SOUTH BEND | Despite the protests outside, most of the graduates and their families who attended the University of Notre Dame graduation Sunday did not believe protesters marred the momentous occasion.

Opponents of President Barack Obama's invitation to be the commencement speaker say his support for abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research contradicts the Catholic church's teachings.

While Kelly Kapshandy, of Schererville, believes it's always an honor to have a president speak at commencement, she doesn't think commencement was the place to engage in a dialogue about abortion.

Kapshandy, 22, who wore a yellow cross with yellow baby's feet on either side atop her mortarboard, opposes the school's decision to award an honorary degree to Obama because of his stance on quality of life issues.

Doreen Jimenez, of Cedar Lake, believes the president's speech embodied the spirit of the people.

Jimenez, 43, who earned an MBA, said she particularly liked what he said regarding the survival of the nation depending upon cooperation and understanding among all people from all places. Jimenez, a 1983 East Chicago Roosevelt graduate, also is a single mom with two young children who has worked two jobs since returning to school in 2007.

"When the president speaks, he embodies hope, and that's what people feel when they see him," she said after graduation.

Graduate Rachel Santay, 21, of Valparaiso said she is pro-life and she's glad the president dealt with the issue head on, stressing that people need to "accept our differences."

Although he's Catholic, Jim Harig, 22 of Dyer, said he's for abortion rights.

"I've been brought up like that," Harig said. "I consider all human life sacred and I do believe in the sanctity of human life. I think President Obama did a good job of addressing the issue without focusing too much of his speech on abortion. He talked about trying to reduce the number of women seeking abortion."

While thousands of people were inside applauding Obama and the graduates, senior Aimee Sunny, 22, of Lowell, said Sunday by telephone that she didn't like the fact that most of the protesters around the campus didn't have any affiliation with Notre Dame.

"We've had some students who have had some prayers and peaceful demonstrations," she said.

"These people who are walking around campus carrying these disturbing signs are not affiliated with Notre Dame in anyway. There was one man walking around with a doll that he was wheeling around in a buggy with fake blood. It was gross."