Columbia Spectator - Latest Comments in Commencement 2010 date changes due to religious holiday | Columbia Spectator

Re: Commencement 2010 date changes due to religious holiday | Columbia Spectator

drsrafficandkathrynmackie — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:41:55 -0000

Any religious holiday can be observed in addition to a traditional commencement date. A religious person would use common sense, display empathy, realize that commencement for these over- achieving students occur once in a lifetime, and would use religion as an excuse to interrupt the mass of students and families of whom are to graduate. Families would be selfish and lack affect for the graduating class. To accomodate every religion in a secular school, is unthinkable. We disagree to adjust commencements to accomodate any religious holiday. Many families, events, and functions are scheduled around a consistent graduation schedule. This is bothersome and disturbing as diverse parents and of a student graduating and included in a 'sub-group'. We are disappointed we do not have dates secured as of today, February, 16, 2010.

Re: Commencement 2010 date changes due to religious holiday | Columbia Spectator

firstamendment — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 01:45:14 -0000

Bollinger is a milquetoast. Separation of church and state is the only issue. I thought he was a first amendment scholar? Class day is now on Sunday morning? Doesn't that affect thousands of students and families? Don't change it for any reason.

Re: Commencement 2010 date changes due to religious holiday | Columbia Spectator

Name — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:33:48 -0000

If the university senate truly felt it was extremely important to be "secular," no accommodations should have been made for Christmas in fall 2009 (moving up final exams by a day).

Re: Commencement 2010 date changes due to religious holiday | Columbia Spectator

HJB — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:08:23 -0000

Editorial correction is needed: Sarah Brafman, President of the Columbia/Barnard Hillel, is quoted in the article. She is in fact a student in CC '10 , not BC '10.

Re: Commencement 2010 date changes due to religious holiday | Columbia Spectator

Spec Reader — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:50:01 -0000

Another great reporting job by Kim Kirschenbaum!

P.S. They don't have a new commencement date, hence, she could not have provided it.

Re: Commencement 2010 date changes due to religious holiday | Columbia Spectator

columbia student — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:32:12 -0000

It is amazing you failed to provide the new date in the article. Kind of seems important, no?

Re: Commencement 2010 date changes due to religious holiday | Columbia Spectator

friend12 — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:19:02 -0000

This is a no brainer. For each student and their families, commencement is once in a life time event. Setting / changing the dates to avoid a conflict with a religious observance that affects a significant number of students was the correct thing to do in this case and in 2018. That said, this does set a precedence that could be used to disrupt the process in the future because of “religious conflict”.