Hello Seton Hall administrators! How are you doing?
With the school year back in full swing we know you must be extremely busy with meetings, paperwork and, of course, planning the Class of 2018’s commencement ceremony.
Now, we know it’s a bit soon to be thinking of graduation, considering it’s only September, but we at The Setonian like to stay on top of things.
We can see Seton Hall’s Commencement Committee is staying on top of things, too, by surveying graduating seniors on how to make the commencement ceremony better.
We love that you’re asking seniors their opinion, but it’s what you choose to do with student input that can make or break the senior class’ graduation experience.
At the 2017 commencement, Seton Hall hosted its first keynote speaker, Matthew W. Wright, in two years. The Class of 2017 was happy to have anyone give the commencement address at all, considering there hadn’t been one in the years before and – let’s face it – graduation got a bit messy last year.
Wright, a SHU alum and member of the Board of Regents, gave a lackluster and uninspiring speech. He tried, he really did, but he just missed the mark.
When we ask for a commencement speaker, we want someone who we know. Someone we’ve heard of. Someone who is going to make the idea of graduating slightly less terrifying by giving us a motivational speech.
We know coordinating graduation isn’t an easy feat. It takes a copious amount of planning and work to make commencement a worthwhile ceremony for seniors, but we urge the Commencement Committee to go the extra mile and give the Class of 2018 a speaker they will remember – a speaker they deserve.
Seton Hall has already made the step in the right direction by finding a speaker for last year’s graduation, but it’s time to give students what they want.
And what they don’t want to do is zone out in the middle of a dull speech.
SHU students have worked too hard for the past four years to be bored at their commencement.
So, administration, the ball is in your court. Try not to let the students down.
The Voice is intended to best represent the collective opinion of The Setonian’s Editorial Board. It is written by The Setonian’s Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor.
