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The North Wind

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The North Wind is an independent student publication serving the Northern Michigan University community. It is partially funded by the Student Activity Fee. The North Wind digital paper is published daily during the fall and winter semesters except on university holidays and during exam weeks. The North Wind Board of Directors is composed of representatives of the student body, faculty, administration and area media.

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NMU students protest future Coulter speech

A campus-wide debate sprung up recently after it was announced that conservative author and political pundit Ann Coulter was scheduled to speak at NMU on April 14.

“The No. 1 reason [for bringing Coulter to NMU] is that she is a dynamic speaker and she is someone who commands a lot of attention,” said Kyle Bonini, a senior secondary education history major and president of the NMU College Republicans, the group that is sponsoring Coulter. “You can’t get away from her and it’s hard to say that she doesn’t attract people.”

Bonini said that the group had been talking about bringing a conservative speaker to campus for years and decided semesters ago on Coulter, who is best known for her controversial political opinions. She is a good choice because she is a prominent conservative that people will know, he said.

“A lot of students tend to not really be in tune with what’s going on politically,” he added. “We felt we needed a really big name, someone who people recognize that would still fit inside our price range.”

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Bonini’s group planned the speech with the help of the Young America’s Foundation (YAF), a national conservative non-profit organization that offered the speech at a discounted rate of $20,000. While the YAF also agreed to pay for Coulter’s travel and lodging expenses, the College Republicans still had to pay almost $3,000 for the use of the Vandament Arena, security and other incidentals in addition to the speaking fee.

The group finally secured the total amount needed-nearly $23,000-through the Student Finance Committee (SFC) on Feb. 7. There was quite a bit of debate surrounding the Coulter proposal, which passed on a 4-3 vote, said junior pre-law major and SFC member Hobie Webster.

“There was some discussion as to whether or not the type of speech that she probably will be giving was something that we wanted to promote, especially at such a high cost,” he said. “The vast majority of the debate centered on whether or not an event that was that expensive was a wise use of student money.”

Before the Coulter approval, the SFC had about $40,000, said Webster, who voted against the proposal. After approving a selection of proposals at a subsequent meeting, the SFC’s remaining budget for the semester is approximately $13,000. The budget is composed exclusively from the Student Activity Fee, which every NMU student must pay. That is what upsets some Northern students.

Brandon Schlacht, a sophomore philosophy major, disagrees with both Coulter’s views and the plan to bring her to campus.

“The biggest thing is that everybody’s money is going to it,” Schlacht said. “If the College Republicans had raised their own money for her-although I would not agree with her coming simply because I do not agree with her views-I would understand that there is nothing I could do. But this is the Student Finance Committee. It is the money that each student contributes and I think it is unfair to make every student pay for this type of person to come here.”

He said he had heard talk of bringing Coulter to campus in the past, but that he was shocked when she got enough support and money to actually make an appearance.

“My initial reaction was, ‘When did this happen and why did this happen?’ I felt we weren’t asked,” Schlacht said. “I felt that this minority that wanted to bring her here was overlooking a broader picture.”

Schlacht said that he was also surprised by the support he received after starting a Facebook group entitled “NMU Students AGAINST Ann Coulter”. He and a small group of fellow students attended the Feb. 14 SFC meeting and produced a petition with 438 signatures opposing the committee’s decision.

“I figured that if we had a chance to do something, why not?” he said. “Nothing is accomplished by sitting down and shutting up.”

According to SFC bylaws, formal appeals must be filed with the Associated Students of Northern Michigan University (ASNMU) within a week of the decision in question.

Schlacht, who did not file an appeal in time, said he had hoped his petition would demonstrate the displeasure of a large group of NMU students that disagrees with Coulter’s appearance.

“I just feel that she is polarizing this nation at a time when we should be trying to unite and show that America can be a strong country,” he said.

While Bonini doesn’t agree with the critiques of Coulter and believes that she appeals to people of all political ideologies, he understands that her message may be less than popular with some people. Still, Bonini said that Coulter represents an integral aspect of American life.

“She is the best example of free speech in the country,” he said. “We live in an amazing society where you can stand up there and say things while half the audience hates you and half the audience cheers for you, and you’re allowed to say it.”

The controversy does not surprise Bonini, who said that Coulter’s appearance has already begun serving its purpose.

“The whole goal of this was to raise a little bit of debate,” he said. “I’ve seen more debate on this campus in the last three days than I’ve seen in the last three years and I think that is very important. Whether you disagree with Ann Coulter or whether you agree with Ann Coulter, you’re still talking about it. To me, that’s very important.”

Webster, however, feels that a healthy debate could have been achieved in another way.

“I think we could have gotten the same kind of important dialogue by spending a lot less money,” he said. “And by bringing someone who had something academic or intelligent to bring to the table, as opposed to just spewing hatred.” Before the Coulter approval, the SFC had about $40,000, said Webster, who voted against the proposal. After approving a selection of proposals at a subsequent meeting, the SFC’s remaining budget for the semester is approximately $13,000. The budget is composed exclusively from the Student Activity Fee, which every NMU student must pay. That is what upsets some Northern students.

Brandon Schlacht, a sophomore philosophy major, disagrees with both Coulter’s views and the plan to bring her to campus.

“The biggest thing is that everybody’s money is going to it,” Schlacht said. “If the College Republicans had raised their own money for her-although I would not agree with her coming simply because I do not agree with her views-I would understand that there is nothing I could do. But this is the Student Finance Committee. It is the money that each student contributes and I think it is unfair to make every student pay for this type of person to come here.”

He said he had heard talk of bringing Coulter to campus in the past, but that he was shocked when she got enough support and money to actually make an appearance.

“My initial reaction was, ‘When did this happen and why did this happen?’ I felt we weren’t asked,” Schlacht said. “I felt that this minority that wanted to bring her here was overlooking a broader picture.”

Schlacht said that he was also surprised by the support he received after starting a Facebook group entitled “NMU Students AGAINST Ann Coulter.” He and a small group of fellow students attended the Feb. 14 SFC meeting and produced a petition with 438 signatures opposing the committee’s decision.

“I figured that if we had a chance to do something, why not?” he said. “Nothing is accomplished by sitting down and shutting up.”

According to SFC bylaws, formal appeals must be filed with the Associated Students of Northern Michigan University (ASNMU) within a week of the decision in question.

Schlacht, who did not file an appeal in time, said he had hoped his petition would demonstrate the displeasure of a large group of NMU students who disagrees with Coulter’s appearance.

“I just feel that she is polarizing this nation at a time when we should be trying to unite and show that America can be a strong country,” he said.

While Bonini doesn’t agree with the critiques of Coulter and believes that she appeals to people of all political ideologies, he understands that her message may be less than popular with some people. Still, Bonini said that Coulter represents an integral aspect of American life.

“She is the best example of free speech in the country,” he said. “We live in an amazing society where you can stand up there and say things while half the audience hates you and half the audience cheers for you, and you’re allowed to say it.”

The controversy does not surprise Bonini, who said that Coulter’s appearance has already begun serving its purpose.

“The whole goal of this was to raise a little bit of debate,” he said. “I’ve seen more debate on this campus in the last three days than I’ve seen in the last three years and I think that is very important. Whether you disagree with Ann Coulter or whether you agree with Ann Coulter, you’re still talking about it. To me, that’s very important.”

Webster, however, feels that a healthy debate could have been achieved another way.

“I think we could have gotten the same kind of important dialogue by spending a lot less money,” he said. “And by bringing someone who had something academic or intelligent to bring to the table, as opposed to just spewing hatred.”

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