Posted on 05/12/2003 7:52:23 AM PDT by Reaganwuzthebest
'I love this city,' former president tells crowd
The crowd rose to its feet, cheered and clapped as former President Bill Clinton walked side-by-side with Syracuse University Chancellor Kenneth ''Buzz'' Shaw across the Carrier Dome floor Sunday.
Shaw and Clinton walked with their arms around each other's backs, chatting and laughing, as they neared the stage set up for the university's 149th commencement.
Instead of the traditional mortar board, Clinton wore a black Nike baseball-style hat like the ones worn by the SU Orangemen after they won the 2003 NCAA basketball championship. He waved to the crowd and shook hands with faculty members and students as he passed.
Camera flashes made it look as if mini strobe lights were positioned throughout the three tiers of seating as people took photos of the 42nd president. Some people crowded the bottom of the stands to get a closer shot as he walked by.
''I knew you cared, but I didn't realize you cared so greatly,'' Shaw quipped to the crowd when he took the microphone.
There were 19,608 people, including about 5,000 graduates, at commencement. There were 3,000 more people at this year's event than there were for last year's. Former New York City Mayor Rudolph ''Rudy'' Giuliani was last year's speaker.
Sunday's event was a joint ceremony with the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. It was ESF's 106th commencement. About 500 of the graduates were from ESF.
Many people said they liked Clinton's speech, which lasted about 25 minutes. He talked about the need for global cooperation, participation in the political process, and understanding and being aware of the trends in society and the world.
''There's a big difference between the trend lines and the headlines. And one of the things that you need to be able to do as you leave here is to draw that distinction,'' Clinton said.
He talked about the headlines that focus on the hundreds of people that have died from SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, while the ''trend line'' is one of global cooperation by the international medical community as it battles SARS.
''Over the long run, the trend line will require us to make a safer world by cooperating with others,'' Clinton said. ''And, therefore, I think America should be just as determined to lead the world against the threat of infectious diseases, the threat of poverty and ignorance, the threat of global warming, as we are about leading the world against the threat of terrorism.''
Clinton also made specific Syracuse references.
''I love this city,'' he said. ''I come to the State Fair every year with Hillary. I've vacationed in Skaneateles. I have eaten more Dinosaur barbecue than any person who does not live in the city of Syracuse.''
Get involved and vote Before taking his seat, Clinton urged the graduates to become involved in the political process and vote.
''Don't you ever believe it doesn't make a difference. It does, and you must increase your involvement in American public affairs if you want the kind of world I have talked about today,'' he said.
Clinton arrived at the Dome shortly before the ceremony and left immediately after. He got ready in a room next to the Orange Shoppe, which was closed before the ceremony. University officials allowed him into the store for a private look while he waited for the ceremony to begin.
He picked out the $20 baseball cap he wore into the ceremony and offered to pay for it, but the university gave it to him as a gift, said SU spokesman Kevin Morrow.
Clinton was preceded and trailed by about a dozen Secret Service members, who were stationed throughout the Dome. Morrow said there were no reported problems during the ceremony.
No SARS cases The university was also concerned before the event about SARS. Some colleges and universities have asked people from countries where SARS has been prevalent, or people who are exhibiting SARS symptoms to skip graduation exercises.
SU officials asked for those people to report to first aid stations set up at graduation events during the weekend or to the Dome first aid station Sunday to be screened. No one asked to get checked out, Morrow said.
Toward the end of the nearly two-hour ceremony, inflatable balls, balloons and even a big blue blow-up killer whale bounced over the graduates' heads. The ceremony ended with the graduates chanting, ''Let's go, Orange!'' Some people immediately headed out of the Dome into a soaking thunderstorm while others lingered on the Dome floor, snapping pictures, talking on cell phones and hugging friends.
Kevin Upcraft was standing with some friends holding onto an inflatable pepperoni pizza with the Little Caesar's logo on it. Graduates had tossed the pizza around like a Frisbee toward the end of the event.
''It came my way and we were done so I took it,'' Upcraft said as he grinned.
The 22-year-old Oswego resident received a bachelor's degree in music and plans to return to SU to pursue a master's degree in music education.
Adam Mertz, 21, the brother of SU graduate Justin Mertz from Long Island, was hanging onto a child's green inflatable swim ring that had the head of a frog in the front. The flotation device had been batted over the graduates' heads during the ceremony. Mertz, 24, said he and his friends got tired of getting hit in the head with it so he took it.
Grads and moms Mertz's mother, Elissa, said she liked that SU holds commencement on Mother's Day, which was also Sunday.
''It makes it even more special,'' she said.
Michelle Hopping, 22, who received degrees in broadcast journalism and Spanish, said she thought having commencement on the same day as Mother's Day helps family members get together.
''It's kind of killing two birds with one stone,'' she said.
Hey their kids, what do they know?
Grads and moms Mertz's mother, Elissa, said she liked that SU holds commencement on Mother's Day, which was also Sunday.
"It makes it even more special," she said.
Mertz of a feather flock together?
I know you would have been running full speed the other way. ;-)
Interesting how colleges treat former politicians. Did they ever invite ex-president Nixon to their commencement? They were both just as guilty of committing crimes in the White House.
I seriously doubt it.
He only loves himself!
Relatives?
He also should've added,in that smarmy/dumb 'gluck gluck' vocal "...because god knows I couldn't make the connection between Islam and Terrorism.I mean how could I, when I used the "Hands off" method of dealing with the realities of the world?And I chose to meet with the DCI (Director Of Central Intelligence)only once a year,huh,huh,huh......" Yeah Yeah Yeah, he really cared about America, didn't he Chancellor?<===Dripping sarcasm
What does that imply? - that we're doing nothing about SARS? He still wants America to take the brunt of the Fraudulent global warming scam. This man is a menace, a provider of mendacious half truths and he wants to be Secretary General of the United Nations, a place that holds him in esteem because like most members of the august institution, they are socialists, communists, dictators and thugs of the world – just the sort of people Bill Clinton emulates and loves to be with. Clinton is in fact, anti-American in thinking and actions. The Sovereignty of this nation is something he would like to see destroyed.
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