Our View: Lummis misread the room

A lot has already been said of Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and the speech she gave that led her to being booed by University of Wyoming graduation attendees last weekend.

While a lot of that conversation focuses on specific comments she made, we think the bigger issue is Lummis delivered a political speech to graduates not expecting to have their views either challenged or affirmed at an event that should acknowledge their educational achievements. In short, she misread the situation as well as the audience she presented to -- something any college-level public speaking course would advise against.

The university shouldn’t be criticized for bringing Lummis in to speak to its graduates. Lummis is a very successful UW alumna and her insights about the hard work and sacrifices students can expect in the pursuit of success would be a great topic for graduates to reflect on as they receive their diplomas.

Having such a prolific alumna speak to graduates should be something everyone involved would be pleased about. The university gets to showcase a current senator who had studied at the institution, graduates could see proof that UW alumni can go on to achieve great things and Lummis herself would receive recognition for her achievements through the fact she was asked to address UW graduates.

Instead, graduates were treated to an address that amounted to little more than a stump speech. Her “two sexes” comment was part of an address that covered her views on the Constitution and, in a strange turn for a commencement speech, her views on bitcoin and decentralized digital currencies.

Lummis has been a proponent of bitcoin for some time now and is considered one of the most friendly legislators to cryptocurrencies on Capitol Hill. However, her comments were especially tone deaf as the cryptocurrency markets had just lost billions in value following the crash of two digital tokens. Bitcoin itself dropped to approximately $25,400 per token last Thursday, down from a price of $41, 500 in April and approximately $68,000 in November.

Lummis’ speech wasn’t completely devoid of advice, especially her comments about if someone is thinking they’re the smartest person in a room, they’re in the wrong room. However, it’s likely that great nugget of insight will be buried as graduates recall the time a U.S. Senator was booed at their commencement ceremony.

Graduations are meant to honor the work students have accomplished. Earning a diploma, regardless of if it is through completing a high school, a community college, or university course of study, requires a tremendous amount of dedication that easily amounts to thousands of hours. It isn’t a time to stump or grandstand about a political agenda.

That is the biggest lesson to learn from the University of Wyoming last weekend.

 

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