U. Missouri senior Nick Calcaterra has a fever, and the only cure is Christopher Walken.

A Facebook event created by Calcaterra is pushing for the veteran actor to come to an MU graduation ceremony in 2011. Calcaterra said he wants to make the point that students should be able to choose their commencement speakers.

“It was a test to see how popular this would be,” Calcaterra said.

Calcaterra said Today show host Ann Curry botching the name of a college at a commencement ceremony inspired the event.

“Students should have a choice,” Calcaterra said. “It doesn’t have to be Christopher Walken. They’ve spent four years working, and it is their celebration. They should have a choice. I wanted to see if we could make that to happen.”

MU spokesman Christian Basi said students would need to talk to the appropriate dean for the particular college or school ceremony they were looking at.

“If the students were interested in getting a speaker for a commencement ceremony, they would talk to the administration for an individual school or college,” Basi said.

Basi said each selection process for every school and college is different.

“The school of nursing has students who give a small speech,” Basi said.

Other colleges and schools select keynote speakers or have a group of students who choose the guest, Basi said.

“The overall ceremony for the entire campus is the honors convocation in spring,” Basi said. “The speakers at that ceremony are honorary degree recipients who are nominated to a faculty committee and recommended to the chancellor.”

Basi said the candidate is then approved by the UM system Board of Curators.

Kathleen Miller, secretary to the Board of Curators, said other college and school guest speakers do not require board approval.

Calcaterra said he is focusing on the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ graduation ceremony because it is the school he attends.

“I thought (Walken) was a fairly neutral candidate,” Calcaterra said. “He’s the first person that came to mind, and he’s popular with our generation.”

Calcaterra said he wants to see how big the group gets. The group has 270 members as of July 6.

“I haven’t heard a whole lot of feedback,” Calcaterra said. “On Facebook it has been mostly positive. My friends thought it was farfetched.”

If the group size becomes significant, Calcaterra said he would take action by starting an online petition and getting people to sign it. Afterward, he would then present it to the administration. He said he would not be surprised if the petition fell through.

“I wouldn’t cause a huge uproar,” Calcaterra said. “The administration has brushed off ideas before. I wouldn’t be too angry.”

Calcaterra said he wants to get more people to join the event.

“If we can get (Walken) to come, that would be pretty cool,” Calcaterra said.