Nestled between cherry blossom season and the influx of D.C.’s summer intern and tourist season is a hopeful time, when students turn away from keggers and exams to graduate into the real world — at least in theory. For Washington’s thousands of college seniors, this means job hunting, leaving the friendly confines of campus and the prospect of moving into your parents’ basement. It also means a litany of platitudes, advice and well-wishes from commencement speakers. Today DCist humbly offers the first of a two-part scouting report on who’s speaking, who’s not and yes, Oprah.

Kicking off the graduation festivities is Gallaudet University on May 11. After an academic year that saw campus operations ground to a halt by protests against the nomination of Jane Fernandes as President, students at the pre-eminent deaf university may be looking forward to a relatively sedate commencement. Dr. Albert J. Simone, president of the Rochester Institute of Technology is slated to give the keynote address.

Strengths: Simone is an experienced educator and RIT hosts the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, so he should be well versed on issues surrounding deaf culture.

Weaknesses: As we all know, graduates are always thrilled when presidents of universities deliver the keynote speech at their graduation. At least it’s not their school’s president.

The next day, Howard University throws down the graduation gauntlet with the mother of all speakers, Oprah Winfrey. The school made headlines when it nabbed Oprah for its graduation, immediately getting a positive response from students and alums.

Strengths: Oprah, Queen of the world!

Weaknesses: The Howard class of ’07 has to endure jealous glares from other D.C. grads slated to hear from politicians and governmental appointees.

Photo by clgregor