Word: outkast
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...perplexing thing about the OutKast dispute is that, in the past, Illingworth and other administrators have regularly recognized the importance of free expression. In fact, the administration is usually so laissez-faire that, according to Harvard Republican Club (HRC) President Brian C. Grech ’03, the administration does not require students groups to seek pre-approval before inviting speakers to campus. Instead, the administration merely asks for notification after a speaker has been invited in case that person is deemed important enough for an official University welcome. Indeed, Grech states that HRC “never notified anyone?...
...claim holds little water. In November, over 6,000 people crowded the Albert H. Gordon indoor track and tennis facility to hear the words of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, a far from uncontroversial figure. Moreover, the Clinton audience was more than double the size of the expected OutKast audience, which is capped at 3,000. Additionally, in order to assuage the fear that OutKast might attract unruly individuals from outside out the Harvard community, the HCC volunteered to limit ticket sales to Harvard students, a proposal that College administrators said was unnecessary. Finally, according to members...
Hence the administrative hesitancy to approve OutKast clearly rests on dubious grounds. Yet, Illingworth is a smart man, and I suspect that he knows that his arguments are specious. In fact, so do members of the HCC. Indeed, HCC members see Illingworth’s comments as a foil for other more problematic administrative intentions...
...states, “Early in the process the Dave Matthews Band was an acceptable choice and the administration fully supported our short-lived effort to arrange for Dave to come to Harvard. But when that did not work out and we presented OutKast as a second choice, they continuously questioned whether there was sufficient demand to sell out the Bright Hockey Arena, despite polling showing that OutKast was the clear favorite among students. Then they began questioning the acceptability of OutKast’s lyrics based upon second-hand internet content and rumors about the Rosa Parks case...
Perhaps the HCC is well-founded in its suspicions. Perhaps it is completely off-base. But if the latter is true, the administration needs to start talking straight and providing legitimate, non-biased, and factually-grounded reasons for failing to accept the OutKast bid. Tell us, Dean Illingworth, this time for real...