CLC trustee pushes for bigger, better speakers

The College of Lake County’s performing arts center should try to elevate its game when it comes to attracting noteworthy speakers to campus, a member of the school’s board says.

Trustee Richard Anderson said at a recent meeting that seeking prominent speakers can help to create more of an “educational culture” at CLC’s James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts.

“I’d like to see us redouble our efforts to get more educational-type of people that can come in,” he said. “Political pundits, things like that, the speakers we used to get.”

Back in the day, Anderson said, CLC attracted speakers such as former Defense Secretary Les Aspin and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Halberstam, who was known for writing about the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and sports.

“And Margaret Mead,” added Trustee Jeanne Goshgarian, referring to the controversial American anthropologist and celebrity activist.

The Lumber Center, located on the school’s flagship Grayslake campus, is named after a founding member of the board of trustees. Its calendar features a mix of music, literary events, plays and international films.

One current offering is “The Shadow Box,” a play about three terminally ill cancer patients in hospice care. “Rhythm of the Dance,” a show about the journey of Irish Celts through history, is set for March 14.

CLC Trustee John Lumber, whose brother’s name is affixed to the performing arts building, raised a concern about whether prominent speakers would be too costly for the school.

“That makes it difficult. If you can get a professor who’s maybe very respected, you could afford them,” he said. “Some of these people will be asking $50,000.” The Washington Speakers Bureau, one of the better-known talent agencies for speakers, has talent starting at a range of $15,000 to $25,000. Among the low-end speakers are syndicated finance columnist and author Jane Bryant Quinn, former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer and political pundit Patrick Buchanan.

For $25,001 to $40,000, the Washington Speakers Bureau can provide the likes of Vanguard Group Inc. founder John C. Bogle, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush or author Dave Barry. Commanding top dollar at more than $40,000 per speech are former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Anderson made his suggestion about the speakers before CLC board members agreed to retain a $1-per-ticket facility fee for all events at the Lumber Center. The $1 fee goes toward offsetting equipment and facility replacement costs.