Reaction to Chapman Speaker Choice Mixed

The decision to ask businessman John Crean rather than Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden Grove) to speak at Chapman University’s commencement drew reactions from both sides Wednesday.

“I question the motivation behind the decision, especially when Chapman claims to encourage understanding of human diversity, and Loretta Sanchez is the epitome of someone who represents that diversity: a Democrat in Orange County, a woman and a Latina,” said Josh Elson, a senior who is majoring in music.

The proposal to invite Sanchez, an alumna, to speak was turned down by members of the Associated Student Senate.

“It’s not because she was a Democrat,” argued Aaron Bourne, who serves on the senate. “I think the biggest issue for me was that she was so controversial in her win over Bob Dornan,” the GOP congressman she defeated in November’s election.

But Gregory C. Brown, a criminal-justice instructor, said: “This student body, as represented through the student senate, is extremely conservative. It’s bent to the right. This was a political decision, period.”

Student Anne Hoffman, who serves on the senate, disagreed. She said that politics did not play a role but that she did not want a controversial speaker to detract from graduation.

Provost Harry Hamilton, along with the campus president, made the final decision to ask Crean of Newport Beach, a GOP supporter and owner of Fleetwood Enterprises, to speak at commencement.

Hamilton said Wednesday that he was following the students’ recommendation but that he would like Sanchez to speak in the future.

“This notion of the political climate is blown way out of proportion,” Hamilton said. “There wasn’t the groundswell of support [for Sanchez] from students that we would have liked to have so we said, ‘Why push it?’ ”