About ten minutes into the College of Nursing graduation ceremony at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, the woman announcing the new graduates' names was replaced. Why? Because she was mispronouncing their names in a comical way.
The ceremony quickly turned into a viral hit on social media as the announcer hilariously flubbed several graduates' names, even common ones like Allison and Sarah. At first, no one knew why this was happening, but the university later explained that phonetic spellings on the speaker's card were the culprit.
For about ten minutes, the mispronunciations had the crowd in stitches, creating a mix of confusion and amusement, until a new announcer stepped in. Commenters have compared it to this Key & Peele skit.
Thomas Jefferson University issued this apology statement:
"The leadership and faculty of Thomas Jefferson University extend our sincerest apologies for the mispronunciations of the names of several of our graduating nursing students during our recent commencement ceremony. This ceremony is a celebration of the significant achievements of our students, and each graduate deserves to have their name honored correctly on this pivotal day.
We also recognize that commencement is not only a milestone for our students but also a deeply important day for their families and loved ones who have supported them throughout their educational journey, and we are deeply sorry for any disappointment this may have caused. The mispronunciations occurred due to the way phonetic spellings were presented on the speaker's cards, which was noted when the presenter apologized during the ceremony. This unfortunate error does not reflect the immense respect we have for our graduates and the value we place on their hard-earned accomplishments."
Thomas Jefferson University
[via ABC7]
