Donna Shalala named 2023 Syracuse Commencement Speaker

[Scooch]

9 teams in the ACC at the time. Needed 7 votes to approve expansion.

Duke and UNC were nays.

The Virginia Governor got involved and pressured UVa to vote for Va Tech, otherwise the Commonwealth would divert funds from UVa to VT.

With the June 30 deadline approaching, the ACC proposed a new expansion plan of just Miami and Va Tech which was approved 7 votes to 2.

Shalala who swore Miami would only leave the BE if SU and BC came along, left anyways without us.

Right, I definitely know the outcome. I could have sworn that the "new plan" came about in the meeting where voting occured. 7-2 for Miami. Then, I believe, 6-3 for BC (which of course was a vote short). Then 7-2 for VaTech. Then voting concluded.

Regardless, Shalala did what anyone would have done in that circumstance. Whatever.

 

[Bayside44]

Right, I definitely know the outcome. I could have sworn that the "new plan" came about in the meeting where voting occured. 7-2 for Miami. Then, I believe, 6-3 for BC (which of course was a vote short). Then 7-2 for VaTech. Then voting concluded.

Regardless, Shalala did what anyone would have done in that circumstance. Whatever.

Yep, business is business.

Still, a middling cabinet secretary from the 90s isn't exactly a hot ticket.

 

[Scooch]

Yep, business is business.

Still, a middling cabinet secretary from the 90s isn't exactly a hot ticket.

I hope she committed to a sizable donation and got the commencement speech as a thank you.

Otherwise, yeah, zzzzzzzzzz.

 

[longtimefan]

Yep, business is business.

Still, a middling cabinet secretary from the 90s isn't exactly a hot ticket.

Well, she was President/Chancellor at both Wisconsin and Miami, so she has some academic bona fides. And she did a term in Congress. Probably not a hot ticket, but not an unreasonable choice.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

When my grand- niece graduated from SU, her speaker was an old Newhouse family guy. Whatever the opposite of “inspirational” is, that is what he was.

Later, back at the house, I told her who my SU speaker was plus ran down a list of impressive former SU commencement speakers. She was quite bummed and kept saying “why couldn’t I have had (fill in the blank) like SU had in (fill in the year).

Shalala isn’t A list anymore or even B list but it could be worse.

 

[Brian Orange]

There was a great run of speakers in the early 2000's. Guliani post 9/11 and before he got crazy, Bill Clinton, etc.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

In ‘73 we had Ted Kennedy, who said he had flown in that morning over “beautiful Lake Onondaga”. Back then he was lucky it wasn’t on fire.

My speaker as well

 

[JKinPhilly]

I believe we had Steve Kroft in '96

 

[sdhall01]

9 teams in the ACC at the time. Needed 7 votes to approve expansion.

Duke and UNC were nays.

The Virginia Governor got involved and pressured UVa to vote for Va Tech, otherwise the Commonwealth would divert funds from UVa to VT.

With the June 30 deadline approaching, the ACC proposed a new expansion plan of just Miami and Va Tech which was approved 7 votes to 2.

Shalala who swore Miami would only leave the BE if SU and BC came along, left anyways without us.

Sounds like she tried to bring us, and in the end, had a fiduciary duty to do what was best for Miami.

 

[Bayside44]

Well, she was President/Chancellor at both Wisconsin and Miami, so she has some academic bona fides. And she did a term in Congress. Probably not a hot ticket, but not an unreasonable choice.

Yeah, a solid representation of a Maxwell career. Our past commencement speakers for sure have been all over the map:

Past Commencement Speakers | Commencement - Syracuse University

Past Commencement Speakers

commencement.syr.edu

I had Oren Lyons as a sub (Arthur Ashe passed away). Similar vein with SU ties for sure.

 

[dollarbill44]

I don't even know who spoke at mine in 1991. No one I had heard of at the time or since.

 

[grepal]

I think Bob Woodruff would be the one I would have loved to hear. That's a man I would want to have a beer with.
Boeheim ought to do it next year.

 

[Bayside44]

I don't even know who spoke at mine in 1991. No one I had heard of at the time or since.

1991 -- John Naisbitt, futurist and author

John Naisbitt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I had Pearl Bailey as a speaker.

 

[Scooch]

1991 -- John Naisbitt, futurist and author

John Naisbitt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

"The political left and right are dead; all the action is being generated by a radical center."

As a “futurist” it sounds like he didn’t foresee a damn thing.

 

[Moontan]

Dan Rather for me in 1984.

He finished with a modified Art Buchwald line: "I don’t know whether this is the best of times or the worst of times, but I assure you it’s the only time you’ve got. So make it a good time."

 

[rocklloyd]

1992 was the worst speaker ever. Wendy Kopp? No clue who she was them no clue who she is now. Felt like she was our age.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

1992 was the worst speaker ever. Wendy Kopp? No clue who she was them no clue who she is now. Felt like she was our age.

Some teacher.

You must have graduated the same year my brother did.

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

Donna Sha la la la la yeah oh uh!

Mr Jones strikes up a conversation…

(I’m a Maxwell alum)

Pretty sure this is her favorite song

 

[All4SU]

I would think it would be a great thrill and an honor to speak at a major University’s commencement. I wonder if I can add that to my bucket list.

 

[domedog]

I'm not old, but ... I didn't like to study in my room, so spent a lot of time with my books at the old Carnegie Library or the Maxwell Hall library, and 3 times out of 4 Shalala was there studying. I never spoke to her, but I always recognized her.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I would think it would be a great thrill and an honor to speak at a major University’s commencement. I wonder if I can add that to my bucket list.

If Thornton Melon can do it, you can too.

 

[upperdeck]

I was wondering how Don Shula was pulling this off until I read closer.

 

[CuseCactus]

1991 -- John Naisbitt, futurist and author

John Naisbitt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yeah - that was mine. Boring. It was hot in the Dome that day - and I'd had too many shots the night before at '44's.

 

[Faegan]

In 93 we were supposed to have Arthur Ashe, but he unfortunately passed away. Oren Lyons spoke instead, and I'm pretty sure Shalala was there for some reason?