Miami U. scoffs at alumnus Paul Ryan as graduation speaker

The selection of House Budget Committee Ranking Member Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) as commencement speaker at Miami University has drawn criticism from the school’s student body, who want a speaker with more “prominence.”

The Ohio college chose Ryan, an alumnus of the school, and freshman Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Ohio) as its speakers at this year’s commencement, the 200th in the school’s history.

“The editorial board of The Miami Student recognizes and does not wish to downplay the accomplishments of these honorable men, but does not think they are of the caliber of prominence most were expecting from the Bicentennial Commencement speaker,” the student paper’s editorial board wrote Tuesday.

The paper cited Cintas founder Richard T. Farmer and Smucker Company CEO Richard Smucker as better potential speakers than Ryan, who many in the Republican Party have cited as a future leader of the GOP.

“While the congressmen are alumni to Miami…, they do not evoke the caliber of inspiration one would associate with a 200-year celebration of one of the greatest public universities in the country,” student Tess Schuster wrote in a letter to the editor.

“Couldn’t we at least get a senator?” asked Andrew Goldie.