Notre Dame Commencement

Obama, and Protests, at Notre Dame
This post will follow the speech and events surrounding President Obama’s commencement address at Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., on Sunday afternoon. Susan Saulny and Dirk Johnson contributed reporting from South Bend, and Liz Robbins from New York.

Father Ted | 4:00 p.m. Near the end of his speech, President Obama spoke about the Civil Rights Commission, whose resolutions were the foundation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. One of the six members (one black and five whites) was the Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, then president of Notre Dame. Mr. Obama acknowledged how “Father Ted” brought the members of the commission to a retreat in Land O’Lakes, Wis., to break an impasse. Rev. Hesburgh found common ground when the men all spoke about being fishermen and took them on a twilight fishing trip.

“They fished, and they talked, and they changed the course of history,” Mr. Obama said, as CNN showed Rev. Hesburgh, who turns 92 next week, in attendance. “We are all fishermen,” Mr. Obama told his audience to remember.

Agree to Disagree | 3:31 p.m. President Obama said he was not suggesting that the debate surrounding abortion go away: “No matter how much we may want to fudge it – indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory – the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.”...


Notre Dame Students Struggle to Balance Outrage, Respect at Obama Speech
As some Notre Dame students prepare to protest the university's recognition of President Obama with an honorary law degree on Sunday, the on-campus message is clear: Keep it respectful.

"We're committed to a prayerful, peaceful protest," senior Emily Toates told FOXNews.com. "We will not be showing any graphic images. There is a place for them, but it can dilute your message, and we want to make sure our message is heard."

Toates, 21, is one of up to 40 graduating seniors expected to skip Notre Dame's commencement on Sunday in opposition of Obama's commencement speech, due to his pro-choice abortion stance and his support of embryonic stem-cell research. Notre Dame will confer degrees on roughly 2,000 undergrads, 420 MBA students and 200 law school students.

Instead of tossing her mortarboard with fellow classmates, Toates will take part in a meditation to be held at the university's grotto -- an event organized by ND Response, a coalition of student groups that is holding a series of events throughout the weekend, including an all-night prayer vigil to begin at 9:30 p.m. Saturday and a rally on Sunday.

"I'm really excited about it because the grotto is a special place for me and a lot of students," she said. "It'll prayerfully unite those of us who aren't attending commencement."

But not all pro-life students plan to forgo their biggest day as undergraduates.

"For me, being part of ND Response is really about love of my university," said senior Greer Hannan. "I'm really grateful for the education I've received, and as a Catholic the identity of Notre Dame is really important to me."...


Michelle Obama Gives First Commencement Address
U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama has given her first commencement address, to graduates of a university that did not exist four years ago. President Barack Obama's wife responded to a blizzard of requests from some very persistent students.

It started with a very unusual campaign. Through an internet video, students at the University of California at Merced appealed to Mrs. Obama to speak to their school's first graduating class. They also sent huge numbers of letters and Valentine's Day cards to the first lady's office.

It worked. Mrs. Obama made her debut as a commencement speaker Saturday. In an address to the university's first full graduating class, she paid tribute to their effort. "You inspired me. You touched me. There are few things that are more rewarding than to watch young people recognize that they have the power to make their dreams come true, and you did just that," she said....


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