Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Beloved Muppet Will Address Graduates at Campus Ceremony on May 21 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland announced today that Kermit the Frog will deliver the university's commencement address on Wednesday The beloved Muppet and legendary frog will address summer 2024 family and friends during the ceremony at SECU Stadium After a sold-out visit to campus in fall 2024 as part of the College of Arts and Humanities Dean's Lecture Series Kermit the Frog returns to the university from The Muppets Studio to share an inspiring message with this year's graduates.  Kermit the Frog's appearance honors the long history between UMD and Muppets creator Jim Henson invented Kermit by building the original frog puppet out of one of his mother's coats and a ping-pong ball cut in half.  "I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit the Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives," said UMD President Darryll J and it is an honor to welcome Kermit the Frog to our campus Henson graduated from the University of Maryland Disney and their creative teams for making this possible." "Nothing could make these feet happier than to speak at the University of Maryland I just know the class of 2025 is going to leap into the world and make it a better place so if a few encouraging words from a frog can help then I'll be there!" said Kermit The Frog.  More details about the campuswide ceremony are available at commencement.umd.edu Wes Moore joined leaders from the University of Maryland (UMD) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to celebrate the.. The University of Maryland has named Holly Mercer as Dean of University Libraries Education Do not sell or share my personal information: shows all seventeen designs together in their full splendor.   to see the full collection of scarves together is rare Tucker has incorporated a selection of Oliver’s paintings and a delicate silk shirt and bomber jacket Oliver also designed for Hermès One display panel depicts a smiling Queen Elizabeth with an Hermès scarf—not Oliver’s—around her hair and Grace Kelly using one as an arm sling There is also a six-foot-high panel that gives a quick tutorial on how to tie a scarf around either your neck or head a man near me in a Metallica T-shirt and short gray ponytail turned to the young women looking at their phones by his side “Can you tie a scarf like that?” The scarves are the showstoppers. One of the most enchanting ones sports an oversized Texas turkey encircled by prickly pear cacti, a raccoon, a cottontail, a javelina, and the many birds of Texas After marveling at the turkey’s flowing red wattle I read the placard with the scarf’s title: Faune et Flore du Texas It’s funny to see the wild abundance of Texas summed up in French But such an oddball pairing is no more unlikely than the story of how Oliver who spent his childhood roaming the ranches around Refugio where his father and grandfather worked as cowboys In the exhibition’s nutshell telling of Oliver’s trajectory we learn that after studying at Texas Southern University under John T a pioneer in African American art in Texas He quickly became a star of the 1970s Houston art scene and he was the first African American artist to get a solo show at the esteemed DuBose Gallery Oliver’s growing fame among the Houston beau monde landed him on the radar of Lawrence Marcus of the Neiman Marcus family Marcus knew that the artistic director for Hermès Hermès asked Oliver to choose from three themes: the Southwest and the history of Neiman Marcus (thankfully his square-jawed face shining from the silk a display quotes a 1989 People magazine article in which Dumas says Oliver sketched bold thematic scarves for Hermès that were so intricate and well researched that one design could take a year to complete The viewer might linger before them for hours trying to absorb the depth of meaning and detail they contain Rodeo des Cowgirls depicts dozens of tiny women riding and roping with its quetzal bird and Mayan hieroglyphs is a cultural and botanical study of the Spanish Conquest Marquis de Lafayette shows the French general in America pointing his finger vaguely toward George Washington “He grew up around all the animals,” says Tucker he loves them.” Oliver’s daughter had just visited the exhibition the Wednesday before I arrived “When I was looking at these closely with Kristy we were just having a blast,” Tucker adds “She was saying that this is really what he cares about If the exhibition has a particularly intimate tone Her grandparents owned a farm in China Spring where they commissioned Oliver to paint a family portrait in the eighties Tucker could not include the painting in the exhibition but she showed me a photo of it—it’s a whimsical amalgam of a classical Velázquez-style royal family portrait and playful Texas farm-life realism “I know that my grandmother did not ask Kermit to include Elvira,” Tucker says Because Tucker was not yet born at the time of the family portrait her grandparents later asked Oliver to paint just her she is a smiling six-year-old with a brown bowl haircut wearing red Birkenstocks and accompanied by the family dog This portrait hangs in the exhibition over photographs of a young Tucker in the arms of her grandfather.  