At least 1,000 rally against governor over education budget
SMC — California Governor and former Hollywood action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday bid the Santa Monica College graduating class a pleasant journey on their maiden voyage into the real world in front of thousands of fans and foes.
In a speech riddled with optimism, more than 4,500 friends and relatives showed up on Tuesday evening at Corsair Field to hear Gov. Schwarzenegger speak to 600 Santa Monica College students who will be moving on with their educational and career endeavors.
Gov. Schwarzenegger, who attended SMC during the 1970s, took to the podium at 6:45 p.m. after more than 1,000 students, teachers and community activists protested for two hours against the state’s top politician for what they called his continued neglect of public education in California.
“Education is a tool to be successful,” Gov. Schwarzenegger said during his commencement speech. “It will not make you automatically successful. It is a means to an end.”
Gov. Schwarzenegger described being an Austrian youth at age 15 who dreamed of coming to America and modeling himself after body-builder movie heroes he read about in magazines.
“My father used to say, ‘what is body-building?’” Gov. Schwarzenegger said to a throng of boos, claps and a few laughs. “He asked me why I didn’t take up one of those Austrian sports, like skiing.”
But Gov. Schwarzenegger successfully pursued the American Dream. He came to Southern California and while making the rounds as a body builder and establishing himself as an action hero, he took courses at SMC, first in general education subjects and later in business, which led to a four-year degree.
Gov. Schwarzenegger said a great source of inspiration for his goals as a student and later pursuits came from retired SMC English professor Dick Dodge. Gov. Schwarzenegger said Dodge taught him to say simple expressions such as “I will go to school.”
Gov. Schwarzenegger said Dodge inspired him to continue with his education and his dreams. The knowledge Gov. Schwarzenegger gained from the business courses he took helped manage his real estate dealings well enough to afford to choose his own parts as an actor.
“I had an offer to play a part as a Nazi officer, but my vision was to have (a leading role),” Gov. Schwarzenegger said. “I got my chance with ‘Conan the Barbarian,’ and all of the obstacles in my life became a big asset to me.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 15, 2005. Read the original PDF.