Will it be Ellen DeGeneres, or perhaps Michelle Obama? Who will be the UC Berkeley spring commencement speaker? The selection committee known as the Californians — comprised of UC Berkeley undergraduates — has broken its silence on speculations about the spring commencement speaker. The Californians, although unable to verify the identity of the official speaker, have given The Daily Clog an exclusive look at their final list of potential candidates. We at the Clog have gathered information on each of the three finalists and decided to share it with you. Take a look!

1. George R. R. Martin

If you don’t know him by name, you will certainly recognize the name of his creation. Martin is the author of epic fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” on which HBO’s Emmy-winning television series “Game of Thrones” is based. The series balances family, friends and work — problems that all UC Berkeley students can personally relate to, are we right? Martin has also contributed to writing for the TV show, but recently announced that he will not be contributing to the next season in order to focus on writing the last book of the series. More importantly, he might just be writing a speech for the class of 2015!

2. Bill O’Reilly

O’Reilly is a political commentator and host of “The O’Reilly Factor” on Fox News. O’Reilly is widely considered a conservative, but as he explains in his book (also called “The O’Reilly Factor”), he does not identify with any political ideology. He has received much criticism for his controversial and arguably excessive right-wing views, a few highlighted on this website. The campus, however, will consider O’Reilly because any opposition to his presence at commencement will likely be attributed solely to his opinions and beliefs, which he has expressed through constitutionally protected free speech. We really do think Bill O’Reilly fits right in with the Free Speech Movement.

3. Banksy

Banksy is an English graffiti artist and political activist. His true identity is kept secret from the public, giving his artistic work a unique anonymous edge. Letting his art speak for itself, Banksy has never directly taken the media spotlight. According to our sources, however, the Californians have been able to establish contact, and he is indeed considering speaking anonymously at commencement. How he will do this, we are unsure of as yet. According to the correspondence emails we may or may not have peeked at, Banksy declared his excitement to visit an institution as socially critical and politically aware as UC Berkeley.

Which candidate do you want to see and listen to this May?

Happy April Fools’ Day from your favorite bloggers at the Clog!

Image Sources: Nada Ćukalović, Gage Skidmore, The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Adam Fagen, Chris Devers under Creative Commons

Contact Rayanne Piaña at [email protected].