……

dear sir/madam greetings.very useful tips.thank u… regs veerabadran guna

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• Welcome Speech for Conference

Welcome Speech for Conference for Students in English

A welcome speech is usually given in the beginning and guests are welcomed by giving an introduction of their names. A welcome speech for a conference is given to inaugurate an event that is held for a certain amount of time. A welcome speech for a conference should include important points like the importance of participating and what a person can gain from it.

Here, we have provided long and short welcome speeches for the conference and, along with that, we have also given 10 line pointers about the welcome speech for the conference. Students can refer to these speeches and note down all the important points which could help them to deliver a good speech.

Long Welcome Speech for Conference Delegates

Good morning to everyone present here! Thank you in advance for joining us at this 5-day International Personal Development Conference, 2021.

It is my pleasure to introduce to you all the speakers and the personality trainers who have come from all across the country today to share their knowledge and teach all the techniques to improve your personality. Today’s conference has around 5000 enthusiastic students from more than 20 schools around the country. This will make our personality development conference truly country level.

Our personality development conference was started in 2005, almost 15 years back, and it was the time when phones were first introduced in the market and the internet was a luxury for many people. So, our personality development conference was the only way students could improve their personality and make a good first impression.

Our personality development conference has come a long way since 2005. Many like us come and perish, but we have stood tall against all the challenges that we faced. We understood and adapted to the changing technological trends in the industry. From having only 25 students in 2005, we have come a long way in making this conference a huge success by having almost 5000 students participating in this 5-day conference at various schools.

We are proud to announce that we will be partnering with Vedantu to reach and teach all the students who are at home. Vedantu provides us with the platform to do so. Through Vedantu you can access our personality development course and learn all the courses that will allow the students to build a positive first impression. All you have to do is to subscribe to Vedantu on youtube or visit their official website and you can access all the courses for free. Our goal is not only to teach the 5000 students present here but to reach all the students across the country.

The main aim of the conference is to enhance your personality. The program is divided into three stages. The first stage is a group discussion, where a group consisting of 20 students will be formed. Each group will be monitored by our expert speakers that will help each student to improve their public speaking skills.

The second stage is an informative session in which tips and tricks about personality development will be shared by our personality experts. The do’s and don'ts taught by our personality expert will help the students to improve their personalities.

The third stage is about a one-on-one debate with our personality development trainers. Students will be provided with an opportunity to speak with the trainer personally and clear all their doubts. This stage is designed to help the student overcome anxiety and the fear that students might face when they speak.

The main aim of this conference is for the betterment of all the students and like every year we hope students will give the best in all the stages and overcome all their fears. Last but not the least, I would like to thank all personality development speakers, the school authorities across the country, and the Education Department of Karnataka. Without your constant support and belief through all these years, this program would not have been possible.

To conclude I wanna ask all the students to give and try their best and overcome all their fears and insecurities. I wish everyone all the best.

Short Welcome Speech for Conference Delegates

Good morning to everyone present here. I welcome you all to this 5-day conference on personality development.

It is my honour to introduce to all of you the trainers and speakers of today’s event. They have come from across the country to share their valuable knowledge of personality development. Everybody, please give a round of applause to every speaker here on the stage. So, why is this conference a big deal? Well, today’s conference includes 20 schools from all around the country and around 10,000 students participating.

In 2005, we started our journey and it has been almost 15 years; as the years passed we have accomplished greater heights and have expanded our family.  We only had 50 students when we started this conference in 2005 and now, we have more than 10,000 students participating from more than 20 schools from all around the country.

Vedantu has joined hands with us as our digital partner to help all the children to attend this conference from the comfort of their homes. All you have to do is subscribe to Vedantu on youtube or visit their official website and you can attend the conference for free.

The main aim of this program is to enhance your personality and to make you speak without fear. The program is divided into three stages. The first stage is a group discussion, the second stage is an informative talk with our personality development trainers, and the third stage is a one-on-one debate with the personality development trainers. All of these stages will assist you in facing your worries, which will help you develop your speech and listening abilities.

In conclusion, I want to ask all students to do their best to conquer all their insecurity and fear. I wish you all the best. Thank you.

10 Lines on Welcome Speech for Conference Delegates

A welcome speech for the conference is given for an event that is held for a certain amount of time.

Thank you in advance for joining the given day international conference on personality development.

We have international speakers and a personality development trainer that will share their knowledge on how to speak freely on stage without any fear.

This five-day conference on personality training has more than five thousand students from twenty schools around the country. 

Fifteen years ago, our first personality development conference was started and only twenty-five students attended during that time. After years of hard work and dedication, our programs have helped thousands of students all across the country.

We are very proud to announce that we will be partnering with Vedantu to help the program reach every student all across the country. Vedantu provides us with a platform through which students can freely access our personality development course. 

The main aim of the personality development course is to mould his or her personality.

The personality development course is divided into three stages: the group discussion which will help the students to face their biggest fear of a huge crowd.

The second stage is an interactive session in which the gurus of personality development will share the tricks on how to mould a personality to speak without fear on the stage. 

The third stage allows the person to have a one-on-one personal session with a personality development trainer.

A welcome speech for conference should be memorable enough. You can ensure the same by planning and practicing your speech in advance, speaking slowly and clearly, and engaging with your audience. While delivering the speech, also ensure you have a confident body language. You can also divide your speech into sections, keep it short, and include jokes or any personal story to prevent boredom. Using visual aids also helps. Also, refrain from making any grammatical mistakes.

FAQs on Welcome Speech for Conference

1. What phrases can be used for welcome speech for a conference?

Here's a hearty welcome, big and warm enough to surround you all!

To say we are excited to see you is an understatement."

"It's my happiness to extend a friendly welcome to you all!

Your presence makes us very happy."

Glad to welcome you. 

Generous welcome. 

Gracious welcome. 

Respectful welcome.

2. How to prepare a speech for a conference?

There are a number of things that you need to consider when preparing a presentation. It includes the aim of the presentation, the subject matter, the audience, the venue or place, the time of day, and the length of the talk.

3. What things should be considered while delivering a speech for conference?

Use your voice expressively and meaningfully.

Minimize the uhs, ums, likes and y'knows.

Enunciate words clearly. Don't mumble or garble them.

Speak with appropriate loudness and speed. Consider the audience, place and topic.

Use variations in speed, inflexions, and force to enhance your meaning and hold the audience attention.

4. How to finish your speech for conference?

Use your conclusions as an opportunity to summarize the gist of your speech. 

Do not repeat important points word for word. Instead, paraphrase the important issues and discussions you have just presented.

Consider ending the speech with an additional anecdote or quote that captures the topic of the speech.

This Is What The Perfect Piano Recital Welcome Speech Looks Like

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Your spring piano recital is one of only a handful of times when your entire studio population is gathered under one roof. Taking full advantage of this captive audience and delivering a brilliant recital welcome speech can accelerate your studio growth and contribute to a long, full, and healthy musical career.

But what does a brilliant welcome speech look like? In today’s post, we’re sharing the six components of a “pitch-perfect” recital welcome speech, followed by an actual welcome speech transcript that you can adapt for your own recital.

How To Build The “Perfect Recital Welcome Speech”

Below I have highlighted the six building blocks that make up a “perfect piano recital welcome speech”. At the bottom of the post please share your thoughts on your own welcome speeches and add anything we may have missed.

Building Block 1 – Set The Stage

After welcoming everyone to your recital, you’ll want to immediately let people know that there will be students of many different ages, working at many different levels.

In doing this, you keep your audience’s expectations in check. Some audience members may assume that every child to grace the stage will be a mini-Mozart. But, as this may not be the reality in your studio, it’s a good idea to set the record straight in terms.

Bringing attention to the variety of students in your piano studio has a second purpose as well. It lets the parents in your audience see what their children can become and reminds them of where their children used to be. A reminder of progress does wonders for student retention and parental satisfaction.

Building Block 2 – Gush About Your Students

Next up, you’ll want to gush to about your piano students. Use this opportunity to highlight all of the accomplishments that have occurred in your studio over the course of the year. But be sure to keep this studio specific, rather than student centered. For example, you’ll want to say something like, “The children in my studio completed 357 pieces this year!” as opposed to, “Sarah earned a silver medal in her Grade 6 exam”.

Building Block 3 – Gush About Your Studio

While your gushing about your students, you’ll want to make sure that your “gushes” include references to the awesome things that have happened in your piano studio over the course of the year. People lead very busy lives these days so they can be forgiven if they don’t remember your practice incentives during the fall or your CD release parties at Christmas.

And, even if they do remember what has happened over the course of the year, listing off an array of activities in rapid fire will be impressive… and make you look awesome!

Building Block 4 – Gush About Your Studio Parents

After gushing about your students, go ahead and gush about their parents as well. Use your piano recital welcome speech to remind them of how appreciative you are of their decision to make music a part of their children’s lives; recognize their commitment to music.

This could be the most important aspect of any welcome speech because, if carefully crafted, your appreciation can be used to highlight the importance of music in the lives of children … and ensure an incredible re-registration rate.

Building Block 5 – Gush About Your Students… Again

If you want to really impress your studio parents, remind them of how proud you are of their children for simply having the courage to get up on stage and perform music for an audience.

Whenever I deliver this line at my recitals I can see genuine nods of approval in the audience. The thought of performing in public is terrifying to most adults. When you bring this to their attention, they will be that much more appreciative of the efforts your piano students are making and understanding of nervous slip-ups that might occur.

And, most importantly, they will see that music lessons can have incredible value in the lives of their children, beyond the learning of music itself… which once again, will result in more piano students coming back year after year after year.

Building Block 6 – Keep The Audience In Their Seats

After reminding your audience of the courage your piano students are about to show, it’s time to hit them with the big one, “Don’t leave this recital early!” Of course, I would never phrase it like that in a million years, but as you’ll see below, I have an effective way of communicating my point and ensuring a full recital even as the last note is played.

First impressions are important… but so are last impressions. If you’re hoping to have strong re-registration rates and a growing and thriving studio, you do not want parents to leave with an image of a half-empty concert hall. Even if it was packed to begin with, that half-empty image will be burned in their minds, making your studio seem small and not particularly popular.

A Piano Recital Welcome Speech

Below is a sample, fictitious welcome speech that you can use to guide the writing of your own speech. The recital speech below can be delivered in less than five minutes. Five minutes doesn’t seem like long but when you’re up in front of an audience time does slow down. If you do not think that your public speaking skills can engage an audience for this amount of time, chop this speech down to its absolute most important components.

Hello everyone and welcome to our spring recital. I’m so happy to see everyone here today; moms, dads, grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins and friends… We have a wonderful line up of performers to entertain you.

Today is a celebration; it’s the very first recital for some students… and it’s the 15th recital for others! Our recital will showcase a wide variety of levels from young beginners right through to advanced students. This variety gives older students the opportunity to remember what it was like to be a beginner, and younger students the chance to see what their hard work will enable them to accomplish in the future!

I feel so fortunate to teach such a special group of students. This past year has been full of learning, progress, and accomplishments. I just added up the numbers last night, and students in this studio have completed over 300 pieces this year! Perhaps even more impressive is that every student has composed at least 4 original pieces of their own!

