Goldberg, Goodall Spice Night for Students
The event: Cal State Fullerton’s sixth annual Front & Center scholarship benefit. The black-tie gala, held Saturday at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, honored anthropologist Jane Goodall with the Front & Center Award and Disneyland Resorts with the Orange County Titan Award.
Former California Angel Jim Abbott was master of ceremonies, and the entertainment featured a deft comedic monologue by Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg and an insightful conversation between Goldberg and journalist Walter Cronkite.
Surf and turf on ice: After a champagne reception in the concourse, more than 960 guests dined at tables topped with bowls of white roses on the ice rink, covered with black AstroTurf. Dishes included Gorgonzola-crusted filet mignon, halibut in a brandy lobster sauce and a dessert medley of creme brulee and Grand Marnier chocolate mousse.
Starshine: Puffs of smoke wafted over a stage set with columns lit with shifting neon colors as alumni, including Broadway star Dana Meller, joined students for the personalized song-and-dance numbers that introduced the honored guests.
University President Milton A. Gordon lauded Goodall for her tenacity, strength and courage, saying, “I’ve had the honor to give out a lot of awards; this is a special one. When you think of an individual who has lived an entirely unselfish life, Jane Goodall comes to mind.”
Quote: “The most important message I have, especially for children, is that each one of us as an individual makes a difference,” Goodall said.
Faces in the crowd: A crowd of nearly 6,000, including dinner guests, filled the arena with cheers as Goldberg took the stage, launching into a monologue spiced with references to ageism in Hollywood, aging in general and gentle jabs at politics and violence in schools.
When Cronkite joined her, topics ranged from changing journalistic responsibilities to, as Cronkite sees it, the ever-increasing need for an educated population.
“Many things have grown and improved in our country, but the question is, ‘Have we improved as much as we could have?’ For democracy, we need an informed and intelligent citizenry.”
Bottom line: The evening netted $200,000 for the President’s Scholars’ Program, which recognizes academically accomplished students from the Southland’s high schools.
Faces: Also attending were Cynthia Harriss (accepting the Titan honor on behalf of Disneyland Resorts); Dr. Margaret Faulwell Gordon, chairwoman of the California State University Board of Trustees; Larry Gould; Betsy Cronkite; Dana Abbott; Angela Bassett; Jess Marlow; Tim and Michelle Ryan.