Syracuse Students Protest Chase CEO As Graduation Speaker

Graduation speaker choices rarely satisfy student bodies -- speakers are either too famous or not famous enough. But some in Syracuse University's class of 2010 go so far as to call their school's pick, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, "anti-humanitarian" -- and they're doing everything they can to disinvite him to graduation.

The Daily Orange reports:

Since the March 25 announcement of Dimon as Syracuse University and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry's commencement speaker, a student-generated petition and a Facebook group titled "Take Back Commencement" have been created. The petition was created on April 2 and had 703 signatures as of Wednesday, and the group had 760 members.

The number of signatures stands at about one-fifth of SU's senior class. The petition states the signees' opposition to what they see as the use of the commencement to restore the banking industry's image and "validate the anti-environmental and anti-humanitarian interests of JPMorgan Chase." The petition demands a new speaker who does not fit this mold and is sensitive to the current global climate.

So far, the university refuses to budge. In an e-mail to the Orange, the school's Senior Vice President for Public Affairs Kevin Quinn wrote: "While we understand and respect that every student is entitled to their own viewpoint, Mr. Dimon is the speaker for this year's commencement."

Still, the "Take Back Commecement" group is working to find a replacement for Dimon -- "someone who has affected or wronged by JPMorgan."

What do you think? How would you feel if Jamie Dimon were to speak at your school's graduation?

Comments

[larry278]

06:30 PM on 04/15/2010

What would happen if the graduates boycotted the event or attended this meaningless pseudo-event & turned their backs upon the speaker & kept silent when he spoke. The unwanted speaker would get the message. It's remotely possible, but not probable, that Syracuse University's administration would get the message too. The administration could send the graduates their diplomas via UPS. It would be a lot cheaper than holding the meaningless, pseudo-ceremony which features an unliked & unwanted speaker. Syracuse, NY has other sites for SU's graduation day ,such as a fair grounds, some parks & a ball park, etc.

[Fluent08]

10:41 AM on 04/15/2010

show the kids some support! they're asking for all who agree with their protest to sign their petition. you can find it at: http://www.petitiononline.com/SUGRADUA/petition.html. they also have a FB page: Take Back Commencement. all support is welcome. there are some pretty degrading folks commenting on their page, so words of encouragement go a long way!

[me again]

08:43 AM on 04/15/2010

His opening words will harken Gordon Gecko, "Greed is Good"........

[zeppelingirl89]

10:39 PM on 04/14/2010

What's the point of protesting the graduation speech? Nothing wrong with being exposed to alternative opinions-it's a minor footnote, the main reason you're at the ceremony is to get your diploma anyways.

[MAB]

12:29 PM on 04/15/2010

... anyway. It's "anyway," not "anyways." Got YOUR diploma?

[zeppelingirl89]

12:18 AM on 04/16/2010

Oh noes, I added an s to "anyway." Sorry that I don't proofread my comments, it would surely demonstrate superior intelligence. I'm sure that the distinction between "anyway" and "anyways" will be the determining factor of whether or not I get my diploma lol.

I'm working on mine...Have almost a 4.0 halfway through it. And no, I'm not an English major so calm down.

[begtse]

10:11 PM on 04/14/2010

One can certainly sympathize with the students desire not to be exposed to ideas and thoughts that might conflict with their fairy tale existences. Lord knows they'll have no use for the words of a prominent business leader prior to entering the job market.

Of course, as we know, they will be making a fine living picking flowers and painting with water colors.

As an old retired Sergeant, there's nothing that delights me more than having a liberal arts graduate student serve me my senior coffee in the morning.

[Fluent08]

10:37 PM on 04/14/2010

Yours is far from an enlightened comment; it says more about you than it does about the students. The students at SU are not organizing under disillusion. I have taught a number of these students. They are smart kids who are sick and tired of being run over by corporate thugs. They know all too well the world that they will soon confront and also know that JP Morgan Chase has done much harm to that world. Your words are insulting and give insight into your own little fairy tale, not the least of which is your assumption that they're all liberal arts majors. They're not. They come from diverse disciplines. Perhaps the washed up warrior has little other than insults left in his arsenal. Do you like your coffee bitter?

[mollybeejay]

01:25 AM on 04/15/2010

Fluent, well said. Fanned. As we say in the hood, you schooled him.

[Yeom]

12:36 AM on 04/15/2010

Hugely insulting comment!

Just remember, that had the tax payer not stepped in to bail out that 'prominent business leader' , he might have succeeded in wiping out your 'Sergeant's' retirement account.