As you probably know, our studio was a very busy place this year – we held several fun practice incentive events including our very popular E-Fish-Ent Practice and Wild West events. Students had so much fun with weekly piano theory games and with the improv activities we introduced this year.

We also just recently completed our CD project where students recorded their favorite pieces from the year. Students can look forward to taking their own personal CD home at the last lesson before the summer break!

In addition to all of the wonderful accomplishments during lesson time, our studio has also been active beyond the studio… even helping to raise over $500 for local families. We’ve had many students complete their piano and theory exams with wonderful results. Students also participated in our local music festival and performed in their school talent shows. Each and every child here today has shown incredible growth and progress and they should feel very proud of what they have achieved.

Today, we are not only celebrating the fact that your children are learning to play the piano, but that they are willing to share this gift with others. It is not an easy task to come up here on stage and perform, and the confidence that these children are building by learning to do this from a young age is so valuable.

Finally, I’d like to take a moment to thank the parents. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to get to know your children and to work with them each and every week; they continue to amaze me with their intelligence, their energy and their sense of humor. Thank you for recognizing the value of music in the life of a child. Thank you for the time you invest in supporting your child at home… and thank you for including me as a part of your child’s musical education.

Before we begin, I’d like to remind you that students placed at the end of the recital program have worked just as hard to prepare their performances as have students placed at the start. I would ask that you remain until the end of the program to ensure that all of these wonderful children experience the supportive and full audience that they deserve.

And now we’re ready to begin!

After Delivering This Welcome Speech…

Help your teen beginners amaze the audience with the pop-rock duets from WunderKeys Rock Repertoire for Teen Beginners! Designed to motivate your teens to participate happily in your recitals, these pieces are crowd-pleasers that will get noticed! Find Books 1 and 2 on Amazon and listen to sound samples below.

77 Responses to This Is What The Perfect Piano Recital Welcome Speech Looks Like

March 11, 2016 at 4:14 am

I love this post! Talking at my recitals is my least favorite thing about being a piano teacher and now I have a done for me script! All I have to do is fill opinion the blanks with my own student’s accomplishments. Thanks so much for sharing this.

March 11, 2016 at 8:30 am

Hi Denise – So glad it was helpful and yes, feel free to just fill in the blanks and use it as you like! 🙂

March 11, 2016 at 4:41 am

Thank you so much for sharing these inspiring ideas. I feel like I say the same things every year in my welcome speech and look forward to using your new ideas!

March 11, 2016 at 8:31 am

Hi Leigh – Funny story… my own piano teacher would read the exact same script every single recital (even written on the same piece of paper). By the time I’d been with her for 12+ years my family found it hard not to giggle 😉 Happy to provide you with some fresh ideas!

March 11, 2016 at 4:45 am

Thanks for the post. Big Help. I have no time to give thought to what is important to say in a welcome speech. Thanks.

Wonderful! Thanks for reading Mara!

March 11, 2016 at 4:47 am

I loved this article too! I would like to share how I keep my parents in their seats until the end – I give ‘recital certificates of accomplishment’ at the end and do a group photo which I put up in the studio. Which student wants to attend and then not have recognition at the end with a certificate and be part of the ‘big picture’. I have a large number of students in my studio, with three one-hour recitals each Christmastime (all on the same afternoon), and I always have everyone staying to the end of their session. I also give a very small gift (dollar store or pound store value) to those that perform and they don’t get it until they come up for their certificate of accomplishment. I have agonised over this for many years and I guess this now works for me…!

March 11, 2016 at 6:24 am

Maggie, do you have a pre-printed certificate of accomplishment that you purchase, or do you design your own? I like the idea of a recital certificate – I haven’t done this before, but would like to do it.

April 12, 2016 at 10:55 pm

Hi Janice I’m not too computer savvy so I order my piano certificates on line. Musical Treasures has some or Schaum piano has some too. They’re reasonably priced. I also give everyone an award ribbon that says performance or achievement on it. I list what number recital it is for each student. and give them out at the end and have students come up by year of recital. Any seniors in HS get special recognition and special gift. Keyboard/piano necktie for boys, piano keychain etc.

April 13, 2016 at 11:26 am

Janice we have a set of free ones that you receive when you subscribe to TeachPianoToday.com! If you are already a subscriber just email me and I’ll get them to you 🙂

March 11, 2016 at 7:29 am

I also have a group photo at the end of the recital. I’m always amazed at the number of parents lining up with their cameras! I display this photo in frame in my studio all year long. Students love to look for themselves in the photo. It’s also nice for prospective parents to see when they come for a first interview. I think it helps for the students to feel like they are all part of something bigger, similar to being on a sports team!

November 8, 2018 at 8:02 am

Kristi, I love the idea of displaying the group photo!!!! Every year we take them but I just put them in with the years activities in a folder and there they sit. And I’m a photographer……….Why I didn’t think to do this is crazy! Thank you, Thank you!!!!!!I

One year at our Spring recital I took pictures of the students playing, edited them, added the date, framed them ($1 store frames) and that was their year end gift. They were a hit!

March 11, 2016 at 8:32 am

A group photo is a great way to “keep ’em in their seats” until the last performer too! Thanks for sharing Maggie!

March 11, 2016 at 2:59 pm

Maggie and Kirsti, how does it work with the younger children to do a group photo at the end? I like this idea, but I have always done a group photo before the recital (have them arrive 15 minutes early) because I’m afraid that the younger children will be too tired by the end that the picture won’t come out nicely.

March 11, 2016 at 5:13 am

I used to feel very frazzled trying to talk and be the “host” for the evening while simultaneously the backstage organizer and accompanist. My last recital I “employed” a new MC–my awesome hubby, an Air Force Colonel who is very comfortable commanding an audience. I wrote out exactly what I wanted to say and when, and he did such a great job. That took the pressure off me so I was able to concentrate on my students! I also “employed” a couple of my teen students to help keep my little Wunderkeys students in step. Delegating some responsibility was my best choice ever and I will never go back!

March 11, 2016 at 8:33 am

Great idea Natalie – it’s always a good plan to eliminate what’s not working for you or not making you happy – thanks for sharing your solution!

March 11, 2016 at 5:18 am

I really like your ideas! However, I , personally, think the speech is a bit long to open a recital. I dont say anything at the beginning.. lights go down and the show begins! I have a big Finale that includes several students, so I rarely have anyone leave early. I do talk at the conclusion and include a lot of what you said. I also present awards at the conclusion.

March 11, 2016 at 8:34 am

Hi Sabrina – Thanks for sharing your take! I’ve always liked to open with something so people have a chance to settle into the occasion (quiet their smaller children, stop shuffling programs etc.) This speech takes about 3-4 minutes so it might seem longer written out than it does to listen to it 🙂

October 24, 2017 at 8:15 pm

I appreciate what you’ve written and also this comment. I keep my intro very very short and sweet. However, I have a very long program in at the beginning of the program I write most of what you’ve written here for people to read. At the moment everyone is so caught up in what’s about to happen, that they might not hear what you’re saying. However, they take the program home and they may read later what you’ve written.

November 8, 2018 at 8:01 am

I am in the “short & sweet” speech opener camp, too! But I’ve worked on projecting my voice and looking/sounding very confident. Sometimes I think they just remember the overall tone & impression the most. And I always appreciate when I am attending something and the intro speech is not long-winded, too!

March 11, 2016 at 5:24 am

Once again you have hit it out of the park! I often feel like you are both on my staff of my studio because the reality is that you would be exactly who I would hire to work full time for me! Thank you so very much for your passion, innovation and willingness to share it all!

March 11, 2016 at 8:35 am

You’re so sweet Maria – thank you! Happy to be on your “staff” 😉

March 11, 2016 at 5:30 am

What a warm and encouraging greeting to kick-start a recital! Mine are called “Family Gatherings” and these opening guidelines are just what I needed. Thanks, Trevor and Andrea!

I like to create that atmosphere too Diana – glad you can use it!

March 11, 2016 at 5:34 am

I LOVE this! This year, I have delegated a student who is accomplished at oral interpretation to start the show with the story of “The Pop Waltz Prophecy.” That will be the theme of the show, with narratives all the way through. Three students will be performing pieces from the book, while others will perform a variety of works that we will weave into the narrative. We always have cake and socialization afterward, with parents participating in bringing food, helping with set-up and clean-up, etc. I’m going to add elements from your opening speech this year! Thanks for all the great ideas.

March 11, 2016 at 11:10 am

Hi Karen! We’ve heard of Nuts About Note Reading, Fearless Fortissimo and Mutterwump recitals but not yet a PopWaltz one! A world-premiere event 🙂 Sounds amazing. We’d love to see pictures/videos if you get a chance.

March 11, 2016 at 5:55 am

This is perfect – thank you! You’ve added several elements that I have overlooked in my standard welcome speech. I use the post recital speech to recognize each student Individually, and point out their personal accomplishments, which is another opportunity to gush about them and illustrate what I’ve taught.

March 11, 2016 at 11:09 am

Happy to hear it Andrea (and great name by the way 😉 ) Yes, a post-recital speech is also a great way to recognize individuals, hand out awards etc. The more you can show when you have a captive audience the better!

March 11, 2016 at 6:01 am

This June I will be giving my first music recital at my studio…!! This is exactly what I needed to know for my intro/ welcome speech! Thanks for your all beneficial blogs!

March 11, 2016 at 11:08 am

Yippee! A first recital 🙂

March 11, 2016 at 6:02 am

This is wonderful and my piano recital is this Sunday. Perfect. I have been searching for something to say but this is the best. I hate talking at the recitals and never know what to say.

March 11, 2016 at 6:25 am

Speaking at the beginning of the recital is my LEAST favorite thing to do. I never knew what to say! Now I do! Thanks so much!

Happy to make it a bit easier for you Brecklyn – not everyone likes public speaking but having a solid plan (and even a script) really does help 🙂

May 10, 2021 at 7:00 am

Hey everyone! I’ve been teaching for 37 years and my least favorite part of the year is the opening recital speech. Haha! I will tell you, it does get easier. Keep pressing on! I have a printout of everything I want to say but only glance at it every little bit to make sure I don’t leave out anything important. Before each performance I do talk about ALL student accomplishments throughout the year whether it’s accomplishments in the studio, band, school, other interests, pets, camps & vacations. I think it helps the audience connect with the students and look forward the their performance instead of staring at their watches and waiting for “their child to perform”. Many, many parents have told me over the years how much they enjoy hearing about the student and their interests and accomplishments before they play. This introduction also allows the student to place their music and get comfortable on the piano bench or at the music stand without everyone staring at them in silence. Also, my students dress smart-casual to dressy. I want them to feel like this is a special moment! But, at the same time, we laugh and have a great time during recital. Don’t be “too stiff” or “too formal”. Enjoy this time with your students and their parents!! At the end we present trophies. As they receive their trophy I tell them where to stand (which I have thought about beforehand). I have the older students come up first and put them on the top of the stairs, then I have the younger/shorter students stand on the stair steps in front of them. When we’re finished handing out trophies, everyone is already positioned for a great group shot. I stand top/center and then we all smile (or sometimes laugh) for about a minute while all the parents take their snapshots! It’s great!! Best of luck to everyone on your recitals!

