Konrad Kulacki doesn’t mind that the speaker for MSU’s May 3 Student Convocation has not yet been announced - he’s not going.
“If, in fact, it is Dick Cheney, campus is going to be crazy,” the environmental management senior said. “I live off campus, and for me to willingly come and subject myself to that - the security is going to be a mess.”
In past years, MSU officials have announced the convocation speaker no later than mid-April. Even President Bill Clinton, who spoke at the May 1995 ceremony, was announced several weeks in advance.
White House officials said they will not make announcements about Cheney’s movements until at least 48 hours in advance. MSU officials invited the vice president to speak this year after several years of interest.
Kulacki said family members from his hometown of Livonia will watch him graduate at the College of Natural Science commencement on May 4, but are indifferent about seeing Cheney speak.
“I mentioned that it might be Dick Cheney,” Kulacki said. “They weren’t really interested in attending.”
But he does think people will need to know who is speaking so they can finalize their plans.
t“I think that at this point, it’d disappoint a lot of people if it’s not Dick Cheney,” he said.
MSU spokeswoman Deb Pozega Osburn said it’s unusual for the announcement to take this long.
“Typically we would have announced someone by this time, but as it happens in this situation, we haven’t been able to do that,” she said. “Every situation is different.”
But Osburn said students are aware of who the speaker may be, and are able to make the necessary arrangements.
“This is a very important time for students and their families,” she said. “The university has been able to communicate with the students and their families even though the speaker hasn’t been announced.”
Catherine Smith, a chemical engineering and zoology senior, heard rumors about Cheney’s possible appearance and plans on going to the convocation.
“A couple of my other friends are going,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to hear someone speak, and it’s free, so why not?”
Smith’s family is coming from Canada to see the ceremony.
But Smith said she’s not sure if the event will be worth arriving four hours early to clear security screening.
“I’ll have to see once I get there,” she said. “It’s a reality of life now, I guess.”
