Early last week the graduating class of 2010 received some exciting news. For one, our graduation caps and gowns are going to be sustainable. Go environment! And secondly, our graduation speaker is going to be an Ithaca College alum or notable professor. Go … wait, what? I was shocked and frankly outraged to hear this. Ben Stein spoke in 2005. Henry Winkler was here in 2000. I don’t like to think I paid $40,000 a year to have my history professor from sophomore year tell me to go boldly, go where no person has gone before (in my mind, his speech is in fact Star Trek themed). I’m not sure if this sudden change is due to any laziness on the school’s behalf (I mean, if I were building the Athletic and Events Center, I’d be tired, too) or just a disregard for the graduating class. Maybe some of them would like a pompous celebrity to give the speech and not feel like they’re sitting through one last lecture. If it is in fact a professor, how will he or she be chosen? Is a name going to be drawn out of a hat or will the highest scorer on RateMyProfessors.com win? The list of Ithaca alums also isn’t nearly as lengthy as, say, Cornell University’s. I’m not going to hold my breath for Bob Iger, but I am going to start campaigning for David Boreanaz. If Lady Gaga is out right now, I’d at least like Angel to send me off into the real world.

Rachel Paige ’10