Close Menu
The Brown and WhiteThe Brown and White
    The Brown and White
    33 Coppee Drive
    Bethlehem, PA 18015
    (610) 758-4181
    [email protected]
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube Spotify TikTok
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    The Brown and WhiteThe Brown and White
    Subscribe
    • News
    • Lifestyle
    • Sports
      • More than a Game
    • Opinion
      • Campus Voices
    • Community
    • Elections
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Lehigh Insider Podcast
      • The Brown and White Weekly
    • More
      • Advertise
      • Contact Us
      • About the Brown and White
      • Special Sections
        • Data & Graphics
        • The Rivalry
        • Graduation 2022
        • Graduation 2021
        • Graduation 2020
        • Graduation 2019
        • Graduation 2018
        • Graduation 2017
        • The Global Diversity Project
      • Newsletter Sign-up
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Editorial Board
      • Newsroom
      • Subscribe
      • Newsroll
      • Archive
      • Comment Policy
      • Policy on AI
    The Brown and WhiteThe Brown and White
    You are at:Home»Opinion»Letter to the editor: Removing Trump’s honorary degree
    Opinion

    Letter to the editor: Removing Trump’s honorary degree

    By Laura PonchickOctober 29, 20171 Min Read6
    Facebook Twitter Bluesky Email Copy Link

    Without a doubt, I believe Trump’s honorary degree should have already been removed.

    He is an embarrassment to the United States, and even an honorary degree from Lehigh should be an embarrassment to the Lehigh community as a whole. He lacks all the qualities that Lehigh asks its students to possess: curiosity, open mindedness, willingness to learn from others, dignity and so much more. Lehigh’s past problems with diversity and racism are ones that I believe Lehigh has worked hard to move away from, and I think that removing Trump’s honorary degree is another step towards righting those wrongs, given his blatant racism and xenophobia.
    Most importantly, as stated by another Lehigh student, Trump having an honorary degree from Lehigh devalues MY degree. Yes, it would be political for Lehigh to make this move, but I think it is a smart move, suggesting that the university is willing to move forwards as an institution with high morals. I am disappointed by the trustees’ decision to take no action, but I cannot say I am surprised
    Laura Ponchick, Class of 2011
    2 minute read Administration issue letter to the editor politics

    Related Posts

    January 8, 2026 at 9:07 amBy Olivia Link and Hannah Effron

    Lily Fandre hits 1,000-point benchmark in women’s basketball victory over Holy Cross

    December 7, 2025By Billy Arthur

    Lehigh opts out of revenue-sharing NIL program

    December 4, 2025By Olivia Link

    No. 5 Lehigh football hosts No. 12 Villanova in second round of FCS playoffs

    6 Comments

    1. Barry Jenkin ‘66 on October 29, 2017 4:22 pm

      Another snowflake take her degree back and Make America and Lehigh Great Again

      • Death Valley '69 on November 7, 2017 5:16 pm

        Lord, I hope your degree was not punctuation.

      • The New Guard on November 9, 2017 9:03 am

        Class of 1966 would make you approximately 73 years old (that is, if you were 22 at the time you graduated and didn’t serve in the Vietnam War, which might I remind you President Trump did not). At 70+ years old, it’s time to move over and make way for a new generation of Lehigh students. Respect your elders, you’ll say. I say you lost my respect when you degraded and discounted the author for her political views. This ain’t your Lehigh, and we’re proud of it.

    2. Bruce Haines ‘67 on October 29, 2017 6:23 pm

      Your degree was increased in value when Trump was officially elected President last November in a sweeping electoral college landslide. Lehigh has never had a graduate in or near the highest office in the land so Trump elevates Lehigh having received an honorary degree long before his decision to run for office.

      • Frank A. Artmont, '12, '17G on October 29, 2017 9:28 pm

        A sweeping electoral landslide? That’s completely incorrect. Others have won by much larger margins. Please do your research and don’t post such falsities.

    3. Amy Charles '89 on November 15, 2017 1:51 pm

      I should’ve said yes to Wellesley.

    Comment Policy


    Comments posted to The Brown and White website are reviewed by a moderator before being approved. Incendiary speech or harassing language, including comments targeted at individuals, may be deemed unacceptable and not published. Spam and other soliciting will also be declined.

    The Brown and White also reserves the right to refuse the publication of entirely anonymous comments.

    Search by category
    NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION

    click here to buy your B&W paper subscription
    Weather and Air Quality
    Subscribe to Email Alerts

    Enter your email address to receive notifications of each new posts by email.

    Follow us on social
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • TikTok
    • LinkedIn
    About the Brown and White

    The Brown and White is Lehigh University’s student newspaper based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

    The newspaper covers Lehigh University news and the surrounding Bethlehem area, and it aims to serve as a platform for conversation and idea exchange.

    Follow the Brown and White

    Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts in your inbox.

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube Spotify TikTok
    Copyright © 2026 The Brown and White | 'All the Lehigh News First'

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.