Some graduating seniors are still disappointed with GW's decision to make outgoing University President Steven Joel Trachtenberg the Commencement speaker. But while cries for protests and walk-outs found their way into the national media last month, students appear to have dropped their plans.
"I am not planning to show any respectful or disrespectful gestures towards SJT," said senior Katherine Kuhn, creator of the Facebook group "COMMENCEMENT 2007: SJT better NOT be our keynote speaker!"
"I am going to pretend like he left a long time ago and he isn't at our Commencement," Kuhn said. "I am not proud to say I am a Colonial."
Some seniors have made Commencement attendance a low priority as an act of protest toward the University's response to the issue.
"I am not planning on attending," senior Bryce Pardo said. "If I have some free time I might show up. I am still upset at how the University, especially SJT, handled the issue."
Many students approve of Trachtenberg's decision to step down as keynote speaker, but strongly disapprove of the way he used the Virginia Tech tragedy as justification for his decision. Trachtenberg wrote in a campus-wide e-mail that he chose to step down in light of the April shootings.
"It was an illogical connection," said Sarah Fink, a senior. "SJT should have recognized student protests to his decision to be the keynote speaker ... In no way does the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech relate to the keynote speaker at GW."
In place of a keynote speaker, the University announced that each of the five honorary degree recipients would deliver a four- to five-minute speech. Trachtenberg will deliver a charge to the graduates.
University officials said finding a new speaker in such a short period of time would be impossible, but some students vigorously asserted the opposite.
Senior Robert Testa, who started the Facebook group "Stephen Colbert: 2007 Keynote Commencement Speaker," claimed that several companies who represent notable speakers were available to speak on short notice.
"I am not planning to show any respectful or disrespectful gestures towards SJT," said senior Katherine Kuhn, creator of the Facebook group "COMMENCEMENT 2007: SJT better NOT be our keynote speaker!"
"I am going to pretend like he left a long time ago and he isn't at our Commencement," Kuhn said. "I am not proud to say I am a Colonial."
Some seniors have made Commencement attendance a low priority as an act of protest toward the University's response to the issue.
"I am not planning on attending," senior Bryce Pardo said. "If I have some free time I might show up. I am still upset at how the University, especially SJT, handled the issue."
Many students approve of Trachtenberg's decision to step down as keynote speaker, but strongly disapprove of the way he used the Virginia Tech tragedy as justification for his decision. Trachtenberg wrote in a campus-wide e-mail that he chose to step down in light of the April shootings.
"It was an illogical connection," said Sarah Fink, a senior. "SJT should have recognized student protests to his decision to be the keynote speaker ... In no way does the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech relate to the keynote speaker at GW."
In place of a keynote speaker, the University announced that each of the five honorary degree recipients would deliver a four- to five-minute speech. Trachtenberg will deliver a charge to the graduates.
University officials said finding a new speaker in such a short period of time would be impossible, but some students vigorously asserted the opposite.
Senior Robert Testa, who started the Facebook group "Stephen Colbert: 2007 Keynote Commencement Speaker," claimed that several companies who represent notable speakers were available to speak on short notice.
