-
Rudolph Giuliani
"He shoots from the hip," said Germain of former NYC mayor Rudolph Giuliani. "He enjoyed every minute of it." Though he recieved accolades for his management during 9/11, some students protested based on thier opinions of the police brutality and civil rights abuses that occurred in the city during his terms as mayor. When he was warned of the possibility of protests, Germain said he reacted with, "I live in New York City, I'm not worried about a protest." Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Period: to
Memorable SU Commencement Speakers
Susan Germain, the executive director of the Office of Special Events at Syracuse University, will be attending her 16th SU Commencement ceremony this week. Here is a look back at some of her favorite speakers. -
Bill Clinton
Germain remembers former President Bill Clinton's speech as another one of her favorites. In the post-9/11 environment, he commented on the role of fear in Americans' lives. "Fear is not a stupid emotion, and people who live without any fear are often stupid. But people who are paralyzed by fear are unfailingly miserable and unsuccessful." said Clinton. He focused his speech on international aid and fighting poverty and AIDS worldwide. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Phylicia Rashad
The actress and humanitarian is best known for her role as Claire Huxtable on the hit TV series "The Cosby Show." Rashad was one the speakers who Germain said the university used a "SU connection" to get. However, some students were not happy with the selection. The Daily Orange printed this opinion: "By selecting Rashad (a "B" celebrity at best), you are then saying that we are a "B" university and a "B" student body, and that is not what I came here to learn." Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Jane Goodall
"She was one of the best speakers we've had, " said Germain of anthropologist Jane Goodall. Goodall is most known for the 45 years worth of research she has done on chimpanzees in Tanzania. She was presented with an Honorary Doctorate in science during the ceremony. Germain raised similarities between Goodall, and this years speaker, J. Craig Venter. "She was also in more of the scentific realm, but people walked away thinking they really learned something." Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Billy Joel
"He was fun. It wasn't the Gettysburgh address, but it was certainly fun," said Germain of Joel's commencement address. The Grammy-winning artist entertained the audience with his speech about passion and doing what you love. He serenaded the students with a song altered with lyrics about Syracuse University. Orange Appeal, a campus accapella group, sang a medley of his songs. "You walked out with a smile on your face," said Germain. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Joe Biden
Vice President Joe Biden is no stranger to Syracuse. He attended the Syracuse University College of Law, recieving his Juris Doctor in 1968. "He loves Syracuse; there's no doubt in my mind." said Germain. She said he spoke about his days at Syracuse during his speech. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons -
Jaime Dimon
Jaime Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase, caused a stir when he was selected to speak at the 2010 commencement ceremony. In the aftermath of the subprime mortagage crisis and the subsequent bailouts, some felt that having a banker speak was unrelatable. Germain said that Dimon confronted the controversy head on. He personally contacted the most vocal of the students, and talked to them about thier concerns. Germain said his speech about hope and accountability was one of the best she has seen at SU.
