College graduation is supposed to be one of the milestones in a young person’s life that signifies passage into the adult world. It’s always exciting to see who the University chooses as its commencement speaker to give students their last words of encouragement before life in the real world officially begins.

But this year’s selection, Food Network chef Alton Brown, failed to incite any excitement whatsoever.

Usually with the excitement, each year’s commencement speaker also sparks some level of conflicting opinion among soon-to-be graduates and the University of Georgia community.

OPRASEUTH

This year’s commencement speaker left a lot of people wondering, “Who’s that?”

That was my very question when I discovered who the commencement speaker was. I am not a Food Network viewer, nor did I understand why a TV chef was chosen to deliver the last words of encouragement before thousands of graduates enter the workforce. Considering past commencement speakers, I suspect that those who selected Brown felt he was a safe choice.

Brown, the creator of the television show “Good Eats” and a Peabody Award winner, received his degree in drama from UGA many years ago. 

Although his career and six cookbooks are both flourishing, it’s unlikely that many spring 2010 graduates will have the same type of success in the limelight. 

A commencement speaker who is more pertinent to what we do here at UGA would have been a better selection than someone to which students cannot relate. There are a lot of other interesting people out there that are doing amazing things.

So, why choose Brown?

Controversy swarmed when Justice Clarence Thomas, who was accused of sexual harassment, was chosen as the 2008 spring commencement speaker. 

Members of the UGA community argued that choosing Thomas as the speaker sent the wrong message concerning efforts to improve sexual harassment policy.

There is no doubt that this controversy has played its hand in the selection of future commencement speakers. Maybe this is the reason why so many people have never heard of Alton Brown with the exception of Food Network viewers. 

UGA probably would have received a better, more enthusiastic response if they chose people who did something amazing for mankind or really inspired students to socially or economically better themselves. 

Ultimately, Brown does not inspire or excite me or many other students graduating in May.

So let’s all hope that Brown gives us the humor and excitement he delivers in his TV shows to make the spring commencement memorable. 

Otherwise, chances are in several years many of us will be asking, “Who was it, again, that delivered the commencement speech at my graduation?” 

— Marcie Opraseuth is a senior from Dunwoody majoring in publication management