The Stand

Good evening and welcome to all the parents, relatives and friends who have made this day possible for the Thornapple Kellogg High School graduating class of 2006. I would also like to thank this year’s graduates for the honor and privilege of speaking at their commencement. To be a part of such an important night in your lives is indeed a very special moment for me. Graduation marks the end of one part of your life and the beginning of unlimited possibilities. This is the moment when you…

doing stand-up comedy was in Catch a Rising Star Comedy Club. After performing he was offered a role in Rodney Dangerfield HBO special. Later, he was a reoccurring character in Benson but he was fired for being too creative. By 1981 he was on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. Jerry Seinfeld developed The Seinfeld…

Harvey Morning Show” from 8am-10am, which was originally syndicated through Radio One, Inc. Even while Steve Harvey was trying to balance out his busy schedule he still and becoming a popular radio host for his morning show, he still continued to do stand up tours and sell out…

often does what we call a “Bob Hope” pose during his sermons. He holds his left arm across his chest, touching the crook of his right arm, which is bent perpendicular to the left arm. His right hand cups his face. Bob Hope often stood this way during stand-up comedy routines. When my pastor takes this stance, the congregation knows that he is about to tell a…

Our generation is the first generation where it is considered acceptable to sleep around with a different guy every week. Sure, they might get called a “slut” or “whore” but the depressing truth is most of them are okay with it because the ones calling them that are just as guilty as the person being labeled. For this reason, it seems as if girls do not care if they are getting called provocative names. Personally, females need to hold themselves to a higher self-worth, which talks “about who…

Never give up, and be confident in what you do. There may be tough times, but the difficulties which you face will make you more determined to achieve your adjectives and to win against all odds. I never knew that this quote would have a huge impact in my life especially when I had reached the sixth grade. Just a young, shy, and chubby kid ready for my first year in junior high, wondering about the new exciting things waiting for me. But if I knew that the exciting things would change into…

George Carlin started his comedy career as a clean-standup act, which meant that there were no “dirty jokes” or profanity in his acts. He eventually grew tired of performing comedy for what he called a “suit and tie” audience. He described the generational divide he caught himself in. Where he was in his 30’s and the audiences he was performing for were in their 40’s, whom were at odds with the youth who were in their 20s. He slowly started to drift away from the “suit and tie” audiences and…

Which counts more - taking a stand or winning? Which is more sufficient, taking a stand against the problem and having a half and half chance of getting your side approved. Or would the whole concept of just winning. The concept of taking a stand is the idea of holding firm against someone or something. Taking stands have been around for quite a while in both America and other countries. Taking a stand also takes place in many readings, such as “Beowulf’ and “ Fate will unwind as it must”.…

herself had childhood cancer. Alexandra Flynn “Alex” Scott created Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF), used finding humor to innovate ways to overcome childhood cancer, and illuminate the world by donating to cancer research. Alexandra Flynn “Alex” Scott created Alex’s Lemonade Stand. “The best way to make happy money is to make money your hobby and not your God (Scott Alexander, Brainyquote).” Alex’s Lemonade Stand is a nationwide foundation that earns money from selling lemonade. The…

For instance in stand up comedy, you typically have one person trying to squeeze a chuckle out of you by explaining these long drawn out stories. Comedy through verbal stories makes it easy for the listeners to forget bits and pieces if there is no visual aid represented. A joke, rude natured and ill mannered, the feelings that will be hurt, don’t concern comedians. It is often times, for stand up comedians that in order to get a reaction from an audience…