Last weekend, at Trinity Washington University (a small, Catholic school in Northesast D.C. with an all-women’s undergraduate program), University President Patricia McGuire used her commencement speech to upbraid the anti-abortion zealots who were protesting President Obama’s appearance at Notre Dame. Here’s your chance to add a little extra oomph to her very powerful speech.

Want a shot at your own 15 seconds of internet micro-micro-fame?  Start following us on Twitter (GtownVoxPop) and, if you’re connected to Georgetown, we’ll return the favor and you’ll automatically be in the running!

Former Voice Publisher Michael Keller graduated, magna pun laude.

Malin Hu put that econ training to practical use.

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The 210th 192nd Georgetown College Commencement ceremony

Newly minted College grads were probably congratulated a few dozen times on being the 210th graduating class. It’s a nice sentiment, but, unfortunately, it’s not factually accurate. The problem is that the University’s been miscounting the number of graduating classes for at least 77 years.

Georgetown history buff Matt Stoller (COL ‘08) caught onto the fact that Commencements used to be dated from 1817, the year Georgetown first awarded degrees under the power granted to it by Congress in 1815. At some point, though, the dating of Commencement was set back to 1799, the year the first college course was established, making this year the 210th Commencement.

Stoller asked about the inconsistency and his inquiry made it all the way up to John Glavin, Director of the Gervase Programs, and John Q. Pierce, the University Registrar. Glavin verified Stoller’s guess that this year was the 192nd—not the 210th—Commencement.

Check out Glavin’s response and an estimate of when the error was made, after the jump!

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Photography by Helen Burton

Haven’t quite got your fill of all things commencement-related? Here’s what Vox recommends:

If you’re looking for complete coverage of Georgetown’s commencement weekend, check out the blog the University set up, which features write-ups of every ceremony. (Somewhat dry, PR-y write-ups, but still, pretty nice).

You can also check out the webcasts of the MSB, SFS and College ceremonies.

Curious about other commencement speeches? The Post has some interesting excerpts from a few local addresses (including Chuck Hagel’s). This year’s major theme? Yes, the economy’s all screwed up, but just think of that as a blessing in disguise! Here are some of the highlights:

• New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly speaking at Catholic University: “I have never made a career decision based on money, and I have never regretted it. Simply put, money is overrated.”
• AOL co-founder Steve Case speaking at George Mason: “So while I recognize some of you may have anxiety about your futures, I am reasonably confident that this period could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you, as it may very well force you out of your comfort zone and lead you to consider challenges and opportunities in other fields, and perhaps in other countries. . . .”
• Maryland State Senator C. Anthony Muse (D—Prince George’s County) speaking at Bowie State University: “Listen: No matter how tough your challenges may be in life, keep coming back. . . . You can make it.”

Graduates may not be on board with the whole “silver lining” approach to the sucky economy, though. Also in today’s Post: “Diploma in Hand, Job Out of Reach: Rough Economy Fills Many in the Class of ‘09 With Anxiety, Not Excitement”

Finally, and most importantly, a big congratulations to the Class of 2009!

A couple days ago, the Times ran an Op-Ed by Christopher Francese, a professor of Classical Studies, decrying the continued use of Latin on college diplomas.

Latin is a beautiful language and a relief from the incessant novelty and informality of the modern age. But when it’s used on diplomas, the effect is to obfuscate, not edify; its function is to overawe, not delight. The goal of education is the creation and transmission of knowledge — not the creation and transmission of prestige. Why, then, celebrate that education with a document that prizes grandiosity over communication?

According to Francese, most schools now issue their diplomas in English, including standard bearer Harvard, which made the switch in 1961, prompting “diploma riots.”

Given Georgetown’s typically Catholic Latin obsession (between endless talk of “Cura Personalis” and “Hoya Saxa” chants, it would be tough to go a day without hearing some Latin on campus), it should come as no surprise that we’re one of the holdouts.

Sure, they may not be the most practical of documents, but I’d say after four years of putting up with undignified libraries and dorm rooms, graduates deserve a little pomp and circumstance. What say you?

Photo from Flickr user one_more_dreamer, used under a Creative Commons license.

Most people see graduations as joyful, special occasions. Not our neighbor, Matthew Donahue, though.

