Here’s the e-mail:
From: “Jehuda Reinharz” <jreinhar@brandeis.edu>
To: “undergrads graduating in May” <broadcast-email@lists.brandeis.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 10:33:55 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: Paul Simon
Dear Seniors,
I have great news to share with you. Thanks to your enthusiastic
advocacy, Honorary Degree Recipient Paul Simon has agreed to perform
a song at your commencement. The decision came after we reached out
to Mr. Simon’s management and conveyed the excitement of your
“Facebook” campaign requesting that he sing. This will certainly
contribute to making commencement a memorable moment for you and your
families.
Additionally, Mr. Simon has agreed to speak at the School of Creative
Arts commencement at one o’clock in the Spingold Theater Center. All
members of the Brandeis community are welcome to attend.
Sincerely,
Jehuda Reinharz
I am thrilled that Paul Simon will be performing at graduation, and as my house-mates who hear my copy of Graceland blaring out of my room at all hours can attest, I am a huge fan of his.
But please, do not let this distract from the actual issue here. One wonderful, uplifting occurrence at commencement is not compensation for an insensitive and divisive one.
As excited as this makes me, it also tears me up a bit inside. I was planning on not attending commencement, as a non-disruptive protest. However, I would really like to see Paul Simon play (not to mention my family will be putting even more pressure on me in that respect)… but I don’t want to just walk out when Oren comes to speak (thereby being disruptive). Sigh.
But my feelings aside, A+ to the facebook activism that put the wheels in motion! This is truly awesome, and I am SO going to the arts mini-commencement (as long as it doesn’t coincide with mine! Eek!