EDITORIAL: We walked out on Jane Goodall?
Jane Goodall's speech to a packed McGuirk Arena was one of the most valuable things Central Michigan University has arranged for its students outside of the classroom.
The world-renowned primatologist and conservationist's words, which used humor and heartfelt passion to weave together stories of curiosity, hope, love for the world and discovery, are not likely to be forgotten by those who paid attention.
The 77-year-old woman, who took her time on the stairs leading up to the podium, spoke of a life filled with more strength than all the vibrant youth of her audience combined.
She even took an extra half-hour to share more wisdom in the form of a question-and-answer session with the crowd of 3,000.
Goodall was speaking to a significantly smaller crowd by the time she stopped answering questions.
That entire sections would so rudely and visibly file out of a speech given by a woman so important and fascinating begs an important question: What couldn't wait?
Was it parking? The 15 minutes it takes to clear out of the lot might be a decent excuse for some of the families who had young kids to get to sleep and then to school in the morning, but many of the people leaving were students who live on campus.
Did all of those students suddenly feel the urge to work on the essays and presentations they set aside over the previous days to drink and tweet about "Mad Men?"
At least be polite! Sit down and play "Draw Something" on your iPhone. But don't walk out. Don't pretend you have somewhere better to be, because for the 80 minutes she spoke, there was nothing comparable happening in Isabella County.
Goodall spoke with a vibrance and appreciation for the audience undiminished by her age or exhaustion. She has been on a Dylan-esque never-ending tour, advocating more than 300 days a year for decades now.
This editorial board tends to holler much more hoarsely at the administration and officials of Central Michigan University, but this is one occasion where we youthful yokels were clearly in the wrong.
If she was willing to take extra time to answer questions, we, as a community, should have felt honored, not irritated.
