More than Studious: An Ideal Honorary Degree Candidate

As the spring quickly approaches bringing with it countless outdoor graduations, and even more graduation speeches this year I find myself amongst the multitude of confused graduates, finally receiving my bachelor’s degree in theatre arts from the University of Southern California. Of the distinguished presenters to the class of 2007, one honorary degree recipient will address the graduates with a speech meant to encourage and inspire through real life example. In light of the personal connection I feel to this year’s commencement, I have chosen a nominee whom I feel would be an ideal recipient for USC’s Fine Arts Honorary Degree.

According to the university’s website the degree is meant to, “elevate the university in the eyes of the world by honoring individuals who are widely known and highly regarded for achievements in their respective fields of endeavor.” With this in mind I nominate actor, writer and director Tim Robbins pictured at the academy awards, for the honorary degree in fine arts.

While Robbins’s successful career in the entertainment industry fulfills the requirements for distinguishing him in the fine arts, he has thus far won an academy award for acting and was nominated as a director. He has produced and directed many successful films and plays. However, it is not merely this which prompts my nomination. In addition to being a provocative and intelligent artist, Robbins is an active philanthropist participating and supporting several charities whilst remaining an outspoken human rights advocate. Regardless of whether his opinions are socially acceptable or not, he has never allowed himself or other artists to be censored, and continues to exercise his freedom of expression in his work.

Raised in New York City, his father was a folk singer and his mother was a magazine publishing executive. Robbins was introduced to the stage performing protest songs along side his father at a young age. He joined the Theatre for the New City at twelve and remained an active member for the next seven years, as well as participating in high school productions. He briefly attended the State University of New York at Pattsburgh, before moving to California and enrolling at UCLA as a theatre student. While working to pay for college and attending class, he made time to co-establish and participate in a theatre troupe with some of his fellow students called The Actor’s Gang. Founded in 1981, the group is one of Los Angeles’s longest running theatre organizations best known for its provocative and controversial productions, including pieces by Bertolt Brecht as well as new works written by local authors.

While The Actor’s Gang is now considered a success, its early days were less certain, causing Robbins to begin taking work as a screen actor in order to fund the struggling theatre group. Within a short period of time Robbins film career began to take off, eventually earning him several accolades including an Academy Award and several Golden Globe nominations for his performances in The Shawshank Redemption and Mystic River. Aside from being a talented actor, Robbins has also received honors for his work as a writer and director, as in his film Dead Man Walking, which garnered several awards. Despite commercial success, Robbins remained loyal to his roots in the theatre and The Actor’s Gang, continuing to produce socially relevant plays.

But it is perhaps his philanthropic work, particularly in the area of America’s political involvement in foreign nations that has generated the majority of the media attention surrounding Robbins. His politics have even gotten him banned for one year from the Academy Awards. Ironically enough, Robbins and partner Susan Sarandon would only be invited back to the awards the following year because they were both nominated for their work in his film, Dead Man Walking. In recent memory, Robbins has come under fire for his dissent regarding the war in Iraq and the Bush administration. Causing him to once again go on the defensive regarding his personal politics, eventually inspiring his latest work entitled Embedded a theatrical piece based on true events that occurred during the US occupation of Iraq prior to and during the Iraq war, Tim is pictured performing in the piece on the left.

The President Emeritus of the University of Iowa and Dartmouth, James Freeman writes that, “In bestowing an honorary degree a university makes an explicit statement to its students and the world about the qualities of character and attainment it admires most.” I feel that in awarding Tim Robbins with an honorary degree in fine arts the University of Southern California would be telling the student body that what matters is not merely ones success in life, but remaining faithful to oneself and ones beliefs. Regardless of whether his views were popular or accepted by the majority, Tim Robbins has always followed his own moral compass, listening first to his own heart. Though his political views may not be mainstream, and his profession as an entertainer may not be widely respected by many attendees of the graduation ceremony. What possible message could be more important to new college graduates entering an uncertain future? What ideal is more important for a university to convey, than trusting in oneself? Especially given the influence a university has in creating the adult the young graduate has become? Bearing this concept in mind, I feel that Tim Robbins best embodies this idea, and is therefore deserving of the honorary degree in fine arts.