Controversy not needed
Last week, Tom Hayden, one of the defendants in the Chicago Conspiracy trial following the protests outside of the Democratic National Convention that took place in Chicago in 1968, was the keynote speaker at the 8th Annual Communication and Social Action Conference.
A controversy, a manufactured one to my way of thinking, has arisen now as to Mr. Hayden's fee. Mr. Hayden was paid $3,000 for his appearance, and he was reimbursed for his expenses (flight, lodging, meals, etc.).
The manufactured controversy comes in the form of a Topinabee sophomore, a Mr. Dennis Lennox II, choosing to claim to an ABC12 reporter on Friday that he heard Mr. Hayden was being paid $25,000.
Mr. Lennox is the president of the registered student organization Young Americans for Freedom.
To quote Mr. Lennox's comment to the reporter: "I don't think the university, a public university, Central Michigan University, should be spending $25,000 - what we hear anyway - $25,000 of taxpayer money on someone who hasn't retracted statements."
In fact, Mr. Lennox and YAF already had submitted a Freedom of Information Request to the university, and a letter with the information on Hayden's fee had been placed in the YAF mailbox on Feb. 19, noting that Hayden was being paid $3,000 for his appearance.
I do think it is completely inappropriate that Mr. Lennox chose to publicize a figure that was absolutely untrue. Nor do I have much regard for the irresponsibility of the ABC12 reporter who chose not to confirm the truth of the matter.
I do, ironically, agree with Mr. Lennox in as much as the university should not be spending $25,000 - and in fact, we did not.
William Dailey, Chair, Communication and Dramatic Arts
