Cap Day

Ah, May: When a college senior's thoughts turn to graduation, summer internships...and a sick dinner roll with a twist. At least that's what students at Berkeley must have been thinking when they selected Olympic moguls skier Jonny Moseley to speak at their May 17 commencement. "This class wanted to hear about living a life of commitment to your goals," explains Jason Simon, a facilitator for the student-led group that selected Moseley. "A gold medalist represents the values of working hard and striving to be the best at what you do."

Of course, not everyone at Cal is happy that a college dropout will take the same podium at which Janet Reno stood last year. "You want a speaker to challenge your intellect," says senior Morgan Fitzpatrick. "What is he going to tell us, 'Work hard to achieve your dreams'? I didn't go through four years here to hear that at graduation."

Perhaps, but jocks have long been commencement staples. Adding to the list this year: Lou Holtz ( South Carolina), Hank Aaron (Bradley), Darrell Green ( George Washington) and Bob Costas ( St. Louis's Webster University). Some choices are obvious (the Gamecocks asked their popular football coach to speak) while others aren't. For instance, Webster selected Costas because the St. Louis resident is on the school's board.

Colleges want to avoid mistakes like the one Ohio's Central State made in '89, when they gave Mike Tyson an honorary doctorate. "I don't know what kind of doctor I am," Tyson told the grads, "but watching all these beautiful sisters here, I'm debating whether I should be a gynecologist" Never let it be said that Tyson is one for pomp and circumstance.