Ahead of Wednesday night’s lecture by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, campus administrators at the University of Connecticut urged students whose feelings may have been hurt to take advantage of the university’s counseling services.
In an email addressed to the entire student body, Joelle Murchison, the Associate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for UConn, warned students about the Shapiro lecture and expressed understanding for those students who may feel triggered by the event.
“We understand that even the thought of an individual coming to campus with the views that Mr. Shapiro expresses can be concerning and even hurtful,” wrote Murchison, “and that’s why we wanted to make you aware as soon as we were informed.”
In her email to students, Murchison describes Shapiro as “an American conservative political commentator, columnist, author, radio talk show host, and lawyer.” Because Shapiro possesses these credentials, however, it apparently became necessary for UConn to alert students.
“In the meantime, please utilize the many campus resources available to you should you want to talk through your feelings about this issue,” wrote Murchison, “including my office, the Cultural Centers, the Dean of Students Office, and [Counseling and Mental Health Services], if necessary.”
In addition to advising triggered students to seek counseling, the university also placed restrictions on the event. Individuals who are not students of the university had to pre-register for the event in order to be able to enter the lecture hall. This is in stark contrast to an event held just last week featuring liberal law professor Anita Hill, which was open to the public and did not require tickets.
Shapiro gave his lecture, part of Young America’s Foundation Fred Allen Lecture Series, to a packed house.
And that’s a standing ovation from a sold-out crowd for @benshapiro at UConn. #YAFonCampus pic.twitter.com/OJuYNfHI6c
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) January 25, 2018
UConn has been notorious for providing an unwelcoming environment to conservative speakers during the 2017-2018 school year. In November, White House correspondent for Gateway Pundit Lucian Wintrich was arrested by UConn campus police for attempting to retrieve a copy of his speech that was stolen from him by Catherin Gregory, a community college adviser. The Connecticut Superior Court eventually dismissed all charges against Wintrich, and also arrested the community college adviser who swiped his notes mid-speech, charging her with attempted sixth-degree larceny and disorderly conduct.
Gregory’s criminal case was resolved this week, where she was barred by the state from setting foot on the UConn campus and also forced to make a $500 donation to the school.
Security came out en masse to enforce safety at Shapiro’s event.
The UConn College Democrats held a counter-event on campus, called “Ben Shapiro Is Not As Insightful As He Thinks He Is.”
John Patrick (@john_pat_rick) is a graduate of Canisius College and Georgia Southern University. He interned for Red Alert Politics during the summer of 2012 and has continued to contribute regularly.
