Benedictine graduates share thoughts on Butker speech

May 17—Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker's controversial commencement speech at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, is sweeping the nation.

Some believe he's just upholding traditional Catholic views, while others said he was insensitive to women. The opinions of Benedictine College students who attended the graduation are divided as well.

One spring 2024 graduate who asked that her name not be used said she was looking forward to hearing what the Super Bowl Champion had to say considering most commencement speeches are empowering.

"Slowly but surely as he was going on and on, it kind of caught me off guard and at some point during the speech I was like, 'What is even being talked about here?'" she said.

After being a student at Benedictine for five years, the graduate said she wasn't surprised by the content of the speech but found it off-putting.

"Hearing this man basically tell all the women in the audience, like your degrees mean nothing, you should go home, get a husband, have some children and then you could probably be fulfilled," she said. "(My grandparents) were like, what are they teaching you guys there?"

Butker addressed topics such as the COVID response, presidential leaders, church leaders, Catholic values, LGBTQ ideologies, diversity and inclusion and more. During the speech, the woman said she looked to a friend who told her members of her family walked out.

"Her sister is gay and was in the audience and she was texting her and her sister walked out," she said.

On the other side of the fence is Faith Lewis, also a spring 2024 Benedictine graduate.

"I think everyone's entitled to their opinions. I think his comments, he has the right to make them to the school. I think he spoke to the right audience at the school," Lewis said. "I don't necessarily agree with everything he said, but like I agree with some aspects of it. So I think just try to have an open heart."

As far as the national uproar, Lewis thinks it doesn't need to be as big as it is. Instead, the people should listen to the speech in its entirety, she said.

"Keep looking at it as a whole instead of just taking bits and pieces like social media, like TikTok and stuff are just putting up there," Lewis said. "Try to watch the whole speech and then take it from that point of view."

Lewis said she sees the college's views align closely with Butkers'.

"I think it reflects the college as they want to be reflected," she said.

Also weighing in on the speech are Atchison's Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica. The order issued a statement on its website, which, in part, says:

"The sisters of Mount St. Scholastica do not believe that Harrison Butker's comments in his 2024 Benedictine College commencement address represent the Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts college that our founders envisioned.

"Instead of promoting unity in our church, our nation, and the world, his comments seem to have fostered division. One of our concerns was the assertion that being a homemaker is the highest calling for a woman. We sisters have dedicated our lives to God and God's people, including the many women whom we have taught and influenced during the past 160 years. These women have made a tremendous difference in the world in their roles as wives and mothers and through their God-given gifts in leadership, scholarship, and their careers.

"Our community has taught young women and men not just how to be 'homemakers' in a limited sense, but rather how to make a Gospel-centered, compassionate home within themselves where they can welcome others as Christ, empowering them to be the best versions of themselves. We reject a narrow definition of what it means to be Catholic."

While the controversy continues, Butker's jersey has become a top-seller nationwide. However, staff with St. Joseph's Rally House report sales of the kicker's gear remain unchanged.