May 8, 1998

UCSD Students Protest Newt Gingrich as Graduation Speaker

By Robert Quintana

About 100 students and faculty gathered at the UCSD Chancellors Complex to express outrage at Newt Gingrich's invitation to the campus commencement ceremony in June. Speakers strongly denounced the decision by Chancellor Robert Dynes to invite the Republican from Georgia to the graduation ceremonies.

"We do not want to our university to be associated with Newt Gingrich in any way… it's an embarrassment," said Kathia Romo, Chair of the Student Affirmative Action Committee. "We barely heard about this on April 17 despite the fact that the decision was made in January," said Romo.

Student protesters questioned the decision to invite the highly controversial speaker who has come out against Affirmative Action measures.

"On the one hand Chancellor Dynes and the university continues to express their commitment to Affirmative Action programs. But, if that's the case, then why invite a proponent of hate mongering, a proponent of wedge politics… a right wing radical to our graduation. Who is the Chancellor trying to fool? This is nothing but a free campaign contribution to Newt's political agenda," said Richard Vera, a student at UCSD.

"Because Newt Gingrich is a political figure, there are some people who support him vigorously and there are others who oppose him very vigorously," said Joe Watson, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. "No one in the state of California should take any political figure as a representation of UCSD," said Watson, in response to protesters expressing concern that Gingrich would be associated with the university.

UCSD Chancellor Robert Dynes failed to make any public statement but scheduled a meeting with students in two weeks to discuss the matter.

They (the administration) think that they can pull this off because the students at UCSD are more laid back," said Romo, who is also a member of MEChA. "What they don't realize is that we have just begun."