NEW YORK
WRVO
By GRANT REEHER
[with audio]
LeMoyne College has recently been through a couple of controversies lately, first about incidents related to its annual “Dolphy Day” student celebration, and then over its choice of Cardinal Timothy Dolan as its graduation speaker. This week on the Campbell Conversations, host Grant Reeher speaks with LeMoyne’s president, Linda LeMura, about those issues, and also about the value of a liberal arts education, a Jesuit-oriented liberal arts education, and the challenges that liberal arts education is currently facing. …
On the protests of some students over the choice of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of the Diocese of New York, to speak at commencement.
Our former president selected him roughly 3 years ago. Actually we expected to have him as a speaker in the last couple of years, but his schedule precluded him from joining us sooner. He was selected because he’s one of the most important voices in Catholic education in America. He recently had a pretty big say in who would be elected the next pope, he had a vote. I think he’s going to be an incredibly compelling speaker. He’s gregarious, he has a wonderful sense of humor. There are some controversies, certainly, surrounding the Cardinal. But that’s okay, that’s what a Jesuit education is all about. We want our students to ask the hard questions. It’s a fantastic opportunity for us to learn from him.
Was the level of protest coming from some students a surprise?
To be completely forthcoming, yes it was. I never imagined the depth of concern. And, frankly, I underestimated our students. I underestimated their concern for social justice, their concern for those who have been abused and marginalized, their concerns for reparation for those who have been abused. My hat is off to these 20- and 21-year-olds, who are already beginning to see the big picture, which is a function of having a liberal arts education in our tradition.
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