I can’t bite my tongue any longer. I was personally offended by Chad Carlile’s arrogant column, “Drew Brees not good for graduation,” in the March 19 issue of The Maroon.
As a graduating senior, I was (and still am) ecstatic to hear Drew Brees was chosen to be our commencement speaker. I’m not the only one. Some relatives, who normally wouldn’t be able to make it to my graduation, suddenly have decided to be in attendance graduation day. Wonder why? Drew Brees.
I’ve heard countless juniors declare their sincere jealousy because there will be no better year to graduate from Loyola than 2010. In my opinion, we are the Katrina class. We still moved to the city at a time when New Orleans’s recovery was dim. We believed. You know who else believed? Drew Brees.
Yeah, so what if neither the Chargers nor the Dolphins picked him up and he found a job with the Saints? When opportunity comes knocking on the door, you should take it and that’s what Brees did. Along the way, he fell in love with New Orleans and is a proud neighbor to all of us Uptowners.
Because of this year’s football season, the entire city grabbed hands and celebrated together. Brees moved to New Orleans in 2006, the year our class started.
Brees has helped rebuild this city using his money (I live across from Lusher’s football field, courtesy of Brees), time and celebrity. Plus, he’s just a really nice guy. I mean, he waved me across the street when no one else would let me cross at a 4-way stop. He’s practically perfect.
So, it’s the money that Carlile says is being “wasted” on Drew. Well, I have news for him: the “hats off” gesture he gives to Tulane for bringing New Orleanian Ellen DeGeneres to speak — though I love her — cost Tulane seven figures.
Carlile seems offended that an academic is not chosen for our speaker, but since when is Ellen a paragon of academia? Or Richard Simmons? And how the h-e-double-hockey-sticks are James Patterson and Tyler Perry relevant to the Loyola world? Don’t worry. I don’t know either.
But, these alternative suggestions are also coming from the same columnist that thinks it is a brilliant idea to use Wolfbills instead of the easy, one-swipe card system that most Loyola students can manage like big kids.
As I recall, I didn’t see students protesting Brees this year like the students protested Bobby Jindal’s appearance at graduation last year. Brees is perfect for us. He shares the same values as us, he’s a self-proclaimed man of God and last time I checked, we go to a Jesuit school. So, who’s the perfect fit for class of 2010? Who Dat you say? Drew Brees.
Sincerely,
Caroline Balchunas
mass communication senior
