Ram6it, Fr. McShane said he wants Fordham to regain its position as "the preeminent [not 'marquis'] Catholic university in North America." "Preeminence" means standing above all others, the best. A "marquis" is a mid-level nobleman, ranking below a duke and above an earl or count. A mid-level position is certainly not one to which Fr. McShane aspires (he wants Fordham to be the best), so your use of that word is clearly wrong. A "marquee," in common American usage, refers to a large signboard projecting out from a theater or other such venue which lists the name of a play/movie/event and of performers who are starring in it. I think "marquee value" is exactly what you and some of the other whiners want: a "star" or "celebrity" speaker of whom you can boast when you get into silly debates with students from other schools (so you can taunt them: "OUR speaker was more famous than your speaker!!! Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!"). Why don't you just grow up? -- Fordham Rams Basketball Message Board

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Date Posted: Sat April 23, 2005 18:15:48
Author: Safire
Subject: Ram6it, Fr. McShane said he wants Fordham to regain its position as "the preeminent [not 'marquis'] Catholic university in North America." "Preeminence" means standing above all others, the best. A "marquis" is a mid-level nobleman, ranking below a duke and above an earl or count. A mid-level position is certainly not one to which Fr. McShane aspires (he wants Fordham to be the best), so your use of that word is clearly wrong. A "marquee," in common American usage, refers to a large signboard projecting out from a theater or other such venue which lists the name of a play/movie/event and of performers who are starring in it. I think "marquee value" is exactly what you and some of the other whiners want: a "star" or "celebrity" speaker of whom you can boast when you get into silly debates with students from other schools (so you can taunt them: "OUR speaker was more famous than your speaker!!! Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah!"). Why don't you just grow up?
In reply to: Ram6it 's message, "I absolutely respect where you have came from as a Fordham student when the Sept. 11 attacks happenned, but my 3 years of enjoyment, as you so kindly put it, have been spent with students who have lost their mothers, their fathers, their brothers and sisters, so don't you dare question my statements regarding the imapact of those events. I have met a lot of smart and successful individuals, but a smart and successful individual is not necessarily a Fordham man. If you had been to Fr. McShane's speech tonight, you would realize that we are trying to distinguish Fordham as THE marquis (not marquee) Jesuit school in the country. In as far as that goal reaches, inviting a competing school's president over for a free degree disagrees with our hopeful achievements." on Sat April 23, 2005 02:01:48

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I apologize for the misuse of marquis/marquee and thank you for the gracious lesson. Would I like to have a famous keynote speaker? Absolutely, but as I have also stated, let Fr. O'Hare come back and give an address. My problem is acknowledging an academic from NYU, our competition. I have looked into John Sexton and he is indeed a very successful and noteworthy speaker, but the timing of this announcement with our well published plans for growth and achievement is seen by myself as a missed opportunity. I don't wish to get into debates over who's keynote speaker is more famous, but I do want to know who our other options were, I want to know why the students were not allowed to consider our choices. Does this sound unreasonable? (NT) -- Ram6it, Sat April 23, 2005 18:28:23
- Ram6it, yours is not the only graduating class that has lived through troubled times, like those following 9/11. When I graduated, many of my contemporaries--including some friends and classmates--had already died in Vietnam. And we didn't expect some sort of of special treatment as a result. Also I think it's silly to assume that inviting a speaker associated with a particular university means that we're "bowing" to that institution as superior to ours. In honoring John Sexton, we're recognizing a Fordham graduate who has excelled in multiple fields. Maybe the University could have scheduled a speaker with more "name value"--and maybe there should have been an opportunity for the seniors to discuss possible speakers with the administration--but it's too late to change that now. Give John Sexton a chance. As I posted above, he is a dynamic man and I presume he'll turn out to be a great graduation speaker. (NT) -- Ram'69, Sun April 24, 2005 01:17:17