The Bryan borrowed a majority of the scarves and other items on display in this exhibition from Tucker’s friends and family in Waco The Hermès silk shirt was Tucker’s grandmother’s and many of the scarves belong to her grandparents’ friends they have such pride for him,” she says “There’s a very niche group of people who are really passionate about him You meet with them and each has a different perspective and thing they’re excited about When you buy a book using a link on this page a portion of your purchase goes to independent bookstores and Texas Monthly receives a commission Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application He was a member of the 1984 Hunt Warrior football team which won the Big East Conference title posted an 11-2 record and went to the Eastern 4-A finals Dave attended Atlantic Christian College graduating with a degree in Mathematics and Business He worked for the City of Wilson for seventeen years with the water treatment facility Dave enjoyed outdoor life and was a friend to all he ever met He will be deeply missed by family and friends He was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents Kermit David Brame and Ethel and maternal grandparents Jean Brame Lemmons and Sara Brame Skinner and many special cousins A graveside service will be held at 11:30 a.m in Marsh Swamp Free Will Baptist Church Cemetery The family will receive friends Friday evening In lieu of flowers donations are welcome to Marsh Swamp Memorial Fund Condolences directed to Joyner’s Funeral Home and Crematory at www.joyners.net Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text Marsh Swamp Free Will Baptist Church Cemetery This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors It’s not easy being green — or a commencement speaker The beloved Muppet will deliver the commencement address at University of Maryland the university announced on Wednesday morning While speaking at graduation is a big Kermitment the beloved Muppet and legendary frog has deep ties to UMD graduated from Maryland’s flagship university in 1960 Kermit said that “nothing could make these feet happier than to speak at the University of Maryland.” The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one. The Muppet added: “I just know the class of 2025 is going to leap into the world and make it a better place UMD began teasing a green-themed on Tuesday afternoon turning college social media channels green and posting that “big news” was coming Students flocked to the comment section on the official University of Maryland Instagram account to question what it could be Was Charli XCX’s Brat making an appearance in College Park On Wednesday morning, the announcement came. In a video posted to UMD’s social media accounts, the commencement speaker was revealed as an environmental advocate, a best-selling author, a Peabody Award winner and ... an “amphibitarian.” “I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit The Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives,” said UMD President Darryll Pines and it is an honor to welcome Kermit The Frog to our campus Henson graduated from the University of Maryland.” Baltimore Banner reporters Cayla Harris and Rohan Mattu contributed to this story This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more Ellie Wolfe ellie.wolfe@thebaltimorebanner.com Ellie Wolfe reports on higher education at the Baltimore Banner Raised in western Massachusetts and a proud graduate of Bates College Ellie spent a year reporting on higher education at the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson before moving to Baltimore Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. Please review our community guidelines Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policies The Baltimore Banner is a trademark registered in the U.S for The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism Statement from Executive Vice President and General Manager Eric DeCosta pic.twitter.com/TNQrqw3me2 Welcome to The Banner's subscriber-only commenting community. 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If the problem persists, please contact customer service at 443-843-0043 or customercare@thebaltimorebanner.com Kermit was the beloved son of the late Kermit and Mary (Lebo) Updegrove and the devoted husband of the late Linda (Weekly) Updegrove had a passion for education and dedicated 36 years to teaching Biology – 24 years at C Milton Wright High School and 12 years at Bel Air High School in Bel Air he also coached High School softball and was proud to have won five State Championships in 1981 Throughout his teaching and coaching career he positively impacted the lives of many students and athletes and was the recipient of many awards He was a proud member of the Harford Bird Club a chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society where he shared his love for birds with fellow enthusiasts he could always be found with a pair of binoculars and was proud to have seen over 725 birds in his bird watching career and dedication to both teaching and nature will live on in the hearts of all who knew him – and many of his most humorous stories were captured in his autobiographical book titled “Confessions of a High School Biology Teacher and Bird Watcher” Erin Lynn Brouillard and her spouse Jake of Naples Joseph Paul Updegrove and his spouse Sandra of New York Contributions may be made to The Maryland Ornithological Society c/o MOS Treasurer 11925 Oden Ct. As a proud graduate of the University of Maryland I often wear a baseball cap with a big M emblazoned on a smiling image of their mascot Little did I know when I attended the school decades ago that Jim Henson created the Muppets while an undergraduate at the university in the mid-1950s one of the Muppet characters is Kermit the Frog The university has invited Kermit to give an address at this year’s commencement on May 21 This column offers Kermit five suggestions for his speech to always show their humanity and especially respect I liked your address at Southhampton College’s 1996 graduation Your opening lines in that speech are memorable and bear reimagining for this graduation when thinking of “bears,” remember to keep Jim Henson’s ideology in mind when you recall the famous now-outdated childhood road-direction advice: “Bear right “I thought the Milk and Honey at 10280 Baltimore