Pre-Frosh Speech Comes Under Fire

Another member of the Class of '98 has landed in the public eye--this time, for a speech rather than a law suit.

In June, John J. Failoni, director of activities at Florida's North Miami Senior High School wrote to Harvard regarding a future first-year student, a co-salutatorian at Failoni's school who had deviated from a previously approved speech during graduation.

Raymond Cummings, Jr. '98 added a paragraph to his speech specifically urging young Black Americans Towards more education.

"America's worst nightmare is someone young, Black and educated, for education is the key that locks the door to oppression," Cummings, who is Black, said during the ceremonies. "It's time America realized that we are here, and that we are NOT going anywhere."

Soon after the speech, Failoni wrote a letter to the admissions office at Harvard about Cumming's action. While no action was taken against Cummings, Failoni has been stripped.

of his post as activities director. He will berelegated to teaching duties in the fall.

Cummings said that the addition to his speechwas prompted by an incident at his school the daybefore his graduation.

"My best friend and I had a situation with oneof the security guards and nothing was done aboutit," he said yesterday. "We were harassed in thefront of the school."

Cummings said he wrote the additional paragraphat "2 o'clock in the morning" of graduation. Twodays after graduation, Cummings said, Failoni senthim a copy of a letter the activities director hadwritten to Harvard about the speech.

Failoni and Cummings did not know each otherwell while the letter attended North Miami.Failoni, though, is in charge of setting uprehearsals for the valedictorian andsalutatorian(s) after they have turned theirspeeches in to be checked for grammaticalcorrectness and general flow.

"I question Raymond's integrity and sense oftrust," the letter read. "Anyone who wouldpurposefully deceive individuals who wereattempting to help reflect only the finestqualities of our school should be looked at quitecarefully indeed...I felt so moved by thisincident that communication with you wasnecessary."

But, contrary to some media reports, Failonisaid in an interview this week that he was notattempting to have Cummings' admission to Harvardrescinded.

"I was very deeply disappointed in ourgraduation ceremonies and I wrote the letter,"Failoni said. "This entire issue has been so blownout of proportion....I've learned that the morethings get tossed around the more dynamic theyget."

Cummings said that he got a somewhat differentimpression from reading the letter, though he hasnot talked to Failoni about it.

"I don't think he wrote the letter to Harvardfor their information," Cummings said.

Failoni said, however, that this was in factthe reason he wrote to Harvard.

"I did not ask the University to reconsideranything," he said. "I know that the College iscertainly not going to renege....I gave them theinformation and said that what they did with theinformation was up to them."

Marlyn McGrath Lewis, director of admissions,refused to directly comment on the case yesterday.Cummings said, however, that Lewis first sent hima letter informing him of Failoni's statements andasking Cummings for an explanation, and thencalled him some time thereafter to tell him thatthe College did not plan to take any action.

"She said she liked my speech and congratulatedme on my accomplishments," Cummings said. "Shealso talked to my mother, and I think that wentwell."

Lewis said yesterday that the admissions officegets "more letters than you'd think," bothpositive and negative, each year regarding futurestudents from other members of their communities.

She said that, in cases of negative letters,she contacts students if she judges the sender tobe legitimate.

"First, we're very concerned about everythingwe can learn about people coming to Harvard,"Lewis said. "But second, when someone sayssomething negative, a student should have thechance to respond to it."

Failoni said in his letter that Raymond'saddition "had a chilling effect on many graduatesand invited guests," and a story on the New YorkTimes news wire last month said that schoolofficials said they had received phone calls andletters from unhappy parents.

But Cummings said that he has had a lot ofpositive feedback.

"The immediate reaction was applause--numerouspeople came up to me afterwards and congratulatedme, both Black and white people," he said. "A lotof friends have called me."

The Dade County School Board is currentlyconsidering rules that would ensure autonomy forstudents speaking at school events, according toarea newspapers.

