bˈɛk wʌz tʃˈoʊzən baɪ sənt. dʒˈɑːnz jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi tə dᵻlˈɪvɚ ðə tˈuː θˈaʊzənd nˈaɪn kəmˈɛnsmənt spˈiːtʃ tʊ ɪts stˈeɪʔn̩ ˈaɪlənd kˈæmpəs ˌɔn mˈeɪ sˈɪkstiːn.
Beck was chosen by St. John's University to deliver the 2009 Commencement speech to its Staten Island Campus on May 16.