Student speaker’s four-year wait is overAnthony Alexander III is a patient man. He has known that he was going to be picked as the student speaker at the University of Rhode Island’s commencement for the past four years. “I’m honored,” he said, “but not nervous.”
Alexander’s foresight comes from personal experience. He found the speaker at his high school graduation less than interesting. Alexander swore to himself that he wouldn’t let that happen when he graduated from college. To ensure that it wouldn’t, he would be the speaker.
He hadn’t figured on the stiff competition from his classmates. About a dozen students tried out last month, giving their speeches to a seven-person panel composed of the Student Senate officers and faculty members. Alexander waited by the phone like a Maytag repairman. It finally rang with the news that he got the job.
Alexander, a secondary education major, was a student teacher this past semester at West Warwick High School, where he taught Western civilization and American history to ninth and tenth graders. History was always his favorite subject in school.
He hadn’t always focused on a teaching career. The East Brunswick, N.J. resident enrolled at URI because the College of Business Administration had a great reputation.
However, he switched from business after his first year. Everyone had always told him that he would make a great teacher. Finally, he began to realize it himself, especially after taking “History of the Sea” with History Professor Rod Mather. “Imagine. He took the subject of the ocean and made it interesting,” said Alexander in admiration.
The commencement speech reflects Alexander’s humor. In Letterman-like fashion, he cites the 10 experiences that URI students shared during their time here. Nothing is sacred. He pokes fun at the abundant number of squirrels on campus “two squirrels for every one student and they move slower than the Internet connection.” Another is the campus-wide phone messages. “If it weren’t for those people I would not have known that the URI tree club is having a bake sale three weeks from today at 2:37 p.m. behind the biological sciences auditorium.”
Although he’s pumped to be graduating from college, Alexander admits it’s a mixed bag. “I’ve made tremendous friends here,” he said. “I’m so glad I chose URI. There definitely will be a void that will need to be filled.”
By Jan Wenzel
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