Members of the graduating class of 2005 and their families and friends attended Baccalaureate, an inspirational ceremony held at Stanford Memorial Hall on Sunday, June 5.

LeVar Burton, the younger brother of Paly living skills instructor Letitia Burton, delivered the primary address. A graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Theater, Burton gained fame through his role as La Forge in the Star Trek TV series and 21-year tenure as Reading Rainbow host.

Throughout his speech, Burton emphasized the importance of appreciating one’s community. "None of us does it alone," he said. "It takes a village to raise a child." He asked each person in the audience to close his or her eyes and think about a teacher who made a difference.

Burton related his own life to the activity, discussing how his mother knew that he had a "personal destiny" and supported him financially to pursue an acting career. "I mention my mother’s name in every speech I deliver," Burton said.

Forgiveness was another important theme in Burton’s speech. "I believe in miracles," he told the audience. Burton’s parents split apart in a family feud during Burton’s childhood, yet when they met each other last Christmas Burton’s mother said that she "no longer felt angry anymore." Burton said, "Such is the power of forgiveness."

"Be still, stand in line, and pay attention" were Burton’s parting words. "You might miss something wonderful," he said. He then proceeded to wish the graduates luck in their future pursuits.

A number of student performers provided musical entertainment. The concert choir sang two songs, "Choose Something Like a Star" and "Seasons of Love." Eugene Seleznev’s piano performance of Rachmaninoff’s "Prelude in C# minor" was met with a standing ovation. "I’ve been practicing the piece for years," he said after the ceremony.

Gordon Chien delivered a humor-packed speech titled "It’s a Show about Nothing." He explained that "Seinfeld is a TV show about nothing" and drew parallels to his high school career. He used a quote from Michael Pritchard: "You don’t stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop laughing." The audience roared with laughter.

According to student activities director Joann Vaars, the planning of the event went smoothly but there was a problem with people entering the auditorium before it was ready. Besides that, "the student performers were well-rehearsed, and it (the event) went great," she said.

Many of the graduates were entertained by the program. "It was hecka funny," Satish Ramakrishnan said.