May 12, 2021 at 9:16 pm

Lovely comments Michelle! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂

March 11, 2016 at 6:27 am

I was so grateful to receive this! I held a recital last Sunday and my opening welcome was lacking… I was trying to keep it short. Another group of my students will perform this Sunday and I’ll be incorporating several of these points into my welcome. Thank you much!

March 11, 2016 at 11:07 am

You’re so welcome Linda! Best of luck on Sunday 🙂

March 11, 2016 at 7:03 am

This is SPOT ON! Love the suggestions. I have delivered about a million pre-recital and post- recital speeches, but will be drawing from these suggestions this year. Thank you!

You’re a seasoned pro Patsy! Hope this adds a little something different to what I’m sure you’ve already perfected 🙂

March 11, 2016 at 7:10 am

What a great post! This gives me even more positive things to say than my standard, “Thanks for coming” speech. I’d like to add another idea which you guys suggested some time back. I love to give away a gift basket at the end of my recital, donated by a local business! This also helps to keep families until the end! I just approach a couple of local businesses and ask if they would like to provide a giveaway for my event, and this adds even more excitement to my recitals!

March 11, 2016 at 11:06 am

This is a very cool idea Debbie! Thanks for sharing.

March 11, 2016 at 7:18 am

Thanks for this wonderful article! This is one thing I struggle with, and generally muddle through, and reading this will really help me, the next time my students have a recital.

Happy to hear it Anita! We piano teachers wear many hats and they aren’t always ones we like to wear! Public speaking can really be a challenge for some, but I’ve always found that having a solid plan of what to say really helps 🙂

March 11, 2016 at 7:30 am

I love all the ideas and thought going into this speech; I too, keep mine a bit shorter but it is inspired by the same ideology. One thing that I do that I have found effective is to have all my students stand at the beginning (they are seated in the front of the auditorium in performance order), I have them stand and turn around to face the audience and ask for thunderous applause for all their hard work throughout the year emphasizing that they are already successful because they are here and they deserve congratulations before they play. 🙂 It goes over well!!!

March 11, 2016 at 11:05 am

Love this! Thanks for sharing 🙂

October 24, 2017 at 8:18 pm

Awesome idea!

March 11, 2016 at 7:38 am

I’m curious if other teachers perform solos at their recitals. I taught at a studio where we were expected to perform a piece at at least one recital each year…..

March 11, 2016 at 6:39 pm

In addition to my teaching “hat”, I also wear a “collaborative pianist” hat, so in my recitals, I always invite a guest artist in and we perform something together. I am fortunate to have quite a few musician parents in my studio, so it’s been fun to include them as the guest artist. I think it’s also important for my students to see me playing piano – something I love – and to discover that collaborating with other musicians is an excellent aspect of being a pianist! In fact, at my spring recital, I’m inviting my students themselves to be the guest artists. Many of my students play a band instrument as well, so my more advanced students will be learning the art of collaborating with them.

April 22, 2017 at 10:40 pm

To make my piano recitals entertaining (and memorable) for families and students, I play a ragtime piano piece on the piano while my brother juggles up to 5 balls in the middle of the recital: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDAEYw-wXco&list=PLQugnKCF3WINetfIgNQcjBhW0MNjfl1P9&index=1

I also try to get siblings who may play a different instrument involved to incorporate other instruments into the spring recital, plus I write a few original compositions for the recital each year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_THCBf4_D5Y&list=PLQugnKCF3WINetfIgNQcjBhW0MNjfl1P9&index=2

March 11, 2016 at 7:58 am

I’ve never had trouble keeping families around for the entire recital. They know it’s expected. Also, I often mix up the order of performances so that no one knows exactly when they will be performing. In 2 weeks, my recital is called Musical Movies! There will be a box of trivia questions about each of the 34 movie themes. As the questions are drawn and answered, the student with the song matching that trivia question will perform.

I can’t thank you enough for your wonderful and generous help. It has transformed the way I teach. Thanks a million!

Hi Gaylinn – Have fun at your upcoming recital it sounds like an awesome theme!

March 11, 2016 at 8:02 am

Wonderful ideas from all of you! Thank you! I like the idea of breaking the tension with applause before the Recital begins. I will have them stand and share their combined total of pieces they’ve learned since the last spring recital. At the end of my recitals I too, have all of my students come forward for a group photo, a gift from me, which is always a large Symphony candy bar then a final grand group bow, with roaring applause! I agree, they need their “team” photo and glory moment.

March 11, 2016 at 8:41 am

This is so helpful! Thank you!

March 11, 2016 at 8:56 am

Thanks for this! My recital’s tomorrow and I also hate the pre-recital speech. This helps so much!

And…side note. We’re performing The Mutterwump Masterpiece tomorrow. Each student is playing one piece from the book. We pre-recorded them reading the poems which I turned into a video to be played using a projector so we can all see it. The students are also bringing food for the reception that represents the characters in their poems that they learned. Fun!

March 11, 2016 at 11:04 am

Hi Lisa – good luck tomorrow! That’s so cool that you’re performing the Mutterwump Masterpiece. We’ve heard of other teachers doing this too and it’s been a smashing success 🙂 I love your idea of using a projetor and of matching food to the character (can’t wait to hear what the Schlopizoodle food is LOL!) Would LOVE to see pictures if you get the chance. Have fun!

April 9, 2016 at 10:08 pm

Ooooh that sounds wonderful! I’d love to see pics too:))

March 11, 2016 at 8:59 am

Thank you for sharing all this valuable knowledge! I will defiantly be using your guidance to help me write a great speech this spring.

March 14, 2016 at 10:15 am

Wonderful Jennifer! Best of luck at your recital 🙂

March 11, 2016 at 11:18 am

At the beginning of the recital, I can barely stand up, and say good afternoon, welcome, before I start to cry. I hardly have to look at those faces that I love and hardly have to think about how proud of them I am before I start to cry; despite all the times I practice my welcome speech in the shower. A terrible handicap…that I just can’t fight. So, I just try to communicate all that important stuff another way. And At the end of the recital, a family member will speak for me, and she always adds something spontaneous and unexpected when she speaks directly to the students. All of my students play at least three pieces, and they are each interspersed throughout the program. This prevents too much restlessness and they can’t possibly leave until the whole thing is over. I think it’s important to communicate high expectation of audience behavior.

That’s so sweet Louise! I have the same reaction when I can finally sit back and watch the kids perform 🙂

March 12, 2016 at 1:27 pm

Thank you so much for all these very helpful ideas. I took a short break from teaching, instead I made two CD’s with a singer. I have my ad going in the local paper and can’t wait to give my first recital.

March 21, 2016 at 3:00 pm

Thank you so much for this post! I always feel awkward talking at my recitals and never seem to know what to say. Thanks again!

April 9, 2016 at 10:12 pm

I love this speech Andrea! It has been more and more challenging for me to come up with something engaging and different every year. Thanks for sharing:)

April 13, 2016 at 11:27 am

So glad it was helpful Judith! 🙂

May 16, 2016 at 10:29 am

Every year I spend quite a bit of time in a flurry to create a speech. Thank you for taking the time to post this. With some tweaking to my own studio, it’s perfect! One less thing to prepare!

August 12, 2016 at 1:26 am

Hi, Andrea! Thank you so much for your post! It is so well written that I don’t think I can add anything more to it. So spot on! God bless you and all the best!

January 17, 2017 at 5:22 pm

I almost always host a small reception after the recital. If you feed them, they will stay!

January 29, 2017 at 8:44 am

Thank you for helping me to organize my thoughts for my very first piano recital speech! I love the content you share.

January 30, 2017 at 9:29 am

Glad you found it helpful Rhonda 🙂

April 10, 2017 at 8:19 am

In order to remind people to turn off their cell phones, I have my cell phone ring with the ringtone “hail to the chief”. I then answer and ask the “president” not to call during my recital. Then I remind everyone to turn off their phones. Everyone always thinks it’s funny and now I can’t leave that part out. It has become tradition!

November 18, 2017 at 9:54 pm

Oh, my gosh, Annette, what a hoot! I may give this a try at my upcoming Christmas recital. My speeches are usually short and sweet, but a little “object lesson” is the perfect addition.

May 5, 2017 at 11:09 am

So lucky that I’ve found your post just one day before my students recital. Thank you so much. I feel so much better after reading it. I hope I won’t be to nervous tmrw. Wish me luck. God bless

May 8, 2017 at 10:34 am

Best of luck, Mia! 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 4:04 pm

My piano recitals are unique. Two years ago I came in as Darth Vader with a light saber and pretended to attack everyone while a student played the Darth Vader theme, last year the kids marched into La La Land as I was playing it, and this year I was thinking of doing a TV show, where I am the moderator….like a takeoff on America’s Got Talent. So I don’t do “the speech” anymore. When I did in the past, the parents thought it was too long. I praise the kids all year and I am in contact with all the parents,

December 10, 2017 at 12:18 pm

I have come back to this page for the last several recitals including the upcoming one. Thanks so much! Who doesnt like to feel appreciated? I also wouldnt mind a copy of the Certificates as I believe Im a subscriber:)

May 22, 2018 at 7:03 am

I love the ideas for the opening speech. I feel mine has gotten kind of tired and needs a little pep. I will be incorporating some of these ideas. One thing that I’ve included for many years when students are coming to the stage to present their piece…I share a little about the student so all eyes are taken off them and they can take that time to set up their music, adjust their stand, move the bench, take a deep breath. I collect info from their parents about the students other interest, pets they have, special school awards, fun trips they’ve had during the year, hobbies, etc. This does 2 things: takes eyes off the student, which helps them relax a bit and get into place before performing, and it helps the audience to feel more connected to the student and builds anticipation for their performance. I’ve received many compliments on including this in the recital!!

