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Talk isn’t always cheap at Western

The University Students’ Council is ramping up their speakers list for the spring semester, bringing in the likes of Dan Savage of the It Gets Better Project and PostSecret’s Frank Warren to inform and entertain students this March.

But Warren and Savage are only the latest in a long line of high profile public figures who have graced the university’s auditoriums. Past speakers, both respected and controversial, include Robert F. Kennedy, Ann Coulter, Margaret Atwood and Maya Angelou.

Marissa Joffre, vice-president campus issues for the USC and the primary coordinator for Dan Savage, said she chose Savage because she felt his presence would have lasting impact on the Western community.

Warren, on the other hand, was selected due to his “connection to both public arts and mental health awareness,” Joffre explained.

But with an increasing amount celebrity acts coming to Western, such as Adrian Grenier’s screening of Teenage Paparazzo and Kevin O’Leary of Dragon’s Den, often times it’s a fine line between education and entertainment when booking a speaker.

According to Andrew Forgione, president of the USC, feedback on the latest student survey showed most students favoured entertainment events slightly more than educational events.

“When you bring in entertainment speakers they usually have a larger price tag and since we like keeping our costs down for students for these types of events, we usually weigh out the costs and benefits first,” he stated.

While the USC has held more concerts than speaking engagements this year, Forgione observed Maya Angelou’s sold out event was the largest affair next to O-Week.

And for fourth-year social science student Ryan Post, that’s exactly how it should be.

Citing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campus visit in spring 2010, Post praised the event, describing it as “an incredible talk on politics and environmental law.”

“I’d much rather [see] speakers such as Kennedy over Down With Webster at the Wave,” Post commented.

But with big names like Kennedy, Atwood and Suzuki, the cost of booking such speakers doesn’t come cheap.

The annual speakers budget, according to Jennifer Valadao, vice-president finance for the USC, is $25,000.

Funding for such events is approved each year in the budget cycle, Valadao explained, with sponsorships and collaborations with other faculties a frequent occurrence.

“Financially, there isn’t much of a return, given our best case scenario is usually a break-even,” Valadao said. “The real return on investment is the enrichment to the student experience.”

Valadao noted Maya Angelou and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have been two of the most costly speakers.

However, some bigger names have been brought to the school free of charge.

Grenier’s fall presentation was a free event for the USC, as a promotional company had brought him to the city to visit a local nightclub.

“He wanted to show a documentary at a theatre and have a question and answer period directly following,” Forgione said, noting student turnout was between 200 and 300.

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