Spike Lee's jaunt brings him back to campus

Ten years later, he's back.\nHollywood filmmaker Spike Lee is scheduled to speak at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the IU Auditorium and will be presented with the Oscar Michaux Award for Outstanding Achievement from the Black Film Center/Archive and the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies.\nAudrey McCluskey, director of the Center/Archive, said Lee is being awarded for his artistic accomplishments and serves as a "kind of an iconoclastic figure in that he's accomplished things that many think are impossible to do."\nLee is known for producing such films as Malcolm X, Do the Right Thing and Bamboozled and has appeared in and produced a number of documentaries and commercials featuring celebrities like Stevie Wonder, Prince, Miles Davis and Michael Jackson.\nMcCluskey said the award is in honor of Michaux who was a "pioneering black filmmaker" during the 1920s and 30s.\n"Michaux really established a distribution network through his own system and started a whole interest in original black film," McCluskey said. "Many see him as the father of black film and we want to link Spike Lee with that tradition."\nSophomore Andrew Felman, who plans on attending tonight's event, said Lee has a unique approach to social issues.\n"I like his movies and it seems as though he's a pretty interesting and opinionated person," Felman said. "His movies are just well-made and he takes different stances on things than most."\nUnion Board Marketing Director Scott Dittmer said the lecture is guaranteed to be interesting despite Lee not outlining a specific topic. \n"I'm sure he'll speak on his experiences as a director and just talk about what it's like to be Spike Lee," Dittmer said. \nThe Union Board has been working on getting the award-winning filmmaker to come to IU for months. \n"He was here 10 years ago and it was such a great event then, why not bring him back and try it again," Dittmer said. "He's done so many great things; I think his presence would work well here with the students at IU."\nMcCluskey said Lee's personality and presence as a speaker will be enough to entice spectators.\n"He has an original voice," she said. "He's very entertaining and a very lively speaker. He really engages his audiences. In just listening to him, students can see the different ways they can make their dreams come true." \nTickets for the event are sold out. For more information, those interested can visit the Union Board office, room 270 of the IMU Student Activities Tower or visit www.ub.indiana.edu.