Gen. Wesley Clark is named Cornell's Convocation speaker

[Gloria]

Gen. Wesley Clark is named Cornell's Convocation speaker



This was posted to the United for Clark List by a Phd from ? (name not posted for privacy). I can't find anything on the Cornell Commencement website yet...

I went to Cornell during the Viet Nam years. What an experience to be an such an activist campus! While Wes has been to smaller schools, seeing this really got me revved up! Boy, do I wish I could get up there for this!!!!

******

Gen. Wesley Clark is named Cornell's Convocation speaker


ITHACA, N.Y. -- Gen. Wesley K. Clark, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and a Democratic primary candidate for president in 2004, will address Cornell University's annual Senior Convocation for graduating students and their families, Saturday, May 28.

The Convocation speech will be presented at noon in Barton Hall, on campus. Commencement will be held the next day, Sunday, May 29, in Schoellkopf Field, starting at 11 a.m. By tradition, Cornell President Jeffrey S. Lehman will present the annual Commencement address.

"We are very honored and excited to have General Clark address us this year before our graduation," said Cornell senior class president Steve Blake, Arts and Sciences, who is a member of the senior class committee that chose Clark as this year's Convocation speaker. "The general has had a long and distinguished career in which he has dedicated his life to service of our country. We are truly looking forward to hearing him share his wisdom and experiences at Convocation."

Clark, who retired as one of the nation's most highly decorated military officers, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point first in his class in 1966 and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship for his academic achievement. He holds a master's degree in philosophy, politics and economics from the University of Oxford.

While serving in Vietnam, Clark was wounded four times, yet he continued to lead his troops in combat. Clark earned a Silver Star for bravery, in addition to a Purple Heart for his battlefield injuries. After serving as the director of strategic plans and policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he became commanding general of the United States Southern Command, Panama.

Clark worked to develop the peace plan that helped to end violence in the Balkans during the early 1990s. In 1997, he was promoted to Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and in that role he led an international force to end ethnic violence in Kosovo. In August 2000, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, for his outstanding leadership and service in the Kosovo conflict.

After retiring from the U.S. military, Clark turned his attention to national policy, and he was among the front-runners as a Democratic candidate for president in 2004 before leaving the race that February.

He is the author of "Waging Modern War," which recounts his experience leading NATO's forces in Kosovo. Clark's latest book is "Winning Modern Wars," a critique of U.S. geo-strategy and a narrative of events in the theater of war. The co-chairs of the senior class committee that chose Clark are David Katz-Doft, Arts and Sciences, and Sabeen Virani, Arts and Sciences.

[entanglement]

1. Cornell is a great place for the sciences / engineering

but too conservative. It is the home of "The Cornell Review", one of the more notorious right-wing college rags out there. Wonder how Clark will be received there?

[Texas_Kat]

3. Wes Clark has never been afraid to meet conservatives (and confront them)

where ever they are. He's never 'played it safe'.

His contention has always been that you have to convince people on their home ground. They may never come to you, but you can go to them and speak to them in terms even they can understand.

It makes him one of our best Democratic advocates.

He believes that even conservatives can see the error of their ways.

[Sparkly]

6. I don't know about Cornell, but Ithaca is a BLUE town

I went to grad school at Ithaca College, and the county voted largely Democratic.

Not sure about Cornell -- but they were smart enough to bring in General Clark.

[Gloria]

2. Well, I don't know about how it is now...but back when I was there

during the late 60's-early 70's, the place ROCKED!!!

I suspect Cornell is like most campuses now....but I bet there's some good dissent up there if you look....didn't Coulter have a rough time up there a couple of years ago?? I think she helped start the Cornell Review if I'm not mistaken.

But Cornell is a VERY diverse place. Olbermann graduated about 5 or 6 years after I did. Wolfowitz about 7 or 8 years before (He graduated about 3 years before I got there.)

[FrenchieCat]

4. Great!

Also read that he will be speaking at Ripon College and receiving an Honorary Degree......

They loved Clark at Ripon last year!

[CarolNYC]

5. Article from the Cornell Sun

is here:
http://www.cornellsun.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/04/20/4265f24f65895

Some quotes fromt he article:

" is a distinguished leader ... and is an inspiration for Cornell
students in their last Cornell ceremony, a send-off speech that embodies
everything that they've gotten over their time at Cornell," said David Katz-Doft
'05, co-chair of the convocation committee.
----
"We know him as a figure that's always exuded a lot of confidence and
strength and we think he's somebody that is very well-respected and well-acknowledged
throughout the country," added Sabeen Virani '05, co-chair of the committee.
----
"We wanted somebody who was going to step beyond a narrow political message
and who is going to be able to speak to the challenges our class is going out
to face in the world, both nationally and internationally," Blake said. "We
think Wesley Clark really fits that role, as both a renowned figure but also as a
statesman, as a humanitarian and as an all-around good person."
-----
"The committee tries to take into account student opinion, and do the best
they can to find a speaker that we think is going to appeal to the class and be
representatives of the type of speaker that the class is looking for and that
will appeal to a diverse audience," Blake said. "You're dealing with a very
wide range of people with all sorts of disciplines," Virani added. "We really
wanted someone who could appeal to the entire cross-section of students."
----
The committee asked for student opinions on the type of speaker they wanted
in an email sent out to rising seniors at the end of the last academic year.
-----
According to the convocation committee, Clark will be awarded the 2005
Convocation Medallion during the ceremony in recognition of "his life-long drive as
an educator, leader, and humanitarian." The convocation will be on Saturday,
May 28 at noon in Barton Hall and is open to graduates and their families only.
Seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis.



The article's up on www.securingamerica.com too.

Boy, the Gen's schedule looks pretty busy these days! He's off to Kazakhstan today.