Peanut Butter and Lime Jelly: Paul Hiebert's Convocation Address

              Peanut Butter and Lime Jelly:
Paul Hiebert's Convocation Address
I believe that it is customary on these occasions for the speaker to address the young graduates in ringing tones, the theme being always in my experience more or less the same. You are, I understand, to be told that the future is in your hands, that yours is the heritage of youth, and that armed with your knowledge and diplomas you are now to go out into the brave new world and make it a better place. We of the older generations � in my case a generation about four times removed � are supposed to be handing onto you the torch which you are to carry into the future, holding it aloft with all the courage and idealism of youth.
Alas, I wish I could address you on this occasion in that noble tradition. But in all conscience, my opinion is that as you go out into this brave new world you are going to make a bigger hash of it than we ever did, and all I can say to you is that if anybody hands you the torch you would better have nothing to do with it because you are likely to blow the place up.
I think therefore I shall just take advantage of my declining years and become fondly reminiscent concerning this University of Manitoba with which I have been assocoated the greater part of my life. Perhaps out of my memories of the past you may find some values which can be salvaged in case one of these days you decide to start all over again.
I am always proud to say that I was a member of the first student body to ever graduate from this University as such. Ours was the class of 1916, one of those who made the world safe for democracy during the first great war, of which I am sure you must have heard.
Before our time we had all been students at the denominational colleges, Wesley, Manitoba, St. Johns or St. Boniface; and the University held the examinations for the degree and granted them, but we were still members of the different colleges with our own loyalties and rivalries. But the colleges, Wesley and Manitoba combined
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