Ave you opened in 1996 with: “When I was a tadpole growing up back in the swamps I never imagined that I would one day address such an outstanding group of scholars And I am sure that when you were children growing up back in your own particular swamps or suburbs you never imagined you would sit here on one of the most important days of your life listening to a short green talking frog deliver your commencement address.” Bring along the one you strummed while singing your famous song “Rainbow Connection” to open The Muppet Movie I suggest you sing a few lines from that song before continuing through the verses you want to emphasize “Why are there so many / Songs about rainbows / And what’s on the other side?” You might then rhetorically ask: What do you think is on the other side "Rainbows are visions / But only illusions / And rainbows have nothing to hide." Here you might ask: What would you like for a rainbow to hide remember that while you were created about 1955 most of your student audience were born around 2005 and their parents around — perhaps — around 1985 you have the wonderful opportunity to introduce many in your audience to your Muppet team for the first time (or at least for the first time not on You Tube) To others you have the opportunity to reintroduce them to your team You have a great chance to talk about how you worked as a team of friends You should mention that Oscar lives in a trash can and Miss Piggy practices karate I know that you and Miss Piggy broke up in 1990 but you can talk about how to break up the right way — as you two did At one point in 2005 you said that you might be open to a marriage to a pig — an interspecies marriage You can hop from one position on a subject to another and still stay camouflaged Remember that you don’t need to stick with human language Use “Ribbit-ribbit” for more than emphasis Jokes are always a good idea — if they work Here are a couple of political ones — use carefully These are courtesy of Reader’s Digest on September 20 “Have you heard about McDonald’s new presidential value meal and the person after you has to pay for it.” Or “Stop repeat criminals — don’t re-elect them!” don’t hesitate to inject a bit of tough love by addressing the difficult issues facing this year’s graduates This is again where you may need to weave in some politics Jim Henson was an advocate for environmental conservation don’t hesitate to croak a lot about whatever you believe your fellow frogs are facing — say plastic pollution “Why did the AI go to the psychiatrist?” “It had neural issues.” “Scientists predict human-level artificial intelligence by 2030 Perhaps sooner if the bar keeps dropping.”   I suggest you conclude with a variation of a couple of your concluding lines from your 1996 speech: "…you are no longer tadpoles The time has come for you to drop your tails and leave this swamp.” Contact Larry Little at larrylittle46@gmail.com who was known for his kindness and unwavering generosity and an adventurer at heart whose legacy will be cherished by all who had the honor of knowing him Kermit graduated from the Culver Military Academy before pursuing higher education at the University of Oklahoma where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology He distinguished himself as a prominent member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity forging lifelong friendships that would carry him throughout his life Kermit served his country as a Naval Intelligence Officer at the Pentagon for two years As a President of the OKC Home Builders Association and a devoted member of the National Home Builders Past Presidents Association Kermit left an indelible mark on the communities of Northwest Oklahoma City and Edmond through his notable developments Kermit's zest for life was evident in his love for entertaining family and friends sharing unforgettable experiences with those he adored he delighted in living part-time in Hawaii where he deepened his passion for fishing—be it the thrill of bass fishing with his closest friends or the deep-sea excursions in the waters of Hawaii and New Zealand and he cherished the long road trips taken with his cherished wife Kermit’s affinity for reading was matched only by his appreciation for fine food and wine pursuits that spurred lively conversations around the dinner table with his family Kermit is lovingly remembered by his devoted and cherished wife Kermit embodied the essence of a southern gentleman—loving His spirit will live on in the stories shared by those he loved and will forever remain imprinted on the hearts of his family and friends A special heartfelt thank you to the Iris and Jasmine Estates Care Teams and Good Shepherd Hospice please consider a donation to All Souls Episcopal Church or the Dementia Society of America Slick) peacefully went to be with his Lord at his home on Tuesday 2024 at the age of 65 after years of Illnesses he battled He leaves behind his family who we called our hero Beloved husband of Tammy Beard Ortolano for 45 years (Schantelle) and Kristopher James Ortolano 1959 to the late Jacqueline Ida Lancon and the late Floyd Rudy Ortolano Also survived by a host of nieces and nephews He had a strong faith and believed in helping anyone anytime no matter what The family would also love to thank his Ochsner doctors whom are numerous We know in our hearts you are not suffering in daily pain also the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers members are invited to attend the Visitation on Monday 2024 from 9am until 11am at Mothe Funeral Home Family and friends may view and sign the online guest book at www.mothefunerals.com passed away into God’s graces on Thursday Kermit was born in Forsyth County to the late Kermit Swain Parrish Sr He was a graduate of the Gray High School Class of 1952 and retired as a Civil Engineer with the city of