A reader sent me the following story:
A University of St. Thomas honors graduate who scolded his fellow seniors at Saturday’s commencement ceremony for being "selfish" apologized Monday for offending people during his politically charged speech.
Ben Kessler, an academic All-America football player who plans to become a priest, chastised students for using birth control, criticized them for a recent food fight and upheld the St. Paul university’s controversial policy against allowing unmarried faculty and staff members in romantic relationships to room together on school trips that involve students.
"Then he got into other failures of society, and one of my classmates next to me stood up and left," said Daphne Ho, a graduating senior whose family traveled from Hong Kong for the celebration.
In a prepared statement released Monday by St. Thomas, Kessler said that he had tried in his speech to look back at some issues faced by the university and society and then look ahead.
"Instead of providing hope for all, I offended some by my words," Kessler said. "I sincerely apologize to each person I offended."
…"Dozens of students literally started walking out when he brought up birth control issues and, at one point, I thought a riot would break out," Mileski said. "I give him credit because he kept on going when everyone started booing and heckling.
Well a graduation speech is probably not a prudent place to bring up this subject. But to me it seems something is seriously wrong with people graduation from a Catholic school crying when the issue of birth control is brought up. The subject of selfishness and the contraceptive attitude that goes with it should should be something already familiar in a Catholic school. Though the issue of the student body using contraception should go hand and hand with also chastising about fornicating in the first place. I also wonder about how talking about contraception, food fights, a faculty cohabitation would be considered a politically charged speech. Theologically charged perhaps. But it does have to be one of the strange combinations for a graduation speech I have heard of.
11 comments
Sounds to me like he is chomping at the bit to ascend the pulpit at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis! Keep him in your prayers – he will have a rough go of it, even with the improved climate in the seminaries (I don’t know a thing about The St. Paul Seminary)
God bless Kessler and his wonderful speech. He has huge ones! We need him in every parish in the nation. Who gets him? Way to go buddy! Teach what Christ and his Church teaches! Go baby go!
God bless him.
And here’s Yet another reason why we need to support authentic Catholic colleges like John Paul the Great Catholic University.
http://singinginthereign.blogspot.com/2006/05/john-paul-great-catholic-university.html
In general, university convocations are filled with hypocracy and soap boxing. As annoyed as I get with someone soapboxing about the war or social/political issues, bla bla bla, the institution usually upholds the right of said party to “talk about issues facing students who are about to go out and make a mark on this world.” It’s always amusing when political and social opinions on the other side of the fence are not as well received/protected. Either it’s always welcome and protected, or it’s not.
However, in nearly all cases, convocation speaches are annoying and long. That being said… college students/graduates think far too highly of themselves and their own opinions when they start heckling anyone. They think their own opinions are so important and so informed and so gosh darned RIGHT that it doesn’t matter HOW they behave or HOW they express them. Because they’re so gosh darned smart and intellegent. The graduation cerimony is really just getting inducted into the intellectual elitist club for some.
I skipped out on one of my undergrad graduations, but I kind of want to go to my grad school graduation. I think I should just keep my iPod on hand and just be prepared of 2-3 hrs of being insulted or bored out of my mind.
I agree–perhaps not prudent but it sets one wondering about the “orthodoxy” of some in the audience. Is St. Thomas University heading down the St. Catherine’s road?
The video of the speech puts it into perspective:
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/14649468.htm
Ben Kessler was making the point that now the graudates have a degree, it’s time to go out and make a difference by living truly and faithfully the Catholic life.
Amen to that!
And amen to good spelling – make that “graduates”!
i think most liberal americans cannot take the words that put their deeds into light . he did a good job until the last day he spent in his school. i can’t believe student’s in a catholic school are reacting the way they did. if it were in my country ,especially in a catholic school he would’ve been much applauded . i pray that he won’t give in to what society is making out of him . he is doing a great job already !
It reminds me of the time I went to see ex-ambassador Jean Kirkpatrick at the U of M and she was booed off the stage because some left-wing, self-appointed, guardians of truth took it upon themselves to decide what I could or could not hear.
What is there about these so-called liberals that cannot tolerate anyone questioning their “ethics.” For pure freedom of expression, give me a a good old-fashioned Catholic theocracy any day!
Judy, I was at Michigan, too, for the heckling of Bush Sr. That was previewed by soapbox speeches against him at the Residential College’s ceremony.
When I finished my master, the speaker was supposed to be Eli Weisel, but a snowstorm prevented him. I heard that there were protesters set for him, too (don’t know why), but the replacement was a darling old business alumnus who started the address with a story he read in Reader’s Digest. It was a fine, short speech about personal integrity and service to others. 🙂
I also wonder about how talking about contraception, food fights, a faculty cohabitation would be considered a politically charged speech.
Hey, it launched Senator Blutarsky’s political career.