In response to an announcement of transportation recommendations for grads and their guests on the GeorgetownForum listerv, which included information about which streets would be closed for parking (3700 block of Prospect Street, 3600 block of O Street, 1200 and 1300 blocks of 37th Street and 3600 block of N Street NW), Donahue sent one of the grumpier emails ever written:

I object to Georgetown University closing streets and making certain streets one-way and having their campus police impersonate DC Metropolitan Police enforcing their illegal behavior. They prohibit parking space for my guests. They deprive parking space for Holy Trinity parishioners. They deprive the District of Columbia income from the parking meters. Were such proposals presented to the ANC?

Sincerely,
Matthew E. Donahue

Would you like a little cheese with that whine?

Photo from Flickr user michellebflickr, used under a Creative Commons license.

We’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather, whether we like it or not!

With Washington’s weather being rather schizophrenic as of late, we’re starting to worry if all the grand commencement ceremonies are going to be shipped indoors.

What’s the forecast looking like? Well, not so hot.

Almost all the events on Thursday and Friday are indoors, so dire forecasts won’t have too much of an effect on them. But Saturday’s the big outdoorsy day, with eight events scheduled outside from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Here’s what the National Weather Service predicts for Saturday:

Saturday…Showers and thunderstorms likely. Highs in the lower 80s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Saturday Night…Showers and thunderstorms likely. Lows in the lower 60s. West winds 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.

Yikes! Looks like the SFS, MSB and College Commencement ceremonies are going to be in reverb-tastic McDonough after all. NHS kids luck out, though, with Gaston Hall as their rain site. The biggest downgrade? That would have to be the MSB Dean’s Reception, which is scheduled for the picturesque Dahlgren Quad but, if it rains, will be moved to Leo’s Lower Level.

Forecast graphics from Capital Weather Gang.

If you’re attending Georgetown’s 209th commencement exercises this weekend, you’re there to see your friends get their diplomas, not to listen to the speeches. But there will still be speakers, and while you’re sitting on Healy Lawn wishing you had remembered your sunglasses, you might as well listen to what they have to say. Or should you? That depends on which school’s graduation it is.

Georgetown College – Wendy S. Kopp, Teach for America Founder and CEO - I’m sure she’s a smart/interesting person, but this seems a little too much like pandering. 10% of Georgetown’s senior class applied to TFA, so there’ll probably be some congratulatory, everybody’s a winner, you guys are going to change the world blather in this speech. I think the ideal graduation speaker is someone super-accomplished who makes you want to go on to do something big, not someone who makes you feel big already (Saturday at noon.)

School of Foreign Service – H.H. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned, Qatar Foundation Chairperson – The SFS is obsessed with all things Qatari, for reasons I still don’t quite understand. Hopefully this speech will shed some light on that (Saturday at 6 p.m.)

McDonough School of Business – Carlos M. Gutierrez, United States Secretary of Commerce - This guy is a very big deal. He’s on TV during the state of the Union, and as the go-to econ guy in the Bush cabinet, probably partially responsible for running our nation’s economy into the ground. Maybe an MSB grad who failed to net a sweet i-banking job because of the recession will egg him or something scandalous like that. But I doubt it (Saturday at 9 a.m.)

School of Nursing and Health Studies – Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality – Health care research is a personal favorite, but it’s not really the stuff of “ask not what your country can do for you” speeches. (Before you say anything, I know, that was an inauguration, not a graduation, but you know what I mean.) This speech will be interesting, but expect people, especially grad’s younger sibs, to get restless by the middle (Saturday at 3 p.m.)

School of Medicine – Ambassador Mark Dybul, United States Global AIDS Coordinator - see: NHS, but AIDS is quite a bit trendier, so the audience will probably stay with him until the end (Sunday at 11:15 a.m.)

Law Center – Joel I. Klein, New York City Public Schools Chancellor - Big ups to Klein for being the only speaker whose name I recognized sans title. I’m still not sure how I feel about that whole “banning cell phones in schools” policy, but he certainly subscribes to the Great Man theory of reforming public education, and I’m sure he’ll give a compelling talk that’s even worth hauling yourself down to the law school for (Sunday at 2 p.m.)

Photo from Flickr user Il Primo Umo used under a Creative Commons license.