Boston College Snubs Applauds Condi

Weeks of anticipation of Condoleezza Rice's address to the graduates of Boston College have left us wondering if she would or if she wouldn't. She did, and it worked out fine. There is difficulty in standing alone against a public figure – 50 Boston College seniors stood with their backs against Condi as she began the keynote address to the graduates. The rest of the class and much of the audience stood in a standing ovation for the Secretary of State. Her speech was less than controversial, she even played into the concerns that students and faculty had voiced through protests about her involvement and symbolic representation of the Jesuit University.

But what's in a ceremony? After all, ten years after graduation, nobody stands around at cocktail parties talking about how inspiring and ethical their graduation speaker was. BC didn't look through peer recommendations and Amnesty reports - they looked at status. In BC's press release, President Leahy said, "I am delighted that students graduating from Boston College and their parents will be able to hear remarks from Dr. Condoleezza Rice, a person who has excelled in academics, diplomacy and public service." Adjunct Professor of English, Steve Almond wasn't buying it. Although his latest three books are about candy bars, sex, and more sex, respectively, he's one of the most politically outspoken authors in Boston, a city where he has a book reading about every 2 minutes. And while the unabashedly cynical side of Bostonist has to point out that Steve-o's open letter will certainly be, as it were, great publicity for his new hardcover, the truth about Steve is that he takes his role as an author/semi-public figure quite seriously, and throws his name behind as many literary and charitable organizations as possible. His open letter of resignation to President Leahy, published in the Boston Globe, showed the distain that some faculty members held for Condoleezza Rice and her receipt of an honorary doctoral degree from BC.

Today the Exercises of Commencement went on, both graduates and undergraduates were awarded their earned degrees. Condi, among others, were honored with ceremonial degrees rewarding them for academic achievement as well as social and political success. We didn't have the opportunity at work to listen in to the speech as she gave it, but the transcript showed her political prowess. Engaging the imagery of the Red Sox World Championship, the BC (a webcast parody of the OC), and acknowledging – albeit with subtlety – the opposition to her presentation and honorary degree at commencement.

That is a temptation that educated people have a responsibility to reject. There is nothing wrong with holding an opinion and holding it passionately. But at those times when you're absolutely sure that you are right, go find somebody who disagrees. Don't allow yourself the easy course of the constant "amen" to everything that you say.

Condi, as always you're able to play a bad hand better than we can. Next time we have a pair of two's and we're "all in" can we call you for advice?

Contributions to this post were made by Janet Potter