The UCSB administration held a meeting last week to discuss the effects major upcoming events may have on the campus.
Assistant Dean of Students Katya Armistead led the discussion focusing on this Sunday’s Extravaganza music festival, hosted by Associated Students Program Board, and the College Republican’s proposal to host controversial speaker David Horowitz on May 26. During the conservative activist and writer’s last appearance on campus in 2008, Horowitz accused the Muslim Student Association of attempting to bring a jihad to the university and claimed the MSA was tied to international terrorist groups.
According to Armistead, the administration will provide adequate safety enforcement to prevent violent protesting and riot behavior.
“David Horowitz is trying to incite talk and anger with his statements,” Armistead said. “Protesting won’t do anything to change his mind; he’s already made up his mind. This type of behavior and anger will only give him power, [which is] what he wants. [Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs] Michael Young and I are trying to get the message across that protests won’t work and that the best way for students to oppose him is to not show up [and] not give him what he wants.”
Participants also discussed A.S. Program Board’s Extravaganza advertisements in the Santa Barbara Independent to ensure that Santa Barbara Community College and local high school students know the concert is restricted to UCSB students, staff and faculty only.
A.S. Program Board Special Events Coordinator Ali Abbas, a third-year political science major, said students have shown an overall positive reaction to the event’s newly restricted guest list.
“I’ve gotten a few e-mails from people who are not happy about it, but the feedback we’ve gotten shows that most students are happy about the change,” Abbas said.
Additionally, the organization will only accept ACCESS cards this year as proper identification into the event.
Abbas said the board is using the new approach along with the installation of entrance signs listing prohibited items to decrease security check time and make lines shorter.
“We are taking steps to alleviate crowding around the line so that there won’t be such a long wait,” Abbas said.
I wonder if Michael Young will send another one of his sobby e-mails pleading with students to not show up. He is a farce.
A riot, really? Somehow I doubt a riot would result from Horowitz’s speech. And it it did, well maybe it would be a good thing. At least it would show that we still have some passion, some fire, left in us.