Fellow Students and Staff,

Graduation is a special occasion in a student's life; Many of them go out into the real world by themselves for the first time, while others move on to grad school in search of an even higher level of education.  This is time is sure to bring excitement, yet with that joy of seeking the next big adventure, comes the burden of uncertainty. “Where will I end up?” “Will I get a job?” “How am I going to pay off this debt?” - these are the questions that rattle in the soon-to-be-grads heads, off putting what should be a time of blossoming adventure. It’s in this time of need that students need to look to role models that face their challenges head on and make an impact with something as simple as their presence. In a time of shifting uncertainty, we students need the stalwart definition of someone who represents a positive future: Well New Jersey native Danny Devito is such a man, whose story and life can influence anybody to think positively as they take the plunge into their next big adventure.  

Mr. Devito has had an extremely successful career in the entertainment world, an industry that most can agree upon is one of the hardest and challenging to make a name for oneself in. Like what the potential college grad sees when they look into that foreboding abyss of adulthood,  the entertainment world is filled with uncertainty and a necessity for personal motivation - and though it may not be the field all grads are heading into, most of us see ourselves stepping onto the “stage” of the world, and “auditioning” for everything from jobs to future partners. So while our careers may not all be the same as Mr. Devito’s, the parallels are absolutely there. If we look at his history, we can see that Mr. Devito has let nothing stop him from achieving his dream.  Growing up with the rare disorder Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia, Mr. Devito has always stood at a short stature.  However he has not let his physical standing dictate the heights he could reach, or the obstacles he could overcome. This is an important lesson for a student finishing their final year to take in, since the ghosts of financial background, family history, or even something simple like self-confidence may cast a shadow over the idea of stepping into the challenges of the real world. When we look at Mr. Devito, we see a man who took what many would call a weakness, and reworked it into a powerful part of his image - this bright man never let anything from shooting for, and reaching the stars.  He met his obstacles head on and overcame them, with a decade spanning career featuring hit shows like Taxi to the newly acclaimed It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (which on top of all of this positivity, makes him relatable to current Ramapo students and alumni of all age groups). Mr. Devito never let himself fall into one role, constantly taking on new characters and genres that would allow to grow as an actor and a person - a trait we must all carry into adulthood if we wish to adapt and succeed.

So it is with the previous statements that we humbly provide our case for having Danny Devito as the 2017 Ramapo Graduation speaker, something we and many other students carely very deeply about. It’s with this petition that we are putting in our formal request to bring Mr. Devito to our graduation ceremony, and every signature behind it simply is backing the ideal of having a speaker who exudes positivity and passion for life. His life has been one full of powerful messages: like that of meeting challenges head on, changing what others may see as a negative into a positive, and never becoming stagnant or complacent. Finally from a more technical standpoint, having been born in New Jersey and having a history of liberal ideals, Mr. Devito is the perfect fit for Ramapo College. To us Ramapo student’s, he truly embodies the heart of the school we truly love: Someone who may have started life as the underdog, but now shines above the rest. He may be a little different, and (in some of his roles) a little goofy or a little coarse, but aren’t we all? Danny Devito isn’t some far-off figure on a pedestal that students will have to research before the graduation, he’s someone we can all relate to and absolutely look forward to seeing.   So to the Ramapo College Administration, in closing we implore you to please heed the soon to be plentiful signatures on this petition, and bring Danny Devito to our school. Thank you.

Nick Perez, James Perlas, and the Ramapo Student Body.