Wesleyan University seniors gearing up for graduation are not sure exactly who their commencement speaker is. She is an accomplished scholar and respected in the field of political science, but most Wesleyan students have never heard of her.
And that speaker is Penn's own president.
Amy Gutmann will deliver the Wesleyan commencement address on May 22. She plans to speak to the Class of 2005 about their role in democratic society.
The Wesleyan Argus -- the university's student-run newspaper -- came out against Gutmann as the choice of speaker as soon as it was announced by Wesleyan officials earlier this month.
An April 8 editorial called Gutmann "not the best possible speaker."
"I don't think anyone's actively upset," Wesleyan junior and Argus Editor-in-Chief Katey Rich said. "But I think everyone's like, 'Damn, why couldn't we have gotten someone more famous?'"
The editorial urged Wesleyan administrators to "think beyond academia" in choosing a speaker for the ceremony.
Gutmann was unfazed by the criticism, however, and said she was looking forward to the address.
"I'm delighted to be chosen as Wesleyan's commencement speaker," Gutmann said. "I hope to help launch students into the real world."
Wesleyan officials said Gutmann was chosen as speaker because of her scholarship in political science.
"She speaks to issues that are very important, not only within higher education but particularly here at Wesleyan," Wesleyan spokesman Justin Harmon. "Wesleyan didn't turn to Dr. Gutmann primarily because she was a university president."
While Wesleyan students appear impressed with Gutmann's credentials -- students interviewed have called her career "amazing" and "interesting" -- they also have mis- givings about another university president delivering their commencement address.
"I certainly was surprised when I first heard [Gutmann would be the speaker] because it wasn't someone I had heard of," Wesleyan senior Matthew Gottlieb said. "You always hear of commencement speakers being famous people."
Another April 8 letter in the editorial section of the Argus -- where any community member can print a brief opinion piece -- attacked Wesleyan officials for not finding a more high-profile speaker.
"It's almost like I went to UPenn," Wesleyan senior Arusha Gordon wrote. "Wes[leyan] has fallen short of my expectations."
Gordon added that she had hoped for someone more similar to Penn's commencement speaker, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.
"Penn students will be listening to some guy named Kofi Annan, who's apparently the head of something called the United Nations," Gordon wrote sarcastically. "Sucks to be them."
But a Penn faculty member and Wesleyan alumnus wrote in to defend Gutmann as the commencement speaker.
"She was asked [to speak] not because she is the president of Penn, but because she is one of the world's leading democratic theorists," Penn political science lecturer Brian Glenn wrote in a piece on April 8.
And Wesleyan seniors appeared open-minded about Gutmann's speech.
"I'm definitely looking forward to it," Gottlieb said. "I'm going to pay attention to it."
