Rich:
I followed the webcast of Secretary Rice’s BC speech – her visit generated a bit of controversy on campus (though nothing like what Sen. McCain encountered at the New School) and I wanted to be sure that my alma mater treated Secretary Rice appropriately. From what I saw and heard the students and others present behaved admirably. She got a sustained ovation on entering during the procession, which she seemed pleased by, and was interrupted by applause a number of times. If there were protests they were minimal and certainly outweighed by the positive response. She steered clear of controversy in the speech, addressing instead the responsibilities of educated citizens. All in all very nicely done – my impression was that anyone ostentatiously protesting by turning their back, etc. would have stood out as a sanctimonious ass.