Posted on 04/07/2015 7:38:14 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
DENTON (CBS 11 NEWS) – The announcement that Governor Greg Abbott will be the keynote speaker at the University of North Texas’ commencement ceremony has been met with an online backlash from students.
Nearly 2,000 people, as of Monday evening, have signed an online petition asking the university’s president to replace Abbott as the commencement speaker. Hundreds have also joined Facebook group called “Abbott Free UNT.”
“Abbott doesn’t represent the campus on many levels,” said senior UNT student A.J. Aguinaga, who now plans to skip the ceremony.
Aguinaga is among several students who organized the petition.
“I do not think that the commencement is a place for a partisan political speaker whether they are conservative or liberal,” said fellow student and petition organizer Christy Medrano. “Everyone should feel welcome at their commencement.”
UNT President Neal Smatresk said he understood when selecting Abbott to speak at UNT’s inaugural university-wide commencement ceremony that there would be some controversy.
“I don’t expect the whole campus to appreciate the points of view of or endorse them,” he explained. “But I expect them to listen because creating an informed and educated citizenry and engaging in public dialog and discourse is a healthy thing for our campus.”
(Excerpt) Read more at dfw.cbslocal.com ...
Let’s replace UNT’s state funding with pesos. Send the dollars where they are appreciated.
Why are those students still there?
Few, if any, could work as janitors.
Another reason to rid universities of useless non-acadenid departments.
And you and I know which departments “taught” the majority of those student losers.
Wendy Davis is a shoe-in to be governor in four years.
I’m so glad I went to technical college and found immediate employment.
Universities are nothing more than leftist breeding grounds.
Who can they get instead? Che is dead, Mumia is locked up, and Castro is too feeble.
Denton is the Berkeley of North Texas.
They must be holding out for Michelle Zero.
Who gave the commencement last year?
Who would they rather have speak, Wendy Davis? Tax dollars should be cut off from going to universities
Ya, they want Wendy Davis, or Sandra Fluke. Or a prominent homosexual such as Ellen de Generes or Rosie O’Donnell. They want only someone who is liberal.
“I do not think that the commencement is a place for a partisan political speaker whether they are conservative or liberal,” said fellow student and petition organizer Christy Medrano. “
Yeah, right.
If it was Che you’d be falling all over yourself to kiss his feet.
First of all, a keynote speaker at a commencement ceremony isn’t there to “represent the campus”. That ought to be obvious to an average intelligent mind.
Second, no one really gives a railroad penny whether A.J. Aguinaga goes to the commencement or not. It’s just not worth taking note of, even within the Denton community, let alone within Texas or the nation as a whole.
When the snotnosed little bastards pull this crap, ALL TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO THE CESSPOOL SHOULD IMMEDIATELY BE CUT OFF! The little bastards.
UNT President Neal Smatresk should have invited Ted Nugent. Maybe he still can.
If you like your graduation speaker, you can keep your graduation speaker. Period.
Are there really 2000? Or are these the half dozen who know how to make it look like thousands?
Never happen.
More intolerance from the “we demand tolerance” crowd.
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