May 22, 2018 at 8:56 pm

Great tip, Michelle! I love this idea 🙂

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Welcome Speech to the Incoming Master's Candidates

• Posted September 11, 2007
• By Richard Murnane

I am pleased to have the opportunity to talk with you today as you embark on what I hope will be an extraordinarily valuable set of experiences at HGSE.  My faculty colleagues and I will do our best to make this happen. I want to spend my time with you talking about teaching.  Since I have been at HGSE for a long time, I am frequently asked by new colleagues what they should do to teach well.  I want to share with you three pieces of advice I give to them. The first is that you cannot be too well organized.  I explain that HGSE students work hard and try to do what we as faculty ask of them.  However, they do this in at least four courses and often while juggling the demands of a part-time job and family.  Consequently, they need to be able to plan.  Knowing just what the assignments are, when they are due, which readings will be discussed on which day, and when exams will be given and in what format is critical to students’ efforts to manage complicated lives. I was reminded of this a number of years ago by a question a student named Molly posed to me on the first day of microeconomics class.  Molly had seen on the reading list that the final assignment was a take-home exam in the middle of January with a three-day turn-around.  She explained that a condition of the part-time job that kept her afloat financially was spending January in Katmandu, Nepal.  Molly wondered if she could take the exam there.  I asked her to find out whether Katmandu had web access and overnight mail service.  It turned out to have both.  So Molly downloaded the exam from the web, and send us her answers from Katmandu – and good answers they were.  My sense is that if the details of the final assignment had not been available to Molly on the first day of class, she would not have taken the course.  And, of course, I think everyone should learn how knowledge of economics can help them to pursue their career goals in education. My second piece of advice to new colleagues is that they should provide many different types of assessments.  The reason is that some students thrive on in-class exams; others on memos; others in class discussion; others on group presentations.  The more different types of assessments that are used in a class, the more likely it will be that each student can display her own form of excellence.  I was reminded of this a number of years ago when a student named Elaine took microeconomics with me.  One of the assignments each year is that every student be part of a group of four or five that prepares and presents in eight minutes the essential argument in one of the readings.  Most groups give Powerpoint presentations.  The paper Elaine’s group was assigned to present made the argument that most American high school students have only modest incentives to work hard in school.   Elaine decided to write a play that would convey the lessons of the article.  Elaine’s script was both powerful and hilarious. Under her direction, the acting was inspired.  Everyone in the class remembered poignantly the argument of this paper.  Perhaps more important, Elaine’s work reminded us all of the power of the arts – even in conveying lessons about economics – a field that the 19th century Historian Thomas Carlyle called “The Dismal Science.” My third piece of advice is to set high standards for the quality of work students should submit; provide clear feedback about the strengths and limitations of students’ work products, assign grades of B+ to work products that are solid responses to the assignment, and reserve grades higher than B+ for work that is truly distinguished.  I explain that I have two reasons for this advice on grading practices.  First, a challenge you all face as you prepare to build a career is to figure out something that you like to do AND that you are particularly good at doing.  Honest feedback about the quality of work you do in different classes is critical to helping you distinguish between things you are very good at doing and things you like to do but do not do especially well. (I have lots of things in that category.)  This distinction is critical to finding rewarding professional work in competitive job markets. The second reason for providing honest feedback on grades is to provide you with clear signals about what kind of a letter of recommendation you can expect.  If you earn a grade of A, I believe you have a right to expect a recommendation indicating that you did exceptionally fine work.  If a faculty member gives everyone in your class a grade of A, then he must fall into one of two traps.  Either he writes essentially the same recommendation for everyone, in which case the letter he writes for you is quite worthless.  Or he writes letters that distinguish between students in the quality of their work in ways that are not reflected in the grades he assigned.  This does not seem fair to the students who expect a very strong recommendation to follow a grade of A, but don’t get it. I am reminded of the grading and feedback and recommendation issues every year when we do doctoral admissions.  Over time, my colleagues and I on the admissions committee have learned that recommendations from different faculty mean different things.  We have learned to discount heavily letters from professor X at an institution I will not name.  Professor X has written recommendation letters for at least seven different applicants to our doctoral program in the last few years.  Every one of the seven or more letters stated that the applicant was one of the two best students Professor X had taught in the past decade.  You can see why we cannot give much weight to such letters. In contrast, we have learned that when Professor Y tells us that an applicant is really special, we should always take her.  We do this because the very few times Professor Y has made a similar glowing recommendation in the past, the students really have been extraordinary. So, in summary, my suggestions to my new colleagues are: organize well, provide a variety of opportunities for students to excel, and provide honest feedback. After reading the syllabi for the 20 new courses that my new colleagues are teaching this year, I have no doubt that they are finding effective ways to implement these suggestions.  You will be the beneficiaries of their efforts.  I hope you have a wonderful year with us on Appian Way.

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Baccalaureate speech 2024 (full text): by President Rebecca Stoltzfus

April 28, 2024

Baccalaureate address (as prepared for delivery) by President Rebecca Stoltzfus at the Goshen College Baccalaureate Celebration on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

Greetings, Goshen College class of 2024, family and friends!

Seniors: Thank you for this beautiful evening.

Tomorrow you will cross the threshold from being students to being alumni. You will sign the enormous, ancient, book of alumni, adding your names to the thousands of GC grads before you.

You have become a part of this place. You have joined the stream of our history – from our founding in Elkhart 130 years ago, to this weekend in Goshen, and going forward in time and space.

You have made history. And making history is extremely cool.

When I think of your particular class of 2024, there are some particular ways that you have made history at Goshen College.

Let’s begin with the fact that you began your college journey in the weirdest of pandemic times. Chances are, you did not have a normal high school commencement.

Some of you who began as first-years in the fall of 2020 did your entire fall semester online because you could not obtain a visa to get here. I respect you for persevering and I’m so glad you’re here now!

And for those of you who did arrive at Goshen College in August of 2020, I gave my welcome speech to you here, in this concert hall, where we had the space to seat you all six feet apart.

You might remember that as my “I will send you home” speech. Here’s what I said to you:

None of us can pull this off by ourselves. It will take all of us to create a healthy culture of kindness, common good, learning and trust. . . .We hold one another in trust. 

I will be your number one fan.

I will be your ally.

I will listen to your concerns, and if our plan is not working, we will change it.

I will speak truthfully to you.

I will respond to your mistakes with grace and education. I make mistakes too. 

But if you persist in not complying with our COVID safety measures this fall, I will send you home.

Soon after, this sidewalk chalk art appeared just outside the KMY connector, which managed to combine a colorful word of WELCOME, with a sketch of me in a mask and the “I will send you home” quote.

It also contained this little bit, circled in orange, which I had never noticed until I imported the photo from my phone onto this huge slide.

Chill Becky.

It is an enigma. Was the artist saying: Chill Becky, as in this is a drawing of relaxed Becky,

Or was the intent: Chill, Becky . In which case, the artist had not yet learned the correct use of a comma?

I leave it open to your interpretation.

Personally, I am guessing the intent was: Chill, Becky!

And I appreciate this word from an unknown student artist. It’s generally good advice. Jesus probably would have agreed. But it was hard to be chill at that time.

Fall 2020 was also when we handed out GC branded masks. Remember this?

A few months later we learned that thin, loosely fitted cloth masks were not very effective – even if they did say GC!

Although they were better than this.

Finally, we transitioned to much better KN95 masks.

And now, here we are tonight, mostly maskless! I love all of your faces! I love your wonderful chins and lips and noses!

The pandemic shut down our SST program and immersive global learning for about 8 months,

But as we emerged from that period and over the years you have been here, we have had SST programs in more than 20 locations from Ecuador to Indonesia, the Apache Stronghold, Puerto Rico and London – just to name a few.

And we reopened our marine biology facility in the Florida Keys – which a few of you have discovered and more of you will experience in May.

In the fall of 2020 we opened our new Center for Communication Studies. In addition to other benefits, it provides a much upgraded space for the ridiculous number of trophies and awards won by The Record, The Globe and Globe Media.

You also entered GC as we launched two new majors: public health, and criminal and restorative justice.

Our first-year faculty that year included two Brennemans, Brianne and Rob, who are actually unrelated. In the four years your class has been at GC we have enjoyed 72 issues of The Record, including the Funnies!

The class of 2024 also gave birth to Dan the Squirrel Man, full of Maple Leaf passion, nuts, eventually duck tape, and finally,

Grace, when Dash came along.

In Maple Leaf Athletics, Over the past four years we have celebrated 306 wins in competition. 56 graduating seniors are current Maple Leaf student-athletes. This year, Maples Leafs have been national qualifiers 51 times, conference players of the week 18 times, and NAIA All-Americans eight times.

This year both the women’s and men’s cross country teams had their strongest finishes in college history, finishing 15th and 16th nationally.

Congratulations!

It is good to celebrate together this evening, because the past four years have also held a lot of pain.

Alongside your formal studies the world dished up a huge course of study that none of us signed up for. An interdisciplinary course in public health, structural racism, climate change and the limits to our mental health. Terrible and heartbreaking wars that are still ongoing.

Let your experiences teach you empathy and your suffering teach you love.

You commence from this place as learners, leaders, peacemakers and citizens of a luminous and tender world. It has been our privilege to bear witness to your success – your questions, your achievements, your bravery as you tried new things.

Thank you for being courageous, creative and compassionate leaders through the beauty and the ordeal of these years that we have shared together. There are many days when I have taken a walk around campus just to see you, exchange a smile or greeting and to feel your energy. I am truly fortunate amongst presidents to have had you as students and families during this time.

Keep being you. Keep making history. Keep imagining peace, nurturing peace and advocating for it, knowing that the foundation of peace is the love that flows from God and between each one of us and of this precious and singular planet earth.

College is not a solo act. If you are seated tonight with a friend or family member who has been a companion to you through these GC years, take a moment to turn and say thank you.

I hope that we have been for you, and will continue to be for you, a community that inspires your courage, creativity and compassion.

And I hope that Goshen, with its leafy maples and buzzing prairies, is a place that you will always consider home. Please come back for homecoming and class reunions.

And in the year 2074, when you come back for your 50-year class reunion, you will tell the president of Goshen College – who will be younger than you – what it was like to live and study here through the COVID 19 pandemic. You will talk about quarantine in Miller and isolation in Kenwood, zooming into classes in your pajamas, and getting your food in green boxes. But most of all, you will talk about what you learned, your favorite faculty, your Goshen friends and the reunions you have had over the years.

And that president will be amazed by your stories and inspired by who you have become.

It has been our immense privilege to know you. We will always be your curious and enthusiastic cloud of witnesses—eager to see what the world holds for you, and what you hold for the world!

So, dear ones, go and be salt and light for the world!

And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all of God’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Amen.

Welcome Speech for Juniors in College from Senior Students

[Here briefly focus on Sample Welcome Speech for Juniors in College from Senior Students. You can follow this sample welcome party speech for juniors in college, school or university. Normally seniors deliver a speech in welcoming party to juniors or new students of the college. You can modify these sample as your requirement.]

Date: DD/MM/YY

Welcome Speech for Juniors –

A very good evening to, Worthy Vice-chancellor, Respected Dean of the department, Chairmen, Teachers, and our juniors. I am (Your name as a senior student) from (Batch and Department name). I would like to say a warm word of welcome to all of you as we are going to celebrate a welcome party for freshers. (Describe in your words).

Tonight is an exceptional evening with a glimpse of joys, laughs, and happiness. It is not the day when we wear casuals, sit quietly and listen to teachers. No!! It’s the day newcomers were waiting for, it’s the day for seniors who were waiting to welcome their juniors. (Describe all about the situation and environment). It’s the moment when beautiful memories of the first event of an institute are attended by freshers. I am glad to see that many of you are able to join us, and who are not present here, they are going to miss it. Let’s capture some magical moments, create happy memories and surround ourselves with laughter and friendship. Don’t be a stranger to anyone anymore. (Describe with more warm words).

I often think about the time, the time which comes to everyone. Yes! It is ‘Where I will go after my college? Many of us do not know what to do and where to go. In which institute we will be able to get further education? What kind of people will be there? What sort of faculty will be available? If I talk about myself I always thought that May I be able to make friends? (Describe educational duties and responsibilities). These are some questions which arise in the mind of most students. But what when we are here? From where you are going to be graduates, from where you are going to get your degree.

Juniors! You are here now as three years (More/less) back we were! You can get to know about all the skills required in reaching your goal takes commitment and determination and I would like to welcome you all to take up that challenge in the long journey of learning. (Explain your expectation regarding education and career). You will take esteemed lectures here about which you will be privy too. Here the journey begins of your career, your future, and your life.

It was my pleasure to be here and share my views. From now onwards, you guys are a part of us. I want to pay gratitude to our (All senior students), for providing all of us this exceptional platform. (Cordially describe your wish and greetings). Now, I want the function to be officially started.

