Spike Lee to address University on society

By Kalari Girtley

World-renowned film director, Spike Lee, is set to lecture on the topic “America Through My Lens” Wednesday night at Foellinger Auditorium.

The lecture committee of the Illini Union Board has been planning Lee’s appearance for two months. Bilal Aziz, the co-chair of the lecture committee of the board, said bringing Spike Lee to campus has been a long journey.

“We were able to get someone that I am personally excited to see,” Aziz, junior in LAS, said.

In January, the committee had no one lined up for the spring semester. He said they scrambled for a speaker for this semester.

“It was very stressful finding someone to speak,” Aziz said. “We viewed a wide spectrum (of speakers) and it was a bit of a time crunch.”

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Aziz said they had Lee nailed down as a speaker between late February and early March.

Katie Hanlon, program adviser for the board, said the committee was also considering Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons as a possible speaker. She said this plan fell through and they were lucky to get Lee to come.

“We only had one or two specific dates and we were really lucky he was available,” Hanlon said.

Hanlon said they wanted to bring a speaker who could engage the entire campus in dialogue.

“The goal of the committee is to add to the market place of ideas and Spike Lee adds to the market place of ideas,” Hanlon said. “Spike Lee has many unique ideas and he is recognizable as a voice of social consciousness.”

Lee is just one name in the history of big names that the lecture committee has brought to this campus. Hanlon said in the past they have brought Anderson Cooper, Michael Moore and Ralph Nader.

Adam Cobb, senior in Engineering and member of the lecture committee, said they wanted to bring a speaker who would address many current events, and they felt Lee was a good candidate.

“Spike Lee is always in the media and he really has something to say,” Cobb said. “He has a social message to bring.”

He said Lee is also a good person to help get all the communities on campus talking about major social issues. He said what makes this year so different are the many co-sponsors they have for this event.

Avantika Gupta, junior in Business, said the countless groups that are helping with co-sponsorship are the highlight of this lecture.

“We really were able to reach out to multiple communities,” Gupta said. “That is one thing that (the board) wants to do is to reach out to the other communities and continue this for years in the future.”