I'm from Utah, a very, very conservative state. A few weeks ago, a college here (Utah Valley State College) announced they had booked Michael Moore to speak. Many in the community, which consists mostly of conservative Mormons, spoke out on it saying they didn't feel that student fees should go to such a liberal speaker as Moore. They complain that inviting Moore is tacit endorsement of liberal agendas by UVSC as a whole. However, this accusation ignores the long list of recent speakers who can hardly be described as leftist. For example, Gordon B. Hinckley (president of the Mormon church), Robert Bennett (Utah Republican Senator), Orrin Hatch (Utah Republican Senator), Chris Cannon (Utah Republican Congressman), Stephen Covey (Conservative Republican businessman), Gayle Ruzicka (ultra-conservative local politician), Alan Keyes and Barbara Bush.

So, partly because I want to hear a liberal speak, for once in Utah, partly because I want to hear Michael Moore speak in Utah as it will almost undoubtedly never happen again, and partly because it will definitely be entertaining to be part of such a large local uprising I obtained a ticket to see him speak.

Alright, let the flaming begin.

 

Good for you!

Be sure you don't take any video cameras because he might take them once he tries to promote his exclusive footage and income. Be sure to take advantage of his "Slacker Uprising" promotion by bring trash bags to fill with with bags of ramen and other goodies!

 

Grab a pair of undies for me! :banana:

 

He was supposed to come to my school (Capital Univ, Columbus, OH). The administration felt he was too controversial and that it could adversely affect donations . . . dunno, might have been interesting, even though I think he's kinda whacko

 

How many of those people were paid to speak I wonder?

 

Damn good point.

I bet the only one would have been Stephen Covey at the very most. I could much rather see him making an appearance to pitch a book rather than taking money.

 

Kick his ***, seabass!

 

All of them. The Student Assocation has a budget to bring in speakers every year. I'm sure its the same way at school you went to as well.

 

You're kidding me, right? Stephen Covey is first and formost a businessman. He gets paid millions of dollars a year to conduct seminars. He definitely won't speak for free, even if he only lives 10 minutes down the street. In fact, I'm sure he was the most expensive of them all.

The only one I know of that spoke for free was Gordon B. Hinkley.

 

But was the money spent on "buying" speakers or making the arrangements. Just because there is a student association budget does not mean that its spent to pay the speakers. You are a student there, you should ask them. Its your money. I was skeptical that a Mormon prophet needed to be paid to speak to people in Utah. Or for local politician to address prospective voters for that matter. Politicians spend their whole budget doing just that.

 

I'm not actually a student there. But as it has been in the news around here, I've found out a lot about the process at that school. I have a lot of experience in this area as when I was in college, I was on the student council and for one year I was in charge of bringing in guest speakers.

Trust me, every speaker has a fee, even politicians. The senators and congressman I brought in made our student association pay for their travel from D.C. We paid all of their expenses including some crazy ones like what kind of car picked them up from the airport, what kind of water they had, what their hotel room temperatures were. They have huge contracts and just because you're a college doesn't mean they cut some of the clauses.

 

Expense's I can understand. But a fee is another matter.