The president of Duquesne University banned Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz, and Barack Obama, D-Ill., as well as Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., from speaking at its law school commencement ceremony, sparking a student-initiated petition. Students at AU expressed mixed reactions about the speakers not being offered speaking invitations.
President Charles Dougherty of the Catholic University in Pittsburgh said politicians were "inappropriate" commencement speakers because they might offend someone or oppose Catholic doctrine, according to a letter he wrote to Duquesne administrators.
"Even if such a speaker steers clear of political content, it makes a political statement that we provided them an occasion and a platform - and one in which there is no possibility for dialogue or the expression of alternative points of view," Dougherty wrote.
Katy Jurczyk, a freshman in AU's College of Arts and Sciences, said the politicians would honor the graduates and offer advice.
"I don't think it sends the right message," Jurczyk said. "It makes Duquesne seem behind the times. It doesn't make them seem very accepting."
Madeline du Breuil, a sophomore at Duquesne, said she understood Dougherty's concerns.
"This is a Catholic institution and it's [Dougherty's] responsibility to look out for the Catholic ideology of the school," du Breuil said.
The congressmen were proposed by Duquesne Law School Dean Donald Guter. Alberto Mora, a former general counsel of the U.S. Navy, was also a proposed speaker, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Dougherty approved Mora, who was also a JFK Profiles in Courage award recipient, according to the Chronicle. The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation presents the annual award to public officials at any level who show political courage, according to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Web site.
Students at AU expressed mixed feelings about Dougherty's decision.
Taylor Robinson, director of AU's Kennedy Political Union, which is responsible for bringing many speakers to campus, said KPU tries to bring in "issue-based and politically-oriented" speakers.
Robinson said she disagreed with Dougherty's decision.
"I have no problem with hosting controversial speakers or events and have not heard anything from the administration to discourage me in doing so," Robinson said. "If they have something to say that is different than their party platform - if they have a message, a cause or a keen interest in a social issue, then I believe that politicians can be interesting and intriguing commencement speakers."
Tim Day, a freshman of the School of Public Affairs, said he thought Dougherty's decision was wrong.
"I think it's a tough question," Day said. "Today everyone has an opinion, whether or not you're a politician, so you're going to have a skewed speech no matter what."
Alan Yuill, a sophomore in SPA, said he agreed with the political commencement speaker ban.
"I agree with [Dougherty] on principle in that especially at something like commencement, when it's a graduate's last memory of college, if the speaker said something that offended them, it would be a bad thing," Yuill said.
Dougherty's statement was in response to the student petition, which implied that racial motivations informed Dougherty's decision, which he denied.
"But the decision about Sen. Obama - and Sen. McCain and Congressman Murtha - had nothing to do with a proposed speaker's race," Dougherty wrote in the statement.
Last year Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., spoke at Duquesne, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Karen Ferrick-Roman, Duquesne's Assistant Director of Media Relations and Campus News, said the policy against political speakers became effective after last spring's commencement ceremonies.
"Politicians are welcome on campus, but their appearances must allow the chance for dialogue," Ferrick-Roman said. "Open invitations have been extended to Congressman Murtha and Sens. Obama and McCain to speak at [Duquesne] University this year in forums that would allow opportunity for discussion, such as question-and-answer or panel discussions."
AU students said they agreed that AU does a good job of bringing a variety of speakers to campus, representing diverse experiences and opinions.
