As a graduating senior, Julia Christian is looking forward to the commencement ceremony and said she hopes the speaker will be entertaining.
Christian said she expects entertaining commencement and keynote speakers, but that rarely happens.
Last year General James F. Amos, the U.S. Marine Corps Commandant, gave the commence speech at the University of Idaho May commencement ceremony.
“He was a good one,” she said. “He was hilarious and many people wanted to see him speak.”
Sanjay Sisodiya, chair of the Commencement Committee at UI, said they look for someone who has ties to the university.
He said getting Amos last year was great, as he was a UI alumnus who also was in command of the Marine Corps.
One of the reasons the committee tries to find an alumnus to give the speech, is because the graduating students can connect with them right away because they went to the same university, Sisodiya said.
He said they do not always try to get big names because they would rather have the speaker connect with the students.
Also, the committee looks for people who have different stories to tell.
“We look for someone who has a unique story to tell to the students,” Sisodiya said. “Because (the speech is) meant to be inspiring.”
This year the commencement address will be given by independent film producer Jim Lemley, he said.
Lemley graduated from the College of Business and Economics and has worked in the music and film industry.
“He has a great personal story,” Sisodiya said.
He said Lemley has done a great deal of work and has been successful on his own merit, and that people find that success exciting.
The Commencement Committee solicits names for commencement speakers for May from different colleges and other parts of UI, Sisodiya said.
From that list, they review the names and then submit a shorter list to the president’s office and they choose from there, he said.
He said Lemley has multiple ties to UI and he is excited to hear him speak.
Lemley worked at Island Records, Disney, Universal Studios and Icon productions before he became an independent producer.
“I think it will be a good speech,” Sisodiya said. “We have been really lucky to get good commencement speakers, and lucky to maintain that trend.”
Christian said she is looking forward to the whole ceremony, and has faith that this commencement speaker will be good.
Allison Griffith can be reached at [email protected]