When he was young, her husband, she said, who loves to tell the story of how it all began for him, lied to newspapers and told them he wrote for other newspapers and they never checked. Eventually because he was good, he was hired by one and is now a happily ever after journalist.
This was the message at a commencement speech of a reputable university. Because it is a commencement speech, many believed students were not really paying attention in their celebratory mode. The problem, however, is that this particular speaker was much closer to their age and was an ‘artist’ who was recognized by quite a few of them.
But what really is the message here? While I am not a stuck-up teacher who is offended by ‘today’s behavior’, I believe this particular incident was completely out of bounds. It is not enough that students are bombarded with television shows that highlight the principles of cheat, scheme and lie to get ahead at any cost, but here comes this commencement speech woman who adds to this culture the concept of ‘it’s ok to lie to get ahead’.
I do not believe students will go out and begin lying. That will not be how it will work out. I believe that one day, sub-consciously when one of them is applying for a job, he or she will hesitate for a moment and wonder if they should ’embellish’ some things when they write their resume or go to the interview. For many, it will be a no-brainer: they will just state the facts. But certainly for many others, that will be the moment that this speech will come back and be played out. Why not lie on my resume?
What a disappointment!