It has been with great interest that I have watched the press coverage concerning the BSU invitation to Louis Farrakhan to speak at NIU.

The subsequent disclosure of failed contract negotiations with Mr. Farrakhan, and the SA Executive Board decision to bail out the BSU, so to speak, with additional student funds provides some interesting insights into life and our society in general.

It appears on the surface that the BSU and their adviser have both fallen victim to a severe case of lack of foresight. From the information available I gather that the planning for Mr. Farrakhan’s appearance has been in the works for some time.

Student activity funds had already been allocated to pay his up-front fee in part last semester. The whole matter should not suddenly be an item of such last-minute urgency as to necessitate the emergency funding that was sought from the SA Executive Board.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that we cannot always afford the things we would like to have. We, as a society, have developed a great tendency to expect big-brother government to bail us out. I see the actions of the BSU in their appeal to the SA Executive Board as nothing more than this. I suspect that they and Mr. Farrakhan doubt his ability to draw a sufficiently large, paying audience to make up the difference and thus his request for more than 80 percent of his fee up front.

I believe one of the primary functions of an institution of higher learning should be to lessen racism, bigotry, and hatred by promoting understanding and racial and ethnic harmony. I doubt very much if anything Mr. Farrakhan has ever said or will ever say, given his attitude, could add anything useful to the attainment of this goal.

Having grown to adulthood in the racially turbulent era that gave us a great leader as Dr. Martin Luther King, and having been unjustly accused of racism and the exploitation of my fellow man because of the color of my skin, I wonder if having a black racist speak here serves any useful purpose. Is this a wise use of the student activity fees or just exploitation by a different color.

S. L. Parks

Junior