[Ed Dantes]

I think we need to make a distinction between our Baccalaureate and the normal graduation speakers. Usually the bacc'y ceremony is some pastor friend of the Falwell's. I think we should have those quirky ones (like Chuck Norris) go on the Bacc'y ceremony like Harvard does on "Class Day" (when they have people like Conan O'Brien & Al Franken & Seth McFarlane) and its actual graduation (when they have Bill Gates, Jim Lehrer, Kofi Annan, etc).

And the only way I'd go for Bear Gryllis is if we dropped him off in Roanoke and told him to hike.

[SuperJon]

And the only way I'd go for Bear Gryllis is if we dropped him off in Roanoke and told him to hike.

Roanoke is too easy. Send him to Lexington and make him come over the mountain.


And film it.

[Hold My Own]

And the only way I'd go for Bear Gryllis is if we dropped him off in Roanoke and told him to hike.

Roanoke is too easy. Send him to Lexington and make him come over the mountain.


And film it.

One of the best ideas EVER, we can line up some of the hotels for him to stay at...you know, like he did on his show

[SuperJon]

Or send him to Danville and have him try to get out without getting stabbed.

[ALUmnus]

Bear has survived a lot of things, but I don't think he'd survive trespassing on some mountain man's property, lots of guns in those mountains.

[Hold My Own]

My only concern with Bear is he's made a living off doing what 80% of the males in the audience think they could do if they were put in a similar situation....I rather have someone who challenges the students and have them know they would have to work hard and catch a few breaks to achieve what they have done


With that said, I'm a huge fan and watch every show...but still....

[prototype]

Is Bear Grylls confirmed for this year proto?

I was trying to make a point... Maybe it was too close and wasn't sarcastic enough, so I will revise -


Liberty -
2010 - Buzz Lightyear
2009 - Yogi Bear
2008 - Chuck Norris
2007 - Newt Gingrich
2006 - Sen. McCain
2005 - Sean Hannity
2004 - Karl Rove

[prototype]

I think we need to make a distinction between our Baccalaureate and the normal graduation speakers. Usually the bacc'y ceremony is some pastor friend of the Falwell's. I think we should have those quirky ones (like Chuck Norris) go on the Bacc'y ceremony like Harvard does on "Class Day" (when they have people like Conan O'Brien & Al Franken & Seth McFarlane) and its actual graduation (when they have Bill Gates, Jim Lehrer, Kofi Annan, etc).

And the only way I'd go for Bear Gryllis is if we dropped him off in Roanoke and told him to hike.

+1

[BJWilliams]

Is Bear Grylls confirmed for this year proto?

I was trying to make a point... Maybe it was too close and wasn't sarcastic enough, so I will revise -


Liberty -
2010 - Buzz Lightyear
2009 - Yogi Bear
2008 - Chuck Norris
2007 - Newt Gingrich
2006 - Sen. McCain
2005 - Sean Hannity
2004 - Karl Rove

See now THAT there is funny

[ToTheLeft]

All it takes is a little Yogi Bear and BJ just loses it.

[prototype]

That's what she said!!

[JLFJR]

Guys, I had an old friend call the other day and ask confidentially who the graduation speaker would be. I knew she only wanted to be the first to spread the word. I told her that Rosie O'Donnell had just confirmed. She gasped and proceeded to tell everyone the news. I am shocked that none of you predicted that Rosie was at the top of the list this year. Seriously, we should be announcing the speaker soon.

[thepostman]

Guys, I had an old friend call the other day and ask confidentially who the graduation speaker would be. I knew she only wanted to be the first to spread the word. I told her that Rosie O'Donnell had just confirmed. She gasped and proceeded to tell everyone the news. I am shocked that none of you predicted that Rosie was at the top of the list this year. Seriously, we should be announcing the speaker soon.

hahaha

there you go BJ...

great post

[BJWilliams]

See THAT'S funny...I look forward to the announcement of this year's commencement speaker

[JDUB]

He mentioned this again today in convo. I think he said by the end of next week, but I could have misheard

[ToTheLeft]

The basic idea was the news about the speaker would be made pubic after the yearly trustees meeting, which is coming up within the next week or so.

[BJWilliams]

I think he said they are coming in this weekend for the meeting so Id expect the announcement to be either in Wednesday or Friday convo next week

[Rest of the story]

Prototype:

Didn't you propose bringing Mixed Martial Arts to LU and got turned down cold? How would a college hosting the equivalent of professional wrestling help your reputation with your snobby business associate friends? Sounds like sour grapes to me.

I would love to be entertained, but this is supposed to be a charge to all students to make something with their lives...To make a difference. These speakers legitimize the academic reputation of a school and reflect the direction of education. I don't want to say I graduated from a college that is know as a summer camp with a ski slop, paint ball course, gun range, motor-cross course, concerts every weekend, etc... BUT a University that is an institution of Higher Learning at the same time. I took so much professional crap over Chuck Norris. When all the current students graduate and get in to a professional career, you will know what I mean. One of the bright spots in Liberty's short history is that we have been able to have some of the best Commencement speakers in the country - I would hate to see that trend stop. If you start going in the entertainment value, alone - Liberty will lose the ability to attract the serious speakers.

