Speakers stir controversy on campus
Dan Woznica
Issue date: 5/5/08 Section: News
Around the nation, the 2007-2008 school year saw controversial speakers stirring discussion and debate on college campuses.
The trend began in September when Columbia University drew national attention after inviting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak on the university's campus in New York.
Ahmadinejad, widely protested by Columbia students and faculty, touched off a firestorm of controversy with his speech when he denied the existence of homosexuals in Iran.
Bringing in such a controversial speaker according to former Student Union (SU) President Neil Patel is not necessarily a bad thing.
"I don't think controversy should be the sole motive, but if the speaker can be educational, I don't think controversy should prevent universities from bringing one in," Patel, a graduating senior, said.
Indeed, as the year progressed, Washington University seemed to have taken Patel's words to heart and generated its own fair share of controversy regarding the selection of campus speakers.
On Feb. 19, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales delivered a Student Union-funded speech in which he recounted his life story, addressed many issues related to the war on terror and answered various questions submitted by an audience of about 600 University students, faculty and staff.
"Gonzales had a pretty superficial speech," Patel said. "But the College Republicans and the College Democrats and the Wash. U. Peace Coalition put forth a lot of effort to educate the student body, and so I think that was a very good thing."
Gonzales was invited to speak by members of the College Republicans, a student group on campus, and was paid $30,000 for his appearance.
Several student groups on campus, including the College Democrats and the Wash. U. Peace Coalition, protested the event by staging a demonstration outside of the 560 Building on Delmar Boulevard, where Gonzales delivered his speech.
More than 100 University students and faculty waved signs and chanted in protest, with some of them dressed in orange jumpsuits in imitation of the terrorist inmates at Guantanamo Bay whom they believed to be wrongly interned and tortured. The groups' protest generally centered on what students considered to be Alberto Gonzales' objectionable tenure as attorney general, as well as the University's decision to fund his speech.
The trend began in September when Columbia University drew national attention after inviting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak on the university's campus in New York.
Ahmadinejad, widely protested by Columbia students and faculty, touched off a firestorm of controversy with his speech when he denied the existence of homosexuals in Iran.
Bringing in such a controversial speaker according to former Student Union (SU) President Neil Patel is not necessarily a bad thing.
"I don't think controversy should be the sole motive, but if the speaker can be educational, I don't think controversy should prevent universities from bringing one in," Patel, a graduating senior, said.
Indeed, as the year progressed, Washington University seemed to have taken Patel's words to heart and generated its own fair share of controversy regarding the selection of campus speakers.
On Feb. 19, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales delivered a Student Union-funded speech in which he recounted his life story, addressed many issues related to the war on terror and answered various questions submitted by an audience of about 600 University students, faculty and staff.
"Gonzales had a pretty superficial speech," Patel said. "But the College Republicans and the College Democrats and the Wash. U. Peace Coalition put forth a lot of effort to educate the student body, and so I think that was a very good thing."
Gonzales was invited to speak by members of the College Republicans, a student group on campus, and was paid $30,000 for his appearance.
Several student groups on campus, including the College Democrats and the Wash. U. Peace Coalition, protested the event by staging a demonstration outside of the 560 Building on Delmar Boulevard, where Gonzales delivered his speech.
More than 100 University students and faculty waved signs and chanted in protest, with some of them dressed in orange jumpsuits in imitation of the terrorist inmates at Guantanamo Bay whom they believed to be wrongly interned and tortured. The groups' protest generally centered on what students considered to be Alberto Gonzales' objectionable tenure as attorney general, as well as the University's decision to fund his speech.
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