Bienen defends choice of Daley as speaker
Following criticism from some seniors, President Henry Bienen defended the university’s choice of Richard M. Daley as its commencement speaker in a follow-up statement Thursday, saying the Chicago Mayor’s “international stature is recognized everywhere.”
Calling him “an innovative and creative big-city mayor who has made Chicago a truly world-class city,” Bienen said that “it is particularly appropriate to have Mayor Daley be our speaker” because it is Northwestern’s 150th commencement.
“I am confident that our graduates and their families will benefit from the insights that I hope he will share with us at Commencement,” he said.
Seniors criticized Tuesday’s announcement soon after it was made, with some saying they expected a higher-profile speaker. The Chicago Tribune and local television picked up the story.
Well…
I guess one of the top learning institutions can’t teach everything either.
What a bunch of spoiled little brats!
If Mr. Daley bothers to show up anymore it will surely show that he has more class than some of the students could ever hope to have.
I would think that the staff at NU would consider tweaking the curriculum a bit to teach some of the student “braintrust” how to be decent people.
Brats!
Pete ZIentz
May 30, 2008 at 8:34 am
Daley has been skirting the edge of indictment for quite some time. It has been suggested that he may have been complicit in the coverup of police torture when he was Cook County State’s Attorney. There was the hired truck scandal. He got his way with Miegs Field by bulldozing it under cover of darkness. He has drained funds from public coffers by creating TIF districts in such “run-down” neighborhoods as Lincoln Park and the Loop.
Why would any Northwestern graduate want to have Daley as a commencement speaker? Why couldn’t Northwestern do better than Jerry Springer or Mayor Daley?
Loupgrru
May 30, 2008 at 9:15 am
Thanks Peter, though not a senior myself, I can say that you have demonstrated much class and refinement here. Your fine use of insult really drives your point home. Thank you, I’m sure the class of 2008 will take your kind comments to heart.
Evidently, you could use a few lessons in being a decent person. Different people have their opinions and whether or not you agree, you should respect them, this includes yourself. Calling us “brats” hardly does so.
Tony
May 30, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Perhaps the Mayor of Evanston is more up to speed with you losers at Northwestern!
Reid Hyams
May 30, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Every time I check on these comment forums, there are people acting like they’re in the school yard, not making solid, logical points (and people can certainly disagree while trying to make solid, logical points), but instead name-calling.
Maybe, since I live in Chicago, not Evanston, I’m not aware of any reasons why people feel like Northwestern students are brats and losers, or whether that’s in any way defensible. But I get the sense that Pete and Reid had a bone to pick with these students before Daley was chosen as a speaker. If that’s the case, and the argument can’t be kept to whether Daley is or isn’t an appropriate speaker for Northwestern grads (and I’ve already made my feeling clear on that subject), and if people insist on using this as a way to speak about more general topics to Northwestern students, perhaps it would serve a greater purpose if people like Pete and Reid spoke as specifically as possible about why they have such an issue with Northwestern students, or at least graduates, that they’re interested in insulting them all. If any of you have a message that is more than an insult, if any of you have an argument about how and why you think Northwestern students or just the graduates are somehow behaving badly, make a case, don’t just throw around insults that will be ignored anyway.
By the way, since you’re all using your first names, mine is Mark.
Loupgrru
June 4, 2008 at 9:54 am
I have no bone to pick with the students at Northwestern or the school itself. Tony, you’re off base! Daley is controversial, yet he is the mayor of one of the countries largest cities that actually works. I do not always agree with Daley, such as the Meigs Field BS… He was clearly out of line! But, he is certainly deserving of the honor of speaking to the graduating class. When I stated “losers,” I was only referring to the students that state Daley is not good enough for them.
Reid Hyams
June 22, 2008 at 8:21 am
his speech was horrible…
René Jovel aka El Luchador
June 24, 2008 at 12:45 pm