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Bill Ayers visit may be canceled
by Destiny Aquino
Staff writer
News | 3/17/09
Posted online at 7:16 AM EST on 3/17/09
An event that would have brought Bill Ayers to speak at Brandeis may be canceled in part due to a lack of funding, according to one of the members of the group hoping to bring Ayers to campus.
Democracy For America member Lev Hirschhorn '11 told the Justice that DFA and Students for a Democratic Society, the two main sponsors of the event, are having financial difficulties with the proposed event. Security costs in addition to Ayers' speaker fees are both clubs' main monetary concerns, Hirschhorn said. He added that the groups lacked funding in part because of the Union Judiciary's decision to overturn a $900 Senate Money Resolution to be given toward the event.
Hirschhorn, who is also the senator for the Class of 2011, stated that "the previous financial information regarding the Ayers event that was printed in other [campus] publications is now unclear, and we [the event planners] are further discussing with [Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan and Vice President of Campus Operations Mark Collins] the final price tag of the event." Hirschhorn declined to comment further on the specifics of the event.
The Hoot wrote March 13 that the total cost of the Ayers visit will cost around $7,000. That total includes a security cost of $4,500, according to Collins. Hirschhorn told the Justice March 3 that Ayers asked for $2,500 in speaking fees and Robert H. King asked for $1,000.
However, Liza Behrendt '11, DFA event coordinator, said that "all previously released numbers … have been incorrect." She explained, "The numbers we have now are confidential because we do not want discussion of these numbers to hinder further communication with outside parties regarding these numbers. We will release them when they are set."
Callahan could not be reached for comment, while Collins declined to elaborate on his comments to The Hoot.
Senator for the Class of 2011 and DFA member Alex Melman, who is helping to plan the event along with Hirschhorn and the rest of DFA, also declined to comment.
Democracy For America member Lev Hirschhorn '11 told the Justice that DFA and Students for a Democratic Society, the two main sponsors of the event, are having financial difficulties with the proposed event. Security costs in addition to Ayers' speaker fees are both clubs' main monetary concerns, Hirschhorn said. He added that the groups lacked funding in part because of the Union Judiciary's decision to overturn a $900 Senate Money Resolution to be given toward the event.
Hirschhorn, who is also the senator for the Class of 2011, stated that "the previous financial information regarding the Ayers event that was printed in other [campus] publications is now unclear, and we [the event planners] are further discussing with [Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan and Vice President of Campus Operations Mark Collins] the final price tag of the event." Hirschhorn declined to comment further on the specifics of the event.
The Hoot wrote March 13 that the total cost of the Ayers visit will cost around $7,000. That total includes a security cost of $4,500, according to Collins. Hirschhorn told the Justice March 3 that Ayers asked for $2,500 in speaking fees and Robert H. King asked for $1,000.
However, Liza Behrendt '11, DFA event coordinator, said that "all previously released numbers … have been incorrect." She explained, "The numbers we have now are confidential because we do not want discussion of these numbers to hinder further communication with outside parties regarding these numbers. We will release them when they are set."
Callahan could not be reached for comment, while Collins declined to elaborate on his comments to The Hoot.
Senator for the Class of 2011 and DFA member Alex Melman, who is helping to plan the event along with Hirschhorn and the rest of DFA, also declined to comment.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Eric
posted 3/17/09 @ 9:48 AM EST
Brandeis is in serious financial trouble yet is offering $7,000 for Bill Ayers of all people? Wow.
Bill
posted 3/17/09 @ 11:53 AM EST
wow, first off, if this SDS chapter has that much money to throw around, why the hell are they not using it to organize a student union or something productive on their campus. (Continued…)
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