Condoleezza Rice Review

Our third speaker, easily the most highly-anticipated of the season, did not disappoint. Dr. Rice was well received even by people who “absolutely disliked the Bush administration” and who were “negative about seeing her”. It is speakers like Dr. Rice who really are the pinnacle of what we look for in speakers for our Series. Although she is a political figure and may have been controversial while in office, everyone was able to enjoy her.

Going into it, I was sort of overwhelmed by all of her accomplishments. I thought of her as an untouchable God-like woman with an air of intelligence so far above mine it would be like she was speaking in tongues. However in reality, I was amazed by how down to earth she was and how she casually glossed over her accomplishments with her childhood mantra of needing to be “twice as good”. I’m still trying not to compare my own feeble efforts with her daily gym routine.

Overall, I’d have to agree with the majority of the audience that she was nothing if not inspiring. It’s easy to see why she got the highest marks of the season in most categories.

The following illustrates how patrons felt about the Condoleezza Rice engagement:

(1=Low/5=High)

Lecture: 4.7 (highest of the season!)
Q&A: 4.7 (highest of the season!)
Moderator: 4.6 (highest of the season!)
Lighting: 4.3
Acoustics: 3.9 (we apologize for the sound problems; they have been taken care of for next engagement)
Overall: 4.6 (highest of the season!)

93% of audience polled felt the engagement was "money well spent".

91% of audience polled felt the night met their expectations.

Comments from our patrons:

“I am a charter member of the Speakers Series and my husband and I both thought it was the best event so far! All the other great ones just slipped to second place!”

“I did not like her very much when she was in Washington but after hearing her speak last night, I found her to be funny, forthright and honest. She is a great asset to our country.”

“[I] loved the non-personal politics she talked about. She was very natural and her manner gave everyone the feeling you were sitting on the couch with her talking…talent to be able to do that.”

“This was our first time attending a Speaker Series event and we were so impressed with Condoleezza Rice - such an intelligent, versatile, and articulate speaker. We were entertained, educated and inspired. Thank you!”

David Gergen Review

Our second engagement of the season also proved to be very successful. As is to be expected with a political speaker, some of our patron feedback displayed discontent with Gergen and his viewpoints. However, most of our patrons who didn’t necessarily agree with his political stance on certain issues nevertheless enjoyed him as a very engaging speaker.

I think his opening anecdote about the talking frog was the perfect way to start off his speech. Although I’m sure I could be swayed by the promise of a handsome prince, it’s important that we learn to look at things from different perspectives. An extended cheesy metaphor of Mr. Gergen’s point – one man’s trash is another man’s treasure kind of feeling. The same goes for politics – what one person thinks to be the cat’s pajamas, another thinks to be hell on earth. It’s important that we realize that there are all kinds of opinions; it just depends on someone’s perspective. And judging by our patron feedback, most people appreciated Mr. Gergen’s presentation, even if they might not align with his political philosophies.

I especially appreciated that his speech ended on a positive note: although the outlook in the near future might be grim, he’s confident that America will bounce back. A little optimism is good for all of us.

And as with Mr. McCullough, Mr. Gergen was an absolute delight to work with. And he taught us that George Clooney is apparently never to be trusted. I’d say we’re two for two now.

The following illustrates how patrons felt about the David Gergen engagement:

(1=Low/5=High)

Lecture: 4.5
Q&A: 4.1
Moderator: 4.1
Lighting: 4.3
Acoustics: 4.3
Overall: 4.3

94% of audience polled felt the engagement was "money well spent".

89% of audience polled felt the night met their expectations.

Comments from our patrons:

“Mr. Gergen represents the best of the political class of commentator – intellectually curious, philosophically fair, realistic about our problems but steadfastly optimistic about the future.”

“Outstanding! One of the best speakers ever. I loved that Mr. Gergen actually gave opinions and assessments of people instead of waltzing around in the politically correct way. His comments gave me a lot to think about.”

“Have appreciated and respected David's balanced approach to his political commentary for years, and thoroughly appreciated his thoughtful, serious societal/economic/political/historical insights, leavened with his delightful wit.”

