Posted on 06/15/2002 12:24:10 PM PDT by rface
As President Bush boarded Air Force One for his trip to Columbus yesterday morning, lines of people -- some a half- mile long -- radiated from Ohio Stadium where the president was to speak at Ohio State University's spring commencement.
An estimated 60,000 of the graduates' family and friends -- double the usual number for such an event in the stadium -- queued up to hear Bush make one of the two commencement speeches he would give this year.
The admission gates were clogged because of heightened security.
At 7:30 a.m., Jeremy Liggett's cellphone rang as he waited to go through a metal detector at French Field House. It was his mom.
"She said she wanted to say she was proud of me and congratulations in case she doesn't get in,'' said Liggett, who received a degree in psychology.
Thousands were fretting they wouldn't make it through the stadium security checks before 8:30, when everyone was supposed to be seated for OSU's 360th commencement.
Shortly before that deadline, though, OSU officials relaxed security and allowed people into the upper deck without making them pass through detectors, creating a mad dash to those stadium gates.
Bush, who was greeted by Gov. Bob Taft at Port Columbus shortly after 9, arrived as the procession of graduates entered through the north gate about 9:30.
During his 20-minute speech, he urged about 6,200 graduates to be active participants in democracy -- part of a "culture of service.''
"America needs more than taxpayers, spectators and occasional voters. America needs full-time citizens,'' he said.
"America needs men and women who respond to the call of duty, who stand up for the weak, who speak up for their beliefs, who sacrifice for a greater good.''
The graduates, Bush said, will help chart America's course in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.
"You will determine whether our new ethic of responsibility is the break of a wave or the rise of a tide.
"In these events, we relearned something large and important: The achievements that last and count in life come through sacrifice and compassion and service,'' Bush said.
"Some believe this lesson in service is fading as distance grows from the shock of Sept. 11, that the good we have witnessed is shallow and temporary.''
He drew laughter when he congratulated the graduates' parents. "Many of you have written your last tuition check,'' he said. "That must be nice. I'm still writing them.''
Many students, most of whom arrived on campus as early as 6:30, said Bush was worth the wait.
"How many people can say they heard the president speak at their graduation?'' said Adam Childs, who received a degree in medical technology. "That's the big reason I'm here. Otherwise, I might not have come.''
Others thought differently.
"This is ridiculous,'' said Lisha Williams, who received a master's degree in social work. "It isn't fair to the students. It isn't fair to the guests. I'd rather have someone else as speaker.''
The ceremony returned to the stadium yesterday -- a tradition that dates from 1928 -- after three years on the Oval while the Horseshoe was being renovated.
Bush was awarded an honorary doctorate in public administration. Other honorary degrees went to George M. Steinbrenner III, principle owner of the New York Yankees; Walter E. Massey, president of Morehouse College in Atlanta; and Marta Tienda, director of the Office of Population Research at Princeton University.
William E. Kirwan, attending his last OSU commencement as president, introduced Bush. Kirwan, who came to Ohio State in 1998, is leaving June 30 to become chancellor of the University System of Maryland.
He said that he, like most students, was on a "four-year plan'' and that being president "has been the greatest honor of my life.''
As folks filed in to take their seats, snippets of Ohio State's "Do Something Great'' marketing campaign flashed on the giant scoreboard screen. The footage featured research by OSU faculty and students.
Graduates had been warned during rehearsal on Thursday that they faced arrest if -- as was rumored -- some stood up and and turned their backs on Bush during his speech. But the only visible demonstration occurred outside the stadium, where about 30 people, including OSU students, protested the war in Afghanistan and displayed signs calling Bush a terrorist.
Another stern warning went out during opening remarks by Richard Hollingsworth, associate vice president for student affairs at OSU.
"Disruption, including obstructing the view or hearing of others, will not be tolerated,'' he said.
The only arrest was of a 42-year- old Marion man who, OSU police said, refused to put out his cigarette in the stadium, where smoking is prohibited. Many students liked Bush's speech.
"I thought it was inspirational,'' said Jeff Beigel, who received a master's in business administration.
