The announcement of Professor Sol Gittleman as this year's commencement speaker will likely inspire an array of mixed reactions and some reservations among seniors. There are undoubtedly reasons to be excited about Gittleman's selection. An engaging lecturer and professor, Gittleman's classes continue to be some of the most popular on campus, and there is no question that he is an entertaining and likable speaker. But in spite of his ability to charm and engage a crowd, Gittleman's appointment may remain questionable in the eyes of many seniors.
Simply put, the decision to make Gittleman this year's commencement speaker is a bit of a letdown. With the last few commencement ceremonies boasting speakers such as Deval Patrick, governor of Massachusetts; Meredith Vieira, co-host of The Today Show; Michael Bloomberg, the current mayor of New York City; and Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France, seniors were expecting to see a somewhat more high-profile speaker behind the podium. While Gittleman will undoubtedly deliver a meaningful speech — stemming largely from the fact that he has spent so much time at the university and knows so many Tufts students — graduating seniors often look forward to commencement as a time when they will hear from someone outside of the university who can offer a perspective apart from the context of the Tufts community. Many of those in the Class of 2010 will sit down to listen to Gittleman's presentation having already heard him speak about various topics in class. He has proven himself to be widely accessible to students, encouraging undergraduates to visit during his office hours to talk about anything from baseball to travelling to Yiddish culture. While his affable nature is admirable, many of those in the Class of 2010 have already had numerous conversations with Gittleman and are looking for a new perspective in their commencement speaker.
University President Lawrence Bacow has expressed his desire to select Tufts professors as commencement speakers over celebrities. While an address from a faculty member might be more personalized to the Tufts campus and therefore more meaningful to seniors, commencement is also a time when students bring family members and friends — many of whom have traveled great distances — to experience the ceremony. Gittleman will undoubtedly be able to strike chords in the hearts of Tufts students who share his nostalgia for life on the Hill, but generating excitement for the ceremony not just at Tufts but also among students' family members would be far better done by someone with greater name recognition and an outside perspective.
In previous years, Bacow has explained the selections of commencement speakers by noting their distinguished accomplishments, their abilities to inspire and their relevance to the world into which graduates are about to enter. Last year's speaker, Patrick, was introduced by Bacow as someone able to impart fresh advice on entering into a poor job market, as well as being the first African-American governor of Massachusetts. Some criticized the decision to have Patrick speak, as his recognition outside of Massachusetts is not as widespread as that of prior speakers such as Armstrong. Bacow defended the choice last year, noting that delivering a meaningful and informative speech is more important than bringing a famous face to Tufts. While the Daily agreed with the decision to appoint Patrick last year, sharing Bacow's sentiments that the governor would deliver a provocative and relevant speech, choosing an in-house speaker overshadows the benefits of Gittleman's eloquence and the fact that he will likely deliver an exceptional address.
