Snooki Gets $32K To Talk 'GTL' On Rutgers Campus

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) -- The pouf is mightier than the pen when it comes to speaking fees at New Jersey's largest university.

The Rutgers University Programming Association paid Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi of the reality TV show "Jersey Shore" $32,000 Thursday to dish on her hairstyle, fist pumps, as well as the GTL – gym, tanning, laundry – lifestyle.

That's $2,000 more than the $30,000 the university is paying Nobel-winning novelist Toni Morrison to deliver Rutgers' commencement address in May.

Money for Polizzi's appearance came from the mandatory student activity fee.

Freshman Adham Abdel-Raouf told The Star-Ledger of Newark he thought the price was a bargain given Snooki's popularity. Another freshman, Dan Oliveto, said it was a waste of money.

Snooki's advice to students: "Study hard, but party harder."

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Information from NJ.com

Comments

[kenn350]

06:08 PM on 05/18/2011

Toni Morrison in her commencement speech at Rutgers today suggested that she knew a better way to write our Declaration of independences , than the author Thomas Jefferson. I take it from that suggestion Ms Morrison feels she has the equivalent ,or surpasses the intellect of our most profound author & founding father. I have one question for Ms Morrison . Who do you think will remember you 200 + years from today???? Now I know why Snookie received more money than Morrison to speak at the University.

[odogwardog]

08:51 AM on 04/13/2011

For that kind of money I'll make up the best story you ever want to hear.!!!!! lol

[odogwardog]

08:50 AM on 04/13/2011

You can get a hooker on any corner much cheaper than that kind of money!!! Such a waste. and I hope the other would be much better looking! She is a dog wearing too much makeup.

[FCorey]

03:02 PM on 04/07/2011

Proof that this NEW America praises the idiot and condemns intellect.

[DrtyJrze]

11:51 AM on 04/05/2011

"OMG!RU pay$32k 4 Snooki!4get skool,d3greez dont maKe tht muc4!imma sk1p cl@55,gotta GTL n practiss my fist pump. Maybz RU WiLL h00kmeup!ttyl"

The twitter message sent out (in one form or another) by thousands of impressionable young students after hearing about the 32 THOUSAND DOLLARS paid to Snooki for a guest appearance. It is the University’s moral obligation to think about the message transmitted when hiring a "reality star". This action will undoubtedly increase pregnancies, STD’s, and dropout rates at the collegiate level, and quite possibly among High School students — not just in New Jersey, but nation wide. I hope next time RU takes more time to consider the consequences before deciding to promote irresponsibility, stupidity, and ignorance in the future.

[mdhxx]

10:09 AM on 04/05/2011

You know how when you were younger and you just didn't understand what older people meant by "the world is going to hell in a hand-basket"? Yeah I totally get that now.

[Torrentlover]

08:11 AM on 04/05/2011

Pity the article doesn't go into the name of the person who ultimately signed off on the snooky ripoff. Why is the underwear clerk at Wal-Marts held to a higher standard than people handling millions of $ in both a private and public capacity?

[Stephanie T]

07:16 PM on 04/04/2011

The student association who invited her said that 2,000 students asked for her to come and speak. Well I'm sure about 2k students also asked to do beer bongs on a Saturday night but you're not going to provide that! So NO EXCUSE!

[zombiance]

07:15 PM on 04/04/2011

That freshman briefly mentioned in the article, Dan Oliveto, summed up my thoughts pretty well. I'm so glad my university decided not to invite her here to speak after all. I would've been furious.

[Endora9]

06:20 PM on 04/04/2011

This institution's academic credentials should be revoked on the spot. It's unbelievable that any school would be allowed to squander their funds in this shameful manner. If I were an alumnus (or other contributor) I would not give another penny to their fundraising efforts. What a country!!!! Deserving students are kept from going to college because of lack of funding, yet this media created mutant is paid to show her ignorance.

God help us.

[lillibette]

09:01 AM on 04/04/2011

One of the oldest and respected schools in this country and they PAY this woman to speak??? I think I would looking for another school to attend......

[PolitiConservative]

10:19 AM on 04/04/2011

"One of the oldest and respected schools in this country . . ."

Did you mean "most respected?" I can't imagine you did.

[tcny]

02:15 PM on 04/04/2011

There are people, to this day, who are surprised to learn that Rutgers (one of the nine "Colonial Colleges") is not actually an Ivy League school. It's that highly regarded, nationally and internationally.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Nobel-laureate biochemist and microbiologist Selman Waksman and two-time Pulitzer Price winner David Levering Lewis are among the long list of distinguished faculty members

Rutgers trivia --
Rutgers is one of only two of the Colonial Colleges (with William and Mary) that is a public university and not a member of the Ivy League.
Rutgers is the birthplace of intercollegiate football (Nov 6, 1869, Rutgers v. Princeton, at New Brunswick, Rutgers won 6 to 4).
Rutgers is the only state university in the U.S. not named for it's home state (Originally founded as the private college Queens College, later renamed Rutgers College, retained the name when it became the state university)

[butchcliff]

07:52 AM on 04/04/2011

How do parents of students, other students, alumni, faculty, donors feel about this?
Waste of funds?

[Carmen Madonna Campos]

11:45 PM on 04/03/2011

why would you have Snookie talk to anyone about anything?
AND pay her?!?!?!?!

[Richie MuadDib]

09:17 PM on 04/03/2011

What's the Governor's position on this?

[Adam Warrenchak]

05:29 PM on 04/03/2011

thats the problem with the "free" market, even unworthy, useless products can still be in high demand.