NEAR NORTH SIDE — In a one-of-a-kind speech, Walter Payton College Prep senior Arman Khaghani made sure to save his fellow graduating classmates from any hex as they enter the future.
"Thank you Based God," the 17-year-old said while closing out his graduation speech earlier this month.
Khaghani, an Iranian-American who is headed to the University of California next year, must have seen this year's NBA playoffs when James Harden failed to pay due respect to Lil B, the Based God.
Khaghani's speech was a hit among his Payton classmates and apparently Principal Timothy Devine, who can barely hold back from bursting out laughing during the 17-minute speech.
Some highlights from the speech:
• "In the words of Reverend James Franco, they only hate us because they ain't us."
• "Dear esteemed colleagues ... ghosts of dead football players named Walter and any N.S.A. agents sitting in the audience and or listening at home.”
• "In the words of the 6 God [Drake], 'My ex asked me where you movin'? I said on to better things.'"
• "Block out the haters and do dope things because we live dope lives and we are still moving on to better things."
• "I am going to buy Rosetta Stone. ... I am going to give up on Rosetta Stone."
• "Payton students are colorful and all over the place, like a rash on a boy with a severe peanut allergy.”
• "Mandatory volunteerism, CPS's second favorite oxymoron. The first of course being teachers' benefits."
Khaghani started the speech with a poem in Farsi, coupled with a Michael Jackson lyric and a Hawaiian line out of "Lilo and Stitch."
"I'm thinking, if I am going to be this nervous to give the speech, I might as well make the audience just as uncomfortable," he said.
Khaghani, who lives in Old Irving Park, said he spent about two months fine-tuning the speech.
It wasn't a typical valedictorian speech, as the school doesn't name one; instead Khaghani had to apply to be one of two students to give the graduation speech.
"I was surprised by not only what they would let me say, but the amount of time they let me speak," Khaghani said. "Maybe that says something about the school. They are confident enough about themselves and can take a joke."
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