Winston-Salem Kermit was loved by all and made friends wherever he went spending time with friends and his daughters Betsy (Betty Jo) Parrish Sluder; and brother Cindy Swain Parrish and Debbie Parrish Ventrola; son-in-law A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday at Salem Moravian Graveyard God’s Acre with Pastor John Jackman officiating memorials may be made to the Sunnyside Ministry of the Moravian Church who was awarded an honorary doctorate of amphibious letters degree in 1996 will address University of Maryland graduates Jessica is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly The Walt Disney Company/Image Group LA via Getty family man and notable figure in the history of the Fairmount community passed away peacefully at his home in Fairmount Kermit learned the values of hard work and determination from an early age He managed a newspaper route and collected metal to sell for scrap which instilled in him a sense of pride that culminated in his ability to purchase his own new Elgin bicycle Kermit grew up in a Norwegian family where his uncle and buying Kermit his first trumpet at the age of 10 Together they played in Nels’ The Stars Orchestra These experiences laid the groundwork for the integrity and commitment Kermit later demonstrated in both his personal and professional life Nels played in the bands that Kermit formed and managed in and around Fessenden and Velva ND: Kermy’s Quintet and Rosie’s Orchestra Kermit also later played in the Wahpeton ND Elks Band Jolly Corks Kermit honorably served in the United States Army and was discharged on January 16 he was a member of the Fairmount Honor Guard He was also pleased to play alto horn in the North Dakota American Legion State Band which performed all over the country In 2024 at the Memorial Day service in Fairmount Kermit was honored for 80 years of membership in the American Legion Kermit's banking career began in Wells County Kermit joined Peoples State Bank in Fairmount after the untimely passing of the bank's then-president He devoted many years to the banking industry building the new Peoples State Bank in 1985 then retiring in 1994 when Earl Schouweiler’s son Kermit also established Rosendahl Realty in Fairmount further contributing to the community's growth and development by providing for those who may not have otherwise had a chance at home rental or ownership Kermit was proud of the Fairmount community and grateful and appreciative for all that they had done for him In addition to his professional accomplishments Kermit made trips around the contiguous United States with his young family and first wife he proudly built his new Fairmount house which he lived in and cherished until his passing he enjoyed many happy travels including South Padre Island he enjoyed a memorable excursion to New Zealand with his son He also had a connection with nature and considered the welfare of birds and animals He enjoyed collecting beautiful rock and wood specimens wherever he went he was also an avid collector of brass instruments and musical instruments in general Kermit founded the South East North Dakota Jazz a group of musicians from all over the tri-state area who met in the basement of his home in Fairmount one Wednesday evening a month for many years Kermit is survived by his ex-wife Phyllis Jackson; daughter Linda Rosendahl; son-in-law John Mayne daughter-in-law Barb Rosendahl; stepchildren Mei-Lani Young and Andrew Young; and grandchildren Kaylee Rosendahl He was preceded in death by his grandparents Christ Julson and Jennie Nelsdatter Julson; uncles Julius Julson and Haldor Julson; aunt Laura Julson; parents and Anne Julson Rosendahl; brother Russell Rosendahl; sister Ione Rosendahl; former wife June Rosendahl; and son Gary Rosendahl Kermit Rosendahl's life was a testament to fortitude His legacy will continue to inspire those who knew him Visitation will be held at Kermit's home (103 4th St S His funeral service will take place at Vertin Munson Funeral Home Visitation will be held one hour prior to his service Burial will take place at a later date at Hamberg Lutheran Cemetery Renee Hasbargen will officiate the service Click to watch Statue of Kermit the Frog and Jim Henson outside of Stamp Student Union ‘World’s most famous amphibian’ set to deliver address at Muppets creator Jim Henson’s alma mater in College Park Kermit the Frog once sang “it’s not easy being green” – and now he gets to see how easy it is to impart wise words to graduating college students in these times The university announced this week that it had chosen the fictional Muppets star and so-called “world’s most famous amphibian” to deliver its commencement speech on 21 May at University of Maryland’s SECU Stadium in College Park Maryland’s announcement avoided saying whether it took such factors into account before tapping a childhood idol as its commencement speaker “Nothing could make these feet happier than to speak at the University of Maryland,” said a statement attributed to Kermit and the Muppets Studio “I just know the class of 2025 is going to leap into the world and make it a better place A promotional video published by Maryland hailed Kermit as a Peabody award winner environmental advocate – and “friend to all creatures” The video also alluded to how the late Jim Henson came up with Kermit while he was a student at Maryland Henson graduated from the university in 1960 as a home economics major and he is commemorated at the campus with a sculpture depicting him sitting next to Kermit “I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit the Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives,” said a statement attributed to Maryland’s president and it is an honor to welcome Kermit the Frog to our campus.” The Muppets Studio said the plan is for Kermit’s puppeteer since 2017 At least one graduating senior at