<p>I think you are on the wrong thread, LakeWashington. The topic at hand is not Barnard v. Columbia, it is whether or not the content of the speech will be overly politicized vs. more along the lines of more standard graduation speech (inspirational but uncontroversial)</p>
<p>Calmom-- No, the only issue here is whether women close to the President will take a peak at the speech. Regardless who rough pens it, or what staffer edits it, the women close to the President will (I’m certain) make certain he does not utter words during the speech that causes him to step in it from a woman’s (s’) perspective. After this past week’s political dust up re moms, Michelle and Hillary may take a 2nd look at the final speech prior to delivary.</p>
<p>Ha, and just my .02 David</p>
<p>And the reason you think Sarah Hurwitz can’t manage to do her own job is?</p>
<p>Be/c no one individual can be 100% trusted with a sensitive communication – every word will by hung by the larger public. The good President will assure himself that there is no dodo in the speech to step in. Why don’t you just ask the President?</p>
<p>.02 David</p>
<p>Well, that sounds like a very good reason to leave it to the professionals he has on his staff to write & vet the speech. Michelle is traveling to North Carolina that weekend for her own speech, which of course will be prepared with the assistance of her own staff.</p>
<p>[GS</a> Class Day moved | Spectrum](<a href=“http://spectrum.columbiaspectator.com/spectrum/gs-class-day-moved]GS”>http://spectrum.columbiaspectator.com/spectrum/gs-class-day-moved)
One of the downsides of being president is that when you leave the whitehouse or Camp David you seem to be inconveniencing someone. I remember when George W Bush visited downtown Vienna they shut down the whole area.</p>
<p>Looks like the GS students are upset that the Columbia administration did not simply secure a different, off-campus venue for the ceremony. I agree with them – surely there must be many possible alternative sites.</p>
<p>Seems like the GS dean mis-read the GS student body’s desire to have graduation ON CAMPUS as being more important to them than what day they held the ceremony. Someone suggested moving it to Baker Field–I think that’s a great idea. That is a part of the campus we never even saw…</p>
<p>What a shame for all those families who now have to change their plans. And I loved the Baccalaureate ceremony…</p>
<p>Bummer.</p>
<p>I think from the comments that it would have been no problem if they had shifted the time back in March when Obama’s choice was first announced. At that time most families would not have booked their travel reservations yet, and would have had far more flexibility with changes. But making the change on such short notice is a true hardship.</p>
<p>This is especially true for GS families. I’d assume that the average income level for GS families is probably lower than the for the other undergraduate schools. For one thing, GS students are older, so it is more likely that their parents will be retired and living on fixed incomes. GS students don’t qualify or get the same level of financial aid as CC undergrads, so just the process of getting through school has been more of financial stretch for them as well. </p>
<p>I really do understand their frustration. Columbia hosted both Obama & McCain on campus during the 2008 election, so I’m sure the administration must have been well aware of the extensive security measures and preparation required.</p>
<p>I’d add that they could easily have done a quick online survey of the GS students in early March to get a sense of the preferences. If they had done that, offering the option of alternative locations and/or changed dates/times, there would be less frustration – at least the GS students would feel their opinions had been taken into account.</p>
<p>I agree with every word, Calmom. It’s just a shame for them and it’s too bad the Columbia administration did not handle this earlier…</p>
<p>I agree with the above comments. I was trying to think of a more distant site so the date would not need to be changed, but I think they were also thinking that the families would want to wander the campus after the ceremony.</p>
<p>But families who wanted to “wander the campus” could still come in a day early or a day later for that wandering. Even without the security of a visiting President, they end up roping off large areas and restricting access to help coordinate the different class day ceremonies.</p>
<p>I think if we read between the lines of Dean Awn’s letter, everything we have said here is in his letter.</p>
<p>Just a heads up. I got an email from Barnard as follows:
</p>
<p>I’m going to an alumnae viewing party at a midtown club (small fee includes lunch). Over 100 people have signed up.</p>