University President Larry Bacow has selected the keynote speaker who will address Tufts' 146th graduating class, but has declined to reveal the speaker's identity until he notifies the University's Trustees. According to Ballou, the invited speaker has already accepted the invitation to speak at Tufts' commencement ceremony on May 19.
Provost Sol Gittleman defended the secrecy surrounding the decision, saying that commencement speakers have historically not been named until later in the year. "In the past, the announcement came in March or even April," he said.
Saying only that he is "confident that the student body will be pleased," Bacow stressed that University affiliation played into his decision. "What better way to celebrate our 150th anniversary than by recognizing the extraordinary accomplishments of some of our alumni?" he said.
To select the keynote speaker, Bacow said, he reviewed student recommendations - including an editorial printed in the Daily last fall - as well as the list of past speakers. He also consulted with Gittleman and President Emeritus John DiBiaggio.
Seniors expressed their preferences in a Daily public opinion poll conducted on Tuesday. Students were asked to rate the importance of four aspects of a commencement speaker: political prominence, association with Tufts, academic prominence, and celebrity status.
Among the 105 seniors polled, 32 percent considered celebrity status the most important factor in choosing this year's speaker. "It should be a big name," one senior said.
Academic prominence received the second highest number of top-rank votes, at 28 percent, while 23 percent of students considered the speaker's political prominence most important. Of the students surveyed, only 16 percent - the lowest number of votes tallied - preferred a speaker associated with the University.
One such senior suggested that the speaker be "connected to Tufts and academically oriented."
In the survey, students were asked to spontaneously suggest a hypothetical speaker of their choice. Bono, lead singer of U2 and speaker at Harvard's 2001 Class Day, received the most mention. Other favorites included former President Bill Clinton, former New York City mayor Rudolph Guiliani, comedian and actor Adam Sandler, and author Maya Angelou.
Students also recommended several alumni who have received national renown, including former New York senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. But Moynihan, former Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson, NBC President Neil Shapiro, and New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger - all prominent Tufts alumni - told the Daily yesterday that they had not been asked to deliver the keynote address. Omidyar could not be reached for comment.
Finally, seniors were asked if the commencement ceremony speaker should have been selected differently from years past because of Tufts' 150th anniversary. Of the students polled, 36 percent thought that this year deserved different treatment.
"Extra thought should be given to the appropriateness of the speaker, given the importance and history associated with an anniversary graduation," one senior said. Another student suggested that seniors should have more say in the selection process.
On the other hand, 17 percent said that the selection process should not be any different this year. And a near majority, 47 percent, had no opinion on the matter whatsoever. According to Gittleman, Bacow did not select this year's speaker any differently from year's past.
The University has traditionally invited commencement speakers from diverse backgrounds. Last year, veteran journalist Jim Lehrer delivered the keynote address. Other past speakers include comedian Bill Cosby, cartoonist Gary Trudeau, journalist Ted Koppel, media mogul Ted Turner, and author Elie Wiesel.
