All you Fox News junkies, rejoice: The university has chosen Shepard Smith, host of the nightly "Fox Report," to speak during graduation May 10.
At first glance, Smith appears to be a perfect fit. Raised in nearby Holly Springs, an Ole Miss journalism student in the late '80s, Smith has gone on to become a renowned journalist whose face is instantly recognized all over the world. His coverage of Hurricane Katrina - the event that has had the most impact on this state in living memory - has won numerous awards. Shepard is the quintessential Ole Miss alumnus.
Or is he? As it turns out, Shepard never graduated from Ole Miss - and this fact changes everything.
Let's face it. No matter what Shepard Smith actually says in his graudation speech Saturday, the message his speech sends the graduating class will be loud and clear: to be successful in the real world, you don't really need the degree you just slaved the past four (or five ... or six) years of your life away to earn. For those of you out there striving to make the grades to graduate, why not just forget it and drop out? You can become a world-famous personality without a degree anyway.
The choice of Smith as a speaker raises serious doubts about what we're actually celebrating on graduation day. Is it merely success and fame? Or is it rather the discipline, patience and hard work it takes to earn an academic degree? If it's the former, Smith is the perfect choice. If it's the latter - and we firmly believe it should be - someone who actually possesses the diligence and fortitude to earn a degree would be much, much better.
We are in no way attempting to detract from Shepard's success. We think he is a great example of someone who has been successful without a college degree. We recognize doing so requires a diligence and fortitude of a different kind. And that's just the point, isn't it? Smith's contribution to journalism is undeniable, but his contribution to academia is negligible. On a day created to celebrate an academic milestone in seniors' lives, Shepard Smith simply doesn't make the grade.
This editorial previously stated incorrectly that Shepard Smith is not an alumnus of the University of Mississippi. Since the university defines anyone who attended the University of Mississippi as an alumnus, Shepard actually is an alumnus and is also an active member of the Ole Miss Alumni Association. Shepard Smith never graduated from the University of Mississippi.