Maryland described looking forward to Kermit’s address The theater student Adam Hawley told the network: “It’s not often that a … frog speaks at your graduation it’s remarkable how relatable and human Kermit is but what’s truly special is how he learns from his experiences and shares with us a deep wisdom on how to be kind to ourselves and treat one another with care.” Kermit is not a commencement-speaking rookie He spoke to the graduating class of the former Southampton College of Long Island University in 1996 and accepted an honorary doctorate of amphibious letters from the institution “I am sure that when you were children growing up back in your own particular swamps or suburbs, you never imagined you would sit here on one of the most important days of your life listening to a short, green talking frog deliver your commencement address,” Kermit said at the time, according to a transcript “All of us should feel very proud of ourselves … and just a little bit silly.” He wished the graduates “ribbit-knee-deep-ribbit” which he said translated to: “May success and a smile always be yours … even when you’re knee deep in the sticky muck of life.” “You are no longer tadpoles,” Kermit said in conclusion “The time has come for you to drop your tails and leave this swamp “But I am sure that where I go as I travel around the world I will find each and every one of you working your tails off to save other swamps and give those of us who live there a chance to survive Your access to this service has been limited If you think you have been blocked in error contact the owner of this site for assistance If you are a WordPress user with administrative privileges on this site please enter your email address in the box below and click "Send" You will then receive an email that helps you regain access Wordfence is a security plugin installed on over 5 million WordPress sites The owner of this site is using Wordfence to manage access to their site You can also read the documentation to learn about Wordfence's blocking tools or visit wordfence.com to learn more about Wordfence Click here to learn more: Documentation 6 May 2025 10:45:43 GMT.Your computer's time: document.write(new Date().toUTCString()); This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The lovable puppet’s appearance “honors the long history between UMD and Muppets creator Jim Henson,” the university's announcement reads Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty and everyone who knew him quickly became fond of his approachability His playful spirit brought joy to those close to him and his hard work and dedication made him a steadfast provider for his family Kermit was heavily involved in every church he attended always preparing lessons or studying scripture he was an active member of First Baptist Church of Lake Charles and East Ridge Baptist Church in Lake Charles whether working on his property or spending time on his tractor or event where he could cheer them on and celebrate their accomplishments Bryan Karriker and wife Deborah Decker Karriker and Galen Karriker and wife Kendra Karriker; and his four wonderful grandchildren Kermit is preceded in death by his parents Lloyd Burton Karriker and Virginia Elizabeth Williams; his wife of forty years until her passing Eileen Eve Kirkwood; and his late wife of twenty years at 10:00 AM at Johnson Funeral Home in Lake Charles with burial to follow at Graceland Cemetery from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the funeral home Kermit the Frog probably has a lot of life wisdom to share - and this May University of Maryland grads will finally get to hear from the man himself College Park has officially announced that the humble green Muppet will be this year's commencement speaker He's already been a fixture on the College Park campus for many decades The university was much different when Kermit was "born" in 1955 - and the campus was probably a lot greener - but as Kermit points out RELATED | Elmo on his viral mental health tweet and what he learned by listening A sculpture and memorial bench honoring Jim Henson and Kermit was dedicated there 22 years ago The university is touting Kermit's credentials as an "environmental advocate," "best-selling author," and "champion of creativity kindness and believing in the impossible" - on top of We'll see what lessons he has to share - and maybe get the scoop on his on-and-off relationship with Miss Piggy - during the May 21 commencement in the SECU Arena A pretty notable and rather green University of Maryland alumnus is slated to hit the stage to impart wisdom and an encouraging word to this year and last year's graduating classes The "beloved Muppet" and "legendary frog" will address summer 2024 "Nothing could make these feet happier than to speak at the University of Maryland," Kermit said in the news release "I just know the class of 2025 is going to leap into the world and make it a better place Watch University of Maryland present Kermit as commencement speakerKermit's appearance at commencement "honors" the history between UMD and Muppets creator Jim Henson invented Kermit by building the original frog puppet out of one of his mother's coats and a ping-pong ball cut in half "I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit the Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives," UMD President Darryll J Henson graduated from the University of Maryland." The University of Maryland will host this year's commencement ceremony on Wednesday and the student processional will begin at 6 p.m We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Kermit, age 91, passed away on Saturday, December 21, 2024. He was a native of Livingston, Louisiana and a resident of Walker, Louisiana. Kermit was a proud veteran of the Louisiana Army National Guard. He was a dedicated member of Walker Baptist... