Grad-uation is intended to be a celebration for graduates and their families. But commencement can also be a controversial time, as public figures are often selected to speak at the ceremonies.
This year, America's most prominent Roman Catholic institution of higher learning, the University of Notre Dame, is facing controversy over its commencement choice: President Barack Obama.
Critics of the choice have stated that selecting Obama, whose views on abortion and stem cell research often oppose traditional Catholic beliefs, is inappropriate.
Some critics of the choice have been harsh in their view of Obama. Ralph McInerny, a professor of medieval studies and philosophy, wrote on the Web site "The Catholic Thing" that Notre Dame is thumbing its nose at the Catholic church and "forfeited its right to call itself a Catholic university" by inviting Obama, who has accepted the invitation.
Protests of a commencement speaker are common. Pennsylvania colleges are not immune to graduation controversy. St. Vincent College in Latrobe received former President George W. Bush in 2007 despite protests over his position on the war in Iraq.
Sen. Bob Casey cancelled his appearance to speak at the college for this year's commencement with no explanation. Some Catholic groups have been critical of Casey for his positions on federal funding of contraception and legalization of same-sex marriages.
Still, the protests of Obama as Notre Dame's commencement speaker are significant because they show divisions among Catholics as the church works to establish itself with its core values while still encouraging dialogue.
Obama may represent and plan to implement controversial issues that do not fall in line with Catholic beliefs. For example, Obama plans to lift restrictions on overseas family planning groups that perform abortions. He also supports stem cell research that destroys embryos.
But Obama is not a random choice for Notre Dame. It is tradition for the university to invite recently inaugurated presidents as graduation speakers. Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush have all spoken, usually amidst protests.
University officials have defended their choice by saying that it is necessary for the Catholic Church to continue dialogue, even with controversial figures. Isolating the church from the people who must make ethical decisions cuts away any influence or power over decisions that affect everyone.
Also, Obama represents a new era of change, a cliché phrase that still rings true. As the first black president, Obama would be an important figure to speak to graduates heading into the real world.
The controversy is political: The Catholic voting block could swing a presidential election. But it also represents a lack of willingness to have a dialogue about important issues.
However, Notre Dame students have been the encouraging factors. While Catholic groups organize and protest and officials defend and defame each other, the students have stood up in overwhelming support for the commander in chief as commencement speaker.
According to the Notre Dame student newspaper The Observer, 73 percent of current students and 97 percent of graduating seniors approve of the invitation. Those numbers alone should tell Notre Dame officials to stick to their guns and keep Obama on the program.
At least the students get it right. Leave it to the protesters to create controversy where it is unneeded.
Jessica Turnbull is a senior majoring in journalism and is The The Daily Collegian's Wednesday columnist. Her e-mail address is jlt5044@psu.edu.
