Great post, Ram'69. Today students want a headliner to give their commencement addresses. Contrast that with the Fordham Commencement of 1984. Twenty one years ago, the students actually suggested, as one their proposed commencement speakers, retiring university president Rev. James Finley, a proposal accepted by the school. Fr. Finley was plainly honored by the gesture, saying in his address that he considered himself "forever a member of the class of 1984." I just don't think this would happen today. -- Fordham Rams Basketball Message Board

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Date Posted: Fri April 29, 2005 07:15:45
Author: JoltinJoe
Subject: Great post, Ram'69. Today students want a headliner to give their commencement addresses. Contrast that with the Fordham Commencement of 1984. Twenty one years ago, the students actually suggested, as one their proposed commencement speakers, retiring university president Rev. James Finley, a proposal accepted by the school. Fr. Finley was plainly honored by the gesture, saying in his address that he considered himself "forever a member of the class of 1984." I just don't think this would happen today.
In reply to: JCC 's message, "Ram'69, I agree with your main points, but I think you go too easy on these seniors. They strike me as a bunch of brats who grew up in a culture of entitlement. They expect everything to be handed to them, and sneer at a man who achieved a great deal on his own. Their talk about "bragging rights" and about not "bowing down" to "competing" schools is juvenile. I'd expect soon-to-be Fordham grads to be more appreciative of real accomplishment, more secure in their own intellectual status (instead of worrying about about how FU compares to NYU), and less awed by celebrity. If they don't think John Sexton is good enough for them, let them march over to the Botanical Garden and run their own graduation." on Thu April 28, 2005 18:37:26

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I think it's attributable to 24-hr news shows and C-Span. Commencements are covered like never before so you can see a commencement address at Harvard or Michigan or Stanford and see the President or some other high profile public figure delivering the address. People start to identify the profile of the speaker w/ the level of the university. By getting a high profile speaker, people think the quality of the school is being affirmed. Personally, given the events of the past month, I think Cardinal Dulles would have been one of the best choices but no one could have foreseen the events of April '05 and arranged a commencement speaker for May based on them. (NT) -- bfg, Fri April 29, 2005 07:51:07