COMMENCEMENT is a time to celebrate and for many the time to breathe a huge sigh of relief. The all-nighters have finally paid off and we, the college graduates, are on our way to pursuing our childhood dreams. While the highlight of commencement will - no doubt - be the degree, most future graduates hold out some hope that their commencement speaker will be an unexpected coup. Last week, University President Teresa A. Sullivan and the Committee on Commencement and Convocations unanimously selected Gov. Bob McDonnell as the University's 2011 Commencement Speaker. The selection, while unanimous, comes as a huge disappointment.
While McDonnell may have defeated Democratic State Senator Creigh Deeds by a landslide in the 2009 general election, his win fails to erase a long legacy of divisive statements and controversial policies. Over his life and career, McDonnell has expressed strong sentiments against minorities, specifically women, African-Americans and homosexuals. These sentiments are far from enlightened and only serve to reverse Virginia's struggle to embrace diversity. By welcoming McDonnell to speak at the 182nd Final Exercises, the University turns a blind eye to McDonnell's antiquated policies and beliefs.
In academia, controversy is not necessarily deleterious. In fact, contentious speakers are often beneficial to a University because they allow for diversity in thought and bring forth important dialogue about national issues. That being said, controversy holds no place at commencement, an event intended to celebrate the achievement of a diverse student body. A commencement speaker should certainly not alienate entire segments of the population, as McDonnell will definitely do when he addresses the graduates of the Class of 2011 on May 22. Ultimately, a line should be drawn between individuals whose agendas are inadvertently controversial and those who openly pursue noxious policies.
Among McDonnell's most schismatic highlights are his 2010 proclamation declaring April to be "Confederate History Month" in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In his declaration, honoring "the sacrifices of the Confederate leaders, soldiers and citizens," McDonnell failed to mention slavery. That McDonnell's proclamation ignores slavery can hardly be attributed to political gaffe; rather, it was a clear attempt to whitewash Civil War history. Two days later, and only in response to significant pressure from individuals across the nation, McDonnell did issue an apology for the omission. In explaining why he left slavery out of his proclamation, McDonnell said, "Obviously, [the Civil War] involved slavery. It involved other issues. But I focused on the ones I thought were most significant for Virginia."
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