When the students of the University of Pennsylvania law school sat down to hear their commencement speech from Cass Sunstein, they probably didn’t think they were in for a dissertation on Star Wars.
“Graduates, faculty, family, friends—our topic today is Star Wars,” the legal scholar and former Obama Administration regulatory official opened his May 17 speech. “It’s not the most usual topic I know, but it’s not completely random. The Class of 2015 has the astounding good fortune of graduating in the very year of Star Wars‘ rebirth.”
And from there he was off, drawing thematic lessons from the movies that he said hold lessons for both graduates and their families.
But his closing line was the best: “The Force is strong with you all. May your ships make the kessel run in much less than 12 parsecs. Congratulations to the Jedi Knights of 2015!”
Watch the full speech below.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com