Coulter To Speak Today

There is no doubt it's on everyone's minds. Everywhere you go, it's the topic of discussion and no it's not Santa Claus, but syndicated conservative Ann Coulter is coming to town and she has a lot on her mind.

Coulter is to speak at the Jorgenson Center of Performing Arts tonight at 7 p.m. The event is free for UConn students. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Her presence on campus has stirred up debate since the Undergraduate Student Government's (USG) funding board and senate approved $16,000 for the event tonight.

Upon voting on Oct. 26, some USG senators questioned whether it was too much money to bring a speaker like Coulter to campus. The funding was eventually approved.

Other students are worried Coulter will bring nothing but hate-speech to the university, sparking responses against Coulter and an event to take place this afternoon at 5 p.m. at the Student Union Theater.

Josh Reagan, treasurer of Queers United Against Discrimination (QUAD) said he supports the College Republicans desire to bring speakers on campus.

"It's that in Ann's [Coulter] case, her comments are so off to the right, it closes off people to the left," Reagan said. He also said she suggested "using skin color to pin-point terrorists."

College Republican Executive Director and USG Sen. Emily Salisbury said she felt disheartened by how some students have reacted to Coulter coming to campus.

"If they were so concerned about Ann Coulter, why didn't [constituencies] approach us," Salisbury said.

Salisbury said she believes bringing Coulter would bring diversity and color to the university life, which tends to general slide to the left, but that, "in general, liberals have a problem with free speech when it comes to conservatives speaking on campus."

Security will be on hand for Coulter's lecture tonight.

Salisbury said she believes UConn students will be on their best behavior

"Most of the people who have caused trouble in the past have been off campus," she said.

Reagan said Coulter feeds off the name-calling and ruckus from people against her views thus "making the situation polarized."

He said he hopes that students will not pledge an all-out attack on Coulter.

"I really would hope UConn is better than that," Reagan said. Kathleen McDonough, a graduate student of physical therapy, said she doesn't have a problem with Coulter coming to town.

"I think that it is good to have two sides," McDonough said. "But [Coulter] is a little too extreme, a little too anti-groups in a way it promotes hatred rather just expressing her opinion."

Claudia Ferreira, a 7th-semester communications and Spanish major, said she thinks Coulter has a right to be here.

"I might be against what she has to say and I don't necessarily believe in anything she has to say, but I think she has a right to be here," Ferreira said. "It's always interesting to hear someone else's point of view regardless if you believe that a lot of people maybe like her in this world."

"I understand she brings diversity," said Luis E. Lopez, a 7th-semester Spanish major. "But she has really radical points of views and I don't think it's necessary to have someone so hateful on campus, basically a clown, and pay someone for that amount." Matt Dwyer, a 7th-semester human rights and economics major said he is "Anti-Coulter."

"She is a right-wing radical nutcase," he said. "If she had anything to say like she says in her books then we should throw rocks at her. I don't think it's fair to bring her point of view on campus. I didn't agree to bring Cindy Sheehan on campus for $10,000, and I'm a hippy-liberal. Sheehan is just as bad as Coulter. They don't present valid arguments and present answers. Coulter picks on people's fears and Sheehan picks on people's emotions and they make money off it."

Whether or not students agree with Coulter's views, she is expected to come and the people will follow.

"One of the reasons we thought to bring Coulter here, was to draw people that don't normally attend lectures," Salisbury said. "That was our goal."

The book signing following the lecture is open to the public, however, anyone who wants to have a book signed by Coulter must contact Kareem Mohni at Kareem.Mohni@uconn.edu.