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Kermit Carl Hunt created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Made with love by funeralOne The University of Maryland's (UMD) graduation will feature "a few encouraging words from a frog." UMD announced on Wednesday that Kermit the Frog will deliver the university's 2025 commencement address on May 21 The Muppet is set to address the Summer 2024 Kermit is returning to UMD after he made a sold-out visit to the campus in Fall 2024 as part of a lecture series Their history extends farther back than that as Muppets creator Jim Henson graduated from UMD in 1960 as a home economics major Henson invented Kermit by building the original frog puppet from one of his mother's coats and a ping pong ball that was cut in half “I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit the Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives,” said UMD President Darryll J Disney and their creative teams for making this possible.” “Nothing could make these feet happier than to speak at the University of Maryland On this season finale of “Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan,” two very special guests join the podcast to discuss “Bein' Green,” a song originally sung by the beloved Kermit the Frog in 1970 Legend has it that composer and songwriter Joe Raposo practically wrote the song overnight during the first season of Sesame Street who created The Muppets and first brought Kermit the Frog to life recorded it with Raposo in the early morning Joe Raposo’s son — Nick Raposo — and Jim Henson’s daughter — Cheryl Henson — both join Shonekan on this episode to discuss their connection to the song and confirm the legend — an overnight song became an American classic about loving who you are "Bein' Green" is now a universal ode to self-acceptance that’s been covered by several artists While Kermit’s perspective is that of literally embracing his green color Charles infused his 1975 version of the song with its own meaning: the desire Black Americans had for equality and dignity Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan is produced by Katelynn McIlwain Special thanks to Kyle Therrien of Railroad Park Recording Co as well as Jesse Johnson and Carl Craft with NPR for providing recording assistance on this episode This podcast is a collaboration between KBIA and Vox Magazine with funding from the University of Maryland College of Arts and Humanities You can follow the podcast and other special projects on Instagram @kbianews “Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan” Season 1 was produced by Janet Saidi Season 1 was edited by Rehman Tungekar and Ryan Famuliner “Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan” Season 2 was produced by Janet Saidi Season 2 was edited by Aaron Hay and Ryan Famuliner "Cover Story with Stephanie Shonekan" Season 3 was produced by Katelynn McIlwain Season 3 was edited by Aaron Hay and Ryan Famuliner A statue of Kermit the Frog sits in front of Stamp Student Union on March 31 A live stream of the service will be posted on the Goslar Funeral Home Website with Kermit’s obituary with Military Honors provided by the United States Air Force and George Nelson American Legion Post #662 Arrangements are under the direction of Goslar Funeral Home and Monuments He grew up on a farm around the Albaton area Kermit attended country school near Albaton and graduated from the American High School in Chicago He then completed two years of vocational agriculture school after being discharged from the United States Air Force Kermit proudly served forty-six months in the United States Air Force He was in the South Pacific Islands for 32 months  He was honorably discharged on January 8 Kermit and Elaine Uhl were united in marriage on May 18 He spent his entire life farming in the Sergeant Bluff and Sloan areas for over forty years and retired in 1984 Kermit also worked for the Woodbury County Assessor doing personal property assessing in Woodbury and Floyd Township for over twenty-one years He enjoyed fishing in Minnesota and dancing Kermit served on the Liberty Township Agriculture Stabilization was a director on the Farmers Drainage District for ten years served eleven years as the secretary for the Farmers and Garretson Drainage District and the secretary of the Farmers CO-OP Elevator for nine years He was also a member of the George Nelson American Legion Post #662 New Mexico; two great-grandsons; seventeen step-grandchildren; many step-great-grandchildren; and many other relatives Pete Nanz and Ronnie Vaughan; and step-children Condolences may be left online for the family at www.goslarfuneralhome.com Image: djcodrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Kermit the Frog is set to deliver the commencement address at the University of Maryland this spring The university just so happens to be Jim Henson‘s alma mater where he graduated with a degree in home economics in 1960 The University of Maryland released a video announcing the commencement speaker where it listed out all of the green amphibian’s accomplishments The Muppet was described as an environmental advocate “amphibitarian,” friend to all creatures and champion of creativity Kermit made a quick appearance at the end of the video announcement In a statement shared by Entertainment Weekly Kermit also said nothing could make him happier than to speak at the University of Maryland also shared a statement about Kermit coming to speak to the graduating class “I am thrilled that our graduates and their families will experience the optimism and insight of the world-renowned Kermit the Frog at such a meaningful time in their lives,” Pines said This won’t be the first time Kermit will be celebrated at the university A bronze statue of the famous frog sitting next to Henson is located on its campus in the Arboretum and Botanical Garden Kermit’s commencement speech will take place on May 21 and the flagship stations for the Baltimore Ravens Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs which means we may get paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites.