This is in regard to The State News editorial "A strong voice" (SN 4/12).

If I were years younger and graduating from MSU this spring with a degree in education, business or engineering, who would I like to hear at commencement? A father of two and grandfather of four, the current vice president of the United States, past CEO of Halliburton, who served under four presidents? A 46-year-old Canadian-born mother of three and first woman governor of Michigan? Alabama-born first black female U.S. Secretary of State who served on boards of Hewlett Packard, JP Morgan, and the San Francisco Symphony? No, according to the State News opinion writers, those were worrisome choices. The truth is, Maya Angelou is an excellent choice, and so were those others.

Thank you, President McPherson for landing top-notch speakers - Dick Cheney, Jennifer Granholm, Condoleezza Rice, and Bill Clinton. Somehow the SN opinion writers forgot to mention that Clinton spoke during McPherson's tenure.

Richard Ivans
Academic Computing & Network Services staff member