By Dani Molnar molnard@iusb.edu
With all of the excitement and controversy about University of Notre Dame's commencement speaker, the question arose as to who was speaking at IU South Bend's commencement. At Notre Dame, the headliner for commencement is President Barack Obama.
IUSB's commencement speaker has largely gone unnoticed. This year's commencement speaker at IUSB is Indiana University President, Michael McRobbie, will be speaking at this year's commencement ceremony. It is the one of many commencement speeches for the president.
How does IUSB decide who will speak at commencement? Cindy Searfoss, director of Alumni Affairs at the university works with Ceremonies Office in Bloomington to plan big events such as commencement. President McRobbie speaks at all IU commencements, but unlike the Bloomington IUSB, and other affiliates, there is no headliner.
In an email interview with Searfoss, "over the decades, Indiana University Bloomington has had a number of well-known speakers, including several of the state's elected officials and leading figures of the day. But no matter who the 'headliner' has been, the president of IU has always spoken at the ceremony, a tradition that continues to this day." As the regional campuses were formed and began holding their own commencements, the university president travelled to each of the schools to "confer degrees and deliver the commencement addresses."
This year will be President McRobbie's second year to participate in all eight campus' ceremonies. According to the Ceremonies Office, he will grant nearly 20,000 degrees.
Trustees, deans, and CEOs also play a role in the platform party. According to Searfoss, "The Chancellor [of IU South Bend], Una Mae Reck, also has a very important role in our ceremony, as do the Chancellors of other campuses."
When curiosity began to set in about commencement speaking and process, Searfoss explained that "each school has its own traditions, but may schools have the president address the graduates." Aside from the chancellor and the president, distinguished alumni recipient A. Bruce Burkart will give a short speech.
Although IUSB does not have a headlining speaker or the nation's president at their commencement, Searfoss is still proud of the way commencement is running here. "Our graduates have worked hard for their degrees and should be recognized - the emphasis has been on that rather than having someone speak to them." So by keeping it short and quick, the university allows more time to acknowledge the graduates, something which the students appreciate as well.
IUSB's commencement is May 12 at 6 p.m. at the Joyce Center at the University of Notre Dame.
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