David McCullough Review

What a success we had for our first engagement of our 2011-2012 season! This being our first year running the Series, I was cautiously optimistic about how the evening would turn out. In my opinion, and also judging by patron feedback, the evening exceeded my expectations. I’d like to thank everyone for their kind words and for warmly welcoming us to the Series.

As far as David McCullough’s lecture, overall I thought he was very interesting and extremely charismatic. I especially related to his viewpoint on the future of education, emphasizing the importance of teachers and especially of learning history. He made me want to read more, to learn more. And judging by multiple patron comments, he had that effect on quite a few people in the audience.

Everyone seemed to agree that McCullough’s enthusiasm in his presentation gave way to (for lack of a better word) catchphrases of the evening, including “history doesn’t have to be boring” and “there is no such thing as a foreseeable future”; both of which I have repeated to friends who didn’t attend the engagement. I also couldn’t agree more with patrons that the Q&A session was clearly the most exciting part of the evening – I too will be on the lookout for a Royal typewriter.

I couldn’t have asked for a better kick-off speaker. He was not only warm and charming onstage, but he was even more so backstage (if you can believe it). I hope they are all this enjoyable to work with. And when things start to get complicated, I will always remember to look at my fish.

The following illustrates how patrons felt about the David McCullough engagement:

(1= Low / 5= High)

Lecture 4.5

Q&A 4.7

Moderator 4.5

Lighting 4.4

Acoustics 4.5

94% of audience polled felt the engagement was "money well spent".

88% of audience polled felt the night met their expectations.

Comments from the patrons:

“Mr. McCullough was a very engaging speaker and I appreciated his insights into the history of our nation as well as his experience of researching and putting together a book.”

“The engagement exceeded our expectations. We found ourselves jotting down comments, quotes and themes after we had left the engagement.”

“David McCullough is a great story teller and I appreciated his praise of the teaching profession. He understands how testing and “No Child Left Behind” legislation has changed the priorities in the classroom.”

“He was amazing! I LOVED HIM! What a fantastic evening. He is SO knowledgeable, so relaxed and passionate. I left feeling real good and inspired. He used no notes, stood in the middle of the stage and could have talked all night; he was so full of knowledge! Thanks for bringing him-I hope to hear him again! Just fantastic!”

David Gergen Goes to Italy

Did you know that David Gergen was political advisor to FOUR U.S. Presidents? Maybe. But I bet you didn't know that when Gergen went to Italy to interview George Clooney, they did a little bit more than discuss politics.

See how Gergen describes his (literal) romp in Lake Como by clicking here.

Richard Roeper Talks About Film, Jobs, And Social Media

Richard Roeper: occupation: film critic extraordinaire, with an interest in being a rodeo clown?

Richard Roeper sits down with Rachel Gillman and discusses topics about his life as a media personality, to social media's impact in modern society, to his aspirations in another interesting field of occupation.

Find out more about Richard Roeper in this article:

www.oco.com/blog/post/2020-OCO

Peter Greenberg's Sweet New Post

Still not sure if you're excited to see Peter Greenberg? Well you may have more in common than you think. Besides going gaga for travel, it looks like he has a sweet tooth, or, more specifically, is a (gasp!) chocolate lover!

In a recent Travel Tip, Greenberg told us which travel destinations have the best chocolate hotel treats. From England to Italy to St. Lucia and finally to our very own Hershey, Pennsylvania, Greenberg knows where these gems lie.

To read the article, click here.

Lisa Ling Among Latest Celebrities to Take "Hollywood Pledge"

This week our own Sacramento native and final speaker in our upcoming season, Lisa Ling, became one of the latest celebrities to take the "Hollywood Pledge".

According to PRWeb.com, this Pledge is a "philanthropy campaign led by the Give Back Hollywood Foundation and inspired by Bill Gates & Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge. The "Hollywood Pledge" and its companion website unites celebrity philanthropists and serves as a convenient way for them to promote the charities and causes they are most passionate about."

Fans of the celebrites are also encouraged to give back. Check the website to see if your favorite stars are on there, and see how you can contribute. Click here to read the rest of this article.