President George W. Bush is our commencement speaker....

[Liesje]

Just read in the latest volume of Student News that Pres. Bush will be our 2005 commencement speaker (Calvin College). I don't know whether to be flattered or disturbed....

 

[dandy]

i would boycott my own graduation if it were my school.

 

[JessicaAnn]

Well, if I were in your shoes, I would feel really torn between my intense dislike for Bush and my desire to fully experience my graduation.

You could always go to graduation, but refuse to stand or applaud as a form of protest.

 

[mikal]

sit in the front row, and when everyone flips their caps in the air, just whip at George like a frisbee and hope that the sharp part hits him in the eye.

 

[Macfistowannabe]

If you like him, wonderful. If you don't, earplugs wouldn't hurt.

 

[saltwaterkiss26]

sit in the front row, and when everyone flips their caps in the air, just whip at George like a frisbee and hope that the sharp part hits him in the eye.

 

[U2Kitten]

Wow, that's impressive! You sure got a big name!

Of course, Bono would have been bigger

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I think it is an honor to have the President speak at your graduation, regardless of what you may think of what he stands for or what he says. I would never not go, you will really regret it later in life.

 

[Macfistowannabe]

I think it is an honor to have the President speak at your graduation, regardless of what you may think of what he stands for or what he says. I would never not go, you will really regret it later in life.

Although as U2Kitten suggested, Bono would be better.

 

[njelevation06]

Bono was the commencement speaker here at Penn last year .... really really cool

 

[indra]

I never considered the actual commencement ceremonies to be all that special, but I'm not very big on ceremonies of any kind anyway. I'd be irritated at the potentially massive increase in security though.

Then again you might get some prized Bushisms!

 

[verte76]

If it were my school, I'd go. I'd want to experience my graduation, and I would want to hear the President, even though I didn't vote for him. It's the democratic, and I mean that in a non-partisan way, thing to do.

 

[Angtre01]

John Kerry would have been a good leader. You guys are a joke. He is your commander in chief, show some respect.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i like how everyone automaticly assumes that she dislikes bush...


and on a side note, i will be giving the commencement speech at my friend's graduation ceremony, which will be taking place in his front lawn in pleasantville, new york. instead of tossing caps in the air, we're just chugging a beer and heading to the bars. (he graduated from college in january but doesn't feel like going back up to new hampshire for the actuall ceremony, so he's having his own)

 

[indra]

You guys are a joke. He is your commander in chief, show some respect.

Oh please, what a crock of shit.

I can respect the office, but never little Georgie. Never.

You want to respect Dubya, you go right ahead (and I won't even call you a moron), but I can't.

 

[pax]

Let's try to keep this on a non-personal basis. Everyone is free to agree or disagree with Bush, but can we talk about the more specific issue of him speaking at LivLuv's graduation?

Thanks.

 

[Ultraviolet Light]

A lot of the faculty is, to put it lightly, not very happy about it. Liberals and conservatives alike (they're mostly conservative, actually).

Nick Wolterstorff was supposed to be the speaker (anyone outside of CRC circles heard of him?), I feel bad for him getting bumped at the last minute.

I work for development and we've already been absolutely bombarded with people calling and being like "I'll donate lots of money to your school if you get me a ticket."

And LivLuv, you should be disturbed.

 

[nbcrusader]

I think it is an honor to have the President speak at your graduation, regardless of what you may think of what he stands for or what he says. I would never not go, you will really regret it later in life.

Well said.

 

[U2democrat]

I'd go, for sure, it's graduation. But I'd probably be grimacing and twitching throughout

 

[Liesje]

i like how everyone automaticly assumes that she dislikes bush...

Thanks Headache. I kinda had to post and run b/c I was excited, but late for class. Anyway, I don't hate Bush (or Kerry); I'm as Republican as they come. I don't particularly like him either, but....whatever, that's not the point. I'm not part of the graduating class. Apparently there's a lot of students protesting, so I'm hoping to score a ticket. I'll have to decide what it's worth to me though, b/c around here you pay cash for extra tickets even if someone lame is coming to speak. There's so many controversies coming out now. Some people are just pissed b/c they're STILL bitter about the election. To them I say, grow up. Shut up and give your ticket to someone who wants to go, simple enough. I don't see the need for protests b/c 1) they won't change a thing 2) it's a commencement speech, not a political campaign and 3) protests just become a pain in the ass for the school admin and people working security. Others are kinda pissed b/c we had Rehnquist speak a while back and he delivered pretty much the WORST speech known to man (one of my Prof's said she heard him give the EXACT same commencement speech 10 years earlier) so the school kinda decided to not invite people that didn't actually have some connection to the school. Bush doesn't exactly have a connection to our school, just to much of the surrounding local community (I've heard Alticor gives more $$$ to the Republican party than anyone else in the US).

 

[Ft. Worth Frog]

Hey, it's the President speaking. I voted for Bush but if Kerry had won and was speaking at my graduation then I would be excited. I do not see any reason to get bent out of shape because you disagree with the President's policies. Usually commencement speakers are boring-to have the leader of the free world as the speaker is uber cool.

 

[Liesje]

Hey, it's the President speaking. I voted for Bush but if Kerry had won and was speaking at my graduation then I would be excited. I do not see any reason to get bent out of shape because you disagree with the President's policies. Usually commencement speakers are boring-to have the leader of the free world as the speaker is uber cool.

Yes, my feelings exactly. If Kerry came, even the way things are now, I'd be just as interested in going.

PS. I never said I disagreed w/ his policies. By "disturbed" I meant it seems weird to me that he picked Notre Dame, Yale (duh), and.......Calvin College, a small Christian Reformed college w/ no direct connection to G-dubs.

 

[verte76]

Actually, I remember sort of being glad I was a December graduate because we didn't have a speaker at December commencement. I used to hear alot of complaints about boring commencement speeches when I was a student.

 

[Liesje]

Wow, that's impressive! You sure got a big name!

Of course, Bono would have been bigger

This is what I and a classmate in my CAS 240 thought. She's like "....I wonder if we could get Bono next year.....". Now the expectations will be set pretty high, although I heard on the sidewalk that the White House called us to see if Bush could speak. Maybe Ellen knows if that's true....

 

[nbcrusader]

I'd go, for sure, it's graduation. But I'd probably be grimacing and twitching throughout

Cause you realized how sexy W is......

 

[JessicaAnn]

Calvin College, a small Christian Reformed college

I think you answered your own question ... it's appealing to "the base"

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I didn't assume she dislikes Bush- but the fact that she said this "I don't know whether to be flattered or disturbed" just gave the impression that she was torn or something, that's all

 

[daygloeyes2]

I'd go just to watch him try to pronounce commencement.

 

[U2@NYC]

Bono was the commencement speaker here at Penn last year .... really really cool

Yup, I was there... I will always be able to say that Bono was my commencement speaker

Funny that he will be in Philly exactly one year after his commencement speech for the first Philly show.

 

[BonosSaint]

John Kerry would have been a good leader. You guys are a joke. He is your commander in chief, show some respect.

Actually, he's the military's Commander in Chief. Not mine.