Nancy Pelosi to be Convocation speaker

[nyc94]

http://cornelldailysun.com/section/news/content/2010/01/26/pelosi-speak-class-2010-convocation

[Willy '06]

What an embarrassment. Not as bad as Martin Luther King III, but close.

[ugarte]

I have to agree. The Speaker of the House is definitely an embarrassing choice for a convocation speaker. I can't believe that she was even considered!

[KeithK]

I have to agree. The Speaker of the House is definitely an embarrassing choice for a convocation speaker. I can't believe that she was even considered!

It's not that that they're inviting the Speaker of the House. It's that they're inviting this Speaker of the House.  Ewwwww.

Of course, Keith Olbermann gave the convocation speech when I finished grad school and he gave a great speech.  Then again, in '98 he hadn't yet gone insane.

[Al DeFlorio]

I have to agree. The Speaker of the House is definitely an embarrassing choice for a convocation speaker. I can't believe that she was even considered!

It's not that that they're inviting the Speaker of the House. It's that they're inviting this Speaker of the House.  Ewwwww.

Yeah.  They could have invited that asshole, John Boehner, instead.

[RichH]

I have to agree. The Speaker of the House is definitely an embarrassing choice for a convocation speaker. I can't believe that she was even considered!

It's not that that they're inviting the Speaker of the House. It's that they're inviting this Speaker of the House.  Ewwwww.

Yeah.  They could have invited that asshole, John Boehner, instead.

Nah.  That guy's skin is so orange, Syracuse is the only place for him.

[phillysportsfan]

Yeah what a joke of a pick for convocation speaker. I am glad I am not graduating this year.

[mnagowski]

Yeah what a joke of a pick for convocation speaker. I am glad I am not graduating this year.

Would it be that painful for you to actually hear what she has to say before coming to a conclusion? Convocation addresses tend to be pretty apolitical... except for the one I heard Dick Cheney give in 2006.

[Trotsky]

It's a bad choice, not because Pelosi is a bad choice (she's not) but because any politician is a bad choice.  It adds a political tinge to what should be a unifying, forward-looking event, and politics, as this thread demonstrates, reduces otherwise intelligent people to crying 4-year olds.

Go with a scientist, a doctor, a philosopher, a humanitarian.  Leave politics out of it.

[billhoward]

It's a bad choice, not because Pelosi is a bad choice (she's not) but because any politician is a bad choice.  It adds a political tinge to what should be a unifying, forward-looking event, and politics, as this thread demonstrates, reduces otherwise intelligent people to crying 4-year olds. Go with a scientist, a doctor, a philosopher, a humanitarian.  Leave politics out of it.

Good point. More than add a political tinge, most any politician is going to generate noisy protests. A pro-choice senator will set off the campus conservative coalition. Invite an Arab peacemaker politician, you'll perhaps annoy the Israelis on campus who say he isn't a peaceful person. Invite most any male member of the Congress and there'll be protests that Cornell supports sex offenders. (Elaine Boosler: "How come there's no word for 'male bimbo'? Wait: 'Congressman.'" ) If there was ever an era when a college community listened politely to someone with an opposing viewpoint then asked pointed questions afterward in Q&A, that's past.

[ugarte]

Yeah what a joke of a pick for convocation speaker. I am glad I am not graduating this year.

Would it be that painful for you to actually hear what she has to say before coming to a conclusion? Convocation addresses tend to be pretty apolitical... except for the one I heard Dick Cheney give in 2006.

Hillary Clinton in 1993 (1992? 1994? I don't remember now; I was at convocation three years in a row) pretty much gave a stump speech, and that was depressing, but before I heard her I thought it was a good choice.

In that sense, Greg's point is well-taken: the speech should not be used to advance a partisan political agenda. At the same time, I think the pejorative use of "politician" to describe everyone who has to run for office is an unfortunate reflection of how polarized our country has become. Politician has become a euphemism for "liar/spinmeister" when, in addition to being a politician, she is a legislator. A pretty important one, too.

I understand that a lot of people at the convocation wouldn't have voted for her but that makes her no less a significant person, and a worthy candidate to give the address. I'll make you a deal: I won't complain when the University invites Paul Wolfowitz next year.

[phillysportsfan]

Yeah what a joke of a pick for convocation speaker. I am glad I am not graduating this year.

Would it be that painful for you to actually hear what she has to say before coming to a conclusion? Convocation addresses tend to be pretty apolitical... except for the one I heard Dick Cheney give in 2006.

Yeah it would be painful because no active politician should be giving graduation speeches whether they are Democrat or Republican. I'll admit that at least she is more relevant than some of the past speakers they had but still graduation is not the place she should be speaking at. If Cornell really wants her to come speak here then invite her up here for some other time.

[Rosey]

It's a bad choice, not because Pelosi is a bad choice (she's not) but because any politician is a bad choice.  It adds a political tinge to what should be a unifying, forward-looking event, and politics, as this thread demonstrates, reduces otherwise intelligent people to crying 4-year olds.

Go with a scientist, a doctor, a philosopher, a humanitarian.  Leave politics out of it.

QFT.

[KeithK]

Yeah what a joke of a pick for convocation speaker. I am glad I am not graduating this year.

Would it be that painful for you to actually hear what she has to say before coming to a conclusion? Convocation addresses tend to be pretty apolitical... except for the one I heard Dick Cheney give in 2006.

Hillary Clinton in 1993 (1992? 1994? I don't remember now; I was at convocation three years in a row) pretty much gave a stump speech, and that was depressing, but before I heard her I thought it was a good choice.

In that sense, Greg's point is well-taken: the speech should not be used to advance a partisan political agenda. At the same time, I think the pejorative use of "politician" to describe everyone who has to run for office is an unfortunate reflection of how polarized our country has become. Politician has become a euphemism for "liar/spinmeister" when, in addition to being a politician, she is a legislator. A pretty important one, too.

I understand that a lot of people at the convocation wouldn't have voted for her but that makes her no less a significant person, and a worthy candidate to give the address. I'll make you a deal: I won't complain when the University invites Paul Wolfowitz next year.

I think Greg has it right. Convocation/graduation speeches should be about celebrating the graduates, sharing a little bit of life experience while being pleasant and somewhat entertaining. An active politican is likely to give in to the temptation to make things political, which misses the point of the event and will certain annoy some portion of the audience. A stump speech by an opposing politican would be painful to listen to.

Natrually it's easy to lose sight of this if it's a politican you approve of.  Did Cheneyreally give the convocation in '06? If so it didn't register in my memory since it wouldn't have raised my political hackles. Then again, I didn't remember Hillary had given one either and I was even on campus at the time.

Regardless, the great thing about Cornell's convocation setup is that you don't have to attend if you don't want to. Nancy Pelosi shows up and gives a stump speech encouraging graduates to spend their lives pursuing progressive causes? Don't show up. It's not like other schools where the comparable speech is given during the actuAl graduation ceremony where everyone is a captive audience.

[nyc94]

Hillary Clinton in 1993 (1992? 1994? I don't remember now; I was at convocation three years in a row) pretty much gave a stump speech, and that was depressing, but before I heard her I thought it was a good choice.

Was Hillary Clinton ever the convocation speaker?  I remember her coming to campus during the 1993-1994 academic year (probably fall '93) to talk about health care reform so in a sense that was a stump speech.  The line for free tickets at the Straight went most of the way down the Slope.

I found this list of convocation speakers covering 1984 to 2004: http://ezra.cornell.edu/posting.php?timestamp=1105419600
It doesn't mention Hillary Clinton but then it is Dear Uncle Ezra so it might not be correct.