Pierre Gooding: Students need Commencement input

Last year, members of the classes of 2005 and 2006 came together as part of an advisory committee to submit recommendations for the 2006 Commencement speaker.

The final list of the committee's approved choices included many who have contributed to academia and who would elicit the type of anticipation worthy of Penn's 250th Commencement and Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday celebration.

Jodie Foster was not on that list.

To be fair, Foster is an Academy Award-winning actress who has appeared in many movies that have inspired conversation on important social issues. And a Yale magna cum laude graduate is sure to speak on issues relevant to Penn seniors.

But with that said, the question must be asked: What are the credentials needed to become a Commencement speaker on the most important day of the school year? Seniors have asserted -- and the Class Board agrees -- that a recognizable contribution to world issues should be a prerequisite for a Commencement speaker.

The vast number of candidates who fall into this category signifies this criterion's usefulness in satisfying seniors and keeping an open mind during selection.

Think about our past commencement speakers: Jimmy Carter helped forge U.S. diplomatic relations with Communist China; Bishop Desmond Tutu is a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Previous speakers have similarly been on the front lines of world progress.

And while we do not doubt that Jodie Foster has been involved in initiatives in line with those previously outlined, the point of this prerequisite is that part of the allure of Commencement is the opportunity to learn more about a figure whom we have had extensive exposure to.

Penn is a premier institution with a reputation for Commencement speakers that stir excitement months before the ceremony, which helps set Penn apart during graduation time.

We must continue this tradition.

If one can remember when Bono was announced as the commencement speaker two school years ago, seniors' conversations were focused on all that he had done in his career as an advocate for AIDS awareness and debt relief in Africa. Very little conversation focused on his achievements as an amazing entertainer. That positive student energy helped create an electric atmosphere for graduation.

Student leaders commit to action when constituencies express angst. As such, this issue is one in which the opinions of the student body must be voiced.

The flood of e-mails and phone calls that have been received by this board is a sign that the choice of Commencement speaker is an incredibly important topic for seniors.

Through listening to the thoughts and opinions of each student who weighed in on the opinion, the Senior Class Board collectively agrees on the following: Student representatives should have a larger role in the Commencement speaker selection process.

This added emphasis on student opinion would alleviate the inevitable disgruntled atmosphere that a surprising Commencement-speaker selection brings on a class.

There are always candidates that students would like to see speak and reasons for those preferences. Our student body understands that sometimes none of the potential selections is a logistical possibility. However, if a representative advisory committee was allowed more access to the selection process, the student body as a whole and Penn itself would benefit from the change.

The expression of concern by seniors is in no way a personal attack on Foster. The Class of 2006's concern is simply indicative of how committed our student body is in keeping Penn's Commencement tradition the best in the world.

For the students who have spent the last four years attaining a world-class education with brilliant peers, Commencement marks one of the most awaited days of our academic careers.

More senior participation in the planning of this special day is thus not only desirable but imperative.

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