Oh, Jill

It seems that every spring university newspapers decide to eschew real news for misplaced headlines and stupid opinion pieces. Hmm, come to think of it this was business as usual at the ol' Maroon. Does anybody remember when the People Were Robbed: That Sucks and Hannah MM is a bitch headlines came out?

Seems that the good people at the Emory Wheel aren't immune to this with their latest opinion Who's that?". Some choice lines.

Graduates remember commencement as the day when their years at Emory culminated with a grand ceremony and a famous speaker. Desmond Tutu. The Dalai Lama. Mikhail Gorbachev. Tom Brokaw. Graduates' families were impressed; friends at other schools were jealous.

Yes. Over at the University of Chicago I was hopping mad when our commencement speaker wasn't as famous as Northwestern's. My e-mail was covered to the rim with jealous tirades to my friends at Oregon and Michigan. Wait a second. No it wasn't. I didn't give a rat's ass.

This year's speaker is Marian Wright Edelman, a lawyer, educator and children's advocate, famous for founding the Children's Defense Fund, of which she is the president. In 1963, she broke barriers as the first African-American woman admitted to the Mississippi state bar. The Wheel editorial board believes that she will be a riveting speaker with a plethora of unique experiences to draw on.

Unfortunately, it doesn't matter simply how interesting the speaker is. What matters the most is name recognition.

...

We're not asking for Tom Cruise or Gwen Stefani to sprinkle Hollywood glitter all over the Quad; we simply want a speaker whose name we recognize. After spending four or more years in college, we recognize the names of philanthropists, authors, politicos and other notables. So when the list of possible Commencement speakers is full of names we've never heard of, it's safe to say that our families and peers haven't heard of them either.

Sorry, Ms. Edelman. Despite the fact that you are a leading educational scholar who cares deeply about the plight of students in America, the Wheel's editorial board would rather have a name they recognize. In their defense, however, I would most definitely appreciate the musical stylings of Gwen Stefani at my commencement. I'd take time out of my busy schedule to write a biting rejoinder but, thankfully, Lewis's sister has already done that for me.

That you have never heard of her is not a reflection of Emory's poor decision making. Instead, it highlights your own sheltered existence and the sense of entitlement that emerges from such privilege ... Perhaps you should be upset with Emory. To stand on the eve of graduation after "spending four or more years in college" and to not know Edelman's work, to not have the ability to find out about her accomplishments, and/or to not possess the well-roundedness to recognize greatness, means that something has gone terribly wrong.

Oh, Jill.