The New $200K Tee Shirt

I'm sure all you Latin scholars know what "fregit" means?

Coming Soon to a Commencement Near You - The Rolling Stones !

$140K per Hour and She'd be Underpaid !!

The cost of a college degree in the United States has increased "12 fold" over the past 30 years, far outpacing the price inflation of consumer goods, medical expenses and food.

According to Bloomberg, college tuition and fees have increased 1,120 percent since records began in 1978.

The average debt owed by New Jersey college graduates in 2012 was $29,287, according to the Project on Student Debt 2012. That’s up from an average of $27,610 in 2011 and $23,792 in 2010.

Most of New Jersey’s public colleges and universities do not pay their commencement speakers, though they often cover their travel expenses. Rutgers recently began paying speakers $30,000 to $35,000 in a bid to attract bigger names to its ceremony. The money comes from donations to the university’s foundation, not tuition or state funding, Rutgers officials said.*

Rice was scheduled to receive $35,000 for her Rutgers speech before she bowed out. (The speech was planned for 15 minutes - that's $140,000 per hour.) Kean, her replacement, has turned down the fee and Rutgers has not said if LeGrand will be paid for his remarks.

Kean University has also paid its speakers in recent years. Musician John Legend earned $25,000 in 2011 for a 15-minute speech and the performance of two songs. In 2006, Kean paid filmmaker Spike Lee $25,000 for a 10-minute graduation address (that's $150,000 per hour).

New Jersey colleges seem to want to give away over two years of tuition for a typical undergraduate student so as to have a "Big Name" commencement speaker? I think this shows the height of  arrogance and total disregard for the students who struggle to pay the exorbitant tuitions and fees these school demand.

*Should such donations be used to line the pockets of "Big Name" fifteen minute speakers? I certainly think it would be better used to help lower tuition costs if even just an iota! They say that university foundations pay the speaker fees?  Does that mean that when I get phone calls for contributions to Rutger's Foundations I  was being asked to contribute to this pompous folly.? I had no idea that might be the case!

Had I known I surely would not have contributed as I have done over the past fifteen years. The next time I am called I will be sure to ask if any of my money will be eligible for the "Big Name" speaker program? If  the answer is "yes" - I will just simply hang up the phone!

"Big Name Speaker" How About "Big Price Tag Speaker"!

I was elated to see that Ms. Rice was not "hired" as the commencement speaker not because of her political affiliations but because of the exorbitant  fee she was to be paid for a fifteen minute banter. For me, "freedom of speech" was irrelevant and besides this speech was certainly not to be free.
Thankfully, Governor Kean has replaced her as commencement speaker. Governor Kean not only has significantly more prestige he is speaking for FREE and he will not be paid the equivalent of an RU student's two years of in state tuition to do so.
As I read the paper regarding Ms. Rice's replacement as RU's commencement speaker I happened to also read the Letter to the Editor shown here.
It was disheartening!
Disheartening because I have always considered RU to be a fine school which produces intelligent and clearly thinking graduates.
Mr. Stevens the writer of this letter who claims to have been graduated from RU certainly does not appear to live up to those standards I have come to expect.
Firstly, Condoleeza Rice- a "big name speaker"? Well maybe a "big price tag speaker" - yes!
Secondly, "Travis Smiley - Who?" truly demonstrates his ignorance.  Well I guess Mr. Stevens has been spending most of his time watching sitcoms or the Cartoon Channel.
Smiley is a nightly talk show host on PBS following Charlie Rose. He has interviewed hundreds of well known artists, writers, musicians, politicians, etc.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Stevens identified himself as an RU graduate thereby contaminating the reputations of the thousands of well informed and bright RU graduates.
If hearing fifteen minutes of banter from Ms. Rice would make that day "one of the best days" of one's life these graduates certainly shouldn't expect very many good days ahead of them!
Lastly, most disheartening  of all, is much of the public may have opinions similar to those of Mr. Stevens!
PS
I have added some info about Smiley who has risen from obscurity to a position of prominence and success on his own steam (and without killing and torturing people)  - just in case you're interested.

Tavis Smiley (born September 13, 1964) is an American talk show host, author, liberal political commentator, entrepreneur, advocate and philanthropist. Tavis Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, the son of Joyce Marie Roberts, a single mother who first became pregnant at age 18

In 1982, Smiley enrolled in Indiana University Bloomington (IU). Because Smiley's parents refused to complete financial aid papers, Smiley entered Indiana University with only $50 and a small suitcase.[18] Administrators let Smiley complete the paperwork to become a full-time student. Smiley moderated two live presidential candidate forums in 2007: a Democratic forum on June 28 at Howard University in Washington, D.C.,[43] and a Republican forum on September 27 at Morgan State University in Baltimore. In 1999, he founded the Tavis Smiley Foundation, which funds programs that develop young leaders in the community. Since its inception, more than 6,500 young people have participated in the foundation's Youth to Leaders Training workshops and conferences. On December 12, 2008, Smiley received the Du Bois Medal from Harvard University's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. Smiley was named No. 2 change agent in the field of media behind Oprah Winfrey in EBONY Magazine's POWER 150 list. In 2014, Smiley is set to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, honoring his contributions to television.[53] As of date, Smiley has received 16 honorary doctorates.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tavis_Smiley