Editorial: Wait … who was the commencement speaker?

Contributed Photo/Katherine Lapp

Fairfield finally announced the speakers for this year’s commencement and both choices for the undergraduate and graduate schools keep in line with the traditional criteria that the University has espoused in the past few years; they have a connection to the University and both seem to embrace Jesuit values.

Katherine Lapp, the executive vice president of Harvard, will deliver the undergraduate speech while Dr. James Abbruzzese, an expert in the field of pancreatic cancer research and treatment, will address the graduate students. Both graduated from Fairfield, Lapp in 1978 and Abbruzzese in 1974.

While both speakers have distinguished careers with a variety of experiences, in twenty years, is any student going to fondly recall that time they heard the executive vice president of Harvard speak? She better be one hell of an engaging talker.

There is nothing wrong with the University electing to give honorary degrees to people who reflect the strategic plan, but someone who can relate or engage us better be a prerequisite. Is Lapp going to regale us with tales of her oversight of human resources at Harvard? Or maybe she’s got some exciting stories about her experiences as executive director of the New York’s MTA … although anyone who has ridden the Metro North can attest to a variety of interesting characters.

Lapp and Abbruzzese have achieved so much during their careers that they are certainly deserving of an honorary degree from their alma mater. But we want more from our commencement speakers, someone that we proudly brag about twenty years from now as delivering our commencement speech.

When we graduate, we want someone who is going to send us out into the world with advice, humor or expectations. Preferably all three. Maybe Lapp will surprise us and deliver an engaging speech. But in choosing an administrator from another school, that doesn’t seem too likely.

Although we should look on the bright side. At least we didn’t get stuck with University President Fr. Jeffrey von Arx like the graduates of 2008 and 2005 did.