One speechmaker calling his shots at the UMD’s recent graduation ceremony wasn’t a politician, tech CEO, or celebrity. But it was given to a legendary, green amphibian — Kermit the Frog. By the way, if you don’t know, on his soulful voice, his gentle spirit, his swampy sense of humor, Kermit sprinkled joy, reflectio,n and a bit of nostalgia onto the class of 2025.
It’s not as if Kermit just happened to be wearing that costume. The Muppet beloved by children was born at UMD, first dreamed up by Jim Henson, his creator in the 1950s. On campus today, there’s a bronze statue of Kermit and Henson for a frozen conversation in time. His homecoming was a welcome for many at the ceremony.
“Leap Together”
Standing on the stage dressed in a tiny cap and gown, Kermit delivered a 12-minute, heartfelt and lighthearted speech. But he urged the graduates not to give up when their dreams seem out of reach. Kermit told us, “Dreams are where we figure out where we are going, and life is how we get there.” And he pointed out to students not to be scared of failure or setbacks. He added in a nod to his experience with Muppet mayhem — ‘The show must go on.’ “If you are with your people, you won’t be alone doing it.”
The most powerful part of the speech may have been when Kermit challenged the graduates to take a leap side by side, in reaching out a hand rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, because life is better when we leap together. Many related to this line and placed strong emphasis on the importance of unity and kindness, in a world filled with people competing against each other. But it also reinforced a central theme of the speech, that success is sweeter when shared.
The Rainbow Connection
Kermit’s signature song, Rainbow Connection, closed out the ceremony. Some with tears in their eyes swayed and sang to her final anthem. The Muppet Movie (1979) introduced the song and it spoke to dreamers and seekers, so it seems the perfect way to end the day which wasn’t quite over just yet.
During a brief break after the performance, Kermit was given a governor’s citation for his contribution to culture and educatio,n which sealed it: He was bigger than a puppet.
A Divided Audience
Apart from it’s feel-good atmosphere, the selection of Kermit has not garnered popularity among all. 22-year-old finance graduate Jack Collier, one of the students who had loved it, told the BBC. “Kermit is part of our university’s history,” he said. “The memories are fun, light and memorable.”
Some, however, didn’t agree. ‘Maybe the time you should pick an actual person who’s a master’s graduate and has actual case law supporting this, who could actually talk about some real issues that the youth face in India today, not a fictional character,’ said Rohin Mishra, a master’s graduate. While charming, the speech the presidential son gave on Thursday sidestepped the very real problems that plague students: political unrest, immigration problems, and campus speech battles.
Mishra said there’s a special emptiness and vacuousness to the words of a character like Kermit in the current political climate. The speech was a safe, marketable choice that spared him controversy, he said.
Kermit’s Kind of Wisdom
While uplifting or underwhelming, Kermit’s speech stands out for the emotional warmth and unpretentious matter of its delivery. None of it tried to solve the world’s problems, but it provided something simple — a reminder that joy, friendship, and hope still exist.
Plus, in this era in which commencement speeches might as well be campaign rallies or TED Talks, perhaps that’s just the tone we’re after. When the students threw their caps and sang of rainbows and dreams, there was one thing that was clear: Kermit gave a speech — he gave them a memory.
