Ferrell delivered the second half of his speech in imitation of President Bush—a skill he made famous during his seven-season stint on Saturday Night Live.

“Harvard University is one of the finest in the land,” he said, mocking President Bush’s Texan drawl and face of dumbstruck stupor. “[Your] exuberance exudes a confident confidence of a bygone era.”

He also wished the seniors luck job-hunting in the struggling economy.

“The chance of landing a job are as good as finding a weapon of mass destruction in Iraq,” he said.

Concluding the speech with a musical number, Ferrell began to croon Kansas’ blues hit “Dust in the Wind,” which he performed in his most recent film “Old School.” But he broke off mid-song and said, “I’m just realizing its a terrible graduation song. Man, it’s a downer.”

Revising the lyrics to fit the mood, Ferrell resumed his off-key singing, eyes half-closed in concentration.

“You’re so much more than just dust in the wind,” he sang. “You’re just shiny little very smart pieces of dust in the wind.”

Ferrell’s colleagues said his gift for comedy made him an outstanding class day speaker.

“Will is incredibly funny and I think he’s magic,” said Lorne Michaels, the executive producer of Saturday Night Live who worked with him for seven years on the show and also on three movies. “He’s up there with the best of whoever’s done the show. He’s versatile, and he’s also really funny being Will just as himself.”

“I’d be happy to watch him speak about anything,” he added. “You’re always happy when he’s in the room.”

Franken, who spoke at last year’s class day, concurred, saying that he appreciated Ferrell’s approach.

“I have more of a connection to the school, so the kind of speech I did was different,” he said. “I thought his was hilarious.”

Sharing The Spotlight

Five students—Two Ivy orators, two Harvard orators, and Subrahmanian—and Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis ’68 also took the stage to provide seniors and their guests with advice and laughs.

“This is a time when pure nostalgia is completely allowed,” Lewis advised. “It’s okay to drop the cynicism you learned when you were a freshman.”