The Daily Tar Heel
URL: http://www.dailytarheel.com/index.php/article/2011/09/bloomberg_to_give_graduation_speech
Current Date: Thu, 24 May 2012 07:19:39 -0400
Michael Bloomberg to give commencement speech
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Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, will speak at commencement for the class of 2012 in May.
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Michael Bloomberg can make it anywhere, including at UNC.
The mayor of New York City will give the commencement speech for the class of 2012 in May, Chancellor Holden Thorp said Friday.
Bloomberg, founder of financial services company Bloomberg LP and the 12th-richest person in the country, gained success as an innovator before entering politics, a past Thorp said will be appropriate for a crowd of graduating seniors.
“Mayor Bloomberg’s moderate approach to politics and the success he’s had with that in his position is also a very timely topic,” he said.
“He’s one of the most interesting Americans.”
The pick, which Thorp made from a list of 11 names, came much earlier than usual as part of an effort to ensure the University could attract high-profile individuals.
“In previous years, waiting to get started has really taken a toll on the type of individual they were able to get,” said Senior Class President Dean Drescher, a member of the commencement speaker selection committee that submitted the final list to Thorp.
That list was made up primarily of public figures and philanthropists, reflecting a desire to alternate speakers’ backgrounds from year to year, said Dr. Ron Strauss, executive associate provost and chief international officer, who led the group.
“There was a little bit of discussion this year that we wouldn’t go and have a more academic scientist since last year we had a Harvard University professor,” said Strauss, referring to biologist E.O. Wilson, the 2011 speaker.
Every year, the University’s commencement speaker appears for free. Bloomberg will be presented with an honorary doctor of laws degree, which was approved by the Faculty Council on Sept. 16, Thorp said.
The University offered the bid to Bloomberg through Peter Grauer, chairman of Bloomberg LP and a UNC alumnus, Thorp said. The company’s news division partners with the School of Journalism and Mass Communication on a handful of initiatives.
The commencement speaker selection committee, which was made up of students and faculty, met for the first time in February, and submitted its short list of names to Thorp on March 25, Strauss said. In the past, the committee wouldn’t conduct its first meeting until the beginning of September, he said.
Strauss wouldn’t release the other names on the short list, saying that the University will likely extend offers to some of them for future commencement speeches.
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30 comments
So much for this university being un-biased. Way to ruin my commencement address, UNC.
Alright Hugo, I’ll bite; how did UNC ruin your commencement? What is wrong with Bloomberg?
He’s a fascist. That ruined it for me.
That word… I do not think it means what you think it means.
He tried to ban salt. I know precisely what the term means.
@Hugo
First, it was a public health decision. The typical American diet is very high in salt and it is implicated with a number of diet-related diseases. Customers often have no idea how high the salt content of restaurant food is (it is ridiculously large) so Bloomberg simply wanted to reduce the amount of salt that restaurants cook their food with.
Second, Bloomberg is an independent in a liberal city. Public health decisions like these are not unprecendented and aren’t as offensive to new yorkers as they are to conservative America.
So much for the university being lean in hard times. After a historic round of budget cuts we go and get the mayor of New York and one of the richest men in America to give our commencement address. I hope that money comes out of Thorp’s pocket.
@Eli
“Every year, the University’s commencement speaker appears for free.”
But, feel free to keep fishing.
So much for this university being un-biased. Way to ruin my commencement address, UNC.
You steal my name… This is not funny.
Read Mein Kampf. Surprisingly, Hitler was very concerned about the public health of Germans too! But he’s not a fascist, now is he?
And we’ve reached the Godwin critical level. Can’t win an argument? Hitler can always help you!
And we’ve reached the Godwin critical level. Can’t win an argument? Hitler can always help you!
I prefer the race card myself.
@Hugo, or whoever made the Hitler comment.
During the 20th century life expectancy rose 30 years. 25 of those years are attributable to public health advances and initiatives.
http://cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00056796.htm
Don’t invoke Hitler to win this argument.
Should we also ban left turns? That would severely reduce traffic deaths
At least your commencement speaker didn’t completely devote himself to the ant. be happy
No, the increased transportation costs to society of banning left turns would outweigh the cost-savings of reducing deaths due to left turns.
We could, however, build more roundabouts; they offer 90% reduction in fatalities.
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/roundabouts/fhwasa08006/
Oh, thank you for enlightening me. Let’s just make you Tyrant so you can make all these cost-benefit analyses for us. Or better yet, put Nanny Bloomberg as tyrant with you as second-in-command.
and now comes the ad hominem…
public health student, don’t sweat it. Hugo (or whoever it might be) is clearly trolling you. Don’t waste your time. The arguments are so misguided, false and borderline offensive that it is impossible to take them seriously. Just. Let it. Go.
They’re false and offensive? Pray tell, what could be more offensive then removing our liberty to consume as much salt as we want?
OMG!!! Did you know the GOVERNMENT requires SEATBELTS in cars? When it’s my God-given right to splatter my brains all across the pavement whenever I feel like it? FASCISTS.
Oh, that comment is too hilarious. No, I REALLY can’t think of ANYTHING any more offensive. People should be allowed to have as high a blood pressure as possible.The greater the chance of a stroke the better.
So you’re telling me if the government didn’t do anything about seatbelts or salt, you’d not wear your seatbelt and you’d attempt to die of a stroke? I hope you’re slightly more intelligent than that (though given the level of discourse you’re subjecting me to, I have my doubts).
How about the fact that the cops went after the Wall street protesters at Bloomie’s orders? How about the fact that Bloomie ‘gentrified’ low income nieghborhoods, handing them over to his rich developer friends. And as far as NYer’s loving him – I was just up there this past weekend for a family function – he’s not as loved as he thinks.
@Former NYC
I definitely wasn’t implying that he is popular; his ratings are at all-time lows. I just meant that New Yorkers are less likely to get up in arms about supposed “nanny-state” public health decisions.
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