University commencement speakers range from public officials to TV celebrities this year, with many colleges seeming intent on procuring big-name speakers to address their graduating classes.
But students noticed that their graduation speakers and ceremonies focused on political issues - sometimes excessively - because the country is in the midst of a highly contested election.
Penn students said they were surprised, but impressed by the address of Penn's commencement speaker, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
"I don't think a lot of people expected him to be as awesome as he was, especially considering former celebrity speakers like Bono," recent College graduate Joseph Katz said. "I thought he was funny, engaging and had really great advice for the graduating class."
Recent Nursing graduate Kelly Convery agreed, saying Bloomberg did a "great" job.
"The whole ceremony was political, but I thought it was appropriate," Convery said.
Illinois Sen. and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, spoke at Wesleyan University's commencement as a substitute for the ailing Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy.
Some Wesleyan students felt that his speech was also overtly political.
"In the program, there was a note saying that his speech was in no way part of his campaign," said recent Wesleyan graduate Matt Haywood. "However, his words suggested otherwise."
Haywood added that despite the increase in public turnout that could be attributed to Obama's speech, the focus of the day was not shifted away from the graduates themselves.
"At least in my experience, everyone who came for me was there for me, not Sen. Obama," Haywood said.
Yale University's Class Day speaker this year was also a politician - former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Blair did speak about the conflict in the Middle East, but according to recent Yale graduate Katherine Linzer, his talk "as a whole was not very political."
He added several personal anecdotes about his own college experiences, and ultimately advised students to "have a purpose in life" and that "giving lifts the heart in a way that getting never can."
Several dozen students held anti-war signs during his address, protesting Blair's support of the Iraq war, but Linzer said the protesters did not negatively affect the Class Day ceremonies.
Some of this year's graduation highlights still to come include baseball star Cal Ripken Jr., who will deliver the commencement address at University of Delaware, author of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling, who will speak at Harvard University, and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who will deliver the address at Stanford University.
