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Charity event goes smoothly despite controversial speaker
Issue date: 4/24/08
A charity event involving a controversial speaker went smoothly despite the withdrawal of two participants and threats from administrators to pull funding.
Two administrators who agreed to judge Hopkins Got Talent withdrew after alleged pressure from students and faculty upset by the event's speaker, Allison Weir.
"It's a little strange to defame someone without speaking to them some more," Weir told the News-Letter after the event.
Weir is a freelance journalist and founder of the group If America Knew, which claims that the deaths of Palestinians in the Middle East conflict have been severely underreported in the American media.
Dean of Undergraduate Education and Vice Provost Paula Burger decided not to judge the competition because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a politically divisive issue, and she did not want to appear to be endorsing a particular side.
Proceeds from Hopkins Got Talent go to UNICEF, where they will benefit Palestinian children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of area conflicts.
When he was first approached by Vision XChange, the student group responsible for organizing the event, Director of Volunteer and Community Services at the Center for Social Concern William Tiefenwerth believed funds would raised for children on both sides of the conflict.
"I expressed my concern that an event that focused on one peoples' plight and not another's in the region would be taking a political stance, which is not what we're about here," he said.
Last week Burger and Tiefenwerth notified XChange co-founder and chair Salmah Rizvi of their decision to step down.
Rizvi felt the administrators made their decisions too soon and that the event did not carry the political element they had feared it would.
"We proved tonight that the event was completely humanitarian, it was completely fact-based," she said. "If Dean Burger had come to the event, she would have seen that. Ms. Weir didn't use Vision XChange as a platform for rallying support for either side of this debate."
Two administrators who agreed to judge Hopkins Got Talent withdrew after alleged pressure from students and faculty upset by the event's speaker, Allison Weir.
"It's a little strange to defame someone without speaking to them some more," Weir told the News-Letter after the event.
Weir is a freelance journalist and founder of the group If America Knew, which claims that the deaths of Palestinians in the Middle East conflict have been severely underreported in the American media.
Dean of Undergraduate Education and Vice Provost Paula Burger decided not to judge the competition because the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a politically divisive issue, and she did not want to appear to be endorsing a particular side.
Proceeds from Hopkins Got Talent go to UNICEF, where they will benefit Palestinian children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of area conflicts.
When he was first approached by Vision XChange, the student group responsible for organizing the event, Director of Volunteer and Community Services at the Center for Social Concern William Tiefenwerth believed funds would raised for children on both sides of the conflict.
"I expressed my concern that an event that focused on one peoples' plight and not another's in the region would be taking a political stance, which is not what we're about here," he said.
Last week Burger and Tiefenwerth notified XChange co-founder and chair Salmah Rizvi of their decision to step down.
Rizvi felt the administrators made their decisions too soon and that the event did not carry the political element they had feared it would.
"We proved tonight that the event was completely humanitarian, it was completely fact-based," she said. "If Dean Burger had come to the event, she would have seen that. Ms. Weir didn't use Vision XChange as a platform for rallying support for either side of this debate."
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 6
Abbas
posted 4/25/08 @ 11:53 AM EST
I'm highly disappointed in the decision by Dean Burger and Mr. Tiefenwerth to step down as judges of the contest. While they claim that the reason they stepped down is that they thought the event "too political," what their decision really indicates is that Ms. (Continued…)
Kamran
posted 4/25/08 @ 12:13 PM EST
I would like to applaud VXChange and the JHU student body for organizing/funding this event and making it a success. Amazing work as always! Its plain that humanitarian organizations on the Palestinian side are in dire need of resources, although its a shame that children on both sides are suffering during this prolonged conflict. (Continued…)
Kamran
Kamran
posted 4/25/08 @ 12:14 PM EST
I would like to applaud VXChange and the JHU student body for organizing/funding this event and making it a success. Amazing work as always! Its plain that humanitarian organizations on the Palestinian side are in dire need of resources, although its a shame that children on both sides are suffering during this prolonged conflict. (Continued…)
J. Saleh Williams
posted 4/25/08 @ 12:36 PM EST
Ultimately, I'm glad that many JHU students saw past the ill-informed criticism of the event and came out to support this worthy cause. Many students worked hard to put on a great performance. (Continued…)
Adrienne B
posted 4/25/08 @ 5:36 PM EST
I would like to commend the members of Vision Exchange who remained steadfast in their desire to produce this event. I'm sure it was rough; as it is always for those who are ahead of their time. (Continued…)
Adrienne NH Baksh
posted 4/25/08 @ 5:38 PM EST
I would like to commend the members of Vision Exchange who remained steadfast in their desire to produce this event. I'm sure it was rough; as it is always for those who are ahead of their time. (Continued…)
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