The Moritz College of Law welcomed E. Gordon Gee, former Ohio State President and current Chancellor at Vanderbilt University, to speak at its hooding ceremony Friday afternoon at the Ohio Theatre.

The law school runs on a semester calendar, and while its graduates are encouraged to walk in the spring commencement, the hooding ceremony is the major graduation event for the college.

Famous for his hands-on approach with students and his knack for remembering names, Gee remains popular on campus, and many of the graduating law students entered OSU as undergraduates under Gee. University President from 1990 through 1997, Gee has also served as the president of Brown University, the University of Colorado and West Virginia University during his career.

The entire ceremony was marked with lightness and humor.

Promising to be brief, Gee quickly imparted some wisdom upon the students and wished them well in their future careers. He also wished to address a question that he had received countless times since his arrival on campus: “Why did you leave?”

In an effort to keep the mood light, Gee presented the audience with a “Top Ten” list of reasons why he left OSU for Vanderbilt. Many of his reasons were backhanded insults at OSU’s obsession with football – or Vanderbilt’s mediocrity – including his number one reason for leaving: “I finally get paid more than the football coach.”

Gee, however, also praised OSU for its diversity and traditions, claiming it occupies the enviable position of “providing a front door to the American dream.

“People here are the first in their families to go to college, and they bring the world to Columbus,” he said.

He also recognized the graduating class for its commitment to service, and said, “What kind of lawyer you’ll be is determined by how you use your voice,” and that it is important to “apply your mind in service to your heart.”

Rashad Chambers, Scott Davis and Nathaniel Stephen Orosz were honored as student leaders, and Jane Logan and James Meeks as outstanding staff member and professor, respectively.

Shaun Rached Fathallah delivered the graduate address, a humorous piece he entitled “From Backpacks to Briefcases.”