To the Editor:

Re: “Obama’s Campaign Manager Set to Speak at Convocation,” News, Feb. 27

Three years ago, as a graduating senior, I had no choice but to walk out of my own Convocation ceremony. The speaker was Martin Luther King III, who, instead of reminding us of his father’s wonderful message of color-blindness (presumably the reason this otherwise unremarkable speaker was selected), used the joyous occasion as an opportunity to promote his narrow, left-wing political agenda. I had not spent four grueling years at Cornell to be rewarded with a speaker who assaulted my core beliefs and those of countless other seniors.

Cornell has always had excuses for the selection of career liberals as Convocation speakers. Bill Clinton was president. Fine. Wesley Clark was a general. Fine. Martin Luther King III was a substandard product of an unsuccessful speaker search. Whatever. But what is the excuse for this year’s choice of David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s campaign manager? Plouffe’s significance revolves around one and only one activity: the election of left-leaning politicians to public office. That’s it. Plouffe’s job is to make America more politically liberal. Was there really no one else around the globe more notable or better suited to speak words of encouragement to Ivy League students?

Why should Cornell’s graduating moderates and conservatives be subjected to the whims of an incompetent and inconsiderate Convocation Committee? Did they not work as hard as their liberal counterparts? Do they not deserve as much delight from their graduation celebrations? I never thought I’d say it, but this absurd selection makes me embarrassed to be a Cornellian.

Paul Ibrahim ’06