NU grads say Daley too small for big day

So what is he going to talk about, how he is ram-rodding the Children's Museum in Grant Park?

Time for NU grads to grow up. The graduation is a celebration of your accomplishment - earning your degree and for those closest to you friends/family to share in the moment with you. With all the REAL issues around the world, harness that brainpower and make a difference where it really matters not crying about who's speaking at your graduation. Congrats to all!

jpridesagain wrote:

These graduates are showing some hope for the rest of us--they are beginning to see that the Daley's are all full of BS and are calling them on it.

No these graduates are showing how petty 22 year olds can be. Be happy you are graduating from Northwestern. Stop whining about not getting someone "big" enough for your egos.

Daley as a speaker? The man can barely string two intelligible English words together.

The only way Daley could offer a satisfying commencement speech would be if he'd end with his resignation, then turn himself in to the Feds.

Its silly, silly, silly to have that jerk speak, he is corrupted,monkey dont hear dont see.

Speaking as a Northwestern student, it is upsetting to see such a low life being glorified further by being allowed to speak at graduation. Plain and simple.

Well I can't say as I feel bad for them, they're graduating from a top-tier university & the world is their oyster ...

But, having da mayor speak at your graduation wouldn't exactly be my choice either. Why not Kofi Annan, Al Gore, or some other world figure?

I have issue with the presumptiousness (if that's a word)and ingratitude of the NU students. They are owed nothing but for the degree they earned and a celebration thereof. Their hard work resulted in a degree, something they will have forever to prove they did their good works.

The speaker chosen to motivate them on into the big wide world of "life is not fair" is but the martini to their former college life.

I've grown weary of the "i'm so special" generation.

U Kidding Me wrote:

Time for NU grads to grow up. The graduation is a celebration of your accomplishment - earning your degree and for those closest to you friends/family to share in the moment with you. With all the REAL issues around the world, harness that brainpower and make a difference where it really matters not crying about who's speaking at your graduation. Congrats to all!

Typically commencement speakers are supposed to be admirable people who inspire young people. Daley represents the complete antithesis of this notion, which clearly explains why so many NU students feel let down. Last year Mayor Bloomberg gave the commencement speech at U of Chicago, and he was BRILLIANT! His remarks were very inspiring and of course he doesn't have the baggage that Daley does.

Daley + John Burge= trumped up charges ---yuk!

The students and faculty at Northwestern who have worked to overturn wrongful criminal convictions/death row cases, should be protesting this disgusting decision by NU to honor Daley . As State's Attorney Richard M. Daley committed gross injustices/crimes against humanity.

I'm all for being tough on criminals, but only those who are truly guilty.

I feel sorry for the parents of the graduates who will have to listen to him and I feel sorry for Daley as he tries to speak to these parents representing the country's 3rd? largest city and the chief in charge? of attracting the 2016 Olympics to the US. What an embarrasment.

Wow, as a Northwestern student, I am really embarrassed by Bienen's response to Mr. Cox. Then again, over my four years, his other written correspondence with the public has always had an air of immaturity. It sounds like someone else has some growing up to do, as well.

I, for one, was extremely disappointed to hear of this year's graduation speaker.

How sad that Daley didn't retire after his last term. When he spoke at the opening of the Gay Games in Soldier Field 2 years ago, he was the most electric speaker of the bunch. Now he has a tarnished reputation that would have fared much better if he had let go earlier.

They got a lot of brass and I wonder how many of those not in favor of Mayor Daley will submit an application for employment in his "challenged" government. Sounds like Nu is a producer of some spoiled **** brats! Be happy you're getting a degree!

Charles wrote:

The NU president sounds like a real pompous ****.

As do the graduates!!!

You're lucky to even get Daley. NU is really spelled O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D. How arrogant are the people graduating from this place?

Tony Blair? The Dalai Lama? No chance these people would come to Northwestern. Maybe George Washington could come back to life and be your speaker as long as you are in make believe land.

Local Midwestern University is where you go to school, Local Midwestern Speaker is what you get.

He runs the Chicago Machine that MADE Barack. These kids don't understand.....

Wow. They haven't even walked across the commencement stage yet and already their inflated sense of entitlement and self-important is on display. What a bunch of little snotrags.

This article misconstrues the attitude of many NU students here, making them sound more arrogant than they really are. The students are upset not because they think they "deserve better" but because the commencement speaker should be somebody that everybody recognizes as inspirational and deserving of respect. Many NU students are out of town and don't even know what Daley has done. As other commenters have said, Daley has a huge air of corruption controversy around him. This is Northwestern's 150th Commencement and surely we could have found somebody less controversial and more universally respected. Would anybody honestly be able to say that they were proud of the fact that Mayor Daley spoke at their graduation?? Sure, Daley has made great changes to Chicago, but are these changes really relatable to college seniors? If you look at it from an out-of-town NU senior's perspective, they have only been in Evanston for 4 years and their only contact with Chicago may have been the occasional restaurant, bar, or internship - not to mention countless rides on an abysmal CTA system. These college seniors cannot relate to what Daley has done and NU's choice of him as the speaker shows that the administration is out of touch with what students want. And that is the crux of the argument.

Who the hell do Northwestern students think they are? Complaining because the mayor of one of the biggest cities in the country is speaking at their graduation. Wow you graduated from Northwestern, a slightly above average university, you guys deserve nothing less than Abraham Lincoln being brought back to life to speak at your graduation. Get over yourselves and be excited and thankful for the fact that you're graduating college. You bust your **** for four years but **** about who's gonna talk for 15 mins.