They're more fun now. And a little more irreverent.

As I've written before, one of the best things about my job is that I get to go to some cool events. Saturday, I attended the Unity College commencement. The Morning Sentinel received a "citation" from the college for our environmental coverage and editorials.

I told the crowd we'd rather receive awards like this from local readers and institutions than from national journalism organizations. And we truly would.

The commencement was pretty cool. Graduates wore flip flops and shorts beneath their gowns. They cheered. They laughed. They passed balloons around and blew them up. Their families had fun too.

Timber-frame home builder Tedd Benson gave the commencement address. It was a good one, fitting for the Unity audience. Unity College is a four-year school like many others but it stresses the environment in much of what it offers, and teaches students to be stewards of the Earth.

Benson had three rules for the graduates:

1. "Be happy. Love what you do." He said it's obviously a good idea to go into an area of work that you know you will love. But many people don't do it. "When you work for the love of it, you don't work for money."

2. "Buck convention. Cherish your own naivete." He said people who think outside the box often are the biggest success stories and that's easier when you never get inside the box. I love this line: "In a world that's gone wrong, ignorance is a powerful tool."

3. "Save your world. It is also the best way to save THE world." This tip included a strong environmental message.