Commencement about closure, not clout

I found the Nov. 20 editorial criticizing Barbara Kingsolver's selection as this year's commencement speaker surprisingly shallow. It struck me that if anything is unworthy of a "top notch" university, it is not the choice of Kingsolver, but the sentiments of the editorial itself.

The Chronicle's position, that the occasion requires most of all a "big name" who will help promote the "Duke brand," suggests that our commencement is about grabbing media attention and self-aggrandizement. I prefer the traditional view that it provides closure to the college experience for students and their parents. The speaker's media clout is far less relevant to the occasion than her words, which we hope will entertain and even inspire. Are sports stars, billionaires and politicians really more suited than distinguished writers, whose reputation rests on what they have to say about life experience?

Jonathan Bagg

associate professor of the practice

Department of Music