©2023 on behalf of WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and FM 101.5 at Sandy River Center with family by his side The son to Floyd Clements and Katherine (Cochran) Clements Kermit worked in the shoe shop industry for many years Kermit also spent time working and milking cows for Shady Lane Farm in New Vineyard He liked spending time at home farming and spending time outdoors He loved to draw and enjoyed fishing with his buddy Seamon After retirement you could often find him at Sandy River Farm Supply and Marilyn Clements of Chesterville; brother Cindy Wheeler and Buddy Wheeler of Chesterville Carol Clements of Chesterville; also four grandchildren Floyd Clements and Katherine (Cochran) Clements and two brothers David Clements of Gray and Kenny Clements of Oakland In lieu of flowers please send donations in Kermit’s honor to the activity fund at Sandy River Center Arrangements are under the care of Dan and Scott’s Cremation and Funeral Service photos and condolences may be shared at dsfuneral.com sorry to hear this he a was a good friend .RIP Kermit Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" The Daily Bulldog is a completely free, fully online publication dedicated to covering the wide variety of happenings in Franklin County. We aim for timeliness, for our news to go far, and to be a reliable point of information for local residents. For immediate questions and concerns, please call (207) 778-8146 or email thedailybulldog@gmail.com  Daily Bulldog depends on businesses like yours to support our independently owned community paper and news reporting For information on how to advertise please visit our advertising page or contact us at (207) 778-8146 or thedailybulldog@gmail.com The Muppets are making one last American stop in Peoria before heading overseas next year The Jim Henson Imagination Unlimited Exhibition opens Saturday at the Peoria Riverfront Museum The exhibit is paired with the Faces of a Nation political textile collection Museum president and CEO John Morris joked that early presidential campaign flags may be an acquired taste but he has a plan to ensure record attendance Jim Henson is the mind behind beloved children's programs like The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock The exhibit opening in Peoria features immortal Muppets like Grover and the aforementioned Kermit; as well as sketches The Faces of a Nation exhibition features more than 100 pieces from the political textile collection of Mark and Rosalind Shenkman of Greenwich like a one-of-a-kind 1860 Abraham Lincoln campaign flag curator of art at the Peoria Riverfront Museum said the tradition of campaign flags started with William Henry Harrison in 1840 "The Stars and Stripes started to be used by printers and artists to create uniquely beautiful campaign flags for everyday people to use in parades and rallies," Zetterberg said "Almost all of these flags were produced by individuals who had no direct connection to the candidates themselves They were simply printers and artists that were trying to make a buck." Zetterberg said the Starts and Stripes continued to be used for campaign purposes up until a 1912 presidential executive order that protected the American flag's design but especially for those with an interest in American history and folk art," Zetterberg said Become a WCBU sponsor Listen to the episode our conversation from Season 3 with Kermit Carpenter of Kermit’s Key Lime Shop This episode was chosen by The Zest editor Andrew Lucas There’s no shortage of Key lime pie joints in Key West — but we’re pretty sure only Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe has been name-checked on TV's "Jeopardy." Kermit has been peddling pies on the corner of Elizabeth and Greene streets “The corner became available where the story is located,” recalls Kermit —and What do people come to Key West for?” And I said the West Virginia native learned to bake Key lime pies from his snowbird grandmother Kermit sells hundreds of pies a day in his brick-and-mortar shop and online to customers who don’t mind paying a hefty sum to have a fresh pie overnighted Kermit’s pies aren’t the only game in town “There’s an awful lot of copycats … but most of them are trying shortcuts. They’re not using 100 percent Key lime juice,” Kermit says of the fruit, which originated in Southeast Asia “A Persian lime and a Key lime are two different animals.” but they’re a lousy substitute for Key limes because they lack that signature tartness His commitment to using Key limes has attracted locals and tourists alike, plus celebrity customers including Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown and Robin Roberts. And they don’t just come for the pie. In addition to his signature desserts, Kermit sells nearly 200 Key lime-infused items, including salad dressing, salsa, bath gel and lip balm. Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Christopher Willard / ABC / Getty.September 9, 2024 ShareSave Listen-1.0x+0:009:47Produced by ElevenLabs and News Over Audio (Noa) using AI narration My Kermit the Frog post was not entirely sincere Each campaign is constructing media that it believes can travel in algorithmic feeds That’s also what I did when I put together my post which featured a couple dozen AI-generated images of Kermit the Frog Last weekend—delirious from a lack of sleep and hoping that my screaming toddler would soon settle down in his crib—I was tapping around on my phone in a kind of fried stupor Each of the apps on my home screen seemed to promise only more boredom I was the sort of trapped that many parents of young children might recognize: A demand for attention could come at any moment so I couldn’t lose myself in a book or a bike ride Read: What did people do before smartphones? I decided that it would be fun to use Bing Image Creator to help me replace each app icon on my iPhone’s home screen with a thematically appropriate image of the world’s greatest muppet You’d have to ask my psychiatrist.) Instead of the basic Gmail icon I contrived an image of Kermit buried under a massive pile of envelopes borderline-deranged home-screen grid of 24 bespoke frogs The creation of each one required a series of specific prompts from me There was Calculator Kermit and Photos Kermit Authenticator Kermit was dressed like a police officer and wielded a massive baton I took a screenshot and sent it to a friend “Damon I truly truly fear for you.” About halfway through the project I had developed an inkling that her message seemed to confirm: People on the internet would probably respond to this But just as important was the fact that I had made the images using generative AI a hyper-polarizing technology with passionate boosters and passionate critics My content would have to appeal to both groups in order to go as far as possible I typed an ambiguously worded post that nonetheless contained a sharp opinion that people could react to: “People will be like ‘generative AI has no practical use case,’ but I did just use it to replace every app icon on my home screen with images of Kermit soooo.” Then I embedded the before and after images of my home screen and published simultaneously on X and Threads Although arguably impressive on its own merits I made sure to choose an output with the correct spelling.) Read: Generative art is stupid That’s not to say that I believe what I did was creative The feeling reminded me a bit of editing a talented writer (albeit a nonhuman plagiarist in this case): I gave direction and received something in response but the fundamental essence of the work did not emerge from my mind there was room for surprise—when the image generator took it upon itself to add a pair of breasts to Kermit for the Instagram icon (I promise I did not ask for them.) You can nudge the program in one direction or another but every press of the “Create” button is a bit like pulling a slot machine So here is a use for generative AI: It is lubricant for broken algorithmic machinery This is the internet’s synthetic maximalist moment where fake content leads easily to superficial interaction I soon started to notice that many of the typed responses to my post seemed to be following a script that they were sent from anonymous accounts that barely followed (or were followed by) anyone at all interacting with a JPEG file that had also been made by one—albeit with my mischievous prompting The informational environment has become hopelessly junked up and the way it works can be dispiriting to even the most cynical of the extremely online But I have to admit that watching my Kermit post go viral was I’m sure many of the actual people who responded to me felt it too Perhaps when we look back on the generative-AI revolution we’ll realize that chasing this feeling is the ultimate reason for many of these programs—especially as they enter social apps that are designed to prioritize engagement that the technology could be used to construct bioweapons and God knows what else an exhausted parent on an iPhone—it’s a grade-A brain softener 1948 to the late Archie Spivey and Ava Lee Beal Spivey.  He was also preceded in death by his sister-in-law Sue Rice Spivey Kermit was a proud Veteran of the United State Coast Guard.  He served during Vietnam and would talk about all his military adventures.  He was obsessed with Westerns on the tv Roy Rogers and horses.  Kermit got the most enjoyment sitting inside his living room while watching for deer and other wildlife outside his window He is survived by his daughter Amanda Spivey Barbour and husband Justin of Sanford; grandchildren Cameron Landon and Emma Grace Barbour; and brother Archie Donald Spivey of Myrtle Beach 2025 at 2:00 PM at Meroney Methodist Church with Pastor Linda Yow officiating.  The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall following the service.  WE HAVE MOVED THE SERVICE INSIDE THE CHURCH DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER.  Kermit's cremains will be buried in the church cemetery please consider donating to the funeral home to assist the family with funeral expenses The University of Maryland’s commencement speaker for the class of 2025 will be Kermit the Frog Muppets’ creator Jim Henson graduated from the university in 1960 with a home economics degree “From those humble beginnings, Kermit has gone on to become one of the world’s most beloved and enduring cultural icons—all while sharing a message of optimism and believing in yourself.” University President Darryll J. Pines said in a statement “We are honored that he will share his insights with our graduating class Other commencement ceremonies will be held on May 20-22 Watch the university’s announcement below Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area We're here for you 24 hours a day: 1-800-275-2332 Relieve your family the burden of making difficult decisions during a time of great stress and grief you will save money and give peace of mind to your family and loved ones at a time when they will need it most call (319) 393-8000 or toll free at 1-800-275-2332 and ask to speak with a Certified Preplanning Counselor There is nothing more important to us than serving families and being there for them when they need us most Please review our services and let us know how we can help Stop in or call us at (319) 393-8000 or toll free at 1-800-275-2332 "Everything for your family." 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