Northwestern has taken the baton from Barack Obama and passed its verdict on Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright. President Bienen has withdrawn the university’s honorary degree offer to Wright, according to a statement by Vice President for University Relations Alan K. Cubbage released yesterday:

Earlier this academic year, acting on the recommendation of faculty committees, Northwestern University extended an invitation to the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, former senior minister of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, to receive an honorary Doctorate of Sacred Theology at Northwestern’s Commencement in June. Commencement at Northwestern is a time of celebration of the accomplishments of Northwestern’s graduating students and their families. In light of the controversy around Dr. Wright and to ensure that the celebratory character of Commencement not be affected, the University has withdrawn its invitation to Dr. Wright.

Dr. Wright was quoted as saying that his invitation to receive an honorary degree was withdrawn by Northwestern President Henry Bienen because Dr. Wright “wasn’t patriotic enough.” If Dr. Wright was quoted accurately, that statement is not true. In his conversation and correspondence with Dr. Wright in March, President Bienen never characterized Dr. Wright’s views or made a judgment about them. The letter said, “In light of the controversy surrounding statements made by you that have recently been publicized, the celebratory character of Northwestern’s commencement would be affected by our conferring of this honorary degree. Thus I am withdrawing the offer of an honorary degree previously extended to you.”

The university is still generous to some, though, like when its Alumnae Fund gives $144,000 in gifts, grants and academic awards for intellectual nourishment in 2008-09.

After you honored the International Labor Day with midterms, papers or books in a peaceful symbiosis with the library, today is the day to finally let the DJs play. SASA, ISA, FMO, One Voice, CSA and Alianza have combined acronyms to bring DJ Marco, DJ X, DJ 33 1/3, and DJ Kollision to Louis Room at 7 p.m.

Well, why continue when The Cure said it all…
…Monday you can fall apart
Tuesday, Wednesday break my heart
Oh, Thursday doesn’t even start
It’s Friday I’m in love…

Ah, you gotta love Friday!