At a graduation ceremony in 1998, Mary Schmich of The Chicago Tribune offered simple advice to the seniors: wear sunscreen. Although the speech itself had little to do with avoiding ultraviolet rays, it was so memorable that it is still often read at graduations. It demonstrated how much impact a good commencement speech can have.
We at The Maroon hope that the commencement speaker for the Loyola University Class of 2010 can have that much impact on the seniors. For last year’s graduating class, the university was very fortunate to have Gov. Bobby Jindal speak. This year, we hope to have another influential figure speak at our graduation.
The process for choosing this year’s speaker is starting now. The university asked students and faculty for speaker requests earlier this year, and the committee to choose a speaker discussed those names and others when they met on Nov. 12.
With this in mind, we at The Maroon have compiled a list of several people who we hope to see speak at the commencement ceremony.
Each of these people reflects the values that distinguish our university. They have demonstrated a commitment to New Orleans and have extensively been involved in positively changing the city, just as the students at Loyola strive to do. We believe having any of them as a graduation speaker would be an honor.
U.S. Rep. Anh “Joseph” Cao
The first term House representative first made waves when he defeated incumbent William Jefferson and became the first Vietnamese-American in Congress. He has recently been in the spotlight for being the only Republican representative to vote in favor of the health care reform bill. Through this, he proved that his dedication to his constituents is stronger than his party loyalty, which is an admirable—if not rare—quality in today’s politics.
Cao is also an alumnus of the Loyola law school, and as such, it would be a great privilege to have him speak to the Class of 2010. We at The Maroon respect that he has transcended politics to work for the betterment of the community. We hope the university considers him as a choice for commencement speaker.
Brad Pitt
Although many celebrities have reached out to New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, few have made an unceasing effort like Brad Pitt. Pitt’s Make It Right foundation is working to build 150 energy efficient, storm resistant houses in the Lower 9th Ward.
His dedication to rebuilding New Orleans is impressive and commendable, but above all else, it is inspiring. Having him speak at the graduation would motivate seniors to continue serving the community after leaving the university. Social justice, after all, is one of the main components of our education at Loyola.
Anderson Cooper
Reporters flocked to New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina and make a reappearance for its anniversaries, but Anderson Cooper has continually covered the recovery process. In addition, he has helped to convey the importance of the recovery of New Orleans to the nation.
As a commencement speaker, he would be able to address the significance of carrying on the rebuilding efforts, which a topic close to many Loyola students. His speech would be encouraging to all those who have spent their time in college working for positively effecting change in the city.
We hope Loyola chooses a commencement speaker who reflects the values that make our university so great. Our choices are only several among the many people who are doing admirable work in the city. We hope that the speech is one that can be remembered for a long time—with or without the sunscreen.
