Soon after the announcement that Vice President Dick Cheney will be speaking at the 2006 May Commencement, some students began to express their discontent.
Five students gathered at 1 p.m. Monday in the Quad to discuss plans for multiple protests of the distinguished speaker.
Protest organizers said they will hold their first demonstrations at 11:30 a.m. May 2 and 3 in Free Speech Plaza.
Another demonstration will be held the day of Cheney’s speech, May 19, but the time and location has yet not been determined.
Christopher Peters, co-organizer and accounting sophomore, said the University is not demonstrating diversity by hosting another conservative speaker at graduation.
He said this will make the third consecutive year the May Commencement speaker has worked for a Republican administration.
In May 2005 the speaker was Chancellor Sean O’Keefe, who was the Secretary of the Navy under President George H. W. Bush and Cheney, who then was Secretary of Defense.
In May 2004 President George W. Bush was the speaker.
“Talk about a lack of diversity,” Peters said. “To be a flagship school, you have to have diversity.”
He said the University is imposing a conservative ideology onto students by not alternating liberal and conservative speakers.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to a conservative speaker, if it was every other year,” Peters said.
Peters said he thinks it is “tough to be liberal at LSU.”
Some students think the University considered Cheney a credible speaker because of his distinguished title.
“The title vice president doesn’t lend honor or credibility by itself,” Peters said. “It doesn’t make him a good person.”
He said Cheney’s behavior over the past six years in the Bush administration would discredit the University.
“He’s demonstrated blatant racism, sexism – every ‘ism’ in the book,” said Jessica Ketcham, English graduate student and co-organizer.
Peters said he thinks Cheney has done little to inspire the graduating class.
“I don’t know what he could talk about other than greed and support for big business,” Peters said.
Ketcham questioned why the University would invite a figure who has a current national approval rating of 19 percent.
She said she was disappointed the University has no system that allows students to request or vote on their own commencement speakers.
 
Contact Rebekah Allen at [email protected]