Commencement 2007: Class's demands affected choice

Commencement speakers rarely win unanimous praise, but, this year, University officials worked extra hard to please the majority of the senior class.

Penn announced earlier this week that former Secretary of State and co-chairman of the Iraq Study Group James Baker will address this year's senior class at graduation on May 14.

And this decision, said senior Class President Andrew Kaplan, met the senior class board's top criterion for this year's speaker: a lifelong commitment to public service.

Kaplan, a Wharton senior, said that the senior class was in more frequent contact with the Secretary's office this year in order to avoid a choice that would provoke a widely negative reaction similar to that initially expressed by the Class of 2006.

Last year, upon hearing that Jodie Foster was selected as their keynote commencement speaker, many seniors, including then-senior class president Pierre Gooding, vocalized disappointment about the decision.

Gooding, who said the class's preferences were overlooked, also called on the University and future senior classes to engage in better communication when selecting a commencement speaker.

Since then, both parties have done just that.

"We had additional meetings because we wanted to ensure that the speaker would appeal to a broad base of people," Kaplan said.

University Secretary Leslie Kruhly confirmed that the University gives strong consideration to seniors' input, but said that, ultimately, the University's Trustee Committee on Honorary Degrees has the final word.

Kaplan said that, although he has already received a lot of positive feedback on the choice, as usual, not everyone is happy with the selection.

Perhaps no one knows this better than Kruhly, whose office oversees selection of the commencement speaker each year.

"The concern about any given speaker right after they're announced is predictable," Kruhly said. "There are always two sides - or more."

Kruhly added that Penn aims to be innovative in its speaker choices. "We try as much as possible to choose people that are not on the so-called speaker circuit."

Kruhly said that last year's concern about Jodie Foster evaporated for the most part once the graduates actually heard her speak on Commencement Day.

But that won't stop some seniors from complaining this time around.

"My initial reaction was, who . is James Baker?" said Wharton senior Alfy Cesar, adding that he also expects some students to be alienated by the political views of Baker, who is a Republican.

"This school is liberal. Immediately, you are pissing off half the student body," he said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.