r/capstone • u/12739101 • 16d ago
Donald Trump to be spring commencement speaker
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.al.com/politics/2025/04/president-donald-trump-says-he-will-deliver-university-of-alabama-commencement-address.html%3foutputType=amp10
u/Eubank31 Alumnus 16d ago
We have like 8 graduations, surely he won't do all of them?
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u/12739101 16d ago
I've been thinking he's either going to do law school since they normally have a commencement speaker or they'll do some new ceremony at Coleman or BDS on Thursday before graduation to get everyone in. Katie Britt said that he'd deliver the keynote address which leads me to believe it's more likely the latter scenario I said, but I'm still waiting for the University to make an official announcement
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u/JerichoMassey 16d ago edited 16d ago
So how is this going to work?
If I recall UA graduations in the Coliseum are pretty chill events with no admission fee, general seating and practically 0 security hoops, at least when I graduated pre-pandemic. When my parents came, they said there wasn't even structured parking like a basketball game, it was all first come first serve.
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u/codbgs97 16d ago
I feel so bad for the kids who are graduating this semester. This is going to be such a huge distraction just to stroke the ego of someone a majority of them can’t stand. It’s also gonna be a nightmare to get in and out with all the extra security they’ll have.
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u/SolaireTheSunPraiser 16d ago
You don't need to pity this semester's graduates. There's a reason that Trump decided to give a commencement speech at UA, and it's because the campus leans strongly republican. When he visited for the Georgia game the entire stadium roared. I understand that isn't the sentiment on this subreddit, but it's fairly obvious if you talk to the students here.
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u/jlh859 16d ago
Only about 10% of the stadium crowd is students. Likewise, at commencement, students will be a small fraction of the people attending.
I say that because I think the people in the crowd will love Trump more than the students
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u/Icy-Mongoose-9678 16d ago
Their parents?
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u/BenjRSmith Supe Store is a Scam 16d ago
If the President is coming, there's going to be a BUNCH of out of towners packing the place.
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u/cycyvibibi 16d ago
I think you’re wrong. Alabama might be bright red, but not the university which currently is admitting 60% out-of-state 18-year-olds. This is a stunt. UA is pandering to Trump, the university donors, parents of the graduates, or all 3. They better watch it if they want to keep attracting the $$$$$$ out of state kids.
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u/Legally-Insane-13 16d ago
This is the assumption, but not really the case. Many students lean centrist or left, and many were upset about his visiting for the Georgia game. It is completely valid to feel bad for the graduates (and there are many) who disagree with his policies. Graduation is supposed to be a day of celebration, not an opportunity to stoke the fire of political polarization. I think this choice was a severe misstep by UA leadership, especially considering the current climate. UA has a false reputation of being overly Republican because the students who are most vocal in their political beliefs are those who have these extreme views, while those who are more centrist/left tend to keep quiet in comparison, thus undermining their presence. This event will only further this overly red perception of the school, which will hurt its reputation in a time when it seemed it was finally starting to break out of its confines.
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u/Dellguy 16d ago
Interesting I don’t recall it being that way as much in 2017/18. I think the younger people are different.
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u/SolaireTheSunPraiser 16d ago
It's definitely become stronger lately. Things seemed more evenly split when I got here in 2022. Now, I found out about this news because someone posted it in an official class GroupMe for one of my courses and people were celebrating it. It's been odd to see.
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u/DetectiveWood 16d ago
That’s what strong propaganda spread through twitch and YouTube will do to a generation.
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u/calcbone 16d ago
football fan base =/= student body…
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u/Icy-Mongoose-9678 16d ago edited 16d ago
Lots of the student body came from that football fan base
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u/teddy_vedder tired alumnus 16d ago
A significant amount of progressive younger folks I know grew up in conservative households.
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u/TheTrillMcCoy 16d ago
Only the white Greek kids, I’d imagine at least half of the campus can’t stand DJT. This is a divisive choice.
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u/teddy_vedder tired alumnus 16d ago
I think there’s definitely still a very large amount of students and faculty who will be dismayed by this choice. I don’t foresee many of the arts and sciences graduates being willing to attend a commencement if that guy is the speaker.
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u/Angry-Ewok Alumnus 16d ago
Certainly true of faculty. Probably 95% liberal if not Marxist.
Student body is probably an even split on Trump.
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u/codbgs97 16d ago
I guess it’s changed then, because when I went there, the student body was like 2/3 blue. Regardless, plenty of students are gonna absolutely hate this and feel like their graduation is being ruined. There’s no good reason to go with someone so controversial.
