SEMO INAUGURATION TO FEATURE BIG NAMES

The inauguration of Dr. Dale Nitzschke as Southeast Missouri State University's 16th president will be a weeklong affair in April featuring nationally known speakers.

Dr. Maya Angelou, a distinguished poet, author, actress and playwright, will speak April 10 at the 2 p.m. inauguration of Nitzschke in the Show Me Center.

But Angelou, who will be paid $25,000, is but one of a number of nationally known speakers who will visit the campus during inauguration week April 4-12.

At 9:30 a.m. on April 10, former Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern and conservative commentator William Buckley will debate in Academic Hall Auditorium.

McGovern served two terms in the House of Representatives and 18 years as a U.S. senator from South Dakota. He was the 1972 Democratic presidential nominee and made another bid for the White House in 1984. He was one of the first political leaders in Congress to openly oppose American participation in the Vietnam War.

Buckley founded the conservative journal, National Review, in 1955. He began hosting his weekly television show, "Firing Line," in 1966. It currently is the nation's longest-running TV show with the same host. He is a close friend of former Presidents Reagan and Bush.

Paul Simon, former U.S. senator from Illinois, will kick off inauguration week with a speech at 7 p.m. April 4 at Dempster Hall's Glenn Auditorium.

Southeast's international students will hold a weeklong international festival beginning April 7.

There will be tours of Kent Library's Faulkner Center from 2-4 p.m. on April 7, 8 and 9.

The annual Low Lecture will be held during inauguration week. It will feature four former Southeast officials, who will hold a panel discussion at 7 p.m. on April 9 at Glenn Auditorium.

The panelists will be Kala Stroup, Missouri commissioner of higher education; Bill Stacy, president of California State University-San Marcos; David Strand, president of Illinois State University, and Les Cochran, president of Youngstown State University.

Both Stroup and Stacy are former presidents of Southeast.

Jim Biundo, Southeast's assistant to the president for university relations, said the university is raising private funds to help pay for the inaugural speakers and activities.

The school has set up an inaugural ambassador program, Biundo said. Persons who donate $1,000 will be designated as inaugural ambassadors. They will receive preferred seating at the inauguration and their names will be listed in the inauguration ceremony programs.

Biundo said he expects the fund raising to continue right up to inauguration week.

The inauguration ceremony on April 10 is expected to last two hours.

The university has invited thousands of college presidents and officials to the ceremony.

Biundo said that as many as 7,000 people, including students and faculty from Southeast, may attend the ceremony. That would fill the Show Me Center to capacity.

The event is open to the public, but tickets likely will be issued, he said.