Cummings said officials at his school have notcontacted him about the matter. But CraigDePriest, the school principal, told localnewspapers that Failoni was being stripped ofhis title as activities director over theincident. DePriest could not be reached forcomment yesterday.

Failoni said that he stands by his letter, butthat he has "always been opposed to" censorship ofstudents.

"I'm getting blasted, I'm [being called] aracist," he said. "I think that if there had beensome rules to follow this never would havehappened.

of his post as activities director. He will berelegated to teaching duties in the fall.

Cummings said that the addition to his speechwas prompted by an incident at his school the daybefore his graduation.

"My best friend and I had a situation with oneof the security guards and nothing was done aboutit," he said yesterday. "We were harassed in thefront of the school."

Cummings said he wrote the additional paragraphat "2 o'clock in the morning" of graduation. Twodays after graduation, Cummings said, Failoni senthim a copy of a letter the activities director hadwritten to Harvard about the speech.

Failoni and Cummings did not know each otherwell while the letter attended North Miami.Failoni, though, is in charge of setting uprehearsals for the valedictorian andsalutatorian(s) after they have turned theirspeeches in to be checked for grammaticalcorrectness and general flow.

"I question Raymond's integrity and sense oftrust," the letter read. "Anyone who wouldpurposefully deceive individuals who wereattempting to help reflect only the finestqualities of our school should be looked at quitecarefully indeed...I felt so moved by thisincident that communication with you wasnecessary."

But, contrary to some media reports, Failonisaid in an interview this week that he was notattempting to have Cummings' admission to Harvardrescinded.

"I was very deeply disappointed in ourgraduation ceremonies and I wrote the letter,"Failoni said. "This entire issue has been so blownout of proportion....I've learned that the morethings get tossed around the more dynamic theyget."

Cummings said that he got a somewhat differentimpression from reading the letter, though he hasnot talked to Failoni about it.

"I don't think he wrote the letter to Harvardfor their information," Cummings said.

Failoni said, however, that this was in factthe reason he wrote to Harvard.

"I did not ask the University to reconsideranything," he said. "I know that the College iscertainly not going to renege....I gave them theinformation and said that what they did with theinformation was up to them."

Marlyn McGrath Lewis, director of admissions,refused to directly comment on the case yesterday.Cummings said, however, that Lewis first sent hima letter informing him of Failoni's statements andasking Cummings for an explanation, and thencalled him some time thereafter to tell him thatthe College did not plan to take any action.

"She said she liked my speech and congratulatedme on my accomplishments," Cummings said. "Shealso talked to my mother, and I think that wentwell."

Lewis said yesterday that the admissions officegets "more letters than you'd think," bothpositive and negative, each year regarding futurestudents from other members of their communities.

She said that, in cases of negative letters,she contacts students if she judges the sender tobe legitimate.

"First, we're very concerned about everythingwe can learn about people coming to Harvard,"Lewis said. "But second, when someone sayssomething negative, a student should have thechance to respond to it."

Failoni said in his letter that Raymond'saddition "had a chilling effect on many graduatesand invited guests," and a story on the New YorkTimes news wire last month said that schoolofficials said they had received phone calls andletters from unhappy parents.

But Cummings said that he has had a lot ofpositive feedback.

"The immediate reaction was applause--numerouspeople came up to me afterwards and congratulatedme, both Black and white people," he said. "A lotof friends have called me."

The Dade County School Board is currentlyconsidering rules that would ensure autonomy forstudents speaking at school events, according toarea newspapers.

Cummings said officials at his school have notcontacted him about the matter. But CraigDePriest, the school principal, told localnewspapers that Failoni was being stripped ofhis title as activities director over theincident. DePriest could not be reached forcomment yesterday.

Failoni said that he stands by his letter, butthat he has "always been opposed to" censorship ofstudents.

"I'm getting blasted, I'm [being called] aracist," he said. "I think that if there had beensome rules to follow this never would havehappened.