Life — June 7, 1917 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "A Sample Commencement Address" - Life Magazine Page 976 This page contains a commencement speech excerpt paired with a military illustration captioned "IT WOULD BE JUST HIS LUCK!" The illustration shows soldiers on horseback and on foot, appearing to be from a military campaign or battle scene. The speaker, identified as "Edmund J. Kiefer," addresses the Class of 1917, sarcastically telling graduates that hard work and persistence are pointless. He suggests they're naive to expect success and mockingly advises them to enjoy luxuries instead, concluding that "the luxuries, and the necessities will take care of themselves." The satire appears to reference the context of 1917—likely reflecting anxieties about WWI and suggesting that graduates' futures are uncertain or predetermined by circumstances beyond their control, making earnest commencement platitudes seem hollow or absurd.