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by LAUREN LAWSON
News Reporter
Former Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo’s speech at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill April 14 was brought to a sudden halt when police had to shut down the event due to student protestors.
Tancredo was invited to the campus to speak by the campus chapter of Youth for Western Civilization, a student group that has promoted they are against “radical multi-culturalism.”
In an article in Indy Week, YWC chapter president and UNC Chapel Hill senior Riley Matheson said, “If we look at most college campuses, UNC especially, diversity is celebrated. You’re told from the second you get here for orientation that diversity is a strength.
And we believe that that makes absolutely no sense.”
Tancredo
was there to speak about his opposition to in-state tuition for illegal
immigrants, but left abruptly after a protestor broke a window and
police got involved.
Chapel
Hill Chancellor Holden Thorp sent an e-mail to all students, faculty
and staff the day after the incident, expressing his disappointment at
the situation and the events that took place.
“I share
chancellor [Thorp’s] perspective on the incident…college campuses are a
place to have vigorous debate, but in a civil manner.
It
is a place to exchange ideas in a safe and comfortable environment,”
said Dino Dibernardi, vice chancellor for Student Development.
Thorp said there is a way to protest that respects free speech and allows people with opposing views to be heard.
“Just
like at Appalachian, we have had [demonstrations] where students have
come together responsibly and voiced counter positions on a topic and I
am sure that happens at UNC [Chapel Hill] as well…it was just a group
of over-zealous [participants],” Dibernardi said.
Student
Services Specialist for the Office of the Registrar, Jenny Primm, said
currently any rule or mandate on in-state tuition is handed down and
followed through North Carolina state legislation.
“If you
are a foreign national or in unauthorized immigrant status, you are
automatically not authorized for in-state tuition until you can prove
the capacity to establish permanent residency in-state,” Primm said.
She said this is done through proof of the appropriate type of visa(s) and application approvals.
“This is
not ASU’s stand. It comes directly from the state and it is our job as
the university to implement it,” Dibernardi said.
Thorp
said he called and apologized to Tancredo and in addition, their
Department of Public Safety is investigating the incident and will
pursue criminal charges if any are warranted.
“Our
Division of Student Affairs is also investigating student involvement
in the protest…if that investigation determines sufficient evidence,
participating students could face Honor Court proceedings,” he said.
Chapel Hill campus police spokeswoman Randy Young said pepper spray was “broadcast” to clear the area.
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