We're absolutely thrilled. Singer is cutting edge in several key areas, and people came because they were interested in what he had to say. Singer's controversial views on assisted suicide and involuntary euthanasia prompted some community members to threaten protests. Uniformed campus police were out in force in front of and inside the Icardo Center, though the protestors and their prospective target turned out to be of the kind and gentle variety.
Singer is the most controversial bio-ethicist in the country.
As an academic institution, we are obligated to present all sides of issues and provide for open discussion. This is what we ought to be doing. President Tomas Arciniega commended the choice of Singer as a guest speaker, saying it proved the university's willingness to live up to its obligations to be an intellectual and academic center. Langham found out about Singer's impending appearance in The Bakersfield Californian newspaper. When I saw he was coming here, my first reaction was to be upset that my tax dollars were being used for this.