Thank you so much!

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Greetings from Community

Timothy Scott, Mayor of Carlisle

President Ensign, Dickinson College administration, faculty, students, alumni and staff, as Mayor of the Borough of Carlisle, I bring you warm greetings and welcome on behalf of the Greater Carlisle Community. Dickinson College is an integral part of our community and our relationship dates back to the Revolutionary War. We hope to continue that special relationship and strengthen it under your leadership. Congratulations on your inauguration, and we look forward to a flourishing year and all the years ahead.

Greetings from Students

President Ensign, I am honored to welcome you on behalf of the student body. I know my fellow students share in my excitement to have your leadership and vision guiding this college. In your short time on campus, we have already seen the energy you bring to Dickinson, from dancing with us during move-in to being eager to connect with any student you pass. We as a student body stand ready to work with you to continue to advance this college that we all call home.

Greetings from Alumni

David Carlson ’99

As president of the Alumni Council and on behalf of all alumni, I am honored to welcome your leadership to this institution that lives within all of us who were forever changed by our time here. I was a member of the first class to walk up these historic steps as a first year, and, like most alumni today, I walked down these steps many years ago marking my transition from Dickinson student to alumnus. These steps signify the point where we put this useful education into practice and reaffirmed our commitment to innovate, to lead and to improve the world around us. This could not be a more fitting place for you to do the same as 29th president of Dickinson College.

Greetings from Staff

It is my honor and my pleasure to be able to offer a greeting from the staff here at Dickinson College. So, on behalf of the crew who set up this stage and these chairs, the crew who is providing audio support for this event, the cooks and caterers who will be providing our lunch and picnic following this ceremony, the men and women on the grounds crew who keep our campus looking so beautiful, and all of my other colleagues from Advancement, Enrollment Management, Marketing & Communications, Finance & Administration, LIS and Student Life, I offer you our greeting, our best wishes and our promise to work with you to fulfill your vision for our college. Welcome!

Greetings from Faculty

Amy Farrell

On behalf of all the Dickinson faculty, from Denny Hall to Kaufman and everything in between, from the arts, the sciences, the humanities, the social sciences and the interdisciplinary fields, I stand here to offer you a very hearty welcome, Dr. Margee Ensign. As scholars, as teachers and as members of this fine college, we admire your encompassing spirit, your international perspective, your vitality and your vision for making this an even greater institution. We especially applaud your focus on the relevance and significance of the liberal arts for addressing our world’s challenges. We very much look forward to working with you. Once again, welcome, President Ensign.

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Long and Short Welcome Speech for Farewell in English

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Welcome speech for farewell is an important sub-category under the welcome speech. Farewell as we all know is a special time both for the seniors as well as juniors, both for the person who has to bid final goodbye and also for others who have to happily see off the concerned person.

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Here are both short welcome speeches for farewell as well as long welcome speeches for farewell which can be really useful, if you have to wish someone farewell with a special speech or have to felicitate the person or a group of people leaving school, college or any organization for that matter. So what are you waiting for, simply browse through the website and read on to know more about such useful speeches.

Welcome Speech for Farewell 1

To our Hon’ble Principal Smt. ………., Director, Teaching Staff as well as Non-teaching Staff – A very warm welcome to everyone!

I, Sourabh Vashisht from Class-IX (B) – Commerce Department, will be hosting today’s farewell events. It is indeed an important day for all of us, particularly for our seniors who have spent a major part of their lives, that is, their growing years in this school and now the time has arrived when they will have to bid adieu to us and prepare themselves for a new beginning in their lives.

Our seniors have always behaved like our elder brothers and sisters and always took pain in helping us, in our projects and have been more than eager to help us. Years of togetherness have created an emotional bond between us; therefore; it is not easy to say final good bye to them. However, we do understand that you have completed your due time in this school and you all now have to gear up for entering into the next phase of your life.

So tonight, we as your juniors have organized this farewell to make you all feel good in the most special way and also to give you the opportunity to express what you feel at this last moment. But before I call upon stage my seniors, I would like to express my heartiest gratitude on behalf of the entire IX Class, to our respected Principal for having been so cooperative in making the arrangements for this farewell party. It clearly wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our principal and teachers. So many thanks to our faculty as well!

Now, coming back to our seniors, I just want to say that it’s been a wonderful journey with you all in the school and as we look back we only wish if we could have more time to spend with you. You all were seriously the best seniors we could ever have got. There was never a moment of awkwardness between us, which I admire the most.

In fact, our class teachers always want us to look up to our seniors and observe how they excel in their studies. Despite being in different streams, all our seniors have acted in unity. I could not see any feeling of animosity between different departments. In fact, as and when the need arises our seniors from the three different streams come together for the occasion and set an excellent example of oneness. There is a lot to learn from our seniors and I sincerely wish if we, your juniors, could inculcate same qualities and such level of determination in our studies. You all have truly become an example for all of us to emulate.

This farewell party therefore, is a way of expressing our regard towards our seniors and I hope you all shall enjoy the evening as much as we did while doing the preparations. This is all from my side and now I would request our principal to kindly come on stage and say a few words to our seniors.

Also Read: Welcome Speech for Boss in English in simple and easy words

Welcome Speech for Farewell 2

Hon’ble Principal, Vice Principal, Teachers, College Staff, Invited Guests, Dear Seniors and My Lovely Friends – Warm Welcome to all of you!

I, Sakshi Rawat from B.COM 2 nd year, feel honored to have been given the opportunity to deliver the welcome speech on the day of farewell party of our seniors. Heartiest congratulations to our seniors for coming a long way and successfully traversing this journey. I hope you all will come out with flying colors in your board exams. The pre-board exam results have been quite impressive and we as your juniors strongly feel that the final exams would also yield good results. You have created a good example that perseverance is the key to success and with continuous dedication and hard work we can achieve our goals.

Till date we have been quite relaxed, but after coming in 12 th standard we will also have to pull up our socks and perform like you all did. You have raised a benchmark for all of us and I am saying this on behalf of all the juniors that we all are proud of you. As our seniors, you all have given us a constant reminder that we can make things really work if we have the willingness to do so. We human beings are gifted with a strong will power, if we exercise it the right way.

You have taught us a lot and you have always been there guiding us and showing us the right path. You have done more than what we could have asked for. So, standing here I could feel mixed emotions – there is both a sense of sadness as well as happiness. Sadness of course because we wouldn’t be able to relive these school moments in the future and happiness because you all are going to start a new chapter in your life which will be like an important milestone in the shaping up your career.

Our dear seniors, as you leave this school prep up yourself for the next level challenges that lie ahead of you which of course we truly believe that you all have developed the requisite knowledge and skills to overcome. I sincerely hope that you all will carry the name of this school with great pride and utmost dignity; not letting anyone to spoil its honor.

Secondly, my personal advice would be to respect everyone you meet around and be embracing of other people’s point of view. Just stay positive and let God show you the right path towards greatness. Think big, act wisely and do everything with a positive bend of mind. Now, on behalf of our entire school, I would like to welcome our seniors to today’s farewell events, also extending warm wishes for the future that awaits them.

May god bless you all!

Now, I would request our respected principal to kindly come on stage and say a few words to our seniors so that the day’s event can be kick-started thereafter.

Thank you so much!

Welcome Speech for Farewell 3

Good Morning Respected Principal, Teachers and My Dear Loving Students!

Today it is a very auspicious event and I, as the Vice Principal of this school, welcome you all on the last day of your school which is regarded as the “Farewell Day”. As we all agree, you children are the bright sunshine of the society, the seeds of plants those will nurture our country’s future.

You have made it clear that we need perseverance for success. We can make things happen if we really work. Yes, we human beings have wonderful ability to accumulate knowledge. Growth of human civilization has been possible only through this wonderful gift from God to us. We take some ideas from our forerunners and add up some by ourselves. We make it new and give it to future generations. Thus, for building up a foundation and showing examples, I would like to thank you. At the same time, I would like to tell you all that, with the wholehearted efforts of our honorable teachers; we will make the road even wider. Truly speaking we will never disappoint you.

It is very hard to say goodbye; however, we have to do this because it is our responsibility to see you off happily. I am feeling very fortunate that I am reciting a welcome speech here for my amazing and special class 12 students who have displayed a lot of love and hard work all their tenure towards teachers, juniors and academics respectively. You all have worked together to lead our school in reaching new heights. The development of the school has only been made possible through your determination and efforts. Whether it was events for juniors or for your teachers, you all have proved your mettle to make events prove successful.

You acted as guardians to your juniors and made them feel comfortable so that they could adjust to the new environment. You took care of them just like elder sisters and brothers and we do realize that it was a joint effort. It is not simple to forget your good deeds. We will really miss all of you and remember that you will always be close to our hearts. Through your hard work and determination, make a mark for yourself and make your school and teachers proud as you are the future of the country.

We, together as a team have organized certain programs for you all, so that you could enjoy the day to the core and cherish these memories for your entire lifetime. We hope that the programs turn out to be enjoyable as we teachers are not perfect like you students, but whatever we did we have done it for our love to you. We wish you all with bright career and peaceful wishing you all the very best for all your future endeavors.

Welcome Speech for Farewell 4

Hon’ble Principal, Vice Principal, Director, Teachers, Admin Department – Warm Welcome to one and all!

I, Aashish Kalra – from BA Program 2 nd year, am your host for today. It’s an overwhelming moment for all of us, especially for our seniors who now have to bid adieu to our college and embark on the next phase of their lives. In the preceding years, so many memories have been formed in terms of many competitions, where both we and our seniors participated, annual functions where we all performed together, many projects on which we worked together, several inter-college competitions where we represented our college together, including a lot more.

And now with a heavy heart we will have to say final goodbye to our seniors who have really inspired us all the time with their consistent performance and steadfastness. It’s not easy for us to say so even though we know that it’s time for you now to move towards another stepping stone of your life. You have taught us that there is no secret to success, but it’s an outcome of preparation, dedication and of course learning from failures. No person can realize his/her dreams if he/she cannot learn from their past mistakes. It is very important to retrospect our actions and assess where we have gone wrong. It is by realizing our mistakes and making up for those mistakes that we truly evolve in our lives and rise on the ladder of success.

I cannot or probably no one can sum up their emotions in such a short span of time, but as your junior and on behalf of my class, I just want to say that it’s been an incredible journey with you all and as our seniors you have always showed us the right path and helped us in as many ways as you could.

You all are true role models for us and now soon we will become senior most in school, and we have already started to feel a sense of responsibility. It’s easy to speak in loud-mouthed words, but it’s difficult to become an example for the people to follow and I can proudly say that our seniors fall into the latter category. Though it’s difficult to take names of our seniors in particular because all of you have been equally good; but if I were to take a few names those would be – Ajay Rawat, Khushboo Pathak, Raunak Trivedi and Sonya Chaturvedi. They have remained super active throughout their bachelor program and showed maximum participation in both academic and co-curricular activities.

I, therefore, would want to invite our respected Principal and Vice Principal ma’am on stage and request them to felicitate our seniors and say a few words to them. I am sure our seniors can just not wait to express their gratitude and feelings towards the college and they will also be given the opportunity to share the stage with us.

This is all from my side and thank you for being such a wonderful audience!

