'Right now, right here'

SCC members storm lecture on free speech

By Lindsey Alpert

and Karolyn Kokko

Daily Staff Reporters

University President Lee Bollinger planned to give a lecture on the First Amendment at the Alumni Center yesterday, but instead members of the Students of Color Coalition decided to exercise their freedom of expression.

More than 75 faculty members, staff and students turned out to hear Bollinger's views on "The Constitution, Public Policy and New Technologies of Communication."

But after the introduction was given, it was SCC spokesman Joe Reilly who took the podium, surrounded by about 30 members of SCC and Students Organizing for Labor and Economic Equality.

"We appreciate this forum as an avenue for the utilization and expression of our free speech rights," Reilly told the audience.

Bollinger remained in his seat as Riley continued, "We have the right to exist free of ethnic intimidation and racial stereotyping at the University of Michigan."

Reilly then brought out a proposal for Bollinger to sign that would make the tower an open-space area.

"By agreeing to make the Michigan Union tower a public space, the University offers no threat of violating the rights of Michigamua or the other two tower societies," Reilly said. "We have waited for 19 days, we have waited for 98 years, we will not wait any longer."

Bollinger said the group's interruption of his lecture was inappropriate and that the standoff between the senior honor society Michigamua and SCC, which has occupied the seventh floor of the Union tower since Feb. 6, should be discussed at another time.

"That is between Michigamua and other parts of the community," Bollinger said.

But Reilly insisted the issues be dealt with "right now, right here."

SCC members reiterated their demand that Michigamua's meeting space in the tower be disaffiliated with the society and open to the public.

"The wigwam is a shrine of genocide to my people," Reilly said.

"Should some of our students have space taken away from them because of an opinion?" Bollinger asked.

After several minutes of back-and-forth debate, Bollinger stood up to leave, and as he exited the room, SCC members and several people in the audience booed, calling him a "coward."

"Who do these punks think they are?" asked LSA senior David Taub. "Just because they don't get what they want doesn't mean they have to go and occupy a room. They're acting like 6-year olds."

Other people in the audience expressed a differing opinion.

"I don't blame the kids," Alum Jean King said remembering her days at the University but mentioned she was disappointed the event did not take place.

"This is par for the course at Michigan," she added. "This place is just waking up."

Others were upset that Bollinger's lecture, which was to be the first of the John D. Evans Distinguished Lecture Series on the Social Consequences of New Media Technology, was cancelled.

"The group has a right to free speech," Public Policy graduate student Jamie Hine said. "But it was inappropriate for them to march into that forum."

"This was a direct attack on Bollinger," Hine said. "They continually cut him off and told him that he was wrong. I think that President Bollinger appropriately addressed their issues."

"I was impressed that he responded," LSA senior Rahul Gandotra said. "He could have just walked out."

Photos by DANNY KALICK/Daily

University President Lee Bollinger debates with

Students of Color Coalition members in the Alumni Center yesterday while communications studies department Chairman Michael Traugott looks on.