What his actions certainly did, was to make sure that many of our hardworking graduates will be unable to secure jobs. So yes, these students may well be giving you a cheap thrill while serving you coffee.

[OscarthePug]

09:42 PM on 04/14/2010

Graduating seniors at Syracuse or any other college and university should have a major input into who will address them on their graduation day ceremonies.

Inviting Jamie Dimon to be the commencement speaker is clearly a controversial choice and whoever was responsible lacked proper judgment.

Any senior who rightfully finds the presence of Dimon at the podium to be disgraceful and unethical should boycott the event in protest by showing up in cap and gown with signage expressing a strong message of disapproval.

Petitions are great but peaceful protest is more effective.

[Fluent08]

10:38 PM on 04/14/2010

they have a peaceful protest planned. it's on their FB page.

[mamala4]

08:20 AM on 04/15/2010

As a parent of an SU student graduating next month, I will let you know what happens...I hope the students protest peacefully as your suggest...the choice of Dimon as speaker was not a great one, perhaps motivated however by JP Morgan donating big bucks to SU...I don't know but that would be my guess.

[Fluent08]

10:42 AM on 04/15/2010

there's a protest planned for tomorrow. not sure what will happen after that, but i definitely think these students have a few tricks up their collective sleeves!

[banker67]

08:05 PM on 04/14/2010

Denying these men social status is one of the few ways to get to them. They have made it plain that they don't care a bit about our economy, their customers or any best practices that might bring credit upon themselves and their corporation.
They'll never give back the billions they stole from customers and other taxpayers, but it does hurt their colossal egos when they're denied public adoration, especially the prestige spots like graduation speaker at a big-time university.
Believe it or not, that hurts their platinum-plated feelings. Of course he'd retaliate if the school cancels his speech, but it is notable that this is the stuff these guys care about: Looking like a big shot and having all those Ph.d.s tell him he's a real prince.

[FoonTheElder]

04:58 PM on 04/14/2010

The students better watch out or he'll cut all of the credit limits on the credit cards that they handed out on campus like they were free money.

[jocember]

07:34 PM on 04/15/2010

And what credit cards would these be, exactly? How did I miss this in four years of being an SU student?

[RachelMc]

04:16 PM on 04/14/2010

oh wait! t last week they announced that former NY mayor r. giuliani will be the speaker at my graduation...*sighs*

[snhms06]

04:12 PM on 04/14/2010

Being a senior at SU right now I could not disagree more with the choice for speaker this year. Not only that I haven't met any other senior that wants to hear him speak or thinks it is even mildly close to being a good choice. However I'm not the least bit surprised they would choose Jamie Dimon, Nancy Cantor (the SU chancellor) and the other top administrators are exactly like the big executives in the banking industry. In the 4 years I've been here the total cost to attend has increased by about $8,000 per year because the administrators have wasted all our money on stupid things and are incredibly slow to address real concerns and problems students have. This is a total joke and I know I personally will not attend the graduation ceremony unless someone else ends up speaking.

[RachelMc]

04:07 PM on 04/14/2010

this stooopid heffa of a president at my school is keeping a secret on who my graduating class' speaker will be. i bet its some right winged l00n...

[almost homeless]

04:05 PM on 04/14/2010

How much $$$$$ did Dimon take out of the empty pockets of SU students via student loans to pad his monstorous fortune while they struggled to survive? How much money did Dimon direct towards lobbying against student loan reforms so he could continue to reap millions from college kids?

[booki]

04:03 PM on 04/14/2010

Good for them, expressing themselves.
i would not a Wall Street ceo speaking to me, while i had a cap and gown on.
i never went to my graduation, my sister , died that evening,
i have never felt as tho i missed anything.

[hpnoodle]

07:53 PM on 04/14/2010

sorry for your loss

[booki]

08:45 PM on 04/14/2010

ty

[poppywall]

04:03 PM on 04/14/2010

Syracuse University and Jamie Dimon created a J.P. Morgan Chase minor!! So S.U. subsidizes J.P. Morgan Chase's cost of training their workforce.

from the S.U. J.P. Morgan Minor web Page, "In 2009, The HUB was launched to expand the collaboration between Syracuse University and JPMorgan Chase to include other universities and industries."
http://globaltech.syr.edu/thehub/

[ladyvader]

03:58 PM on 04/14/2010

I would not even bother to go to the graduation. You will get your diploma without attending graduation.