New School Commencement 2006

This petition is intended for the sole use of those with a clear connection to the New School who wish to register an objection to the choice of Senator McCain as our commencement speaker. Signatures to this on-line version represent a small fraction of total signatures, most of them in hard copy. Unfortunately, persons who disagree with the petition’s message and/or who are external to the University have made numerous attempts to post hostile, hateful, and frivolous messages. Please note that all signatures are subject to review.

To:  President Bob Kerrey

We, the undersigned students, faculty, and staff of the New School, deplore the selection of Senator John McCain to speak at 2006 commencement. While affirming that the university has an obligation to offer access to views that might be rejected by many among us, we uphold the longstanding tradition of commencement as a celebration of both the graduates themselves and of the university’s core values. As a platform for political speech, commencement lacks any opportunity for debate or rebuttal; the speaker commands a higher profile than an ordinary lecturer, and may be assumed to have the implicit endorsement of the university community. Senator McCain’s voting record and public pronouncements are starkly at odds with the progressive social values for which this university once stood, and which we want to see upheld. We therefore:

•call on President Kerrey to withdraw the speaking invitation

•call on the Board of Trustees to intervene as necessary to ensure that the graduation ceremony retains its proper focus on the graduates, and to avoid lasting damage to the New School’s public reputation

•call on the Faculty Senate to investigate and reform the process whereby commencement speakers are chosen

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The New School Commencement 2006 Petition to President Bob Kerrey was created by members of the New School community and written by Jan Clausen (clausenj@newschool.edu).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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