Peter Gomes is an interesting choice. I wonder what his talk will be about. He is reputed to be a great speaker, and he certainly is an eloquent writer.
Chancellor Moeser said last year that Gomes was chosen because “Dr. Peter Gomes is a powerful and eloquent speaker with a great sense of humor.”
Of course, if that were the critera, then Bill Cosby or Steve Martin would do. But they won’t, will they?
Supposedly, Dr. Gomes is (or was), to make him even more interesting, a Republican.
Having read some of his writing, I think Gomes could well be an oustanding speaker. It depends on his chosen topic and his intentions. What concerns me is not so much that he was chosen as why he was chosen. I suspect that, yet again, the powers that be intentionally sought to provoke and challenge rather than inspire and please.
