Pomp and Springercumstance

By Karl Klockars in News on Apr 25, 2008 8:16PM

Say you've spent tens of thousands of dollars earning your law degree from Northwestern Law School. Who would you want as a speaker to preach a message of hope and good tidings for the new legal graduates? Northwestern thinks it'd be the esteemed television personality and eminent social commentator, Mr. Jerry Springer.

The New York Post is reporting that students are none too thrilled about receiving their send-off from Springer, and AboveTheLaw.com has received some unhappy student e-mails. You'd think a former fixture on the Cincinnati political scene, as a city council member and mayor, would be an easy sell for the young legal eagles. Apparently not.

The administration responded with this:

In keeping with the spirit of our community, our commencement speaker annually is selected by a student committee, approved by the administration, and invited by both.

Mr. Springer is an alumnus who has held public office as a city council member and mayor of Cincinnati. He has had a very successful career in the news and entertainment industries.

We look forward to Mr. Springer's participation at commencement.

Take that, student body. Maybe they should listen to the episode of This American Life where Springer was profiled as the next Bobby Kennedy. No, seriously. In any event, commencement speakers are almost always insufferably boring, and it's not like Springer can't talk endlessly about politics or law - remember his Air America show? Well, sorry, Northwestern - it's no Colbert parade, but he's going to have to do.