Student challenges YWC speaker

Sometimes events don’t go as planned.

This was the case Thursday when a Youth for Western Civilization-sponsored event on affirmative action turned into an open forum discussion among students, faculty and community members.

One audience member even took the stage to fully express an opposing viewpoint.

“It didn’t go as we expected, but that’s not a bad thing,” said Daryl Ann Dunigan, vice president of YWC and coordinator of the event.

Judson Wood, a first-year law student, asked permission to take the stage and openly debate keynote speaker Mike Adams after Adams finished his presentation.

Although audience members initially showed discontent toward the unexpected debate, they soon sat back to listen to Wood’s arguments in favor of race-based affirmative action.

In his speech, Adams expressed his support for socioeconomic-based affirmative action in favor of current policies that favor race.

“I didn’t mean to hijack your speech here. I’m just here to speak on affirmative action,” Wood said to Adams. Wood added that he wanted to make sure both sides were being presented.

Dunigan said YWC had asked many faculty members to participate as a counterpoint to Adams, but none volunteered.

The question-and-answer session also allowed for many audience members to relate relevant experiences.

The invited speaker, a conservative online columnist and tenured professor at UNC-Wilmington, spoke to an audience of about 40 in the Student Union Auditorium. About 10 police officers were on hand — about the same amount of security present at YWC’s last speaker event in October.

“I’m not a racist. I’m an anti-racist,” Adams said. “I believe all races can achieve.”

Adams said his experiences in higher education have exposed the hidden discriminations made behind closed doors in admission offices.

“Affirmative action in higher education rarely gets into the problem of racial inequality,” Adams said.

Dunigan said the event cost $500 and was paid for by the national chapter of YWC.

Senior Bryan Weynand, an editor of the Carolina Review, said he really enjoyed the informal atmosphere of the event.

“Wood really added a colorful, personal element,” Weynand said.

The previous three speakers YWC hosted on campus were met with protests, the first of which resulted in a broken classroom window and national coverage.

“I’m so happy you were polite, attentive and didn’t break windows,” Adams said to the audience at the end of his speech.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.