Columbia In Open Revolt As Dr. Jack Shepherd Chosen As Class Day Speaker
Just as every year the senior class is obligated to select a Class Day speaker, so are students equally obligated to hate on said speaker (unless his name is a) Bill Clinton or b) Bill Clinton). But when Columbia’s orator was named last night, the student body went above and beyond, descending into something out of 28 Days Later. It’s been a while — well, maybe only a year — since a Columbia speaker caused such a ruckus. Who could rile up Columbia students so much? Jerry Falwell? Jim Gilchrist? John McCain again?
Nope. The guy who has twisted Columbia’s panties all knotty is none other than actor, model, heartthrob Matthew Fox. Major accomplishments: being hot as Charlie Salinger on Party of Five; being hot as one of People Magazine‘s Most Beautiful People in 1996; being hot as Dr. Jack Shepherd on Lost. Oh, and he helped win the football game that ended Columbia’s 44-game losing streak in 1988.
Bwog‘s commenters are characteristically livid:
- “disgust disgust disgust. this is an outrage, a travesty.”
- “Was gideon yago unavailable?”
- “the fucking PRESIDENT OF ESTONIA is a CC grad, and is even trying to make the core part of the national education system there. did anyone even think about contacting him?”
Sure, there are a few dissident Fox apologists, but they’re not very funny. Read the healthy debate here.
Senior class president David Chait, who oversaw the 20-student committee that helped pick Fox, told us (We interviewed him! We totally did reporting!) there’s no way Columbia will rescind the offer. The best thing people can do, he said, is discuss how to change the selection process in years to come — particularly, whether to start offering speakers money. (Class Day speakers have always appeared for free.) In the meantime, he said, he hopes for “constructive criticism.” Somehow, Bwog comments don’t seem to count.
UPDATE 11:54 a.m.: We just got word of the video they screened at the announcement. Hard to say whether using “The Final Countdown” is the best way to win respect; was G.O.B. the backup choice?