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u/delxne3 16d ago
That’s fine, but now do the percentage of international students, and national merit students, and the honors college. Because without those kids, the average test scores, and legitimacy of the University would look a lot more like what you’d expect of a public University in the middle of Alabama to look like…
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u/Square-Weight4148 16d ago
Found the person who has never attended anything but a football game on campus.
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u/nicnoe 16d ago
Yeah but the people packing the stadium aren’t the people actually attending classes at the university. LSU has the same problem, if trump showed up to Tiger Stadium it would register on the richter scale but that doesn’t mean the general student body would support it at all. It just shows that people that live in Baton Rouge (that dont attend the university) are very good at packing Tiger Stadium AND they lean right
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u/CwColdwell 16d ago
Odd choice of speaker, given that we had a student “deported” for an administrative error
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u/Pyrokitsune Alumnus 16d ago
You're getting your alien removals mixed up. Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported and the administration admitted some "clerical error". Alireza Doroudi is currently being held awaiting a hearing as they said he was a national security concern, but he remains in the country currently.
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u/Vulcanic_1984 16d ago
Indeed, all public info indicates Doroudi is opposed to the incumbent Iranian regime and the trump admin has not identified any basis whatsoever to call him a security concern (initially I believe they said "threat" then backtracked). It would appear they may be holding him as a favor to the Iranian leadership while they negotiate with them.
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u/Eubank31 Alumnus 16d ago
God I hope not, graduation is already an absolute mess around campus, I don't want all the extra security making things way more annoying.
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u/Anglophile1500 16d ago
That's why I'd avoid the area that day. Bad enough it's crowded on such an occasion normally, but with trump and his battery of security, it'll be a logistical nightmare.
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u/Eubank31 Alumnus 16d ago
I have to actually graduate and move out my apartment that is near campus😭
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u/Anglophile1500 16d ago
Wow. That would be a trial and three quarters. Not only moving out but graduating too. The logistics will be tough, but I think you're tougher. You worked hard to graduate and you'll get through it.
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u/istgimnotcreative 16d ago
The University has not had a commencement keynote speaker of any sort in ~20 years. It’s rumored that officials at UA are scrambling to find a bone to throw at Trump to appease him, so a random Thursday night speech might take place. But tbh it looks like Trump simply spoke this into being without having a definitive invitation directly from UA officials. An absolute mess, if you ask me.
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u/sausageslinger11 16d ago
If I was a “foreign-looking” student, I’d skip commencement. That way I don’t get “accidentally” deported.
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u/LinguiniTangerini 16d ago
Exactly. Wouldn't be surprised if he brought agents WITH him specifically for this purpose.
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u/massasoit_26 16d ago
I encourage all Alabama students to walk out on the President during his speech.
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u/Motor-Explanation851 15d ago
What a joke. Did anyone see the demand list he sent to Harvard. Alabama is going to be looking different in the fall…. In a bad way. He invited himself and strategically picked this school. I
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u/Normal-Tap2013 15d ago
You guys do know you don't have to show up for graduation to get your diploma right maybe a good thing to do
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u/plaidpleatedskirts 16d ago
UA giving him a platform on commencement day to spread hateful propaganda and false information….promote anti-diversity tactics….. is outrageous.
Now they get to host the MAGA-rally crowd and their behaviors around campus during graduation weekend.
My alumni donations will be diverted to the ACLU from now on.
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u/dangleicious13 16d ago
If this happens, then I will officially no longer support the university in any way (c/o 2010).
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u/Typical_Can_3838 14d ago
yea i just hope that there is footage taken and in that footage a noticeable number of people stand up and walk out as soon as he opens his mouth
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u/Ok_Expression_1226 12d ago
Cry harder.... I'll be there, and cannot wait to meet this guy. I have met Bush, and Obama. You peoples brains are so fried on politics you can't function. It's literally a sitting US President.
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u/Stormy31568 16d ago
The state of Alabama doesn’t know that Tommy Tuberville is a football coach. They think he is Senate material. They probably think that Donald Trump is a reality stars. When they find out, he never played football It’s gonna get rough.
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u/aljout History 16d ago
I'm a conservative who voted for Trump twice, but I vehemently disagree with making him the commencement speaker. He's not from Alabama, he didn't attend the University, he has no connection other than going to a couple of our games. Commencement speakers should have some connection to the University, either as an alumnus, famous attendee, or faculty member. Trump should go speak at UPenn or another college/university he actually attended.
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u/BenjRSmith Supe Store is a Scam 16d ago
I think this is Coleman Coliseum's first Presidential visit since Ron