How do you feel about Republican Gov. Rick Snyder as the Spring Commencement speaker? E-mail your comments to campusreaction@umich.edu.
FOR: I don’t know how anyone can argue against having him as the speaker of commencement. He is the governor of our state. People try to argue it’s not about politics then bring up points about what he is doing in the political realm. Bringing up the education cost is pointless because we receive most of our money from the federal government.
Secondly he hasn’t done anything illegal. He is using legitimate political moves to try and do what he thinks is right. He won the election, and just because you don’t like his policies isn’t justification for impeachment. Furthermore he is a graduate of this university and is very successful. I don’t see what more you want in a speaker.
—Engineering freshman Alex Kolb
AGAINST: I am disappointed in the selection of Snyder for commencement speaker. I am a ’05 and ’09 Michigan Alum. I believe a commencement ceremony should highlight the achievement of Michigan students. Synder’s proposed budget cuts to public and higher education will make graduation harder for students to achieve. The Univeristy should search for commencement speakers who support higher education and public schools and not invite those who don’t just because they are our alumni and/or politician.
—University alum Colleen Russell
AGAINST: Why would one let your executioner give your eulogy?—LSA freshman David Goodman
AGAINST: While people may debate his policies for not wanting him to speak, I would like to speak for the other half of the argument. I am an out of state student who has spent around $200,000 to get my degree. I have sat idly by while the previous class was able to get the President of the United States to speak, along with the current govern…or. I am fighting against Snyder as our speaker because the governor always speaks at the commencement so in essence, UofM has told us that hey, the previous class was so much better than you that we spent so much time and effort to look for a speaker, but we do not really care about you, so since the governor was going to speak anyways, why not just elongate the time he has up there. So my question to UofM, is why has every other year been able to get a speaker other than the governor as well as the current governor? Are we not worth a 2nd speaker?—LSA senior Gabriel Felipe Sotomayor
AGAINST: Many are missing the point of the protests in opposition to Snyder being our commencement speaker. Budget issues, cuts to education, taxing pensions- these are political issues. But the ability to install “emergency managers” in local governments that have the right to dismiss elected officials and void contracts is beyond politics. It is anathema to the principles of representative Democracy. Citizens have a right to govern themselves through their representatives even in times of crisis; to suggest otherwise is to proclaim opposition to Democratic principles. That’s what this protest is about – making a very public statement that this policy is unacceptable.—LSA senior Andre Masnari