Sam McManis writes on the Jonny Moseley Scare in the Chronicle today. He interviews Moseley, I think. It might be a parody. I'm not sure. I'm kind've hoping it's a parody, since exchanges like this:

I'm stoked to be able to talk to the Cal students," he said. "I've never done anything like this before. I did do the eighth-grade graduation at Del Mar (Middle School) in Tiburon."

And how did that go?

"Uh, I, like, bombed it, you know. I got kicked out halfway through the speech."

Really?

"Nah, I'm kidding."

...do not exactly inspire confidence in the speaker.

Pleased to see that Jamaal Artis, Cal leader and general ass-kicker, was quoted in the column.

I semi-stand behind my position of 'For God's Sake, let it rest.' Cal has two marks going against it in the procurement of Commencement Speakers: It doesn't hand out stupid phony Degrees to the Commencement Speaker, and it hates the Commencement Speaker. I can sorta see why Dick Cheney would want to stay away from an event sure to be marked by 'Cheney speech shouted down; Activists burn effigies' headlines the next day. So Moseley.

But there's nothing wrong with opening up the process of selecting one. Cal students will be much less likely to bitch if they have a hand in picking their own destiny. I don't know who picks The Californians who decide these things, but the Oscars-esque drama of 'announcing' a winner doesn't seem well-tailored to Cal.


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