<p>“noticed quite a few actors and actresses speaking to our graduates. Other than celebrity, I wonder what special insight this group of people can impart to our college graduates. Also, politicians seem to makeup a majority of the speakers. Haven’t we heard enough from this group already.”</p>
<p>Amazing as it may seem, GP, some of our kids attend schools where there are a significant number of students who desire to make their future livings as actors / actresses. </p>
<p>@Consolation - it’s Patrick Dempsey who’s from Maine 
Patrick Stewart is the British actor (although I’m old enough to think Stewart’s pretty dreamy!). Dempsey is from Lewiston and established the Patrick Dempsey Center at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. He also started the Dempsey challenge in 2009 that benefits the cancer center. Students from Bates, Bowdoin and Colby compete to see which school can raise the most money. I don’t think Dempsey went to Bowdoin? And we’re pretty excited to welcome Shonda home next month!</p>
<p>Oops, right guy, wrong name! I had the feeling something was amiss. No, Dempsey didn’t go to Bowdoin. (I don’t think he went to college at all, in fact.) They just made his character an alum since Dempsey is from Maine. </p>
<p>That made me chuckle - although both aren’t too hard to take! I’ve not seen the series although it’s in my “to be viewed” pile on Netflix. It won’t happen until the fall when baseball is over. </p>
<p>RE the Condoleezza Rice withdrawal at Rutgers, I was surprised to learn they’d planned to pay her $35,000 to be their speaker. That’s quite an honorarium! I’m wondering if this is the norm?</p>
<p>^^That’s pocket change as far as speaker’s fees go. I read that Bill Clinton got paid $750K for one of his speeches. Must have been a good one.</p>
<p>^^^I understand speaker’s fees (and they can be legitimate), but I was under the impression Commencement speeches were in a different category. Personally, I’d rather see $35K go to a scholarship fund than to line the pockets of a former politician/academic!!</p>
<p>Why would they be in a different category? It would seem to me that if I’m a speaker who can command a certain amount of money, I can charge whatever fee I like (and of course the college can choose not to select me if the fee is too high). I’m sure plenty of colleges would love to have Bill Clinton, etc. at their commencements but how many can really afford that. Now if Bill wants to give it away (so to speak) at a reduced cost because he feels affinity with a certain school (such as with Georgetown), that’s his prerogative. But I don’t see why the general fee structure would be different. </p>
<p>It obviously isn’t. Seems like poor management of funds to me. </p>
<p>Snooki got 32K to speak at Rutgers…</p>
<p>“Snooki got 32K to speak at Rutgers…”</p>
<p>That certainly speaks to the type of person they’d like to speak at their graduation. If they booked Miley, it would be right along the lines of the type of speakers they enjoy. I think she ought to get at least 35K, as she is far more currently notorious than Snooki. I’m sure she’ll have some useful pearls of wisdom that would be well appreciated by the graduating class. Why should they waste their time listening to one of the most powerful and high ranking women in the history of the country?</p>
<p>Ex-governor Tom Kean has agreed to replace Condi. He will speak for free</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, what percentage of the student body at most of these colleges makes their future livings as actors/actresses? I would be surprised if it was more than one half of 1%. </p>
<p>Other than the entertainment value, I doubt people from this industry can offer much of anything of value to graduating students. When I moved to Southern Ca many years ago, I was shocked by the obsessive focus on these people by the media. We have many actors/ actresses living in my town, and most of their utterances, which are duly reported by the media, are generally totally devoid of any worthwhile content. Many of them are self-centered, insecure, highly neurotic, irresponsible with money, and have chaotic interpersonal relationships with those who fawn all over them. I could think of lots of people from any number of other professions who would be better role models for our students. </p>
<p>“Pizzagirl, what percentage of the student body at most of these colleges makes their future livings as actors/actresses? I would be surprised if it was more than one half of 1%.”</p>
<p>My alma mater (and where my son goes as well) is a top 20 school explicitly known for its theatre department. There are tons of alumni on stage, on TV and in the movies. Pretty much any major TV show will have one of them involved somewhere, whether it’s production, writing, directing or acting. 2 of the major late night hosts come from there (with acting backgrounds). It’s part of what makes it all interesting. Mikhail Barishnikov (sp?) was their commencement speaker last night, as his daughter was graduating. He’s “only” a dancer but I think he might have something interesting to say.</p>
<p>Ah…the Russian. Yes.</p>
<p>@Goldenpooch Pizzagirl’s alma mater, from which my theatre major son happens to be graduating this year, (Barishnikov’s daughter is in my son’s acting class ) has Riccardo Muti, the conductor of the Chicago Symphony as the commencement speaker this year. The Music School students at this University are particularly pleased, and as a parent attending graduation this year, I am looking forward to hearing what this artist has to share with the students. I don’t think commencements speakers always have to be doctors, lawyers and politicians. </p>
<p>Don’t misinterpret me, I am sure there are some people from the field of arts (not necessarily actors/actresses) who would be great speakers. I am speaking more generally about celebrities whose claim to fame is that they played superman or some other equally entertaining character in a movie, and as a consequence it is assumed they might actually have something interesting to say to students graduating college. Other than having an unique talent performing make-believe roles, many of these people are not admirable human beings or know anything of consequence about the world. Believe me, whether I like it or not, I am constantly bombarded by the media with all their bad acts of behavior. People (at least in Southern California) are endlessly fascinated with celebrities regardless of their rectitude or no matter whatever idiotic thing they may have said recently.</p>
<p>Depends on the actor/celebrity, doesn’t it?
I’m not interested in hearing Snooki or Miley Cyrus, but to your superman example, I sure would have like to have heard from Christopher Reeve, or maybe hear Michael J Fox or Meryl Streep. </p>
<p>I agree with at least two of your examples but not because they were actors.</p>
<p>As a long time viewer of Inside the Actors Studio, I am constantly amazed at the brilliance of the actors interviewed - a brilliance that goes beyond just their acting ability. I find the conversations between the guests and James Lipton show the incredible intellect most of these actors possess and not only about the art they practice. I’m always in awe as I listen to them converse. </p>
<p>Malcom Forbes was the commencement speaker at SU when I got my masters. Saying he was dull as dishwater is being kind. </p>