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Open Letter to College and University Presidents on Student Protests

Dear College and University Presidents:

We write in response to the recent protests that have spread across our nation’s university and college campuses, and the disturbing arrests that have followed. We understand that as leaders of your campus communities, it can be extraordinarily difficult to navigate the pressures you face from politicians, donors, and faculty and students alike. You also have legal obligations to combat discrimination and a responsibility to maintain order. But as you fashion responses to the activism of your students (and faculty and staff), it is essential that you not sacrifice principles of academic freedom and free speech that are core to the educational mission of your respected institution.

The ACLU helped establish the right to protest as a central pillar of the First Amendment. We have defended those principles for more than a century. The First Amendment compels public universities and colleges to respect free speech rights. And while the Constitution does not apply directly to private institutions, academic freedom and free inquiry require that similar principles guide private universities. We approach this moment with appreciation for the challenges you confront. In the spirit of offering constructive solutions for a way forward, we offer five basic guardrails to ensure freedom of speech and academic freedom while protecting against discriminatory harassment and disruptive conduct.

Schools must not single out particular viewpoints for censorship, discipline, or disproportionate punishment

First , university administrators must not single out particular viewpoints — however offensive they may be to some members of the community — for censorship, discipline, or disproportionate punishment. Viewpoint neutrality is essential. Harassment directed at individuals because of their race, ethnicity, or religion is not, of course, permissible. But general calls for a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea,” or defenses of Israel’s assault on Gaza, even if many listeners find these messages deeply offensive, cannot be prohibited or punished by a university that respects free speech principles.

These protections extend to both students and faculty, and to speech that supports either side of the conflict. Outside the classroom, including on social media, students and professors must be free to express even the most controversial political opinions without fear of discipline or censure. Inside the classroom, speech can be and always has been subject to more restrictive rules to ensure civil dialogue and a robust learning environment. But such rules have no place in a public forum like a campus green. Preserving physical safety on campuses is paramount; but “safety” from ideas or views that one finds offensive is anathema to the very enterprise of the university.

Schools must protect students from discriminatory harassment and violence

Second , both public and private universities are bound by civil rights laws that guarantee all students equal access to education, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. This means that schools can, and indeed must, protect students from discriminatory harassment on the basis of race or national origin, which has been interpreted to include discrimination on the basis of “shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics,” or “citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity.”

So, while offensive and even racist speech is constitutionally protected, shouting an epithet at a particular student or pinning an offensive sign to their dorm room door can constitute impermissible harassment, not free speech. Antisemitic or anti-Palestinian speech targeted at individuals because of their ethnicity or national origin constitutes invidious discrimination, and cannot be tolerated. Physically intimidating students by blocking their movements or pursuing them aggressively is unprotected conduct , not protected speech . It should go without saying that violence is never an acceptable protest tactic.

Speech that is not targeted at an individual or individuals because of their ethnicity or national origin but merely expresses impassioned views about Israel or Palestine is not discrimination and should be protected. The only exception for such untargeted speech is where it is so severe or pervasive that it denies students equal access to an education — an extremely demanding standard that has almost never been met by pure speech. One can criticize Israel’s actions, even in vituperative terms, without being antisemitic. And by the same token, one can support Israel’s actions in Gaza and condemn Hamas without being anti-Muslim. Administrators must resist the tendency to equate criticism with discrimination. Speech condoning violence can be condemned, to be sure. But it cannot be the basis for punishment, without more.

Schools can announce and enforce reasonable content-neutral protest policies but they must leave ample room for students to express themselves

Third , universities can announce and enforce reasonable time, place, or manner restrictions on protest activity to ensure that essential college functions can continue. Such restrictions must be content neutral, meaning that they do not depend on the substance of what is being communicated, but rather where, when, or how it is being communicated. Protests can be limited to certain areas of campus and certain times of the day, for example. These policies must, however, leave ample room for students to speak to and to be heard by other members of the community. And the rules must not only be content neutral on their face; they must also be applied in a content-neutral manner. If a university has routinely tolerated violations of its rules, and suddenly enforces them harshly in a specific context, singling out particular views for punishment, the fact that the policy is formally neutral on its face does not make viewpoint-based enforcement permissible.

Schools must recognize that armed police on campus can endanger students and are a measure of last resort

Fourth , when enforcement of content-neutral rules may be warranted, college administrators should involve police only as a last resort, after all other efforts have been exhausted. Inviting armed police into a campus protest environment, even a volatile one, can create unacceptable risks for all students and staff. University officials must also be cognizant of the history of law enforcement using inappropriate and excessive force on communities of color, including Black, Brown, and immigrant students. Moreover, arresting peaceful protestors is also likely to escalate, not calm, the tensions on campus — as events of the past week have made abundantly clear.

Schools must resist the pressures placed on them by politicians seeking to exploit campus tensions

Finally , campus leaders must resist the pressures placed on them by politicians seeking to exploit campus tensions to advance their own notoriety or partisan agendas. Recent congressional hearings have featured disgraceful attacks by members of Congress on academic freedom and freedom of speech. Universities must stand up to such intimidation, and defend the principles of academic freedom so essential to their integrity and mission.

The Supreme Court has forcefully rejected the premise that, “because of the acknowledged need for order, First Amendment protections should apply with less force on college campuses than in the community at large.”

“Quite to the contrary,” the court stated, “the vigilant protection of constitutional freedoms is nowhere more vital than in the community of American schools.” In keeping with these values, we urge you to resist the temptation to silence students or faculty members because powerful voices deem their views offensive. Instead, we urge you to defend the university’s core mission of encouraging debate, fostering dissent, and preparing the future leaders of our pluralistic society to tolerate even profound differences of opinion.

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America’s Colleges Are Reaping What They Sowed

Universities spent years saying that activism is not just welcome but encouraged on their campuses. Students took them at their word.

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N ick Wilson, a sophomore at Cornell University, came to Ithaca, New York, to refine his skills as an activist. Attracted by both Cornell’s labor-relations school and the university’s history of campus radicalism, he wrote his application essay about his involvement with a Democratic Socialists of America campaign to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act . When he arrived on campus, he witnessed any number of signs that Cornell shared his commitment to not just activism but also militant protest, taking note of a plaque commemorating the armed occupation of Willard Straight Hall in 1969.

Cornell positively romanticizes that event: The university library has published a “ Willard Straight Hall Occupation Study Guide ,” and the office of the dean of students once co-sponsored a panel on the protest. The school has repeatedly screened a documentary about the occupation, Agents of Change . The school’s official newspaper, published by the university media-relations office, ran a series of articles honoring the 40th anniversary, in 2009, and in 2019, Cornell held a yearlong celebration for the 50th, complete with a commemorative walk, a dedication ceremony, and a public conversation with some of the occupiers. “ Occupation Anniversary Inspires Continued Progress ,” the Cornell Chronicle headline read.

As Wilson has discovered firsthand, however, the school’s hagiographical odes to prior protests have not prevented it from cracking down on pro-Palestine protests in the present. Now that he has been suspended for the very thing he told Cornell he came there to learn how to do—radical political organizing—he is left reflecting on the school’s hypocrisies. That the theme of this school year at Cornell is “Freedom of Expression” adds a layer of grim humor to the affair.

Evan Mandery: University of hypocrisy

University leaders are in a bind. “These protests are really dynamic situations that can change from minute to minute,” Stephen Solomon, who teaches First Amendment law and is the director of NYU’s First Amendment Watch—an organization devoted to free speech—told me. “But the obligation of universities is to make the distinction between speech protected by the First Amendment and speech that is not.” Some of the speech and tactics protesters are employing may not be protected under the First Amendment, while much of it plainly is. The challenge universities are confronting is not just the law but also their own rhetoric. Many universities at the center of the ongoing police crackdowns have long sought to portray themselves as bastions of activism and free thought. Cornell is one of many universities that champion their legacy of student activism when convenient, only to bring the hammer down on present-day activists when it’s not. The same colleges that appeal to students such as Wilson by promoting opportunities for engagement and activism are now suspending them. And they’re calling the cops.

The police activity we are seeing universities level against their own students does not just scuff the carefully cultivated progressive reputations of elite private universities such as Columbia, Emory University, and NYU, or the equally manicured free-speech bona fides of red-state public schools such as Indiana University and the University of Texas at Austin. It also exposes what these universities have become in the 21st century. Administrators have spent much of the recent past recruiting social-justice-minded students and faculty to their campuses under the implicit, and often explicit, promise that activism is not just welcome but encouraged. Now the leaders of those universities are shocked to find that their charges and employees believed them. And rather than try to understand their role in cultivating this morass, the Ivory Tower’s bigwigs have decided to apply their boot heels to the throats of those under their care.

I spoke with 30 students, professors, and administrators from eight schools—a mix of public and private institutions across the United States—to get a sense of the disconnect between these institutions’ marketing of activism and their treatment of protesters. A number of people asked to remain anonymous. Some were untenured faculty or administrators concerned about repercussions from, or for, their institutions. Others were directly involved in organizing protests and were wary of being harassed. Several incoming students I spoke with were worried about being punished by their school before they even arrived. Despite a variety of ideological commitments and often conflicting views on the protests, many of those I interviewed were “shocked but not surprised”—a phrase that came up time and again—by the hypocrisy exhibited by the universities with which they were affiliated. (I reached out to Columbia, NYU, Cornell, and Emory for comment on the disconnect between their championing of past protests and their crackdowns on the current protesters. Representatives from Columbia, Cornell, and Emory pointed me to previous public statements. NYU did not respond.)

The sense that Columbia trades on the legacy of the Vietnam protests that rocked campus in 1968 was widespread among the students I spoke with. Indeed, the university honors its activist past both directly and indirectly, through library archives , an online exhibit , an official “Columbia 1968” X account , no shortage of anniversary articles in Columbia Magazine , and a current course titled simply “Columbia 1968.” The university is sometimes referred to by alumni and aspirants as the “Protest Ivy.” One incoming student told me that he applied to the school in part because of an admissions page that prominently listed community organizers and activists among its “distinguished alumni.”

Joseph Slaughter, an English professor and the executive director of Columbia’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights, talked with his class about the 1968 protests after the recent arrests at the school. He said his students felt that the university had actively marketed its history to them. “Many, many, many of them said they were sold the story of 1968 as part of coming to Columbia,” he told me. “They talked about it as what the university presents to them as the long history and tradition of student activism. They described it as part of the brand.”

This message reaches students before they take their first college class. As pro-Palestine demonstrations began to raise tensions on campus last month, administrators were keen to cast these protests as part of Columbia’s proud culture of student activism. The aforementioned high-school senior who had been impressed by Columbia’s activist alumni attended the university’s admitted-students weekend just days before the April 18 NYPD roundup. During the event, the student said, an admissions official warned attendees that they may experience “disruptions” during their visit, but boasted that these were simply part of the school’s “long and robust history of student protest.”

Remarkably, after more than 100 students were arrested on the order of Columbia President Minouche Shafik—in which she overruled a unanimous vote by the university senate’s executive committee not to bring the NYPD to campus —university administrators were still pushing this message to new students and parents. An email sent on April 19 informed incoming students that “demonstration, political activism, and deep respect for freedom of expression have long been part of the fabric of our campus.” Another email sent on April 20 again promoted Columbia’s tradition of activism, protest, and support of free speech. “This can sometimes create moments of tension,” the email read, “but the rich dialogue and debate that accompany this tradition is central to our educational experience.”