Telling graduates he wants to make it easier for people to learn how they can serve their country, Bush announced the USA Freedom Corps Network, a new clearinghouse feature of his administration's USA Freedom Corps Web site (USAFreedomCorps.gov). Visitors can type in their ZIP code to instantly identify volunteer opportunities in their community via links to more than 20,000 service organizations.
Bush received loud applause several times yesterday, including when he mentioned meeting OSU football coach Jim Tressel at the stadium. Tressel gave him an OSU jersey with the number 43 on it, in honor of Bush being the 43rd U.S. president.
Referring to the Buckeyes' 26-20 victory over the University of Michigan last fall, Bush said: "Most polite of him to share with me the really fine experience that the Buckeyes had up in Ann Arbor.''
He left the stadium as the graduates were receiving their diplomas and had departed Port Columbus by 11:30 a.m.
....and
HERE - Ohio State fascism - What happened today about Bush Haters not being allowed to disrupt the Ohio State U. Commencement yesterday. This is an updated story about the incident...
Could someone let our buddies over at DummyRatUnderground know that this info is available to them?
Ashland, Missouri
.
Sent: Saturday, June 15, 2002 6:39 AM
To: william.kirwan@admin.ohio-state.edu
Cc: mwo@mediawhoresonline.com
Subject: All heil
Just to let you know that there are a considerable number of us out here that find enforced "thunderous ovations" a little reminiscent of 1933 Germany.
And got this response:
Subj: RE: All heil
Date: 6/15/2002 3:54:36 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: Basinger.2@osu.edu
To: Gdewan@aol.com
Sent from the Internet (Details)
I am responding on behalf of President Kirwan who is out of the office for a few days. Not everything you read or hear in the news is always correct. Below is the quote from the script of the individual who requested the applause for our university president who would be attending his last commencement.
"I am going to ask that you give President Kirwan an especially warm welcome today since this is the last commencement over which he will preside. At the end of the month, he returns to Maryland to become chancellor of the University of Maryland system. I hope that by your thunderous applause when he comes up to speak that you will thank him for his service to Ohio State."
There is supposed to be an updated AP (they had a few things twisted) that is coming out, but I do not know when. Please share this information with your colleagues. Thank you.
Uh, we will have them Mr. Bush if you don't close the borders and you keep proposing amnesty.. Your wish will come true tenfold.
People who can't tell the difference between David Letterman asking for the audience to give a warm round of applause... and Fidel Castro using the chronic fear he created in Cuba to get people to rally for him in the streets... are intellectually immature and shouldn't be treated seriously.
Heck, we once tried to applaud a raving pink liberal guy off the stage after he droned on too long at an OSU commencement. It was more polite than booing him, which is what many of us wanted to do. Besides, we didn't have any tomatoes to hurl at the commie-loving SOB.
And who will be collecting the sacrifices?
Sacrificing virgins?
My dearest Lisha: First of all - get a real name. Secondarily, I had to suffer through a dry recitation of pinko lefty tripe coming from Arthur Schlesinger Jr in the 70's in that very stadium. Was it fair then, but not fair to you to have a conservative graduation speaker? Get over it - W1.
"This is ridiculous,'' said Lisha Williams, who received a master's degree in social work. "It isn't fair to the students. It isn't fair to the guests. I'd rather have someone else as speaker.''
HEY MISSY GOT SOMETHING FOR YA
THESE FELLAS ARE SOCIAL WORKERS TOO!
Of course you would prolly have Jesse Jerkson or maybe Tom Dashole there instead of someone trustworthy like our president WELL on to your brainwashing the masses
Figures, a social work grad; most are liberal, left-wing, Dem party-line drones. And THAT, folks, is one of the major reasons why governmental human services departments in this country are so lousy. Lisha, I pray your idea of "fairness" never infects any social services department near me.
Uh, we will have them Mr. Bush if you don't close the borders and you keep proposing amnesty.. Your wish will come true tenfold.
President Bush signed a border-security law that restricts travel visas on visitors from terrorist countries, strengthens enforcement and requires schools to keep better tabs on foreign students.
And Bush has rejected any blanket amnesty proposals.
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