Presidential adviser Karl Rove spoke about the history of White House communications at Texas State University Tuesday as dozens of protesters, both inside and outside of the auditorium, expressed their disapproval through boos and banners.
Rove's lecture was part of TSU's Communication Week, a series of free lectures, seminars and workshops that began Monday. About 750 students filled the auditorium to hear Rove's speech, while about 50 protesters gathered with banners and signs outside the school's Evan's Auditorium where the lecture was being delivered.
"I am protesting because I believe in free speech and in hearing a variety of views, especially at a university," said Susan Cook, the protest's main organizer with the Wimbledon Democrats and Code Pink.
Demonstrators were allowed to remain in the front of the building, and a few were allowed in the audience. Those protesters who watched the speech inside shouted comments in outbursts of disapproval.
"I think the protesting was distracting, but it was expected. It was good for the students to see him handle controversial comments made during his speech with grace and elegance," said Steven Beebe, chair of the Department of Communication Studies.
Beebe said the department was interested in exposing students to a variety of ideas, and the speech provided a rare opportunity for students to learn firsthand, rather than from a sound byte.
Lindsay Norman, a public relations senior at TSU, said she thought it was a good speech about the changing of communication and modern media, like blogging.
During the introduction, student protesters shouted and waved banners, and while they were not removed, they eventually stopped and sat down, Norman said.
"It's important to understand that there is a time and a place for protesting. He was not here as a speaker for Bush but as a communications lecturer," Norman said.
Kara Sweidel, a philosophy senior, said she thought it was completely inappropriate that Rove was invited to speak about communications.
"He has no degree, yet he is speaking about the importance of pursuing a degree," Sweidel said.
Some demonstrators were as unimpressed with the style of his speech as they were with the deliverer.
"I thought the speech was basic and uninspired. For a communications expert, he was not well-prepared nor well spoken," said Desserae Shepston, an anthropology graduate student. "It was mostly overview that anybody could have Googled."
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