George Washington University in Washington, D.C., held its annual commencement exercises May 16 on the Ellipse behind the White House. After all the degrees had been awarded, several students prematurely shouted and threw their mortarboards into the air. But then, according to graduate student Timothy Shaw and his family, university president Stephen Joel Trachtenberg said: "For those of you who still have your caps, you may move your tassels from right to left, just like I hope you have moved your politics in the time you've been here." There seemed to be no levity in his tone or demeanor, Shaw told HUMAN EVENTS. "Those were basically the last words spoken at the graduation."