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BU students think they deserve better than Mike Capuano
By adamg on Sat, 05/09/2009 - 10:26am
Outrage, dispair, Facebook grumbling, that the Somerville congressman is their commencement speaker.
Be sure to read the quotes from the journalism and poli-sci major who is particularly incensed because Capuano got BU some money to fix up part of Comm. Ave.
The Outraged Liberal tells them to grow up and suggests the particular student outraged over sidewalks consider a profession where she doesn't have to do critical thinking.
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Comments
Outrage!
In my day, we didn't go around talking about which Nobel Prize winner we were getting to speak at graduation.
When I graduated from Northeastern University in 1989, Ed Asner was the keynote speaker. Yes, TV's "Lou Grant".
Take that, Noam Chomsky.
Oh the outrage!
It must be difficult to be as entitled as a BU undergrad. Oh the audacity of the BU administration to think that the BU undergrads would want to listen to this guy -- for four years these brats act like they own this city. I'm sure most of them think THEY are more powerful than a lowly congressman. I mean... Mike Capuano is one 435 congresspeople. There IS only one President of Afghanistan!
Just think of how those poor MIT kids feel. They got some no name Governor of Massachusetts. At LEAST Capuano is Federal.
No doubt they were looking
No doubt they were looking for George Clooney, or Kanye West instead of a Congressman. They do understand that he's a Congressman, right?
Im pretty sure most would
Im pretty sure most would prefer Steven Spielberg,who is getting an honorary degree at the ceremony.
And yeah, Id take Deval over this guy any day.
BU
I guess that 600,000 or so folks in his district (I don't live in his district) think enough of him. But he's not good enough for BU's graduating class. I think these graduates should worry more about finding a job.
It's 300 idiots on a
It's 300 idiots on a facebook page, not the whole class or the whole school. All BU kids are not as stupid as these spoiled morons.
You're being too hard on the
You're being too hard on the woman who's noting a correlation between Capuano getting funds to improve BU and Capuano being selected to speak. Just because this sort of stuff happens in politics doesn't mean that anyone has to tolerate it.
Is that why Capuano's speaking? Hard to say, but any time there's any hint of a money trail (think of all of the things journalists and bloggers have jumped on), people will note it.
Most of the kids -- sure, they're just looking for someone famous, as opposed to, say, someone who has an awesome speech. But don't target your outrage against the only person who's advanced a credible argument against the selection of Capuano.
Having a Congressman speak at Commencement
Having a Congressman, especially a congressman who worked his way up from a humble background like Capuano did, speak at B. U.'s commencement would be a change. Maybe some of these brats who spent their time acting like they owned the city they attended school in could learn something about not trampling on other people's rights.
Smells Like Undergrad Spirit
Sez BU stoodents:
Here we are now, entertain us
Here we are now, entertain us
We feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us!
We got to have Paul Tsongas speak - many didn't know who he was then, but voted for him for president several years later. Very good choice! The year before it was Bart Giamatti.
Who cares who the speaker
OK, people do care somewhat, but I bet that the MIT Commencement tickets would be scalped for over $100 apiece even if the speaker was Menino's dog. Graduating from MIT is not easy, and people want to see their family member finally walk. The prestige or entertainment value of the speaker is relatively unimportant. Isn't that true at BU as well?
(I gave away my tickets to students who needed them, rather than scalp. I was protesting something or other, and I thought the Institvte could use a little more decency around that time.)
There are no tickets
There are no tickets required for the main commencement ceremony at BU, and ample room for everyone to attend.
There are no tickets
There are no tickets required for the main commencement ceremony at BU, and ample room for everyone to attend.
Law School Speaker
FYI: The speaker at the law school's separate commencement exercises is Howard Dean.
I love Mike Capuano, these
I love Mike Capuano, these students who are protesting should be honored that the local congressman would speak at their commencement. He is a great guy, a local guy... I guess that makes him bad? If they "do not know" who Mike Capuano is maybe they do not deserve those degrees after all. The Congressman is very well known in DC and beyond, if they just picked up a newspaper every so often maybe they would know that.
Who was your commencement speaker?
Seriously, can any of you remember who spoke at your commencement? All I remember is he was a graduate of my school with a Nobel Prize, I think in Physics, and he was young. Other than that, I wouldn't know him from Capuano.
Seriously, unless you get a commencement speech like Conan O'Brien gave Harvard a few years ago and everybody's passing it around the internet and you can say "I was there! It was awesome!", then who cares if it's Mike Capuano or the Spare Change Guy (no knock on Capuano, I'm sure he's a nice guy and a good speaker just like my commencement speaker was...whoever he was, but I just don't see this speech being one for the ages).
Get real and figure out where you're going to live September 1.
Two things
While I think Capuano is a fine choice, I don't begrudge students for wanting someone else.
Could have been worse, could have had Christine Todd Whitman
like I did. Not that I cared, but it was an embarassment of a speech she gave us. It was a canned speech with lines such as "while studying at [name of school library]" or "getting a burger at [name of local fast food joint]" that consistently contained the phrase "during your 4 years at [name of university]". Unfortunately that school was Northeastern, a 5 year school. The whole Fleet Center was chanting "5 years" after that line every time, and she never got the hint. It was terrible.
None of us complained afterward, because really, who cares? I was happy to have graduated.
At least this guy knows the area and the school and will be able to deliver a speech that is coherent and from the heart. They should be happy with the choice.
They could have ended up with Alberto Gonzales as the year after me did. At least Whitman resigned from the Bush administratrion because she didnt get along with Cheney and refused to sign legislation that was in violation of the Clean Air Act not because she violated the rights of Americans. At least she was honorable...
I believe Congressman
I believe Congressman Capuano cares deeply about all the residents in his district, even those temporary residents who are only here for four years. If you ever visit his office in DC you'll see pendants from all the schools in his district hanging on the wall. So he is not a superstar, so what.
A few years back when the Dems took over in DC he was put in charge of the transition team for the House of Representatives. It was a huge job, and also showed that his fellow reps think very highly of him.
Capuano has always been out front looking out for the interests of every person in the district.
His election story is one of overcoming in the odds and beating out many well financed competitors in his first primary.
I do not remember who my commencement speaker was, but he gave a great speech. I just remember that he was a last minute replacement because out slightly more famous speaker was not able to make it for some reason. Many BU students are from around here and should be proud their congressman wanted to be part of their big day AND those who are from other parts of the country this is your chance to hear an authentic Boston politician, after all isn't getting a taste of Boston one of the reasons why you chose to go to BU?
Not affiliated with BU, but I think Capuano is a great choice
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search...
Anyone that has ever watched a House Financial Services Committee meeting knows that this guy is entertaining, even if they don't agree with his politics.