Ken Starr may not be the best choice

Last week the Collegian reported that Ken Starr, the U.S. independent counsel in the Clinton Whitewater case, will speak at commencement this year.

This decision has drawn a variety of responses, many critical, from students.

We question the choice for several reasons.

Starr obviously falls under the category of high-profile conservatives who get quoted in admissions brochures to impress prospective students and donors. This is of course one of the reasons he was chosen, and it's not—entirely—a bad one.

We are disappointed in Starr's selection, however, because we do not feel that it is intended to serve our interests as students.

Some seniors have said they felt left out of the selection process, and that the final decision came more from the administration than the senior class themselves.

This highlights what appears to be a chronic problem at Hillsdale. Commencement speakers are reportedly unpaid for their services, so choosing them is an issue of connections and influence.

At Hillsdale, our connections are almost entirely political, so we end up with year after year of political speakers, or at least those that support Hillsdale solely for its political aims: Paul Harvey, Dr. Laura, and last year Edwin Feulner, the President of the Heritage Foundation, just to name a few.

It seems that Hillsdale, though purported to be a liberal arts college, has spent far too much time cultivating its political reputation and has developed a one-sided image.

Moreover, it seems that in taking control of Starr's selection, the administration seeks to further this image rather than to benefit the students and their families.

But this is commencement, not the CCA.

On May 14, the seniors and their parents will be waiting to hear a thoughtful speech, a reflection on the years behind and the future ahead of us.

Ken Starr may very well deliver an inspiring speech, but it seems that what he will say doesn't matter to those who have chosen him. They have chosen him to further Hillsdale's reputation and proclaim its ideals, not to serve its students and their families, who ought to be more important than potential donors.

It would be safe to say that the commencement audience would be just as, if not more interested, in hearing from another type of speaker. Perhaps a poet, musician, or artist of some sort, even an athlete—someone who could offer a different kind of speech, one less tethered to Hillsdale ideals.

We've heard enough about independence and conservatism in the past four years. We want to hear from someone who transcends politics. So, we hope that in the future the administration seeks out a speaker based on what he or she might say to the students, not on how this person will look in Founders Campaign brochures.

We're not against Ken Starr himself. We would just prefer someone else.