Quote:The Rice University administration announced Wednesday that former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell will deliver this year’s commencement address on May 16.

http://www.ricethresher.org/news/colin-p...473fc.html

legit

And the day before (May 15), at Houston's academic cornerstone, the commencement speaker will be the son of yesterday's Rice Update Triva Contest answer.

A contrast? Or just a passing moment in time?

I'd rather listen to General Powell speak but I bet if you put it to a student body vote, "Wooderson" wins a in a land slide.

(03-19-2015 09:07 AM)Mademen Wrote:  I'd rather listen to General Powell speak but I bet if you put it to a student body vote, "Wooderson" wins a in a land slide.

At many campuses, the student body's reaction would likely be "Colin who?"

I wonder which of the two will be asked more for autographs?

Actually, I don't.

(03-18-2015 04:23 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  And the day before (May 15), at Houston's academic cornerstone, the commencement speaker will be the son of yesterday's Rice Update Triva Contest answer.

Alright. Alright. Alright.

(03-19-2015 09:52 AM)Da.Owl Wrote:  

(03-18-2015 04:23 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  And the day before (May 15), at Houston's academic cornerstone, the commencement speaker will be the son of yesterday's Rice Update Triva Contest answer.

Alright. Alright. Alright.

In honor of the work-school-life balance challenges that hew to UH's mission:

"I've been graduating from UH almost all my life"

(add other lines from the Lincoln commercials as needed)

(03-19-2015 11:16 AM)YOwl Ming Wrote:  

(03-19-2015 09:52 AM)Da.Owl Wrote:  

(03-18-2015 04:23 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  And the day before (May 15), at Houston's academic cornerstone, the commencement speaker will be the son of yesterday's Rice Update Triva Contest answer.

Alright. Alright. Alright.

In honor of the work-school-life balance challenges that hew to UH's mission:

"I've been graduating from UH almost all my life"

(add other lines from the Lincoln commercials as needed)

"I was a commencement speaker before they paid me."

(03-19-2015 12:53 PM)interwebowl Wrote:  I guess Tier one means different things at different places. Although if the speakers are performing bongo solos while naked and stoned I suppose uh has the better draw.

When playing the bongos naked and stoned is outlawed, only outlaws will be playing bongos naked and stoned...or something...hey, calm down Beavis, I was going somewhere with this...

Should be a good speech.

Powell was on the Board of Directors of a start up in Silicon Valley that I interned at. Got a chance to meet him briefly.

(03-20-2015 01:09 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Should be a good speech.

Powell was on the Board of Directors of a start up in Silicon Valley that I interned at. Got a chance to meet him briefly.

Was that Bloom Energy, where he serves on the board with Rice alum John Doerr (after joining John at Kleiner Perkins in 2005 as a strategic limited partner)?

(03-22-2015 01:43 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(03-20-2015 01:09 PM)Antarius Wrote:  Should be a good speech.

Powell was on the Board of Directors of a start up in Silicon Valley that I interned at. Got a chance to meet him briefly.

Was that Bloom Energy, where he serves on the board with Rice alum John Doerr (after joining John at Kleiner Perkins in 2005 as a strategic limited partner)?

Yep.

Didn't really know much about John Doerr at the time, and also didn't get a chance to meet him.

Is it me, or is mid-March pretty late to announce the Commencement speaker? I thought the naming of the speaker usually happened in the preceding fall, not just a couple months prior to Commencement. This is because big-name speakers are usually booked months and months and months in advance.

I wonder if something out of the ordinary occurred with this years Commencement speaker selection process.

(03-23-2015 09:46 PM)Barrett Wrote:  Is it me, or is mid-March pretty late to announce the Commencement speaker? I thought the naming of the speaker usually happened in the preceding fall, not just a couple months prior to Commencement. This is because big-name speakers are usually booked months and months and months in advance.

I wonder if something out of the ordinary occurred with this years Commencement speaker selection process.

I thought the same thing.

2014 speaker was announced in September 2013.
http://news.rice.edu/2013/09/04/presiden...mencement/

2013 speaker was announced in August 2012.
http://news.rice.edu/2012/08/17/neil-deg...ncement-2/

2012 speaker was announced in October 2011.
http://news.rice.edu/2011/10/21/salman-k...ncement-2/

A story in the Chronicle this morning says UH is paying Matthew McConaughey $135,000 for his commencement speech (which the actor intends to donate to a charity of his choice). I doubt the talent agency who lined up the deal is donating its $20,000 engagement fee.

I assume Rice frequently pays its high-profile speakers big bucks too?