Posted on 05/08/2017 6:41:17 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Grove City College's selection of Vice President Mike Pence as commencement speaker is generating mixed reviews among the conservative Christian school's students and alumni.
Many are thrilled that the small college 60 miles north of Pittsburgh landed such a big name for the May 20 ceremony — particularly one who describes himself as “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican — in that order.”
But some argue that Pence's politics aren't always in line with Christian teachings, and that the college has grown too cozy with Republicans.
“I'm worried that we are aligning more with a political party, the Republican Party, than with Christ,” said Jason Dauer, 21, a senior from Franklin Park.
Dauer outlined many of his concerns in a letter to Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty . The letter was signed by nearly 200 students and alumni. A related Facebook group created after the Pence announcement has more than 700 members.
Grove City has an enrollment of 2,500 students. There are about 27,000 alumni.
“Foremost of these concerns are the vice president's political associations. He is deeply connected to President Donald Trump. Therefore, inviting him to campus is a tacit endorsement of the Trump administration as a whole,” the letter states.
Some of Pence's actions in his past roles as Indiana's governor and as a congressman — including attempting to “bar the resettlement of Syrian refugees in his state” and supporting stricter border security measures — “demonstrated an open hostility to foreigners and a lack of commitment to Biblical hospitality,” the letter adds, citing several Bible passages.
Grove City's recent commencement speakers included prominent Republicans such as former presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson (2016), U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia (2015), former presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (2014), former first lady Laura Bush (2011) and former U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (2010), but no Democratic figures.
Dauer and others associated with the Facebook group GCC Advocates for Inclusion and Acceptance, or GAIA, said they met with McNulty, a former deputy U.S. Attorney General who was appointed by President George W. Bush, on Tuesday and urged him to consider speakers who aren't Republicans or tied to politics.
Both Dauer and McNulty described the meeting as positive. The group does not plan to protest the commencement ceremony, but Dauer said some of his classmates intend to skip the event.
“We have had a number of Republican officials speak at commencement over the years — that's certainly true. But it's never been my mindset to only have Republicans. We'll keep pushing to find more variety,” said McNulty, who is in his third year as president.
In addition to Pence's “Christian commitment,” McNulty said he sought the vice president because he and his wife have a personal relationship with Pence and his wife, from when they lived near each other in northern Virginia. Their children attended a private Christian school together. Pence's wife and McNulty's wife both worked at the school.
Because he's the sitting vice president, McNulty said, Pence is not charging a speaker's fee to appear at Grove City — another bonus for the cost-conscious college that is one of the nation's few to not accept federal funding.
Grove City left the federal government's student loan program in 1996 and established its own financial aid system. Today, its tuition of $16,630 is less than half the national private-college average of $33,480, data show.
As for previous speaker choices, McNulty said Carson was a late fill-in for conservative commentator Bill Bennett, who had fallen ill, but the retired neurosurgeon “gave an inspirational talk, and there was not a hint of politics in anything he said.”
As for Wolf, McNulty said the long-time Virginia congressman's speech focused largely on his human rights work in troubled areas around the globe such as Sudan.
Joe Setyon, 20, a senior from Brooklyn, N.Y., who is managing editor of the school's Collegian newspaper, said a “majority of people are really in favor (of Pence speaking). A smaller minority aren't, but we welcome the debate.
“It's great people can have the freedom to talk about this and have a conversation with each other even when we disagree.”
And I guess 2 of them are Democrats.
“Too aligned with the GOP”?
Wuzzat? Does that mean that only 90% of the professors are heavily influenced by communism and socialism?
He’s the Vice President of the United States, not of the Republican Party!
The media loves these outliers. Trump Derangement Sydney has all iced many. What a joke.
The media loves these outliers. Trump Derangement Sydney has afflicted many. What a joke.
The media loves these outliers. Trump Derangement Sydney has afflicted many. What a joke.
Never hear that about the 95% of Dem commencement speakers.
Jason would never say the same thing about the Demonrat party.
I wonder if he's any relation to Jason Voorhees?
I’m sorry! Do you every worry if Berkley aligns itself with the Democrats? Do you ever worry if U of Wisconsin Madison aligns itself with obama? Do you ever worry about if any liberal university aligns itself with liberals? NO YOU DON’T you friggin’ A’hole!
Has anyone ever raised the issue of a university being too aligned with the Rats? Not in a million years.
Oh, balls. The last three graduations I had to sit thru were the head of the National Endowment for the Arts whose name escapes me, a lefty foreign-born “journaist”, and John McCain. Don’t know which was worse. I think the snowflakes can stand a solitary conservative alone on all their frozen tundra.
Hit the post button once.
Hit the post button once.
Hit the post button once.
Crappy phone...
True story. My ex wife graduated from here back in 1992. She was also responsible for forming the college Democrats Club, though I do not know if it still exists. She was/is very impressionable, and her entire family is either government employees or public school teachers. When we married she became a staunch conservative who changed her voter registration to Republican, now that she is remarried she has become independent and voted for Gary Johnson this last election. Her mother and brother are also Grove City grads, both public school teachers, and both Democrats. It doesn’t surprise me in the least that the college is worried about the appearance of affiliation. I wouldn’t be surprised if they fear backlash from [some] alumni to be honest.
As an up-front “Trump skeptic” (*not* NeverTrump) and proud papa to two GCC summa cum laud grads, I am delighted at Pence’s presence at the podium for commencement. Yes, there are at least a dozen libDems on campus, so the reporter had to look hard to find someone critical of this coup.
RE: As an up-front “Trump skeptic” (*not* NeverTrump) and proud papa to two GCC summa cum laud grads, I am delighted at Pence’s presence at the podium for commencement.
Congratulations on raising your children well.
One of the best kept secrets in the education world is this -— Grove City College REFUSES to receive any Federal Money and have done so for over 20 years. They do not want Washington’s interference on how they conduct their affairs.
They have THRIVED since then. I know for a fact that this college does not have any fluff course and you better darn well be prepared to STUDY and LEARN because their faculty don’t suffer fools.
And get this — even during the height of the great recession, over 97% of their graduates were accepted to Medical or Graduate School or found good jobs.
This is a college most others really should emulate.
A reasonable explanation! Thank you for not flaming me! I should have put a smiley on my post, anyway.
Well, he could go to UC Berkeley instead.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.