Evelyn Douek and Genevieve Lakier: The hypocrisy underlying the campus-speech controversy

Another student who attended a different event for admitted students, this one on April 21, said that every administrator she heard speak paid lip service to the school’s long history of protest. Her own feelings about the pro-Palestine protests were mixed—she said she believes that a genocide is happening in Gaza and also that some elements of the protest are plainly anti-Semitic—but her feelings about Columbia’s decision to involve the police were unambiguous. “It’s reprehensible but exactly what an Ivy League institution would do in this situation. I don’t know why everyone is shocked,” she said, adding: “It makes me terrified to go there.”

Beth Massey, a veteran activist who participated in the 1968 protests, told me with a laugh, “They might want to tell us they’re progressive, but they’re doing the business of the ruling class.” She was not surprised by the harsh response to the current student encampment or by the fact that it lit the fuse on a nationwide protest movement. Massey had been drawn to the radical reputation of Columbia’s sister school, Barnard College, as an open-minded teenager from the segregated South: “I actually wanted to go to Barnard because they had a history of progressive struggle that had happened going all the way back into the ’40s.” And the barn-burning history that appealed to Massey in the late 1960s has continued to attract contemporary students, albeit with one key difference: Today, that radical history has become part of the way that Barnard and Columbia sell their $60,000-plus annual tuition.

Of course, Columbia is not alone. The same trends have also prevailed at NYU, which likes to crow about its own radical history and promises contemporary students “ a world of activism opportunities .” An article published on the university’s website in March—titled “Make a Difference Through Activism at NYU”—promises students “myriad chances to put your activism into action.” The article points to campus institutions that “provide students with resources and opportunities to spark activism and change both on campus and beyond.” The six years I spent as a graduate student at NYU gave me plenty of reasons to be cynical about the university and taught me to view all of this empty activism prattle as white noise. But even I was astounded to see a video of students and faculty set upon by the NYPD, arrested at the behest of President Linda Mills.

“Across the board, there is a heightened awareness of hypocrisy,” Mohamad Bazzi, a journalism professor at NYU, told me, noting that faculty were acutely conscious of the gap between the institution’s intensive commitment to DEI and the police crackdown. The university has recently made several “cluster hires”—centered on activism-oriented themes such as anti-racism, social justice, and indigeneity—that helped diversify the faculty. Some of those recent hires were among the people who spent a night zip-tied in a jail cell, arrested for the exact kind of activism that had made them attractive to NYU in the first place. And it wasn’t just faculty. The law students I spoke with were especially acerbic. After honing her activism skills at her undergraduate institution—another university that recently saw a violent police response to pro-Palestine protests—one law student said she came to NYU because she was drawn to its progressive reputation and its high percentage of prison-abolitionist faculty. This irony was not lost on her as the police descended on the encampment.

After Columbia students were arrested on April 18, students at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study decided to cancel a planned art festival and instead use the time to make sandwiches as jail support for their detained uptown peers. The school took photos of the students layering cold cuts on bread and posted it to Gallatin’s official Instagram. These posts not only failed to mention that the students were working in support of the pro-Palestine protesters; the caption—“making sandwiches for those in need”—implied that the undergrads might be preparing meals for, say, the homeless.

The contradictions on display at Cornell, Columbia, and NYU are not limited to the state of New York. The police response at Emory, another university that brags about its tradition of student protest, was among the most disturbing I have seen. Faculty members I spoke with at the Atlanta school, including two who had been arrested—the philosophy professor Noëlle McAfee and the English and Indigenous-studies professor Emil’ Keme—recounted harrowing scenes: a student being knocked down, an elderly woman struggling to breathe after tear-gas exposure, a colleague with welts from rubber bullets. These images sharply contrast with the university’s progressive mythmaking, a process that was in place even before 2020’s “summer of racial reckoning” sent universities scrambling to shore up their activist credentials.

In 2018, Emory’s Campus Life office partnered with students and a design studio to begin work on an exhibit celebrating the university’s history of identity-based activism. Then, not long after George Floyd’s murder, the university’s library released a series of blog posts focusing on topics including “Black Student Activism at Emory,” “Protests and Movements,” “Voting Rights and Public Policy,” and “Authors and Artists as Activists.” That same year, the university announced its new Arts and Social Justice Fellows initiative, a program that “brings Atlanta artists into Emory classrooms to help students translate their learning into creative activism in the name of social justice.” In 2021, the university put on an exhibit celebrating its 1969 protests , in which “Black students marched, demonstrated, picketed, and ‘rapped’ on those institutions affecting the lives of workers and students at Emory.” Like Cornell’s and Columbia’s, Emory’s protests seem to age like fine wine: It takes half a century before the institution begins enjoying them.

N early every person I talked with believed that their universities’ responses were driven by donors, alumni, politicians, or some combination thereof. They did not believe that they were grounded in serious or reasonable concerns about the physical safety of students; in fact, most felt strongly that introducing police into the equation had made things far more dangerous for both pro-Palestine protesters and pro-Israel counterprotesters. Jeremi Suri, a historian at UT Austin—who told me he is not politically aligned with the protesters—recalls pleading with both the dean of students and the mounted state troopers to call off the charge. “It was like the Russian army had come onto campus,” Suri mused. “I was out there for 45 minutes to an hour. I’m very sensitive to anti-Semitism. Nothing anti-Semitic was said.” He added: “There was no reason not to let them shout until their voices went out.”

From the May 1930 issue: Hypocrisy–a defense

As one experienced senior administrator at a major research university told me, the conflagration we are witnessing shows how little many university presidents understand either their campus communities or the young people who populate them. “When I saw what Columbia was doing, my immediate thought was: They have not thought about day two ,” he said, laughing. “If you confront an 18-year-old activist, they don’t back down. They double down.” That’s what happened in 1968, and it’s happening again now. Early Tuesday morning, Columbia students occupied Hamilton Hall—the site of the 1968 occupation, which they rechristened Hind’s Hall in honor of a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza—in response to the university’s draconian handling of the protests. They explicitly tied these events to the university’s past, calling out its hypocrisy on Instagram: “This escalation is in line with the historical student movements of 1968 … which Columbia repressed then and celebrates today.” The university, for its part, responded now as it did then: Late on Tuesday, the NYPD swarmed the campus in an overnight raid that led to the arrest of dozens of students.

The students, professors, and administrators I’ve spoken with in recent days have made clear that this hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed and that the crackdown isn’t working, but making things worse. The campus resistance has expanded to include faculty and students who were originally more ambivalent about the protests and, in a number of cases, who support Israel. They are disturbed by what they rightly see as violations of free expression, the erosion of faculty governance, and the overreach of administrators. Above all, they’re fed up with the incandescent hypocrisy of institutions, hoisted with their own progressive petards, as the unstoppable force of years’ worth of self-righteous rhetoric and pseudo-radical posturing meets the immovable object of students who took them at their word.

In another video published by The Cornell Daily Sun , recorded only hours after he was suspended, Nick Wilson explained to a crowd of student protesters what had brought him to the school. “In high school, I discovered my passion, which was community organizing for a better world. I told Cornell University that’s why I wanted to be here,” he said, referencing his college essay. Then he paused for emphasis, looking around as his peers began to cheer. “And those fuckers admitted me.”

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David French

Colleges Have Gone off the Deep End. There Is a Way Out.

By David French

Opinion Columnist

I had my head in a law book when I heard the drums. That was the sound of the first campus protest I ever experienced. I’d come to Harvard Law School in the fall of 1991 as a graduate of a small, very conservative Christian college in Nashville. Many of my college classmates had passionate religious and political commitments, but street protest was utterly alien to the Christian culture of the school. We were rule followers, and public protest looked a bit too much like anarchy for our tastes.

But Harvard was different. The law school was every bit as progressive as my college was conservative, and protest was part of the fabric of student life, especially then. This is the era when a writer for GQ magazine, John Sedgwick, called the law school “ Beirut on the Charles ” because it was torn apart by disputes over race and sex. There were days when campus protests were festive, almost celebratory. There were other days when the campus was seething with rage and fury.

That first protest was in support of faculty diversity, and it was relatively benign. I walked outside and followed the sound of the drums. A group of roughly 100 protesters was marching in front of the law school library, and soon they were joined by an allied group of similar size from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. I watched as they danced, sang and listened to speeches by student activists and sympathetic professors. That first protest had an angry edge, but it was also completely peaceful and endlessly fascinating to a kid from a small town in Kentucky who’d never seen a drum circle before.

But things soon got worse, much worse. Protests got more unruly, and student activists got more aggressive. The entire campus was in a state of conflict. In Sedgwick’s words, students were “waging holy war on one another.” Small groups of students occupied administrative offices, and angry activists shouted down their political opponents in class and often attempted to intimidate them outside class. I was shouted down repeatedly, and twice I received disturbing handwritten notes in my campus mailbox in response to my anti-abortion advocacy. My student peers told me to “go die.”

Watching the protests and experiencing the shout-downs changed the course of my career. I was both enthralled by the power of protest and repulsed by the efforts to silence dissenters. Given the immense cultural influence of American higher education, I agreed with the Supreme Court’s famous words in the 1957 case Sweezy v. New Hampshire : “Teachers and students must always remain free to inquire, to study and to evaluate, to gain new maturity and understanding; otherwise, our civilization will stagnate and die.” Those words, combined with my own negative encounters at Harvard, helped define my legal career. From that point forward, I would defend free speech.

It’s been more than 30 years since that first campus protest, and over that time I’ve seen countless protests, I’ve defended countless protesters — and I’ve even been protested against at several schools. In the course of those cases and confrontations, I’ve learned that the issue of campus protest is remarkably complex and that campus culture is at least as important as law and policy in setting the boundaries of debate.

There is profound confusion on campus right now around the distinctions among free speech, civil disobedience and lawlessness. At the same time, some schools also seem confused about their fundamental academic mission. Does the university believe it should be neutral toward campus activism — protecting it as an exercise of the students’ constitutional rights and academic freedoms but not cooperating with student activists to advance shared goals — or does it incorporate activism as part of the educational process itself, including by coordinating with the protesters and encouraging their activism?

The simplest way of outlining the ideal university policy toward protest is to say that it should protect free speech, respect civil disobedience and uphold the rule of law. That means universities should protect the rights of students and faculty members on a viewpoint-neutral basis, and they should endeavor to make sure that every member of the campus community has the same access to campus facilities and resources.

That also means showing no favoritism among competing ideological groups in access to classrooms, in the imposition of campus penalties and in access to educational opportunities. All groups should have equal rights to engage in the full range of protected speech, including by engaging in rhetoric that’s hateful to express and painful to hear. Public chants like “Globalize the intifada” may be repugnant to many ears, but they’re clearly protected by the First Amendment at public universities and by policies protecting free speech and academic freedom at most private universities.

Still, reasonable time, place and manner restrictions are indispensable in this context. Time, place and manner restrictions are content-neutral legal rules that enable a diverse community to share the same space and enjoy equal rights.

