Should Univ. keynote speakers/Deans/Presidents offer their opinions during graduation

Great Debates
1

So I just graduated (yeah!) I graduated with degrees in History and Comp Sci:

In general the ceremonys were enjoyable. Nevertheless, my History Department head eagerly inserted his take on the war in iraq into his speech about the necesity of history. My Engineering Dean also brought in his opinions. (I concurred mostly with their opinions btw)

My feeling was that it kind of tainted graduation a little bit. First, it tends to simply incite audience member’s ire. The last thing I really want at graduation is my parents to start arguing politics with my grandparents (as an example). I’d want people to feel a sense of unity amongst the graduating class, a sense of inclusion. I mean that’s what graduation is about - you got a degree, you’ve been accepted as having certain skills/knowledge etc.

Second, there were people in the ceremony that were joining the military after graduation. Many would be involved in our(U.S.) military action. Some might even die in Iraq. People are entitled to their opinions, including, University Faculty. But as I’m sitting next to somebody joining the military, I couldn’t help but feel… akward for them, hearing somebody of authority decry the U.S. efforts in Iraq.

Third, the opinions tended to just state facts such as “the opinion of America has been tarnished around the world.” There were no courses of action suggested. They simply stated the crappy state the U.S. is in. So it’s a whole bunch of fuss and no indication of how to solve the problem.

I tended to like the speeches that were stereotypical “time to move on to great things” blah blah. You know you’re everyday graduation speech.

So my question is, is it good taste (not should it be legal or officially sanctioned) to bring up potentially incindiary remarks during a ceremony that really has little to do with those remarks?

2

Of course not. But, then again, extraneous topics often seem to be included in graduation speeches. I think this is just because the speaker can’t find anything interesting to talk about (such as a funny anecdote). During a graduation at my school, for example, Clinton spoke about the role of the U.S. in the world. This was certainly not as inflammatory as the Iraq War, to be sure, but it has just as much to do with finishing school.

3

Depends.

Is it relevant? “Well, as you go out to become America’s next generation of primary school teachers, I think I speak for all of us when I say ‘we don’t want your war Mr. Bush’” probably is injecting a little bit too much opinion that just doesn’t belong.

To state the goals of a profession as a calling certainly is citing an opinion, yet no one would likely complain if the speaker tells the graduates that their job is to make America/the world/society a better place (through engineering, journalism, whatever) or takes them to task for the ethical failings of their predecessors.

I would expect that most inspiration speech to be laden with the opinion of the speaker.

4

Man, I’d hate to sit through a bowlderized, sanitized, noncontroversial graduation speech.