Students at Columbia University in New York City are far from impressed that alumni Matthew Fox has been booked to speak at a ceremony for graduating students. The Lost star graduated from Columbia in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and he even played on the school's football team. But some students feel the star of a TV drama is not a suitable graduation guest.

Student Julia Kite tells the school newspaper, the Columbia Daily Spectator, "I've never heard of this guy. The years before (we) got a Pulitzer Prize winner (playwright Tony Kushner) and a potential presidential candidate (Senator John McCain)."

Fox was asked to speak on Class Day, a ceremony for graduating seniors on May 15, which is held one day before a university-wide commencement ceremony.

According to Class President David Chait, the 40-year-old actor was chosen to speak because of his "achievements as an actor, his commitment to Columbia and his ability to represent the diverse group of students who graduate from Columbia".

The student paper reported many students were upset after the University's announcement about Fox, with one overheard saying, "They obviously couldn't find anybody. He must have been 29th on the list."