Correction Appended
AU's announcement that Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., as the speaker for next month's School of Public Affairs commencement in Tuesday's issue of American Today prompted some students to send letters to campus authorities in protest.
Members of the Facebook group "AU Students & Alumni Against Barney Frank @ SPA Commencement '09," which at press time had over 100 members, drafted a letter to the AU community that called for the university to consult with students about commencement speakers before making a choice and urged for students, parents and alumni to complain.
"It [students' pride from graduating from AU] will be tarnished by a man who lacks credibility, and has given Americans reason to question the effectiveness of their government," the letter said. "If AU wants to breed the leaders of tomorrow, it won't happen by celebrating today's failures."
Frank has represented Massachusetts' fourth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1981. As Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, he was instrumental in developing many policies in reaction to the recent financial crisis.
The group is looking to get a "more appropriate speaker" for SPA's commencement address, such as D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Holocaust survivor and best-selling author Elie Weisel and civil rights leader and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga, group creator Sarah DeStefano said in an e-mail.
"There are plenty of actually inspiring individuals here in Washington at our disposal," DeStefano said in the e-mail. "I don't know why American had to pick someone who in my opinion is dishonorable, corrupt, irresponsible self-serving and entirely unwilling to admit his mistakes. It doesn't seem like something an academic institution would want to celebrate."
Christina Washington, a 2008 School of International Service graduate, said she will not donate to AU this year because of the university's selection of Frank as a speaker. She said she did not think Frank was a good role model.
"There are so many other people they could have picked that would have been a better example," she said. "And I'm not going to give my money to the school when they're holding up in such high esteem someone who doesn't get it."
David Taylor, President Neil Kerwin's chief of staff, said in an e-mail that each of the commencement speakers for AU's six schools has an expertise to share with graduates.
"All speakers will have something to say of relevance and insight," Taylor said in the e-mail. "Yes, Congressman Frank is one of those ... acknowledged as one of the most powerful members of Congress."
Bill DeBaun, a senior in SPA, said he would have liked to see more of a unifying speaker for his commencement address.
"I'm a little surprised that, on a day when we are going to have graduates from a school with a broad collection of political views, that we would celebrate commencement with someone who is very much on one side of politics - which isn't to say that he hasn't crossed the aisle - but certainly there is no love-lost between him and the Republican Party," he said.
Acting Director of AU's Media Relations Maralee Csellar did not return a phone call for comment.
The same American Today article listed the names of the speakers for all of the schools for 2009 commencement, except the School of Communication.
The College of Arts and Sciences speaker will be AU alumnus Lonnie Bunch, a historian and founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which will be built on the last remaining open plot on the National Mall.
AU alumnus John Prendergast, author and co-founder of the Enough Project, is slotted to speak at the School of International Service commencement.
Kogod School of Business graduate Gary Cohn, president and chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs, will address his alma mater.
Former U.S. Solicitor General and WilmerHale partner Seth Waxman will address Washington College of Law graduates.
The SOC speaker will be officially determined by the end of the week, Taylor said in the e-mail.
"The SOC speaker was not listed [in American Today] because while we have a verbal OK with a chosen speaker - we need closure by getting Board of Trustees authorizations for the honorary degree," Taylor said.
Each commencement speaker receives an honorary degree from AU.
You can reach this staff writer at thallerman@theeagleonline.com.
Correction: In "Frank will speak at SPA graduation," The Eagle incorrectly reported that each commencement speaker receives an honorary degree. In fact, a speaker may refuse an honorary degree if receiving the degree could be perceived as a conflict of interest. The Eagle regrets the error.