Let's look at some other Universities choices -

Notre Dame -
2008 - Theodore McCarrick - President of ND (weak)
2007 - Jeffrey Immelt - GE CEO
2006 - Mary McAleese - president of Ireland
2005 - Vartan Gregorian - president of Carnegie
2004 - Alan Page - NFL and Minn. Supreme Court Justice

James Madison -
2008 - Sen. George Allen
2007 - John Snow - 73rd United States Secretary of the Treasury
2006 - Barbara Hall - American writer and producer of television series
2005 - George Mitchell
2004 - William Safire - syndicated political columnist for The New York Times

William and Mary -
2008 - Sandra Day O'Conner
2007 - Mike Tomlin
2006 - Robert Gates - 22nd United States Secretary of Defense
2005 - Archbishop Desmond Tutu - awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
2004 - Jon Stewart

Old Dominion -
2008 - Marian Edelman - president and founder of the Children's Defense Fund.
2007 - R. Brooks Hanson - top editor for Science, the weekly journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2006 - Wolf Blitzer - American journalist who has been a CNN reporter
2005 - Michael D'Orso - Author
2004 - Cathryn Cranston - Big time publisher

Virginia -
2008 - Don Tosi (weak)
2007 - Ray Suaraz - senior correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,
2006 - Gov. Tim Kaine
2005 - Thomas Morris - Secretary of Education
2004 - Gary McCollum - Senior Vice President and General Manager for Cox Communications

Virginia Tech -
2008 - Hoda Kotb - Co-host of the new 4th hour of Today with Ann Curry and Natalie Morales. Since 2008, she hosts with Kathie Lee Gifford.
2007 - Gen. John Abizaid - retired General in the United States Army and former Commander of the United States Central Command
2006 - Gov. Tim Kaine
2005 - David Calhoun - Executive Board Chief Executive Officer The Nielsen Company
2004 - Pierre Thomas - covers the Justice Department for ABC News

Regent University -
2008 - Mitt Romney
2007 - Sen. George Allen
2006 - William H. Pryor, Jr. - federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
2005 - Elaine Chao - 24th United States Secretary of Labor
2004 - Rep. Richard Armey

Liberty -
2010 - Steven Segal
2009 - Bear Grylls
2008 - Chuck Norris
2007 - Newt Gingrich
2006 - Sen. McCain
2005 - Sean Hannity
2004 - Karl Rove

[prototype]

Prototype:

Didn't you propose bringing Mixed Martial Arts to LU and got turned down cold? How would a college hosting the equivalent of professional wrestling help your reputation with your snobby business associate friends? Sounds like sour grapes to me.

You want to know what makes me proud??? It's being associated with people like you. You make everything personal and exploit the inside information you have to try and tear someone's opinion down. It's having Liberty employees get on here every 4 months and try to right the ship (ON A PUBLIC FORUM). I don't, and never did, have sour grapes over not being allowed to put on an MMA event on in the Vines, I don't get on here to get back at anyone and do you really think I thought getting an MMA event on campus was going to be anything more than a long shot? What has me heated right now is this is the second public announcement of a private and personal conversation that I had with Jerry Jr. If you want to be the light of Truth for Liberty - make your username your name - why hide behind "rest of the story"? I have never hid my identity.

You want the rest of the story? - Jerry Jr. liked the idea, we discussed it at length, and he even called in several employees to have me pitch the idea to them. It wasn't until a few days after these meetings that the executive board shot it down. You have your opinion on MMA - that is fine - I RESPECT YOUR opinion, but I personally think that the sport is NOT Professional wresting, after all I don't think there are over 400+ children in Lynchburg learning how to hit someone in the head with a chair. [on a side note - did you know that Jerry Sr. like to watch MMA? Had a long conversation in his office several years ago about where the sport was going and the positive role models that were and still are participating in MMA.]

Snobby business associate friends?? Nice! That pretty much sums up your argument - weak! You obviously didn't try to understand my point - I doubt a local event on campus gets National attention. Go ask a University of Phoenix grad if he hangs his diploma up on his wall?

[SuperJon]

Prototype:

Didn't you propose bringing Mixed Martial Arts to LU and got turned down cold? How would a college hosting the equivalent of professional wrestling help your reputation with your snobby business associate friends? Sounds like sour grapes to me.

You may be new on here, and you may be in the know at Liberty, but there are still rules on here. You just personally attacked a member of this board and that's not allowed. Not only did you attack him but you attacked him personally with information that was private. This board works in a certain way and unless you want to have to make a third username, I suggest you play by the rules on our court. If you need a refresher, go here.

[thepostman]

MMA does not equal pro wrestling....pro wrestling is entertaining!

I kid of course...seriously though rest of the story...whats your deal?

[Hold My Own]

I'd buy floor seats for a MMA event at the vines

Seriously though that would be pretty cool and there is without a doubt a ton of LU kids that would go....just go to BWW during a UFC event...you cant get a seat and sometimes there's a line going out the door and 90% of the people there are LU kids

[TDDance234]

See now THAT there is funny

Did you really just say "that there"?

[BJWilliams]

It took you over two weeks to comment on that? Man...what has married life done to your sense of humor...

[Hold My Own]

It will be announced here shortly