Daley speech panned by Northwestern grads

CHICAGO, May 29 (UPI) -- Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley apparently isn't a big draw as commencement speaker for some soon-to-be Northwestern University graduates.

Student raised complaints through e-mails, letters to the school newspaper and other means about their opposition to the choice of Daley as commencement speaker, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday. Remarks ranged from "lame" to "a letdown" in some of nearly 200 messages posted on The Daily Northwestern's Web site.

University President Henry S. Bienen took the unusual step of issuing a statement in response Thursday afternoon defending the choice of Daley as graduation speaker.

"Mayor Daley is recognized internationally as an innovative and creative big-city mayor who has made Chicago a truly world-class city," wrote Bienen. "Because Northwestern is celebrating its 150th Commencement and the University's long ties with Chicago, it is particularly appropriate to have Mayor Daley be our speaker."

Several Northwestern students noted that compared to recent graduation speakers such as Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain, Daley was too parochial a choice for the June 20 event. Hints by university officials had apparently led some students to believe the speaker might be the Dalai Lama or former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.