<p>Anyone have an idea? Why haven't they announced? Last year they announced in Feb.</p>
<p>Cornell seems to be notoriously inconsistent. And that’s being generous. You’ll get a Bill Clinton thrown in every few years between earth shaking dignitaries like Danny Glover of Lethal Weapon fame, Martin Luther King’s grandson, and David Plouffe who did something for the Obama campaign.</p>
<p>Hope it is better than last year. Nancy Pelosi was not a very good speaker. This was generally agreed upon with the people I spoke to no matter their political persuasion.</p>
<p>"Hope it is better than last year. "</p>
<p>So do I. I have to sit through it this year.</p>
<p>Agree. Nancy meandered. Narcissistic but muddled. Why not an egghead academic to speak rather than a politician?</p>
<p>Better yet… Barnard had Meryl Streep recently, she was tremendous, best commencement speech I’ve ever heard (it’s on Youtube if you’re interested). But she was playing the “seven sisters” angle, being an alum of then-unisex Vassar, wouldn’t really fit here.</p>
<p>Unfortunately we’re currently a little light on the “famous actor” front, too bad they got rid of the MFA program. That would be a good pool of probably more entertaining speakers.</p>
<p>I actually didn’t attend my own Cornell undergrad commencement, because I had a conflict and I thought it would be a bloody bore.
But I did attend it for grad commencement there, to make up for it to my parents. Which completely confirmed that I was 100% correct in my prior assessment.</p>
<p>I have of course passed this wisdom on, but have been overruled…</p>
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<p>Are you sure that they dispensed with the MFA program? Am I correct that you are referring to a Master of Fine Arts? Because as far as I know that Arts program is in fine shape. Was there an MFA for acting at one time?</p>
<p>[Cornell</a> MFA Program Overview](<a href=“http://aap.cornell.edu/art/programs/grad/][b]Cornell”>http://aap.cornell.edu/art/programs/grad/)</p>
<p>Also, with respect to drama and acting, this program seems to be going strong:</p>
<p>[MA/PhD</a> in Theatre Arts at Cornell](<a href=“http://theatrefilmdance.cornell.edu/academics/gradstudy.cfm][b]MA/PhD”>http://theatrefilmdance.cornell.edu/academics/gradstudy.cfm)</p>
<p>However, this program predominantly regards theater and acting for scholars, rather than for performers.</p>
<p>From post # 7 of this thread:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/43729-cornell-theater.html?[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/theater-drama-majors/43729-cornell-theater.html?</a></p>
<p>“To clarify a few things… Theatermom said there was an M.F.A. program when she was there-- that was abandoned in 1986 I think to strengthen the undergraduate program.”</p>
<p>Jimmy Smits is a graduate of the MFA theater program.</p>