It's a little early for commencement speeches, but comedian Bill Cosby has some advice for Ball State students who are about to graduate: Find something you care about and put your all into it.
"The need to make a commitment is very, very important," he said. "I think an awful lot of the kids who come out of school or graduate, but never really were committed to anything, will find themselves perhaps with credentials but without a rudder in guiding themselves."
Cosby, 73, who performs at John R. Emens Auditorium this weekend, first appeared before national audiences in the 1960s action show "I Spy" and went on to create his Fat Albert character and others, including the sweater-clad, benign father figure Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable on "The Cosby Show." He made previous visits to Ball State in 1969 and 2003.
Cosby's more recent public notice has come from his exhortations to African-Americans to address parenting and youth issues. In a phone interview about his upcoming Ball State visit, however, Cosby talked in more general terms about the need for students to set goals for themselves.
"As you go through your education there are things like sitting in a classroom, going into your labs, your assignments, these things happen to be the educational parts, the technical," Cosby said. "Then you have practical. It's about what you want to get out of it and that has to be in tangent with what you put into it."
Cosby said his Saturday show will focus on friends and family, just as it has for much of his performing life. He has wanted to do this since he was just a kid, listening to comedians perform on the radio.
He was attracted by "the humor and the fact that the person doing it said things that I hadn't really thought about," he said. "And so I was 7 years old then, I would remember that and I would say that to people."
Emens director Bob Myers said he enjoys hearing Cosby's unique take on life.
"Bill Cosby is a living legend and his contributions to the field of entertainment is significant," he said. "He has changed our culture and society at large."
In a career that has spanned 45 years, Cosby has received numerous honors along with four Emmys and nine Grammys. He was given Kennedy Center Honors in 1998 and was even awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.
Cosby's performance will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets, which cost $37 to $57, are still available and can be ordered online at ticketmaster.com or by visiting the Emens Box Office.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