Noise limits can protect the ability of students to study and sleep. Restricting the amount of time any one group can demonstrate on the limited open spaces on campus permits other groups to use the same space. If one group is permitted to occupy a quad indefinitely, for example, then that action by necessity excludes other organizations from the same ground. In that sense, indefinitely occupying a university quad isn’t simply a form of expression; it also functions as a form of exclusion. Put most simply, student groups should be able to take turns using public spaces, for an equal amount of time and during a roughly similar portion of the day.

Civil disobedience is distinct from First Amendment-protected speech. It involves both breaking an unjust law and accepting the consequences. There is a long and honorable history of civil disobedience in the United States, but true civil disobedience ultimately honors and respects the rule of law. In a 1965 appearance on “Meet the Press,” the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. described the principle perfectly: “When one breaks the law that conscience tells him is unjust, he must do it openly, he must do it cheerfully, he must do it lovingly, he must do it civilly — not uncivilly — and he must do it with a willingness to accept the penalty.”

But what we’re seeing on a number of campuses isn’t free expression, nor is it civil disobedience. It’s outright lawlessness. No matter the frustration of campus activists or their desire to be heard, true civil disobedience shouldn’t violate the rights of others. Indefinitely occupying a quad violates the rights of other speakers to use the same space. Relentless, loud protest violates the rights of students to sleep or study in peace. And when protests become truly threatening or intimidating, they can violate the civil rights of other students, especially if those students are targeted on the basis of their race, sex, color or national origin.

The result of lawlessness is chaos and injustice. Other students can’t speak. Other students can’t learn. Teachers and administrators can’t do their jobs.

In my experience as a litigator , campus chaos is frequently the result of a specific campus culture. Administrators and faculty members will often abandon any pretense of institutional neutrality and either cooperate with their most intense activist students or impose double standards that grant favored constituencies extraordinary privileges. For many administrators, the very idea of neutrality is repugnant. It represents a form of complicity in injustice that they simply can’t and won’t stomach. So they nurture and support one side. They scorn the opposition, adopting a de facto posture that says , “To my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.”

I’ve experienced this firsthand. I vividly remember representing a campus Christian group in a dispute at Tufts University in 2000 . The group had been derecognized for requiring that student leaders of their group share that group’s traditional sexual ethic, which reserves sex for heterosexual marriage. You might disagree strongly with that view, but granting religious groups the flexibility to impose faith-based requirements on religious leaders fits squarely within the American tradition of free exercise of religion.

Tufts is a private university, so it has some flexibility in suppressing religious expression on campus, but it had no excuse for attempting to toss a Christian group from campus at the same time that it permitted acts of intimidation against those Christian students. For example, at the most contentious moment of the dispute, Tufts officials prevented my student clients and me from entering the hearing room where their appeal was being heard, while a crowd of protesters gathered in a darkened hallway, pressed up around us and herded us into a corner of the hall. There was no campus outrage at this act of intimidation. We saw no administrative response.

University complicity in chaos isn’t unusual. In a case I worked on when I was president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, we discovered that administrators at Washington State University’s Pullman campus had actually helped plan a disruptive protest against a play put on by a student director, an intentionally provocative show that mocked virtually every group on campus.

University or faculty participation in unlawful protest isn’t confined to the cases I worked on. At Oberlin College, administrative facilitation of ugly and defamatory student protests outside a local business ultimately cost the school $36 million in damages. At Columbia, hundreds of sympathetic faculty members staged their own protest in support of the student encampment on the quad, and there are reports that other faculty members have attempted to block members of the media from access to the student encampment.

None of this is new. All of it creates a culture of impunity for the most radical students. Disruptive protesters are rarely disciplined, or they get mere slaps on the wrist. They’re hailed as heroes by many of their professors. Administrators look the other way as protesters pitch their tents on the quad — despite clear violations of university policy. Then, days later, the same administrators look at the tent city on campus, wring their hands, and ask, “How did this spiral out of control?”

There is a better way . When universities can actually recognize and enforce the distinctions among free speech, civil disobedience and lawlessness, they can protect both the right of students to protest and the rights of students to study and learn in peace.

In March a small band of pro-Palestinian students at Vanderbilt University in Nashville pushed past a security guard so aggressively that they injured him , walked into a university facility that was closed to protest and briefly occupied the building. The university had provided ample space for protest, and both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian students had been speaking and protesting peacefully on campus since Oct. 7.

But these students weren’t engaged in free speech. Nor were they engaged in true civil disobedience. Civil disobedience does not include assault, and within hours the university shut them down. Three students were arrested in the assault on the security guard, and one was arrested on charges of vandalism. More than 20 students were subjected to university discipline, three were expelled , and one was suspended.

The message was clear: Every student can protest, but protest has to be peaceful and lawful. In taking this action, Vanderbilt was empowered by its posture of institutional neutrality . It does not take sides in matters of public dispute. Its fundamental role is to maintain a forum for speech, not to set the terms of the debate and certainly not to permit one side to break reasonable rules that protect education and safety on campus.

Vanderbilt is not alone in its commitment to neutrality. The University of Chicago has long adhered to the Kalven principles , a statement of university neutrality articulated in 1967 by a committee led by one of the most respected legal scholars of the last century, Harry Kalven Jr. At their heart, the Kalven principles articulate the view that “the instrument of dissent and criticism is the individual faculty member or the individual student. The university is the home and sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic. It is, to go back once again to the classic phrase, a community of scholars.”

Contrast Vanderbilt’s precise response with the opposing extremes. In response to the chaos at Columbia, the school is finishing the semester with hybrid classes, pushing thousands of students online. The University of Southern California canceled its main stage commencement ceremony , claiming that the need for additional safety measures made the ceremony impractical. At both schools the inability to guarantee safety and order has diminished the educational experience of their students.

While U.S.C. and Columbia capitulate, other schools have taken an excessively draconian approach. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas posted on X, “Students joining in hate-filled, antisemitic protests at any public college or university in Texas should be expelled.” On April 25 the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression sent a forceful letter to the president of the University of Texas at Austin condemning the display of force on campus. “U.T. Austin,” it wrote, “at the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, appears to have pre-emptively banned peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters due solely to their views rather than for any actionable misconduct.”

At Emory University, footage emerged of police tackling a female professor who posed no obvious danger to the police or anyone else. Protests are almost always tense, and there is often no easy way to physically remove protesters from campus, but the video footage of the confrontation with the professor was shocking. It’s hard to conceive of a justification for the violent police response.

At this moment, one has the impression that university presidents at several universities are simply hanging on, hoping against hope that they can manage the crisis well enough to survive the school year and close the dorms and praying that passions cool over the summer.

That is a vain hope. There is no indication that the war in Gaza — or certainly the region — will be over by the fall. It’s quite possible that Israel will be engaged in full-scale war on its northern border against Hezbollah. And the United States will be in the midst of a presidential election that could be every bit as contentious as the 2020 contest.

But the summer does give space for a reboot. It allows universities to declare unequivocally that they will protect free speech, respect peaceful civil disobedience and uphold the rule of law by protecting the campus community from violence and chaos. Universities should not protect students from hurtful ideas, but they must protect their ability to peacefully live and learn in a community of scholars. There is no other viable alternative.

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David French is an Opinion columnist, writing about law, culture, religion and armed conflict. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a former constitutional litigator. His most recent book is “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation .” You can follow him on Threads ( @davidfrenchjag ).

'It's on everybody's mind': Morehouse faculty and students raise concerns about Biden's graduation speech

ATLANTA — Morehouse College’s leadership is set to hold a call on Thursday — where faculty will get the chance to speak — to address concerns over having President Joe Biden as the school’s commencement speaker next month.

“From our perspective, really having a sitting president come to Morehouse offers an incredible opportunity,” said Morehouse Provost Kendrick Brown, who, along with the president of the school, will be conducting the call this evening, adding: “This is something that is in line with Morehouse’s mission and also with this objective of being a place that allows for engagement of social justice issues and moral concerns.”

Commencement season is traditionally a time for presidents to engage with younger audiences and all the energy they bring. But this year, with pro-Palestinian protests — and protests against Biden’s support for Israel —  dominating college campuses , these speeches are more fraught. The White House announced this week that Biden will be doing just two commencement addresses this year, at Morehouse and at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Morehouse professor Andrew Douglas said many students and faculty are “wrestling” with whether — or how — to protest next month’s commencement.

“I’ve spoken with several faculty members who say under no conditions are they going to sit on a stage with Joe Biden,” Douglas said, adding: “It’s on everybody’s mind.”

Douglas, a political science professor in his 13th year at Morehouse, is a member of the school’s faculty council, the 15-member body that wrote a letter to the school’s president last week expressing “disappointment” upon hearing rumors that Biden had been invited to speak.

After those concerns came out, Morehouse’s leadership decided to hold its call with faculty members, though officials have made clear Biden’s invitation will not be rescinded.

“This was a decision that should have included more members of the campus community — students and faculty,” Douglas said. “And if those conversations had happened, I’m not sure that the decision to move forward would have been made.”

He pointed to “very serious and widespread concerns” over the war in Gaza, arguing that “the Biden administration has had a hand in seven months of death and destruction in ways that we don’t condone or support.”

On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to the backlash, telling reporters that commencements were meant to focus on the graduates and their families.

“It’s not the first time, obviously, that he’s given commencement speeches," she said. "I understand this is a different moment in time that we’re in. But he always takes this moment as a special time to deliver a message, an encouraging message, a message that’s hopefully uplifting to the graduates and their families. And we’re going to continue to have these conversations that I’ve just mentioned, with the different communities about what’s happening right now. We get it. It’s painful."

Calvin Bell, a senior at Morehouse who voted for Biden in 2020, has similar concerns. While he described Biden’s speech as a “distraction” from celebrating students during commencement, he also sees the visit as a chance to take student concerns over Gaza directly to the president.

“This is also an opportunity for students to make their voices heard during a time of increasing war and genocide in the Middle East,” Bell said. 

While Douglas acknowledged the call with leadership is “unlikely” to result in Biden’s speech being canceled, Douglas says the priority among faculty is to protect students’ rights to protest, noting that a protest at Morehouse — the nation’s only college dedicated to educating Black men — could bring a different risk than similar protests at other campuses across the country.

 “Our priority should be … to try and ensure that under no circumstances are the police brought to bear on our students,” Douglas said. 

“Our students do not have the same privileges that Ivy League students typically do, and confrontations with the police can turn deadly for our students,” he added.

“We have a legacy of being at the forefront of justice movements,” Brown said. “We certainly encourage our students, our faculty, our staff, to form strong opinions and to come together peacefully and engage in that. So the way I see this is, this is certainly an opportunity … for our community to engage with the president to express the range of views that exist on the present issues, certainly in Israel and Gaza.”

Politically, the speech holds several layers of significance for Biden. Morehouse is located just west of downtown Atlanta in battleground Georgia — a state Biden barely won in 2020. Some state Democrats have expressed concern about his ability to repeat that victory.

A speech at the lauded alma mater of Martin Luther King Jr. would also give the president a unique opportunity to appeal to young Black voters — a group where polls show his support is lagging.

But while commencement is still a month away — enough time for minds to change — Douglas said the early signs do not point to a warm welcome: “I have not had a conversation with a student who’s happy about this.”

Nnamdi Egwuonwu is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Blayne Alexander is an NBC News correspondent, based in Atlanta.