Brazil names Smith for graduation speech

The selection yesterday of Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) as the 2005 commencement speaker has caused concern among some faculty members.

Smith represents the 21st district of Texas, which includes a portion of Bexar County.

Some faculty, including Associate Professor of Political Science Sussan Siavoshi, Associate Professor of Psychology Paula Hertel and Assistant Professor of Anthropology Jennifer Mathews, have objected to Smith’s political leanings, but more fundamentally to the lack of faculty input in the selection process and the resulting disconnect between the chosen speaker and his audience. Last year’s speaker was Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn.

“I would like to see some variety,” Hertel said. “As long as I can remember, it has been white men in the business of politics. If we do insist on having political speakers, they should better represent the full range.”

President John Brazil, however, said the selection of a commencement speaker is not an individual decision and is made after consultation with members of the community, including faculty, staff and students. The selection process has remained the same for years, according to Brazil.

“I decide based upon recommendations from several sources,” Brazil said. “People make a lot of suggestions.”

Brazil said candidates with connections to the University are given priority. Although Smith is not a Trinity alumnus, his father was a professor here for several years, and Cornyn is an alumnus from the class of 1973.

According to some professors, there is an ideological and ethnic consistency within the selection process.

According to Siavoshi, this year’s choice indicates a more prolonged display of preference toward one side of the political spectrum.

Siavoshi said she recently wrote a letter to the Faculty Senate and Brazil concerning a tendency toward certain selections for campus lectures.

“It was not just about the graduation speaker,” Siavoshi said. “I raised some concern about the fact that most of these people come from one side of the spectrum, and that is usually the right- wing, conservative Republican side.”

Mathews said she objected to Smith’s contribution of funds to the defense of Tom DeLay (R-Texas), the House majority leader currently under scrutiny for possible ethics violations.

Mathews and others also whether the political leanings of chosen speakers were relevant or appropriate in a commencement speech.

“Many of us feel that choosing someone with such a strong political leaning for a graduation speech is inappropriate,” Mathews said. “I hope we don’t have a repeat of last year’s speech, which was very conservative-leaning and not very appropriate to graduation.”

Brazil, however, said he selects leaders from different perspectives, and Smith was not selected on political or ideological grounds.

According to Brazil, there has been a wide variety of commencement speakers in the past, and ideology is typically not the focus of the speech.

“Virtually everybody, regardless of political affiliation, realizes the value of education,” Brazil said. “Most speak of contributions made by Trinity to the community.”

By Marcus Funk, Bjorn Kruse