The cartoon displays a man in academic regalia standing behind a podium. A speech bubble extends from him containing the words YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT. The background is black with a bright white spotlight beam. Below the podium a large section shows multiple rows of empty chairs in purple shading. The title UNIVERSITY GRADUATION 2024 runs across the top in blue letters. The artist credit CAGLECartoons.com and Bob Englehart appears at the bottom.

No other figures or objects are present. The chairs are drawn as simple outlines with no occupants. The podium is brown and rectangular. The speaker wears a black gown, green tie, and mortarboard cap.

The composition places the speaker in the upper center with the empty seating filling the bottom third of the frame.